-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Gaettongi
-----------------------------------------------------------------
In the dead of night, when everyone was sound asleep.
"Hehehe..."
A Doberman puppy sat, hogging the living room sofa, watching TV with a goofy grin plastered on its face.
Marbas.
He was once a 'Great Demon' who had earned his place among the 72 demons of the demonic realm, wielding immense power and notoriety.
But now, that same Marbas seemed utterly captivated by the charms of a popular, long-running program: rTV's *Animal Farm*.
The episode currently airing told the story of a stray cat that was barely getting by, stealing fish from a seafood restaurant's aquarium.
"Struggling so hard to get by."
Marbas scratched the back of his neck with a hind leg, glancing around the dark living room.
Come to think of it, life had been quite cozy and comfortable since he'd arrived here.
First and foremost, he was provided with rather splendid meals at every feeding time, which he found most agreeable.
'The name of that exquisite dish I tasted this evening... I believe it was called *yangnyeom-galbi*.'
The tender texture of the gently grilled pork, combined with the sweet and savory marinade, was a true delicacy of Earth.
Getting to taste such an outstanding dish at least once a day, it was no exaggeration to say that every day was a continuous delight.
What's more, the Immortal's sister never missed a day, always taking him out for a walk, even if only for a short while...
And whenever he began to feel a bit scruffy, she would meticulously wash him until every inch of his body was clean and fluffy.
"The life of a house pet..."
*Scratch, scratch.*
"Is it really so different from the life of an emperor?"
*Scratch, scratch.*
"This lifestyle... it might just suit my constitution..."
Of course, strictly speaking, to Marbas, Kang-jun was the sworn enemy who had annihilated his entire clan.
That was why, at first, he had planned to watch for an opportunity, and at the first sign of weakness, cut the Immortal's throat and exact revenge for the deep-seated grudge of his clan...
"But this life is so much better."
At least, it was better than the life he'd led as one of the 72 demons of the demonic realm, locked in endless power struggles with his brothers, daggers at each other's throats...
And it was certainly better than the miserable existence he'd endured after his crushing defeat by the Immortal, having lost most of his power and wandering through dimensions as a fugitive...
"This is much, much better."
Besides, the 'Immortal' was an absolute powerhouse, always counted among the top few whenever the strongest beings in the Abyss were named.
To say he'd been reduced to a mere house pet was a blow to his pride, but as is often the case, wasn't life all about perspective?
Looked at another way, he had been acknowledged by the Immortal—perhaps the absolute ruler of the entire Abyss—and had become a member of the imperial family...
"Is this... a promotion?"
Letting out another "Hehe," Marbas began to mutter to himself, his tail wagging gently.
"Hehe, my dear brothers who fell to hell before me. Watch from the fiery pits and writhe with envy as I ascend to greatness..."
No matter how much they prattled on about brotherhood and clan, in reality, they were nothing more than rivals, itching to kill one another, weren't they?
There was no reason to forsake his current peaceful and comfortable life to antagonize the Immortal, a being he couldn't even scratch with his own power.
Of course...
There were moments when the relentless torment from the 'little Immortal'—who had inherited all of the original's viciousness and tenacity—felt like a trial.
It had gotten so bad that just hearing the call of "Puppy-!" was enough to make the fur all over his body stand on end.
And yet, how should I put it?
She pesters and torments me all day long, but on days when she doesn't pay me any attention, I find myself feeling strangely disappointed.
"And when I just watch her quietly, I have to admit, she has her cute moments..."
Like a pet dog taking on the role of a child's guardian, Marbas often found himself hovering around Seol-i, on high alert.
It was because she was so frail and helpless that it was hard to believe she was the Immortal's offspring.
Just today, hadn't he saved her from tumbling off the sofa by stubbornly clamping his jaws on her pant leg?
"Heheh, if it weren't for me, the little Immortal would have suffered a grievous injury today..."
Marbas was itching to report his good deed to the Immortal as soon as possible and receive his praise.
To maintain this peaceful life for as long as possible, he needed to demonstrate just how indispensable he was to the imperial family.
"But why on earth isn't he back yet?"
Marbas muttered with a slight frown, licking his front paw for a moment.
*Beep, beep, beeeep!*
Suddenly, the sound of the front door's electronic lock disengaging echoed, and he snapped his head up like a meerkat.
His two ears were perked, and his tail wagged back and forth.
