WeTried Translations

Translator: Yasi

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Precious Demon King

Chapter 2: Bel's Scale

The scale floated. Then it sank.

Kim Junyong's flailing hands caught nothing, and his thrashing body touched nothing. Unable to tell where he was or what was happening, he pushed his senses away.

Instead, he summoned the now-familiar magic, but not even a flicker responded.

It can't be helped.

His mana core had hardened. It was like a water tank filled to the brim with a sealed spout. Still, the water wouldn't stay confined to the tank.

Just a little is enough.

A black mage drew strength from chaos power. The easiest form of chaos came from emotional energy, so he calmly looked inward.

Curiosity. Excitement. Anticipation...

He was excited to return to Earth. But that couldn't be converted into black mana. He forced himself to find negative emotions.

Confusion. Worry...

That sufficed. Black mana bloomed, replacing his sight with a new perception.

He felt it.

Whoosh.

A vast universe. Planets and stars whipped past.

Wow.

Awe. The feeling of drifting through space sent shivers down his spine.

Divine power. That was the source behind the gods who shaped the planets.

As he drifted, he sensed the unique divine power of each planet that passed by.

There were as many types as there were stars.

Divine power was not singular. There were as many kinds as there were gods.

He had once thought he had reached the pinnacle with magic. Then, he realized there was a sky above that pinnacle. Today, he truly opened his eyes.

Ah.

Unfortunately, the wondrous journey ended all too quickly. An eternal moment passed.

Suddenly, a blue star drew near.

Huh?

It was getting too close too fast.

Boom!

Just before he collided with the planet at a terrifying speed, a golden light gently caught him.

Ah!

Was that the divine power of God Earth? It was his home planet. And that must have been the feeling of God Earth.

...I'm sleepy.

The warm, cozy sensation instantly released all his tension. His body went slack, and his eyes fluttered.

You really worked hard, me.

He closed his eyes, overwhelmed by the comfort and softness that nearly made him dizzy. It felt as if Earth itself were stroking him in consolation.

Crackle.

The moment he entered Earth's gravitational field, the golden glow vanished.

Fwoosh.

A human with no wings was now in free fall.

< ... >

Even in the fierce wind, Kim Junyong's consciousness wavered.

< ...Bel's Scale has detected danger to the Arbiter. >

Fwoosh.

The ground drew closer.

< ...Synchronization rate: 37% >

< Bel's Scale will intervene to protect the Arbiter. >

Crackle.

A faint golden radiance wrapped around Kim Junyong's body. It was different from the divine power of God Earth. Rather, it resembled the power of Goddess Belhaim, protecting him.

The ground grew nearer.

Crash!

He crashed through the roof of a large building and landed unharmed on solid ground.

< Synchronization rate: 38%...Arbiter recovering... >

* * *

May 29, 2016

This day would become known as the Day of Beginning, the Day of Thanos, or the Day of Doom. It marked a major turning point for humanity and Earth itself.

Ten million people suddenly vanished, as if they had evaporated. Soon after, demons and monsters began appearing on Earth.

Over time, those who had vanished began to return, all sharing the same story.

"The Demon King will soon invade Earth."

"We were chosen to experience it first."

Returnees. As more and more returned, the demons were gradually driven out, allowing Earth to regain stability.

However, not all returnees were virtuous. Some had powers rivaling those of superhumans, yet they turned their strength against humans instead of demons.

These villains multiplied, creating a new societal crisis.

South Korea's Hunter Management Bureau formed the Special Investigation Unit to address these crimes.

"Phewww."

Exhaling a long stream of smoke, Rank 5 hunter and Special Investigation Unit Section Chief Lee Mina looked out over an abandoned factory below the hill.

At that moment, the radio clipped to her shoulder crackled.

[ Crackle, Section Chief Lee Mina, what's your location? ]

"Behind the factory, on the wooded hill."

[ Enter when you receive the signal. ]

"Okay."

After ending the transmission, she gazed dispassionately at the factory. She didn't even know who the target was.

The National Police Agency was leading this case. If there was evidence that a hunter was involved in the crime, the NPA requested support from the Hunter Management Bureau.

Unless it was a case handled directly by the Special Investigation Unit, the role of special unit agents dispatched to the police was not to investigate, but to provide force.

The most important factor in dispatch roles was combat strength. Hunters were ranked from Rank 9 and up. Lee Mina, a Rank 5 hunter, was the equivalent of a team leader in a mid-level guild.

A Rank 5 hunter could handle any situation except those involving high-level villains. Criminal hunters were usually drifters or small fry.

"They were saying something about a drug deal..."

Lee Mina hadn't bothered reviewing the files. From what she had heard, the case was drug-related. She couldn't understand why hunters would get involved in this kind of crime.

"They should just hunt diligently."

Even Rank 9 hunters earned more than the average office worker. Most people who turned to crime lacked the courage to confront evil. That was why she despised criminals.

In her eyes, they were cowards who had forsaken their duty despite having received the blessing of awakening. They were losers.

"Huh?"

She felt a strange sense of unease and looked up at the sky. Her eyes widened.

"A meteor?"

Something glittering gold was falling from the sky.

"Ah? That's a person!"

To the naked eye, it appeared as a tiny dot. But hunters were nearly superhuman and could make out details at that size.

Boom!

The figure crashed into a warehouse, followed by noise and chaos.

[ Section Chief Lee! Did you just breach the premises? ]

"No, a person fell from the sky."

