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Translator: uly
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Shrine God (2)
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Crack.
A blood-red glow thicker than blood surged from the eyes of the Heavenly Demon, whose pride had been wounded. Even without his internal energy, to fail against a rundown shrine like this.
"Fine!"
Thrusting his left foot forward, the Heavenly Demon let out a thunderous shout as he unleashed both fists with all his might.
"Thunder Blade Annihilation!"
Without drawing on internal energy, the ultimate technique of the Fist Demon Seven Forms—which could punch holes in stone walls—poured forth repeatedly.
Boom! Boom!
With thunderous roars, the shrine's surface finally began to shake. But its form remained intact.
In that instant, fury flickered in the Heavenly Demon's eyes.
'Is my power truly this feeble now!'
The Heavenly Demon, exerting full force, raised his right leg toward the sky.
"Evil Death Soul-Shocking Demon Extreme Leg!"
At the same time, his right leg—infused with the strength of ten thousand catties—slammed down onto the shrine's door.
Crack!
Finally, with a dull thud, one of the shrine's doors split apart with a sharp snap and fell away.
"Huff. Huff."
Panting heavily, the Heavenly Demon stared at the shrine and muttered.
"Outrageous. Even without internal energy... to barely split one door with the Demon Extreme Leg."
The Heavenly Demon's pride stung.
A single strike of the Demon Extreme Leg would have shattered not mere wooden scraps, but granite to pieces.
Yet it had only managed to crack one weathered shrine door.
"Such impressive strength."
The woman watching him let out an exclamation of admiration.
"To shatter a door infused with divine power through sheer force."
But the Heavenly Demon lowered his gaze and shook his head.
"It's embarrassing. The truth is, since arriving here, I've lost my internal energy..."
Turning his head, his expression grew peculiar.
The woman's body, which had been shimmering brightly until now, began to fade.
"What in the world is happening? Your body is vanishing."
The woman's eyes darkened deeply, though the smile lingered on her lips.
"I've held on as long as I could. No one believed in me, so I've guarded this place alone all this time."
"What do you mean?"
Rising from the porch, the woman gave a faint smile.
"I am the Shrine God who protects this forest. The shrine you destroyed was built by the humans who believed in me until now."
She looked up at the sky with a sorrowful expression.
"But the world has changed. There's no fear of getting lost anymore, and humans no longer fear the forest. No, they think there's no more grace to be found in its depths."
The woman—the Shrine God—glanced down at her now-fading body.
"It was something I should have done long ago, but I lacked the courage. Even when I went to the territory, I couldn't make up my mind. But seeing you finally gave me the resolve."
"Me... I mean, seeing me?"
"Your body carries a strangely familiar scent. Perhaps it's just my imagination."
As the Heavenly Demon stood there blankly, the woman—no, the Shrine God—smiled gently.
"Forgive me. I've said something unnecessary."
The Shrine God gazed at the Heavenly Demon with eyes of unfathomable depth.
"In any case, I wanted to entrust my final moments to someone who loves the forest. That was my last wish."
With a sad smile, the Shrine God reached out toward the Heavenly Demon.
"You are human, yet your body rivals that of the yokai gods. I can't restore your severed meridians, but if you work diligently in the territory, you can gradually regain your strength."
A true god, indeed.
The Heavenly Demon tilted his head, noting how naturally the Shrine God used the term 'meridians' from the martial world.
"What do you mean? Gaining strength?"
As the Shrine God smiled faintly, a blue energy flowed from her finger and poured into the Heavenly Demon.
In that moment, a hot yet pure true energy blossomed in his dantian.
A trace of internal energy seeped into his completely depleted dantian.
"Like this. Solving a Divine Request grants not only blessings but also divine power as a bonus."
"Divine power..."
So that's what it was.
Realizing something, the Heavenly Demon widened his eyes, and the Shrine God gave a bright smile.
"Then, I leave the end to you."
Even after he destroyed one door, her form had grown fainter.
If he demolished the entire shrine, her presence would surely vanish completely.
'Hmm.'
The Heavenly Demon fell into deep thought.
'Owing a debt to a god isn't a bad idea.'
Even on the verge of fading, the Shrine God had infused a strand of internal energy into his dantian.
Considering her status as a god, she could prove quite helpful in the future.
'And if she's the god of the forest...'
"Hmm, you seem to have misunderstood something."
Clearing his throat, the Heavenly Demon turned and lifted the broken shrine door.
"No human is unaware of the gods dwelling in the forest."
"What?"
"I, too, am one who has received grace from the forest spirits."
He drew upon the internal energy bestowed by the Shrine God.
