Chapter 34
The Heavenly Demon and the Bulgasari (Part 1)
A dungeon full of diverse monsters—
For the Heavenly Demon, who spent every day repeating interior construction work inside cramped buildings, it was a place of danger and novelty alike.
Every time he visited one, he almost felt as if he were roaming the martial world again. Not that he missed the old days of Murim, but the dungeon—where he could smash anything to his heart’s content—was his kind of sanctuary.
‘That nameless brat…’
Still, just like with the recent Ice Golem incident, going to dungeons often meant listening to Nameless’s endless nagging.
‘It’s fortunate I can’t bring him to job sites.’
At a multi-unit housing renovation site—
Bzzzt! Click-clack!
Amidst clouds of dust and the loud whirring of power tools, workers were busy at their tasks.
A tiler was crouched in the bathroom, setting tiles in place, while a carpenter cut molding on a table saw.
And in the middle of the living room stood a massive man with his arms crossed, observing them.
It was none other than the Heavenly Demon.
“Heh heh heh…”
Standing tall amidst the dust, he set down the large plastic case in his right hand.
“Finally, the first use.”
On the side of the black plastic box, bold letters read: Heavenly Demon’s All-Purpose Toolkit (天魔全用工具).
It was the very toolbox he had recently bought at Dada General Goods.
Though his wild speculation had almost gotten him banned, thanks to Jang Chaewon pleading with the shopkeeper, he’d been allowed to buy it.
Click.
As he undid the latch with a satisfying sound, his eyes gleamed with excitement.
Inside would be shining hand tools with smooth curves and perfect craftsmanship—ready to greet their master.
—Kkyu?
But when he opened the lid, what he saw instead was a snow-white weasel.
The mythical creature said to eat metal itself—the Bulgasari.
Grrr.
In its mouth was half of a chewed-up monkey wrench.
It had apparently snuck into the toolbox and was munching on the tools inside.
“No way…”
Trembling, the Heavenly Demon checked the contents of the box.
Where the pliers, long-nose, and other tools should’ve been, only tiny silver metal crumbs remained.
“You little…”
His whole body shook with fury, and a crimson gleam flashed in his eyes.
“How dare such a lowly creature lay a hand on my tools!”
He thrust his hand toward the Bulgasari.
Crash!
A thunderous sound erupted, but by the time the dust cleared, the white creature was already standing near the window.
—Kkyukkyu?
Thinking it was a game, the Bulgasari bared its sharp teeth in a grin.
“Heh heh heh… To mock me, of all people…”
The Heavenly Demon’s eyes blazed like fire.
“Fist Demon’s Final Art—Fist Beyond the Path! (拳魔無道!)”
His fists glowed red-hot, spinning at a furious speed until they blurred into hundreds of afterimages.
But the opponent was no ordinary beast—it was a Divine Creature, famed for its lightning-fast movements and a body said to be harder than diamond.
—Kkyu!
As waves of fists came crashing in like a tidal surge, the Bulgasari dodged with the grace of a martial master.
“Thunder Destruction!”
Boom! Crash! Bang!
“What the—!?”
The workers screamed and fled as tools went flying through the air.
“You rascal!”
The Bulgasari darted around like white lightning, while the Heavenly Demon chased after it like a storm of red mist.
The construction site was rapidly being reduced to rubble.
When Jang Chaewon, the shop manager, heard the chaos and rushed over, she froze at the sight of the demolished site.
“What in the world…”
—Kkyu!
Seeing her, the Bulgasari happily bounded over and perched on her shoulder, rubbing its cheek against hers.
“Jebi? What are you doing here?”
She had adopted the Bulgasari—naming it Jebi—after receiving it from Dada General Goods, and had been raising it dearly ever since.
She’d even turned the Heavenly Demon’s Ten-Thousand-Demon Armory display into Jebi’s little den, and ever since, the creature adored her.
“Stop right there!”
Bursting out of a ruined room, the Heavenly Demon shouted, eyes burning red.
“Manager! Catch that creature!”
