WeTried Translations

Translator: Yasi

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Precious Demon King

Chapter 28: The Person Looks Different

Ah, it was piling up.

Orbs were stacking endlessly atop the Scale of Order.

< "Judgment" has been added to the Scale of Order. >

< "Salvation" has been added to the Scale of Order. >

< "Salvation" has been added to the Scale of Order. >

...

Order points were skyrocketing. They easily surpassed 1,000, climbing past 1,800.

Kim Junyong had only hoped to break 1,000 points, but now he was curious to see what the reward for 2,000 points would be.

However, the flood of white orbs overwhelmed the scale pan, triggering a forced settlement.

< Bel's Scale cannot maintain balance. >

< Arbiter, please determine the direction of the scale's growth. >

< Strengthen Scale Beam >

< Enlarge Scale Pan >

< Acquire Divinity >

To receive rewards beyond 1,000 points, it seemed he would have to start by upgrading the pan.

"I'll take the divine orb for now."

Flash.

A golden orb appeared in Kim Junyong's hand. He smiled in satisfaction.

< Order : 827 - 0 : Chaos >

There were still plenty of white orbs left. Wasn't this exactly why he had saved those villains for later?

It was already evening. There was plenty of time until sunset tomorrow. He figured he would hunt a villain or two and focus on upgrading the pan.

And it wasn't just order points that were rising.

Fwoosh.

< Kim Junyong >

Class: Arbiter of the Scale

Mana: 8,924

Skill: Judgment

His white mana surged upward. Anywhere–Earth, dungeon, or Demon Realm–as long as he killed a demon, he gained experience (residual mana).

Since the Demon Realm was considered a void realm, it didn't give order points. However, Earth and dungeons did, since saving people earned them. It was all thanks to rescuing those naked people down there.

Twenty minutes. In that time, they had fully indulged in their desires and lust. Once their sense of morality and restraint returned, they were overcome with guilt and shame.

"Ahh, what have I done?"

"Aaaagh! Nooo!"

Denial, self-loathing, and revulsion. Caught in a storm of emotions, Kim Junyong laughed even harder.

"Hehe, despair. This is great."

His white mana had exploded as he defeated demons and monsters. In step with that, his black mana reserve had also increased.

While white mana regenerated naturally, he had to seize opportunities like this one to replenish his black mana.

Within seconds of bathing in the torrent of negativity from thousands of people, his mana was fully replenished.

With a whoosh, Kim Junyong folded his wings and landed on the ground.

"All right, time to go hunt some villains..."

Even in their dazed state, people bowed their heads.

"Th-Thank you."

"Hm?"

One voice started it, and then a flood of gratitude followed.

"Thank you!"

"Thank you for saving us!"

"Thank you so much!"

"..."

Kim Junyong stiffened in the face of this unfamiliar flood of emotion.

"What is this..."

He was surrounded by a tide of overwhelmingly positive feelings.

Gratitude. Appreciation. Admiration...

Trapped in this whirlwind of pure, harmless emotions, the black mage was clearly flustered.

< "Praise," "Tribute," and "Gratitude" have been added to the Scale of Order. >

Huh? That was a thank-you...

"You're a hero!"

"Thank you so much!"

The crowd continued to praise him. Kim Junyong found the strange, even slightly bashful emotions stirring inside him...unfamiliar.

A black mage.

Decades spent living as a kidnapped test subject. That long, long darkness...

After killing his enemies and spewing his rage and madness at the world...and even after utterly destroying the Demon King, what came upon him was emptiness and deep longing.

Perhaps his choice to return to Earth was driven by an instinct to save himself.

"This is kinda itchy."

It felt like rain soaking into arid earth or new sprouts breaking through dry soil. It was so unfamiliar that it felt strange and uncomfortable. He no longer wanted to stay.

"All right, everyone, sleep well."

"Waaaah!"

The crowd erupted in cheers at his casual remark. At this rate, he could probably take a dump and still be praised.

< Bel's Scale cannot maintain balance. >

< Arbiter, please determine the direction of the scale's growth. >

"Whoa, it's already 1,000."

So this was another way to gather order points?

He learned yet another way to use the scale.

Having finished his business, Kim Junyong tried to head home without much fuss. However, the sheer number of people made that impossible.

"There's no way I'm walking now."

It was a shame to waste the black mana he had worked so hard to accumulate, but he could always refill it later. After all, Seoulites lived with constant stress and irritation.

Whoom!

Black mana gathered at his back and formed wings again.

"Waaaaah!"

A broadcast camera that had arrived late began filming the crowd.

Perhaps because the afterglow hadn't faded yet, the crowd was still shouting with excitement.

The joy of survival. Gratitude for the hero. And to shake off their guilt...They cheered and rejoiced.

[ Ah, this is where an unidentified hunter defeated the demon. The crowd continues to cheer, even after his sudden disappearance! Ah, breaking news: Yeouido has just been declared a special disaster zone. Rescue efforts and city restoration are underway... ]

The broadcast spread.

An A-rank demon had descended upon Earth. It was the first such disaster in three years, and the world took notice.

* * *

Demon Realm Forum.

South Korea's regional community was in an uproar.

– Who's that hunter on TV right now?

– Huh? He looks kinda familiar.

– Hm? Isn't that the Mad Monarch?

– Are you dumb? Why would a Demon Realm monarch be on Earth killing demons?

– Fair point.

– Then who is it?

– No idea.

– He looks Korean.

– The mask looks Asian.

– Any official word from the Hunter Management Bureau?

– No clue.

Soon, the news spread to other regional forums around the world.

– An A-rank demon just descended in South Korea.

– More people will die again. RIP.

– Who's going to take it down? Isn't East Asia Ryu Jai's territory?

