WeTried Translations

Translator: Yasi

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Precious Demon King

Chapter 26: You're Already Dead

"Huh? Uncle, you're back."

"Oh, yeah."

"Whoa, you smell like alcohol. Did you drink?"

"I did. My nephew's got the nose of a bloodhound. Heh."

"Hehe, do you want some ice water?"

"Sure!"

Kim Junyong sat at the table and was greeted warmly by Yu Jihun, whose enthusiasm bordered on fan devotion.

"Where's your mom?"

"Mom went to a conference today, so she'll be a bit late."

"Yeah? Is there anything you want to eat?"

"Oh, hold on!"

Yu Jihun scampered off to his sister's room and gently knocked on the door. In a voice barely louder than a mosquito's, he asked.

"Noona, what do you want to order? Huh? Studying? Oh, okay. For the record, I did ask."

When he came back, he grinned.

"I want chicken..."

Clack.

Yu Jia's door opened, and she spoke.

"Tteokbokki. Combo Set #3. Call me when it arrives. I'm studying."

"..."

Yu Jihun looked like he had just bitten into something rotten. Meanwhile, Yu Jia gave Kim Junyong a polite bow.

"Uncle is here. I didn't notice. I was studying."

"Uh, yeah."

Kim Junyong chuckled softly and waved.

"Then I'll get back to studying."

"Go ahead."

After nodding quietly, Yu Jia slipped back into her room and closed the door.

"Jeez, acting all clueless after listening to everything."

"Let it go."

"She's in her senior year. What kind of manners are those? I'm more polite and I'm going through puberty."

Kim Junyong chuckled softly. Had he and his sister been like this too? To him, two hundred years was a distant past. Only faint memories remained. And even those, he couldn't tell if they were real or just illusions shaped by nostalgia.

"She's just embarrassed. Let it be."

"Huh? Noona? Oh, come on, Uncle. She's the queen of sass. I doubt you could draw blood from her with a needle."

"Hehe."

Kim Junyong smiled. He could see Yu Jia's emotions as clearly as daylight–embarrassment, unfamiliarity, shyness, and confusion.

"So, what do you want to order? Chicken?"

"...Let's just get the tteokbokki."

"Oho, are you giving in?"

"Tch. She's a high school senior. I have to let her have her way."

A kind younger sibling. Kim Junyong smiled.

"Call it in."

"Come on, Uncle. These days, we do everything with apps. I'll teach you."

If anyone deserved credit for helping Kim Junyong adapt to modern life, it was Yu Jihun. He had downloaded the necessary apps and registered the expense card for him.

"Wow, you're good at this. Go ahead and order the chicken and the tteokbokki."

"Yes! On it!"

Not long after they ordered, the doorbell rang.

Ding, dong–

At the sound of the bell, Kim Junyong could feel Yu Jia's emotions surging from behind her door.

Hunger, irritation, embarrassment, hesitation, regret.

Was she debating whether to come out? Of course, the appetite of a stressed-out senior eventually conquered all.

"Noona, the tteokbokki is here..."

Clack.

Yu Jia quickly came out as if she had been waiting to be called. With a proud look, she came to the table and helped unwrap the food.

She still found the sudden appearance of her "uncle" deeply unfamiliar and emotionally difficult.

There was also a small, selfish part of her that didn't want anything to disrupt her tightly focused senior-year routine built around college entrance exam preparation.

"Thanks for the food."

"Thanks, Uncle!"

"Hehe, sure."

Watching the two children happily munch on their late-night snack, Kim Junyong smiled warmly. Was this what family felt like?

Was blood really thicker than water? Why did Remi suddenly come to mind as he watched the children eat so happily? To him, his summons were like another family.

No. That one already had plenty to eat today.

"Let's see, pocket money..."

He patted himself down but found no wallet.

"Ah, I don't have my wallet."

Come to think of it, he didn't even have a bank account in his own name. The only thing he had was a credit card issued by the Hunter Management Bureau. In fact, he didn't even own a wallet.

"It's fine, Uncle. I don't need pocket money. I'm just happy you're here."

"...?"

Yu Jia looked at Yu Jihun as if he were crazy.

"Uncle, you should eat too."

"I already ate a lot before coming."

"Hehe, food tastes twice as good when Uncle is treating."

"Pfft."

Eventually, Yu Jia couldn't hold back and scoffed through her nose.

"What's wrong with you, Yu Jihun? Ugh, that's so cheesy."

