Chapter 192 Even the Almighty is New to Being a Dad Chapter 193
Even the Absolute One is New to Fatherhood Chapter 193
A man sat lost in thought on a park bench.
"Hmm..."
The man, Kim Seong-dong, was an unknown fantasy novelist.
He'd lost count of how many times he'd submitted completed manuscripts to publishers.
"Lacks impact..."
"The premise is weak..."
"Where's the entertainment value..."
Rejection after rejection had piled up until years had slipped by unnoticed.
Kim Seong-dong had reached the point where he couldn't even face his parents during holidays, too ashamed to visit his hometown...
To make ends meet, he alternated days between writing and working construction labor.
"I have to make this one work..."
He considered this his last chance.
If this manuscript got rejected too...
He'd made up his mind to accept reality.
"If I can't produce results this time either, I'll accept that this was never something my talent alone could achieve..."
If this work also failed to get published, he planned to make it his "final manuscript" (絶筆) and return home.
Whether helping with his parents' farming, learning a trade, or finding any decent job - he'd start proper job hunting.
In short, this was his "last chance."
If he couldn't succeed with this work, he'd bury his "writer" dream and resign himself to an unwanted livelihood.
"My heart feels heavy..."
Unconsciously sighing deeply, he shook his head to dispel the negative thoughts...
Rustle.
Focusing intently, he began carefully proofreading the manuscript in his hands, scrutinizing every word he'd written.
"Hmm..."
Just then.
Beep beep beep beep beep-
An irritating sound started blaring repeatedly from somewhere, gradually getting closer...
"Focus, focus, focus..."
Muttering like a chant, he was carefully examining the manuscript down to every punctuation mark when...
A pretty little girl with sweat-drenched hair from running around the park approached and stared at him...
"Hello."
She bowed politely.
"Hey, hello."
When he waved back, the girl tilted her head and asked:
"Mister, you reading book here?"
At that, Kim Seong-dong replied:
"A book..."
It was just writing that might never get published.
Could something that might never be published even be called a book?
"Just a story this mister made."
As Kim Seong-dong evaded the question, the girl plopped down beside him and abruptly asked:
"Seol read once?"
"You can read?"
"In love class, read very good."
Did she mean she was good at reading Hangul?
Soon...
Seol read the manuscript aloud.
"Demon King, hero come find!"
After muttering "You read well," Kim Seong-dong's face quickly reddened.
"This body help you!"
For some reason, he felt embarrassed.
"Uh, could you stop reading now...?"
Seol then asked:
"Mister, but if write like this, later become big book?"
After answering "Usually," Kim Seong-dong scratched his head awkwardly.
"Actually, I've submitted five times but kept getting rejected."
"What that mean?"
"It means the stories I wrote weren't interesting enough to become books."
Saying it aloud made his chest ache.
He'd poured his soul into each one...
They were like his children.
"This time book must become big."
At that, Kim Seong-dong tilted his head and muttered:
"But sending the manuscript as is... the Demon King's dialogue feels somewhat forced..."
Seol immediately asked "Demon King?" then looked up at Kim Seong-dong and continued:
"Seol know where Demon King is."
"Huh?"
"Seol take you meet."
With that, Seol hopped off the bench.
"Go this way, he here."
"There's a Demon King?"
"Follow Seol, find."
Then continuously making "beep beep" sounds, she walked several steps ahead...
Kim Seong-dong muttered "Well I'll be..." before finally chuckling softly.
"Alright, let's take today off..."
Lately, he'd been exhausted from repeatedly revising the completed manuscript before sending it to publishers.
Spending a day playing with a cute kid wouldn't be so bad.
"Kid, let's go!"
Kim Seong-dong gathered his thick manuscript and fountain pen, then began following Seol who was marching ahead.
"He here."
At Seol's words, Kim Seong-dong looked up at the shop sign.
North Sea Udon Shop.
Of course there couldn't possibly be a Demon King here, but an udon specialty shop? The last place you'd expect to find one.
"Mister!"
Seol ran inside...
"Mister! Mister!"
Baal, who'd been washing dishes, removed his rubber gloves and quietly asked Seol:
"Aren't you Immortal's daughter?"
Seol then raised her index finger and pleaded in the most pitiful voice:
"Mister, help just once?"
"Out of nowhere, what..."
"Help just one time?"
Baal clutched his chest, groaned "Ugh," then nodded repeatedly:
"Fine, I'll help with anything..."
Seol continued:
"Seol met this mister at park. This mister writing book with Demon King, okay?"
As Kim Seong-dong muttered "Not exactly a fairy tale...", Baal seemed to understand, flicking his fingers:
"Need advice?"
"Huh?"
"As former Demon King, I'll help."
Baal wiped his hands on his apron and snatched the manuscript.
"Let me see."
Kim Seong-dong stood dumbfounded, blinking rapidly.
Rustle, rustle.
Baal sat at an empty table and skimmed the thick manuscript...
"Interesting."
