Field Porter (2)
"What was the next line again…?"
**Kim Jeonghyeon** muttered to himself.
"Oh right. It was something like, *'Not answering me? You bastard, are you openly ignoring me now?'*"
As Jeonghyeon murmured the line quietly, the man standing in the middle lifted his face with a vicious expression—as if proving the memory correct.
"Not answering me? You bastard, you're openly ignoring me now?"
At this point, Jeonghyeon felt nothing but delight.
"Does that mean I don't have to live as a field porter anymore?!"
"…?"
Jeonghyeon spread his arms wide and welcomed the men enthusiastically.
From the beginning, the thought that these guys might actually threaten him had never even crossed his mind.
**One minute!**
No—considering the conversation just now, **thirty seconds!**
In thirty seconds, he would awaken!
Overjoyed, Jeonghyeon grabbed their hands and shook them vigorously.
"Thank you, guys! I didn't know I'd be this happy to see you! Thanks to you, it looks like I won't have to be a porter anymore!"
The happiness in Jeonghyeon's eyes had crossed into something resembling madness.
The men slowly began stepping backward.
"Come on, hit me more! I need that to awaken! Here! Want to punch my face? Or somewhere else?"
People say someone truly crazy is scarier than someone angry.
The pitiful **F-rank hunters**, faced with Jeonghyeon's terrifying fake madness, quickly backed away.
"H-hey, let's go. We need to finish hunting and eat dinner."
"Oh! R-right! Today's sausage stir-fry day! Let's hurry!"
"Wait for me, hyungs!"
The three hunters ran away.
Soon the field's safe zone returned to its usual noisy bustle.
Amid all of that, only Jeonghyeon stood quietly, peacefully closing his eyes as he looked up at the sky.
*Come, **Solgaleh**! No—please come!*
Feeling the moment of awakening approach—or more precisely, the moment he would escape the life of a porter—Jeonghyeon spread his arms wide and called out the name of the **Radiant Dragon, Solgaleh**.
Warm sunlight wrapped around his body.
*Solgaleh!!!*
…
*Solgaleh?*
…
"Lord Solgaleh? Mister Solgaleh? What's going on?"
Jeonghyeon's lips twitched slightly.
The smile he had been forcing disappeared.
One minute passed.
Then two.
No revelation descended.
Normally by now, golden light would have enveloped him, and he would receive divine revelation like the protagonist of a game.
Especially since **Solgaleh**, the dragon symbolizing gold and the sun, was among the highest dragons—people would have witnessed something like the rebirth of a saint.
But—
"WHY IS NOTHING HAPPENING?!"
As if the world mocked his lonely cry, Jeonghyeon's vision suddenly turned crimson.
"…Huh?"
Blood began to stream from his right eye.
Agonizing pain exploded through it.
"Ghk!!"
The pain felt as if his eye were **burning**, and Jeonghyeon collapsed to the ground, groaning.
"What… is this…?!"
Amid the unbearable pain, a **dark crimson Status Window**—unlike anything he had seen before—appeared before him.
[Conditions satisfied.]
[First Achievement obtained: **"Gotcha, you were fooled."**]
"What kind of achievement name is that…?"
Before he could process the absurdity, another message appeared.
[Reward for achievement: **Demon King's Eye Lv.1** acquired.]
"…What?"
Jeonghyeon blurted out loud in disbelief.
Gradually, the burning pain in his right eye began to subside.
[Demon King's Eye awakened.]
[The Demon King's message will now play.]
*The Demon King's… Eye?*
When Jeonghyeon opened the eye that had been burning moments ago, a figure materialized before him.
**Malekith.**
From head to toe he was clad in black and crimson armor that looked almost like a tailcoat woven from dragon scales. A faint blood-red glow seeped from it.
With his elegant yet irritating demeanor, Malekith smiled slyly at Jeonghyeon.
[Yo~. You woke up safely, Jeonghyeon? Disappointed it's me instead of **Solgaleh**?]
"You bastard…!"
Jeonghyeon swung a furious punch at the figure.
But his fist passed through it, tearing a hole through the flickering image.
Nothing happened.
"What's wrong with that guy…? Why is he punching the air?"
Only the confused stares of nearby hunters reached him.
*So only I can see him…? That bastard.*
As if anticipating this, Malekith's projection spoke again.
[For your information, this is just a recording I left in your eye. Not a live broadcast. You didn't lose your temper and punch the air in public, did you? That'd make people think you're crazy.]
*You bastard.*
Jeonghyeon muttered inwardly and walked into a narrow alley.
A small gap between buildings that only **field porters** knew about.
Malekith continued speaking with a deliberately mocking expression.
[Anyway, hero. This is both a gift for you and entertainment for my boredom.]
Malekith brushed his long white hair back with slender fingers and pointed to his **left eye**.
A crimson glow leaked from it—the same **Demon King's Eye** Jeonghyeon possessed.
