Chapter 44 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: The Heavenly Demon and the Convenience Store Girl (3)
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In the small hospital room.
Kim Chang-uk, who had been sitting in the guardian's chair reading a book, spotted his daughter sitting up on the bed gazing out the window and approached her tenderly.
"Hyewon, why are you up?"
"Mm."
"Can't sleep?"
"No."
Kim Hyewon stared intently at the full moon illuminating the entire world in white.
"I had a dream."
"A dream? What kind of dream?"
"One where my body was all better, and I was working part-time at the convenience store."
"Hahaha."
Kim Chang-uk chuckled softly and smiled.
"Was working at the convenience store that fun?"
"Yeah."
"Because of that guy called the Heavenly Demon?"
"Yeah."
"I thought he was a bit odd. Rough-looking face, and he even spoke informally to your dad."
At that, Kim Hyewon waved her hands frantically as if jumping up and down.
"No. Uncle Heavenly Demon is actually really old. Probably older than Dad?"
"No way. Even being generous, he looked like he was in his early thirties."
"No. Nameless said so, so it must be true."
"Nameless?"
"Yeah, Uncle Heavenly Demon's nanobots. They're totally like a person. They tell the funniest stories."
After chattering on and laughing heartily for a while, Kim Hyewon gazed out the window again.
"I want to go back to working part-time at the convenience store. And go to school again."
Kim Hyewon's eyes were fixed on the full moon, but her pupils seemed to be groping toward some invisible place.
Suppressing the welling sadness, Kim Chang-uk smiled and said.
"You'll be discharged soon."
"Yeah."
"Then want to go back to school and do your part-time job again?"
"Yeah, sounds good."
Kim Hyewon beamed brightly. But somehow, her smile looked parched.
Ring ring ring.
At that moment, Kim Chang-uk's phone rang from his pocket.
"Yes, President. Oh? Yes... I'm sorry. I forgot. I'll head to the office now and send it right away."
After hanging up, Kim Chang-uk scratched his head and said.
"Hyewon, Dad has to run to the office for a bit. Go to sleep first."
"Be careful."
"Yeah. I'll be right back."
Kim Chang-uk waved as he stepped out the door.
Kim Hyewon waved back with a grin, but slowly, the smile faded from her lips.
"Sorry, Dad."
As she bowed her head, clear tears dripped from her eyes.
Truthfully, she knew it well.
That she could never return to how things were before.
* * *
Drip drip drip. Pourrrrr.
As he slowly pulled his palm away from the Minotaur's neck, clumps of blood rained down like shower water.
"Haa. Haa."
Ragged breaths poured from the Heavenly Demon's mouth.
Heavenly Demon Great Ability.
The ultimate technique usable only by the Heavenly Demon, who had transcended human limits and reached the pinnacle of martial arts.
It exploded the power and potential latent within his body, compensating for the lost Heavenly Demon internal energy and the destructive power of his forms.
But all martial arts have two sides.
This great technique, which multiplied physical abilities in an instant, brought indescribable pain the moment it was unleashed.
Moreover, due to the recoil of the great technique, it was an extremely dangerous art that could shatter even a Diamond Body.
[Are you alright?]
At Nameless's words, the Heavenly Demon, covered in blood but forcing himself upright, nodded.
"Thanks to you."
This time, Nameless's contribution had been immense.
Nameless had projected the Heavenly Demon's afterimages into the air nonstop with 3D laser beams to lure the Minotaur's weaknesses. And based on minute muscle movements, it had even predicted attack paths and ranges.
[Not at all.]
Expecting Nameless to brag endlessly, the Heavenly Demon was surprised by its unexpectedly humble demeanor.
[The victory in this battle was due to your astonishing reflexes, agility, and observation skills, Heavenly Demon.]
The Minotaur's weakness was the Thiên Đột Acupoint.
In other words, the only vulnerable spot was the depression between its collarbones.
And the one who discovered it was none other than the Heavenly Demon.
