The Demon Goes to Work Today As Well - Chapter 111

Chapter 111: Preparation for the Promotion Exam (2)

Upon arriving on Dainik planet.

“It’s changed a lot.”

Jung Minwoo could see that the civilization of the Pacon Empire had advanced even further compared to when he left.

“Considering the time axis of ‘Dainik’ planet, four months have passed, so it’s only natural for it to change, right?”

Moreover, perhaps because he had only seen the city during wartime for so long, the peaceful-looking city felt unfamiliar.

‘Well, I’ll get used to this sight soon enough.’

Just as Jung Minwoo was looking around the city with the Demon Communion members and heading towards the Imperial Palace.

“…Hmm?”

He sensed a strange feeling of dissonance within the city.

“…What is it?”

As Jung Minwoo was feeling puzzled by the unknown dissonance.

“Minwoo-nim, do you feel it too?”

Venus also seemed to have felt it, and she spoke about the dissonance.

“So I wasn’t the only one feeling it?”

“Yes, I don’t know what it is, but it feels different from before.”

The other Demon Communion members also seemed to have felt it and started tilting their heads in confusion.

“…Something’s different.”

“Is that so?”

“Definitely, I don’t know what it is, but it feels different. Ribbit, ribbit.”

And it was only after observing the faces of the residents that Jung Minwoo realized the reason.

“There’s no vitality in their faces.”

The reason was this: Unlike before, the faces of the higher beings seemed to lack any will to live.

“…Why, why has the atmosphere changed like this?”

He couldn’t understand why they had such lifeless expressions despite having achieved a peaceful world.

‘Shouldn’t they be happier?’

He felt a deep curiosity about why they were like this, but.

“It’s not important, let’s just go to the Imperial Palace.”

Preparing for the promotion exam was already overwhelming enough, so he decided not to worry about this matter.

“Alright.”

Arriving at the Imperial Palace and entering the throne room.

“…Elvis.”

Jung Minwoo could see Elvis sitting on the throne, his expression filled with boredom.

‘I didn’t expect even Elvis to be like this?’

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Jung Minwoo fell into deep thought.

‘There won’t be any problem extracting Demonic Energy right now, but if this continues, the amount of Demonic Energy produced on this planet will drastically decrease.’

What demons needed was negative energy, not boredom.

‘I need to read his desires and thoughts.’

Jung Minwoo decided to read Elvis’s desires and thoughts to figure out why this situation had come about.

As he used ‘Demon Eye’ and ‘Mind’s Eye’ simultaneously.

【New Invasion】

Elvis’s desire formed into text, and at the same time.

【I’ve achieved everything, so there’s nothing left to do. Does it even make sense to spend time like this, with no meaning?】

Following that, Elvis’s thoughts also formed into text.

‘So this was the problem.’

Having read his desires and thoughts, Jung Minwoo understood why Elvis and the residents were reacting this way.

‘They’ve lost their purpose.’

In other words, having achieved the goal of ‘invasion,’ they had nothing left to do and had lost their motivation.

‘I didn’t expect this kind of problem to arise.’

Jung Minwoo pondered for a moment over this new obstacle, and then.

‘Come to think of it, the Demon Lord Shop also sold a portal artifact that connects planets, right?’

He soon found the solution in the ‘Demon Lord Shop Window’ he had seen yesterday.

‘Opening a portal to an uninvaded planet and invading it wouldn’t be bad.’

This way, he could invade without much effort and revive the motivation of Elvis and the residents.

‘The more I think about it, the better it sounds.’

Even though it was his own idea, it seemed like a brilliant method.

‘The price was around 100 million DP, right?’

It was an expensive amount, but not an unobtainable one.

‘I should propose this to Elvis.’

Having made up his mind, Jung Minwoo appeared before Elvis.

“How have you been?”

At Jung Minwoo’s greeting, some life returned to Elvis’s bored face, and.

“I greet the Demon Lord!”

He hurriedly got down from the throne, knelt on one knee, and bowed.

“You seem quite bored.”

“…Haha, did you notice?”