With his short, not-yet-fully-grown legs, he scurried over with a *pitter-patter*...
"Hey, what are you doing here?"
Kang-jun, who had just returned, asked in confusion. Without sparing Iriel a single glance, Marbas continued.
"Why, I was eagerly awaiting my master's return, of course."
"No, seriously, why are you acting more and more like a dog every day?"
"Did you not command me to act exactly like a real dog?"
Marbas retorted, sounding rather annoyed.
"I am merely carrying out your command with diligence."
"Well, yeah, but..."
"Furthermore, there is a grave matter I must report to you today..."
"What is it?" Kang-jun replied indifferently, striding into the living room. Marbas trotted along behind him.
"Master, it seems you have not yet heard of the terrible tragedy that nearly occurred today."
"What tragedy?"
"The little Immortal nearly fell from the sofa and suffered a grievous injury, but thanks to my quick thinking..."
Kang-jun, who was gulping down a glass of cold water, glanced down at Marbas indifferently and gave a short reply.
"Right, good job."
"Is that all?"
"What else do you want?"
Marbas, who had shrunk back for a moment at Kang-jun's cold reaction, mustered his courage and added.
"If I hadn't acted swiftly, the 'little Immortal' might have suffered an irrecoverable injury..."
Detecting the blatant 'anticipation' in Marbas's eyes, Kang-jun grinned, nodded, and replied.
"So you want to be rewarded for your service."
"That's not exactly it, but..."
"I shall bestow upon you a new name."
Stunned, Marbas could only mutter a soft, "Huh..."
"A new name...?"
With a "snap!" of his fingers, Kang-jun answered matter-of-factly.
"Gaettongi sounds good."
"Gaettongi—!"
"From this day forward, you are 'Gaettongi'."
It was a name he'd considered giving to Crabslie before, but had tucked away after deciding it was a bit too harsh.
Meanwhile...
Marbas, on the other hand, was wagging his short, stubby tail furiously, as if he absolutely adored the name 'Gaettongi'.
"Happy now? Move."
Kang-jun spoke curtly and headed back to the living room, plopping down on the sofa to watch TV...
"Then, if you'll excuse me..."
Marbas—
No.
'Gaettongi'—
"Hehehe..."
Naturally curled up on Kang-jun's lap, wagging his tail gently as he began watching the variety show with him.
Meanwhile.
Iriel, who had been watching the scene in silence, pouted her lower lip in displeasure and turned her head away.
After muttering "Gaettongi, Gaettongi..." a few times, she whispered to herself in a voice only she could hear.
"Hmph, what a desirable name..."
Her tone was brimming with jealousy.
The next day, early in the morning.
"He said he'd be here by eight..."
Checking the time, Kang-jun quickly threw on a shabby tracksuit and opened his door.
He planned to start properly training Bong-gu today to prepare him for his fast-approaching 'advancement evaluation'.
Not only that...
Hadn't he also heard yesterday that the large-scale criminal organization, the Anti-Bureau Alliance, was eagerly targeting Bong-gu?
Starting today, he intended to clear one Gate a day with Bong-gu, putting him through high-intensity, combat-based training.
'Help Bong-gu and make some money...'
It was a perfect plan that killed two birds with one stone.
Just as Kang-jun was walking toward the front door.
"Kang-jun."
Lee Su-bin, busy getting ready for work, called out to him. Kang-jun stopped in his tracks and asked, "What is it?"
"It's nothing much..."
Lee Su-bin then handed Kang-jun a paper bag emblazoned with the large logo of a mobile carrier.
"I figured you should have a cell phone."
At those words, Kang-jun's eyes widened in an instant.
"A cell phone..."
Though he'd never once shown it in front of his sister, it was something he had secretly longed for.
After all, this was a world where everyone—on the streets, on the bus, on the subway—was glued to their phone screens.
And though it was a long time ago and the memory was faint, he vaguely recalled having owned a 'smartphone' himself.
Just as Kang-jun, his face beaming with joy, muttered under his breath, "Family is the best..."
"It might feel a little awkward at first, but if you just fiddle with it in your spare time, you'll get the hang of it quickly."
Kang-jun nodded vigorously in response.
"I'll never, ever forget this."
"Hey, it's just a phone. Don't make such a big deal out of it."
"To be honest, I really, really wanted one."
With that, Kang-jun eagerly started tearing open the packaging...
