Chapter 96 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: The Heavenly Demon Learns to Wash a Car
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A hidden, secretive chamber deep underground, concealed from the world.
Creak.
As the wooden door to the chamber swung open, the man felt a crushing pain throughout his body.
Fresh air circulated pleasantly, yet something heavier than a lump of iron seemed to press down on him from the ceiling. It felt as though his 180-centimeter frame had shrunk to half its size.
Slowly, he raised his head. There, seated in a chair before an ornate table, was a shadowy black figure.
"Human affairs are truly unpredictable."
The shadow spoke in a thread-like whisper.
"I thought the shop hiding the Bubiston had burned down, and our long-prepared plan had gone up in smoke..."
A taut tension filled the air.
The atmosphere in the chamber seemed to condense into ice. It wouldn't have been surprising if an ear-shattering explosion had followed.
"Instead, this incident brought us considerable gains. With the Association's approval, we can now proceed with the dungeon experiments we'd postponed."
The figure in the chair propped his chin with both hands and continued.
"That's why your head is still attached to your shoulders."
"..."
The man felt as if a reaper's long scythe had hooked around his neck.
"I'm sorry. It was such an unexpected event. I won't make the same mistake next time."
A brief silence fell. The shadow in the chair slowly rose.
"By the way, it's intriguing."
The shadow didn't look toward the man but gazed into the pitch-black darkness on the opposite side.
"A ordinary firefighter awakened due to Bubiston. And all 300 Bubistons exploded in mid-air... that's the story."
"..."
"Weren't there any odd details at the time?"
In the man's mind flashed the image of a hulking man with white nanobots on his shoulder. With those massively bulging muscles, he was clearly an Awakener with a strength enhancement skill.
Could that man have teamed up with the awakened firefighter to hurl the Bubistons into the sky?
'But those nanobots...'
The instant a voice had emerged, the nanobots had pinpointed the source and deployed UV sensors. That level of technology had to be next-gen nanobots used by the Association and military, or something custom-built at enormous cost.
"Didn't you hear me?"
The shadow's cold voice snapped the man from his thoughts.
"I'm sorry. I was recalling the situation at the time. No matter how I think about it, nothing seemed unusual."
"Is that so."
The shadow, hands clasped behind his back, stared piercingly at the man.
"You always see things too simply, too straightforwardly."
"I'm sorry."
"Get out."
"...Yes."
The man bowed slightly and turned to leave the chamber.
A strange smile played on his lips.
He knew well that once the hunt ended, the blade returned to its sheath, and the hound to the pot. He had no lingering attachment to his life anyway.
Just...
'This could be fun.'
The man had deliberately omitted reporting the muscular Awakener. The moment he did, that prey would be snatched away in an instant.
An Association Awakener? Or just some random passerby?
'Shall I track him down...'
For a hound with a short life, nothing beat the thrill of the hunt.
He stuck out his tongue, licked his lips, and grinned faintly into the darkness.
Meanwhile, the shadow left alone in the chamber.
He stared at the door the man had exited through, then clicked his tongue.
"Tsk, these newly surviving pests."
In the shadow's eyes, as he peered into the hazy darkness, a blade-like glint flashed.
"Soon... the completion draws near."
* * *
Sunday morning.
Having finished his morning meditation at dawn, the Heavenly Demon sat properly for once, watching TV.
Thanks to consistent meditation and good food, his body had recovered over 80 percent. He'd even told Jang Chaewon he'd return to work tomorrow.
"Hmm."
Gazing intently at the screen, the Heavenly Demon let out an intrigued hum. Nameless, sitting beside him, cautiously asked, curious about the expression.
[Is it interesting?]
"It's fascinating."
In the upper right corner of the screen was the title 'Tiger vs. Lion'. A staple of animal documentaries, and one without a clear answer.
[Were there no lions or tigers where you were from, Heavenly Demon?]
"In the murim?"
Eyes fixed on the TV, the Heavenly Demon replied in a low voice.
"I've seen plenty of tigers. But lions? Only stone ones."
[I see.]
Nameless nodded.
