The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 489

The test results appeared on the waiting room screen for everyone to see.

[E-Rank Hunter Kang Min-ho, Successfully Promoted to C-Rank by Skipping One Rank]

This was the reason. When Kang Min-ho walked out after the test, he was instantly surrounded by people, like a pack of excited hyenas. They pushed and shoved, their voices loud and eager.

“Mr. Kang Min-ho! Please, have some tea with me!” one shouted.

“I’m from the Silence Guild,” another voice boomed. “We want to officially invite you to join us. Let’s talk!”

A third person stepped forward, almost yelling, “You are amazing! Skipping D-Rank to reach C-Rank in one go! Do you know how rare that is these days? Our guild master will welcome someone like you with open arms. Name your price!”

It was complete chaos. These were the recruiters, a common sight at promotion test sites. Known as ‘touts,’ they waited in the waiting room, ready to pounce on anyone who showed talent like Kang Min-ho.

Kang Min-ho felt overwhelmed. Years ago, when he took his first promotion test, no one had even looked at him. Now, there were easily more than ten people surrounding him.

This attention was expected. Going from E-Rank to C-Rank was a big jump. C-Rank Hunters were respected, but a two-rank jump was very unusual and suggested something special.

Among the business cards thrust at him, one offer caught his attention.

“We are from the Thousand Swords Guild,” a man said, speaking clearly and calmly above the noise. “We contacted you before. Regardless of Roman Dmitry’s decision, we want you at Thousand Swords. We guarantee a high annual salary, of course. And if you join us, we will help you and your daughter settle in Seoul. The Great Cataclysm is coming soon. Think about your family’s safety within Thousand Swords’ territory.”

Thousand Swords.

One of the top three guilds in South Korea.

They had clearly looked into Kang Min-ho’s life and were offering something truly tempting: safety for his daughter.

It was a very good offer. A high salary and a home in Seoul were things Kang Min-ho had only dreamed of as an E-Rank Hunter.

When he first met Roman Dmitry, his goal was to achieve these dreams.

But things were different now.

Kang Min-ho had changed because of Roman Dmitry. He knew that staying with Dmitry was the only way to become truly strong. He had tasted the power of a strong Hunter, something he had never imagined before. And now, seeing even a C-Rank Hunter defeated, Kang Min-ho had a new dream: to become strong enough to protect his daughter himself.

Kang Min-ho spoke firmly, his voice clear despite the noise. “Thank you for the offers, but I am turning them all down.”

He turned and walked away, heading towards Incheon and Roman Dmitry, ignoring the desperate calls behind him.

At the same moment, miles away, Lee Tae-sung heard the news about Kang Min-ho. News of Kang Min-ho’s incredible promotion quickly spread, reaching even Lee Tae-sung in Incheon.

“…He actually got a two-rank promotion,” Lee Tae-sung muttered to himself, disbelief in his voice.

It was truly remarkable.

Especially considering who his opponent had been in the test.

Ki Myung-joon was infamous. He was a skilled C-Rank Hunter, but he was also known for being cruel and unpredictable. He did whatever he wanted, and there were stories of him seriously injuring challengers just because he didn’t like them. And despite his bad reputation, he was known to be a skilled Hunter. When Lee Tae-sung had heard that Ki Myung-joon was chosen as Kang Min-ho’s opponent, he had been sure Kang Min-ho would fail to get a two-rank promotion.

But the opposite had happened.

It was shocking.

He heard that Kang Min-ho hadn’t just survived for three minutes. Ki Myung-joon had actually collapsed and been rushed to the hospital.

‘What magic did Roman Dmitry use?’ Lee Tae-sung wondered, his mind racing.

Just a month ago.

And now.

Kang Min-ho was completely different.

Lee Tae-sung had checked separately. He knew that a month ago, Kang Min-ho was definitely just an E-Rank Hunter. But in such a short time, he had jumped to C-Rank.

He could only conclude that Roman Dmitry had performed a miracle.

‘With Kang Min-ho’s two-rank promotion, we can no longer make excuses,’ Lee Tae-sung thought, his anxiety growing. ‘If we fail our test, they will remove us from the direct unit, just like Kang Min-ho succeeded. That’s unacceptable. But can we really succeed just because Kang Min-ho did? Even forgetting about the others in my unit, I doubt I can reach A-Rank myself.’

