Chapter 7
The Shrine Spirit
Crack.
A dense red light, darker than blood, flared in Cheonma’s eyes—his pride wounded. To think that even stripped of his inner energy, he couldn’t destroy a mere shrine.
“Fine!”
Thrusting his left foot forward, Cheonma roared like thunder and swung both fists.
“Lightning Blade Annihilation (雷刃破滅)!”
Even without channeling his inner power, the strike—one of the Seven Deadly Fists—could easily punch holes through a stone wall. Cheonma’s attacks struck in rapid succession.
Boom! Boom!
Thunder roared, and at last, the shrine’s surface began to tremble.
But its shape remained intact.
A furious gleam blazed in Cheonma’s eyes.
“Has my strength really fallen to this level?”
With all his might, Cheonma raised his right leg high into the air.
“Demonic Death-Soul Annihilation Kick (邪死驚魂魔極腿)!”
His leg—imbued with the strength to move ten thousand catties—crashed down upon the shrine door.
Crack!
With a dull, echoing sound, one of the old doors split apart and fell.
“Haah… haah…”
Breathing heavily, Cheonma muttered as he stared at the shrine.
“Absurd. Even without inner energy… to think my Demonic Death-Soul Kick could only split a door.”
His pride stung sharply.
A single blow from that kick should’ve shattered granite, not just a weathered wooden door.
“Impressive, truly impressive.”
The woman who had been watching gave a low murmur of admiration.
“To break a sacred door imbued with divine power—through sheer strength.”
But Cheonma only shook his head, lowering his gaze.
“I’m ashamed. Ever since arriving here, my inner power has been…”
He turned, but his expression froze.
The woman’s glowing form was beginning to fade.
“What’s happening? Your body—it’s disappearing!”
Her eyes dimmed, but her faint smile remained.
“I’ve lasted longer than I should have. I’ve been guarding this place alone all this time, even though no one believed in me anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
Standing from the porch, she smiled faintly.
“I am the Shrine Spirit that protects this forest. This shrine you just broke… was built long ago by the humans who once believed in me.”
Her eyes lifted sadly toward the sky.
“But the world has changed. People no longer lose their way in the woods. They no longer fear the forest—or seek its blessings.”
She looked down at her fading body, expression serene.
“I should have done this long ago, but I lacked the courage. Even when I visited the Domain, I couldn’t decide. But after seeing you, I’ve finally made up my mind.”
“After seeing… me?”
“There’s something about your body—its scent. It feels nostalgic. Maybe I’m just imagining it.”
Cheonma stood still, dazed. The Shrine Spirit smiled softly.
“Forgive me. I spoke nonsense.”
Her eyes—bottomless and calm—met his.
“In any case, I wanted to entrust my final moment to a human who still loves the forest. That was my last wish.”
Still smiling sadly, she extended her hand toward him.
“You may be human, but your body rivals that of a divine being. I cannot restore your severed meridians, but if you continue to work in the Domain, your strength will slowly return.”
A true deity indeed.
Cheonma tilted his head slightly. She used the word meridians—a term only martial artists from Murim would use.
“What do you mean, to ‘gain power’?”
Smiling gently, the Shrine Spirit raised her hand. A soft blue light flowed from her fingertips into Cheonma’s body.
A sudden warmth bloomed in his abdomen—his dantian—as a faint yet pure inner energy began to form where it had once vanished completely.
“Like this. When you fulfill a divine request, you receive not only blessings—but also divine power as a reward.”
“Divine power…”
So that’s how it worked.
As realization dawned on him, Cheonma’s eyes widened. The Shrine Spirit smiled brightly.
“Then… I’ll leave the rest in your hands.”
Even after he’d broken just one door, her form had grown faint.
If he had destroyed the entire shrine, she would surely have vanished completely.
“Hmm…”
Cheonma fell into thought.
“There’s no harm in owing a favor to a divine being.”
Though she was fading, the Shrine Spirit had granted him a spark of inner power.
If he considered her status as a god, she might prove invaluable later.
“And since she’s the spirit of the forest…”
“Hmph. It seems you’ve misunderstood something.”
Clearing his throat, Cheonma lifted the broken door and set it upright.
“There isn’t a single human who doesn’t know there’s a god of the forest.”
“What?”
