The Heavenly Demon Does Home Repairs

“What is the Demon Steel Chain Sword?” Jang Chaewon asked, confused.

“It is a magical sword worth 5,000 taels of gold. It can slice through metal like tofu and absorb the blood essence of its victims,” the Heavenly Demon replied, proud of the sword’s dark capabilities.

Though the words were clearly spoken in her language, the meaning behind them seemed almost incomprehensible to her.

“It sounds like some sort of cursed, evil item…”

“Don’t worry about that. The monetary value is unquestionable. You’ll be able to sell it for a good price here.”

“Sell it?” Chaewon felt a bad premonition.

“Why would I sell it here? Bring the money directly after selling it yourself!”

“I cannot,” the Heavenly Demon replied flatly.

“What? Why not?” She was getting exasperated.

“I am the Heavenly Demon.”

“So?”

With a solemn expression, the Heavenly Demon gazed up at the ceiling. “How could someone like me, who has conquered the demonic world, negotiate the sale of a sacred weapon passed down by the Divine Demon Emperor?”

Jang Chaewon took a deep breath, trying to keep her sanity intact.

“Can’t you find someone to sell it on your behalf? There must be a way, right?”

“The Demon Steel Chain Sword is one of the forbidden weapons in the martial world. Even if I tried to sell it, there’s no martial artist foolish enough to buy it and risk becoming an outcast.”

“Then what are you suggesting?”

“This is another world, is it not? You can sell it without concern. I’ll give you permission.”

A tense silence hung in the air.

Jang Chaewon discovered a newfound patience within herself as she clenched her teeth.

“Is there nothing else? Like gold or jewels?”

“There is.”

“Then bring those.”

“How could I, the Heavenly Demon, lower myself to such trivial tasks? My subordinates would mock me for it.”

Snap. The last thread of Chaewon’s patience broke.

“Oh, I see. I understand now.”

“Do you?” The Heavenly Demon smiled slightly, thinking she finally grasped the situation.

“Yes, I completely understand now. You’re hopeless.”

Her eyes flashed like blades ready to slice through the air.

“You’re like a Terminator from another world, sent here to drive me insane!”

A terrifying aura surged from Jang Chaewon, one even the Heavenly Demon could not withstand.

‘I’m going to die!’

The energy radiating from her was far beyond what he could handle, and for the first time, he felt regret for not having reached the pinnacle of martial arts yet.

“Wait!” The Heavenly Demon raised his hand, his expression serious.

“If my offer is not acceptable, let’s find another solution.”

Jang Chaewon’s power was immense, and the Heavenly Demon had a growing desire to surpass her. He wanted to reach the level where he could shake the heavens and earth like she could. This yearning forced him to contemplate, for the first time, the concepts of “persuasion” and “negotiation.”

“Ahem.” He cleared his throat, looking into her fiery eyes.

“What’s important here is compensation, correct? I am willing to compensate you sincerely.”

Slowly, the rage in Chaewon’s eyes began to subside.

“Alright then, how will you compensate me?”

“For now, immediate monetary compensation isn’t possible. But I can handle tasks that are equivalent to it.”

The Heavenly Demon spoke confidently, “I possess knowledge of 108,000 demonic techniques, which means I can still accomplish many things, even without internal energy.”

“Tasks…?”

“That’s right,” he said, his voice sly. “If there’s something you find difficult to deal with… I can take care of it discreetly.”

Jang Chaewon paused, considering her options.

“Alright. Then you’ll work at my shop until you’ve repaid the 100 million won.”

She pointed her long finger directly at his stone-faced expression.

“Use whatever skills you have. I don’t care. Just make sure you work until you’ve paid off your debt.”

“Work… at the shop? You mean handling those divine requests?”

“Are you crazy? There’s no way I’d let you handle something that important. No, you’ll be doing regular renovation work.”

“Renovation? Are you telling me, the Heavenly Demon, to become a carpenter?”

“Something like that. Carpentry is involved.”

“Hahaha!”

The Heavenly Demon laughed so hard that his eyes gleamed red like mist swirling around him.

Though he had no desire to die without reaching the highest realms of martial arts, he also had no intention of living in disgrace.

“You jest.”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

“Are you seriously going to have me work as a laborer?”

“You can’t even be a laborer right away. This work takes years of practice to master.”

“Years? How long does it take to learn?”

Jang Chaewon smirked. “Do you have any idea how long it takes to master this trade? Even the most talented individuals need at least three years to become skilled at renovation.”

“Hahaha! Three years to master something as trivial as house renovations?”

Her eyes flared in response to his derision.

“You think house renovations are trivial?”

“The techniques involved may be challenging for ordinary people, but I am the Heavenly Demon. Do not compare me to people with insignificant talent.”

His nonchalant statement hit her pride directly.

“Insignificant talent?” she spat.

“Exactly. You said it takes three years to master? I’ll finish in one day.”

With a smirk, he added, “I am the one and only genius who has mastered all the martial arts of the demonic path. A task like this is nothing.”

