Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: The Heavenly Demon and the Convenience Store Girl (2)
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XX University Hospital Cardiovascular Center.
“The implantable defibrillator seems to be malfunctioning again.”
At the doctor’s words, Kim Hyewon’s father, Kim Changwoong, widened his eyes.
“It’s broken again?”
“Yes.”
The doctor, gravely reviewing the chart, spoke in a low voice.
“Defibrillators are such precise machines that everyday electromagnetic waves or magnetic fields can damage the main circuit or alter the programming. But more than anything...”
The doctor paused for a moment and let out a deep sigh.
“It looks like the defibrillator keeps breaking because electricity occasionally surges from the patient’s body.”
“Then what should we do? Does she need another surgery?”
“This would be the third reimplantation surgery. To be honest, I don’t think there are any more options left.”
Kim Changwoong clutched his hair.
“There’s... no way?”
“It’s electricity generated by the patient’s own body. That’s what’s causing the shocks, so...”
The doctor, who had been groaning, adjusted his glasses.
“There’s only one possible solution: if your daughter fully awakens as an Awakener, her heart becomes strong enough to withstand the electricity generated inside her body.”
“Is that... possible?”
“There are cases like that sometimes. But the odds are close to miraculous.”
The doctor averted his gaze from Kim Changwoong as he spoke.
“On top of that, the patient’s heart is already severely weakened... and the repeated electric shocks have thickened even the right ventricle.”
“Then...”
The doctor took a deep breath and bowed his head heavily.
“You should prepare yourself mentally.”
* * *
“It’s okay.”
Kim Hyewon, lying pale in the hospital bed, gave her father Kim Changwoong a gentle smile.
“Did I worry you a lot?”
“No.”
“What’d they say? Do I need surgery again?”
Kim Changwoong’s eyes twitched at the corners as Kim Hyewon smiled brightly. But he quickly composed himself and grinned widely.
“No. They said I don’t need it anymore.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. They said my heart suddenly got strong. I can be discharged right away.”
In truth, the doctor had essentially given a terminal prognosis. But Kim Changwoong couldn’t bring himself to say it. No, he couldn’t accept it.
“That’s a relief.”
Kim Hyewon sat up on the bed and hugged Kim Changwoong tightly. But faint tears glistened in her eyes.
* * *
Ding-a-ling.
With the clear chime of the wind bell, the convenience store door opened, and a gray shadow slipped inside.
It was the Heavenly Demon.
“This makes ten today, girl.”
“W-Welcome.”
But standing at the counter where the girl who always worked part-time—Kim Hyewon—should have been was a gray-haired middle-aged man. It was her father, Kim Changwoong.
“Ah, it’s you, the customer.”
Kim Changwoong bowed his head and promptly offered a box as if he’d been waiting.
It was an expensive box of snacks containing thirty packs of Gubongsan Matgo.
“What’s this?”
“Thank you for saving my daughter last time. If it hadn’t been for you, she might never have woken up again.”
Kim Hyewon had suddenly gone into cardiac arrest and collapsed.
Nameless had detected it through the convenience store’s glass window and alerted him, and the Heavenly Demon had re-entered, pressed her acupoints to restart her heart.
Then, on Nameless’s advice, instead of a taxi, he’d used his lightness skill to rush her to the hospital in the city center.
“My daughter said you’d like this the most, so...”
As Kim Changwoong shyly bowed his head, the Heavenly Demon asked,
“Is the girl alright?”
“Huh? Oh, yes. She’s fine.”
“That’s good.”
The Heavenly Demon picked up the snack box without refusal and said flatly,
“Then I’ll come back next time for the buy-ten-get-one-free.”
“Um, sir.”
Kim Changwoong lowered his head and spoke quietly.
“Our store is closing today. Ah, of course, just until we find someone to take over... It’s not closing for good.”
“What?”
“With a new convenience store opening, the buy-ten-get-one-free deal won’t be possible anymore. My daughter even said to tell you if you came...”
Tears welled up in Kim Changwoong’s eyes.
“She said to thank you for everything. And that you come around this time, so she asked me to pass on the snacks and the message... I’ve been waiting.”
“No more deal?”
The Heavenly Demon stared blankly into space and murmured softly.
“What a shame.”
Then he turned coldly and walked out.
Watching the Heavenly Demon’s back, Kim Changwoong’s hands trembled.
“Is this enough now?”
As soon as the Heavenly Demon stepped outside, Kim Changwoong collapsed to the floor behind the counter and sobbed.
“Is this enough now, Hyewon?”
Gritting his teeth as he recalled his pale daughter’s face, Kim Changwoong wept.
“Sniff... Hyewon. What am I supposed to do now? What should your dad do...”
“...”