“What? Why?”
“That ferret ate my tools again!”
“What!?”
“Look at this!”
He pointed at the wrecked toolbox—most of the tools had been chewed to metallic crumbs.
“Jebi… you naughty thing…”
Frowning, Jang Chaewon scolded gently.
—Kkyuuung.
“I told you not to eat tools! I give you plenty of iron, so why do you keep eating my equipment?”
The Bulgasari twisted its body bashfully, as if saying, ‘But they taste like snacks…’
“Manager!”
“Okay, okay.”
With a sigh, she turned to the Heavenly Demon.
“All right, I get it. I know you’re upset, but… I’m not blaming you.”
“What? You’re saying I’m to blame!?”
He clenched his fists, trembling.
“I will not forgive this today! I’ll pluck every last hair from that greedy ferret and avenge my poor, broken tools!”
“Tools aren’t people! Enough already—I’ll buy you new ones.”
“Manager!”
“Then are you going to pay for the damages here?”
Indeed, the entire site was in ruins. Luckily, the workers were yokai who knew the Heavenly Demon personally—if they’d been human contractors, he’d have been dragged to the City Management Department by now.
“Well…”
Unable to respond, the Heavenly Demon fell silent.
“I know you’re mad,” she said, rubbing her forehead. “I know Jebi did wrong, but let’s stop here.”
“Stop here? I haven’t even begun.”
“Enough. Just pack up for today and… here.”
She pulled a paper from her pocket and handed it to him.
“Go back to the store and make this.”
When he looked, it was a blueprint covered in shapes and measurements.
“What is this?”
“A cat tower. For Jebi. The dimensions are exact—don’t round the corners too much or it’ll warp when assembled.”
“A… cat tower?”
“It’s a play structure. Easier than that giant armory of yours. Show me your craftsmanship.”
Silence fell.
Veins bulged on his forehead as he gripped the paper tightly.
“So… you’re telling me to make a toy for that weasel?”
“Don’t be so dramatic. Jebi’s bored at home—that’s why it sneaks out to the sites. If you build it a proper plaything, this won’t happen again.”
“I refuse!”
He threw the paper aside, eyes flashing red.
“I will not build toys for that damn creature!”
“Oh, come on, just do it.”
“This is why it’s spoiled! You should teach it discipline, morals, and respect!”
“She’s not a person—she’s a newborn divine beast!”
“Regardless, I refuse. I’d rather clean the warehouse.”
At that, her voice turned cold.
“That’s an order. A work order.”
“What!?”
“Or would you rather clean up this mess yourself?”
Then, patting Jebi on the cheek, she smiled sweetly.
“See that scary man? He’s going to make you a fun toy. So be nice, okay?”
The Heavenly Demon seethed, watching her coo over the creature like a grandchild.
—Kkyukkyu!
“There, there~ Were you scared?”
“Ughhhh…”
His eyes rolled back in disbelief.
Inside the Bokbok Interiors warehouse—
Opening a drawer, the Heavenly Demon pulled out a spool of thick thread wrapped in paper.
[Are you unwell?]
Nameless, crouched atop a shelf, tilted its head.
[That folk remedy is a mistranslation of acupuncture therapy, you know.]
“What nonsense are you spewing now?”
Instead of answering, Nameless detached one of its thin skeletal hands.
[I’d recommend reflexology instead. Placebo or not, it promotes blood circulation.]
“Stop babbling and go recharge.”
Ignoring it, the Heavenly Demon grabbed the thread and headed deeper into the warehouse.
Sensing something off, Nameless hopped down from its charging dock.
[Heavenly Demon, what exactly are you planning?]
He was seated by a pile of lumber, a saw in one hand and thread in the other.
[Ah, you’re making the toy Ms. Jang requested.]
The Heavenly Demon’s eyes glinted coldly.
“Bored, huh? If a plaything will keep it out of trouble…”
He chuckled darkly.
“Heh heh heh. Fine. I’ll make you your ‘toy.’”
He licked the edge of the saw blade, smiling wickedly at the stacked wood.
