The Heavenly Demon Does Home Repairs

“Undead?”

[Danger level 25. They are corpses of humans who have died, but due to a curse, they now move, craving flesh and blood. Though their movements are slow due to stiff joints, be careful of their teeth and claws as they contain corpse poison.]

The dozens of corpses approaching from the hallway let out hoarse groans as they slowly shuffled forward. Their decayed skin exposed patches of bone, and a foul stench wafted from their bodies.

“Jiangshi,” the Heavenly Demon murmured.

Having mastered the dark arts, the Heavenly Demon was well-versed in corpse manipulation and exorcism techniques. Realizing that these undead were created using corpse manipulation sorcery, his eyes darkened.

“So even monsters from the martial world appear here.”

The dungeon, which was said to bring forth monsters from other worlds, apparently included creatures from the martial world as well.

[There’s no need to engage them. The undead move too slowly to keep up with your speed, Heavenly Demon.]

“I am the sky of the demonic path and the grandmaster of the demonic sect. How could I leave behind these vengeful spirits, cursed and unable to rest?”

The Heavenly Demon bit his index and middle fingers, drawing blood, and began tracing a large diagram and incantations on the hallway floor.

Ssss…

As he completed the final stroke, a radiant orange light burst forth from the blood-drawn diagram and incantations.

[Heavenly Demon.]

Without another word, the Heavenly Demon turned and walked back outside. Nameless quickly followed after him.

[Why are you going back outside?]

Lowering himself, the Heavenly Demon struck the corner of the dilapidated building with great force.

“Rising Wind, Soaring Dragon!”

Crash!

Despite the powerful strike that could shatter granite, the building didn’t budge. Though it appeared to be a crumbling structure, its durability matched that of the dungeons, covered in bronze-like metal.

[No matter how dilapidated it looks, this is still a dungeon.]

“Is that so?”

The Heavenly Demon looked down at his hands. With his inner energy gone, no matter how powerful his body was, he lacked the strength to destroy a dungeon.

[Even a rank-1 awakener cannot destroy a dungeon, no matter what skill they use.]

“Impossible? You dare say something is impossible…”

In an instant, a fiery red glow erupted from the Heavenly Demon’s eyes.

The Heavenly Demon, who had broken every limit that others claimed was impossible, could not accept such a statement.

Crack.

A strange sound emanated from his tightly clasped hands.

Vooom.

At the same time, a low hum, like the sound of a soul being obliterated, began to shake the ground.

“Great Demonic Power!”

The Heavenly Demon had created a technique that unleashed the body’s latent potential, rather than relying on inner energy, while he was in the demonic realm. It was a power he had never needed to use, thanks to his immense inner energy.

This was the Great Demonic Power.

Thump. Thump.

Veins bulged all over the Heavenly Demon’s body, and his bloodshot eyes shone with a crimson glow.

“Seven Fists of the Demonic Path, Extreme Thunder Fusion!”

With all his might, he unleashed a punch, sending a swirling blue flame toward the building.

Boom!

With a thunderous explosion that shook the heavens and earth, the towering ruin in front of him crumbled instantly.

Rumble.

As white dust billowed up, the dungeon collapsed into the ground and disappeared.

[Adjusting your awakening rank to…]

Nameless, as if malfunctioning, emitted a series of low mechanical beeps, unable to complete its sentence.

Just then—

Screeeech.

A sharp, piercing sound echoed from somewhere far in the sky. Hovering above the collapsed dungeon was a massive creature. The Heavenly Demon squinted to get a better look. Its golden feathers shimmered, and it had three sharp claws and three wings—a monstrous bird.

“What is that?”

Nameless’s mechanical beeping continued before it responded.

[It’s the Samjok-o Queen. One of the hidden monsters whose danger level and traits are still unknown.]

“A hidden monster?”

[These monsters appear when certain conditions are met. Hidden monsters can roam freely outside the dungeon, much like those in variable dungeons, and they are highly likely to carry valuable relics.]

“Relics, huh?”

[Heavenly Demon, you’ve triggered the appearance condition for the hidden monster in this ruined dungeon. You can register this discovery under your name, and the association will reward you.]

Though he didn’t fully understand, it sounded like a reward for making a new discovery.

The Heavenly Demon had no reason to refuse. Still staring at the gleaming Samjok-o Queen, he nodded.

“Fine. Register it under my name.”

[Registration denied. Unregistered awakeners cannot add entries to the monster compendium.]

“I see.”

The Heavenly Demon nodded without hesitation. This world was just a temporary stop for him, after all.

[Samjok-o Queen is a monster with an unmeasurable danger level. I suppose advising you to retreat would be pointless.]

“Of course.”

[Then please avoid directly destroying the monster’s body if possible. The valuable relic inside may be damaged.]

Realizing that the Heavenly Demon’s power exceeded that of a rank-1 awakener, Nameless seemed to have given up on offering further combat advice.

“I’ll try.”

The Heavenly Demon clenched his fists as he looked up at the Samjok-o Queen.

“Great Demonic Power!”

Woosh.

Tapping into his Great Demonic Power, a red mist began to rise around his body, amplifying his natural strength to the fullest.

Thump. Thump.

Veins bulged across his entire body, and the red mist enveloped him, making him appear like a demonic king wreathed in flames.

Screeech!

Sensing the Heavenly Demon’s murderous intent, the Samjok-o Queen glared down at him with its glowing golden eyes, screeching arrogantly.

“Come at me, monster.”

As if responding to his challenge, the Samjok-o Queen’s eyes flashed with golden light.

Screeeech!

With a sharp cry, the Samjok-o Queen shot toward the Heavenly Demon like a streak of golden light, aiming for his head.

“Good.”

Watching the ferocious Samjok-o Queen descend from the heavens, the Heavenly Demon crouched, his fists clenched tightly.