Jeonghyeon had it in his **right eye**.
Malekith in his **left**.
They shared the same eye.
[This eye reveals secrets. Sometimes it even allows you to break limits and grasp ultimate techniques. You'll learn the details yourself. Just remember—it's the power that made me the Demon King.]
"You think I'd ever use that kind of power?"
Jeonghyeon muttered quietly.
Even if he died, he had no intention of using power left behind by the Demon King.
But Malekith's next words shattered that resolve.
[Of course you will. You're already an **Awakener awakened by me, Demon King Malekith**. Which means you've already awakened. You can never become a dragon's Awakener now. You know what that means, right?]
Jeonghyeon's eyes trembled.
The meaning was simple.
Because he had already received the **Demon King's revelation**, he could never receive a dragon's blessing.
He would never awaken through dragons.
An Awakener awakened by the **Demon King**.
Such a thing should not exist.
Awakeners received a dragon's revelation and shared their power.
Could even the Demon King copy a dragon's authority?
"…Damn it."
Jeonghyeon barely stopped himself from cursing aloud.
If dragons truly existed and were stronger than the Demon King…
Then why had none appeared when he, the **last hero**, fought until his death?
For a brief moment, such a dangerous thought crossed his mind.
But even then, he had never once considered becoming the Demon King's servant.
Ignoring Jeonghyeon's conflicted thoughts—or perhaps deliberately provoking them—Malekith leaned forward and whispered.
[To upgrade the **Demon King's Eye**, you must complete the quests I prepared. While you were regressing, I carefully designed this event just for you. Make sure you clear them. I'm already looking forward to it.]
The recorded image smiled with genuine excitement.
The one enemy he acknowledged would now grow according to his design.
It must have felt like walking a rival on a leash.
"You bastard…!"
Naturally, it felt far less pleasant for the one wearing the leash.
*So returning through your scheme wasn't enough? Now you want me to be your toy? Watch my entire life like entertainment?*
Jeonghyeon pulled a small **harvesting knife** from the porter inventory **Hwang Dooman** had given him.
Old, but sharpened well.
Yesterday's Jeonghyeon—who he could no longer remember—had been beaten badly, so Dooman had repaired the knife for him.
Jeonghyeon raised the blade to his own throat.
"If the alternative is becoming your toy, I'd rather kill myself."
He had experienced **regression**, something even dragons supposedly couldn't easily achieve.
But a life filled with humiliation like this—
Just as that thought crossed his mind—
[Ah, right. If we're going to see each other for a long time, I should give you some hope.]
"…?"
Malekith's torment wasn't finished.
[The stronger you become, the weaker I become. If you ever reach me using my eye… well. You can guess the rest.]
To enjoy the ultimate battle, Malekith had not only given his power to his enemy—
He had also made **his own weakening** part of the wager.
Had he gone insane after ruling as the strongest for too long?
Or was he simply that confident he could kill Jeonghyeon anyway?
Malekith smiled mischievously.
[Well then. See you later.]
With a wink, the projection scattered and vanished.
People compared **Malekith** to a dragon and called him the **Mad Dragon**.
Now Jeonghyeon understood why.
"Last time I awakened under the **Radiant Dragon Solgaleh**… and now it's the turn of the **Mad Dragon Malekith**?"
His life had twisted strangely.
Jeonghyeon leaned against the wall of the alley and slowly slid down to sit.
After staring blankly into the air for a long time, he finally muttered bitterly.
"…This is seriously messed up."
He covered his right eye.
The heat there felt like a fever.
But suddenly—
Jeonghyeon began to laugh.
"…Heh."
The laughter grew louder.
Soon he threw his head back and burst into wild laughter.
Anyone watching would have thought him insane.
"Kuh… hahahaha! HAHAHAHA!"
Then the laughter stopped.
Jeonghyeon opened his eyes.
They were filled with killing intent.
"So. You want to play a game with me?"
If Malekith wanted a game, he would play along.
If the Demon King wanted to drag him around like a dog on a leash—
Fine.
*Because masters who think they own the leash never imagine the dog might bite their throat.*
Jeonghyeon felt relieved.
Now he had a **clear reason** to kill the Demon King.
"Quest."
He muttered quietly.
Surely Malekith had prepared a path for him to grow.
And indeed—
A quest appeared.
[Quest: **Demon King's Eye – Use Attribute Disruption.**]
[Reward: Attribute Disruption Level Up / Next Quest]
"Okay."
"Let's begin."
Truthfully—
Jeonghyeon felt a chill.
Because beneath his anger and thirst for revenge…
There was also **excitement**.
When he had been the Awakener of the **Radiant Dragon Solgaleh**, every action had been bound by strict quests and noble expectations.
But now—
As the Awakener of the **Demon King**—
He had a feeling.
He might finally be able to reveal his true **nature**.