NOVPUB
Chapter 1008
It was common knowledge that even Earth’s contemporary firearms were useless against the monsters that emerged from rifts.
Under the orders of President Drumper, Commander-in-Chief of the United States, the country had entered a state of extreme emergency based on the testimonies of the surviving S-Class Awakened individuals.
The reports told of a monster beyond imagination—something akin to the calamity from years before. Something that couldn’t be taken down just by gathering a couple of S-Class individuals in an impromptu raid team.
The current state of the rift swept the entire nation in fear.
Crackle!!
Suddenly, from within the massive rift’s swirling vortex, faint sparks of energy crackled.
A golden dragon with eastern dragon-like features pushed its head slowly through the rift.
"W-What?!”
“Hmph?!”
Its sudden appearance led to the eyes of onlookers widening in shock, assuming a monster had leapt out from the rift to cause chaos.
But no one dared to attack.
Whether they had frozen up in fear, or they had simply lost the will to fight under the overwhelming pressure of the massive golden dragon, most of them stood there with blank expressions.
They began to wonder if perhaps Prince Davey had failed to subdue the rift.
Otherwise, it made no sense for such a monster to appear before them.
As they muttered in confusion, one of the senior commanders overseeing the scene clenched his fist so tightly that his bones seemed about to crack.
Just as he was about to order all the Awakened individuals and Marine forces surrounding the rift to attack—
Crackle!!
“Hey.”
The massive golden dragon calmly emerging from the rift suddenly flinched.
It appeared to be in response to a young man with black hair who had casually stepped out of the rift.
“Move it, idiot.”
Davey muttered lazily, lightly pushing the dragon before looking around at the massive force that had surrounded the area.
“What are you all doing here?”
Contrary to the Awakened testimonies, he looked completely fine.
Crackle!!!
Then, when the golden dragon fully emerged from the rift and vanished high into the sky, the rift—still brimming with immense energy—began to distort before abruptly disappearing.
Such a sight was usually an indication that a rift had been cleared.
“P-Prince Davey...”
An official approached with a surprised face.
“What happened...?”
“What do you mean what happened? It’s handled, so go ahead and pull out.”
“T-Then, what about that enormous dragon?”
“It’s my mythical beast, so it’s fine. But if you all keep crowding like this, its OCD might flare up and it could start firing beams or something.”
“Hmph?!”
“You’d best clear out.”
With that, everyone let out sighs of both relief and exhaustion.
* * *
As the tension faded, the vultures began to swarm.
Watching the reporters rush in all at once for coverage, Davey turned to a government official nearby.
“Everyone here would’ve died if things had gone wrong. Do these people not have a sense of fear?”
He couldn’t help but ask as much, considering regular reporters—neither soldiers nor Awakened—had made it all the way there to obtain information.
“I don’t understand their nature either.”
Davey had no response.
“If I may, sir. Mr. President is waiting.”
“I can talk to him later.”
“S-Still, the details surrounding the incident...”
“The rift was destroyed, and I dealt with the thing inside. Do I really need to say more?”
In the end, the rift had vanished.
“If you’re talking about claiming the byproducts that came out of the rift...”
Davey glanced toward a few S-class Awakened individuals, who flinched in response.
They seemed to have returned out of concern for post-incident matters, but they were still clearly horrified by what they had experienced.
“I believe it might be better for the ones who broke the agreement to keep their mouths shut, don’t you think?”
Rumble!!!
In an instant, a blinding flash exploded where Davey had been standing, as if a bolt of lightning had struck.
Suddenly, he was on the back of the colossal golden dragon, Yellow Dragon, soaring through the sky.
And just like that, the onlookers stood in a daze, watching the two fly away.
* * *
"The news broke, huh?"
"Of course it did."
As soon as Illyna spotted Davey, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. He then lifted her into his arms.
"So? What was in there?"
"This."
Davey pulled out a card from the Heavenly Demon’s Card Album.
"This... looks like a dokkaebi or something?"