[How did you predict the Minotaur's weak point?]
"That beast's neck was covered in unusually thick fur. Every living creature has a reason for even a single strand of hair..."
Recalling the Minotaur swinging its crescent spear like a madman, the Heavenly Demon smirked.
"It seemed to swing the crescent spear wildly like a lunatic, but it always assumed a mid-stance posture. Even a monster would instinctively protect its weakness."
Nameless expanded the sensor on its round eye glowing white, as if amazed.
[You noticed that amid a desperate life-or-death battle?]
"Life-or-death battle? Just a light warm-up."
He scoffed, but the Heavenly Demon's body was a total wreck.
The Minotaur possessed the strongest power and physique among all monsters he had faced so far.
Had he not repeatedly pushed the Heavenly Demon Great Ability to its limits, he couldn't have won even knowing the weakness.
[I can't figure out the appearance conditions no matter how I analyze them. I don't know why this off-spec monster showed up.]
"Such things are irrelevant to me."
[Sorry. I'll check for relics.]
Nameless scanned the Minotaur with a white beam, then shook its head with a whirring sound.
[...No relics seem to have dropped.]
"I see."
The Heavenly Demon turned away, his expression like swallowing bitter liquor.
He had staked his life on the fight, but gained nothing. Only the hollow aftertaste of battle lingered in his hands.
"Hm."
Then, his gaze fell on the crescent spear dropped on the floor.
This crescent spear, with an axe attached to the pointed shaft, typically had the axe at the tip. But this one's axe was abnormally large and thick.
[What's wrong?]
At Nameless's question, the Heavenly Demon smirked down at the crescent spear.
"Hiding items in weapons is common in the martial world."
[Pardon?]
Crack!
The Heavenly Demon ripped off the axe portion of the Minotaur's dropped crescent spear with his hand.
Craaaack.
As he gripped the axe with both hands and applied force, spiderweb cracks formed, and light began to leak out.
[This is...]
From the shattered axe poured tiny jewels.
Bean-sized gems emitting a soft glow, their fresh fragrance filling the entire tower.
[The Minotaur's relic was hidden in the weapon, not its body.]
But as he gazed at the jewels, the Heavenly Demon's eyes slowly widened.
"Golden Spirit Immortal Fruit?"
Surprisingly, the scent from these tiny glowing jewels closely resembled the spirit medicine he knew well: Golden Spirit Immortal Fruit.
[According to the secret database, this relic is the extremely rare treasure 'Sweet Dew Stone,' which enhances physical abilities.]
"Sweet Dew Stone?"
The Heavenly Demon examined the jewel closely.
The fragrance was very similar, but it was smaller, and unlike the red-glowing Golden Spirit Immortal Fruit, it mixed blue and white light.
[It seems your world had something similar.]
"Yes. A rare spirit medicine not commonly seen."
[Same here. It's in the database, but hardly anyone has seen it in person, and it doesn't circulate.]
Looking down at the chest plate, the Heavenly Demon wore an incredulous expression.
'This world is truly incomprehensible. Why would such a spirit pill emerge from a monster's weapon?'
He couldn't wrap his head around it.
Dungeons spewing monsters from other worlds, and rare treasures dropping upon defeating them.
Why was this taken for granted in this world?
[Heavenly Demon.]
Nameless peered up at the frozen Heavenly Demon with its large eye.
[Are you alright?]
"No."
Snapping out of his thoughts, the Heavenly Demon looked at the Sweet Dew Stone.
"If it strengthens the body, it should cure the girl's illness too."
[The odds are about fifty percent.]
"What do you mean by that?"
[Sweet Dew Stone is a powerful drug that reinforces Awakeners' bodies.]
"Awakeners?"
[Yes. And Hyewon, who isn't an Awakener yet, might not withstand its effects. That's why I said fifty percent.]
After pondering briefly, the Heavenly Demon shook his head, his blood-caked hair now dried stiff.
"No choice, is there?"
[Correct. The potion from Goblin Berserkers is only for Awakeners too.]
