Chapter 86
Chapter 86
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Dungeon Front Volunteer (1)
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Fifteen kilometers east of Safe Dungeon, D-Grade Dungeon Windmill. It earned its nickname from the four triangular entrance panels that constantly shifted.
"This is troubling."
In front of the Windmill Dungeon entrance, the Heavenly Demon stroked his chin with Nameless perched on his shoulder.
Normally, the four panels would move incessantly, but they were completely still. Staring at the tightly shut entrance like a clam's shell, the Heavenly Demon thrust out his fist.
Boom.
The dungeon shook with a low rumble, but the door didn't budge.
[It doesn't seem to be undergoing reconstruction. How strange.]
"Is this common?"
After investigating the entrance for a while, the white light faded from Nameless's eyes.
[No. This is a first for me too.]
The Heavenly Demon gazed at the darkening distant sky.
He had come to the Windmill Dungeon to harvest "Tiger Grass," which grew inside. The Tiger Grass, with its mere scent offering a calming effect, was also the Earth Gods' favorite bath ingredient.
"Didn't the shopkeeper say she needed it tomorrow?"
[That's right.]
"No choice then. I'll have to force it open."
To destroy a dungeon required drawing out the full power of the Heavenly Demon's Twelve Stars ability.
To push his body to the limit with the Heavenly Demon ability just for some bath salts.
The Heavenly Demon could only smack his lips in distaste.
"Heh heh heh."
Just then, footsteps approached from behind, accompanied by a gravelly low chuckle.
Turning his head, he saw an old man striding over, dressed like a safari guide showing off wild animals.
"Trying to enter the Windmill Dungeon?"
The Heavenly Demon nodded, and the old man grinned while shaking his head.
"Then wait a bit. This Windmill Dungeon opens when a gentle northeast wind blows or around sunset."
A large purple scar stained the old man's eye socket, but his kind eyes made for a decent impression.
Nameless, who had been whirring from his head, shook its head.
[Sorry, but I've never heard that info.]
Seeing Nameless speak like a person, the old man chuckled and shook his head.
"It's changed recently. Too many unregistered Awakeners around here secretly summoning Hidden Monsters."
[Hidden Monsters?]
"They stuff them into dungeons to catch them easily, or so they say. Anyway, Hidden Monster relics fetch big money. Some emergence conditions are well-known now... so they often pull out low-danger ones."
Nameless eyed the old man warily.
[You know the dungeon situation well. From the Association, I presume.]
An Association member could spell trouble. The Heavenly Demon was an unregistered Awakener too.
The old man burst into hearty laughter and shook his head.
"Haha, no. I just volunteer around the dungeons."
[Volunteer?]
"Nothing grand. I guide newbie Awakeners or warn unregistered ones."
[For free?]
As Nameless chattered on, the Heavenly Demon waved his hand.
"Quiet down. Don't keep bothering the old man."
"Heh heh heh. I'm fine."
The kindly smiling old man eyed the Heavenly Demon's solid muscles and said,
"You look like a wealthy newbie Awakener. Fancy nanobots and pricey language pack installed."
The Heavenly Demon stood silently, so the old man extended his hand.
"I'm 9th Grade Awakener Kim Kwang-wook. No affiliation, but I diligently volunteer around dungeons."
It was awkward to ignore the friendly old man offering advice and greetings. The Heavenly Demon reluctantly took the proffered hand.
"This one is the Heavenly Demon."
"Huh?"
[Sorry. Our Heavenly Demon is a foreign Awakener... hasn't learned polite speech yet.]
Nameless quickly interjected, and Kim Kwang-wook laughed it off.
"Heh heh heh. I see. That explains the eye color and foreign look."
Creak.
Then, with a metallic screech, the four triangular metal panels began to shift slowly. As Kim Kwang-wook said, the door opened at sunset.
"Take care."
With Nameless on his shoulder, the Heavenly Demon moved to enter. But at that moment—
Boom!
An explosion burst forth, blue light pouring from the door crack.
From the gap, the danger level 500 Hidden Monster Lightning Spike—summoned by unregistered Awakeners—lurked.
"Hmm."
Spotting the shooting lightning, the Heavenly Demon didn't dodge. That level of electricity couldn't even tickle his skin.
"Eek."
But the scream came from an unexpected source. Kim Kwang-wook had rushed in to shield the Heavenly Demon.
"Y-You're... okay?"
"This one is fine."
"G-Good..."
Kim Kwang-wook, collapsed and twitching on the ground, managed a faint smile before passing out.
"......"
The Heavenly Demon couldn't comprehend the nosy old man's actions. Looking down pitifully, he tried to walk past, but
[Heavenly Demon.]
At Nameless's call, the Heavenly Demon shook his head.
"The old man doomed himself."
[Still, he threw himself to save you.]