Elvis laughed awkwardly at Jung Minwoo’s words and continued.

“…Now that the invasion is over, I feel like there’s nothing left to achieve.”

He confessed his honest feelings.

“I didn’t know you were going through such a situation.”

“To be honest, the time when I was invading alongside the Demon Lord was more enjoyable.”

Jung Minwoo nodded at Elvis’s words and said.

“Then, let me make you a proposal.”

“…A proposal, sir?”

At the word ‘proposal,’ Elvis’s eyes sparkled with interest.

“Yes, how about invading another planet with me?”

“Invading another planet…”

Elvis, having received the proposal, looked dazed as he repeated Jung Minwoo’s words.

T hi s w as c o p i ed f r o m k ing m t l. o r g
“You can refuse if you don’t want to.”

“I’ll do it. No, please let me do it.”

Pleased with his enthusiastic response, Jung Minwoo smiled and said.

“Good, but we’ll carry out the planetary invasion 200 years from now. In the meantime, you should focus on strengthening your forces.”

“May I ask why we’re carrying it out 200 years later?”

When Elvis asked, Jung Minwoo briefly explained the reason.

“…So even demons have a ranking system. I understand.”

He quickly accepted and understood the explanation.

“So, I’m planning to stay here for about 100 years, is that alright?”

“It would be an honor to have the Demon Lord stay here.”

“Then, could you recommend a place where no one can approach?”

“If that’s what you’re looking for, the Imperial Vault seems suitable.”

“I’ll borrow that place for 100 years.”

“Yes, just in case, I’ll give orders to ensure no one approaches it.”

Satisfied with his loyalty, Jung Minwoo patted Elvis’s shoulder.

“Lead the way.”

“Right away, sir.”

Afterward, Jung Minwoo was guided by Elvis towards the Imperial Vault.

Stepping inside the Imperial Vault.

‘Hmm?’

Jung Minwoo noticed that the inside was more empty than he expected.

‘I guess he distributed quite a bit to the people after the invasion ended.’

He didn’t think much of it, but perhaps feeling embarrassed, Elvis scratched his head and said.

“We held a month-long festival after the invasion ended, so the expenses were quite high.”

“It’s only natural after ending a long war.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“There’s no need to thank me. It’s the wealth you’ve built, so it doesn’t matter how you use it.”

Elvis looked touched by Jung Minwoo’s words.

“Now, you can leave.”

Feeling that Elvis would start praising him if he stayed any longer, Jung Minwoo ordered him to leave.

“Understood. I’ll see you in 100 years.”

As Elvis left.

“Are we starting right away?”

“I want to fight virtual enemies quickly!”

“…I also want to see how far my strength goes.”

“Are we starting the training now? Ribbit, ribbit.”

The Demon Communion members appeared, expressing their anticipation for the training.

“I’m going to use the artifact now, so step back.”

Jung Minwoo opened a subspace and took out the artifact he had purchased earlier.

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Thud—

And as he infused Demonic Energy into it, he threw the red sphere onto the floor.

Whoosh—

A red portal appeared in mid-air.

“Shall we go in?”

Then, Jung Minwoo entered the portal with the Demon Communion members.

‘The inside is ordinary.’

A space entirely gray unfolded before them.

As he turned his head to check if the Demon Communion members had followed him in properly.

‘…Where did they go?’

The Demon Communion members who should have followed him were nowhere to be seen. There was only an empty gray space.

‘Are they coming in late?’

As he was wondering why he couldn’t see the Demon Communion members.

【Users have been separated for efficient space utilization】

A message window popped up before him, resolving his question.

‘Well, if we all used the same space, our movements would overlap, and we wouldn’t be able to train properly.’

Having cleared his doubts, Jung Minwoo decided to start training right away.

‘How do I create virtual enemies?’

As he pondered how to use the ‘Battle Space.’

【Please set the virtual enemy】

A message window asking him to set the enemy appeared.

‘So this is how you set it.’

Since he had already thought about the virtual enemy beforehand, Jung Minwoo set it without hesitation.