In an instant, a blood-red glow like the sun surged from the Heavenly Demon's eyes.
"Demon Fire Fierce Extreme Finger."
With internal energy surging, a fierce green light flashed from his extended finger.
"In my rogue days, I once wandered the mountains searching for food, lost my way, and was chased by wild beasts. It was then that a forest spirit guided me to safety. Ever since, whenever I entered the mountains, I always paid respects to the forest gods."
Zzzzt.
Placing his green-glowing finger on the door, the split wood mended seamlessly.
"To repair a door protected by divine power with human hands..."
The Shrine God's serene eyes, unshakable in any crisis, widened in shock.
"What in the world are you doing?"
The Heavenly Demon bared his sharp fangs in a grin.
"Just because the humans of this world don't believe in the forest gods doesn't mean all humans are the same."
Click.
Having fully repaired the shrine door, the Heavenly Demon carefully placed a stone atop it.
"In the world I came from, there are still many who love the forest. Even the cold, blood-soaked martial artists know and appreciate the serene, generous grace of the woods..."
He then knelt on one knee before the Shrine God, bowing his head deeply in respect.
"Thank you for protecting me in my youth, spirit of the mountains."
The Heavenly Demon, possessor of the world's greatest martial arts and prestige, knelt on one knee.
It was the utmost expression of respect he could offer.
"I see."
With a low chuckle, a blue radiance began to sparkle once more in the Shrine God's eyes.
At the same time, sunlight-like glow flowed from her fading body again.
The belief of a single human.
With that sincere, profound faith alone, she had regained her divine power.
"A god receiving aid from a human, it seems."
"Nonsense. I've merely returned a fraction of the grace I received."
"Is that so."
Approaching the Heavenly Demon, she smiled radiantly.
That breathtaking smile, swelling the chest with emotion, burrowed into the Heavenly Demon's heart as a tiny fragment of light.
"Thank you."
Her body, now a stream of light, began to rise toward the sky.
Rustle.
With the sound of falling stars, the light scattered into millions of glowing motes, seeping back into the forest.
By then, the weathered shrine had become pristine, the stone pagoda and statues gleaming with luster.
'Solving a god's request... allows me to gather internal energy!'
The Heavenly Demon clenched his fists.
The sense of accomplishment from perfectly handling the request, and the hope of recovering his internal energy, made his heart race.
As the Heavenly Demon returned to the car, Jang Chaewon couldn't hide her surprise.
"How on earth did you manage to turn one demolition job into three blessings?"
"Blessings?"
In the red envelope she held out shimmered three silver flowers in bloom.
"It was supposed to be just one contracted blessing. How perfectly did you handle it to get three?"
"I simply corrected a mistaken request."
"A mistaken request?"
The Heavenly Demon smiled brightly.
"The client had misjudged. It wasn't a demolition—it was a restoration job."
Looking at the Heavenly Demon's smile, Jang Chaewon's eyes widened slightly.
That smile somehow resembled the Shrine God's.
"Who knew the kelp-stem-on-a-rock-looking Heavenly Demon could smile like that."
"Not exactly a compliment."
"Ah, no. It is. You did... way better than expected."
"I exceeded my own expectations. Handling Divine Requests lets me recover internal energy."
"You don't mean... divine power?"
"Exactly. She said I could receive it as compensation for labor. This one time alone gave me ten years' worth of internal energy."
Gazing at the distant sky, the Heavenly Demon declared.
"From now on, leave all Divine Requests to me. I'll handle them perfectly."
"You're taking on the Divine Requests?"
"Yes. Entrust them to me, and I'll work diligently."
"Hmm."
Jang Chaewon pondered as she eyed the ignition button.
"Well, delaying Divine Requests will eventually strip the territory's status anyway... And you were the one who damaged the spirit tree."
Vroom.
Pressing the ignition, she nodded.
"Alright. Starting today, Heavenly Demon, I'm officially hiring you at Bokbok Interiors."
Turning her head, Jang Chaewon smiled and patted the Heavenly Demon's shoulder.
"Looking forward to working with you, Heavenly Demon."
* * *
"For now, use the warehouse room until you find a place."
Though Jang Chaewon said it apologetically, the Heavenly Demon quite liked the side room in the warehouse where he'd been staying.
The interior, paneled from floor to ceiling in natural wood, was cozy enough, and stacks of interior design books added to the appeal.
"Oh?"
Gazing at the bookshelves, a gleam of delight shone in the Heavenly Demon's eyes.
He, who seemed filled head to toe with muscle, was in fact an avid reader.
To master martial arts, one must devour manuals diligently.
For the Heavenly Demon, who had devoured every manual in the Demon Vault, reading books on interior knowledge was a considerable pleasure.
