The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 32

The dusty square was packed with people. This was no celebration, no friendly meeting. This gathering felt heavy, serious, unlike any Roman had seen before. It was certainly different from the fancy parties he used to endure back in the Dmitry family.

Then, he had dressed like a showy peacock, all bright colors and nobleman’s finery. Now, Roman was different. He wore practical leather armor, and a sword hung at his hip, ready for battle at a moment’s notice.

Even the air around him seemed to change. A silent energy pushed through the crowd as he walked. People moved aside without being asked, their heads bowing low. They couldn’t meet his eyes.

Roman felt their stares, their hushed reactions. He accepted their respect as his right. (And why shouldn’t they bow before him? He had earned it.)

Even in the wild mountains where people called him a demon leader.

Even after fighting many battles and becoming the most powerful person in the land.

Roman, or rather Baek Jung-hyuk, had lived as a ruler, and therefore knew what kind of attitude to display.

Step by step, he walked forward.

People were cautiously observing each other. It was hard to understand why they were all here.

Drawn by the rumors of Roman Dmitry, they had applied to join his private army, but some felt they were too qualified for the position of a mere soldier.

However, upon meeting Roman in person, they had no choice but to act differently than expected.

The feeling he gave off and the attitude of accepting their respect as a matter of course set him apart. He was different from ordinary people, and even the men who had been chattering noisily were now silent.

Silence hung in the air.

Finally, Roman stood before the people.

Seeing over five hundred people bowing their heads towards him, Roman spoke in a calm tone.

“Raise your heads.”

It was an order. The people raised their heads.

Roman did nothing special, but the people were already caught up in his presence.

“As stated in the announcement, I will use this opportunity to select thirty soldiers to fight for me. Before we begin the test, I have something to say to you. I, Roman Dmitry, have no intention of simply passing the time in a remote territory. I will always strive to attain a higher position than I have now, and in that process, risking your lives in battle is unavoidable.”

“So, those of you who think you can follow me with a light heart should turn back now. If you die in battle, you should only regret one thing. Not that I sent you to fight, but that you won’t see me, Roman, become the greatest leader in the world.”

The people were shocked by Roman’s statement. It was arrogant.

Roman Dmitry, whose position as heir was uncertain even within the Dmitry family, spoke of being the best in the land in front of so many people.

The problem was that it wasn’t laughable. The charisma that Roman exuded and the unwavering attitude he displayed created the feeling that such a thing might actually happen.

They knew that Roman’s words were nonsense, but the people who had come following rumors and ideals could not bring themselves to turn away from Roman.

Roman said.

“If you pass the test and become my people, you will be able to live as predators who can decide their own lives. I, Roman Dmitry, promise you that much.”

That was the end of it. Roman Dmitry took a step back.

Finally, it was the moment the test began.

There was no cheering. A heavy silence filled the air.

Seeing the people still unable to take their eyes off Roman, Chris stepped forward and opened his mouth.

“From now on, I will explain the procedure for the first test.”

Five hundred applicants. Lucas thought the level of the people who had applied for the private army was higher than expected, but in Roman’s standards, they were nothing more than a disorganized rabble.

Most of them probably couldn’t even withstand Chris’s sword.

But for now, recruiting soldiers through this method was the best option, and starting from the bottom was not so unfamiliar to Roman.

After coming out of the 12th Cave, Baek Jung-hyuk formed a group for the first time.

Even then, Baek Jung-hyuk was surrounded by nothing but a disorganized rabble, but Baek Jung-hyuk only confirmed one value.

‘What I want is a strong mentality. Those born with the hearts of beasts will grow stronger quickly, even if they start from the bottom. And only those people can be with me.’

The heart of a beast was an innate talent.

Kevin, who fearlessly took up a knife at the command to cut off his arm, or Chris, who asked the victor how to become stronger even after a crushing defeat, were examples of being born with the hearts of beasts.

People with chicken hearts, no matter how strong they are, cannot guarantee victory in a fight against beings who are different from birth.

Thirty people. There were no conditions.

He wanted that talent to be able to grab a knife with bare hands for victory, even if they didn’t know how to wield it.

Chris said.

“The method of the test is simple. When the applicant stands in the designated position, the archer we have prepared will shoot three arrows at the applicant. The arrows may pierce the applicant’s body and inflict fatal wounds, or they may narrowly miss and hit the board behind them. What is certain is that only those who do not move even a little while all three arrows are fired will be qualified as first-round passers.”

The first test was a test to confirm courage.

The test began. As the first applicant stepped forward, Morrison, who was second in line, couldn’t hide his anxiety.

‘What is this test? Everyone is crazy!’