"Noona, don't be so rude in front of Uncle."

"Ugh."

Yu Jia looked fed up.

"Why are you pretending to be all mature now?"

"Ugh, Noona, you don't get it."

"Get what?"

"Uncle's been risking his life to save the world."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Ah, never mind. Slip of the tongue. That's supposed to be a secret."

"Wow, what is with you?"

"Ah, this chicken is good."

Yu Jia wanted to smack the back of Yu Jihun's head as he munched purposefully into his drumstick, but she managed to hold back. Her uncle still felt too unfamiliar.

Kim Junyong smiled as he watched the siblings' warm exchange.

"That's nice to see."

He decided that the first thing he would do after opening a bank account would be to give them some pocket money.

"Noona just doesn't know how amazing our uncle is. You should consider it an honor to even be in the same space as him."

"What are you saying?"

"Ugh, I can't say. It's classified."

"You little–"

Yu Jia, still self-conscious in front of her uncle, clenched her fist at her brother's persistent teasing.

"Ah! Uncle, she's hitting me!"

"Hehe."

"You're teasing me even though you're not going to say anything..."

"Want me to tell you?"

"No, I'm not particularly curious..."

That was a lie. Yu Jia's emotions were in turmoil.

Curiosity, intrigue, injustice, and alienation. Seeing these fragments of varied emotions, Kim Junyong smirked. Classified, huh?

Maybe he should make a public appearance for their sake someday.

"Oh, by the way, I was just in Daejeon recently."

"Ah, yes. The bread was great, thanks."

"Oh, Uncle! You can't go telling people our secret!"

Kim Junyong was South Korea's hero. Yu Jihun didn't want to share Kim Junyong's identity with anyone else. In his mind, it was an unspoken rule that only the closest friends got to know a hero's identity.

"Zip it already."

Yu Jia was teetering between her usual sass and forced grace.

Beep–

All three of their phones buzzed simultaneously.

[ Dungeon Break Alert! ]

"Whoa! A dungeon just erupted!"

"Yeouido!"

It wasn't exactly nearby, but it wasn't far away either.

"What should we do?"

"Oh, I'm going."

"Huh? Oh, right! Uncle is a hunter!"

Yu Jihun looked at Kim Junyong with wide, trembling eyes.

"Are you going?"

"Yeah, I'll be back soon."

Perfect timing. It was unfortunate it was only a B-rank dungeon, but the scale valued the rescue of civilians more than the punishment of evil.

And Seoul had plenty of civilians.

I better get 1,000 points for this.

That meant two Divine Fragments. Large-scale crises were opportunities for Kim Junyong to earn order points. He couldn't pass them up.

"Uncle will be back."

"Okay, Uncle."

Yu Jihun's eyes sparkled. Kim Junyong's back as he opened the front door and stepped out showed even the solemn resolve of a hero.

"Ha, so damn cool."

"Hey, do you want to die?"

"What?!"

"Seriously! I almost threw up my tteokbokki. What's with the puppy-dog act?"

"Ugh, mind your own business. Go study."

"Wow, I spoil you once and this is what I get."

"Hit me and I'll report you to the police."

"Go ahead. Try it, brat. Go on, try it!"

Tap, tap!

"Hey! Let go of me! I'm going to tell Mom everything!"

"Oh wow, a middle schooler snitching now?"

"And you're a senior bullying your little brother!"

"You? You called me 'you'?!"

"Ah, Noona, let me go!"

"So, what's so special about Uncle?"

"What do you think? He's a damn amazing hunter."

"How amazing?"

"W-World-power-level."

"...!"

Yu Jia got goosebumps.

"What kind of childish ranking is that?"

"What. It's a great title."

"Wow, do people really call him that?"

"No, at least for now, only I call him that. That's because I'm one of the few who knows how strong Uncle really is."

"..."

She stared at him with disdain. This little weirdo had watched way too much anime.

"Be thankful. It's because of the sacrifices of hunters like Uncle that ordinary people like us get to live ordinary lives."

"What are you even talking about?"

Yu Jia gave a teasing remark, then dunked her fried food deeply into the tteokbokki sauce and ate it.

Is he such an amazing hunter?

Yu Jia. A high school senior year. She was in the midst of intense exam preparation and sensitive, but not oblivious to the world around her. Dungeons like the one today posed real threats, and hunters were the only superpowered beings who could eliminate them.

