The Precious Demon King - Chapter 94

WeTried Translations

Translator: Yasi

◈ The Precious Demon King

Chapter 94: Seoul Station

Kim Junyong was satisfied.

Yu Jia's growth was impressive. Since awakening as a hunter, she had become nearly superhuman. Her archery skills had advanced to the point that calling her a divine marksman would not be an exaggeration.

"Jia could be called a hunter now."

His niece had grown enough to make a living anywhere. He was also pleased with his sister Kim Jangmi's progress.

"This much, Noona won't die easily."

She had awakened as a healer. No doubt her many years of working as a doctor influenced it. In any case, the intensive funnel hunts that had forcibly increased her magical power had made her healing skill formidable.

The only drawbacks were that she didn't have any particular offensive skills and her combat sense wasn't all that outstanding...

"Junyong, don't I fight pretty well?"

"No, it's just a weight-class difference."

As she gained experience, her physical abilities increased. Since she surpassed most Olympic athletes, she could easily dodge enemies or survive being hit by relying on her healing skill.

"Don't try to fight, Noona. Just ask for help. Jia is there, and Jihun has become fairly capable too."

What was truly encouraging was Yu Jihun's development. Though his combat sense and mentality were weak–perhaps an inheritance from his mother–switching classes had changed much.

He was a spirit summoner! By choosing this cushy class, he at least gave the impression of pulling his weight.

Truthfully, the spirits did the work, and Yu Jihun only had to survive as their summoner.

"Jihun, as long as you don't fool around, get overconfident, or rush in, you won't die."

"Hehe, but Uncle, doesn't that mean I'm pretty strong?"

Kim Junyong nodded.

"Or maybe you'll die sooner than you think..."

"Oh my! Uncle's right! You need to know your place!"

"...O-kayyy."

Yu Jihun grew sullen but accepted it to some extent.

Uncle Cheon Yubeom and Aunt Lee Mina are outright monsters...even Noona now seems like a real hunter...

At least now, it seemed he wouldn't be able to talk back to Yu Jia.

"Well then, let's go out."

Kim Junyong was satisfied at this point and decided to end the family's training.

"Ugh, let's do that. I've been away from the hospital too long. I'm worried."

"I want to go back to school soon!"

"It's a bit of a shame..."

Kim Junyong chuckled faintly. Thinking back to when they first entered the Demon Realm, it was a giant leap forward. Now, no one fled at the sight of monsters.

"All right then, Remi, Luciel, and Ed."

Flash!

The familiars who had been resting in the dungeon were summoned.

"Hm? You said you were leaving, so why call us?"

"After cleaning up this much, it would be a waste to just leave."

In a week, they had wiped out more than half of the demons on the map. If they subdued the rest, they could earn the Conqueror title.

< Conqueror Cheon Yubeom >

< Conqueror Lee Mina >

< Conqueror Kim Luciel >

At present, only three people on Earth held the title. Since the benefits of the title were considerable, it would be a waste to head back right away.

"Wipe them all out."

At his command, the three familiars scattered at once.

"Let's rest a bit."

Flash.

He summoned the camping gear from subspace just as it was set up. They sat in the camping chairs at the table as if they were accustomed to them.

When he took drinks out of the refrigerator in subspace (which was his entire house-dungeon), Yu Jihun stepped forward and poured them into cups.

"Here, Uncle."

"Thanks."

"What about Mom?"

"Oh, I meant to give Mom some."

After taking a sip of the juice her son had prepared, Kim Jangmi began displaying the meddlesome nosiness of a typical Korean ajumma.

"Team Leader Lee, do you have a boyfriend?"

"Huh? N-No!"

As Lee Mina grew flustered, Kim Jangmi gave her a sly look and asked.

"It looks like you've been exchanging texts nonstop since earlier."

"Ah, th-this is..."

Lee Mina had been regularly reporting to the Special Advisor Support Division group chat. Until now, that had been Cheon Yubeom's responsibility, but he was no longer with the Hunter Management Bureau. He was one of Kim Junyong's people.

Though Team Leader Cheon may lack tact, he's an expert at secretly using his phone.

Her stealth phone skills weren't as good as his. To Kim Jangmi, it looked like she was exchanging messages with a boyfriend.

"Are you seeing someone?"

"Haha, n-no, that's not it."

At Kim Jangmi's sly ajumma laugh, Kim Junyong cut in.

"She's just reporting, that's all."

"Hm? Reporting? To where?"

"To the Hunter Management Bureau, of course."

"Huh?"

"That's why she's Team Leader."

"Hahaha."

Lee Mina laughed awkwardly. In some ways, it was like surveillance, which could be uncomfortable.

Looking at Kim Jangmi's displeased expression made that clear. However, Kim Junyong didn't take it seriously.

"How are things outside? Nothing unusual these days?"

"Yes, other than an A-rank dungeon that appeared in China and is difficult to handle, everything's fine."

"Oh? Really?"

At the words "difficult to handle," Kim Junyong's eyes lit up. Wasn't this a chance to collect order points?

If possible, I would like it to be enough to grow the scale...

The considerably widened pan could handle most ordinary order and chaos, and the strengthened beam was holding up well.

However, the scale could only grow by obtaining enough points to either overflow the pan or snap the beam. Doing so required an enormous amount of "salvation."

"Is it really that difficult to deal with?"

"Y-Yes, that's what they say. Unfortunately, it appeared right in the middle of Beijing."

