WeTried Translations

Translator: Yasi

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Precious Demon King

Chapter 81: Haven't We Met Before?

"I'll be back."

"Junyong, be careful."

"Eh, well. It's nothing special."

Kim Junyong's gaze shifted to Lorenzo. Can this guy be trusted? Should he leave Remi behind?

"Let's summon Ed."

Remi, who had a hundred years of experience as Kim Junyong's bodyguard, instantly grasped his intention.

"Always so perceptive."

Kim Junyong summoned Edmond, the demon sealed in his contract.

Flash.

"Nyaa. Master, did you call me, nya?"

"Stay with my sister's family."

"Nyaa! Leave it to me, nya."

Edmond, who had become the Demon King's chef through luck and quick wit, understood immediately.

"Then I'll be going."

Flash.

Kim Junyong and Remi disappeared after tapping their phones a few times.

Lorenzo put on his business smile as he looked at the Special One's family–and the newly added cat.

"Please, tell me whatever you desire."

"Uh, nothing really."

"Pizza! Can't we go to a pizza place before Uncle comes back?"

At Yu Jihun's words, Lorenzo laughed.

"Haha! Naples is truly worthy of being called the birthplace of pizza. I'll take you to try the best Neapolitan pizza."

"Aw yeah!"

Somehow, they had acquired a local Italian guide who was fluent in Korean. Seeing their demeanor, Lorenzo began to wonder.

Did they really come here as tourists?

Was this money wasted? The standard cost to conquer an A-rank dungeon was around fifty million dollars. In Korean won, that was about seventy billion.

Depending on the dungeon's conditions and international relations, however, the cost could drop to thirty million dollars or soar to one hundred million dollars.

No. Better not overthink this.

Lorenzo decided not to regret the already approved budget.

A standard fee and the finest meal.

Dinner was merely a formality. It was unexpected that they asked only for the standard cost.

Perhaps this is an opportunity.

With Special One and Two absent, and their family left behind, now was the perfect chance to determine their true purpose. If things went well, he could build rapport with them and establish a good relationship.

"Nyaa. This fragrant coffee tastes wonderful, nya."

"..."

The pet of the Specials. The cat, known as the chef of the Jun Dragon Kitchen, could talk and walk on two legs. According to reports, it even used telekinesis...

Perhaps this pet should be assigned a Special codename, too.

It seemed that Special One and Two had left a guardian in their absence. If they trusted it enough to leave, then one could roughly gauge its strength.

"I'll show you the essence of Naples."

For now, he would play the guide. Lorenzo, the archetypal Italian macho, led the family with a bright smile.

Just having driven Special One and Two out of Italy and into France so they wouldn't cause trouble here was already a great achievement.

* * *

Special Security Bureau, France. Its role was similar to South Korea's Hunter Management Bureau. Upon receiving the grim news, Bureau Director Hugo Blanc immediately called an emergency meeting.

"An A-rank dungeon has appeared in Paris."

"The conquest deadline is only fifteen days."

"Bureau Director, we must begin preparations at once."

A dungeon could not be conquered in a single entry. They had to analyze what monsters appeared and, based on that, infer the nature of the dungeon boss demon.

This process alone took three to five days. Then, they had to assemble a team of hunters suited to counter the demon and conduct a few trial runs.

The newly assembled team members had to coordinate with each other, build teamwork, and acclimate to the monsters.

That took another five to ten days.

It took fifteen days just to prepare, yet the conquest deadline was also fifteen days.

"We'll have to shorten the schedule."

Was there another way? They could only hurry.

"Deploy the recon team immediately!"

"Yes, Bureau Director!"

With Hugo Blanc's authorization, hunters from the Special Security Bureau formed a team and were deployed.

Due to the peculiar circumstances surrounding Sophie Giraud–the G-rank hunter responsible for Europe's A-rank dungeons–such strategies required a long preparation time.

Her alias was "Saintess."

Although she was a G-rank hunter, she was a support-class healer. Because of the characteristics of her class, forming a team according to the demon's matchup was important.

"Where is Sophie now?"

"She's resting at her residence."

"Good, at least she's within the territory."

Sophie Giraud often attended parties and social gatherings. Typically, the "crew" that G-rank hunters brought with them referred to their conquest team.

However, Sophie Giraud's crew consisted of stylists and managers, much like a celebrity's entourage.

"Contact Sophie. Tell her not to leave France for now."

"We already did, but she said she'll only attend on the day of the conquest."

"...Damn it."

Though Sophie Giraud didn't seem proactive, the conquest would be difficult without her.

Her healing ability was virtually divine, and there have been zero deaths in all the countless conquests so far. Moreover, her powerful debuffs during A-rank dungeon conquests drastically lowered the difficulty.

She was like a pop star of dungeon conquests, briefly appearing to perform before leaving again.

"For now, let's hurry the conquest as much as possible. Set D-Day at minus ten days."

Because of the damned time-shortening phenomenon, they couldn't afford any leeway in the conquest. In just ten days, they had to finish exploring the dungeon and assemble the right team.

"Bureau Director, Italy's Supernatural Ability Bureau is contacting us."

"Hm? Why those guys?"

"I don't know. They're asking for you."

"Give me the line."

Hugo Blanc answered the phone.

[ Hey, my friend! Marco here. ]

From his boisterous voice alone, he was already a man Hugo Blanc disliked.

"What now? Calling just to tease me again?"