A-Rank. It felt like climbing a sheer cliff face.

After reaching B-Rank, he had trained harder than ever, aiming for A-Rank. But deep down, he knew he was still far from that level.

A-Rank Hunters were truly special. They were like monsters, almost one-man armies. Countries around the world used the number of A-Rank and S-Rank Hunters as a measure of their power. Lee Tae-sung imagined them as figures of immense strength and skill, almost mythical in their abilities.

“…This is driving me crazy,” he muttered again, running a hand through his hair.

Hopelessness washed over him.

He didn’t want to leave the direct unit. Staying by Kim Jun-hyuk’s side was his goal. But Roman Dmitry had introduced impossible standards that Incheon couldn’t meet.

Would he be left behind, or could he somehow overcome this impossible wall?

He was at a crossroads.

Gritting his teeth, he knew he couldn’t solve this alone.

To find a solution, he had to understand how Roman Dmitry had made the impossible possible.

‘I need to find Roman Dmitry,’ he decided.

That was it.

The only way forward.

Lee Tae-sung’s plan to find Roman Dmitry ran into a problem right away.

He found Kang Min-ho easily enough, but when he asked about Dmitry, Kang Min-ho replied, “Roman Dmitry has gone into the smithy.”

“…The smithy?” Lee Tae-sung repeated, blinking in confusion. A smithy? What did that even mean?

“Yes,” Kang Min-ho confirmed. “He’s planning to make weapons himself. He said it will take about a month.”

Lee Tae-sung stared at him, speechless. Weapon crafting? It sounded absurd. In this day and age?

He knew that after the Great Cataclysm, things had changed drastically. The world had been reshaped by monsters and magic. Modern firearms, once the kings of battle, had become less effective. It wasn’t that guns didn’t hurt monsters, but their tough hides were highly resistant to bullets.

So, people had turned to older ways of fighting. Weapons enchanted with mana, using special skills, could slice through monster hides much more easily. From that point on, everything changed. The old systems were replaced by new ones, centered around Hunters and mana.

Now, twenty years after the Cataclysm, Hunters mainly got weapons in two ways. They either took weapons from fallen monsters in hunting grounds, or they created new weapons using monster parts and mana stones. But crafting weapons yourself? That was something most Hunters left to specialized craftsmen.

To use special skills, people needed special weapons. Because of this, making weapons became very important. Blacksmiths and researchers became highly respected, like famous artists. People started to rate weapons, like school grades, from the best (S) to the worst (F). These grades showed how well a weapon made skills stronger. Lee Tae-sung himself used a B-grade sword.

It was worth a huge amount of money, billions, but it broke easily when he fought Roman Dmitry. This made Lee Tae-sung very confused. He couldn’t believe Roman Dmitry could make weapons himself. It just didn’t make sense.

Lee Tae-sung asked, his voice full of doubt, “Are you serious? Making weapons isn’t like picking up stones! Even before the Great Disaster, only the best crafters spent years and years to make B-grade weapons or better. That’s why A-grade weapons cost more than anyone can imagine! How can Roman Dmitry, just *make* weapons?”

He thought about Roman Dmitry’s power. Yes, he was strong. Maybe if he was some special person, like a chosen hero, his strength could be explained. But crafting was different. It took years of hard work. Roman Dmitry looked so young, maybe in his twenties. He couldn’t possibly be a master weapon maker.

Kang Min-ho couldn’t answer all of Lee Tae-sung’s questions. He only knew what Roman Dmitry had told him and didn’t know the details.

“I don’t know how,” Kang Min-ho admitted. “But if you want to see Roman Dmitry, you need to come back in one month.”

One month. That was the time Roman Dmitry had given them. If Lee Tae-sung and the others didn’t find a way to improve by then, they would be removed from his group, just like that. No second chances. No mercy. Lee Tae-sung remembered what Roman Dmitry did during the Red Moon incident. He was a man of his word, and his words were always serious.

