Goshiwon (4): A Worthy Foe
The opponent was strong. It was the first real threat I'd faced since possessing this body.
For centuries of training in the Demon Realm, my only rival had been myself. Even back in this reality, no one could withstand my mere breath.
To cut to the chase, I felt a twinge of self-doubt. Why the hell had I trained so hard? It was like deploying a nuke against ants.
Thump, thump. No. Wasn't something finally appearing to give meaning to my strength? So didn't I have to respond?
"Your power has stirred me."
Step. Demonic energy infused my first step.
"Your aura has drawn my reply."
Step. Joy filled my second step.
"I react to everything about you and open my eyes once more."
The demonic energy in my footsteps began savagely tearing apart the surroundings. The demonic energy that had filled the space vanished without a trace under my power. In less than a few seconds, the area was overtaken by my demonic energy.
Only then did I see it. Its true form.
It was a giant. Easily fifty meters tall, a colossal humanoid. And it had multiple heads. Upon closer inspection, nine of them. The majestic giant stared down at me impassively.
"Yet your nature is evil, unworthy of being claimed by me."
The giant's voice echoed like thunder in a cave—a byproduct of its enormous body.
"I was the ruler of this land. I was the pinnacle of yokai. I was the king."
The giant declared,
"I am the Underground Kingdom Great Enemy. I'll give you one last chance. Become mine."
"I'll give you one last chance too."
My answer was obvious, of course.
"Wanna shut your trap and die cool, or yap away and die like a retard?"
"..."
"You think conquering Korea once makes you hot shit? Even that was while you were sealed, you fuck."
"Foolish indeed."
Boom. It lifted its foot. Planning to squash me flat, huh?
'Let it loose.'
I knew exactly why it was strutting around so arrogantly. Around year 150 of my training, I'd realized the overwhelming intensity of my own presence. It was like walking around spewing radiation. So I forcibly sealed it inside me, making me look ordinary at rest. Only when casting spells or unleashing demonic energy did bits leak out and dominate the surroundings.
Probably reacted to the presence I emitted while creating the Great Demon King. Making an ultimate technique had caused a massive overflow.
So what if I unleashed it all?
Bang!
"...!"
The thing trying to stomp me froze mid-motion. I wonder what I looked like to it now.
"What? Not gonna step?"
I giggled as I stepped forward.
"..."
It retreated in response. An ironic sight—a human under two meters tall forcing a fifty-meter giant to back off.
"Things looking different now?"
"Don't get cocky!!"
It slammed its foot down with force, and the scenery shifted. Mountains. A wild mountain under a high moon.
"This your world?"
This wasn't reality. A virtual realm it had conjured.
"I am the king of this land!"
Monstrous yokai began pouring from the moon. Grotesque ones. Thud. More erupted from the earth to drag me down. Bizarre ones. The entire mountain burst into flames, ruins filled with water. Limbs tore off, hearts vanished. But I didn't die.
Shh. I was fine. Not regeneration—just returned. And now I wore black armor.
"You said you're the king."
"What?!"
It gawked in shock, but I ignored it.
"In my presence?"
How dare it claim kingship before me.
Grip. I clenched my right fist into empty air. The moon turned black simultaneously. Yokai crawling from it crumbled to dust.
Sweep. I lightly brushed the ground with my foot. The entire area transformed like the Demon Realm. Yokai rising from the earth burned away.
"Puppy, you have no idea who you're messing with."
"Th-this is insane...!"
"Dog, don't bark at a dragon."
A massive shadow loomed over the sky. The Underground Kingdom Great Enemy slowly looked up.
"I am the Demon King."
An eye larger than the Underground Kingdom Great Enemy—a black dragon.
"...!"
As it opened its mouth,
Chomp. The black dragon swallowed it and burrowed into the earth, vanishing.
Shh. I dissolved the armor back into demonic energy.
Blink. One blink, and I was back in reality. In front of the goshiwon stairs.
"That was fun."
The stairs to the basement were gone.
"What the hell happened down there to make you grin like an idiot?"
"Huh? What do you think? A monster showed up."
"Then why are you so hyped? Weren't you cursing every time one appeared?"
Yoo Hwa asked as we walked to the department store together.
"Nah~ Finally got a decent punching bag."
"Whoa..."
She gave me a look like she'd seen enough.
'Still, it was pretty tough.'
Sure, I called it a punching bag, but the Underground Kingdom Great Enemy was seriously strong. Without the armor, it would've been a real fight. Not that I'd lose barehanded, but still.
'Can't go throwing my strength around recklessly.'
And another lesson from this brawl: Never unleash full power unless absolutely necessary. Lucky it was in that thing's world. Otherwise, imagine the catastrophe when the black dragon slammed it into the ground.
