The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 491

The promotion test center is neutral. It makes sure everything is fair.

The test center is part of the government. But it is in charge of world-wide grades. So, no one from outside can control it. This is normal.

That was just common sense. Moon Tae-joon gave an order. Right away, the test center picked fighters from the direct control unit as opponents. This was to make sure everything was fair.

Go Seung-cheol.

He was one of those fighters.

He was known as a strong B-grade fighter. He had to fight Park Cheol-min, who was from the direct control unit.

‘I told them to finish him,’ Moon Tae-joon thought.

Park Cheol-min was C-grade.

Honestly, he thought it would be very easy.

In this world, people thought Park Cheol-min was good. But strength is always compared to others.

How could a C-grade Hunter beat him? He could beat him in 10 seconds, to be honest.

If he was getting ready for the B-grade test, he would feel confident. But that confidence would only barely be enough for B-grade.

“I will get ready,” he said.

He went on stage.

He did not feel guilty.

The government told him to do it. As someone living in Korea, he had to follow the rules.

‘To avoid trouble later, I’ll pretend to fight for a while, then finish him,’ he thought.

Flap.

“Start.”

The signal was given.

Go Seung-cheol felt a rush of confidence. ‘This will be over quickly,’ he thought, and rushed in.

At first, he did not use all his power. He tried to make it look like a real fight by blocking Park Cheol-min’s attacks a little.

That way, if anyone complained, he would have an excuse.

He would say that the opponent was attacking so hard that he had to accidentally kill him while fighting back.

However.

Clang!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

‘What?!’ Go Seung-cheol thought, his eyes wide.

He had tried to attack lightly. But the counterattack was so strong that it shocked him.

Each of Park Cheol-min’s attacks was sharp and strong.

In less than 10 seconds, he went from being too sure of himself to feeling tense. Soon, Go Seung-cheol had to block attacks with all his strength.

Pat.

Rumble!

An attack went past him.

He was out of breath.

Go Seung-cheol used his best skills. But Park Cheol-min did not even move. It seemed like Park Cheol-min wasn’t using special skills. But his attacks were still very dangerous.

Go Seung-cheol did not know the truth. Park Cheol-min’s fighting style was different.

It was a way of fighting that controlled every action to attack the opponent. Go Seung-cheol was used to exchanging skills. So, he was pushed back.

It was a fierce fight.

Go Seung-cheol fought with all his might. But his arm was hit, and he dropped his sword.

Thud.

“I think it’s over,” Park Cheol-min said.

A sword was pointed at his neck.

Go Seung-cheol looked at Park Cheol-min’s calm face. He had no choice but to admit the truth.

“…I give up,” he said.

Only then did he understand.

The direct control unit.

Their support for promotion was not just a desperate try.

He stepped off the stage, feeling ashamed. Meanwhile, in the waiting room, the results were being shown on the big screen.

The same thing that happened to Park Cheol-min was happening to others at the same time.

Waiting room at the test center.

A buzz went through the waiting room. People leaned forward, their eyes glued to the huge screen. Whispers started to spread as the words appeared.

[C-grade Park Cheol-min, successfully promoted to B-grade]

[D-grade Go Yo-hwan, successfully promoted to C-grade]

[C-grade Min Chan-gi, successfully promoted to B-grade]

…

News of promotion success kept coming.

It was strange.

Usually, the promotion test is so hard that only about 2 or 3 out of 10 people pass.

But news of many successes came at once. The people in the waiting room started to talk.

Murmur murmur.

Person 1: “This is unbelievable! Did you see that? They are all passing!”

Person 2: “I know! Were the Incheon hunters always this good? I thought they were weak.”

Person 3 (who knows more): “Don’t be fooled. The central government is trying to stop them. This is a big surprise.”

A little while ago.

Everyone had heard the rumors about the direct control unit.

The Incheon government was making serious moves. People were curious about how the Incheon hunters, who were seen as outcasts in Korea, would do.

So, everyone was watching the screen.

Most people thought they would fail. But the screen showed something different.

Success after success.

It was shocking.

Those who knew what was happening understood right away.

“…Is something interesting happening? You know. When people are targeted by the government, they have to fight skilled people in the promotion test. Moon Tae-joon has a bad temper. He would have given special orders. But the Incheon government is beating those problems and passing the test.”