Meeting Nameless's gaze, the Heavenly Demon flicked his middle finger irritably, shooting a burst of wind.
Thwack!
With a dull thud, his Reverse Extreme True Energy spread into Kim Kwang-wook's Danzhong acupoint.
"Gasp."
The passed-out Kim Kwang-wook sprang up like a shot and looked around.
"You... okay?"
Worrying about the Heavenly Demon first upon waking, Kim Kwang-wook prompted an emotional response from Nameless.
[We're fine. How's your body?]
"Hahaha. Doing well. Surprisingly sturdy old body."
Nameless spoke in utter disbelief.
[Awakener Kim Kwang-wook. Per the Awakener database, only your body is awakened. If it had been any other Hidden Monster instead of Lightning Spike, you'd be dead.]
"Heh heh heh. What's to regret about this old bag of bones dying?"
A flicker of sorrow passed through Kim Kwang-wook's eyes.
Light dawned in the Heavenly Demon's eyes.
He realized the old man not only didn't fear death but genuinely meant to sacrifice for others.
"No warrior lacks a backstory..."
Passing Kim Kwang-wook with an indifferent expression, the Heavenly Demon halted and turned.
"But life isn't something to toss away lightly, old man."
Meeting Kim Kwang-wook's gaze, solemn light flowed from the Heavenly Demon's eyes.
"Can you really discard it for a stranger? If your life is so worthless, better die alone somewhere."
[Hea-Heavenly Demon.]
"Sacrificing for self-satisfaction—that kind of death shames a warrior."
Watching the striding Heavenly Demon, Kim Kwang-wook muttered weakly.
"Sacrifice... for self-satisfaction?"
Clenching his fists, Kim Kwang-wook ground his teeth.
No matter how good-natured, how could he let someone shatter the belief sustaining him for decades?
"What do you know to say that!"
Rushing ahead to block the Heavenly Demon, Kim Kwang-wook shouted.
"I've staked everything on this!"
"Don't care."
"Take it back! I don't do this for self-satisfaction!"
Sorrow and anguish leaked from Kim Kwang-wook's clenched fists.
"I... I..."
[Heavenly Demon. This man helped us enter the dungeon. You deliberately trying to upset him into illness?]
"Just stated my opinion."
[Then shouldn't you hear his side?]
At Nameless's sharp rebuke, the Heavenly Demon grunted.
"Fine."
Emerging from the entrance he'd been about to enter, the Heavenly Demon crossed his arms reluctantly.
"I'll hear your story."
But Kim Kwang-wook's emotions showed no sign of calming.
Seeing him wear a pained expression without speaking, the Heavenly Demon clicked his tongue.
'Troublesome.'
As the old man wouldn't open up easily, the Heavenly Demon smacked his lips, felled a nearby tree, and flicked his finger lightly. Green wood chunks ignited into a roaring campfire instantly.
Crackle.
Under the dungeon where stars poured down, only the fire's pops broke the silence.
He'd set the mood for the old man to speak freely.
"Whew..."
Staring into the fire for a while, Kim Kwang-wook plopped down.
"I'm what they call First Buster generation. Dungeons popped up nationwide suddenly, so we grabbed guns and fought."
First Buster generation.
It referred to the middle-aged from humanity's first dungeon era. The generation that sacrificed to eliminate sudden monsters.
"Back then, we didn't know modern firearms don't work inside dungeons, and there were no Awakeners. With the national emergency, most men except the elderly were drafted into the military, armed with guns for combat."
Recalling old days, Kim Kwang-wook's eyes sparkled like sunlight on water.
"I had a good friend by my side then. Brave and nimble, he saved me countless times in danger—a grateful comrade."
Sighing briefly, Kim Kwang-wook continued.
"Our unit, heading into dungeon battlefields daily, got trapped in the core of C-Grade Dungeon Fire Dragon Mountain. Couldn't find the exit, so eventually all unit members died—only him and me left."
His breathing quickened as if heart pounding; he took a deep breath and pressed on with a trembling voice.
"Chased by a flame-spewing monster, we luckily found an escape by sheer chance. But it was so narrow only one could squeeze through."
Recalling that time, Kim Kwang-wook's face twisted in pain.
"I was terrified, out of my mind. In the end, I shoved my friend aside and escaped. I absolutely didn't want to die."
"Hmm."
"And the moment I fled through the exit, he was surrounded by the flame-shooting monsters."
Pausing, Kim Kwang-wook shuddered.
"When our eyes met, guess how he reacted?"
"Anger, probably."
"Yeah, I thought so too. But my friend..."
Lowering his head, regretful tears streamed from Kim Kwang-wook's eyes.
"He blocked the flames with his back, grinned at me, and gestured to hurry—go quick."
The Heavenly Demon stayed silent; Nameless covered its face with both hands.
Human friendship is great.
