-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Man's Best Fiend
-----------------------------------------------------------------
For a brief moment, the hunter from the Anti-Bureau Alliance and Kang-jun’s eyes met in mid-air.
Presently, the man managed to move his lips with great difficulty and continue speaking.
“I… I was wrong…”
“And?”
“P-Please spare me…”
Kang-jun nodded a few times and began to approach him with slow, deliberate steps.
“To be honest, I was sick of it all and just wanted to live a normal life. Without sticking my neck out, without drawing attention if I could help it, just quietly…”
Kang-jun soon arrived in front of him and crouched down.
Then, he gripped the chin of the man, who was trembling like a leaf.
“I don’t know why something so simple is already hitting a snag…”
At that same moment, Kang-jun’s eyes began to turn red.
The Evil Eye.
It was a high-level illusion technique that manipulated the mind of anyone who met his gaze, forcing them to see ‘horrific visions.’
Of course, it had a crucial restriction: it could only be cast on those with an overwhelmingly lower level of power…
“Ugh, uh, gaaah…”
The hunter from the Anti-Bureau Alliance suddenly rolled his eyes back, foamed at the mouth, and began to writhe on the floor.
Only faint breaths and pained moans escaped his parched lips.
He was currently trapped in a vision, surrounded by twelve demons, being stabbed in the stomach with a knife for days on end.
Kim Bong-gu, who had been silently watching the scene, swallowed dryly without realizing it.
‘Wh-What in the world is going on…?’
From his perspective, unaware of the details, it was an utterly incomprehensible sight.
All they had done was make eye contact for a moment.
If he could subdue an ‘A-rank Hunter’ with just that…
‘Who… who is that man…?’
Just then, Kang-jun glanced back at Kim Bong-gu and asked.
“Wow, you’re holding up pretty well.”
“You don’t want to end up like him, do you?”
It was a struggle to even form a response.
Kim Bong-gu simply gave a slow nod, answering the question…
“Then keep your mouth shut.”
At those words, Crabslie carefully interjected.
“My Lord. Forgive my presumption, but would it not be better to kill him and silence him completely?”
“It’s fine. I’ve placed a binding spell on him, so it should be okay.”
“In that case, it seems all that remains is to summon a demon and find a way out of here.”
“Right. And if that demon thing won’t listen, we’ll just kill it and find our own way out.”
Finishing his words, Kang-jun gestured lightly toward the altar, and two skeletons strode forward.
They firmly seized the arms of the Anti-Bureau Alliance hunter, who was still rolling on the floor in agony.
As the man continued to struggle and let out pained moans, they dragged him to the altar and laid him upon it.
“Kill him.”
One of the skeletons raised its sword high…
*Stab—!*
*Stab—!*
*Stab—!*
It stabbed the hunter’s chest several times in succession.
Just as the sticky blood began to flow from his chest, soaking the altar…
*Fwoosh—!*
A black flame ignited on the wick of the last remaining candle, beginning to burn with ferocious intensity…
*Rumble—!*
The entire chapel began to shake as if it would collapse at any moment.
“What a dramatic entrance.”
Kang-jun muttered in displeasure and began to stare intently at the giant demon statue.
It was from that statue that an ominous energy had begun to emanate.
For a moment, a dark mist reminiscent of a poisonous fog filled the hall.
From beyond it, a voice so unpleasant it sent shivers down the spine began to be heard.
[ For hundreds of years, I have not forgotten the humiliation of that day for even a single moment. On that day, I could only watch helplessly as my brethren died… ]
The rage in the voice seemed to grow stronger.
[ Even with the brothers who barely escaped with their lives, I had no choice but to part ways, promising to reunite on some unknown day in the future… ]
The chilling voice was so saturated with a dreadful grudge that it felt as if it would overflow.
The voice did not dissipate easily, instead continuing to echo through the chapel.
[ After losing my power in the battle with him, I have endured days of humiliation. I became a weak fugitive, wandering through dimensions, but I persevered through it all with the sole determination to somehow survive and exact my revenge upon him… ]
A loud rumbling sound echoed as the chapel began to shake even more violently…
[ At last, having recovered a portion of my power, I have arrived in this unfamiliar dimension, summoned by your call. ]
It was then.
[ Who are you—? ]
As the thundering voice spread, a chillingly vivid red gleam began to shine from within the dense fog.
[ Who dares to propose a deal with me, Marbas, one of the 72 demons, a prominent power in the demonic realm, known by the name ‘Guardian of Hell’—? ]
Presently, the thick fog cleared, revealing the owner of the grotesque voice in all his overwhelming presence.
A stature of at least four meters, the head of a dog on a muscular human body…
The demon of overwhelming appearance spoke once more.
