WeTried Translations

Translator: Yasi

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◈ The Precious Demon King

Chapter 99: The Difference Between Duty and Devotion

The Black-White Twin Ghosts. These peculiar twins shared one soul but had two bodies.

"Has one of them died?"

It was impossible to tell whether the strike team had taken down the Black Ghost or if it had been left behind from the beginning, leaving only the White Ghost. Either way, killing this one would complete the mission.

He didn't know how much South Korea was extorting from China. Cheon Yubeom would handle the negotiations and bleed the Hunter Management Bureau for payment.

For now, Kim Junyong was only concerned with how many order points he would gain once this dungeon was resolved.

"Team Leader Lee and Yoichi. You two just watch."

"Ah, understood."

"W-What!?"

Lee Mina accepted it without hesitation, but Yoichi Sasaki immediately objected. He had come along for the sake of his training abroad.

Taking it easy when he should be training until his body broke was an act of betrayal against his country that awaited him.

"Though I am but a guest, please use me as you would a workhorse! If Hyungnim commands me to charge, I will stake my life and charge!"

"Hey, no. Save that for the Demon Realm."

Deeds from the Demon Realm cannot be settled. That picky bastard of a scale. The Demon Realm (Metaverse) was an illusory world where neither good nor evil existed.

Remi enjoyed being able to kill freely there, but for Kim Junyong, it was a dull hunting ground.

His family had already earned the title of Conqueror. This title boosted mana and physical ability so much that Kim Junyong quickly rose to Rank 1, even though he didn't hunt diligently.

The title provided such an incredible boost that Yu Jia, who trained diligently, rose to Rank 3 in just a week.

It was so powerful that Edmond advanced in rank despite barely hunting.

Familiars gain experience too.

Since demons couldn't possess white mana, their mana stat remained a null value. Nevertheless, they continued to accumulate experience.

The physical ability buff resulting from the title applied all the same.

Belhaim's power doesn't apply, but the power of Earth does.

An interesting thing. It proved that even demons could receive a god's blessing.

Although Remi hadn't participated in special training the past week, she had already reached Rank 1 from previous hunts alone.

In any case, what Kim Junyong needed right now was to collect order points.

Lee Mina and Yoichi Sasaki were neither his familiars nor Knights of the Arbiter, so he couldn't share the deeds with them.

"Chief Manager Cheon! Go!"

"Yes!"

Paladin Cheon Yubeom. No–now Knight of the Arbiter Cheon Yubeom had become a truly all-purpose character.

Tank, damage dealer, and healer.

Once mediocre at everything, he now excelled at all three roles, cleaving straight through the dungeon.

< The Knight of the Arbiter smites evil. >

< White orbs are placed on the Scale of Order. >

"Ooh."

In cases where someone was physically far away, such as Ryu Jai or Logan Hayes, their deeds were not settled immediately.

But since Cheon Yubeom was in the same space, his deeds were directly settled to Kim Junyong, the Arbiter of the Scale.

"He fights well."

With the title of Conqueror and his appointment as the Knight of the Arbiter, Cheon Yubeom was effectively blessed by God Earth and Goddess Belhaim.

At this point, he was probably the strongest person in the human world.

Kim Junyong walked along the blood path that Cheon Yubeom had carved. Beside him, Yoichi Sasaki's hands trembled.

"Grrr..."

"Why? What?"

"I want to fight, Hyungnim! Please, command me to fight!"

"Hahh."

For this single-minded man's pure soul, Kim Junyong put an arm around his shoulders and murmured.

"Yoichi."

"Yes, Hyungnim."

"Look ahead."

"Grr."

"What do you see?"

"I see my own laziness!"

"You fool!"

"Please enlighten this ignorant disciple!"

Kim Junyong said solemnly.

"Study begins with observation, then action."

"Huh!"

"Don't miss a single thing and watch closely. You'll be next."

"Kuhk...To think I whined like a child without understanding Hyungnim's deep intent. I'm deeply ashamed!"

