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After giving the adamant to the broker and receiving the key, I set out with Heukrang to find Heukgu.

“So, where are we supposed to meet Heukgu?”

“Huh? There’s no such place.”

…

I wondered if they were messing with me, but their eyes seemed to be telling the truth.

Heukgu went to get an inn, and Heukrang came to meet the broker. In this vast city, they didn’t even decide where to meet after finishing their tasks.

What’s with these guys?

“Don’t worry, Chief. Heukgu and I are connected.”

“…?”

Is this some racial trait? Heukrang walked confidently ahead.

Not long after, we found Heukgu at the inn.

“Just one night, so 1 silver.”

“1 silver is too little. Let’s make it 4 silver.”

“What? 4 silver?”

“4 silver.”

“The average price is 1 silver! 2 silver, and that’s double the market rate!”

“4 silver.”

“2 silver is double the market rate! Don’t rip me off!”

“4 silver.”

I wondered if the innkeeper was a reincarnated or regressed person from Korea.

“It’s too expensive! Just for one night?”

“4 silver.”

“Fine! Damn it! 4 silver it is!”

“Great! 4 silver! Thank you! 4 silver!”

“Damn it, of all times, the inns are full because of the Lord’s Meeting…”

I don’t know much about inn prices, but judging by Heukgu’s reaction, he definitely got ripped off.

The other demons in the inn didn’t seem to care, so it seemed like they all went through the same process.

“Heukgu! 4 silver? Are you crazy?”

“…You’re here. There’s no other inn left.”

Heukgu, having been ripped off, buried his head in the table in despair.

“We could just go to Satan’s castle.”

“If that were possible, we wouldn’t have needed to look! Who’s spouting such nonsense… Chief?”

Wondering who had made such a nonsensical suggestion, he finally looked up.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“…?”

Heukgu looked back and forth between Heukrang and me, his eyes darting.

Eye darting wasn’t just a technique of Korean Awakened Ones.

It was a technique that spread across the world—no, across dimensions.

It was impossible not to feel a sense of grandeur.

Heukrang briefly explained how he met me.

The fact that he got caught lying showed that they were close.

“…So you know our situation now.”

“You blew all your fortune looking for ruins? Yeah, I know.”

I looked at them with such pity.

To blow a lifetime’s savings on ruins that might not even exist.

Of course, in the end, the ruins did exist, so their gamble paid off.

“Chief! Please help us!”

“…Suddenly?”

I was already thinking of joining their ruin exploration… If they’re bowing their heads like this… I’m all for it.

“Yes! We were thinking of hiring mercenaries… but as you know, we can’t trust demons.”

“But… I have my own tasks right now, so it might be tough.”

“Please, Chief. We’ll give you 10% of the treasure from the ruins!”

“10%?”

Who do they think I am?

Back in Korea, a multi-billion ESP glove is waiting for me.

Suddenly, I lost all desire to go to the ruins.

As a power enthusiast, staying home seems best.

“Fine! Half! I’ll give you half!”

“…Half?”

Well, people need to be active.

Staying home for five days straight is no good.

“Let’s go.”

“…Opportunist.”

“What?”

“A gift! I meant to give you half of the treasure as a gift.”

“So half is my share, and the other half is a gift, so it’s all mine?”

“…Huh?”

“Just kidding.”

“Ha, haha, hahaha, good joke.”

Too bad, if they had agreed, it would’ve all been mine.

Still, I got 50%.

Honestly, I was ready to go for 30%, but they raised it to 50% themselves.

I don’t know how much the ruins are worth, but they spent years researching and barely made a key, so they must’ve struggled.

But 50%?

Very nice.

“So when are we leaving?”

“We plan to go tomorrow.”

“Alright, see you tomorrow.”

“…Where are you going? If you haven’t found a place to stay, we can specially lend you our bed for 6 silver.”

“You punk… I saw you got it for 4 silver, and now you’re asking for 6?”

Look at the way they’re acting already…

If I clear all the monsters and traps, they’ll probably try to shake me off and keep everything for themselves.

Typical demons…

It’s a testament to how kind Satan was.

Satan is the best. Long live Satan.

But it doesn’t matter.

‘Actually, it’s better.’

If that happens, I’ll just knock them both out and take everything for myself. It’s self-defense, right?

I’m looking forward to it.

“Ugh, Chief… go outside. There are no inns available now. Out of loyalty to you, I’ll specially host you for 4 silver…”

Cutting their losses, they must have no conscience.

I was about to see how far they’d go, but I got hungry and cut Heukgu off.

“It’s fine, I’ll go to Satan’s castle.”

“…Huh? Satan’s castle?”

“I’m friends with Satan. Come to the castle tomorrow and call for me.”

“Huh? Chief, do you have a lying problem?”

“See you tomorrow, bye.”

Their dumbfounded faces looked cute…

Snap—

Snap out of it, Jeong Gyeoul!

Those creepy demons looking cute?

Are you being corrupted by demonic energy?

It’s all because of the lack of fuel.

Forget the restaurant, I’ll go to Satan’s castle.

Korean food is the best for times like this.

***

A giant carriage that could fit ten Jeong Gyeouls lying down was waiting.

“You must return within four days.”

“Of course. I want to go home quickly too.”

“Please take care of yourself.”

“Thank you, butler! See you later!”

After saying goodbye to the butler, I headed to the carriage.

Satan had some business and left early in the morning, so I didn’t get to see him.

But thanks to him leaving instructions to take care of everything, I got this giant carriage.

