WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Our Precious Demon King ◈
Chapter 6: Mind Slime
──────
Cheon Yubeom said nothing.
When the silence continued, Kim Junyong gave up first.
“Boring.”
Corrupting a paladin’s soul and making them a retainer was fun, but a soul of that level would rank low even among the retainers. There was no reason to get hung up on it.
Junyong lost interest in the new toy after that brief attempt.
‘Wait. Souls might not be the only things I can summon.’
Kim Junyong had reached the height of power by defeating Belheim’s Demon King.
There was much to show for those two hundred years.
‘If this works out, I might be able to bring over the things in my dungeon too.’
Every experienced mage supposedly had a dungeon.
Kim Junyong was no exception.
And the things he had collected were anything but ordinary.
‘Well, let’s take my time looking into it.’
While Junyong was lost in thought, the car came to a stop.
“Please step out.”
“The Bureau director is the top boss, right?”
“...”
“Are they here?”
“...”
Neither Cheon Yubeom nor Lee Mina answered Kim Junyong’s questions. But even without a reply, their emotions were plain to see...
“So they are.”
The two tried to look calm, but their surprise confirmed it.
“Heh heh. Let’s go.”
Letting them make the arrest without a fight had been the right choice.
If Kim Junyong had come here on his own, there would have been a clash, and that bastard would surely have run away.
Junyong had expected some gloomy prison cell, but the room they led him to was surprisingly spacious and furnished like a reception room.
“Please wait in here.”
“Fine. Don’t keep me waiting too long.”
“It shouldn’t take long.”
“Heh heh.”
With a playful wink, Kim Junyong stepped inside.
Thud.
Once the heavy steel door closed, Junyong sat in the middle of a wide sofa and put both feet on the table.
“Pretty bare.”
There was only one table and two three-seat sofas facing each other.
The unusual thing was that one wall was made of black glass.
Kim Junyong smirked.
“An interrogation room.”
A predictable routine.
“This should be fun.”
Taking down one rapist wasn’t the real reason for being dragged here.
That was just the excuse on the surface. These people must have had their own reason for bringing him in.
Of course, their goals and plans didn’t matter.
I’d come to get my own way.
“Should I give them about ten minutes?”
Wouldn’t that be enough?
Kim Junyong reclined on the sofa, rested his head against the backrest, and closed his eyes.
---
In the control room beyond the special glass, Hunter Management Bureau Director Park Taejun chuckled.
Speakers carried every sound from the interrogation room into the control room.
“That little bastard says he’ll give us ten minutes.”
“Hah, what an arrogant brat. I’ll teach him some manners.”
Special Investigation Unit Commander Jin Hojin was quick to flatter the director.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
Cheon Yubeom and Lee Mina, who had transported the suspect, entered and saluted.
“Sir!” they said in unison.
“Hoho. Yes, well done, both of you.”
The director praised them.
It was none other than Bureau Director Park Taejun who had ordered Kim Junyong brought to the Special Investigation Unit’s headquarters.
“How was he?”
“He used a skill. A curse-type skill.”
“Oh!”
Director Park Taejun was delighted.
“Any chance the test results were wrong?”
“No. He tested as unawakened.”
“Hmm. An unawakened person using skills...”
Park Taejun’s eyes shone.
What a fascinating research subject.
This material could bring major progress to the stalled project to awaken ordinary people.
“Good. Imprisoning him without a trial would be difficult, but an investigation can certainly take a little longer.”
“Oh, absolutely, Director.”
“Let’s persuade him to go to the research lab.”
Goosebumps rose along Cheon Yubeom’s arms at the director’s order.
‘This feels wrong.’
Cheon Yubeom was a paladin.
As was sometimes the case with those who received divine grace, their almost prophetic ability to sense danger was sounding a warning.
“Director, sir.”
“Yes, Team Leader Cheon?”
“What about recruiting him through the criminal recruitment program?”
“Hmm. Is there any need to go that far?”
The criminal recruitment program.
It was a way to fill positions by pitting one enemy against another.
The program usually took model inmates from the hunter-only prison in Icheon, but exceptions like this did occur.
“Now, Team Leader Cheon. This isn’t your place.”