"Yeah. It’s the Dokkaebi King, Shiverwock.”
She nodded curiously.
"I could have sworn that was a myth... Ah, well, both Earth and Tionis have their share of folklore, I guess."
Since the rift was innately connected to Shiverwock, it couldn’t be destroyed as long as it existed.
But by capturing Shiverwock, Davey had severed its connection with the rift. He had also used his faithful OCD dragon to erase the smaller dokkaebis and auras who still held remnants of its power.
As a result, the rift no longer had the power to sustain itself—effectively resolving the entire affair.
In the end, the Shiverwock problem was solved. It had wanted to get closer to humans, but they feared it. In the end, they betrayed him, and the conflict began.
“Hey. You’re not lying, are you?”
"You won’t regret it."
The truth was, Yellow Dragon, who had brought Davey back to the hotel, seemed visibly irritated by Shiverwock’s very existence.
They were a poor match, after all.
But, as always, everything stood equal before his fist—so even Yellow Dragon had no choice but to back down.
"After you went in, there was a huge uproar. Something like it being an unprecedented crisis in the U.S. was reported. Even Hyun-Ah called to ask if you were okay."
"I should give her a call later."
From the outside, it probably looked like something had gone terribly wrong.
"The rift kept sending out wave after wave. The situation was incredibly chaotic. I guess Shiverwock must have put up quite the fight?"
"No, I just gave it a beatdown."
His answer made Illyna stare at him with a dumbfounded expression.
"You're telling me... all that chaos and the rift shaking was because you beat up that dokkaebi?”
"Probably, yeah."
From the outside, it seemed most people assumed the rift kept resonating due to a fierce battle between him and Shiverwock.
But the truth was—
“Stop!! Stop! I was wrong! Let me go!!”
- Alright, just twenty more hits.
“Aaargh!!”
The chaos was the aftermath of Davey stealing the Grand General of Heaven’s dokkaebi club and beating Shiverwock with it.
But there was no reason to tell her this, so he didn’t bother.
Just because he was strong, that didn’t mean Shiverwock was weak.
When he turned on the TV with the remote, nonstop coverage of the unusual rift that appeared in Miami filled the screen.
"Oh? They're showing it again."
The footage even caught the moment Davey appeared, after massive Yellow Dragon emerged.
"Humans are quick to respond, as always."
"I wouldn’t be surprised if reporters start crowding in front of the hotel tomorrow."
"They can crowd there all they want."
He figured he could just not leave through the front door.
For him, interviews were completely off the table.
"I’m not a fan of those media outlets, always spinning things maliciously if they don’t get what they want.”
Politicians might use the media as a political tool, but Davey had no reason—or need—to do the same.
He had given a response simply to uphold his end of the bargain.
His attention was on something else at that moment.
It was the outfit Illyna had worn for pitching at the game.
She was still wearing it, and she was looking up at him at the moment.
It was completely different from her usual style, and alluring enough to make his face heat up involuntarily.
"Every time I see you, it still amazes me how well you pull off any clothes you wear."
"It’s kind of embarrassing next to Sister Per, though."
She spun around playfully.
"So? What do you think? You kept taking photos, so I assumed you liked it. Do I look pretty?"
"Don’t wear stuff like that."
She flinched at his answer, a hint of hurt on her face.
"If you wear outfits like that, they have to be taken off.”
He then pushed her onto the bed, grabbing the outfit with a sly smile.
"Ah..."
Understanding what he meant, Illyna looked away with her cheeks flushed.
"Middle of the day is a bit..."
Click!!
At the same time, the light outside the window dimmed completely. He hadn’t turned day into night—just blocked the light filtering in.
"There. Problem solved, right?"
"Haa..."
She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close.
* * *
Leaving the resting Illyna behind, Davey stepped out of the room and made his way to the lounge terrace.
Illyna was honest in many ways, especially when it came to love. Unlike Perserque—who either got shy or tried to tease him—she never hid her affection.
Of course, that usually meant she ended up at his mercy.