"Everything is study!"

"I'll keep that in mind!"

Kim Junyong released his arm from around Yoichi Sasaki's shoulders. Yoichi Sasaki widened his eyes as if trying to take in every detail of Cheon Yubeom.

After walking for a while, Yoichi Sasaki suddenly shouted urgently.

"Hyungnim! My tears won't stop!"

Kim Junyong turned around and saw Sasaki's bloodshot, teary eyes. He barely resisted the urge to smack the back of his head.

"Blink."

"Ah! As expected of Hyungnim!"

"..."

What an idiot. Should he just kill him and turn him into a familiar? Materials of this quality were uncommon.

Come to think of it, I also need to make that beast tamer's soul into a familiar.

It was a soul bearing over two thousand years of resentment. A being with potential.

If he made it into a familiar and trained it well, it could reach the level of a Demon Realm monarch.

At the very least, he would become stronger than Edmond or Luciel.

And since its profession happened to be beast tamer, it was a perfect fit.

I can put him in charge of feeding Malsun.

Since he was going to summon Malsun anyway, he decided to summon them both the next time he went to the zoo.

As he continued walking with such thoughts, they soon approached the boss's domain.

"Ah, Special Advisor. There!"

Just as the Metaverse mirrored Earth, so did the dungeon. Thick webs hung between apartment buildings, and a cocoon-like shape dangled in their midst.

"He's still alive!"

"So he wasn't hiding–he was captured."

Well, if he were still alive, he would have exited the dungeon. There would be no reason to stay and hold out.

"Chief Manager Cheon."

"Yes."

"Bring him."

"On it."

Cheon Yubeom leapt up and stepped onto the web stretched between two apartment buildings. He drew his sword, cut the cocoon free, and returned with it in his arms.

Slice, slice.

When he cut open the cocoon, an unconscious Yang Minchan appeared inside.

"Wake him."

"Yes."

Slap, slap!

"Hahh!"

After receiving five slaps, Yang Minchan's eyes suddenly snapped open.

"Hhhhk!"

Drooling, he let out a strange sound and swung his sword.

Clang! Crack!

Lee Mina blocked the blow, grabbed Yang Minchan's shoulder, and slammed him to the floor.

"Ugh!"

"Calm down. We're here to rescue you."

"Heuhk, heuhh."

"Breathe slowly."

"Hahh...hahh..."

Yang Minchan, who had been hyperventilating in panic, began to breathe deeply. As his mind cleared, the fear and tension in his eyes gradually softened.

"Let me go. I'm fine now."

When Lee Mina released him, he collapsed to the floor with a thud. Looking around, he began to speak again.

"You're Koreans, aren't you? Thank you."

The man before him was the famous Special.

So this is the Mad Monarch...

He had never run into him back in Belhaim, but for some reason, this man gave him an unpleasant, uneasy feeling. Should it be called an instinctive fear rising up within him?

"I-I should brief you."

"Brief us? About what?"

"It's better if you hear the exploration and conquest results before taking action..."

Kim Junyong smirked. He wasn't curious at all about how their team had been annihilated or how Yang Minchan had been captured.

Besides, he already knew the boss's location.

"Chief Manager Cheon."

"Yes."

"It's on the top floor of Building 103."

"Should I kill it?"

"No, bring it back alive."

After all, it was an acquaintance. He should at least say hello.

Flash.

Cheon Yubeom vanished.

Boom! Boom!

Explosions ripped through Building 103.

Moments later, Cheon Yubeom returned carrying a blood-soaked spider demon.

Its upper body was unmistakably human, but its lower half was that of a spider. Only one leg remained. Judging by the dripping bodily fluids and torn wounds, Cheon Yubeom must have ripped off the others.

Crack.

Kim Junyong extended black tendrils that tightly bound the demon in place.

Creak.

"Kyaaah!"

A clear, melodic scream escaped as the black tendrils tightened. Her spider-like lower body was grotesque, but her upper half was quite beautiful.