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
At Jin Hojin’s scolding, Cheon Yubeom backed down.
Cheon Yubeom’s already tense face had now turned completely pale, drained of all color.
“Hoho, Director, don’t mind that. Offer to reduce his sentence, and I’m sure he’ll be very cooperative with the experiments.”
“Hmm. Yes.”
The unit commander and the director nodded.
The New Human Project aimed to awaken ordinary people, not returnees. Korea now had a chance to move ahead in that market.
“Team Leader Cheon. Go and talk some sense into him.”
“...”
Jin Hojin frowned at Cheon Yubeom’s pale face.
“Hmm? What’s wrong with you?”
“...I’m feeling a little unwell.”
“Oh, really? Hmm. Then...”
Jin Hojin looked at Lee Mina, but she shook her head firmly.
“Honestly.”
“I’ll go.”
“Huh? You will, Chief Jang?”
Chief Jang Minho, who had accompanied the director as a bodyguard, was one of the Bureau’s few Grade 2 hunters.
“Now, is there any need to use a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken?”
“The Special Investigation Unit seems a little weak in the knees. We should help each other out.”
“Hohoho. Really, now.”
Despite the insult, Commander Jin Hojin gave an easy laugh.
“Violence is the answer for an arrogant bastard like that. I’ll soften them up, so your unit can talk them around afterward. You can manage that much, can’t you?”
“Well...”
“Hoho! Chief Jang always has a good plan. Bad cop, good cop is a time-tested strategy.”
“Haha. That’s right.”
With a superior like the Bureau director giving permission, what could the unit commander say?
Jin Hojin could only agree with a bitter smile.
“Heh. I’ll be back.”
Chief Jang Minho left the control room.
Jin Hojin edged over to Cheon Yubeom and poked them in the side.
“What’s with this disgraceful behavior? Did you eat something bad?”
“...I’m sorry.”
“Honestly.”
What an embarrassment.
As commander of the Special Investigation Unit, Jin Hojin was irritated at having disappointed the director of the Bureau above them.
“It’s starting.”
Director Park Taejun’s face was full of anticipation.
After all, few things were more entertaining than watching a fire or a fight.
Chief Jang Minho was opening the interrogation room door and stepping inside.
---
Kim Junyong was sprawled back on the sofa with both feet on the table. At the sound of the door, he cracked his eyes open.
“What took you so long?”
“What?”
“Are you the director?”
“Hah. Look at this little shit.”
Chief Jang Minho was instantly annoyed.
Did this unawakened bastard think using a few skills was enough to act so high and mighty?
“They sent a small fry.”
“Hah. Words aren’t going to work on you, are they?”
“Dumbass.”
A vein bulged at Jang Minho’s temple.
Jang Minho had planned to play around a little, but that wouldn’t do for this bastard.
“I’ll leave you breathing.”
“Heh. What a shame.”
Kim Junyong was genuinely disappointed.
I wanted to see how the scales would react to someone’s killing intent.
Whoooosh. Thwack!
Jang Minho’s kick slammed into the sofa.
“Oh? You dodged?”
“Are you an idiot? Why would I let that hit me?”
Kim Junyong grinned and moved both hands. The special handcuffs snapped far too easily.
Snap, snap.
“Hah. You broke those with strength alone?”
“What’s the big deal?”
Breaking them with raw physical strength would require at least a Grade 5 hunter.
“Now this is interesting.”
Chief Jang Minho smiled.
It seemed the test subject wouldn’t drop dead at the first blow, even with a little real force behind it.
Jang Minho started throwing serious punches.
Whoosh! Swish!
But Junyong refused to take them seriously.
Watching the fists cut through empty air, Kim Junyong sneered.
“Even Malsun would be faster than this.”
“Who the fuck is Malsun?”
“Not telling.”
“You little...!”
Jang Minho’s face turned bright red.
Finally, their anger boiled over, and they used a skill.
To hell with the test subject.
I’ll kill him!
Fsssss.
Mana gathered around their fists, glowing like a pair of blue gloves.
“You’re fucking dead, you bastard.”
“Oh! That’s the spirit.”
The taunts had paid off.