“So, they are not just passing. They are better than that.”

“That’s right. And there are 30 of them.”

People listened closely to the conversation.

Incheon was fighting back.

Everyone thought Incheon would fall. But it was responding to the government with surprising moves.

If so.

Everyone looked at one place.

“What if Lee Tae-sung passes too?”

That would be certain.

A-grade.

It is special.

A man who was getting attention said it loudly.

“The situation in Incheon will change. Roman Dmitry is already strong. If they have a new A-grade fighter, they will be the strongest local government.”

At that time.

Lee Tae-sung was taking the promotion test.

He knew what Moon Tae-joon was planning when he heard the opponent’s name.

‘A-grade Hunter Jo Min-woo. A master called Chang Gui (Spear Demon) is fighting in the A-grade test just to stop me,’ he thought.

Jo Min-woo was a famous fighter.

Ten years ago.

He showed his amazing spearmanship in the 4th Great Disaster. A few years later, he became A-grade and was called Chang Gui.

He should not have been in this promotion test.

Usually, lower-level people give the promotion test. But Jo Min-woo was too strong for Lee Tae-sung.

A month ago.

He would not have dared to fight.

But now, Lee Tae-sung was facing Jo Min-woo. He looked different from what everyone expected. He was determined.

Wham!

Rumble!

“Kuh-heuk,” Jo Min-woo groaned and was pushed back.

He frowned and looked ahead. Lee Tae-sung had already charged in front of him. He attacked fiercely.

Clang!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The attacks rained down without stopping.

Lee Tae-sung used two swords. He attacked so fast that the attacks seemed to mix together. Jo Min-woo felt dizzy as he blocked one attack and was hit by another.

Jo Min-woo looked embarrassed. Lee Tae-sung felt excited that he was pushing back an A-grade Hunter like this.

‘Roman Dmitry is on a different level. That explains why the direct control unit has grown so much,’ he thought.

Last month.

Kang Min-ho’s teachings were shocking.

Roman Dmitry’s free gift of the Asura Sword Technique and Asura Heart Method completely changed Lee Tae-sung’s world. After learning the Asura Heart Method, Lee Tae-sung mastered mana in just hours. When he used it to create an aura and unleashed the Asura Sword Technique, he felt a huge surge of power from his twin swords. He was sure he could become much stronger.

From that moment on, he completely trusted Roman Dmitry.

At first, Lee Tae-sung wasn’t sure about Roman Dmitry. But he soon realized Roman Dmitry was too amazing to care about a small place like Incheon.

It was lucky that such an incredible person was interested in Incheon and that Mayor Kim Jun-hyuk had promised to support Roman Dmitry.

Lee Tae-sung devoted himself to training.

Lee Tae-sung and all the members of his unit were sure they could become stronger. They stayed at the training ground for a whole month, only leaving to sleep.

They had worked very hard to become this strong.

They knew they could never have become this strong on their own. Roman Dmitry’s training made the impossible possible.

Blood splattered.

The wound on Jo Min-woo’s face twisted his expression in anger.

“You bastard,” he spat.

He had been trying to hold back, but the higher-ups had ordered him to kill Lee Tae-sung in a way that looked like an accident. However, Lee Tae-sung was not someone he could fight without giving it his all.

Jo Min-woo’s expression changed. Things would be different from now on.

“I promise you won’t die easily,” he threatened.

He used Ghost Walk, the skill that had made him an A-rank hunter.

Whoosh.

Fapat.

He disappeared.

Jo Min-woo suddenly appeared in Lee Tae-sung’s blind spot and thrust his spear like lightning before Lee Tae-sung could react.

Wham!

Rumble!

The impact was huge.

Lee Tae-sung barely blocked the attack, but Jo Min-woo kept using Ghost Walk, appearing in Lee Tae-sung’s blind spot again and again.

Wham!

Wham! Wham! Wham!

Spear Demon Jo Min-woo.

A-rank hunters each had their own special weapon. Their skills were well-known, and everyone recognized them, which is how they earned their A-rank status.

The A-rank level was full of monsters, each as strong as a one-person army. No matter how much Lee Tae-sung had improved, Jo Min-woo had reached A-rank years ago.

Flash.