‘I’ll be the virtual enemy.’

T h i s w a s c o pi e d f ro m k i ngm t l. o rg
The enemy he would face was himself.

‘There’s no more efficient training method than fighting myself.’

By fighting himself, he could identify and improve upon his weaknesses, allowing him to rapidly enhance his combat abilities.

【Virtual enemy ‘Jung Minwoo’ has been set】

As he finished setting it.

Flash—

A red light burst from mid-air, and at the same time.

Thud—

An enemy identical to himself appeared.

‘It feels…a bit strange.’

Looking at himself, not through a mirror, felt a bit odd.

T hi s w a s c op ie d f rom k i ngm t l . o r g
‘The real thing is much more handsome?’

Jung Minwoo brushed aside the pointless thought and adjusted his posture.

T h is wa s c o pi e d fr o m k i ng m t l.o r g
‘Let the battle begin.’

As he declared the start of the battle, he used ‘Mind’s Eye’ on the enemy.

【Shadow Deployment】

And the moment he read the virtual enemy’s thoughts.

“Shadow Deployment.”

“Shadow Deployment.”

Jung Minwoo followed suit, infused Demonic Energy into his ring, and chanted the activation word.

Shhhhk—

T h i s w as c o p i ed f r o m k i n g m tl . o r g
Their shadows, which had been spread out on the floor, transformed into thorn-like shapes and shot upwards.

Clang—

‘Should I change the direction?’

Jung Minwoo tried to change the direction of the shadows to exploit an opening, but.

【Bottom Left】

The virtual enemy was also using ‘Mind’s Eye,’ anticipating his attacks in advance.

【Defense, then attack bottom right】

It was even considering counterattacks, making it difficult for him to attack easily.

‘Tsk, this isn’t easy.’

Jung Minwoo clicked his tongue inwardly as he looked at the virtual enemy.

【Close Combat】

‘I need to prevent it from approaching using shadows.’

【Copy ‘Lucifer’s’ unique trait】

‘Exploit the opening when it copies the unique trait.’

【Pretend to copy the unique trait and counterattack】

‘Dodge the counterattack and counterattack.’

【Dodge that attack and counterattack】

‘Dodge the counterattack again and counterattack.’

【Dodge that and counterattack】

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

And unexpectedly, they began a battle of imagination.

‘…Damn it, why isn’t there an opening?’

Frustrated by the unexpected situation, Jung Minwoo glared at the virtual enemy.

‘Alright, let’s see who wins. Let’s see how far you can imitate me, you mere copy!’

After about 30 minutes of imaginary sparring.

‘…I’m going to get a headache at this rate.’

He could feel himself reaching the limits of his mental strength.

‘…Doesn’t that guy get tired?’

However, the virtual enemy seemed perfectly fine, as if it didn’t tire at all.

‘How can it be so fine?’

As Jung Minwoo felt puzzled while looking at the virtual enemy.

【Unlike the user, the virtual enemy has unlimited stamina】

A message window answered his question.

‘Why are you telling me this now?!’

Just as Jung Minwoo was feeling a deep headache from the unexpected fact.

Whoosh!

The virtual enemy, having spotted an opening, started to move.

‘Oh no!’

Jung Minwoo hurriedly tried to read its thoughts and react, but.

Wham!

“Ugh?”

Unfortunately, the virtual enemy’s fist reaching his abdomen was slightly faster.

‘…Was my fist this strong?’

Jung Minwoo marveled at the virtual enemy’s strength, and at the same time.

Crash—

He lost his balance and rolled pathetically on the floor.

“Fine, let’s go all out!”

Realizing that normal methods wouldn’t work, Jung Minwoo gave up thinking, got up, and charged towards the virtual enemy.
T hi s was co pi e d f r o m k in g m t l . o rg

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, wham!

“W-wait!”

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, wham!

“Just stop for a second!!!”

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, wham!

Unfortunately, contrary to his intentions, Jung Minwoo was no match for the virtual enemy and started getting beaten mercilessly.

“No, I said stop!”