Marco laughed.

[ Would I tease a neighbor's hardship? I called to tell you that Italy will handle Paris's A-rank dungeon. ]

"...?"

Hugo Blanc was dumbfounded.

"Have you taken drugs or something?"

Italy's hunter forces weren't strong. During the last Rome A-rank dungeon incident, they couldn't even field their own team and had to hire foreign mercenaries.

Usually, a European country would field its own team, and then Sophie Giraud would be dispatched to stabilize the conquest.

"France's hunters are more than enough."

[ Haha! I don't mean support. I mean we'll conquer the dungeon ourselves. ]

"...?"

Was this bastard really on drugs?

"I don't have time for this. Goodbye."

"Bureau Director! Special has appeared in the Paris dungeon!"

"What?"

The time bomb that appeared in East Asia. A man presumed to be the Mad Monarch, who had endured Belhaim for a hundred years longer than even the Final Heroes.

[ Kehaha, so he's already arrived. The dungeon will be dealt with soon, so prepare a letter of thanks. ]

"What in the world..."

Hugo Blanc hung up and set out to assess the situation.

"Field! Connect me to the field!"

[ Bureau Director! An Asian man and woman have appeared and entered the dungeon! ]

"Ridiculous! What about our recon team?"

[ They broke in while our team was still inside! ]

"Do you hear yourself?"

[ I only report what I see. ]

Hugo Blanc's head throbbed. For a moment, the stress felt like it would rip out his hair–fortunately, he was already bald.

"Inform South Korea of the current situation and request information sharing!"

"But sir, it's nighttime there."

"They don't stop working just because the sun sets! Do it!"

"Yes!"

Why had South Korea's Special suddenly appeared in France? And why did they appear less than an hour after the dungeon emerged in Paris?

"Bureau Director! South Korea has replied."

"What did they say?"

"They claim he's traveling with his family in Italy."

"What is this..."

Why would someone said to be on a trip in Italy suddenly appear at a Paris dungeon?

What did Marco do?

Why was the Special One, who had been sightseeing in Italy, at a Paris dungeon?

"Bureau Director! South Korea has disclosed that the Special One can even enter dungeons that are already under conquest."

"Heh, just what is he..."

As if teleportation weren't ridiculous enough, now dungeon intrusion? To put it bluntly, if he disliked a hunter, he could intrude into their ongoing dungeon, kill them all, and not leave a shred of evidence–the perfect crime.

Among hunters across the entire world...Only South Korea's Special One possessed such an ability.

"I'm going to the site myself."

"Yes. We'll prepare escorts!"

"Escorts? What nonsense."

What good would they do? If he wanted them dead, they already were. Escorts meant nothing.

After all, their opponent was the Mad Monarch. Hard as it was to admit...

* * *

Flash.

"Oh, is that the Eiffel Tower?"

The moment Kim Junyong teleported near the dungeon, he marveled at the sight of the Eiffel Tower, visible not too far away.

It was such a famous landmark that even a returnee like him recognized it instantly.

[ Huh? Who are you? ]

"What's he saying?"

"Shall I cut him down?"

"Why?"

"Sounded like a curse."

"It's just French."

He held back the dangerously headstrong Remi and opened his camera app to scan the dungeon.

< Dungeon Information >

Mirror’s Shadow Yarun

Rank: A

Time Remaining: 14 days - 23 hours - 9 minutes

[ In Progress ] [ Leon + 15 ]

[ Enter Dungeon? ]

"Uh?"

"Hm?"

After checking the dungeon information, Kim Junyong and Kim Remi were both taken aback.

"I know him."

"Yeah, the doppelgänger bastard."

It was a demon they had encountered in Belhaim–a bastard who, in his own way, had a strangely endearing side.

"And now he dares mess with Earth?"

After vanishing from Belhaim for a time, he had apparently been living in Earth's Metaverse.

Kim Junyong tapped the dungeon entry.

Flash.

Kim Junyong and Remi disappeared.

"Ahh!"

In the blink of an eye, they appeared before the dungeon, only to vanish again.

< Dungeon Information >

Mirror’s Shadow Yarun

Rank: A

Time Remaining: 14 days - 23 hours - 8 minutes

[ In Progress ] [ Kim Junyong + 16 ]

"My goodness!"

An agent from the French Special Security Bureau hurried to report to his superiors.

* * *

Flash.

The scenery changed as they entered the dungeon.

"Oh, this is South Korea?"

The metaverse map was modeled after Earth. This faithful copy of a South Korean city stirred a strange sense of familiarity.

The starting point was a small park.

As they followed the road down, they passed two apartment complexes. Beyond them stood rows of commercial buildings.

Kim Junyong used his black mana to probe for the dungeon boss Yarun's presence, then smiled with ease.

"That bastard's hiding again."

As expected of such a shady guy. It was obvious he would be hiding among the monsters.

A little further along the road, they found people in a playground. They weren't hunters, but genuine townsfolk.

"People."

"Monsters in human form."

At Kim Junyong's correction, Remi tilted her head.

"What's the difference?"

"...?"

Ah, the way demons thought. No–perhaps this was simply how Demon Sword Remi thought. Kim Junyong smiled faintly.

"There is no difference."

"Then I'll cut them all down."

"As expected of you, Remi."

Yarun was the sort who knew how to play hide-and-seek.

If you couldn't tell who the tagger was, just kill them all. One of them would be the right one.

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