Ugh, don't even think about it.
"Yoo Hwa, you need to get stronger too."
"Suddenly?"
She eyed me curiously. What if I'd brought her down there? Even if I was stronger than the Underground Kingdom Great Enemy, protecting her mid-fight?
'No way.'
I couldn't have guaranteed her safety. Even if it spared her, the fallout from my attacks could've killed her. My strikes have massive AoE—hard to distinguish friend from foe. I remember the original Demon King team-killing like crazy.
So solutions: Either she powers up, or I stash her in the Demon Realm every fight.
'Problem is, I suck at teaching.'
I reached this level through a perfect vessel as the Demon King and centuries of self-study. Yoo Hwa? No Demon King power, no centuries. Even starting now, she'd barely reach my toes.
How the hell do I train her?
"Oh, ice cream!"
Plop plop.
Yoo Hwa spotted a Turkish ice cream truck and bolted. Fine, not urgent. Think later.
Step, step.
"One please!"
I followed her to the truck. Having come from a batshit country where even meals needed permission, she was obsessed with food.
"Here you go~."
The vendor handed it over.
"Wow!"
Snatch. Before he could pull any tricks, she yoinked it at shocking speed.
"..."
The vendor's expression—staring at something vaguely human—was priceless.
"...Here."
I shoved money into the dazed vendor's hand and left.
"Tasty?"
"Delicious."
Good, as long as you like it. Hands in pockets, I walked beside her.
"So what now?"
"Clothes... We're too broke for that."
Buying outfits at the department store would drain cash fast.
"Let's wander and grab tasty stuff."
"Yay... Huh?"
Yoo Hwa suddenly froze, eyes wide, then hid behind me trembling. A guy at least 15cm taller than me, cowering awkwardly.
"What's up?"
"Th-there..."
Her shaky finger pointed. A hanbok rental shop.
"What's that got to do with anything?"
"Wh-why are Jeoldam's clothes there..."
"Ah."
I got it. Jeoldam was basically Joseon, just with insane laws. Having died from boiling alive under one, anything Jeoldam-related terrified her.
"That's traditional Joseon clothing. No need to freak."
"J-Joseon? What's that country?"
"The one before modern Korea."
"But why do the clothes look exactly like Jeoldam's...?"
"Hell if I know. I thought it was weird Jeoldam copied Joseon too."
She peeked out sheepishly.
"So it's really not Jeoldam clothes...?"
"Told you no."
"Phew..."
Finally relaxing, she patted her chest. Yeah, being boiled alive would traumatize anyone.
"Wanna try one on?"
"Eek?!"
"Nope, never mind."
Thought about dressing her up, but her reaction killed it. Plus, rentals ain't cheap anyway.
'Where's the money glitch?'
A yokai that conquered Korea shows up, but no cash-dropping monsters?
'Am I dumb?'
There are profitable monsters, but maybe I just can't exploit them. If that's true, depressing—stop thinking.
Crunch, munch.
"You ate that fucking ice cream in one minute—"
"Whoa, let's check that place too!"
I gaped as she devoured it and dashed to a restaurant. Subtract hiding time, like 40 seconds.
"Wallet's fucked."
Sighing at my wallet's fate, I followed Yoo Hwa.
"The possibility has vanished."
A researcher from the Safety Maintenance Team reported to the man.
Two sudden world-ending threats: The Great Demon King's rampage, and an ancient entity's revival sealed in a goshiwon. Top priority was the 100% extinction Great Demon King, but they hadn't ignored the latter.
If the latter awakened without prep, extinction odds: 10%. That was if the Association got ambushed unprepared. Overwhelming power gap.
In reality, they'd slashed the latter's odds to 0.7% in hours. Yet now it was completely gone.
Hard to say it had zero win chance. As noted, "sliver of possibility" was hype—should've been astronomically low.
But total disappearance meant...
"Its existence has been erased."
The man's guess was spot on.
"..."
Silent, he scanned the desk intel. Hotel escapees: 20 participants. Exclude 5 dead/"erased," leaves 13.
Yeah, two ghosts. They never officially existed.
Especially Heuk Seol-ah, flagged suspicious by Agent Nam Seung-han. Searched exhaustively—no trace.
Even aliases no issue. Monster "Essays Capture Life" reveals all actions in essay form. Fake name? It'd be on the A4 page.
Nothing.
'Things are getting weird.'
To him, high up in the Association, the situation felt off.
'Watch and wait.'
Rash moves invite disaster. He spoke.
"Focus on investigating the Great Demon King rampage possibility first."
"Understood."
"You're dismissed."
The researcher bowed and left.
"Hoo..."
The man sighed, tapped his phone, and called.