The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 479

The air in the room seemed to chill.

A moment ago, Moon Tae-joon had been almost polite, his voice smooth. But now, he leaned back, crossing his legs with a sharp crease in his expensive trousers. A sneer twisted his lips as he fixed Kim Jun-hyuk with a gaze as cold as winter ice.

“Mayor,” Moon Tae-joon drawled, the word sounding almost mocking, “you certainly have a knack for making things… *interesting*.”

The Incheon government was responsible.

It wasn’t impossible.

However, anyone with even a basic understanding of Incheon knew that this simply couldn’t have happened.

“According to the report, Red Moon was wiped out in just one or two hours. I know the Incheon government has hidden strengths, but taking down Red Moon that fast is impossible. So, we can guess some ‘unknown force’ stepped in. More importantly, Incheon needs Red Moon. With the Great Disaster always a threat, surely the Mayor of Incheon, who cares so much about this city, wouldn’t start trouble inside the city.”

It sounded like a good point. Why would Kim Jun-hyuk, who worried so much about losing soldiers, suddenly start a fight with Red Moon?

Suspicion grew. Under Moon Tae-joon’s cold, hard stare, Kim Jun-hyuk spoke calmly.

“That’s exactly why I did it. Because Red Moon is pathetic and thinks just like you, Investigator.”

“What do you mean?”

“At first, I thought Incheon needed Red Moon for the future. But they were planting spies in the Incheon government and stealing talent from Incheon to help their guild. I could understand that much. Our talent doesn’t have to stay in Incheon. But the problem is, Red Moon was secretly smuggling resources out of Incheon to get ahead in Seoul. So, I ask you, how would you deal with people who don’t help Incheon and only cause trouble, Investigator?”

Moon Tae-joon flinched.

Getting ahead in Seoul.

This had something to do with Moon Tae-joon.

Having been confronted with Red Moon’s illegal actions, and unsure of Kim Jun-hyuk’s real reasons, he couldn’t speak without thinking.

“…They should be punished.”

“Exactly. That’s why I went after Red Moon. I wanted to make them pay, but they attacked me, and it turned into a war. The result is what you see, Investigator.”

“Yes, I understand. If that’s all true, then why did you report it that way at first? When the Incheon government first said Red Moon was destroyed, it seemed like an outside force was to blame, right?”

He was finding the weak points in the story.

It was definitely a questionable point.

However, Kim Jun-hyuk knew he didn’t have to clear up all the doubts.

“We just changed our minds. We wanted to hide the truth, but after you showed up so fast, Investigator, we decided to tell you.”

“Ahem.”

Moon Tae-joon showed his displeasure.

He must be feeling conflicted.

Because the Incheon government was stronger than he thought, and because his own illegal actions had been revealed. That was enough.

From the moment Kim Jun-hyuk said the Incheon government was responsible, Moon Tae-joon had to understand not only what was happening outside but also Kim Jun-hyuk’s plans.

The truth might come out someday, but at least he could secure the month he had promised to Roman Dmitry.

And more than anything.

He didn’t like Moon Tae-joon’s attitude.

To change his view of Incheon, which he clearly looked down on, it was important to show Incheon’s strength, even if just once.

“…I understand, for now. If they broke the law and attacked first, then the Incheon government had to go to war with Red Moon. I will report this. But be careful in the future. If you keep taking such extreme actions, the central government will have to step in, even with the independent command you’ve been given.”

“Understood.”

“And, I almost forgot, the President has ordered a 10% increase in tribute payments.”

Kim Tae-joon’s eyes widened.

This was not acceptable.

“Increase the tribute? Incheon can’t afford to pay more in this difficult situation.”

“That’s Incheon’s problem. Remember, this independent command comes with responsibilities. If you don’t follow the central government’s orders, Incheon will be last in line when the Great Disaster hits.”

Moon Tae-joon smiled slyly.

He felt he was in control again, seeing the change in the room after he mentioned the tribute.

Moon Tae-joon stood up and said.