The place where the Heavenly Demon had lived was the murim. According to what user Jang Chaewon had explained, it closely resembled ancient China.
Lions, native to Africa and the Middle East, were rare beasts in China, only viewable as gifts from foreign envoys. Revered as divine creatures that warded off misfortune, lions were so precious that until the Song Dynasty, only the imperial family could use stone lion statues.
[Thinking about it, the place you were from really does resemble ancient China. Perhaps...]
Just as Nameless's question was about to continue.
-The tiger and the lion—which wins? In conclusion...
A serious, solemn narrator's voice flowed from the TV.
-...the outcome varies depending on the environment and individual specimens.
"Are they mocking this lord?!"
The Heavenly Demon, who had been watching eagerly, couldn't hold back his anger at the inconclusive answer.
"What a waste of time."
Thud thud thud.
At that moment, someone knocked on the front door from outside.
"Mr. Cheon, you in there?"
When the Heavenly Demon opened the door, Kim Chanwon stood there in work clothes, beaming.
"What brings you here?"
"Eh, got bored, so I came to hang out again. How's the body?"
"Fully recovered. Stop asking already."
While resting, Jang Chaewon and Kim Chanwon had visited relentlessly, almost daily. Each time bringing lavish food and household goods in overwhelming amounts, to the point where the Heavenly Demon found it bothersome.
"Good to hear. What were you up to? Just resting?"
"No, wasting time."
Recalling the documentary, the Heavenly Demon clenched his fist. Then he spotted the plastic box in Kim Chanwon's right hand and tilted his head.
"What's that? Heading to a job?"
"Ah, this?"
Kim Chanwon grinned and pointed at the box.
"Car wash tools. Thought you might need 'em, so I brought some."
"Car wash tools?"
Opening the box revealed shampoo bottles like those in bathrooms and stacks of towels.
The unopened packaging made it clear they'd been bought just for him.
"What do you do with these?"
"Heh heh heh. Better to show you once than explain a hundred times, right?"
Kim Chanwon grinned and gestured outside.
"It's Sunday for once—let's head out. I'll teach you."
The Heavenly Demon's rooftop building was piloti-style, with pillars supporting the first floor as a parking lot.
No one lived there, so parking anywhere was fine, but he always parked the Ramas in the building's lot.
"Is this a car or a tank?"
Kim Chanwon marveled at the mud-caked Ramas in the lot.
What should have been white was blanketed in water stains and dust.
If the windows weren't clean, it'd look abandoned.
"Mr. Cheon, you don't maintain the car at all?"
"What nonsense. Maintaining weapons is a warrior's duty."
The Heavenly Demon proudly pointed at the Ramas.
"I inspect it daily and check the tires."
"Aw, car maintenance includes washing it."
"Washing?"
"Wiping down the car."
Clicking his tongue, Kim Chanwon loaded the wash supplies into the Ramas trunk.
"First, let's go. There's a self-wash nearby."
Above the entrance where cars pulled in hung a steamed-bun-shaped structure billowing steam.
Mantou Car Wash.
A large self-service facility handling up to thirty cars at once.
Cheap rates drew not just Shield Boundary locals but car club groups too.
"Come on, over there."
Kim Chanwon, in the passenger seat, pointed to an empty bay.
"I'll teach you today, so watch closely."
He swiped his card to pay, then grabbed the hose.
"Pay with the card like this, and washing starts."
Whoosh.
Gripping the lever connected to the hose unleashed a powerful jet, rinsing the Ramas's dust.
"Like this, like this. There's another hose over there—give it a try."
"Got it."
The Heavenly Demon nodded and mimicked him, blasting water to clean the dust.
After thoroughly spraying even the tires, Kim Chanwon pressed the 'Undercarriage Wash' button on the machine.
Splash!
Water erupted from the ground, dousing the underside.
"What's this?"
"Undercarriage wash. Lots of grime down there—good to clean it."
Sizzle.
Once done, Kim Chanwon fetched the box from the trunk.
"Now, time for shampoo."
He pulled out a small bucket and shampoo from the box, filled the bucket with water, and mixed in soap.