“Seven Fists of the Demonic Path, Rising Wind, Soaring Dragon!”

The golden light descending from the sky collided with the crimson light shooting up from the ground.

Boom!

With a thunderous explosion, golden feathers scattered everywhere. The Samjok-o Queen had been obliterated mid-air by the Heavenly Demon’s Rising Wind, Soaring Dragon technique.

Thud.

As the Heavenly Demon landed, he sighed, watching the golden feathers scatter in the air.

“It seems… I can’t control this like inner energy.”

Shaking his head, he reached out to pick up three of the most radiant, multicolored feathers that stood out among the scattering plumes.

“I’ll take these.”

[Mission accomplished: You have obtained three Samjok-o feathers. Would you like to return to the store?]

The Heavenly Demon nodded, and Nameless projected a map.

[Then I will guide you back through the hidden passage on the rooftop, as set by Jang Chaewon.]

With a buzzing sound, Nameless whirled around and began leading the way.

[Is this what they call karma?]

“What do you mean?”

[The Samjok-o King has appeared. The condition for its appearance is the destruction of the Samjok-o Queen in a single strike.]

In the sky, a massive black bird shimmered ominously, silently hovering high above. Its presence was so discreet that even the keenly perceptive Heavenly Demon hadn’t noticed it.

Had it not been for Nameless, who could detect monsters in all directions, the Heavenly Demon might have been caught off guard.

“It seems you’re proving useful. I almost got ambushed.”

[You thought I was just a simple navigation tool.]

“Indeed.”

[Thank you for acknowledging my usefulness. So, will you deal with the Samjok-o King as well?]

“Not a chance.”

Surprisingly, the Heavenly Demon shook his head. His body was drenched in cold sweat, and his hands trembled slightly.

“The Great Demonic Power… it’s harder on the body than I expected.”

He had never imagined he’d need to use it, let alone that it would have such a toll on his body. Even his indestructible body was straining under the power.

[How long can you keep up a full-speed retreat?]

“About fifteen minutes.”

[Place me on your shoulder.] [I will search for an escape route.]

Nameless scanned the dungeon map, and a blue line appeared on the ground beneath them.

[I’ve calculated a route for you to escape the Samjok-o King’s attack range based on your running speed. When I say run, follow this line.]

The Heavenly Demon nodded, and the moment Nameless gave the signal, he sprinted.

Whoosh.

A sharp sound cut through the air behind him, likely the Samjok-o King diving in for an attack.

Beep. Beep.

Nameless seemed to predict the Samjok-o King’s every move, continuously adjusting the blue path. Though the Heavenly Demon’s breath grew heavy, he gritted his teeth and kept running.

[Head into that building ahead.]

The moment the Heavenly Demon dashed into the abandoned building, the top half of it was blown away with a screeching noise.

Crash!

After crashing into the wall, the Heavenly Demon immediately resumed running along the path outlined by Nameless.

“What… what is that?!”

Screams filled the air ahead. Glancing up, the Heavenly Demon spotted a group of dozens of awakeners gathered in a small building.

He shared their sentiment.

“What is that?”

[That’s a rest stop run by the Awakener Association.]

“A rest stop?”

[It’s a place where awakeners can rest inside dungeons. They can sleep, buy supplies, and get food there.]

As Nameless babbled on, it continued:

[The rest stop is run by awakeners of at least rank 4. But you’re not heading inside—you’re running past it.]

Without stopping to catch his breath, the Heavenly Demon dashed past the rest stop, following the blue line.

A loud crash followed behind him as screams erupted from the rest stop.

“Screeech!”

“What is that thing?! It just destroyed the shield in one blow!”

“It’s a hidden monster! Get ready to attack!”

Glancing back, the Heavenly Demon saw that the rest stop had descended into chaos.

“……”

Watching the scene, the Heavenly Demon felt an unfamiliar emotion stir within him—something he had never experienced before. Though he didn’t realize it, it was the prickling sensation of guilt.

Inside the Bokbok Interior Store.

“Wow! Is this really Samjok-o feathers?”

Sitting at the reception table, Jang Chaewon gawked in astonishment at the colorful Samjok-o Queen’s feathers that the Heavenly Demon had brought.

“Normally, the feathers have a glossy black hue, but these… they shimmer with all sorts of colors. And the energy they carry is far denser too.”

“I’m glad you’re satisfied, store owner.”

“Satisfied? This is beyond amazing! I can make the perfect brush with these! You really worked hard, Cheon—”

As she bounced around like an excited child, Jang Chaewon’s smile faded.

The Heavenly Demon’s expression was tense, and dark circles hung beneath his eyes.

“Wait, are you hurt? Did you get injured in the dungeon?”

“Ah, no.”

The Heavenly Demon forced a smile and shook his head.

“I’m just a bit tired.”

“Of course. You’ve done enough—rest up. I’ll just step out to the general store for a bit.”

“Understood.”

As Jang Chaewon grabbed her bag and joyfully left the store, the Heavenly Demon’s gaze fixed on the TV inside the store.

On the muted screen, an emergency news bulletin was showing scenes of the shattered rest stop and awakeners being felled by the Samjok-o King.

“Today, in the XX District Safe Dungeon Area, the hidden monster Samjok-o King appeared…”

“Authorities are criticizing the Awakener Association’s negligence in managing unregistered awakeners following the destruction of an F-rank dungeon…”

“Mm.”

Watching the news, the Heavenly Demon let out a deep, contemplative hum. Nameless, perched on his shoulder, spoke up.

[It’s fine, Heavenly Demon.]

Nameless’s voice carried an unusual sense of pride.

[With that many people, at least no one will die.]

It was a voice brimming with confidence, proud of having protected its user from harm.