[But if something goes wrong after giving her this, all the blame will fall on you, Heavenly Demon.]
"Doesn't matter."
Gazing at the dark tower ceiling, the Heavenly Demon turned and said.
"I'm used to that sort of thing."
* * *
A deep night where even moonlight hid behind clouds.
Kim Hyewon slept soundly alone in her hospital room.
Ssshh.
Then, the room door quietly opened, and a pitch-black shadow suddenly appeared before her bed.
Towering height reaching the ceiling, red eyes glinting in the darkness. It was the Heavenly Demon.
"Who's there?"
Feeling the presence, Kim Hyewon rubbed her sleepy eyes.
"Huh? Uncle Heavenly Demon? Nameless."
[Is your body okay, Hyewon?]
"At this hour, how did you..."
As Kim Hyewon blinked, the Heavenly Demon held out a sparkling jewel from his bosom—the Sweet Dew Stone.
"A medicine that can cure your illness."
"Huh? For my body?"
"Yes. They say it makes the body very sturdy."
As the Heavenly Demon placed the Sweet Dew Stone in Kim Hyewon's hand, Nameless spoke.
[However, its effects might harm your body instead. It's a drug for Awakeners.]
"Awakeners?"
[Yes. I judged this is the only way to treat your body, Hyewon.]
Kim Hyewon looked at the Heavenly Demon extending his arm.
With her faint electric ability, she could see fairly well in the dark.
The Heavenly Demon's clothes, backlit by moonlight, and Nameless's face seemed covered in sticky blood.
"You went into a dungeon... for me to get this?"
"No need to worry. Just stepped out for a drink."
Standing indifferently, the Heavenly Demon said.
"I'll say it once more: the odds are fifty percent."
At those words, Kim Hyewon looked at the Sweet Dew Stone in her hand, smiled, and nodded.
"Got it."
Then, without hesitation, she popped it into her mouth and swallowed.
"Not scared?"
"I am. But..."
Staring at the Heavenly Demon's rock-hard face, Kim Hyewon averted her gaze.
"For some reason, it feels like you'll make it work, Uncle."
The Heavenly Demon, arms crossed and silent, nodded.
"Good intuition."
Woooong.
White light burst from the Heavenly Demon's fingers as he gathered all remaining internal energy.
It was the righteous sect technique learned for scholarly purposes: One Yang Finger.
Sizzle.
As he extended his hand, the One Yang Finger energy pierced into the girl's back, at the Mingmen Acupoint.
"Huh?"
As the soft true energy burrowed into her back, Kim Hyewon blinked.
It felt like her whole body's veins were submerged in warm water, then she drifted off to sleep.
"Hm."
The Heavenly Demon was using One Yang Finger energy to slowly spread the fierce power of the swallowed Sweet Dew Stone through her meridians.
Master of all demonic sect martial arts.
He wielded the One Yang Finger technique with such proficiency that he surpassed even Emperor Dan Jeong-myeong of Dali, its creator.
"Hm."
Having gently dispersed the Sweet Dew Stone's effects through her meridians, the Heavenly Demon wiped sweat from his brow.
"After a good sleep, everything should be better."
Then, he reached out again and lightly struck an acupoint near the crown of Kim Hyewon's head.
"But you won't remember today's events."
Using One Yang Finger, he had not only mitigated the harsh effects but sealed the memory with a secret acupoint, erasing everything up to now.
[Amazing. You can even erase memories, Heavenly Demon?]
"I am not a god."
Regulating his breathing to gather his true energy, the Heavenly Demon said flatly.
"When a spirit medicine's effects surge, the brain meridians can shake from the power, causing temporary memory loss. I merely utilized that."
[I see.]
So it claimed, but Nameless, ignorant of acupoints, understood not a word.
It only grasped that Kim Hyewon's sick body would be fully healed.
* * *
Awakening from sleep, Kim Hyewon blinked.
The heaviness in her body every morning, the numbness around her heart—all symptoms were gone.