'If I'd known he'd be this happy, I would've bought it for him sooner.'
Lee Su-bin smiled faintly as she watched him.
Then, Lee Su-bin tilted her head slightly and asked.
"Anyway, are you heading out?"
"Yeah, I'm meeting up with Bong-gu."
Muttering, "Oh, Mr. Bong-gu?" Lee Su-bin nodded, seemingly relieved, and continued.
"I've saved my number in your contacts, so if anything happens, give me a call."
Kang-jun replied with a short "Okay," checked the time, and added.
"Thanks, I'll put it to good use."
"Alright, you should get going."
"I'm off!"
As soon as he left the house, a van parked right in front honked its horn.
"Boss!"
It was a vehicle Bong-gu had rented with his own money for a comfortable ride to the Gate they were tackling today.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Of course, of course."
Kang-jun slid casually into the passenger seat and started clearing his throat, "Ahem, ahem..." as if trying to draw attention to something...
Spotting the latest model phone in Kang-jun's hand, Bong-gu let out a soft "Oh..." of admiration and immediately asked.
"Boss, looks like you got a new phone."
"It just sort of happened."
"Wow, is that the newest Apple phone?"
"My sister bought it, so I don't really know."
Bong-gu briefly turned on the hazard lights and added.
"Boss, let me put my number in for you."
"Go ahead."
"What should I save my name as?"
"Dullahan."
At that, Bong-gu whipped his head around and glared at Kang-jun...
"Lower your eyes."
Quickly defeated, Bong-gu saved his own number as 'Dullahan'.
"Let's see..."
With that, the number of contacts in his phone grew to two.
[ Big Sister ]
[ Dullahan ]
Realizing the narrow scope of his social circle, Kang-jun couldn't help but feel a little bitter, clicking his tongue with a "Tsk."
"By the way, Boss, have you downloaded a messenger app?"
"Can't I just send and receive text messages?"
"Nah, most people use a messenger called 'KaTalk' these days."
After a moment of confusion, Kang-jun handed his phone back as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and Bong-gu skillfully installed the messenger app for him.
"Now, you should take a picture and set it as your 'profile picture' so people can recognize you at a glance. Well, people usually use their best-looking photo."
"Oh..."
"After you've set your profile picture, you can write whatever you want in this 'status message' field. It could be a famous quote, a personal motto, a resolution, a goal, or even just something to introduce yourself."
Kang-jun immediately began to carefully examine Bong-gu's profile picture and status message.
First, he had a family photo that looked quite old set as his profile picture...
And in the status message field was the resolute phrase, 'I am the pillar of my family.'
"Okay, I get it..."
Kang-jun muttered to himself and promptly took a picture using the front-facing camera.
*Click, click.*
Then, with awkward but diligent taps on the screen, he entered a 'status message'...
"Done."
"All done?" Bong-gu asked, immediately checking the profile picture and status message Kang-jun had set.
'Oh my god...'
The moment Bong-gu saw Kang-jun's profile picture, he couldn't help but turn pale.
'Wow, isn't that the high-angle selfie trend from over a decade ago? More importantly, why the black and white filter? It's not a funeral portrait.'
The status message was even more of a spectacle.
- Name.Lee.Kang-jun.Seol-i's.Dad.In.the.past.was.Emperor.of.the.Anux.Continent.These.days.raising.a.kid.is.hard.It's.not.an.easy.job.Also.anyone.who.wants.to.fight.me.text.me.Challenges.are.welcome.but.you.will.not.escape.death.
Did he really not know how to use the spacebar and used periods instead?
No, more than that, this is totally how old people type online.
The kind of typing you'd expect from someone who loves hiking, fishing, and thistle-and-rice bowls...
And besides, what on earth is up with the content?
Just as Bong-gu's mind was reeling with confusion.
"Not bad for a first-timer, right?"
At Kang-jun's question, which was tinged with subtle expectation, Bong-gu hesitated for a moment before forcing a smile and replying.
"As expected of you, it's magnificent..."
In life, don't there come times when a 'white lie' is necessary?
Bong-gu believed this was one of those moments.
Bong-gu let out a long sigh and then, to change the subject, said with exaggerated enthusiasm.
"Well then, since your messenger ID is all set up perfectly, shall we get going toward today's destination? Vroom vroom..."
And with that, the van carrying the two men began to drive smoothly toward today's destination: the 'Bukhansan Unresolved Gate'.