He handed the Heavenly Demon a small brush foaming white bubbles.
"Now scrub every nook and cranny."
A car enthusiast, Kim Chanwon was top-tier not just in driving but maintenance too.
After meticulous shampooing and rinsing, he pulled a microfiber towel from the bag.
"Now wipe off all the water."
The Heavenly Demon grabbed the towel and wiped vigorously, but Kim Chanwon shook his head.
"There's a way to wipe cars too. One direction to avoid scratches."
After wiping, Kim Chanwon cleaned tire dust and applied wax meticulously.
"How's that? You can do it, right?"
He knew the Heavenly Demon's memory and comprehension were exceptional. Sure enough, he nodded as if grasping it all at once.
"I've memorized it all."
"Good. From now on, do it yourself on off days. Got it?"
The Heavenly Demon eyed the gleaming Ramas.
"Is all this necessary?"
"Hm?"
"Wiping with water cleans it fine. Spending over an hour like this on car cleaning feels inefficient."
Kim Chanwon grinned and nodded at the Heavenly Demon's words.
"Yeah. Truth is, polishing it this clean is hobby territory."
"Hobby?"
"Yeah. Washing cars can be a hobby."
He grinned and pointed at the Ramas.
"Enjoying the car get cleaner? The process of it shining sleek— that's the hobby."
The Ramas's surface, diligently waxed, gleamed like freshly blown glass.
More than just clean, it was the fruit of the owner's care and affection.
"A hobby, huh."
"Yeah. Wanted to share this hobby with you, Mr. Cheon. Staring at TV all Sunday can feel stuffy sometimes."
Kim Chanwon scratched his head sheepishly.
Truth was, recently, thanks to the Heavenly Demon, he'd reunited with his old friend Kim Kwang-uk, burdened by painful memories.
And he'd learned the Heavenly Demon had gone out of his way to help him during that ordeal.
But before he could express thanks, the Bubiston incident hit.
So now that the Heavenly Demon had recovered, he'd dropped by casually with car wash supplies.
"Wasn't fun for you? Feel bad dragging you out without asking."
"No need to apologize."
Gazing at the sparkling Ramas, the Heavenly Demon stroked his chin and nodded.
"Indeed, cleaning the exterior brings out its sleek form."
Then he looked at Kim Chanwon.
"I thought vehicle maintenance meant just inspecting, repairing, and adjusting parts. Never knew car washing was a thing."
The Heavenly Demon clapped Kim Chanwon heartily on the shoulder.
"Well taught, Mr. Kim."
"Heh heh heh. Hearing that makes it worthwhile..."
Kim Chanwon smiled warmly but suddenly frowned.
"Wait, what's that smell?"
Sniffing, tilting his head, he glanced at the Heavenly Demon's shoulder.
The Heavenly Demon's armpits near the Blood Demon Battle Robe were soaked with sweat and soap suds.
"Hmm."
Spotting the cause, Kim Chanwon's face darkened rapidly.
Not just that—the grime pushed up along his sweat-slicked forearms made his eyes tremble like reeds.
"Mr. Cheon."
"Speak."
"Do you ever scrub off grime?"
"Grime?"
"That stuff caked on your arms. Know what that is?"
Kim Chanwon pointed at the grime, and the Heavenly Demon blinked.
"It's just fine dust from outside mixing with my sweat, coating the skin."
"Yeah, that's grime."
"I see. But no need to scrub it off."
"Why?"
Sweeping his arms in a big circle, the Heavenly Demon crossed them.
"It just keeps coming back."
Silence fell in the car wash bay. Kim Chanwon sighed deeply, as if the ground had caved in.
"Mr. Cheon."
Pinching his nose against the stench from the Heavenly Demon's armpits, Kim Chanwon continued.
"Then you never go to the bathhouse?"
"Bathhouse?"
"Where you wash your body."
"I do it at home."
"Never been, huh."
Kim Chanwon smacked his lips. The order was wrong. The Ramas wash wasn't priority now.
"Better yet."
Climbing onto the Ramas, he said.
"Let's hit the bathhouse while we're at it."
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