Chapter 9 of 10
Chapter 9
4 min read1,071 words
9
Chapter 9: Loan Shark
****
After the spicy soup incident, the Demon King began to screen advertisements. The power of the Rune of Enchantment was too strong, and accepting just anything could lead to adverse side effects.
There was an abundance of work, but the Demon King rejected most of it. Only products and services that passed a strict review were given the opportunity to advertise.
“S-Sir.”
A woman hesitated before speaking. She was the new accountant the Demon King had hired after getting an office. Though she was shy, she did her job well.
“Speak.”
“The Entera Home Mart called. They want us to at least connect the call. They’ve been trying to get through.”
It had been two weeks since they started inquiring about advertising. They had been persistent, but the Demon King was firm. They had failed the review for being a fly-by-night operation.
“No deal.”
As he said this, the Demon King watered the bonsai. The plant inside was peculiar, with a thin stem and a head (?) with sharp teeth.
Squish...
The accountant blinked for a moment. It seemed the plant moved as the Demon King touched it.
“A-All right. I’ll leave then.”
She tried to erase what she had just seen from her mind. It felt like she had seen something she shouldn’t have.
Click!
The door locked as she left. The Demon King stood up and took out a cage.
Squeak!
Inside was a mouse sold as snake food. He took one out. The mouse, caught by the tail, struggled but couldn’t escape.
Crunch!
The plant opened its mouth. A red tongue wriggled, waiting for the meal to come.
Crunch... Crunch...
The mouse’s fate was sealed. Red blood dripped onto the soil.
“Good. Eat well.”
The plant, as if understanding, twisted its body. It seemed to be acting cute.
The chimera’s name was Fogren.
Instead of a security company, the Demon King had created this chimera. If there were thieves at the Demon King Company, the police would receive a missing person report, not a theft report.
Ding!
His phone buzzed. He had to go out for business.
“I’ll go first. I’ll eat outside and come back. Take care of the meal.”
“Y-Yes!”
She replied with a tense voice.
For some reason, it was difficult to face the boss, even though the treatment was better than other places.
****
He resolved one advertising case.
“Thank you. Really, thank you.”
The Demon King waved his hand as if it was nothing. Though his attitude was indifferent, the client felt it was dignified.
After saying goodbye to the client who had come to greet him, he returned to the office.
Vroom...
His phone vibrated. Checking the message, he saw that 8 million won had been deposited.
-Korea Bank
-Deposit: 38,402,000 won
This was the profit he had made in just one month since starting the business. However, the Demon King was not satisfied. He couldn’t be content with just this.
Recently, the Demon King’s main concern was money.
A few ideas for new businesses came to mind, but he lacked capital.
He had arrived at the office. The Demon King opened the door and went in.
“S-Sir?”
The accountant’s voice was trembling.
“Oh, you’re finally here.”
“Haha. I thought you’d be here sooner.”
With intricate patterns on their clothes, cheap sunglasses, gum-chewing, gold-plated necklaces, and a briefcase under their arm, the five of them were lounging on the sofa, acting arrogantly.
“Miss, bring us a cup of coffee. Put plenty of sugar in it.”
“Wow! What a nice office! Brother, when will we live in such a place?”
“Yeah, our boss seems to handle a lot of money. At least it’s easy to collect, right?”
The Demon King slowly approached them. He intended to have a civilized conversation.
However...
Thud!
A foot in a smelly sock was placed on the table. The unbearable stench rose from the sweat-soaked sock. He spoke in a stretched-out voice.
“I have a lot of moisture in my feet. You understand...”
He couldn’t finish his sentence.
Smack!
The Demon King’s shoe was stomping on the loan shark’s face.
“Gah!”
His head was thrown back, and he fell. Two teeth flew out.
“I don’t understand.”
It was a short answer. The other loan sharks stood up, shouting.
“Crazy bastard! Do you want to die?”
But the Demon King didn’t flinch. Instead, he raised one corner of his mouth and replied.
“Rude people like you deserve a beating.”
He wiggled his fingers.
It was a clear provocation. For those who were good with their fists, it was very hard to bear.
“You little punk, you’re done for!”
Rolling up their sleeves, they charged. To them, the Demon King was just a fearless puppy.
“Bite down hard!”
Just as he grabbed the Demon King’s collar and was about to swing his fist, it was clear he would suffer a severe injury.
Swoosh...
At that moment.
The magic power took effect.
An invisible force infiltrated the loan shark’s body. It was the Demon King’s other power, the curse.
“Ugh...”
His whole body felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. It was as if an enormous gravity was pressing down on him. The initial arrogance was gone. He could barely maintain his own weight.
Smack!
The Demon King’s kick hit his abdomen.
“Ugh!”
He fell to the ground in extreme pain. The Demon King didn’t stop and kneed his face.
“...”
“...”
In terms of fighting skills, he was the strongest among them. Yet, he couldn’t even put up a proper resistance. As the situation suddenly changed, the Demon King wiggled his fingers again.
“Scared? Just come at me all at once.”
The enraged loan sharks attacked simultaneously.
“Gasp!”
“My body...”
The power of the curse worked again without fail.
They all became as slow as sloths.
The Demon King began to beat them leisurely. His technique of hitting only the painful spots was almost at a master level.
Smack!
Thud!
“P-Please...”
“Stop...”
The men couldn’t bear the pain and cried out. But the beating didn’t stop easily.
****
“S-Spare... us...”
Their speech was slurred. Their faces were bruised, and their eyes were full of fear.
The Demon King took a deep breath. Beating people wasn’t an easy task.
“Phew...”
Only then did a question come to mind. The Demon King looked at them and spoke.
“By the way... what business do you have here?”