Holding the snack box in one hand, the Heavenly Demon leaned against the convenience store wall.
“You lied, you bastard.”
Gazing impassively at the distant sky, he said quietly.
“The girl is very sick, isn’t she.”
[Yes.]
When the Heavenly Demon had carried the collapsed Kim Hyewon to the hospital, Nameless had already hacked the hospital’s network and reviewed her entire chart.
“What’s wrong with her.”
Watching the Heavenly Demon carefully, Nameless’s voice was barely audible.
[It’s a case where her electric ability awakening stalled midway. The powerful electricity surging from her body occasionally shocks her heart... It’s like a rare disease.]
“Rare disease?”
[The exact name is right ventricular dysplasia. In simple terms, it’s a rare, incurable condition where one side of the heart thickens due to the electricity her body generates.]
“Cure?”
[With current medicine... none. They can keep her alive by implanting a machine to restart the heart, but even that’s impossible because of her electric ability.]
“I see.”
He nodded indifferently but didn’t move his feet.
A cold wind brushed past the cheek of the Heavenly Demon, who stood silently leaning against the opposite side of the store entrance.
The wind was clearly cold, yet it felt warm against his skin.
[Heavenly Demon.]
Even at Nameless’s words, the Heavenly Demon stood rigid like a wooden statue.
One minute... five minutes passed, and Nameless spoke again.
[Aren’t you going back?]
The Heavenly Demon, who had stood silently, finally raised his head.
At that moment, a bright shooting star streaked across the night sky.
[Heavenly Demon.]
At Nameless’s urging, the Heavenly Demon looked down at the snack box in his hand.
“No helping it.”
[Yes?]
“She said buy ten get one. That’s a great deal. There was nothing like that in the martial world where I was.”
[I don’t understand.]
“Can’t let a convenience store offering such great deals close.”
[Do you want to save Miss Hyewon?]
“Hmph, it’s just to keep the deal going. This store’s location is good, and the goods are fresh. If it closes for a while, it’ll be a big hit to my daily life.”
[I see.]
Nameless swallowed the words, ‘Miss Hyewon has become one of the Heavenly Demon’s people too.’
The user Heavenly Demon was ruthlessly cold to outsiders.
But he cherished anything that entered his sight. And Nameless always hoped that sight would widen just a bit more.
[Yes. The buy-ten-get-one-free is a huge perk.]
As Nameless agreed, the Heavenly Demon said,
“This is a world where so-called gods walk the earth. Naturally, powers surpassing medicine must exist.”
As the Heavenly Demon glared sharply downward, Nameless replied,
[There is one method.]
“Speak.”
[But executing it will strip you of your employee status in the territory. I’ll likely be branded defective too.]
“Defective?”
[For abetting and ignoring the user’s illegal actions, and providing guidance beyond program limits. The biggest issue is...]
Nameless narrowed its large sensor eyes and spoke softly.
[We’d have to open Manager Jang Chaewon’s secretly sealed database without permission.]
“That’s all?”
Staring into the unshaken red eyes of the Heavenly Demon, Nameless answered briefly.
[Yes, that’s all.]
* * *
Safe Dungeon Zone, northernmost point.
There lies a rather unique B-rank dungeon called the Black Tower Dungeon.
The interior, dyed black like a tower, features a long spiral staircase and passages from which countless goblins armed with weapons poured out.
One might wonder what’s so impressive about low-risk low-grade monsters like goblins.
But the number of goblins appearing on each floor is infinite. In short, this dungeon required endlessly killing goblins pouring from narrow passages.
[From now on, Heavenly Demon, just climb to the top of the 8th floor without killing any goblins.]
“So I’m supposed to leave the swarming beasts alone.”
[Yes.]
Nameless, its eyes flashing with a buzzing sound, said,
[That’s the spawn condition for the Goblin Berserker.]
“What’s that.”
[Goblin Berserker. A Hidden Monster with a risk level of 20,000, boasting near-immortal vitality. To kill it, deplete its stamina to weaken regeneration, then sever the head.]
Nameless slipped into the Heavenly Demon’s bosom as the goblins swarmed.
[I know your body is harder than steel. But be careful. Even the toughest rock can crumble under endless dripping water.]
“You dare lecture me, who has reached the pinnacle of martial arts, on such principles.”
Clang! Crunch!
Goblins that had rushed in struck the Heavenly Demon’s body mercilessly with sharp weapons. Not only that, they clung to his legs in droves to halt his steps.
“Annoying.”
The Heavenly Demon started to shake off the clinging goblins but recalled Nameless’s words and withdrew his hand.
“Hmm.”
Covering his face with one hand and Nameless in his bosom with the other, the Heavenly Demon slowly advanced toward the passage.
