Chapter 88 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Reconciliation or Conflict, Symbiotic Dungeon (1)
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Jang Chaewon sat at her desk, pulling out the backlog of quotes, while the Heavenly Demon read a book at the reception table.
Go Eunjin sat at the new desk they had brought in, preparing documents like the item list and completion confirmations to send to the Dungeon Management Team.
Lately, Bokbok Interiors had been flooded with quote requests for construction jobs.
On top of that, with the Dungeon Management Team's requests piling up, Jang Chaewon had called in her part-timer, Go Eunjin, to handle the paperwork for the Dungeon Management Team.
"Hmm."
Jang Chaewon glanced at Go Eunjin, who was deeply focused on her paperwork.
Since it was government work, simply delivering materials wasn't enough to wrap things up.
To get paid, they had to prepare the documents requested by the Dungeon Materials Management Team and issue tax invoices.
'Eunjin does a great job with this stuff.'
She turned her head and looked at the Heavenly Demon.
'It'd be nice if the Heavenly Demon could handle paperwork too.'
The Heavenly Demon was great at physical labor, but desk work like this was out of the question.
He could read and speak without issue, but for some reason, whenever he wrote, it all came out in classical Chinese characters.
"Are you the boss here?"
Go Eunjin, who had been working on her documents, suddenly glared at the Heavenly Demon, who was blankly sitting there reading a book.
"Why are you glaring at me?"
"As your junior, show some respect, you yokai."
"Senior Mon, sir. Why are you reading trash during work hours?"
The Heavenly Demon replied flatly without even glancing at her.
"Interior construction requires advanced knowledge. It's something a dimwit obsessed with food like you could never handle."
"What? What did you say?"
"You have to build up knowledge like this in your spare moments to avoid issues on the job. Got it?"
The Heavenly Demon looked up at Go Eunjin and pointed to an empty paper cup.
"Your cup's empty."
"So?"
"Green tea. Lukewarm."
"Don't make me laugh! Why should I get you tea?"
"It's part of the job. Isn't it basic to refill your senior's cup when it's empty?"
Jang Chaewon, who had been working on quotes, slammed her desk and said,
"I'm swamped here, so why are you two fighting during work hours? Heavenly Demon, make your own tea. Can't you see Eunjin working on documents?"
She turned to Go Eunjin as well.
"The Heavenly Demon is our store's expert constructor. I allow him to read interior books when there's no work, so don't mind him."
Bokbok Interiors' lunch menu was, as always, Chinese food.
Slurp.
The Heavenly Demon brought a bite of jjajangmyeon to his mouth and picked up two danmuji pieces.
Crunch crunch. He chewed up the last two pieces with the sound, and Go Eunjin got annoyed.
"Why'd you eat all the danmuji by yourself?"
"I just ate to match the last chopstickful."
"What nonsense is that? There were two left—you should've eaten just one."
The Heavenly Demon let out a low scoff.
"If you're mad, eat faster next time."
"Eat faster? Want to get hit?"
'Ah.'
Jang Chaewon, who had been bringing a spoonful of fried rice to her mouth, let out a silent sigh.
The relationship between the Heavenly Demon and Go Eunjin was like cats and dogs.
No, even if you put a dog and a monkey face-to-face, they probably wouldn't fight this much.
"Ugh, it's too gross to eat now!"
After bickering, Go Eunjin finally set down her chopsticks on the jjajangmyeon bowl and stood up.
"You eat it all!"
"This seat is already done."
"I'm saying I won't eat with you anymore. Got it?"
"Music to my ears."
Jang Chaewon had recently seen a documentary on TV about a mother's struggles raising twins.
She'd never raised kids, but this must be what it felt like to have bratty children.
"Did you hear that, boss? Don't seat this yokai with me anymore."
"Boss! I won't eat with Senior Mon anymore!"
At the Heavenly Demon and Go Eunjin's simultaneous shouts, Jang Chaewon replied weakly.
"Yeah. Got it."
After lunch, Jang Chaewon listlessly placed her hand on the keyboard, but her fingers wouldn't move.
"Ugh."
Suddenly, her stomach felt queasy, and bile rose in her throat. She must have gotten indigestion from the fried rice.
This symptom had become frequent lately, ever since eating lunch with the Heavenly Demon and Go Eunjin at the store.