The Heavenly Demon had indeed spent just over ten years mastering the 108,000 demonic techniques stored in the Demon Arsenal, achieving perfection in each one. He was a prodigy who had reached the pinnacle of martial arts, unmatched by anyone else.

“Genius?” Chaewon let out a scoff at his boastful expression.

“You’re saying you’ll learn everything in one day? What if you fail?”

“As I said, I am the Heavenly Demon.”

“So, if you fail to master it in one day, what will you do?”

“I’ll accept your earlier proposal. I’ll work for you without complaint for three years.”

The Heavenly Demon’s eyes flashed with confidence.

“But if I succeed in one day?”

“Fine. If you do it in one day, I’ll erase your 100 million won debt.”

“Hahaha! I like your spirit.”

Although Chaewon looked like a young girl, she had the composure and boldness of a battle-hardened veteran.

The Heavenly Demon bared his fangs in a confident smile.

“Let’s begin immediately.”

A white truck loaded with flooring materials screeched to a halt in front of a residential area.

With a click, the doors opened, and Jang Chaewon and the Heavenly Demon stepped out.

“Where is this?” The Heavenly Demon gazed up at the red brick apartment building.

“This is where you’ll lay the flooring.”

“Flooring?”

“Just follow me.”

Jang Chaewon unlocked the door to a two-room apartment, revealing an empty living room.

“I’ll show you once. No complaints, right?”

“Of course.”

“Good. Watch closely.”

She pulled out a tape measure and began measuring the room.

“This room is 3,400 millimeters wide and 3,500 millimeters long. Since the flooring is 1,800 millimeters wide, you’ll need two layers.”

Chaewon took out a utility knife and began unwrapping the flooring material, a type of linoleum.

“This is monorium, a flooring material. Its price depends on the thickness. Got it?”

“I understand.”

Though he said so, his expression wasn’t exactly enthusiastic. ‘Is this what I have to do now?’

“Now, watch carefully as I cut the material to size.”

Jang Chaewon skillfully measured and cut the flooring, explaining each step. After removing the old flooring and sweeping the floor clean, she applied glue to the surface.

“This is a special adhesive for flooring. It’s not as simple as just spreading it.”

She expertly spread the adhesive with a tool, ensuring an even application, before laying the new flooring.

Finally, she cut the overlapping edges and applied bonding solution to make the seams seamless.

“See? Can you do it?”

“Such a simple task hardly deserves to be called a skill.”

“What did you say?” Chaewon’s eyes flared up.

“If it’s so simple, let’s see you do it.”

“Fine. Watch closely.”

The Heavenly Demon began ripping up the old flooring with ease, his strength making it look effortless.

He then grabbed the adhesive and haphazardly started applying it.

However, unlike Chaewon’s smooth, even application, the adhesive clumped up in uneven globs.

“You call this simple? You can’t even spread glue properly,” she taunted.

“Patience. I’ll get it done.”

Next, he started laying down the flooring, but it quickly wrinkled, resembling the sagging belly of an old donkey.

Chaewon couldn’t help but laugh.

“I didn’t think it was possible, but you’ve managed to mess this up spectacularly.”

The Heavenly Demon responded stoically, “As long as the floor is covered, what does it matter?”

“Are you joking? This is nowhere near acceptable!”

“Function is what matters. In the demonic arts, practicality is valued over appearance.”

“What kind of nonsense is that? Didn’t you say you could copy any skill just by seeing it once?”

Chaewon scoffed as she eyed the mess before her.

“You call yourself a genius? In your world, is mediocrity called genius?”

“Hmm.” The Heavenly Demon couldn’t figure out what had gone wrong. He could master the most complicated martial arts with ease, so why was he struggling with something so simple?

‘Is it because I’m in another world? Or because my internal energy is depleted?’

He couldn’t find the answer yet, but his pride as the greatest martial artist was intact.

“I’m better with swords than with knives.”

“Huh?”

“And I’m better with spears than fists, though now, without my internal energy, I must rely on my bare hands.”

“What are you rambling about now?”

“Like martial arts, everything has its proper tool. This task is clearly not my calling.”

The Heavenly Demon’s eyes gleamed as he faced Chaewon. “Give me another job.”

As the day went on, the Heavenly Demon tried his hand at several tasks. However, the shocking realization dawned on him—he had no talent for renovation work.

“This cannot be!”

The Heavenly Demon fell to his knees, clutching his head in despair.

“I have mastered the most difficult martial arts, achieving the highest level in demonic cultivation. How can I be defeated by something as trivial as manual labor?”

“Watch what you say,” Chaewon scolded, crossing her arms.

“So, no more excuses, right? From now on, you’ll start with demolition and cleaning until you get the hang of things.”

“Demolition? Cleaning? What are you talking about?”

“Did you forget the bet?”

Chaewon grinned and leaned in close.

“You said you’d work for three years if you failed, remember?”

Her smile resembled that of a devil emerging from the depths of hell, ready to claim his soul.