Upon hearing about the dungeon appearing in the middle of the city, Kim Junyong grinned from ear to ear.

"Wow, that's a real mess."

Was it time for him to step in? But before he could, another man stepped forward.

"Team Leader Lee, if you want the Special Advisor's help, you'll have to pay proper compensation."

"O-Of course!"

Cheon Yubeom then sought Kim Junyong's permission.

"If you're thinking of resolving Beijing's A-rank dungeon, may I negotiate the compensation?"

"Yeah, do that."

It didn't matter either way to Kim Junyong. After all, money was trivial to him, and he could demand it whenever he wanted.

"Team Leader, let's negotiate."

"All right."

Cheon Yubeom and Lee Mina quietly stepped aside.

"Wow, thank you. As expected, only Team Leader Cheon would do this."

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you step forward on purpose? To secure the Special Advisor's help?"

Cheon Yubeom shrugged. Now that he had become the Knight of the Arbiter, he understood Kim Junyong's intentions better.

He's simply the kind of person who tries to save others.

What a noble and splendid person.

But I can't let that be exploited for free.

He could not allow South Korea to exploit the Special Advisor's altruism to gain a national advantage at no cost.

The Hunter Management Bureau paid him a salary and provided him with an expense card. The bureau also supplied all the ingredients for Jun Dragon Kitchen.

This is tantamount to peacekeeping expenses.

He believed that Kim Junyong's presence in South Korea alone justified the treatment he received. Wouldn't every country pay 20 billion won in friendship fees for the privilege of having Kim Junyong as a neighbor?

Every country in the world would be willing to pay that.

"Team Leader, let's be clear. I'm only stepping forward for the Special Advisor."

"Huh?"

"Let's seriously discuss the benefits South Korea will gain from sending the Special Advisor to Beijing, as well as his compensation."

"...J-Just a moment."

Tap, tap–

As Lee Mina busily typed out her message, Cheon Yubeom shrugged.

"I'll make the call myself."

"R-Really?"

Cheon Yubeom called Choi Hyunju personally.

* * *

Hunter Management Bureau, South Korea.

After ending a fairly long call, Choi Hyunju fell silent for a moment.

"Why? Did it not go well?"

"Ah!"

At her secretary Park Somi's question, she snapped out of her thoughts and smiled.

"It went well."

"But you look gloomy."

"It's nothing."

She said it was nothing, but it actually was something. Cheon Yubeom's tight demands and the negotiation process? If anything, they were a blessing.

All he did was put a high price on something not for sale.

Originally, Kim Junyong's help was sporadic and difficult to quantify. However, with Cheon Yubeom stepping in, negotiating and making requests became easier.

They couldn't hope for a dirt-cheap rate where even a box of Kobe beef would get a dungeon resolved. Still, the mere fact that an unsellable item had come onto the market was very encouraging.

The only concern was...

It seems Team Leader Lee might leave as well...

There was only a vague unease, but Choi Hyunju's intuition felt like a certainty. Kim Junyong was already treating Lee Mina like his subordinate. It was only a matter of timing–an outcome all but assured.

Even so, it's not bad.

Since Kim Junyong and the Hunter Management Bureau weren't communicating directly, it was as if a buffer zone of subordinates had formed between them.

In any case, wasn't it the standard in negotiations for the working-level staff to handle the coordination, while the leaders only shook hands and posed for photos?

"Anyway, Beijing has been saved."

She first conveyed this happy news to Park Taejun. He was summoned to the Blue House so frequently that he spent more time there than at the Hunter Management Bureau. It was unclear what South Korea would gain from China because of this, but that was the government's concern.

"Phew."

What interested Choi Hyunju more was Kim Junyong's family. They hadn't left the Demon Realm in over a week. Just how strong would they be when they came out?

And could they obtain more Awakening Tickets?

Thanks to the two tickets transferred to Japan, that country was now experiencing an unprecedented boom.

[ Special Advisor Support Division Group Chat ]

Team Leader Lee: It looks like the map will be cleared soon.

Team Leader Lee: How about we try negotiating so that we can choose the location of the Conquest Monument?

"Ah!"

Right, there was this.

The Conquest Monument. It was a monument that functioned as a suppressor, preventing dungeons from forming in its vicinity.

What if they could install it wherever they wanted? It would be tremendously valuable. But even before that value could be assessed–

[ World Notice ]

[ All demons in Demon Realm Sector 36 have been exterminated. ]

[ A Conqueror has emerged. ]

* * *

[ Please select the location for the Conquest Monument. ]

Kim Junyong looked at the world map that popped up with the message and pondered.

"It's a fixed teleport point."

The pros and cons of erecting a Conquest Monument were clear.

Since no dungeon would appear in that area, he would no longer be able to access it by teleportation. However, the advantage was that the Conquest Monument itself would function as fixed coordinates.

"Oh! Special Advisor! Do you have a location in mind?"

"Why?"

At Kim Junyong's counterquestion, Lee Mina spoke frankly.

"If you place it at the Blue House, we'll calculate its value and compensate you fully."

"I don't want to."

"Eh? Th-Then where will you set it up?"

"At a transportation hub."

Kim Junyong had no trouble deciding on the fixed coordinates.

[ Would you like to designate Seoul Station Plaza as the installation site? ]

If–really, if–all the dungeons were to disappear, this would be the most helpful place for a teleport coordinate.

"Yes."

For now, secure an outpost for domestic travel first!