Chapter 100 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Heavenly Demon, Drinking with Dongwon (2)
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"I don't get it. If there are so many gods who love humans, isn't it strange that they don't interfere at all to begin with?"
"Whether there are many or few doesn't change anything."
Once again, he got an answer that was impossible to grasp.
Dongwon averted his gaze to his glass under the Heavenly Demon's questioning look.
A wry smile played on his face as he stared at the clear liquid.
"I'm just a powerless civil servant at the bottom rung, so I can't give you an answer that would satisfy you, Heavenly Demon… But it's not simply a matter of interfering or not."
The vague response drew a hollow laugh from the Heavenly Demon instead.
This world was far too complicated.
Humans, yokai, and gods seemed to mingle together, but in truth, they were utterly indifferent to one another.
The Heavenly Demon, who had sought to comprehend and master not just martial arts but all natural phenomena, found this world to be an unsolvable riddle.
"Whether we know it or not, whether there are many or few—it changes nothing."
"Are you talking about the 'laws of the world'?"
Dongwon gave a self-deprecating smile, as if the Heavenly Demon had seen through him.
"That's right."
He downed his shot of soju in one go and shook his head weakly.
"Sorry. I've just been rambling on with depressing talk. That's not why I invited you here."
"It doesn't matter. A drinking session is a place to cast off all worries."
"You must have enjoyed liquor often back in your original world."
"Where would there be a distinction between drinkers and nondrinkers?"
"I see. Then let's have another."
Dongwon, getting into the mood, chuckled as he picked up the soju bottle.
"They say sharing a drink with good company is better for the body than any tonic."
He filled the Heavenly Demon's glass to the brim and smiled.
"Looks like we'll be drinking through the night together today, Heavenly Demon."
Empty soju bottles piled up on the floor.
Dongwon's pale cheeks were slightly flushed from the alcohol.
But the Heavenly Demon's face remained perfectly composed, even without burning off the intoxication with his internal energy.
"You really hold your liquor, Heavenly Demon. Does alcohol not affect you at all?"
"Who knows."
Dongwon let out a deep sigh and made a wronged expression.
"I'm pretty weak to booze myself. I've built up some tolerance through work socializing, though."
"Is there a need to force it down?"
"Haha. Not every job is like that… but in this world, sometimes you can't get by without drinking sessions."
Staring into space, Dongwon grew chatty.
"Still, once I started drinking, I found it has its perks. You can make friends or lovers, get close to people faster."
He turned to the Heavenly Demon, who sat silently.
"But since you don't get drunk, you wouldn't know those advantages."
"There are perks to staying sober, too."
"Really? Like what?"
"It's easier to probe someone's true feelings."
Dongwon's smile froze slightly at the corners of his mouth.
The Heavenly Demon continued flatly, unperturbed.
"No matter how clear-headed someone is, alcohol loosens the mind and leads to slips of the tongue."
"Do you think this gathering is a ploy to probe your intentions?"
"Who knows."
"Hahaha. Why would I do something like that?"
The Heavenly Demon, who had been gazing at the ceiling light, turned to look at Dongwon.
"Didn't you say that even gods can't read the thoughts of Divine Territory employees?"
A meteor-like gleam flickered in the Heavenly Demon's eyes, swirling with Blood Flame Radiance.
"Every time you downed a shot, it felt like the barriers in your heart were coming undone. Soju isn't supposed to be this potent."
"Heavenly Demon."
"If you have questions, just ask directly. It doesn't matter what."
Dongwon sighed.
He realized there was no fooling the Heavenly Demon, no matter what he said.
"I'm sorry, Heavenly Demon."
He bowed his head politely and spoke with it still lowered.
"After the Bubiston incident, the Divine Realm has started paying attention to you."
"It doesn't matter."
"No. It's not the indifferent gods—it's the ones who love and care for humans."
"Why is that?"
Dongwon's expression turned grave.
"They're wary of how overwhelmingly powerful you are, Heavenly Demon—a human."
"Why?"
"Because peace and prosperity are what matter most to humans."
The Heavenly Demon mulled over Dongwon's words before scoffing.
"What nonsense. For gods to make a fuss just because I demolished one rundown building."
"What you showed isn't the full extent of your power, is it?"