“I, too, have once received the forest spirit’s grace.”
Drawing upon the divine energy she had given him, Cheonma’s eyes blazed like twin suns.
“Fiery Demon Finger (魔火烈極指).”
A vivid green light gathered at his fingertip.
“When I was a vagrant, starving in the mountains, I once got lost and was chased by beasts. But a forest spirit guided me to safety. Ever since then, whenever I entered the mountains, I always paid my respects to the forest god.”
Zzzzt.
As he pressed the glowing finger to the shattered door, the split wood knit itself back together—smooth and seamless.
“A human… restoring a door protected by divine power?”
The Shrine Spirit’s tranquil eyes widened in astonishment.
“What are you doing?”
Cheonma grinned, revealing his sharp fangs.
“Just because people of this world have forgotten the forest gods doesn’t mean all humans have.”
Click.
He carefully set the restored door in place and placed a small stone atop it.
“In the world I came from, there are still humans who love the forest. Even the blood-soaked warriors of Murim know the calm and generosity the forest gives.”
Then, kneeling on one knee, he bowed deeply toward her.
“When I was a child, you protected me. I thank you, O Spirit of the Mountain.”
The Heavenly Demon—the man who once held the strongest martial power under heaven—bowed on one knee.
It was the greatest respect he could offer.
“I see…”
With a low chuckle, the Shrine Spirit’s eyes glimmered blue once more.
Her fading body began to glow like sunlight.
Just one man’s faith—pure, unwavering faith—was enough to rekindle her divine power.
“So… a god receives strength from a human?”
“Hardly. I’ve merely repaid a small part of the grace I once received.”
“I see.”
Smiling radiantly, she stepped closer. Her beauty shone so brightly that it pierced even Cheonma’s heart, leaving a shard of light within him.
“Thank you.”
Her form turned into a stream of light that rose gently toward the heavens.
Shhhhhh.
Like the sound of falling starlight, the light scattered into millions of motes and melted back into the forest.
The old shrine was now pristine—its stone statues gleaming with new luster.
“So… by fulfilling divine requests, I can regain my inner power!”
Clenching his fists, Cheonma’s heart pounded with pride and hope.
He had completed the request perfectly—and found a way to restore his strength.
When Cheonma returned to the car, Jang Chaewon’s eyes widened.
“What did you do? A simple demolition job earned three divine blessings!”
“Blessings?”
In the red envelope she handed him bloomed three silver flowers.
“The contract only promised one blessing. What on earth did you do to earn three?”
“I merely corrected a mistaken request.”
“A mistaken request?”
Cheonma smiled brightly.
“The client was wrong. It wasn’t a demolition—it was a restoration.”
Jang Chaewon blinked. That smile of his—it resembled the Shrine Spirit’s.
“Huh. Didn’t know a rock-faced brute like you could smile like that.”
“I take it that wasn’t praise.”
“No, it was! I mean… you did way better than I expected.”
“I’m the one who’s surprised. It seems by fulfilling divine requests, I can regain my inner power.”
“Wait… you mean divine energy?”
“Indeed. I was told I could receive it as payment for labor. I gained ten years’ worth of inner power from this one job.”
Cheonma looked to the distant sky.
“From now on, leave all divine requests to me. I’ll complete every last one.”
“You… want to take over the divine commissions?”
“Yes. Give them to me, and I’ll see them through.”
“Hmm…”
Staring at the ignition button, Jang Chaewon hesitated.
“Well, if we keep ignoring divine commissions, the Domain might lose its status… and since you broke the Spirit Tree, you kinda owe me anyway.”
Vroom.
Starting the engine, she nodded.
“Alright. From today, Cheonma—you’re officially hired at Bokbok Interiors.”
Turning to him with a smile, she patted his shoulder.
“Let’s work well together, Cheonma.”
* * *
“Until you find a place, you can use the storage room.”
She looked apologetic, but Cheonma was perfectly content.
The small room—lined floor to ceiling in solid wood—was cozy and stacked with interior design books.
“Ooh…”
His eyes sparkled with delight. Despite his hulking, muscle-bound appearance, Cheonma was a voracious reader.
To master martial arts, one must first study diligently.
Having devoured every secret manual in the Demon Sect, reading books about design now gave him unexpected joy.
“Oh, right. Here’s a gift. I can’t teach you everything about this world, so this should help.”