"Hmm."
Jang Chaewon grimaced and habitually pulled a liquid digestive aid from the bottom drawer, downing it.
Gulp gulp. Thunk.
The Heavenly Demon stared at the blue bottle on the table and sighed.
"A walk after meals might help."
"Huh?"
"Digesting food with medicine isn't good. Your organs won't function properly."
Jang Chaewon's nose wrinkled like an angry tiger's.
'What? Who do you think caused my indigestion!'
She was about to yell when she met the eyes of the Heavenly Demon, who had set down his book and was looking at her.
His red-tinged gaze was fierce, but utterly serious.
Seeing those eyes softened her anger a bit.
"Got it. I'll keep that in mind."
"Or some warm tea would work too."
"Th-thanks."
Jang Chaewon ultimately suppressed her temper.
Was it because the Heavenly Demon was unusually concerned about her? Or because of the warm, doctor-like advice?
Neither.
-Boss, we can't hire her!
Before hiring Go Eunjin, the Heavenly Demon had strongly opposed it multiple times.
'Right. You opposed it tooth and nail.'
If I'd known they'd fight like this, I wouldn't have hired her. I should've listened to you, Heavenly Demon.
With a resigned smile, Jang Chaewon stood up.
"I-I'm going to check the site for a bit."
Staying here any longer felt like it'd give her a stomach ulcer.
For her physical health and mental health, she decided to take the Heavenly Demon's advice and go for a short walk.
* * *
"R-Really?"
At a construction site in a certain apartment complex.
Kim Chanwon scratched his head apologetically as he smoothly applied cement to the demolished wall and attached tiles.
"I didn't realize they got along that badly."
Kim Chanwon scratched his head after hearing all of Jang Chaewon's complaints.
Actually, the one Jang Chaewon resented most was Kim Chanwon.
His advice had been the biggest factor in hiring Go Eunjin, who had applied without any clear qualifications.
-The Illusion Shock Clan has strong pride. She won't harm the store.
But now, seeing the results, it was like placing two time bombs side by side.
"I hired help because I was overwhelmed, but now it's even worse. The workload has definitely decreased, though."
Jang Chaewon's dark-circled eyes under her sun-tanned skin from extreme stress looked like a graph charting her stress levels.
"Ahem."
Remembering his own words from back then, Kim Chanwon cleared his throat awkwardly.
"But she does good work, right? From what Heavenly Demon said, she handles everything so well she doesn't even need a probation period."
Actually, Kim Chanwon's eyes hadn't been wrong.
Far from harming the store, she did great work and handled paperwork flawlessly.
He just hadn't anticipated the constant clashes with the Heavenly Demon.
"Yeah. She really does good work."
Jang Chaewon muttered with a weary face, like she was carrying a massive bear around all day. Seeing her expression, Kim Chanwon looked sheepish.
"Sorry about that. I didn't think she'd fight with Heavenly Demon like this either."
"Is there no solution?" "How about a company dinner? Nothing beats a drink to..."
Jang Chaewon waved her hands.
"They fight even over meals—if I take them drinking, it'll be a miracle if they don't smash bottles over each other's heads."
"Th-then, can't you keep them apart for a while?"
"Normally yes. I hired Eunjin on-call, so I only bring her in when needed."
"Then that's solved. Just don't call Eunjin for a while..."
"But right now, it's just quote requests and Dungeon Management Team paperwork piling up. No construction jobs the Heavenly Demon can do, no material gathering requests either."
"Hmm."
Kim Chanwon stroked his chin and fell silent.
After a moment of deep thought, he clapped his hands.
"Ah, how about that?"
"What?"
"Sending them to the Symbiotic Dungeon?"
"Symbiotic Dungeon?"
Jang Chaewon recalled the faint memory in her mind.
Symbiotic Dungeon.
A rule dungeon that only two people can enter, and which requires them to combine strengths to clear.
It also created traps based on the entrants' innermost desires—a very unique dungeon.
"They'd never get out if I sent them there." Jang Chaewon shook her head firmly.
A Symbiotic Dungeon that absolutely requires two people to cooperate to clear.
If cooperation fails, it can turn into a Co-Death Dungeon.
"Heavenly Demon and Eunjin aren't that thoughtless. Worst case, if there's no way out, Heavenly Demon will figure something out."