Touching her chest, she felt something odd and looked down.
"Huh?"
Even the surgical scar near her chest had vanished completely.
"What happened?"
Dazed, Kim Hyewon was discharged from the hospital with Kim Chang-uk.
Tests showed her body fully recovered, her heart sturdy as if newly grown.
"I don't know how this happened."
At Kim Hyewon's mutter, Kim Chang-uk, shedding tears of joy, said.
"They call it a miracle."
Hugging his precious daughter tightly, Kim Chang-uk choked up.
"Really glad, Hyewon."
"Yeah."
Kim Hyewon also smiled brightly in her dad's arms.
She felt like she'd lost something precious, but right now, it didn't matter.
She no longer had to hurt her father's heart.
* * *
A few days later.
Heading home after dinner at Mom's Hand Eatery, the Heavenly Demon glanced at the convenience store around the corner.
There stood the girl, Kim Hyewon, smiling brightly at the register.
[Not going to the convenience store anymore?]
"No need to revive barely erased memories."
Nameless, perched on the Heavenly Demon's shoulder, said in a playful tone.
[But what a shame.]
"What is?"
[The buy ten get one free event. No more of those.]
"Hmph."
The Heavenly Demon snorted softly.
"I don't care for such trivial perks."
[Exactly. Trivial perks.]
Nameless looked up at the Heavenly Demon, whirring and nodding.
* * *
Dusk, Special Response Team villa 5th floor situation room.
Yoo Eunho, having confidently finished his report, looked troubled.
Only Cho Hong looked surprised; Han Manjae and Shin Chaeyoung showed no change.
'As expected, no go.'
Truthfully, Han Manjae's wife had died due to unregistered Awakeners committing crimes.
Shin Chaeyoung was a ruthlessly principled stickler who allowed no exceptions to law and rules.
From their expressions, neither planned to let the unregistered Awakener Heavenly Demon off for this.
"Let's watch a bit longer."
Sensing the heavy, stifling atmosphere, Cho Hong spoke.
"So far, that guy's dungeon runs have been solely to save others, not for personal gain."
Looking alternately at Han Manjae and Shin Chaeyoung, she sighed.
"Treating and punishing someone who entered a dungeon to save others as a criminal outright is debatable. It could give ammunition to scheming bastards like Director Kim Suwoong."
"Isn't letting him be the bigger problem? What if he causes an incident?"
Well aware of Han Manjae's circumstances, Cho Hong said cautiously.
"Reporting to the Association now with charges would just get a fine after leniency. Better to wait for clear illegal activity, then handle it decisively."
Pointing at the hovering 3D image of the Heavenly Demon, Cho Hong added.
"He doesn't seem the type to cause big trouble, anyway."
Han Manjae was dissatisfied, but Cho Hong's judgment was reasonable and logical.
With nothing to say, Han Manjae clamped his mouth shut, and Cho Hong smiled.
"Then that's it for today's meeting."
Han Manjae and Shin Chaeyoung left the room wordlessly.
Alone with Cho Hong, Yoo Eunho looked displeased.
"Surprising. Thought they'd understand this much."
"I did understand. Normally, those two... would never let an unregistered Awakener slide."
Seeing Yoo Eunho's disappointed face, Cho Hong looked puzzled.
"I get you're touched by this, but why trust him so much? You always say 'judge people over time.'"
"Instinct."
"What?"
"My instincts are spot on. That guy's not one to misuse power."
Yoo Eunho said confidently.
"Soon, even hyung and Chaeyoung will get it. Definitely."
Considering their situations and personalities, it sounded impossible.
Cho Hong chuckled and shook her head.
"Yeah. Hope so. I'm off to work, so rest up."
"Team leader, still doing night shifts at Nobyeong?"
"What's the point of idling? Hidden Monsters don't pop daily."
Clapping her hands, Cho Hong left the situation room.
Unaware that Yoo Eunho's bold claim would soon prove exactly right.
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