Jang Chaewon handed him a small spherical device.
“Isn’t this one of those dungeon guides?”
“Huh? Yeah! How’d you know?”
Cheonma opened a book on the low table and pointed to a page.
“See? It’s written here.”
The page read: “Your Personal Dungeon Butler!” with a colorful ad for the latest nanobot model.
“Exactly! That’s it. It can tell you about monster types, danger levels, navigation—all that.”
“Hmm.”
“What’s with that look? This little guy will make your life easier. It’s top-of-the-line tech! Don’t you like it?”
“I don’t know. I just… don’t want it.”
“‘Don’t want it’? Don’t joke with me. That’s an order—plug it in and charge it right now.”
Cheonma sighed and did as told.
But soon, he realized why he hadn’t wanted it.
[Mr. Cheonma.]
The next morning, while he was reading an interior design manual, the round nanobot floated up to him.
[Aren’t you going to the dungeon today?]
And it wasn’t just any nanobot.
According to Jang Chaewon, this one had been specially built by some “important person,” with a high-grade AI far beyond the norm.
[Mr. Cheonma?]
Cheonma glanced at the hovering sphere and replied flatly, “I’m not going.”
It was persistent. Whether because of its advanced AI or because it was programmed to urge dungeon expeditions, it constantly pestered him.
[Can you really sleep at Rank 9?]
“Rank 9? I am no such thing.”
Apparently, Jang Chaewon had set his “awakening level” to 9 during setup.
Not that it mattered—he wasn’t even an awakened being.
[Stop lazing around and go to a dungeon.]
“I am not lazing. I am reading about interior design.”
[And what does that earn you—money or rice? Go find an artifact at least.]
Cheonma’s hands tightened on his book.
He’d have smashed the noisy thing long ago, if not for Jang Chaewon’s repeated warning:
“Don’t you dare break it! It’s super expensive!”
“Ugh…”
Setting down his book, Cheonma stood.
[Are you finally going to a dungeon?]
“Hardly. I’m starting work.”
The clock read 8:30.
Bokbok Interiors opened at 9. Around this time, the owner—Jang Chaewon—would come down to the store.
Cheonma always began cleaning at 8:30 sharp.
Not because he was a formal employee now—but because working inside the Domain itself granted the same effect as cultivating energy.
“Anyone affiliated with a Domain gains virtuous energy simply by performing their duties there. After all, it’s a place that handles the affairs of gods and spirits.”
That was what Jang Chaewon had said.
He didn’t fully understand, but apparently, working in the Domain accumulated good karma.
Swish, swish.
As he mopped the floors, he felt his mind clear and his body lighten.
The sensation was strangely addictive—more invigorating than any meditation technique.
Click.
The back door opened.
Jang Chaewon stepped in, wearing black jeans and a red long-sleeve top, waving a notebook.
“Morning!”
She looked around the spotless store and gaped.
“You cleaned this much? You didn’t have to go that far!”
“Think nothing of it. I simply enjoy it.”
With mop in hand, Cheonma scrubbed diligently, every inch shining.
Watching him, Jang Chaewon nodded approvingly.
“Alright. Today, we’re getting you a foreigner registration card.”
“Registration?”
“Yeah. Like an identity badge.”
“You’ll need an Awakener ID eventually too, and we have to deal with taxes… it’s complicated.”
Cheonma frowned, recalling her earlier explanation.
“Didn’t you say making one was complicated?”
“That’s for Awakeners. They get bio-chips embedded instead of ID cards. You’re just getting a foreigner registration.”
“Do you have one too?”
“Yeah, but mine’s… special.”
Cheonma thought for a moment, then shook his head.
“Hm. Too bothersome. Let’s skip it.”
“It’s fine, I’ve already handled the paperwork. You just need to go to the health office for a simple checkup. That’s it.”
“Checkup? What kind of checkup?”
“They just make sure you’re healthy. You’ll have to go yourself for that part.”
“I am healthy.”
“I know. It won’t take long—come on, let’s go.”
“Hm.”
Cheonma let out a long sigh, looking reluctant.
“Is it really necessary?”
“Of course! Without it, you being in this city at all would be illegal.”
He crossed his arms, thinking deeply, then finally nodded.
“Fine. Let’s go.”
