The Precious Demon King - Chapter 30

WeTried Translations

Translator: Yasi

◈ The Precious Demon King

Chapter 30: The Demon Sword Appears!

"That wraps it up. Let's go."

"Hold on a second."

Brushing off Kim Junyong's opinion, Kim Jangmi picked up her phone and accessed Naver, South Korea's largest internet portal.

[ The Mysterious Hunter Who Saved Yeouido: "A Returnee After Twenty Years." ]

[ The Emergence of a New National-Level Hunter. ]

[ Why Is the Hunter Management Bureau Keeping Such a Low Profile? ]

The headlines were flashy thanks to the reporters' skill at crafting headlines, but clicking through them revealed little substance. Most were briefs about the breaking news.

"Wow, Mom, look at this."

"What is it?"

Just then, long-form articles began pouring in, as if they had been prepared in advance and released all at once.

[ Cases of Hunters Emigrating Abroad Due to Government Pressure. ]

[ Twenty Years. A Hero Who Survived Two Hundred Years in Belhaim and Returned–What Is Their Potential? ]

[ Belhaim's 100-Year History. The Only One Who Knows What Happened After. Priceless. ]

[ Even World Powers Show Respect to National-Level Hunters. What About Korea? ]

[ The Emergence of a National-Level Hunter. The Fact That They Are Korean Is a Great Blessing. ]

All the articles were favorable. Yu Jia was also looking at her phone, and she held hers out.

"Mom, look at this one too."

[ Column - Hunters Are Not Celebrities. ]

These days, hunters are more likely to be seen in front of cameras than on the front lines. Their livestreamed Demon Realm expeditions have become popular content, garnering subscriber counts in the tens of thousands.

We live in an era where warriors bleeding on the battlefield are consumed like stars.

The public's right to know. It is important.

But do hunters exist for public attention? Or do they exist to hunt demons and defend the nation–no, humanity?

Reckless coverage and speculative reports, disguised as the public's right to know, are no different from espionage that exposes our strategic assets.

This is especially true when those assets are people, not weapons. There aren't enough pages to list all the elite talents who became frustrated and left Korea.

Whether they become public superheroes or silent dark heroes who quietly protect the world is their choice.

Korea has gained an unprecedented talent. We must wait.

Until they fully adapt to modern life, until they remain in Korea...I end this piece with that earnest hope.

"Oh my, who is this person?"

"Someone named Park Chansu. I don't know."

"Wait! Big Chance?!"

"Huh? He's famous?"

"Of course! He's like the king of analysis in the hunter world. He's a master at analyzing demon and monster behavior and devising strategies."

Startled, Yu Jihun looked at the article again.

"Whoa, you're right. It is Big Chance."

"Is his job a researcher or something?"

"No, he's a blogger."

Power blogger Park Chansu. His analysis pieces were widely cited and used as references–not just in South Korea, but even shared abroad.

"He's super famous."

"Right? Look how polite his writing is."

"He seems really concerned."

"Yeah, so many hunters emigrate just to get better treatment."

"Oh my, there's no way Junyong would ever leave."

"Come on, Mom. She didn't mean it like that."

Kim Junyong shook his head as the three of them fussed over the articles.

"Aren't we going to the memorial?"

"Ah."

Because of the sudden official press conference from the Hunter Management Bureau, they had spent too much time at the rest area.

Snapping out of it, Kim Jangmi resumed driving. In the back seat, Yu Jia and Yu Jihun were still soaking in dopamine, refreshing news feeds and community reactions by the second.

"My friends' group chat is blowing up over this."

"Noona's community is blowing up too."

– This is insane. Korea has a G-rank now.

– Damn, this is fucking reassuring. With A-rank dungeons? There's no need to call in G-ranks anymore.

– Don't get ahead of yourself. Remember Yang Minchan?

– Ugh, fucking Yang Minchan...

Yang Minchan, a high-ranking SR hunter, was no longer Korean. He had naturalized in China–a prime example of talent drain.

– Shouldn't we do something before this turns into another Yang Minchan situation?

– He should use that power for the people.

– "The people," lmao. Idiots like you are the reason villains exist.

– Tell me I'm wrong.

– Lim Hajin was basically manufactured, right?

Lim Hajin, a rebel based in Gangwon-do. They were also an SR-ranker. A representative case of a high-ranking hunter turning villain.

– You morons, just don't make a big deal of it. The Hunter Management Bureau seems to be handling it well. Don't stir the pot.

– Right? The way people are acting is hilarious. He already seems like a covert agent.

– You clowns. I get that you're excited, but leave him alone.

– At least it's true that Korea is safer now.

Yu Jihun trembled with joy. Ah, the dopamine wouldn't stop. He wanted to tell everyone that the mysterious hunter was his uncle. However, as Park Chansu's blog post said, he had to protect him.

There was no need to dig any deeper.

"Uncle, you want to live quietly, right?"

"Me?"

Kim Junyong stroked his chin. Hmm, would it be better not to reveal that he was the Mad Monarch?

He had too many enemies to count. If he kept cleaning them up, wouldn't he end up destroying the Earth himself?

"Isn't that so?"

"I knew it..."

Yu Jihun spoke with a solemn expression, as if he had made a grave decision.

"I won't brag about Uncle to anyone."

"Aww, my boy is all grown up."

Kim Jangmi smiled proudly at her son in the rearview mirror.

"We're family, so let's protect Uncle, okay?"

"Yes."

"Of course!"

Kim Junyong felt sheepish at Yu Jia and Yu Jihun's enthusiastic replies. Why did it feel so touching to hear them say they would protect him? Especially since they were much weaker than he was.