“But I will decide what kind of toy it’ll be.”
[Oh dear…]
Knowing what that meant, Nameless sighed and slunk back to its room.
Luckily, the Bulgasari couldn’t eat Nameless—its body was made of a special alloy called Hive.
[Good luck, Heavenly Demon…] it muttered under its breath, secretly pleased.
The next morning.
“Huh?”
When Jang Chaewon arrived, Jebi perched on her shoulder, she screamed.
“KYAA!!”
In one corner of the warehouse stood dozens of bizarre wooden dolls—each gripping a sharp wooden weapon wrapped in crimson wire.
And crouched nearby, eyes sunken and twitching with fatigue, was the Heavenly Demon.
“What on earth… what are you doing here!?”
“What else? I’m making the creature’s toy.”
He gave a low, eerie laugh—his eyes bloodshot, his mind clearly teetering.
“You stayed up all night making this? What about the cat tower I drew for you?”
“That simple thing could never be a proper toy.”
“So this… this is a toy?”
She pointed at the sinister, weapon-wielding dolls.
“Why are they all holding weapons?”
“They’re not sinister—they’re the Eighteen Martial Weapons of Murim. I recreated them perfectly.”
“What?”
As she gaped, the Heavenly Demon rose slowly.
“Set it down. It’ll love this.”
“Hmph.”
Though uneasy, she lowered Jebi to the floor. The creature curiously padded forward.
Tap tap.
It poked one of the dolls with its paw—nothing happened.
“See? It’s just wood.”
“Heh heh heh… Is it?”
A wicked glow lit his eyes.
“Move!”
At his shout, the twenty-odd dolls suddenly sprang to life, clutching their weapons and rushing at Jebi.
—Kkyu!?
Startled but unfazed, Jebi swatted them away with its paw.
But the dolls dodged like seasoned martial artists, counterattacking fluidly.
—Kkyu.
Smirking, Jebi didn’t even flinch. Those wooden blades couldn’t pierce its diamond-hard hide anyway.
But then, the blade of one doll began to shimmer with strange energy—!
Startled, Jebi leapt aside, but a tuft of white fur drifted through the air.
—Kkyu!!
Angered, it pummeled several dolls in quick succession, yet they dodged again and again, moving like true martial masters.
“What… what is this!?”
Jang Chaewon gawked.
“How are they moving!?”
Snap!
One doll found an opening and smacked Jebi squarely on the head.
At that exact moment, she noticed a faint movement in the Heavenly Demon’s left hand.
“Thread?”
A closer look revealed red thread connecting each doll to his hand.
He was controlling them all.
“This is the Crimson Thread Chaos Dance. I once taught this technique to the Eighteen Wild Wolves of Murim.”
His violet eyes glimmered.
“With this training, even that beast will learn respect for me.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
Jang Chaewon threw up her hands.
“Jebi! Don’t bother with them—come here!”
—Kkyu!
But the hit to its head had wounded its pride. It crouched low and launched itself back into the fray.
—Kkyuu!
The battle escalated into chaos—white blur against a swarm of spinning wooden figures.
“Not bad for a lowly beast,” the Heavenly Demon sneered.
“But soon you’ll be flat on your back, begging for mercy.”
—Kkyu!
Jebi’s eyes gleamed with pale light, as if saying, “Wanna see what I can really do?”
“Stop! That’s enough!”
Unable to take it anymore, Jang Chaewon shouted.
“Cut it out!”
“The match isn’t over!”
—Kkyu!
Even Jebi protested, unwilling to stop.
“This isn’t a toy—it’s combat training! Denied. Absolutely denied!”
Ring-ring-ring!
Just then, the old store phone rang. A call from the client, Shinrae.
“Hello, Bokbok Interiors.”
Her tone was polite—but her eyes widened.
“Ah, right now?”
Immediately, the wooden dolls froze in place.
Though furious, the Heavenly Demon clenched his teeth.
“Consider yourself lucky today,” he hissed, glaring at Jebi.