– ???? Who is that??

– That was a reckless charge.

– What the hell! The A-rank demon just vanished in an explosion.

– Is this for real?

– G-rank, maybe? Otherwise it makes no sense.

– Who the hell is it?

– Did South Korea raise a G-rank hunter?!

– Rankings haven't changed. No new names have been added.

– Maybe an unranked irregular?

– What's their identity?

The Yeouido scene was broadcast live. The situation had already spread too far to be contained.

South Korea's Hunter Management Bureau. Only a select few who knew that Special Advisor Kim Junyong was the Mad Monarch had gathered in the meeting room.

The Special Advisor Support Division team brought their laptops and were monitoring the situation.

"How's domestic sentiment?"

"People are curious about his identity, but no one has gotten to the facts yet."

"A few people mentioned the Mad Monarch, but those mentions were quickly buried."

The black mana wing skill wasn't exclusive to the Mad Monarch. Demons, or hunters who dealt in black mana, could use it if they acquired the skill.

"No one would think the Mad Monarch is from Earth."

Not even Choi Hyunju realized it until she met him in person. She had assumed the Mad Monarch was a Demon Realm monarch and thus a demon.

He wasn't someone you could recognize based on a few minor traits. And yet, the reason she was so uneasy...

Too many people have seen his face.

It was broadcast live. There was no controlling the spread of footage showing the demon and his takedown, as well as everything that followed. Photos were already circulating on the Demon Realm Forum.

Someone will definitely recognize him.

Just like Choi Hyunju did. The fact that the Mad Monarch was an Earthling, Korean, and currently lived in Seoul would eventually become common knowledge. It would no longer be a secret.

The world was curious about the mysterious hunter's identity. Some level of disclosure was now necessary.

Choi Hyunju fiddled with her phone. Just then, the message she had been waiting for came in.

[ Special Advisor Support Division Group Chat ]

Team Leader Cheon: The Special Advisor says he doesn't care.

Team Leader Cheon: He just smirked when I mentioned revenge.

Team Leader Cheon: He says they can come if they've got the guts.

Choi Hyunju let out a long-held sigh.

That's it.

The Special Advisor had given his consent.

"Everyone, listen up."

"Yes, Deputy Bureau Director."

"We plan to release some information about the Special Advisor. But..."

Choi Hyunju unleashed her aura. She was none other than an SR-rank hunter. Her terrifying presence turned everyone in the room pale.

"You must not reveal the Special Advisor's true identity."

"...Of course."

No matter how carefully they chose their words, there were limits. Surely some people in Belhaim had seen the Mad Monarch's face.

"Even if the truth comes out later, it must not be traced back to us."

She issued a stern warning.

"Remember, the Special Advisor is not someone to be used and discarded. We must shoulder the Mad Monarch's karma from Belhaim."

"Understood!"

"Good. Schedule the press conference."

"The reporters are already waiting."

As the atmosphere grew heavy, Choi Hyunju withdrew her aura.

"Everyone, cheer up. Don't be too scared of the Special Advisor."

Though she was the most afraid of him herself...

"He's a returnee. His successful reintegration into society depends on us."

"That's right."

Choi Hyunju smiled.

"We won't need international aid anymore."

South Korea, now a country with a G-rank hunter everyone envied. A country capable of handling A-rank demons and dungeons on its own. It felt like living with a bomb over their heads...

But they would no longer need to bend to foreign diplomacy. A country with a national-level hunter?

Screw that, they had a world-power-level hunter.

"From this point forward, the Special Advisor Support Division is being promoted to headquarters status. We'll do everything we can to ensure the Special Advisor's safety."

They had to prevent anything irritating from reaching Kim Junyong's eyes or ears, so that his love for humanity wouldn't wear thin and he could acclimate to society smoothly.

"Let's prepare for the press conference."

"Yes, Deputy Bureau Director!"

* * *

At Kim Jangmi's house. When Kim Junyong returned home and saw Cheon Yubeom and Lee Mina, he asked in confusion.

"Huh? Why are you two here?"

"Oh, we were dispatched to Yeo...mmph."

Cheon Yubeom, pinched in the side, quickly clamped his mouth shut as Lee Mina spoke up.

"We came to protect Special Advisor!"

"Who's protecting who?"

"What if your niece and nephew end up in danger?"

"Ah!"

Kim Junyong looked a little touched.

"You're right."

He had been too careless about his family's safety.

"Why are you waiting out here?"

"Well, we thought your niece and nephew might be uncomfortable with us inside."

"Yes. We were on standby in the hallway, just in case."

Kim Junyong looked proudly at his first two human subordinates.

"Well, since you're here, at least stay for a meal."

"Oh, I don't really do late-night...mmph."

"Then, if you don't mind."

Kim Junyong let Cheon Yubeom–pinched in the side again–and Lee Mina into his sister's house. Inside, Yu Jia and Yu Jihun gave polite bows, their faces full of respect.

"Uncle, thank you for your hard work."

"Uncle was amazing."

They had seen their uncle's actions live on the news.

"Oh, is there any of what you were eating left?"

"Yes! I saved both legs."

"I already ate mine...want me to make ramen?"

"Yeah, okay."

Yu Jia, suddenly polite, hurried to the kitchen and filled a pot with water.

Kim Junyong extended his hand toward Cheon Yubeom, who was sitting at the table with an awkward expression.

"Lend me some money."

"Huh?"

"I want to give the children some pocket money."

"Ah!"

He really went straight to asking for pocket money.

"No, I'll cover it."

"It's fine, I'll pay you back."

"Oh, no, please."

Cheon Yubeom, still carrying the remnants of an old-school mindset, emptied his wallet and handed the money to the Special Advisor to give to his niece and nephew.

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