“Seriously. Is there a place where humans aren’t afraid of me?”
Shiverwock kept changing its tone when talking, but that wasn’t the important part.
“To be precise, something even more insane than you has already claimed half of the castle, so you aren’t really a big deal.”
Shiverwock murmured thoughtfully.
“Unbelievable. Humans are weak. They always carry fear in their hearts.”
“Not human.”
While Shiverwock was technically under his control now, he decided it was better not to keep it in Heins Territory.
“You’re going to a land beyond the Tartaros Underground Mountains. The Demon World.”
It tilted its head.
“The Demon World? Never heard of it.”
“There’s nothing special about it; it’s a place where beings called demons live. They’re not human, but they’re pretty similar.”
Shiverwock scoffed.
“So in the end, you really couldn’t get humans to handle me, and you’re just sending me away.”
“What are you on about? You’re gonna get jumped if you keep making racist comments like that.”
His response made Shiverwock confused.
“What do you mean?”
“Demons and humans are basically the same. Just different species. Besides, your power’s a better fit for the Demon World anyway. I could let you stay close to humans if you really want, but the air there naturally suits you better.”
Davey knew similar things were easier to get used to.
Though he was a little worried about the crazy white muscle bunny occupying half the castle in the Demon World.
“Fine. You don’t seem to be lying, so I’ll trust you.”
“Save that for later. For now, stay in the card. A high-level being like you can’t be sealed in a shamanic rattle for long.”
Even though the shamanic rattle was one of Woochi’s primary weapons, it wasn’t some miracle artifact.
“If only I could craft my own with superior materials.”
Though Davey worshiped the power that items brought, creating a new shamanic rattle to safely link Shiverwock to himself required specific materials.
“But in the end, Woochi couldn’t handle me either.”
“That guy only uses sorcery. I use whatever works best.”
In fact, Shiverwock was currently sealed inside the Heavenly Demon’s Card Album, not through some type of sorcery. It was a soul-forged weapon made by a card maker.
Everything, from the foundation to the method, was completely different from what Woochi had pursued.
Shiverwock seemed reluctantly convinced by his words.
“By the way, didn’t you say there’s someone on this land with a space similar to the one I created?”
“I did.”
“That might be—”
“You’re here.”
Just then, someone spoke to Davey.
Turning his head, he saw a familiar man.
“Good to see you. I’m Chris Marten.”
“Davey O’Rowane.”
He calmly shook his hand.
Chris then handed him a paper bag.
“No matter the situation, I figured I had to come do what needed to be done.”
“Thanks for fuckin’ saving us. And we’re really fucking sorry.”
Davey wasn’t sure why the guy had to drop the F-bomb so much, but he didn’t let it bother him.
When he looked inside the bag, Davey narrowed his eyes.
There were two baseballs in a box, plus a glove.
“What is this?”
“Prince Davey, I heard you like baseball so much that you attended the first pitch yourself.”
“What are you talking about?”
“These are famous, historic home run balls. Hit by a legendary player.”
The items were in an extremely clean, well-maintained state. The way he talked about them clearly indicated that he had personally been taking care of them.
“I don’t really need these...”
“It’s a thank-you gift for saving us.”
He grinned widely.
“I still have a great fucking life ahead of me. And thanks to you, I can enjoy it—so of course I owe you, Davey O’Rowane, something in return.”
Davey wondered if he had really come all the way there just to hand those things over. He was aware that he himself wasn’t exactly a low-key person, but neither was this Chris guy.
Not that it really mattered, though.
Davey had heard that when the other Awakened individuals were fuming in outrage, Chris had been one of the few asking them to wait.
He figured there was no reason to treat someone harshly if they were at least willing to listen.
“Just call me Davey.”
‘Since we’ve met, maybe I can get an autograph and give it to Illyna la—’
“I heard you’re close with Lady Hyun-Ah.”
Davey paused mid-thought.
“Hyun-Ah?”
