The Demon Way

“Minji-ssi. I like you. Will you go out with me?”

While Minji was eating a bowl of ramyeon in a Seoul restaurant, Jung-won asked her for a date that afternoon.

Minji froze her chopsticks and noodles below her mouth. She looked at Jung-won with a disgusted expression. “Oppa, I’m holding my stomach, and this is a public place. Don’t you know how to be romantic?”

Some high school girls near their table were giggling and stealing a glance at them.

Jung-won tried to be sarcastic because he wouldn’t allow his pride to be hurt, “You were so cute, and we have been friends for a long time. What’s wrong with that?”

Minji sighed. She put back her curly noodles. “Oppa, is that the only reason? It isn’t because I’m the only woman who is kind to a virgin like you, right?”

The corner of Jung-won’s lip twitched.

“Forget it. You make me embarrassed, Oppa. A B-rank hunter like me dates a USELESS F-rank like you? Let’s just be friends.”

“Ha! Are you saying that people without those supernatural powers aren’t worth anything?”

For some reason, Minji's gaze became fierce. “Oppa, USELESS people are never worth anything. Do you know what is 'useless'? Is not hard working or caring for your family. But those who ONLY yap and disturb everyone else.”

“Who doesn’t know that?”

Minji sighed again. She stood up and said, “Oppa, I have lost my appetite.”

She walked away. But before she got lost from Jung-won’s sight, she said, “Disgusting.”

***

“Rock Throwing!”

Jung-won said enthusiastically. He didn’t chant a skill, he only used his pure strength to smash a green slime monster in front of him. But it worked. The rock sliced the slime and killed it. Well, green slimes were F-rank monsters anyway, they weren’t different from ordinary animals.

To think you made up a skill, and thus you could look like a cool hunter. Although you are a weak, hopeless F-rank who only has a single awakened skill at this time.

You are so pitiful, man!

“[Triple Invisible Slashes]!”

As Minji said that, three green slimes in front of her were cut in half, and their body leaped into the air. It didn’t seem like Minji unsheathed her katana─she just held her katana grip and sheath with her hands and a cool pose, a pose with a piercing gaze.

She smiled and said, “This F-rank dungeon is no big deal. Right, Oppa?”

What a bitch. Why do you have to be competitive about it? Jung-won is already a loser, man!

Jung-won chuckled. But it looked like something pierced his fragile heart. Thus, he forced a smile.

Hmm… what was your awakened skill, Jung-won? [Professional Freeloader]?

Man, I forgot your skill tree. But no problem, I will solve it today!

Jung-won crouched. He took out a branch of a tree and a newspaper page from his black backpack. Then he pushed his branch into a dead slime’s body and wrapped its body with the newspaper page. That way, the slime carcass could be collected without losing even a single drop of its sticky body.

Those slime carcasses then could be processed into an anti-aging lotion. Therefore, it was quite expensive, and Jung-won didn’t want to miss even a single drop.

Ah, I remember. You needed some money to buy a weapon at this time, Jung-won.

But then, why did this bitch tag along? Just to humiliate Jung-won? She was a C-rank at this time, after all. She didn’t need anything in this dungeon. Or did she want to look young?

Sonmon tilted his body and touched Jung-won’s neck.

“Oh,” Jung-won responded, “the green slime carcasses can give us quite a lot of cash, Sonmon. They are the ingredients of Seol anti-aging lotions. I can buy a good weapon with these.”

Ah, my memory serves me right. Right?

Minji stopped. She pondered for a while. Then she said, “Oppa, I think we have collected enough slime carcasses. Shall we go back?”

“There is no need to fight the boss. Thank you for your help, Minji-ssi,” Jung-won replied.

She chuckled and said, “We are close, Oppa. You don’t need to be formal.”

Bluerrrgh! As if this woman wants to be close with you, Jung-won!

“Okay then, let’s go back, Oppa.” Minji turned around and walked ahead again because she also took the tank role. Although it was probably unnecessary to have that role in an easy dungeon like that.

Should I bitch-slap this woman, Jung-won?

Not only did she humiliate and turn you into a no-life, but her inferiority complex always gave you an unpleasant memory. People also scorned you because you had such a fragile heart rather than trying to comfort you.

You are so pitiful, Jung-won!

Sonmon rubbed his head to Jung-won’s neck and made a low-spirited noise, “Ku…?” He also slowly closed his eyes but then quickly opened them as if he was sleepy.

“Sonmon, are you sleepy?” Jung-won asked.

Sonmon nodded.

“Do you mind sleeping inside my backpack? I’m afraid I would drop you if I held you in my arms. We are in a dungeon after all.”

That’s my plan, Jung-won. Sonmon nodded again.

