The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 495

It was Lee Tae-sung’s turn.

He stepped forward to receive the sword, and the employee said quietly,

“Roman Dmitry said that the other swords are reinforced versions of existing ones because he didn’t have much time. But this one he made himself. It is a one-of-a-kind sword in the world. He said it’s to make up for breaking your sword in the last battle, so I hope the direct unit commander uses it well.”

His voice was confident.

The employee, who had checked the sword beforehand, was surprised by Roman Dmitry’s skill.

Lee Tae-sung didn’t know why the employee was so confident, but he took the sword, feeling grateful.

However,

“…What is this?”

He held the handle.

Just by holding it, he could tell it was special. The grip fit perfectly, as if it were made just for him. The blade shone in the light, with a chilling sharpness.

It was the perfect sword. Every time he swung it, he gasped without meaning to. He was amazed that Roman Dmitry had made it. Could his crafting skills be that good too?

First, to really understand the sword’s value, he needed to see how well it worked with his mana when he used a skill.

He went outside.

It seemed like a good weapon, but if it didn’t work well with his skills, it wouldn’t be worth much.

‘Rampage.’

He used the skill.

The sight before him was shocking.

Rumble!

Crack! Crunch!

Mana exploded from the sword.

He was just using the skill without an enemy, but the imaginary enemy in Lee Tae-sung’s head was torn apart by the powerful magic.

His heart started pounding. A crazy idea started to form in his mind. Lee Tae-sung finished using his skill and stared at the sword, not sure what to think.

“Could it be S grade?”

He was sure of it.

He had used B grade before, and A grade once, so he knew what they felt like.

The sword took in mana and released it with incredible power. This could only mean it was S grade.

He was stunned.

He couldn’t believe that Roman Dmitry had given him an S grade sword, and that he had made it himself.

What would happen if an S grade sword was sold?

A masterpiece like this, with only a few in the world, would be worth billions of dollars.

And he had received it like it was nothing.

His eyes shook. He felt many things at once: happiness to have such a sword, and shock at Roman Dmitry’s skill.

‘What is he, really?’

Amazing strength and crafting skills.

Every time he learned something new about Roman Dmitry, Lee Tae-sung felt like everything he knew was wrong. Just because he didn’t understand it, didn’t mean it wasn’t real.

Roman Dmitry would lead Incheon. He was stronger than S grade. He was so amazing that giving away such a weapon seemed normal to him.

‘No more doubts. When Roman Dmitry chose to fight for us, I decided to trust him completely. I will be thankful for this gift and will fight for him with all my strength.’

His emotions welled up.

The sword looked so beautiful.

Suddenly,

He felt sorry.

He had received an S-grade weapon, but the others in the direct unit had only received upgraded versions of their old weapons.

They were probably C grade at best.

That wasn’t bad, but it was nothing compared to S grade.

He went back to the room.

He thought there would be a small reaction, but his eyes widened at what he saw in the room.

“Wow.”

“This is crazy?”

“Thank you, Roman Dmitry!”

The direct unit members were just as excited as Lee Tae-sung.

Lee Tae-sung was right.

It wasn’t S grade like his sword, but the direct unit members were still amazed.

It started with Park Cheol-min.

“…This seems to be a custom-made weapon?”

Park Cheol-min.

He had reached B grade in the recent test. He used a special sword, different from everyone else’s.

It was a little shorter than a normal longsword. Park Cheol-min liked to fight up close. So, he didn’t like long swords. Long swords made it harder to attack and defend when enemies were very near.

Right away, he could see.

The sword Roman Dmitry gave him was exactly what Park Cheol-min had always wanted.

The same was true for the other direct unit members.

“That’s right. A custom-made weapon.”

“It’s just like the one I used to use?”

“When did you make this?”

Last month.

Roman Dmitry had been living in the smithy.

He made swords for himself, Kang Min-ho, and Lee Tae-sung. But he couldn’t make swords for all thirty direct unit members. So, he improved the swords they already had.

He used mana to make their skills stronger and made the blades sharp enough to cut through monsters’ skin easily.

The thing that impressed them most was that he had thought about each person’s fighting style.

Roman Dmitry had fought the direct unit.

He remembered their fighting styles and gave them swords that matched their needs.