“Oh, it sounds like you’re really close. Honestly, I wanted to ask you something. Considering how quickly Lady Hyun-Ah opened up to you, I figured she must trust you quite a bit.”
He smiled brightly.
“We know each other pretty well.”
“Yes. Whenever I bring you up, Lady Hyun-Ah seems to really enjoy the conversation. But not in a romantic way.”
‘Obviously. What kind of lunatic sees their own sibling as a potential romantic partner?’
In his eyes, Hyun-Ah was nothing more than an ugly octopus. In her eyes, he was probably just dried squid.
“That damned octopus? Of course not. Romance? Please. All we ever do is fight and tear into each other the second we’re in the same room.”
“Haha. That only happens when two people are close.”
‘Sure, we’re close. We’re family.’
Though Davey was now living his reincarnated life, in his past life, she was one of his most precious family members.
“She’s such a workaholic lunatic, always buried in her job like that’s all there is to life.”
“Still, she’s quite impressive. Leading Sacred Group at such a young age isn’t easy.”
Technically, their uncle and Yeon-Hee were the real ones steering the ship, and she just helped out.
Still, his praise stirred something weird in Davey.
“Well, she still has her issues. Ugh, I wish someone would just come along and tame that wild beast already.”
Glancing around as if to make sure no one was listening, Davey added, “If she ever brings a guy home, talking about getting married or whatever, the first thing I’ll do is give the poor dude a look of pity.”
The same kind of look one would give an impala that just got mauled by a leopard.
“Oh dear... I wonder whose poor son will get caught by her? Sheesh...”
Davey dug deep into his memories to mock Hyun-Ah in every way possible. He kept going as if there were no tomorrow, not even sure why he was doing so.
And Chris, strangely entertained, kept listening with interest. Whenever Davey brought up something that matched what he’d heard, Chris burst into laughter and nodded like they were in complete sync.
“Actually, I’m contracted under a special agreement with the Sacred Group. I operate out of the U.S., but I’m one of their affiliates.”
Davey blinked, surprised.
“Really?”
“Yes. So Lady Hyun-Ah often calls me something I forget. It was something in Korean, I think.”
Davey noticed that his tone and pronunciation were a little odd. While his English was fluent, he didn’t seem like he was from the U.S.
The way he kept calling her Lady Hyun-Ah—sharp and formal—made it all the more noticeable.
“Truth is... it was love at first sight. I’m trying to find the right gift for her, but I’m not sure what would be best. I thought someone close to Lady Hyun-Ah like you might have an idea, so I came to ask.”
Hearing this, Davey looked him dead in the eyes.
Did this guy just say he fell for Hyun-Ah?’
“You’re saying... you see that octopus as a woman?”
“Yes!”
His bright smile was too pure for him to be lying.
Before Davey knew it, he was already hanging Chris upside down from the tallest building in the area.
“Prince Davey?! W-Why are you doing this?!”
Watching him panic, Davey muttered blankly.
“You bastard... you’re seriously trying to go after the one and only little sister I have?!”
“E-Excuse me?!”
“Don’t you dare call her an octopus, you son of a—!”
Chris made a confused face.
“B-But you’re the one who—”
“Don’t talk back! You don’t even have the right to answer, you bastard!!”
The man’s confusion only deepened.
* * *
At the same time, somewhere else, Hyun-Ah was organizing business proposals at her desk when a sudden chill ran down her spine, making her shiver.
“What the? Why do I feel so cold all of a sudden?”
She suddenly turned her head, startled—but saw nothing.
“Am I imagining things? I could’ve sworn someone was watching me.”
- You... have such a tempting body...
“Wha—?!”
Startled, she jumped to her feet and quickly looked around.
But again, she saw nothing.
She frowned and sat back down.
“What the hell? Was that from a movie?”
Right then, she noticed her laptop was still playing a horror movie in the background.
Thinking the voice she heard had come through her earbuds, she yanked them out.
“Sigh. I can’t focus. Maybe I should go shopping with Illyna or something...”