Even if she wasn't interested, it was impossible not to know about them. Most of the boys in her class, despite being seniors, talked about hunters all the time.

She decided she would ask around at school the following week.

* * *

The Hunter Management Bureau was in chaos. No, the entire city of Seoul was in chaos.

"Why did it erupt?"

"There were three days left, but it suddenly erupted."

"Deputy Bureau Director, the problem is that the demon is estimated to be A-rank."

"What? Are you sure?"

"Yes, according to the scout hunter who arrived early."

"Huh, damn it. What the hell is going on?"

An A-rank demon had emerged from a B-rank dungeon. Whether it was a time-shortening phenomenon or a sudden transformation of the dungeon, no one knew the reason. No, it didn't matter why.

Seoul was in danger. Because the dungeon break happened without warning, they couldn't call in military firepower. At best, they could get support from riflemen.

They could handle lower-ranked monsters, but demons were out of the question. Only hunters could handle them.

After the disaster alert was sent out, the president quickly issued an emergency order, and hunters were summoned.

While some hunters hesitated and responded late to the summons, there were always those with a strong sense of duty. Many of these dedicated hunters were stationed at the Hunter Management Bureau, and they dropped everything to gather in Yeouido.

SR-rank Choi Hyunju had put all other matters aside and was personally heading to Yeouido.

I need to take care of this.

Her sense of duty and love for her country were unmatched. She held her position and earned the reputation of lifelong deputy bureau director through five changes of appointed bureau directors. The reason she persevered was to fulfill her calling during crises like this.

"I-It's blocked!"

As they neared Yeouido, they saw that the roads were jammed with abandoned vehicles, panicked evacuees, and accidents.

"We're getting out!"

Choi Hyunju had two team members. Her driver, Lee Chilsung, and her secretary, Park Somi. Both were Rank 2 hunters who were too valuable to be limited to guarding the vehicle. As soon as they got out, they took off running. Choi Hyunju reached out her hand while running.

"Somi, phone."

"Here!"

She checked her phone but hadn't received any calls yet. As she was dispatched, she immediately sent Cheon Yubeom and Lee Mina straight to Kim Junyong.

If the Special Advisor agrees to help...

It was an A-rank demon. The challenge wasn't just conquering the dungeon, but also protecting the civilians while hunting. The difficulty was unparalleled.

Would he really agree?

She was desperate, but lacked the courage to ask. However, Cheon Yubeom and Lee Mina of the Special Advisor team were confident that he would join them.

Ring–

Just as disappointment began to set in, her phone rang. She answered it while running.

"What's the situation?"

[ Th-The Special Advisor is not home. ]

"What?"

[ Only his niece and nephew were there. ]

"Damn it..."

She hadn't considered that he might not be home. However, Cheon Yubeom didn't sound worried.

[ He's already on his way. ]

"...!"

Choi Hyunju gradually slowed down and then stood motionless on the sidewalk.

"What did you say?"

[ The Special Advisor is already heading to Yeouido! ]

"..."

Did that make sense? Choi Hyunju was overcome with confusion.

He didn't even ask what was in it for him?

The Mad Monarch? Was this real? He had gone on his own?

"Ah! Deputy Bureau Director, up above!"

At Park Somi's words, Choi Hyunju lifted her head instinctively and saw it.

Whoosh!

A pair of enormous wings.

"Ugh!"

Choi Hyunju felt her heart suddenly drop. He had flown in just like that back then.

"M-Mad Monarch."

The Mocking One. The Calamity. The Monarch of Terror. Known by many names,

In the end, he went mad–the worst monarch.

The Mad Monarch.

"Wheeze, wheeze!"

"Deputy Bureau Director! Breathe! You have to breathe!"

He had appeared before her in that form, wearing a chilling grin. After that, her limbs were blown apart, her head burst, and she died.

She had not been able to overcome her PTSD.

"No good. Lie down!"

"Wheeze, I need to go..."

Even amid the panic, her sense of duty surfaced. She had to get to Yeouido, catch the demon before it escaped, and resolve the looming crisis over Seoul.

"The Special Advisor is already there!"

"Ah..."

He was on their side...Her heart still raced, but she forced herself to calm down.

That's right. The Mad Monarch was always ruthless to intruders in his domain.

Now she remembered why. She remembered why he had attacked the Demon King's army.

Who did the demon think lived in Seoul, daring to invade it?

A-rank demon. You're already dead.

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