Vroom.

Soon, the car exited the toll gate and arrived at the columbarium.

"All right, let's go."

They entered and found the urn. Standing in front of it, Kim Jangmi gave a solemn bow.

"Father, Mother...our Junyong has returned..."

"..."

Her words caught in her throat as she tried to hold back tears.

"Junyong saved Seoul yesterday. Isn't that admirable?"

At some point, tears started rolling down her cheeks.

Sorrow, joy, regret, longing...

Kim Junyong quietly watched her. Was it necessarily a good thing to be able to see emotions?

"..."

He tried not to analyze the fragments of sorrow he could see with his eyes. It felt like the right thing to do.

"Junyong, you should say something, too."

"..."

He looked at the urn, then at the photo of his parents placed beside it.

"Hmm."

It had been too long since he had seen their faces. He could only vaguely remember them.

It was a shame. It would have been nice to see them again.

"..."

That was all.

Regret...and a strange discomfort at how indifferent he felt beyond that. Just how broken had he become?

It felt like the part of him responsible for emotions was malfunctioning. The emotion that emerged from confronting his own scars was simply bitterness.

"I'll take good care of my sister and her kids."

He didn't want to dredge up the past and give a long, emotional speech in front of ashes with no soul. So the only words that came out were about his still-living family and his resolve for the future.

After looking at the photos silently for a while, he stepped outside.

"Phew!"

Kim Jangmi let out a long breath, trying to shift the mood.

"We've got a lot to buy if you're going to live on your own. And the house still needs some fixing."

"Hm? It should all be done."

"Huh? What do you mean by 'done'?"

"I told them to take care of some repairs when I went down to Daejeon."

That was the deal for conquering the Daejeon dungeon. He hadn't seen it yet, but they confirmed that the remodeling was complete.

"Uncle, can I come visit?"

Seeing Yu Jihun's eyes light up, Kim Junyong nodded without hesitation.

"Of course you can."

"Yes!"

"But food first."

"Ah, yes."

"There's a soft tofu restaurant we always go to when we visit the memorial. Let's go there."

"Sounds good."

They headed to the soft tofu restaurant that Kim Jangmi had picked out.

* * *

Taiwan, the site of the A-22 dungeon.

There were still seven days until the deadline, but since the dungeon's time-shortening phenomenon could occur at any moment, they had to conquer it quickly.

Dungeon conquests usually began after drawing up a plan based on countless reconnaissance missions.

The A-22 dungeon had already undergone twenty-three reconnaissance missions. Ryu Jai had participated in three of them.

"This should be enough. Let's attack it tomorrow."

"Yes, Commander!"

"Rest up for today."

"Yes!"

Ryu Jai's team spent the day preparing, with tomorrow set as D-day.

Her team was a source of pride for Taiwan and an integral part of its national defense. They received countless forms of support and preferential treatment from the Taiwanese government.

One such benefit was access to the National Security Bureau's information network.

"Miss Ryu Jai. The first round of classification on the Korean A-rank demon-related data is complete."

"Send it to my email."

"Yes, understood."

After finishing dungeon reconnaissance, Ryu Jai returned to her hotel, showered, and picked up her tablet.

Her fifth boyfriend came up to her and asked.

"Ryu Jai, what are you looking at?"

"South Korea."

"Oh! The news is all over that. Did a G-rank hunter really show up in South Korea?"

"Be quiet."

"Oops, okay."

I've been seeing him because he's cute, but he's completely lacking confidence. Lately, I've been getting tired of him. I guess I'll break up with him in a few days.

Ryu Jai let her thoughts drift to how she would deal with her fifth boyfriend, then turned her focus back to the tablet.

The A-rank demon invasion in Yeouido yesterday. Since a disaster like this hadn't happened in nearly three years, it became a global issue.

The seven G-rank Guardians, who played a role in maintaining global peace, had been conquering A-rank dungeons by dividing the sectors appropriately.

Northeast Asia was under Ryu Jai's jurisdiction. She needed to be aware of the incident in South Korea.

"Surprisingly little damage."

The identity of the new hunter nagged at her. The National Security Agency had compiled detailed data.

Name: Kim Junyong. Age: 40. Listed as Special Advisor to the Hunter Management Bureau...

He seemed to have a close relationship with South Korea's Hunter Management Bureau.

"Return estimated at twenty years? Pfft."

This guy was full of it. She and her six companions were the last returnees. Goddess Belhaim had confirmed that as fact.

"Where did this bullshit come from?"

A suspicious guy. Traces related to him had already been investigated.

Clashed with the Hunter Management Bureau, later improved relations...Conquered the A-2 dungeon...Hm?

Was the conquest time incorrect?

"Estimated 10 minutes?"

It was marked "estimated," but it was likely fact. The National Security Bureau wouldn't include it in a report unless it was verified. They probably only marked it that way because they couldn't believe it themselves.

"That's ridiculous."

It was far off from the average time of three hours it took a G-rank hunter to conquer an A-rank dungeon.

She carefully reviewed the report on the A-2 dungeon in Daejeon.

"The hunter who accompanied him...damn, she's gorgeous."

A beauty so attractive that even a woman would be tempted. Was this what they meant by a beauty that could captivate people?

"Hm?"

Then her eyes landed on the sword the woman held.

"Huh?"

She flipped to another photo. It was a close-up of the sword held by the beautiful companion.

"W-Why is this..."

There was no doubt about it. A sword that was famous in Belhaim.

"...Reminox."