Park Cheol-min’s sword was a little shorter.

For another person, the sword was a little longer. For someone else, it was thicker.

It was very thoughtful.

Roman Dmitry was making these swords. He was a craftsman, and he was too proud to make anything bad.

Also,

“Wow, the skill power is crazy too.”

“At this level, I can definitely reach B grade?”

“Roman Dmitry’s crafting skills are amazing.”

Everyone was overjoyed.

They had custom-made weapons, and they were B-grade weapons that even a master like Lee Tae-sung couldn’t get easily. The direct unit members were very grateful.

Roman Dmitry had agreed to fight for them and had given them these amazing weapons. This made them feel even more loyal to him.

Lee Tae-sung watched this scene.

Roman Dmitry’s actions made him feel deeply grateful. At the same time, a strong feeling grew inside him: determination.

‘Roman Dmitry has only given to us,’ he said, his voice rising with emotion. ‘At first, I thought he wanted Incheon for himself. But what he can do… it’s bigger than just one city. He hasn’t gained anything for himself by being here. He’s shared his knowledge, given us weapons. If you have any thanks in your heart, you must be ready to do anything for him, even risk your life!’

Lee Tae-sung’s voice boomed. “Everyone, remember this day! The day Roman Dmitry chose to fight *for* us! The day he gave us incredible weapons and knowledge!”

That day, a feeling of unity spread through Incheon. They felt like one group, working together. They didn’t know it yet, but this day would change South Korea forever.

Kim Jun-hyuk spoke, his voice full of thanks. “Thank you so much. Thank you for saving the direct unit, and for all the gifts you gave them.”

Back in Incheon, Roman Dmitry asked Kim Jun-hyuk to give out the swords. Kim Jun-hyuk did this quickly and then went to find Roman Dmitry again.

Gratitude filled Kim Jun-hyuk. He remembered how he and Lee Tae-sung had been suspicious of Roman Dmitry, wondering if he had secret plans. But now, that didn’t matter. He believed in Roman Dmitry completely. *I will live for him now,* he thought. Even though he had only known Roman Dmitry a short time, Kim Jun-hyuk felt ready to give his life for him.

Roman Dmitry said, his voice calm. “The direct unit will be the strong base for Incheon in the future. When they are strong enough, they can fight without me and protect Incheon, making it a powerful place in this world. But…,” he paused, “it’s a pity about you, Kim Jun-hyuk. I wanted to teach you the same skills as the direct unit, but as you know, your body cannot take in mana.”

“……I know,” Kim Jun-hyuk said quietly. A shadow of sadness crossed his face.

Kim Jun-hyuk watched Kang Min-ho and the direct unit grow stronger every day, their power increasing quickly. But there was a reason why Roman Dmitry wasn’t teaching Kim Jun-hyuk in the same way. He had what people called a cursed body. That was the truth about Kim Jun-hyuk.

Long ago, in the world of Murim, people called a body that couldn’t use qi a cursed body. Qi was a kind of energy they used for power. This problem, they said, could never be fixed. Even Roman Dmitry didn’t know how to cure it. Some people in Murim even believed that people with cursed bodies, who wouldn’t live long, should die sooner.

Kim Jun-hyuk had learned about his cursed body years ago. He too wanted to become strong and fight against the coming Great Disaster – a terrible time everyone feared. But his body was different. It couldn’t take in mana, the magical energy that others used. Even trying to use simple skills made his body feel sick and weak. He had tried many times to awaken his powers, but each time he failed. So, he chose a different path. He decided to become an administrator, believing he could still help change the world with his mind and leadership, even if his body was weak.

Roman Dmitry had been thinking about Kim Jun-hyuk. He wondered if Kim Jun-hyuk could be truly useful. He could just keep him as the Mayor of Incheon, a symbol for the people. But Roman Dmitry thought Kim Jun-hyuk could be more than just a symbol.

“That’s true,” Roman Dmitry agreed. “You can’t fight monsters with your own strength like the direct unit. Your attacks are too weak. You probably couldn’t even hurt a low-level monster, what we call an F-grade monster. But,” he continued, “in the world I came from, there were people who proved others wrong and overcame their own weaknesses. Even if you can’t fight with your own body, you can use other methods.”