The scales reacted to that killing intent.
<The scales recognize ‘Self-Defense’.>
That’s right, scales.
So you’re not stupid enough to do good deeds at your own expense either?
<The scales believe some appropriate ‘Education’ is needed.>
“It says you need to be taught a proper lesson.”
“You little shit!”
Whoooosh.
This blow carried a different level of destructive power.
A fist wrapped in blue mana came flying in, but black mana had also gathered around Kim Junyong’s fist as it moved to meet the attack.
Of course, the source of that black mana was Jang Minho.
The slightest jab sent negative emotions pouring out, leaving plenty of energy to spare.
This one gave an excellent return on every taunt.
K-booom!
The two fists collided. A tremendous shock wave shattered the special glass enclosing three sides of the interrogation room.
Craaaash!
Beyond the falling glass, every face filled with shock.
Kim Junyong glanced at them, then caught Jang Minho’s wrist with his outstretched hand and pulled.
“Wh-what!”
Before Jang Minho could pull free and strike back, the captured wrist burst apart.
Boom!
“Aaaaargh!”
As Jang Minho let out that terrible scream, Junyong’s other hand was already on their forehead. But then...
<The opponent has lost the will to fight.>
<Judgment is recommended before punishment.>
Ah, I nearly got carried away and killed this one.
I’d come to the Bureau to talk. There was no need to make things awkward by killing a subordinate.
“Tsk. I’ll let you off.”
Bang!
A slightly weaker explosion sent Jang Minho flying.
They slammed into the door and sprawled across the floor. They looked bad, but they were still breathing.
Ah, I think I’ve gone too soft since coming back to Earth.
“Now, then.”
Kim Junyong looked through the shattered glass.
Six people stood there, their faces clearly showing their panic.
“Which one of you is the director?”
“Gah.”
The director’s guilty conscience prompted a sharp gasp.
“So it’s you.”
“S-stop him!”
Director Park Taejun shouted in a panic, and the two bodyguards reluctantly stepped forward.
‘Fuck. We’re screwed.’
‘Even Chief Jang went down. What are we supposed to do?’
They were Grade 5 hunters.
After watching their superior, Chief Jang Minho, go down so easily, how could they have any will to fight?
Swish.
“Huh?”
At Kim Junyong’s playful gesture, black tentacles rose from the floor and wrapped around the bodyguards.
“Urrgh.”
With both guards helplessly restrained, the director hurried to flee, but tentacles appeared there too.
Crrrunch.
“Grrgh.”
All six were bound and left struggling, suspended from pillars of black tentacles.
Cheon Yubeom tried to use a skill to escape, only to meet Kim Junyong’s eyes.
“Go on, if you think you can.”
“...!”
Cheon Yubeom stopped resisting.
Kim Junyong smirked and approached the Bureau director.
“Urrgh.”
“You’re the director?”
“D-do you think you’ll get away with this?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Urgh.”
There was little to say to that.
Kim Junyong’s expression grew serious.
“I don’t show mercy to my enemies. Don’t become my enemy and expect mercy.”
“...”
“I have one condition. Don’t interfere with my fun.”
“F-fun?”
“I’m going to live quietly and enjoy myself. I’m telling you not to bother me.”
“...”
I could practically hear the gears turning in the director’s head.
“You just don’t get it.”
Some people wouldn’t learn until they were dead.
But killing everyone who refused to listen was a poor solution. The next director would probably refuse to listen too.
There were plenty of ways to force obedience.
Junyong placed a hand on the director’s shiny bald head.
“Wh-what? What are you going to do?”
“Think of it as a gift. A gift.”
Squirm.
Some of the black mana gathered around Junyong’s hand was consumed, forming a mass of black goo. It slid down the bald head and wriggled into an ear.
“Aaagh! What is that?”
“You don’t need to know.”
A Mind Slime.
It was a retainer with all sorts of useful functions.
It could settle inside someone’s brain and eat away at their thoughts to extract information. It could also deliver a shock in response to specific thoughts.
Judging by the director’s pained writhing and shuddering, the Mind Slime had settled in properly.
“That was a useful conversation.”
Now, shall I head home?
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