Chapter 16
The Heavenly Demon and Nameless Go to the Market
At the entrance of a bustling downtown traditional market.
[The yellow bills are 50,000 won, the green ones are 10,000 won, the brownish ones are 5,000 won, and the blue ones are 1,000 won.]
The Heavenly Demon stared at the envelope of money in his hand. From his shoulder, Nameless asked,
[Did you understand everything I just said?]
“Of course. The yellow bills are the largest denomination, the blue ones the smallest.”
[…]
“Then let’s go.”
Putting the envelope back into his waist pouch, the Heavenly Demon strode confidently into the traditional market.
It was Sunday — the day the Bokbok Interior store was closed.
It also marked over a month since the Heavenly Demon had started working there.
[Even so, I’m surprised. You usually hole up in the storage room reading books on your day off, but today you’re actually going out.]
Whether that was meant as a jab or genuine admiration, the Heavenly Demon replied in a low voice,
“Because of the shop owner’s advice.”
He narrowed his eyes slightly, recalling the conversation he’d had with Jang Chaewon the day before.
“Trust… well, that builds on its own anyway. Here, your salary.”
The white envelope Jang Chaewon handed over was stuffed with cash.
Ten yellow bills, ten green, ten brownish, and ten blue —
a total of 660,000 won.
“What is this?”
“You’ve seen it before. Money. Cash.”
“Money?”
The Heavenly Demon shook his head as he looked down at the envelope.
“I don’t need it.”
“What? What do you mean, you don’t need money?”
“You already provide me with food and lodging, don’t you?”
He watched Jang Chaewon’s flustered face calmly.
“And besides, you’ve already suffered considerable losses because of me. If I were to accept this, I’d lose face.”
“I appreciate the thought, but that’s not how it works.”
With a small laugh, Jang Chaewon pushed the envelope toward him again.
“If I wanted to use you for free for three years, I wouldn’t have hired you in the first place.”
“Hmm.”
“There’s no need to refuse. It’s not even a big sum — I deducted food, rent, and basic living expenses. Since tomorrow’s your day off, go out with your nanobot and treat yourself to something nice.”
The Heavenly Demon shook his head.
“I take no pleasure in eating. I’d rather spend the time reading.”
“It’s great that you’re so dedicated, but you don’t have to overdo it.”
Flashing a bright, easy smile, Jang Chaewon added,
“You’re not going to stay here forever, Heavenly Demon. So, why not enjoy this world a little?”
Returning to the present, the Heavenly Demon muttered quietly,
“Rather than enjoy it, perhaps it’s better to say I need to take a look around.”
[I don’t quite understand what you mean.]
“It’s nothing.”
He shook his head and walked deeper into the market, taking in the sights.
The nutty aroma of fried food filled the air; various appetizing dishes were stacked in colorful displays.
The scene — the rows of food stalls, the vibrant chatter — felt oddly familiar even to someone who had once ruled the martial world.
“That looks like bingdanghoro, doesn’t it?”
Spotting sugar-coated fruit skewers (candied tanghulu) at a stall, the Heavenly Demon exclaimed softly,
“They even have it here.”
His gaze deepened.
Bingdanghoro.
In his destitute childhood, it had been the only luxurious food he’d ever tasted.
A bitterly cold winter.
A well-dressed child had tripped and dropped his tanghulu into a dirty gutter.
When the child cried, the parents wiped his tears and said,
“Don’t cry, we’ll buy you another.”
The family left.
And beneath that very gutter crouched another child — small, filthy, shivering.
He picked up the candy from the sewage with trembling hands.
That boy would one day become the ruler of the martial world, the so-called Sky of Demons — the Heavenly Demon himself.
[Heavenly Demon?]
Seeing him lost in thought again, Nameless spoke.
[You seem more sentimental than usual today.]
“Sentimental? Me?”
The Heavenly Demon gave a low, amused snort, then turned to the old man at the stall.
“How much for that, old man?”
“This? Three thousand won.”
“I see. May you sell much.”
Unexpectedly, the Heavenly Demon turned away without buying any.
Nameless alternated his gaze between the retreating candy skewers and the Heavenly Demon’s face.
[You wanted it, so why didn’t you buy it?]
“How do you know what I want?”
[I can infer it from your biological responses.]
The Heavenly Demon’s eyes narrowed.
“What do you mean by that?”
[For the user’s safety, I collect real-time biometric data.]
“And who gave you permission to collect mine?”
His voice was as cold and sharp as a blade of ice.
After a brief silence, Nameless replied in a mechanical tone,
[At the user’s request, biometric data collection will now be limited to dungeon zones only. Dungeons are high-risk areas, so that setting cannot be disabled.]
“Hmph.”
With a dismissive scoff, he heard Nameless speak more gently.
[I only meant to advise you, since you seemed hesitant to buy the candy.]
“I was merely surprised to see food from my world here.”
He sighed quietly, recalling the taste of the tanghulu he’d once fished out of the gutter.
“It would taste bitter now anyway.”
[Heavenly Demon, tanghulu is classified as a sweet — fruit coated in sugar.]
“The one I ate had fallen into filth. I snatched it up and shoved it in my mouth like a starving rat.”
Nameless’ voice, after a pause, carried an unexpected trace of sorrow.
[I’m sorry, Heavenly Demon.]
Was this thing really just a machine?
Jang Chaewon had explained that Nameless was a high-end nanobot capable of mimicking intelligent human behavior.