"Oh, right—this is a gift. I can't teach you about this world one by one."
Jang Chaewon handed him a round, orb-shaped device.
"Isn't this a guide for navigating dungeons?"
"Huh? How'd you know?"
The Heavenly Demon flipped open a book on the desk toward the blinking Jang Chaewon.
"See, it's introduced right here."
The open page boldly advertised: 'Your Own Butler in the Dungeon.'
Below it was a colorful print of the latest nanobot model.
"Yeah, that's it. Nanobots provide monster types, risk levels, and navigation services."
"Hmm."
"What's with that face? It's a high-performance high-tech nanobot to enrich your life. Don't like it?"
"Not sure. I just don't feel like having it."
"Just? You're kidding? That's an order. Plug it into the charging station now."
The Heavenly Demon picked up the nanobot with a displeased expression and nodded.
And soon enough, he would realize the reason he didn't want it.
[Heavenly Demon, sir.]
From dawn until now, maintaining a rigid posture while reading interior books, the Heavenly Demon watched as the round nanobot approached.
[Not heading to a dungeon today either?]
Moreover, this nanobot differed from standard models.
According to Jang Chaewon, it wasn't the usual info-only type, but a special high-performance AI model made for 'important people.'
[Heavenly Demon, sir?]
The Heavenly Demon looked indifferently at the round nanobot now on his desk.
"I'm not going."
Nanobots providing dungeon info nagged him to enter dungeons like this.
Whether due to advanced AI or programmed insistence on dungeon runs, it sometimes grated on his nerves.
[Sleeping away as a 9th Grade?]
"9th Grade? I am no 9th Grade."
Jang Chaewon must have set his awakener level to 9th Grade.
Not that he was an awakener to begin with.
[Stop lounging around and head to a dungeon.]
"I'm not lounging. I'm reading interior construction books."
[Does reading books earn money or rice? Go to a dungeon and snag an artifact at least.]
The Heavenly Demon's hands clenched tight as he read silently.
He itched to smash the chattering machine, but Jang Chaewon had drilled in: 'Absolutely do not break or damage it! It's super expensive!'
'Ugh.'
Closing the book, the Heavenly Demon stood, eyeing the round nanobot.
[Heading to a dungeon?]
"Nonsense. Time for work."
The clock already read 8:30.
Bokbok Interiors opened at 9. Around now, owner Jang Chaewon would descend from her residence to the shop.
The Heavenly Demon started shop cleaning and tidying from 8:30 accordingly.
Not because he was an official employee, but because working in the territory—while circulating energy—yielded benefits akin to meditative training.
"Those affiliated with a territory gain merit just from related work. It's a place handling gods' and yokai gods' affairs, after all."
Jang Chaewon's words.
He didn't grasp the full meaning, but working in the territory seemed to accumulate significant good karma.
Swish swish.
After roughly tidying the shop, the Heavenly Demon gripped the mop and scrubbed the floor diligently.
The more he cleaned, the clearer his mind grew, as if his joints were being washed clean. The sensation was more addictive than meditative training.
Click.
Then, the sound of the shop's back door opening came.
Jang Chaewon, in black jeans and a red long-sleeve, waved a notebook.
"Good morning."
Surveying the spotless, dazzling shop interior, she gaped.
"Why clean so thoroughly? You don't need to go this far."
"Don't mind it. I do it because I enjoy it."
The sight of the Heavenly Demon mopping every corner, mop in hand, embodied diligence itself.
Staring fixedly, Jang Chaewon nodded.
"Alright, today we go get your foreigner registration card."
"Registration card?"
"Like a household registry."
"Awakener ID, taxes... it's all complicated."
Recalling Jang Chaewon's prior words, the Heavenly Demon frowned.
"Didn't you say making an ID is complicated?"
"That's for awakener IDs. Awakeners use biometric chips instead of resident cards. Yours is a foreigner registration card."
"Does the owner have one?"
"I do, but mine's different."
Pondering her words, the Heavenly Demon shook his head.
"Hmm. Sounds bothersome. Skip it."
"It's fine. I've handled all the complicated parts. You just go to the health center for a few simple checks. Done."
"Checks? What kind?"
"Well, to see if you're healthy or not. You have to do this one in person."
"I am healthy."
"I know. It won't take long. Just a quick trip."
"Hmm."
The Heavenly Demon let out a long sigh. Seemed tedious.
"Is it absolutely necessary?"
"Of course. Without it, your very presence in this city is illegal, Heavenly Demon."
Arms crossed in deep thought, the Heavenly Demon nodded.
"Understood. I'll go once."