[ You have brought me to a place perfectly suited for stockpiling power and building my forces to plot my revenge. I shall graciously accept your deal—! ]
Just as the great demon Marbas finished speaking and let out a hearty laugh, “Khahahaha—!”…
“Ah, I remember now.”
A voice from his feet cut his laughter short.
‘Huh…?’
It was a voice that remained distinct in his mind even after hundreds of years.
The demon gulped and slowly shifted its gaze down to its feet—.
“The one who ran away first.”
His eyes met Kang-jun’s, who was greeting him with a bright smile. At that moment, Marbas’s eyes widened to the size of saucers.
[ I-Immortal…? ]
Kang-jun, on the other hand, was acting as if he had just reunited with a long-lost friend.
“Wow, you really do see things if you live long enough, huh? How did you and I end up meeting here? Now that I see your face, I almost feel happy to see you…”
The great demon Marbas was speechless for a moment, his lips just quivering…
[ Wh-Why are you in such a pathetic, backwater dimension…? ]
“This is my hometown.”
[ My apologies, on second thought, it seems to be a truly wonderful dimension. ]
The great demon Marbas trembled and muttered, “Ah, hell…”
He wiped away the cold sweat that had instantly beaded on his forehead with the back of his hand and thought.
‘I’m… so screwed…’
Even during his prime, he hadn't been able to exchange more than a few blows before being forced to flee.
Now, having not yet recovered the power he had back then, his chances of winning a fight against the Immortal were practically zero.
No…
This was the man the 72 demons couldn't defeat even when they combined all their strength.
For now, he had to survive this crisis by any means necessary, then find his scattered brethren, join forces, and…
Plotting revenge in the distant future seemed to be the only viable option.
‘Right, it can’t end like this!’
The very next moment.
*Thud—!*
The giant demon immediately dropped to its knees, bowed its head, and spoke in a servile tone.
[ O, great King of Death—! ]
“Just talk normally.”
[ Please spare my life! ]
He then continued in a groveling tone.
[ I was merely brought here forcibly by a summoning spell! I had absolutely no intention of invading the home dimension of the great Immortal! ]
“Is that so?”
[ If you would just show me mercy this one time, I swear I will never appear before you again. I will lock myself away in a far-off dimension and live out the rest of my days in hiding… ]
Just as Marbas was about to continue…
“Alright, I get it.”
[ Pardon…? ]
“You can go.”
He held no particular grudge against him, and the demon had completely lost its will to fight, pathetically begging for its life.
‘I’ll just let him go and head home.’
He thought he should probably give his sister a call as soon as he got outside.
Just then, Marbas slammed his forehead against the floor once more and answered in a booming voice.
[ I-I am eternally grateful—! ]
He then got back to his feet, cleared his throat with a “ahem, hem,” and glanced around before timidly speaking.
[ O, Immortal, if I may, might this humble servant take his leave now…? ]
Kang-jun gave a nod in response, then turned around and picked up the gym bag he had tossed on the floor.
“Oh, right.”
He muttered under his breath, then added.
“Hey, hold on a sec.”
A passage from the ‘Encyclopedia of Child Rearing’ that he had been reading recently had just come to mind.
‘Pets are of great help to the emotional development of young children.’
And what else was there?
‘Children who grow up with pets have higher IQs and more developed empathy skills compared to those who do not…’
From what he could vaguely recall, it was something along those lines…
After a moment of thought, Kang-jun glanced back at the frozen Marbas and asked.
“Hey, bark.”
[ Excuse me…? ]
“I said, bark.”
Marbas ground his teeth for a moment.
‘Immortal, I will never forget today’s humiliation!’
Then, he began to bark with all his heart and soul.
[ Woof! Woof! Woof woof! Grrrr—! ]
“Put more effort into it.”
[ Grrr! Grrr! Grrrrrrr—! ]
“Wow, you’re good at that.”
[ I-I am honored… ]
At those words, Kang-jun shook his head and replied quietly.
“No, I’m not just saying that. You really sounded like a dog just now.”
He then glanced at Crabslie and asked, “Right?” Crabslie nodded several times in agreement and immediately replied.
“Hoho, indeed. It is quite astonishing how much like a dog he can be.”
Marbas squeezed his eyes shut and lamented.
‘To think that I, one of the 72 demons who ruled over the entire demonic realm, a prominent figure of power, would see the day I suffer such a fate…’
Just then, Kang-jun declared, “You pass,” and asked another question.
“You can transform, can’t you?”
Most demons were known to be skilled at transformation.
The records showed that demons who appeared before humans did so in various different forms.
In particular, transforming into a species similar to their usual form was said to be something they could do at will.
[ Pardon? Into what…? ]
Marbas asked back, his voice laced with anxiety.
“What kind of puppy would a three-year-old girl like?”
Ultimately, his face began to turn ashen.