Screeech!
The number of goblins swarming from all sides increased. His steps inevitably slowed more and more.
If he accidentally used hand or foot and killed even one goblin, all the effort would be for naught.
“Something’s changed.”
By the 6th floor, the goblins that had reached his waist grew larger, soon matching his size. Goblin Lords.
“The higher the floor, the stronger they get.”
[This is odd. Even the secret database has no such info.]
Monsters reaching critical points and evolving into higher species is common.
But the types of monsters in a dungeon changing is rare.
Splat.
Blood began flowing from the Heavenly Demon’s forehead as a Goblin Lord swung its axe.
[Are you alright?]
Wiping the blood from his forehead, the Heavenly Demon gave a wry smile.
“Even with a Diamond Body achieved... it’s affected by my internal energy level.”
A Diamond Body is an ultimate realm reachable only when internal and external arts reach their peak.
With a decade’s worth of internal energy lost, the Heavenly Demon’s body could no longer maintain a perfect Diamond Body.
Puk. Sizzle.
Sharp weapons began piercing his skin.
[Heavenly Demon!]
“No need to fuss. It’s just superficial.”
The Heavenly Demon advanced with an unconcerned expression.
Drip. Drip. Red blood dripped endlessly from his sleeves and toes. Yet the Heavenly Demon straightened his chest and strode forward.
The Heavenly Demon was the Heavenly Demon. No trial in this world could bend his body.
“The final floor?”
How long had he walked? Finally reaching the 8th floor, a massive hall shrouded in darkness appeared before him.
“Nothing here.”
His entire body bloodied, the Heavenly Demon wiped the blood from his face and looked around.
“What’s going on.”
Clack.
Nameless emerged from his bosom and climbed to his shoulder, scanning the area.
[All Goblin Berserker spawn conditions fulfilled. Wait a bit, and the monster will appear.]
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.
Then, red torches ignited in sconces on the walls.
At the same time, far in the darkness, a boom echoed as a black void formed.
Roooaaar!
A massive shadow emerged from the black space, raising its head and bellowing.
It was a muscular monster with a bull-like head featuring sharp horns, its human-shaped body covered in glistening black fur.
Whirr.
Nameless’s eyes shot white light at the monster.
[Minotaur?]
“What’s that.”
Nameless’s eyes flashed red in disbelief.
[A Hidden Monster with unknown spawn conditions appeared instead of the Goblin Berserker.]
“What happened.”
[I don’t know. We definitely met the Goblin Berserker conditions, so why...]
Whirr.
As mechanical sounds emanated from Nameless’s body.
Roooaaar!
The Minotaur spread its arms and roared in response.
[Heavenly Demon, retreat.]
“What?”
[The Minotaur’s risk level and攻略 method are completely unknown. No need to fight it...]
Boom!
The Minotaur, charging like lightning, grazed the Heavenly Demon’s shoulder where Nameless perched with its fist.
If the Heavenly Demon hadn’t dodged quickly, Nameless would have been smashed.
“It’s targeting you.”
[Probably doesn’t like me scanning it with light.]
“I see.”
Bang!
Red energy surged from the Heavenly Demon as he unleashed his Heavenly Demon Great Ability to full power.
“I don’t like this guy either!”
He drove his fist into the empty lower abdomen of the charging Minotaur.
With a thunderous crash, the Minotaur shot like an arrow to the opposite wall.
Rumble.
Dust swirled amid crumbling stones, and the pitch-black Minotaur slowly rose from the rubble.
“Hoh, it took that.”
Even without martial arts, a punch infused with Heavenly Demon Great Ability could pulverize granite.
Yet the massive Minotaur rose as if unscathed?
Krurrr.
The Minotaur chuckled lowly and spread one arm.
With a buzz, light rays poured out, and a black spear materialized in its hand.
“Summoning a weapon. Looks like a bull, but acts like a sorcerer using talismans.”
At the Heavenly Demon’s admiration, Nameless said,
[Heavenly Demon, that’s not a Goblin Berserker.]
“I know.”
[Then why fight it?]
“What if it has something similar on it.”
The Heavenly Demon’s gaze on the Minotaur held no tremor.
After a brief silence, Nameless whirred and shot sparkling light at the Minotaur’s body.
[Hold on just a bit, Heavenly Demon. I’ll figure out the攻略 method.]
“Hold on?”
Kwooo.
As the Heavenly Demon slowly spread his fingers, crimson flames swirled in his palm.
“I am the Heavenly Demon.”
Roooaaar!
The Minotaur, gripping the massive spear with both hands, charged at him.
“Anything blocking my path will be smashed!”
At that instant, the spear unleashing mountain-crushing pressure clashed with the Heavenly Demon’s red fist in midair.