Even facing agonizing death as his body burned to pieces, he smiled and gestured for his friend.
"Since that day, I haven't lived peacefully once. Awake, I despised my surviving self; asleep, those memories haunted me."
Looking at the Heavenly Demon, Kim Kwang-wook clasped his hands, shedding tears of regret.
"I committed a grave sin. Betrayed and fled from the comrade and friend who protected me in that battlefield. How could I live sane?"
Suppressing surging grief, Kim Kwang-wook wiped his tears and said,
"After, I fought in dungeons, heedless of life. But Awakeners eventually stabilized them."
His eyes trembled endlessly, haunted by painful memories.
"Then Awakeners appeared en masse, the war ended, and the world soon knew peace. About a dozen years ago, I awakened late too."
Drip.
Finally shedding one tear, Kim Kwang-wook continued.
"After awakening, I wandered to keep young people from dying in dungeons..."
Swallowing his words, Kim Kwang-wook sobbed silently, too guilty to wail aloud.
The Heavenly Demon gazed indifferently at the distant sky and said,
"So that's why you're volunteering at dungeons."
"Wandered cities nationwide. Heard Hidden Monsters spawn a lot here, so came to see if I could help."
Wiping his face vigorously with a handkerchief, Kim Kwang-wook waved it off.
"Blabbed uselessly. Sorry."
"No need to apologize. Old folks talk more."
Kim Kwang-wook swallowed tears and hollow laughter, shaking his head.
"Even a chatty old man has nothing to say, but I've never told this to anyone. Embarrassing tale."
"Then why tell this one?"
"Dunno."
Kim Kwang-wook looked sheepish at the Heavenly Demon.
"No idea why... but felt okay with you. Somehow reminded me of that friend."
"This one resembles him in looks?"
"Ah, no. Not at all. He was skinny and talkative, with a weird dialect."
Recalling his comrade and friend, Kim Kwang-wook swallowed a pained smile.
"If I could go back, I'd never make that choice. Gotta hurry to hell and beg his forgiveness..."
Gazing at the fire, he turned to the Heavenly Demon with a dry smile.
"Sorry. Wasted your time with nonsense. Anyway... take care."
Before the Heavenly Demon or Nameless could respond, Kim Kwang-wook turned feebly away.
"Hmm."
The Heavenly Demon's eyes narrowed watching him go, as if lost in deep thought.
* * *
Remodeling a bathroom is like retiling.
That is, demolition construction or overlay construction.
Demolition construction removes all existing tiles, then reapplies them to the wall (colloquially "floating").
Overlay construction simply adds new tiles over the old.
Among them, floating application is highly difficult, so only veteran tilers handle it.
Thus, at Bokbok Interiors, Kim Chanwon always takes charge of floating jobs.
Splat. Splat.
Kim Chanwon scooped mortar—mixed sand and cement—from a large tub with a trowel.
He slathered it thick on a tile and began attaching them one by one to the wall.
"Hoo."
Watching from behind, the Heavenly Demon let out an admiring breath.
Unlike before, the Heavenly Demon's interior knowledge rivaled experts'.
At a glance, he discerned Kim Chanwon's floating skill had reached returning to simplicity—a realm where supreme mastery appears ordinary.
"Impressive."
At the Heavenly Demon's praise, Kim Chanwon smiled bashfully while tiling.
"Eheheh. What, this ain't nothin' special."
For masters long in one field, proficiency isn't remarkable.
The Heavenly Demon admired for another reason.
Working together so long, he'd seen Kim Chanwon's excellence not just in tiling, but across all fields.
"Mastering diverse techniques and methods isn't easy."
Today too, before tiling, Kim Chanwon had finished demolition, waterproofing, and pipe repairs.
With skills rivaling a pro plumber.
"As expected, grasping the principle of all arts converging."
"Huh? What's that?"
"For example, reaching utmost sword mastery lets one master all weapons."
The Heavenly Demon nodded, arms crossed.
"Seems Kim mastered all interior work through tiling."
"Wouldn't bet on it?"
Setting down the trowel, Kim Chanwon laughed hollowly.
"Now you can make a living specializing, but back then one skill wasn't enough. So I learned whatever came."
His eyes sparkled like sunlight on water, lost in old memories.
"Was really tough. Dungeons appeared suddenly, turning the world to ruins."
Recalling ruined cities of the past, Kim Chanwon shook his head.
"That's why I jumped into interiors late. Whole city wrecked, y'know."
"Was it?"
The Heavenly Demon looked unimpressed.
Every world has crises. Even in the Heavenly Demon's murim, near-apocalyptic disasters struck.
Just famines or plagues—different from this world's.
"Time flew already? Let's grab lunch quick."
Attaching one more tile, Kim Chanwon wiped sweat and smiled.
But eyeing Kim Chanwon's sweat-soaked back, the Heavenly Demon's eyes flashed.