This was a terrible situation. Lee Tae-sung felt trapped. He couldn’t go back to how things were before. He thought hard, his mind racing. Then, he looked at Kang Min-ho. *How did *he* get stronger?* Suddenly, it hit him. The answer might be right here. Even if Roman Dmitry was a mystery, Kang Min-ho might know something.

Swallowing his pride, Lee Tae-sung spoke, “I know this is a lot to ask, but… could you please tell me how you passed the second stage? How did you get stronger?” His voice was sincere, almost pleading. He was grasping at any hope.

Lee Tae-sung’s question surprised Kang Min-ho. He hadn’t expected Lee Tae-sung to put aside his pride like this. But, he also wasn’t completely surprised. Before they went into the smithy, Roman Dmitry had spoken to Kang Min-ho.

“If Lee Tae-sung asks for your help,” Roman Dmitry had said, “you decide what to do. If you think you can trust him as a teammate, tell him everything. If not, refuse him.”

Roman Dmitry. He had known Lee Tae-sung might ask for help. And he had left the decision to Kang Min-ho. Kang Min-ho looked at Lee Tae-sung, thinking deeply.

*He wants me to decide if I should teach them the Asura Sword Technique and the Asura Mind Technique.* Kang Min-ho thought. *Are Lee Tae-sung and the others worth it?* They were stronger fighters than him. But Kang Min-ho thought about what was truly important: were they useful to Roman Dmitry?

*Lee Tae-sung isn’t really Roman Dmitry’s man,* he considered. *He’s very loyal to Mayor Kim Jun-hyuk. That makes us different. But is he untrustworthy? No, not really.* Even when Seoul offered him great deals, he stayed loyal to Kim Jun-hyuk. And if Kim Jun-hyuk followed Roman Dmitry, then Lee Tae-sung would also be a reliable ally.

He thought about the future. Incheon needed strong people like these subordinates. He was like them in some ways. Seeing Lee Tae-sung drop his pride for a reason, Kang Min-ho made his decision quickly.

“Okay,” Kang Min-ho said. “I will tell you how I passed the second stage. No, I will *teach* you.”

At a time when people were leaving Incheon, something new was starting in the city.

Events were happening one after another in Incheon. Moon Tae-joon, an investigator from the central government, was getting angrier and angrier. *Wham!* He slammed his hand on the table.

“Cheongsan! What are those idiots doing? Why are they staying in Incheon? Do they think a C-grade guild leader can protect them?”

“I… I’m sorry,” his subordinate mumbled, head down. For days, Moon Tae-joon had been openly attacking Incheon’s government. He thought all the guilds would leave Incheon quickly. But Cheongsan guild had announced they were staying.

Moon Tae-joon had wanted to weaken Incheon by making everyone leave except Cheongsan. He had partly succeeded, but he hated that Cheongsan was still there. And then, even worse news came.

“What’s this about Kang Min-ho again?” Moon Tae-joon snapped. “I thought he was nobody! How did he pass the second stage?”

“The test center doesn’t know either,” the subordinate said. “Years ago, Kang Min-ho barely passed the E-grade test. But this time, he beat a C-grade hunter, Ki Myung-joon.”

“You useless fool!” Moon Tae-joon yelled. “Beaten by someone from Incheon!” Everything was going wrong. He didn’t want Incheon to get stronger because of Cheongsan or Kang Min-ho.

Moon Tae-joon spoke, his voice cold. “Just a warning isn’t enough. Put pressure on Incheon’s money and their military. Make Incheon fail completely when the Great Disaster comes. Make sure the rest of Korea stays away from Incheon. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir,” the subordinate replied.

“But where is Roman Dmitry?” Moon Tae-joon asked. After the meeting in Incheon, Roman Dmitry was being watched closely. People were tracking his every move. But lately, Roman Dmitry hadn’t moved at all.

“He seems to be in the smithy,” the subordinate reported, “but we don’t know why.”

“Smithy?” Moon Tae-joon frowned. *Smithy?* What could be happening there? He didn’t even think for a moment that Roman Dmitry might be making weapons.

“What is he doing in that place?” At that moment, Moon Tae-joon didn’t understand how important Roman Dmitry’s actions and the changes in Incheon really were.