Morrison was an ordinary commoner. He worked as a miner in an iron mine, and he thought that a job where he was covered in dirt and dust every day was not suitable for him.

So he always wanted to become an impressive knight like Chris. Without knowing how much blood and sweat the knights had shed to get to that position, he was caught up in the fantasy of being a man while looking at the armor that sparkled in the sunlight.

To him, recruiting soldiers was a golden opportunity.

He quit his job and applied for the test, thinking that he could learn martial arts with an attractive salary of 8 silver.

And of course, Morrison had no intention of risking his life on the test.

‘Damn it, damn it, damn it.’

His body trembled. He was scared.

As the archer loaded an arrow into the bow, he wanted to deny the reality that would soon befall him.

‘How can I trust that archer? Even if he is a sharpshooter with a perfect record, he can’t always be perfect, and the price of that mistake could be my life. I don’t want to die. The reason I applied for the test was to get the opportunity to become a knight while training as a soldier, not to die in vain like this!’

“Huff, huff.”

He breathed roughly. The first applicant stood in the designated position.

Seeing the applicant’s face, who was as nervous as Morrison, Morrison glanced at Roman’s expression. He was indifferent, as if nothing was happening.

Seeing that he was not worried about the accident at all, Morrison started to think positively.

‘That’s right. This is just a simple test. No matter how brave Roman Dmitry wants his soldiers to be, he won’t want the misfortune of people actually dying in the test process. Maybe the archer conducting the test is a great expert and will never make a mistake. That’s right. Logically speaking, no one would follow a murderer who drives people to death in a test to recruit soldiers.’

He clenched and unclenched his hands. His hands were soaked with sweat.

When he first heard about the test procedure, he thought extremely, but when he thought about it carefully, he thought that Chris was deliberately pushing people into fear.

Fear comes from imagination. Even if the archer shows a perfect record during the test, from the moment Chris warned that they might lose their lives, the applicants have no choice but to take the test in fear.

It is a battle of mentality. If he believes that nothing will happen and endures, he was sure that the arrow would miss.

‘Surely they won’t conduct the test while foolishly seeing blood?’

He was relieved. The moment he calmly took a breath.

Thwack!

“Kraaah!”

The first applicant screamed and fell to the floor. The first arrow hit the board behind him, but the second arrow went off course, and it pierced the first applicant’s thigh.

Thwack!

“Kraaah!”

The applicant fell. The man with a sturdy physique fell to the floor and screamed, and blood spurted like a fountain from the area where the arrow pierced.

Red blood splattered everywhere. Chris and the standby force hurriedly treated the applicant, but from the moment they saw the blood, the faces of Morrison and the other applicants turned pale.

They saw it: an arrow piercing the thigh.

The archer was not a sharpshooter. If the arrow had pierced his head instead of his thigh, the applicant might have died immediately.

“Crazy.”

“Were we really supposed to be prepared to get hit by an arrow?”

“This is ridiculous.”

People were agitated. Seeing them looking at each other and stepping back, Chris smiled inwardly as he treated the applicant.

‘As expected, the first turn was planned.’

The archer was a well-known sharpshooter in the area, and the man who applied first knew that his thigh would be pierced.

Still, he was prepared and took the test. It was agreed in advance to shoot an arrow at a part that would not cause a moderately fatal injury, and Roman paid a huge reward in return.

It was a good deal. Screaming and screaming on the floor was also an act that Roman demanded as a reward for the deal.

Chris checked the condition of the injured person and was able to confirm that it was not a major injury as planned. However, he deliberately showed a serious expression, as if it were a very dangerous wound, and treated the wound with urgent hands.

‘As the Lord said, we cannot find the people we want with mere verbal threats. That’s why we need to show that we actually have to risk our lives. A single accident, even if it only happens once in a hundred times, the applicants will be afraid of the 1% possibility.’

The fear device is not the end of this. One in a hundred. Four more victims will occur in the future, and that will keep the applicants nervous until the end.

He moved the injured person. Blood dripped on the floor as the injured person was carried out on a stretcher, and Morrison’s face, who had been determined until just now, turned pale.

He thought to himself that since this kind of accident happened from the first turn, they might create a safety device or change the method of the test.

However, the reality was harsh.

“Next.”

Seeing Chris shaking off the blood on his hands and calling the next turn, Morrison closed his eyes tightly on the spot. He raised the white flag.

Seeing that, Chris clicked his tongue. It seemed that even passing the first test would not be easy for those who were not born with the hearts of beasts.

“The second turn will be treated as the applicant giving up. Those who are afraid of getting hit by an arrow should give up now. If you grit your teeth and endure even if an arrow hits your body, that person will be able to proudly obtain the qualification of a passer. So, cowards, get out of this test site right now!”

The test was just beginning.