“Okay, wait a minute.” Jungwon grabbed his backpack and opened it. He held Sonmon gently and put Sonmon inside his backpack after he rummaged his backpack to make a comfy space for Sonmon. He also didn’t zip it completely because he didn’t forget to let Sonmon breathe fresh air.

Yeah, although you are a sarcastic bastard, I know you have such a gentle heart, Jung-won.

So let me give this bitch a lesson.

As soon as Jung-won walked again, Sonmon made a mess inside the backpack to find a green slime carcass. Jung-won wouldn’t think Sonmon did something suspicious because he already said he was sleepy.

After Sonmon found one carcass, he unwrapped its newspaper page and swallowed the carcass. Then he transformed into a green slime with his awakened skill, [Mimicry].

Afterward, Sonmon jumped out of the backpack and dashed toward Minji so fast.

“Kyaa!” Minji screamed when Sonmon wrapped her blue formal shirt with a big, sticky green body. She immediately ducked and hugged her breasts!

“Minji-ssi!” Jung-won took out another branch of a tree and ran off toward Minji. “Where the hell did that slime come from??”

But it was too late, with the infamous sticky and melting attack, Sonmon melted Minji’s shirt!

Kekekeke! Let’s humiliate this bitch, Jung-won!

But hmm… am I too far? Nah, she deserves it, man! An eye for an eye!

In the blink of an eye, Sonmon jumped back and went to Jung-won’s backpack again. That was possible because round demons had high agility, especially when they, well, rolled.

“Do-don’t look!” Minji’s legs made the shape of a W on the ground. That was cute. But she closed her eyes and trembled.

“Minji-ssi, are you okay?” Jung-won took off his black long coat. He put it on Minji’s shoulders. “It’s okay, Minji-ssi, I will walk in front of you, so no one can see you after we go outside.”

“T-thank you, Oppa.” Although she was trembling, she slowly stood up and took a glance at Jung-won. She smiled. Jung-won also smiled.

Fuck. Did my genius plan backfire? Did they get closer??

Ah, whatever, man!

Thus, they slowly walked out of the dungeon, and their dungeon exploration became successful with a sweet note.

***

“Haha, didn’t you feel it, Sonmon? I think Minji-ssi and I were getting closer,” Jung-won said with a bright face as soon as he closed his Goshiwon door.

Yuck.

Jung-won sat on his bed, held Sonmon on his shoulder, and raised Sonmon into the air with both hands. Goshiwon was Seoul’s cheapest and smallest room for rent. It was very crumpled. Jung-won also didn’t bother to clean his room, so Sonmon could see the mess in that 70 square feet room.

“Oh, are you hungry, Sonmon?” Jung-won put Sonmon on the desk, which was right in front of his bed. “I will prepare a kimchi for us,” he said as he was going to open the door. Goshiwon didn’t have a private restroom and kitchen, but it was relatively cheap, no need to pay for electricity and gas. It was about 400K won (300 USD) per month.

Sonmon tried to bend his body, but since his body was round, he was like tilting his body instead. He looked sad. He pondered about what he needed to do.

Even when you got the chance to regress, you weren’t excited to save Dona-ssi, Jung-won. But you were excited about your favorite manhwa. So I think even if Minji didn’t reject and humiliate you, you would still be a no-life, right?

Sonmon gazed at Jung-won's back fondly as Jung-won grabbed the door knob.

Jung-won… do I have to kill you and steal your [No-life] skill tree?

But if I don’t kill you, are you going to give me a false hope to save Dona-ssi?

Even in this cheap room, we ate kimchi together with a smile on our faces back then.

You also gave me your only blanket when it was so cold that night. You said that you have a thick skin.

We also sang a K-pop song together like an idiot and disturbed our neighbor because we got a lot of money at that time, through that shady coin investment.

You also walked me like a dog, so I wouldn’t get bored.

Jung-won…

Do I have to kill you?

“Jung-won, do you want to be the strongest hunter in the world?” Sonmon asked.

Jung-won jolted. He released the door knob. He chuckled and said, “I thought you were a useless monster, Sonmon. Looks like at least you can talk.”

Jung-won turned around and said, “Why bother? Don’t we all just want a comfortable life? Less working, but more money.”

“What if you can save someone’s life when you are the strongest?” Sonmon said, but he still didn’t look at Jung-won.

“Ha. Is that person my girlfriend or someone important to me? Are you asking me to be the hero of justice, a pushover? Is this a demonic whispering? You look like a demon after all.”

Yeah, sarcastic bastard. I’m the Son of Demon, Sonmon! And I don’t feel bad about killing you anyway. I have no warmth, unlike humans.

Sonmon revealed his teeth while he smiled, “Jung-won. Sorry.”

Sonmon made a huge mouth and swallowed Jung-won's head because he thought he had no other choice. It was the most effective, although he thought he would be sad or depressed about it when he became a human with Jung-won’s body.

But that wasn’t a problem. Because he was still a demon anyway.