Roman Dmitry remembered the time when he conquered Murim. There was a person there who caused a lot of trouble for the Demonic Cult – a group of evil fighters. This person eventually fought Baek Jung-hyuk and was defeated. Although he lost, this person with the cursed body showed how powerful he could be, even with his limitations.

“From now on, I will teach you about formations.”

Formations. They were a strange and powerful art. Gegal Sowoon, from the Gegal family, was like Kim Jun-hyuk – born with a cursed body. But he didn’t let that stop him. He found a way to fight by creating formations.

A formation is like a puzzle made with things around you – rocks, trees, even objects people make. When arranged in a special way, following secret rules, they can create amazing effects. Gegal Sowoon used formations in battle. He once trapped the Demonic Cult in a confusing maze of formations, turning their own power against them until they destroyed themselves.

But Gegal Sowoon’s success didn’t last. He was defeated when he faced Baek Jung-hyuk. However, Baek Jung-hyuk had been very impressed by how Gegal Sowoon used formations. He had even studied them himself for a time.

*In my past life, I didn’t really need formations,* Roman Dmitry thought. This world was different. Here, on the Salamander Continent, magic was real. People could use mana to create amazing things, even without formations. Magic was a powerful and easier way to achieve similar results. So, Roman Dmitry hadn’t used formations much. He had used them a few times against Hector in the south, but with powerful magicians fighting for him, he hadn’t thought about formations much lately.

But Kim Jun-hyuk was different. For him, formations were a new hope. He couldn’t learn martial arts or magic because of his cursed body.

“Formations are very complicated and hard to learn. I can’t promise you’ll be able to do it just because I teach you. In fact,” Roman Dmitry said, looking at Kim Jun-hyuk closely, “if you *can* learn formations, it might mean you’re not truly cursed after all. Only people with incredibly clever minds can even create the simplest formations. What do you think? Do you want to try to learn?”

For Kim Jun-hyuk, there was no question. He had always longed to be strong. His cursed body had held him back, but now, a chance had appeared. He wouldn’t waste it.

Kim Jun-hyuk’s voice was firm and loud. “I will learn! I will master formations, no matter how hard it is.” Roman Dmitry saw the burning desire in Kim Jun-hyuk’s eyes and a small smile touched his lips. *It’s always good to see someone with that kind of passion,* he thought.

Roman Dmitry reached out and placed a thick book on the desk with a soft *thud*. “I’ve been writing down what I know about formations,” he said. “Study this. Learn it. If you succeed, you, who think you are just an ordinary man, will have a powerful weapon – the power of formations.”

Meanwhile, in the central government, an emergency was announced. Jo Dal-soo, a powerful council member, called for an urgent meeting. Within hours, important leaders from the central government arrived.

Myung Seong-ho, a council member from Yongsan-gu, frowned as he walked into the meeting room. “What’s all this about?” he grumbled. “I know you have the right to call an emergency meeting, Jo Dal-soo, but this is very sudden.”

Jo Dal-soo replied stiffly, “Please, everyone, sit down. I will explain everything shortly.” Another council member muttered, “It better be important.” More council members hurried into the room, looking annoyed. They were important people, used to comfort and schedules, and this sudden meeting clearly bothered them. Soon, everyone was in their seats.

Normally, these council members would discuss the issues first before reporting to the President. But this was an emergency. Enough members were present for the meeting to begin. Jo Dal-soo sat down, his face grim.

*Roman Dmitry,* Jo Dal-soo thought angrily. *You’ve made a grave error. If you even think about starting a war against the central government, against *me*, Jo Dal-soo, you will regret it. The coming Great Disaster won’t protect you.* Jo Dal-soo believed Roman Dmitry was wrong. He thought Roman Dmitry was planning to wait until after the Great Disaster to challenge the government, wanting to save his strength. *He underestimates me,* Jo Dal-soo thought, his anger growing.

Jo Dal-soo leaned forward and spoke into the microphone, his voice echoing in the silent room. “I declare this emergency meeting open. The reason we are here is this: the rebellion of Roman Dmitry and the Incheon government.” The word “rebellion” hung in the air, heavy with Jo Dal-soo’s thirst for revenge.