Silence fell over the pocha interior for a moment.
Dongwon took a deep breath and stared straight at the Heavenly Demon.
"The Divine Realm is concerned about your infinite potential."
"Why worry about that?"
"Because humans are unstable beings."
Dongwon met the Heavenly Demon's crimson eyes as he spoke.
"If an unstable being gains great power and makes a wrong judgment… the world would descend into irreparable chaos."
The Heavenly Demon burst into uncontrollable laughter at Dongwon's words.
-Hahahaha!
His mad cackle seemed to sweep away the night sky's clouds and shake the earth.
-Hahahaha!
"Heavenly Demon."
"What a ridiculous notion."
Cutting off his laughter abruptly, the Heavenly Demon spoke coldly.
"Is that why you staged this little farce? To peek into my mind?"
As the Heavenly Demon's icy voice echoed, Dongwon felt as if he were stranded in a blizzard-swept snowfield.
"No human with power like yours has ever appeared in our world until now. It might be natural to be cautious of you."
The Heavenly Demon, staring at Dongwon, crossed his arms and said something off-topic.
"So, what's the real point you want to make?"
"Pardon?"
"You're not someone who gets pushed around by the higher-ups. Are you."
"Heavenly Demon."
"Say what you really want to say to me."
A peculiar smile suddenly bloomed on Dongwon's lips.
The man called the Heavenly Demon saw him for who he truly was. He seemed indifferent, yet he always deeply gauged a person's heart.
"You're not someone who gets pushed around by the higher-ups."
It was a phrase that summed up Dongwon perfectly. In truth, he couldn't be swayed even if he tried.
"Haha."
Dongwon let out an involuntary low chuckle.
He had once tried infiltrating the Heavenly Demon's mind with divine power, but failed long ago. Instead, the Heavenly Demon was leading the conversation, shaking his resolve, observing, and probing him.
'What a terrifying person.'
The Heavenly Demon.
At first, he had seemed like just a unique martial artist from another world with an eccentric personality.
But he wielded not only fearsome martial arts but also the mysterious Demonic Gate Great Law. And above all, he possessed something that transcended humanity.
"Very well. I'll be frank."
After hesitating, Dongwon spoke in a low voice.
"To be honest, I'm worried that this matter won't just affect you, Heavenly Demon, but Big Sis as well."
"What are you talking about?"
"With your emergence… I fear Big Sis might become a protruding stone."
Dongwon pressed on, watching the blinking Heavenly Demon.
"Until now, Big Sis has managed the territory while avoiding any exposure. But because of you, Heavenly Demon, she keeps drawing attention, and that worries me."
"I don't follow."
Dongwon tossed back the soju in his glass and stared intently at the Heavenly Demon.
"I'm afraid she'll revert to her old self."
"Old self?"
"That's right."
A bitter smile on his lips, Dongwon picked up the bottle and refilled his glass.
"You might not know this, Heavenly Demon, but Big Sis is truly remarkable."
"I know."
The Heavenly Demon nodded readily.
Jang Chaewon possessed something beyond the Heavenly Demon's comprehension—something more than mere strength.
That was why she could command the absolute transcendent, who soared beyond the skies of the demonic path—no, beyond human limits—as a contractor.
"I was simply afraid your actions might influence Big Sis."
"Explain so I understand."
"It might be rude, but bluntly put, both you, Heavenly Demon, and Big Sis feel like bombs to me. Like nuclear warheads side by side, with uncertain explosive yields."
The Heavenly Demon couldn't suppress a smirk at Dongwon's words.
"A bomb next to a bomb."
"Yes. If one goes off… I fear the other will detonate too. Like that time with the Minotaur hunt and the disciplinary action."
Only then did the Heavenly Demon grasp Dongwon's meaning.
Back then, Jang Chaewon had openly defied the Divine Realm in rage for the Heavenly Demon and Nameless.
Hadn't even the gods been taken aback by her form, wreathed in blue light?
"Now I get what you mean."
"I'm sorry, Heavenly Demon."
"It's fine. When do you get a drinking session where you can speak freely?"
Feeling the weight behind the Heavenly Demon's words, Dongwon bowed his head.
"But it's also true that I came to express my gratitude. And personally, I wanted to share a drink with you."