At that, Kim Seong-dong brightened up:
"R-really?"
"But disappointing."
"What exactly..."
Baal's feedback continued:
"First, a Demon King would never make such amateurish threats. He'd spew far more atrocious and cruel words at challengers."
Baal then whispered some of his own favorite threatening lines into Kim Seong-dong's ear...
"Gasp, that far...?"
They were too brutal to repeat, yet somehow felt authentic.
"Also personally, I'd like the Demon King portrayed stronger..."
"Huh?"
"Like defeating necromancers or making them serve as attendants."
After adding his personal requests, Baal continued:
"By the way, the protagonist's a mage."
"Yes, correct."
"Then come with me."
Baal hung up his apron neatly and said:
"I'll introduce you to a mage."
Bang bang bang bang.
Baal knocked on the door.
A new villa.
A mage lived here?
"Hey, Lich!"
Baal shouted...
Creak-
The door opened, revealing Dibalde.
"What brings you here?"
Then Seol spoke up:
"Help just one time?"
Dibalde clutched his chest, groaning "Ugh, anything..." when:
"This man's a writer."
"Writer?"
"He's writing a novel."
Baal thumbed at Kim Seong-dong standing blankly behind him.
"An... unknown writer..."
Dibalde coldly asked Baal:
"So what?"
"It has a mage."
"Hmm, intriguing."
Baal snatched Kim Seong-dong's thick manuscript again and handed it over...
"Let's see..."
Dibalde read it intently.
"A complete mess."
Opening with harsh criticism, Dibalde listed various issues:
"First, Meteor Strike isn't an 8th-circle spell - it's classified as 9th-circle."
"Ah, yes..."
"Also the main characters feel bland. At minimum, they should be capable of 'Triple Casting.'"
Dibalde added:
"For reference, by age ten I could freely perform Double Casting..."
After lengthy explanations, Dibalde tilted his head:
"By the way, there's a vampire?"
"Ah, yes..."
"Seems like a mid-boss."
"Correct..."
"Then come along."
Thus their party grew by one.
Soon they arrived at Crabsley's convenience store where he worked.
After hearing the situation, Crabsley seriously skimmed the manuscript and spoke:
"Real vampires don't fear holy water or crosses."
"That's up to the author's setting..."
"A proper writer should care about authenticity!"
Crabsley shouted "Garh!" and gave various vampire facts.
They don't fear holy objects or crosses, and if you drive a stake deep into their chest...
"Anyone - vampire or not - would die from a stake through the heart..."
That was the gist.
"Also the hero's tale is weak."
Crabsley immediately began recounting Kang-jun's heroic saga as Anux's emperor.
"Write it like this."
Kim Seong-dong nodded, listening intently and taking notes.
How much time passed?
Kim Seong-dong bowed deeply to everyone surrounding him:
"Thank you! Thank you!"
Of course they weren't really a Demon King, mage, and vampire...
But their advice was immensely helpful for storytelling.
Especially useful was the convenience store clerk's input.
"I'll carefully incorporate all your suggestions!"
He declared confidently.
"This work might really get published!"
Several days later...
"Welcome!"
Kang-jun, enjoying rare free time after dropping Seol off, visited the comic shop.
"Is 'HuntXHunt' new volume out?"
The clerk shook his head gloomily.
"As if it would be..."
Kang-jun sighed "Figures," when the clerk brightened up:
"But many new releases came."
"New ones?"
"Brand new this time..."
He handed over a book.
"'The Mage Returns'?"
The clerk nodded enthusiastically:
"A debut author with incredible writing. A mage protagonist with amazing immersion."
"Really?"
"It sold out instantly, going through multiple reprints in a week. Our shop's hottest item."
Kang-jun nodded briefly:
"I'll read that today."
Settling in, he began reading.
"Oh, not bad?"
Unlike previous novels he'd read here, this one felt authentic.
"Now this is proper writing..."
The magic concepts were solid, and the vampire/Demon King facts accurate.
Moreover...
It closely mirrored his own experiences on the Anux continent, making it strangely relatable.
"What the?"
Then...
"The Demon King makes a necromancer serve as attendant?"
Imagining Baal as a servant, Kang-jun frowned deeply.
"A complete mess."
He'd also been angry when a previous novel portrayed necromancers weakly.
That author's name was Jay, right?
That guy would struggle to make a living writing, and this one seemed no different.
"Tsk tsk, started well but threw it away?"
How could such an ignorant portrayal of necromancers become a bestseller...
"Disappointing public taste..."
It might sell now, but clearly had no future.
Muttering quietly, Kang-jun checked the author's penname.
Black Eye.
The novel Kang-jun read was by Kim Seong-dong - helped by Seol, Baal, Dibalde, and Crabsley.
Of course...
Unaware of this, Kang-jun muttered with genuine resentment:
"Just go bankrupt already..."
He couldn't tolerate necromancers being portrayed weakly - this was his sincere, unequivocal wish.