‘Long live Satan, Satan is the best.’

Jeong Gyeoul glanced at Heukgu and Heukrang while boarding the carriage.

Their untrustworthy looks made me wonder if teaming up with them was the right choice… but I already promised, and the treasure from the ruins is tempting… and most of all, I’m bored.

Even if Heukgu and Heukrang betray me, they’re just low-level demons who couldn’t even scratch me if they gathered hundreds or thousands.

‘What could possibly go wrong?’

I was about to look away and board the carriage again…

“Chief… you’re more of a monster than we thought.”

“You’re amazing! The strongest monster woman in the demon realm!”

It was a comment that could’ve been offensive, but Jeong Gyeoul didn’t mind.

Even in Korea, ordinary people who recognized Jeong Gyeoul often called her a monster.

No matter how much real monsters like demons said it, it didn’t faze her.

I wondered if this was how a two-eyed person in a one-eyed village felt.

Of course, I didn’t forget to give Heukgu and Heukrang a piece of my mind.

“You’ll ruin yourselves one day with that mouth of yours.”

As a human, Jeong Gyeoul didn’t care.

But as a grumpy old man, it was infuriating.

‘How dare demons talk to a human like that!’

While talking, something came to mind.

“By the way, Heukrang, weren’t you in Satan’s army? You must’ve seen Satan a few times, met the royal guards or something, right?”

“Ah, that was all lies, Chief. You still believed that?”

“Wow, without us, Chief’s life in the demon realm would be really tough.”

“…It’s already tough because of you.”

I was getting confused about what was true and what was false.

Is it really right to go with them?

‘I feel like I’ll just suffer and come back empty-handed…’

But I’ve already washed up, prepared, and borrowed the carriage from the butler.

Even if I don’t get anything, it’s better than nothing, Jeong Gyeoul muttered as she boarded the carriage.

***

Before I knew it, Jeong Gyeoul, who had gotten off the carriage, was diligently searching through the mountain range created by nature.

“…Is this really the right place?”

The rugged terrain made me wonder if they were deliberately messing with me.

To make matters worse, it started raining, sinking my feet into the mud and covering my entire body in filth.

“It’s definitely here. Chief! Don’t you trust us?”

“…How can I trust you?”

“Huh? The rain’s too loud, can you say that again?”

“Never mind, just hurry up and find it.”

I didn’t expect to be searching for ruins in such a complicated place.

If I had come here alone… I’m sure it would’ve taken me three extra months to get back to Earth.

Nothing in life comes easy.

Getting 50% of the treasure from the ruins was also a tough job.

After about an hour of turning the mountain upside down…

“Found it! I found it, Chief!”

“Wait! I’m coming!”

From a distance, Heukgu’s voice echoed, having found the ruins.

Jeong Gyeoul used her magic power to rush towards the direction of Heukgu’s voice.

The ruins weren’t what I expected.

“…Is this really it?”

A tunnel barely big enough for a person to crawl through.

Heukgu stood in front of it, grinning.

“It’s definitely here! The ruins are so old that the main entrance is gone. This is the only way in.”

“Sigh…”

It looked like I was about to cover myself in the mud I desperately tried to avoid.

I thought about forcibly widening the entrance, but…

“Absolutely not! It might collapse! These ruins are thousands of years old!”

“…Alright! Alright!”

Heukgu and Heukrang kept explaining the risk of the ruins collapsing, so Jeong Gyeoul had no choice but to crawl through the tunnel.

“Chief, you go first.”

“Ladies first.”

“Ugh, these guys…”

Leaving the grinning Heukgu and Heukrang behind, I crawled into the tunnel.

After what felt like dozens of minutes…

I reached the end of the tunnel and dropped vertically.

Of course, Jeong Gyeoul landed perfectly.

“Ugh… finally here.”

“Kyaaaak!”

“Save me!”

Heukgu and Heukrang also fell, and Jeong Gyeoul didn’t catch them.

Thud—

Naturally, they landed on their butts.

‘The inside is surprisingly spacious and comfortable.’

Strange characters engraved all over the ruins.

Something resembling lights that still shone brightly.

The interior of the ruins definitely had an impressive feel.

“L-let’s go together, Chief!”

Heukgu and Heukrang, rolling on the floor in pain, quickly got up and followed Jeong Gyeoul.

Whoosh— Thud!

“Kyaaaaaaak!”

“Kieeeeeeeek!”

“…My ears are going to fall off.”

There were still functioning traps inside the ruins.

Jeong Gyeoul caught an arrow flying towards Heukgu and Heukrang.

“I think I peed myself…”

“Me too… Hey, me too…”

“…Stop messing around and let’s go.”

We avoided or destroyed traps, sometimes saving Heukgu and Heukrang as we moved forward.

But then…

“What the hell is that?”

“Uh, good question?”

“Did that old broker pull a fast one on us…”

Heukrang suspected the broker who made the key.

“No, that’s not it. That thing isn’t alive.”

The aura and life force emanating from the thing in front of us were nonexistent.

Yet, its presence was almost on par with the lords.

“But… why does it look so human?”

“…The smell, this smell is definitely human.”

Heukgu, living up to his name, sniffed and identified the race by smell.

Pale skin made even paler by the dazzling blonde hair.

A face adorned with even more dazzling beauty.

A human with red eyes stood proudly in golden armor.

“You’ve finally found this place, mongrel.”

“…Huh?”

“I shall reward you personally. Now, accept your death.”

“…What?”

The crazy guy—no, the crazy corpse.

 

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