True.
With the Heavenly Demon's abilities, even in the worst case, he could escape the dungeon somehow.
"Maybe send them first and see what happens? Whether symbiosis or co-death."
"Symbiosis or co-death... you say?"
"Yeah. If they can't cooperate even in a rule dungeon, working together long-term is impossible anyway."
At Kim Chanwon's subtle suggestion, Jang Chaewon murmured as if entranced.
"If they still can't combine strengths in that situation..."
"Right, then regrettably, Eunjin can't be Bokbok Interiors' employee."
Kim Chanwon licked his lips and fixed his gaze in the air.
"Absolutely don't let that nameless one get taken. I'll tell you how to escape somehow."
After deep contemplation, Jang Chaewon nodded as if resolved.
"Got it."
* * *
The next morning.
"Symbiotic Dungeon?"
Go Eunjin, sitting at her desk still buried in Dungeon Management Team paperwork, blinked.
"Why there?"
"I need the relic that comes from clearing it."
"All you get from clearing that's worth anything is a useless rock..."
Clearing the Symbiotic Dungeon only yielded a single rock you could stick together and pull apart.
Once, many Awakeners had visited the Symbiotic Dungeon to obtain this rock, calling it the "Token of Friendship."
"Right. I need that relic. Can you bring it back with Heavenly Demon?"
Seeing Jang Chaewon's smile, Go Eunjin shut her mouth.
She didn't just have extensive dungeon knowledge—she was quick on the uptake too.
Instantly grasping Jang Chaewon's intent, Go Eunjin shook her head.
"Absolutely not."
"Is that so? Well, can't be helped then."
As if she had expected it, Jang Chaewon nodded readily. Then she turned to the Heavenly Demon at the reception table.
"Heavenly Demon. Eunjin says she doesn't want to go—what now?"
"Leave it to me. I'll handle it quick."
"But it's a place only two people can enter and clear?"
As if having completely forgotten about the Gkok Gkok Bugi incident, the Heavenly Demon clicked his tongue.
"Didn't this seat say it? She's nothing more than a scavenger picking up scraps."
"Scavenger? You done talking?"
"Not yet."
The Heavenly Demon said solemnly.
"This isn't a charity."
"What nonsense."
"If you don't follow the boss's orders, you can't be an employee. Got it?"
Go Eunjin pressed her lips tight. It was irrefutably correct; she couldn't argue even a mustard seed's worth.
Even the prideful, stubborn Heavenly Demon followed work orders without complaint.
Of course, it was because he couldn't gain trust and money otherwise—nor repair his inner energy and L.V.M.S.
"Do you even know what the Symbiotic Dungeon is like?"
"Doesn't matter."
Crossing his arms, the Heavenly Demon said confidently.
"Any dungeon, this seat will break through."
"...Don't regret it."
At Go Eunjin's gritted words, the Heavenly Demon scoffed.
"Regret? This seat doesn't do regret."
* * *
He regretted it.
Standing at the Symbiotic Dungeon entrance, listening to Go Eunjin's explanation, the Heavenly Demon finally felt belated remorse.
"A dungeon you can only clear if your minds connect with this one?"
"Yes. Even people who get along well struggle to clear it."
"Hmm."
The Heavenly Demon looked troubled. Only now did he realize he'd fallen for Jang Chaewon's scheme.
"Deliberate setup. No wonder she said not to bring the nameless one."
"It's not too late even now."
Go Eunjin crossed her arms with an irritated expression.
"The odds of us meshing are zero anyway? Plus, it manifests your desires into traps."
"Manifests desires?"
"Yes. And not your own—the other's."
But that explanation was Go Eunjin's mistake.
The Symbiotic Dungeon's nature only ignited the Heavenly Demon's competitive spirit and curiosity.
"Sounds fun."
"Huh? What's fun?"
"I don't care about your desires. But my own unknown ones? I want to see."
"Didn't you hear? Each other's desires."
"No matter. This seat breaks through anything."
The Heavenly Demon, walking toward the entrance, turned his head.
"If you're scared, quit. I won't stop you."
"Ugh."
The Illusion Shock Clan lived on pride alone.
Hooked by the Heavenly Demon's provocation, Go Eunjin lit up with fury and shouted.
"Fine! Let's do it!"
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