“The Great Disaster could happen anytime. So, for Incheon’s sake, make wise choices, as you always have.”

After Moon Tae-joon left.

Kim Jun-hyuk rummaged through his pockets.

Finding only an empty pack, he threw it to the floor in frustration.

Plop!

“This is truly awful.”

Twenty years after the Great Disaster.

The world had become hell.

The abnormal was more common than the normal, and the President, who should have been taking care of the people, was even making threats under the excuse of safety.

Moon Tae-joon’s threat was real. In fact, during the 5th Great Disaster, the President had gotten rid of political rivals he had always hated.

It was such an easy method. By making sure help arrived last for his enemies, they were all dead by the time anyone got there.

Incheon, too.

It was an unavoidable future.

If the central government ignored Incheon, this place would be abandoned, no matter how far away it was.

“…Roman Dmitry. Why does he want such a useless city?”

Suddenly.

The image of Roman Dmitry came to mind.

Even Kim Jun-hyuk, who had lost all hope, briefly dreamt a foolish dream at the weight of his calmly spoken words.

If, by any chance, he really managed to wipe out the ant nest.

If he had enough power to guarantee Incheon’s safety, Kim Jun-hyuk would create a future with him without any hesitation.

‘Even if he has other plans, it doesn’t matter. Even if he uses Incheon for his own selfish reasons, if he keeps Incheon safe, I will give him everything I have.’

He knew it was a foolish hope.

He had met so many people, but each time he faced a despairing reality.

The Great Disaster.

It was something humans couldn’t handle.

The constantly growing monsters were too much to deal with without a national response, so people formed their own groups.

Even the central government, which Kim Jun-hyuk relied on, was weak on a global scale and couldn’t guarantee their own safety.

Considering the increasing scale of the Great Disaster, maybe they wouldn’t be able to help, and South Korea itself might be destroyed.

His mouth felt bitter.

Kim Jun-hyuk put aside his complicated thoughts and called his secretary.

“In 10 minutes, gather the leaders of Incheon. The central government has increased the tribute by 10%, so we need to discuss it.”

“Understood.”

Now was the time to focus on reality.

In a situation where he didn’t know what the future held, he didn’t want to pass all the problems on to others.

Hope was fleeting.

Kim Jun-hyuk returned to reality.

Time passed quickly.

About a month had gone by since then.

The waiting room of the Blue Mountain mercenary guild in Incheon was overflowing with noise and rough energy. The air was thick with the smell of stale beer, sweat, and pipe tobacco. Hunters in worn leather and dented armor crowded the wooden benches, their voices loud as they talked and laughed, waiting for their names to be called for a job. Park Kitae sat hunched over a table in the corner, his face tight with frustration as he slammed his cards down.

“Argh, damn it, I can’t play cards with this rotten luck. Is this even possible? Last round I had a spade flush and someone pulled a full house, and this time I have a full house and someone gets four of a kind? Screw you all, you sons of bitches!”

Thwack.

He threw down his cards.

Amidst the laughter of the others, Park Kitae, a D-rank hunter, suddenly stood up.

Frustration welled up inside him.

Work had been slow lately. Park Kitae was also losing money in cards. He couldn’t laugh with the others anymore.

He went outside.

As he lit a cigarette, trying to calm his nerves, someone offered him a light.

Click.

“Guild Master?”

“Lost a lot, have you?”

“It’s like someone’s cheating. I wouldn’t say anything if I just lost, but getting a full house and then someone pulls four of a kind is just too much.”

“Yes, yes. I can see why you’re upset.”

The man was Gu Cheolho, the Guild Master of Blue Mountain.

Gu Cheolho smoked with him for a moment, then spoke in a quiet voice.

“Want to take on a mission?”

“What is it?”

“Ant Tunnel Exploration, fee is 100 million won (a lot of money, like $80,000 USD). How about it?”

Instantly.

Park Kitae froze, cigarette still in his mouth.

100 million won.

It was an amount he couldn’t ignore.