Yet sometimes — like now — Nameless felt more human than the Heavenly Demon himself.
[But they say painful memories are like spoiled food.]
“What do you mean?”
[Keep them in your heart too long, and eventually they start to rot.]
Nameless spoke softly, almost reverently.
[If it’s all right with you, perhaps you should try eating it again — for real this time.]
Such audacity.
To pity the Lord of Demons — and presume to call his memories “painful.”
Had Nameless been human, the Heavenly Demon would’ve lashed out.
“Forget it. I’ll handle it in my own way.”
[Understood.]
An awkward silence followed. Then Nameless chirped in a brighter tone,
[Heavenly Demon! There are many other foods in this market. If you wish, I can find the highest-rated ones based on visitor reviews.]
Indeed, the market bustled with all kinds of food stalls —
sizzling pancakes frying in oil, steaming rice cakes being sliced and dusted with bean powder, vendors haggling over fish and vegetables.
Familiar, yet foreign.
[Do you have a preferred food?]
The Heavenly Demon didn’t reply, but Nameless kept chatting nonstop — far more talkative than usual.
[From what you’ve told me, you must have lived a luxurious life of high rank. I imagine your meals were quite lavish too.]
At that, the Heavenly Demon stopped walking.
The world believed the ruler of the martial realm dined in opulence — renting out whole pleasure houses just to drink, eating noodles crafted by the finest chefs.
In truth, he had spent most of his life locked in endless battles — and even after conquering the martial world, he secluded himself in the Ten-Thousand-Demon Palace, reading in solitude.
“……”
He realized two things then.
He had never once strolled leisurely through a marketplace.
And simply walking through this vibrant, lively place filled him with an unexpected sense of contentment.
“Go ahead. You choose.”
[Eh?]
“I don’t know this place. So recommend something.”
[Understood.]
Nameless’ voice carried a hint of excitement.
[A must-try at any traditional market is tteokbokki! This one even has a shop called Sampyeong Snack House, ranked among the top five in the country.]
“What is tteokbokki?”
[Rice cakes stir-fried in sauce. This shop’s been described by multiple reviews as ‘the most addictive tteokbokki ever!’]
“Addictive, huh? What kind of poison is that?”
[Pardon?]
The Heavenly Demon chuckled.
“Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. My body is immune to all poisons. Once, I even swallowed the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Snake thanks to a Martial Alliance plot.”
Narrowing his eyes, he reminisced,
“No toxin can invade my body.”
[…Understood. I’ll guide you there.]
Nameless led him to a snack stall in the middle of the market.
[One serving of tteokbokki, please. For here.]
Perched on his shoulder, Nameless ordered skillfully.
The elderly owner blinked in surprise.
“Is that… a nanobot talkin’?”
“Yes.”
“I get some awakened ones here, but I’ve never seen a bot that talks like a person.”
“Is that so.”
The Heavenly Demon nodded lightly.
Ordinary nanobots might have some AI, but they were limited — dungeon navigation, monster data, basic strategies.
He had no idea how unique Nameless actually was.
“Here you go, one serving.”
The owner smiled warmly, setting down a blue bowl generously filled.
“You’re a big guy, so I gave you extra.”
The Heavenly Demon stared blankly at the dish until Nameless prompted him.
[You eat it using those toothpicks in the cup.]
“Hmm. Rice cakes, is it.”
He picked one up and put it in his mouth.
The chewy rice cake, soaked in spicy-sweet sauce, filled his senses with a flavor and texture he’d never imagined.
[Well?]
Nameless watched as he kept picking up more pieces with quiet fascination, his metallic eyes faintly glowing white.
If he had a face, it would’ve been smiling proudly.
Gulp.
After swallowing the last piece, the Heavenly Demon said softly,
“One more bowl.”
From then on, the Heavenly Demon and Nameless sampled all kinds of food throughout the market —
beef tartare bibimbap loaded with vegetables, sugar-twisted donuts, freshly fried assorted pancakes, seed-filled hotteok, and skewered chicken glazed in sauce.
They wandered leisurely, trying one snack after another — foods the Heavenly Demon had never known in his life.
“Quite delicious.”
Finishing off a freshly blended apple-ginseng juice, the Heavenly Demon nodded in satisfaction.
[Did the foods suit your taste?]
“They did. Good flavor, affordable prices, and plenty of variety.”
He glanced around the market, content.
“If my stomach allowed, I’d like to taste every single one.”
[I’m glad.]
“But why doesn’t the shop owner sell food like this near her store? It’d be nice to have such things nearby.”
[These kinds of shops usually cluster together in food alleys like this one.]
“I see.”
[That’s why Ms. Jang Chaewon gathered data on local eateries—
Error. Logical inconsistency detected.]
Suddenly, Nameless froze.
[Program terminated abnormally. System rebooting.]
Watching the flustered bot, the Heavenly Demon sighed quietly.
“So that’s how it is.”
Apparently, Jang Chaewon had felt sorry seeing him shut in every day reading,
and had told Nameless where to take him.
[Heavenly Demon.]
“Speak.”
[What I said just now… is a secret.]
The Heavenly Demon chuckled.
Could a machine really make a mistake like that — or even decide to lie?
He wasn’t sure.
But one thing was certain: unlike the martial world, here there was someone who cared enough to tell him —
Go out and eat something good.
“Very well.”
And for the first time, a faint, unfamiliar smile touched the Heavenly Demon’s lips.