Dongwon rose from his seat and bowed politely.
"Then I'll take my leave first."
He approached Go Eunjin and held out his card.
"Please close the tab. Cash payment."
"Our pocha doesn't take cards."
"Why not?"
"No card reader."
Dongwon's face paled as he proffered the card.
"No card reader?"
"Yes."
Dongwon scratched his head and mumbled incoherently.
"D-don't pochas these days all take cards?"
"We don't."
Making a miserable face, Dongwon rummaged through his wallet.
But what need did a Divine Realm civil servant have to carry wads of cash?
"Uh…"
"No credit."
At Go Eunjin's firm words, Dongwon pulled out his phone as if resolving himself.
"Understood. Just a moment, then…"
That was when the Heavenly Demon stepped in and waved his hand.
"I'll cover it here, so go."
"N-no, today I…"
"It's fine. You handled my business before, and recently gave me good faith."
"Absolutely not."
"You can buy me expensive liquor next time."
Dongwon, who had been stubbornly refusing, paused. Didn't that mean another round next time?
"…That works, then."
Smiling faintly, Dongwon gave the Heavenly Demon a slight bow.
"Heavenly Demon, thanks for the great meal. Next time, I'll treat you properly."
"I'll hold you to it."
Dongwon grinned broadly and turned toward the pocha exit.
With a whoosh, he dissolved into millions of light specks and vanished into the sky.
"Have one on the house."
Go Eunjin, who had listened silently until now, placed a bottle of soju on the table.
It wasn't cheap regular soju, but a pricier distilled variety.
"What's this?"
"Service."
Go Eunjin wiped her nose and said.
"I overheard earlier. You resolved the Bubiston fire… It was you, right?"
"I didn't resolve it."
"Just take it."
Go Eunjin set the bottle down with a clunk and flashed a playful smile as she walked away.
"If Divine Realm officials are wary of you, you must be pretty powerful."
"Who knows."
"I heard you're in the middle of recovering your strength."
As the Heavenly Demon blinked, Go Eunjin chuckled.
"You're already insanely strong now. How much did you lose to be that cautious?"
"How much?"
The Heavenly Demon's eyes narrowed.
"How much did I lose?"
He had lost only his internal energy.
But hearing the question stirred a feeling that he had lost something crucial beyond that.
"Just curious."
The Heavenly Demon snorted lowly at Go Eunjin's words.
"About a thirtieth."
"Didn't hear that right."
"Not exact, but around there."
The Heavenly Demon uncapped the verdant distilled soju bottle and poured into a glass instead of a shot glass.
"It's just a guess. My internal energy surpassed a thousand years long ago."
Go Eunjin's jaw dropped.
She didn't know what internal energy levels meant, but it sounded outrageously powerful.
"Just how strong are you?"
"How strong?"
The Heavenly Demon drained the 40-proof distilled soju in one gulp and shook his head.
"Even I don't know."
Thud.
He set down the empty glass with a mysterious smile.
"The Divine Demon Great Emperor, who founded the demonic path, never reached my realm. No—in all of martial history, no one has attained my level."
The Heavenly Demon, who had reached the pinnacle of martial arts.
Yet one reason he still pored over books in the Demon Vault was curiosity: among those countless tomes, was there anything describing the realm he had achieved?
"That's why I named this realm 'Immeasurable.'"
Immeasurable (無量: beyond measure).
Having reached an unprecedented realm, the Heavenly Demon dubbed his new achievement thus.
"Beyond measure?"
Go Eunjin, who had been listening intently, suddenly clutched her belly and burst into laughter.
"Are you drunk? Your bragging is something else."
"Think what you want."
The Heavenly Demon rose from his seat, eyeing Go Eunjin's cackling form.
"How much?"
"It's covered."
"What?"
Go Eunjin grinned.
"There were a lot of my favorite eateries near Bubiston. Consider this a humble thanks for protecting them."
A normal person might have declined, but the Heavenly Demon nodded. One doesn't refuse kindness with reason behind it.
"I see. Thanks for the meal."
"And one request."
"Speak."
Go Eunjin set down her kitchen knife, her face turning deadly serious as she prepped ingredients.
"From now on, never set foot in my pocha as a customer again."
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