Normally, he would have accepted it without hesitation, but the words ‘Ant Tunnel Exploration’ made it impossible.

“…If it’s the Ant Tunnel Exploration, that’s the one the Incheon government gave up on, right? If the Queen Ants have been producing ants for months, that place is probably a living hell. Who on earth commissioned this subjugation?”

“It’s a personal request… from someone who really needs this job done quietly.”

“They’re trying to kill me. They must have a grudge against me.”

He turned his head sharply.

The reward was tempting, but risking his life on such a mission was a sure way to die.

This was the reaction he expected.

Gu Cheolho said, “Yes, it’s a very dangerous mission. But the thing is, the down payment is 100 million won. They’ll give you another 200 million if you complete the mission, so just go along with them and see if they’re a decent party. If you think you can really subjugate the ant tunnel, stick with them, but if not, you can use a teleport scroll to escape without any problems. They don’t need your combat skills. They’re hiring you as a guide, so they must have made thorough preparations.”

“Hmm.”

Park Kitae was a guide.

Not all hunters were specialized in combat.

Complex hunting grounds like ant tunnels required guides. Ant tunnels were dangerous mazes, full of twists and turns. Combat hunters were strong, but they often got lost. That’s why guides like Park Kitae were important. They knew how to navigate these tricky places. Park Kitae made a living using his skills as one.

Listening to him, it didn’t sound too bad. Even if he just took the first payment and left, he would still get 100 million won, so Park Kitae thought for a moment.

Finally.

Park Kitae stubbed out his cigarette with his shoe and said, “I wouldn’t even consider it if I hadn’t lost all that money. So, where do I need to go?”

On the appointed day.

Park Kitae felt his face twitching.

He had expected a large party for an ant tunnel, but the people who appeared before him were only two.

“Nice to meet you. I am Kang Minho, an E-rank hunter. This is Roman Dimitri, the person I serve, and he hasn’t taken the ranking test yet, so he’s unranked. You’re Park Kitae, commissioned by the Blue Mountain Guild, correct?”

“Park Kitae is correct, but…”

The destination was an ant tunnel.

If it was an ant tunnel with two Queen Ants, it should logically be a large party composed of B-rank hunters or higher.

Even then, success couldn’t be guaranteed.

He couldn’t have imagined that only an E-rank hunter and an unranked hunter would show up, not until he met them.

He felt dizzy.

He felt like Gu Cheolho had set him up.

“I’ll be right back, just need to use the restroom.”

He excused himself.

Perhaps, he thought, they had achieved something great that he didn’t know about, so he hurriedly checked their information.

Hunter Database.

This is what it said about the two of them.

[Roman Dimitri]
-No information

[Kang Minho]
-E-rank hunter
-Multiple E-rank missions successful

“…Damn it.”

He cursed.

Roman Dimitri had no information at all, and Kang Minho was a bottom-tier hunter who only did E-rank missions. It made no sense.

It was a commission with a down payment of 100 million won, so why were such ridiculous people showing up? This was definitely a grave.

Following them would only hasten his death, but Park Kitae couldn’t give up the 100 million won.

‘Kitae, Kitae. Don’t act stupidly.’

100 million.

He swallowed hard.

Hunters were a high-paying profession, but those who earned tens of billions and lived lavishly were all B-rank or higher.

For a D-rank like Park Kitae, it was an enormous amount of money. After careful thought, Park Kitae took out a magic scroll from his pocket.

‘I can only get the down payment if I go to the ant tunnel with them. That’s right. I have a magic scroll, and the Guild Master said he wouldn’t hold me responsible. Let’s just go along with them. I’ll just take the down payment and run.’

He couldn’t be sure it was the right choice.

But.

He had already accepted reality in his mind.

He would do his best until he couldn’t, and if cornered, he would run without looking back.

He returned to his seat.

Under the gaze of the two men, Park Kitae forced a smile.

“Let’s go. I’ll guide you to the ant tunnel from now on.”