Wham! Wham! Wham!

He pushed Lee Tae-sung into a corner, not hiding his desire to kill him.

Even though it was supposed to be a test, Jo Min-woo clearly wanted to kill Lee Tae-sung.

Pat.

“Kugh.”

His forearm was cut.

Lee Tae-sung’s body was covered in blood from Jo Min-woo’s attacks. Even with his training in the Asura Sword Technique and Asura Heart Method, Lee Tae-sung couldn’t perfectly block Jo Min-woo’s attacks.

A fight isn’t just about skills.

No matter how amazing the techniques he had learned, he couldn’t close the gap with the A-rank hunter Jo Min-woo so quickly.

‘Damn it,’ Lee Tae-sung thought, his insides burning.

If he lost, the direct unit would be taken apart.

That was unacceptable. In this dangerous world, the direct unit was essential for Kim Jun-hyuk to achieve his goals.

Wham.

Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham!

The attacks rained down. Jo Min-woo’s spear controlled every direction.

Grit.

He gritted his teeth. Now that his opponent had shown his murderous intent, he knew he could only win by risking his own life.

‘I have to end this with one blow,’ he thought.

The situation was dangerous, but Lee Tae-sung’s eyes calmed down.

Some people called Lee Tae-sung a genius. He wasn’t a successor or a chosen one, and he didn’t have any special background, but he had reached B-rank through his own power.

So, what would happen if he learned the Asura Heart Method and Asura Sword Technique?

It was a technique that had turned even the ordinary Kang Min-ho into a C-rank.

For a month, Lee Tae-sung had practiced not only basic training but also adding the new techniques to his skills.

He sheathed his two swords and waited for the moment when his opponent was right in front of him.

In a flash, Lee Tae-sung moved faster than the eye could see and drew both swords at once.

‘Asura Sword Technique, Draw Sword!’

Flash.

It was like the air itself ripped open.

Jo Min-woo’s face, full of murderous intent, was now filled with shock.

Fuwash.

Blood spurted out like a fountain. Jo Min-woo’s head flew off.

Creak.

The smithy door opened, and Roman Dmitry, his upper body bare, stepped out and took a deep breath of the fresh air.

“You’ve worked hard,” Kim Jun-hyuk said.

He was surprised to see Roman Dmitry’s bare upper body. His muscles, red from hard work, were so detailed they looked unreal.

Roman Dmitry calmly put on the coat Kim Jun-hyuk handed him and asked, “Has anything unusual happened?”

“…A problem has come up.”

A little while ago, news had reached the Incheon government. Kim Jun-hyuk immediately gathered troops and visited the smithy first because it was the time Roman Dmitry had predicted.

Kim Jun-hyuk explained, “To keep their promise to you, Roman Dmitry, thirty members of the direct unit, including leader Lee Tae-sung, applied for the promotion test. However, it seems investigator Moon Tae-joon interfered, and all the test opponents used lethal moves. Lee Tae-sung killed his opponent, A-rank hunter Jo Min-woo. As you know, the death of an A-rank hunter is a problem that can’t be ignored. All promotion tests have been stopped, and Lee Tae-sung has been arrested by the central government on charges of murder.”

Jo Min-woo’s death must have been unexpected for Moon Tae-joon. Losing Jo Min-woo was a big loss, and they would have to pay for it. So, they took Lee Tae-sung away. Because Lee Tae-sung was from Incheon, which was fighting against the central government, they couldn’t ignore what happened.

But Roman Dmitry didn’t seem worried.

“Does that mean the direct unit passed my test?” he asked.

“…That’s right,” Kim Jun-hyuk confirmed.

“Guide me to Seoul,” Roman Dmitry ordered.

He took the first step. Kim Jun-hyuk, unable to hide his surprise, heard Roman Dmitry’s voice.

“The direct unit is now my people. Now, I will keep my promise to them.”

Instantly, Kim Jun-hyuk felt goosebumps. He didn’t know why, but Roman Dmitry’s calm voice made the problem seem insignificant.

Kim Jun-hyuk hurried after him, shouting, “I understand. I will guide you.”

They would go to Seoul, the capital of Korea, which was seen as the enemy camp by the people of Incheon. But Kim Jun-hyuk wasn’t so afraid anymore.