"Wow, the White Ghost was a woman?"

"Krrgh...how could a wretch like you be on this wicked planet?"

"Because this is my home."

"So you're a native of this vile planet."

Without exception, the demons praised God Earth. The Metaverse had clearly left them humiliated and defeated.

Kim Junyong observed the White Ghost curiously.

"Where's the Black Ghost?"

"I don't know."

"Tell me, and I'll give you a clean death."

"Hmph. Kill me however you like."

Bold, huh. Kim Junyong gave a faint laugh and asked another question to satisfy his remaining curiosity.

"When demons resurrect, do they get to choose their race, or is it random?"

The Black-White Twin Ghosts weren't originally spider-shaped half-beast demons. They had been a humanoid, bipedal race, so the fact that the White Ghost before him now had a half-human, half-beast form was peculiar.

"I have no obligation to tell you."

"Oh? So your appearance can change upon resurrection?"

"You don't even know that?"

"Why so prickly?"

"Would you be smiling if your enemy were standing right in front of you?"

Kim Junyong smirked.

"Well, if you don't want to answer, then go."

"Hmph, just kill me already!"

Demons were reckless because they could always revive in the Demon Realm. If they only had one life, they would probably live it more carefully.

"Judgment."

Flash.

When the golden scale appeared, the White Ghost's eyes went wide.

"Ah! W-Wait! No!"

< Summary Judgment! >

< Death! >

Fwoosh!

Bathed in golden light, the White Ghost let out a piercing scream.

"Kyaaaaa! I-I'll tell you! Please, anything but annihilation!"

Fwoosh.

< Judgment complete! >

The demons hated the gods and sought to corrupt the planets in order to kill them because only divine power could completely annihilate them.

Isn't it ironic that they can't wield that one and only power themselves?

As God Earth said, the gods were the architects and humans were the executors. Direct interference in the executors' work was impossible for the architects.

That was why hunters existed. It was also why Belhaim had summoned heroes.

The laws of the world forbid divine interference. The Warriors of the Goddess, who should have been destroying demons, had holed up on Earth playing kings. No wonder God Earth was furious.

"Ah, I haven't checked what happens when Chief Manager Cheon kills one."

It would probably result in annihilation.

"I've also acquired a skill called Judgment."

"Yeah? From now on, use that when you hunt demons."

"Understood!"

Flash.

With the boss defeated, the dungeon began to shrink.

"Less than I expected."

< Order : 889 - 0 : Chaos >

So many people in China...Shouldn't saving more people yield more points?

About a hundred points should do it. A few words of praise ought to make up the difference.

Kim Junyong had come to rather enjoy giving speeches.

Flash.

As the dungeon disappeared, the scenery changed.

[ Oh, to have conquered it this early! As expected, you're remarkable! ]

"He says you're amazing for conquering it so quickly."

Kim Junyong looked at the interpreter translating Wang Weijie's words. Then, he looked at the soldiers lined up in formation and the citizens visible in the distance. They were all waving Chinese and Korean flags and cheering loudly, but...

"These bastards, all talk and no gratitude."

He looked around. Soldiers, every one of them. He saw each of their emotions one by one.

Admiration, vigilance, anger, hostility, irritation, and boredom.

"What the hell?"

Was this how they treated the hero who had saved their city? Anyone watching would think they had been dragged out here against their will.

< They believe you only did what was expected. >

"Ah!"

Even emotions followed the law of equivalent exchange.

The Chinese thought it was only natural that Kim Junyong conquered the dungeon for them. After all, the two governments had already struck a deal.

"This is an unexpected side effect."

Order points that could be earned through praise, admiration, and gratitude were inversely proportional to the material rewards received for a conquest.

He understood the logic, but it still left a bitter taste.

[ We've prepared a banquet. ]

"We've prepared a banquet."

"Forget it."

"Huh? Oh–"

Kim Junyong's mood soured, and he lost his appetite. He no longer wanted to stay in a country that took his act of salvation for granted.

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