Chapter 3 of 10
Chapter 3
4 min read1,045 words
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Chapter 3: The Rune of Purification
Soon, additional blows followed.
Thud!
A powerful kick struck deep into the abdomen, and the boss trembled with immense pain.
“W-Who are you?”
“Damn! Let’s get him.”
The boss’s friend shouted in shock. The Demon King glanced at him and said,
“Don’t touch my body.”
“...”
The ruler had a charisma that matched his status. Though his body was weak, the Demon King’s eyes had a chilling quality.
“Gah...”
The Demon King grabbed the boss’s hair, twisted his head, and whispered in his ear,
“How dare you, a lowly insect, toy with me all this time?”
“Gah... Min-cheol, why? Why are you doing this? Let’s talk. Talk!”
Despite trying to look pitiful, it was useless. He clenched his fist and struck mechanically. Soon, the boss’s face was a bloody mess.
“Gasp...”
He held back, not wanting the corrupt boss to die, as he still needed his back pay. However, the shock was unbearable, and the boss couldn’t regain his composure.
The Demon King slowly turned his head to look for water.
The table had overturned, breaking everything, but fortunately, the watermelon was still intact.
Squish!
“Ah! Ah!”
It seemed the boss was finally coming to his senses. But he had to endure the Demon King’s gaze.
“Eek...”
Already overpowered, he couldn’t even meet the Demon King’s eyes. Though in his late forties, this was the first time he had experienced such violence.
“Mr. Kim. S-Stop. This won’t do you any good. D-Do you want to end up in jail?”
Even in fear, he tried to invoke the law. For an ordinary citizen, the power of the law was like a magic potion.
However, the Demon King sneered. He grabbed the boss’s collar and twisted it, saying,
“Go ahead, report it.”
“W-What?”
“Before the police arrive, will you die from the beating, or will you survive by luck? Let’s find out.”
Just as he was about to strike again, the boss shouted desperately,
“S-Stop! Please! What do you want?”
The law is far, but the fist is near.
“My salary and severance pay. And since my hand hurts, I’ll also demand compensation.”
His expression was indifferent, making him even more dangerous. If his offer was rejected, it wouldn’t end with just words.
“O-Okay. I’ll transfer it. I’ll transfer it, so please let me go.”
The Demon King finally released his collar.
“Transfer it here.”
He took out his phone and called his accountant.
“Miseon. Transfer 50 million won to Kim Min-cheol immediately. Hey! Don’t ask unnecessary questions. Just do as I say!”
Shortly after the call ended, a message tone sounded on Min-cheol’s phone. Checking the message, 50 million won had been transferred.
The boss was terrified.
This wasn’t the Kim Min-cheol he knew. Normally, Min-cheol just did as he was told, never questioning any unreasonable treatment.
But now, it seemed he could kill a person without batting an eye.
“Police here.”
The police finally arrived and immediately headed to where Min-cheol and the boss were.
The Demon King, with a small smile, lifted an empty soju bottle.
It was enough to pressure the boss.
“I-I’m sorry. We were drinking and got carried away. We’ve reconciled, so there’s no problem now.”
Despite the obvious one-sided beating, the victim was saying this. With everyone agreeing, the police, after a warning to be careful, left.
In the end, the Demon King received all the unpaid wages. The boss always claimed the company had no money, but it was a blatant lie.
“It wasn’t that you had no money, but that you didn’t want to pay me. You should have sucked the liver out of a flea instead.”
“...”
“Human, pay the just price. If you don’t open your hand, you can’t hold anything.”
“T-That... I understand. I won’t withhold wages again.”
The boss said this with a frightened expression.
****
His available assets increased to 5.3 million won. Min-cheol entered a precious metal sales website.
To check the market price. Pure gold, over 99% purity, was indeed expensive, costing 45,000 won per gram. However, it was a necessary material for creating the mana circulation.
He immediately bought 3 million won worth of gold. He also bought various metals: nickel, copper, and chromium. Since they weren’t very expensive, he could easily purchase them.
The artifact he was about to create was the Rune of Purification. Modern science finds it difficult to cure terminal cancer, but magic can.
Soon, blue mana manifested from the Demon King’s hands.
Squish...
The gold began to stretch like fine threads. The amount of mana Kim Min-cheol possessed was pitiful. However, the Demon King’s long experience and precise mana control were not wasted.
Drip... Drip...
Large beads of sweat continuously rolled down his face. The lack of mana was also draining his physical strength. It was a difficult task, but he focused.
“Phew...”
After 3 hours, he completed the mana circulation. Upon completion, a small earring-shaped artifact was formed.
The Low-grade Rune of Purification.
The Demon King immediately wore it in his ear. Of course, it couldn’t cure cancer instantly, but it could prevent its spread.
The urgent matter was resolved, but he was still unsatisfied. His weak body and tiny amount of mana. Moreover, as he tried to take a short rest, his stomach growled.
Just skipping a meal made his stomach protest.
“...”
The Demon King opened the refrigerator.
It was empty. The only things left in the side dish container were a few pieces of kimchi and seasoned burdock. Most importantly, there was no rice. The only things in the pantry were two packets of ramen.
Bubbles formed.
The water began to boil. He quickly added the noodles and soup. As the white noodles cooked, the spicy aroma rose, subtly stimulating his salivary glands.
“Phew, phew...”
The former Demon King’s chopsticks viciously attacked the silver pot.
Slurp...
Slurp.
He quickly devoured the boiled ramen, leaving not a single piece of solid food or a drop of broth.
The Demon King was surprised.
‘It’s delicious.’
During his time as the Demon King, he had feasted on all kinds of delicacies. But the subtle taste of ramen soup...
It was a different kind of pleasure.
“To be moved by such low-grade food...”
He was disappointed in himself.