[ Excuse me? ]

After a brief silence, Squad Leader Kang Dusik's voice came through the radio again.

[ Did the Hunter Management Bureau send additional personnel? ]

"No, I haven't heard anything."

[ Well, damn...Wait! Park Gusik! Grab that bastard! Block him! ]

A ruckus erupted, followed by a panicked radio call.

[ Enter immediately! ]

"On it."

She was also curious about the identity of the person who had fallen through the roof earlier.

Wee-oo-wee-oo!

At the sound of the siren, police units lying in wait all around stormed the factory. Lee Mina ran down the hill to join the raid.

"Aaagh!"

"Get that bastard!"

"Grahh!"

Amid the chaos, she drew her hunter-issue baton and began the brutal crackdown.

Crack, crunch!

"Guaaagh!"

The scene was swiftly brought under control with the arrival of a hunter, whose strength rivaled that of a superhuman.

Two groups had gathered to exchange drugs: a gang acting as distributors and three hunters attempting to supply demonic drugs. They were all small fry, barely Rank 8 or 9.

"Don't move!"

"Ugh."

After subduing them with mana-suppressing cuffs exclusive to hunters, Lee Mina looked up.

There was a hole in the roof. If someone fell from there...

The middle of the grain sacks stacked in one corner of the warehouse had caved in. Two officers were searching it.

"There's someone here!"

"I'll pull them out!"

Lee Mina stepped in and grabbed the arm that was sticking out.

A man slid out with one pull. He wasn't wearing modern clothes. After laying him on the floor, she checked for a pulse and found that he was alive but unconscious.

"...What?"

Was this really the person who had just fallen? As she tilted her head in confusion, Kang Dusik, who was in charge of the scene, approached her.

"Wow, thanks for the hard work, Section Chief Lee."

"Ah, yes. This person fell from the sky."

"Right. We'll transport him to the hospital first and investigate any possible ties to this case afterward."

Lee Mina thought for a moment, then nodded.

"All right, let's do that. If he regains consciousness, contact the Special Investigation Unit immediately."

"Yes, understood."

* * *

Incheon Police Narcotics Division.

"Hahh..."

Kang Dusik stretched and exhaled a long puff.

"Goodness, Squad Leader Kang, you're still here?"

"Ah, yes. I'm just about wrapped up."

"Haha! The narcotics division survives thanks to you."

"Haha, I wouldn't say that."

"Still, end on a high note. Finish strong."

"Yes, take care."

After saying goodbye, Kang Dusik sat down again.

"Ugh."

Months of surveillance had finally led to a successful drug bust.

They had arrested the suppliers and distributors, yet Kang Dusik still felt unsatisfied.

"There's definitely more to this."

Demonic drugs. The quantity wasn't something that Rank 8 or 9 hunters could have supplied. There had to be someone behind it, but they couldn't find any connections.

"Shit. It's not coming together. Not at all."

It felt off, like celebrating with champagne after catching a mere errand boy. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes for a moment when a junior detective called out.

"Ah, Squad Leader! That guy woke up."

"What? Who?"

"You know, the one from the scene three days ago."

"Kim Junyong?"

Kang Dusik shot to his feet.

"Let's go!"

"Yes!"

Kim Junyong had not regained consciousness since he was found at the scene three days ago. They had already identified him through fingerprint analysis.

Although he didn't seem connected to the case, they still had to investigate.

Vroom.

With junior Detective Kim behind the wheel, Kang Dusik opened Kim Junyong's profile again.

"Kim Junyong, age forty..."

"Man, he looks great for forty."

"Delayed aging is common among returnees."

"Seriously, who is this guy?"

"Time to find out."

The man was full of unanswered questions. He had been reported missing twenty years ago, around the Day of Beginning.

"Squad Leader, wasn't the last returnee ten years ago?"

"Yeah."

The last official group of returnees came ten years ago. The Final Seven Heroes. No one had returned from Belhaim since then.

They had defeated the Demon King and reached the pinnacle of human power. They were now considered national-level hunters, said to have an influence that rivaled entire nations.

However, this did not mean that there were no more awakenings after them, even though they were the last returnees. Among ordinary people who weren't returnees, those with high latent potential still had a chance to awaken.

Whether returnee or ordinary person, there was only one way to awaken. They had to hunt a servant of evil.

"Still, doesn't this guy seem suspicious?"

"What do you mean?"

"Based on his young appearance and the date of the missing person's report, he's clearly a returnee. But it's strange that he hasn't awakened yet..."

There was a device that measured awakening by checking for status window activation.

"Are you sure it came back negative?"

"Come on, I tested him five times. The guy doesn't have a status window."

"So he really just returned now?"

"No way. The Final Heroes were the last returnees."

"Hmm."

There were no official records beyond that point. If they had to force a plausible scenario...

"He probably returned over ten years ago and just hid without hunting."

"I mean, that makes the most sense, right? But the guy still has family. Why would he stay hidden for ten years?"

"No clue."

"Man, screw it. What's the point of racking our brains? Let's just go ask him."

"If he talks, press him for more information."

"Heh, got it."

The car carrying the two of them headed for its destination. In a private hospital room, Kim Junyong opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling.

"Your blood pressure is normal."

"..."

"I'll go get the doctor. Please rest."

Left alone, Kim Junyong continued to stare into the empty space.

< Synchronization complete. >

< Bel's Scale has finished binding to the soul. >

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