That day, for the first time in both his past life and his current life, Jung Minwoo experienced a one-sided beating from an enemy.

Chapter 112. Preparation for the Promotion Exam (3)

Meanwhile, Venus was…

“Haap!”

…sparring against a virtual opponent that looked exactly like her.

‘I need to identify and supplement my weaknesses. Then, I need to broaden my combat experience by sparring with various opponents.’

Knowing her combat abilities were inferior to the other Demon Communion members, Venus wanted to take this opportunity to improve her skills.

‘Even though my rank is one level higher than the kids, I ended up showing the most pathetic display when facing the pigeons.’
T h i s was c o p i ed fr o m k i n g m t l . or g

Determined to avoid becoming a burden to her comrades, Venus vowed to grow stronger and stand beside them with pride.

“Hiya!”

Swoosh— Crack!

As Venus swung her whip to attack the virtual opponent…

Crack!

…the virtual opponent also swung its whip, effortlessly blocking the attack.

‘It’s harder to deal with than I thought.’

The moment Venus retracted her whip…

Dash—

The virtual opponent charged, swinging its foot.

Whoosh—

“Hup!”

Seeing the incoming kick, Venus rolled on the ground to evade the attack.

Swoosh— Crack.

However, the virtual opponent seemed unwilling to end the attack there, swinging its whip once more.

Whoosh— Crack!

The whip sliced through the air, its power looking quite formidable, but…

‘The trajectory is too obvious.’

Because the attack was so straightforward, it was relatively easy to dodge.

‘…This kind of predictable attack won’t work against an enemy.’

Due to her inherently weak combat abilities, Venus could easily identify her own shortcomings.

‘How can I attack so it doesn’t feel obvious?’

Venus created distance from the virtual opponent, lost in thought as she tried to improve her weaknesses.

‘…Wait, if my attacks are predictable, I just need to add some unpredictable variations!’

And she was able to find the solution more easily than expected.

Th i s w a s co p i ed f r om k i n gm t l.o rg
‘Unpredictable attacks… Alright, let’s try it!’

As Venus swung her whip…

Dash—

The virtual opponent raised its whip in a defensive stance, but…

Swoosh— Crack!

The whip struck the empty ground.

The virtual opponent tilted its head in confusion, as if it couldn’t understand. At that moment…

Whoosh— Crack!

The whip bounced off the ground, and with the rebound, it shot towards the virtual opponent.

“!!!”

Caught off guard by the unexpected attack, the virtual opponent…

Crack—!!

…took the attack head-on and fell to the ground.

‘Yes!’

Venus clenched her fist, delighted that her strategy had worked.

‘Then, shall I continue to apply this?’

She swung her whip towards the ground once more.

Swoosh— Crack!

The virtual opponent, determined not to fall for the same trick again, swung its whip back.

‘Not so fast!’

Venus shook the handle she was holding with force.

Whirl—

The whip’s direction changed abruptly…

Swoosh— Crack!

…and struck the virtual opponent’s face.

Thud—

As the virtual opponent, unable to withstand the impact, fell to the ground…

‘I’ll finish it off now!’

Venus infused her whip with demonic energy and swung it towards the virtual opponent.

Crack―――!

The virtual opponent, left defenseless, was struck by Venus’s attack and its body dissipated into nothingness.

‘It’s embarrassing that I struggled with such an easy problem.’

With this easy victory, Venus realized how lacking her combat abilities had been.

‘Still, I’ve identified areas to improve. Shall I polish my skills?’

Venus set up a new virtual opponent and resumed her training to broaden her combat experience.

Meanwhile, Elin, like Jung Minwoo and Venus, was engaged in sparring, setting herself as the virtual opponent.

“…Die.”

Dozens of ice crystals appeared around her, shooting towards the virtual opponent, but…

Flare—

The virtual opponent created dozens of flames, instantly melting the ice crystals.

“…Just a copycat.”

Frowning, Elin summoned a bolt of lightning.

Rumble— Boom!

Crackle—

The virtual opponent effortlessly blocked Elin’s attack by raising the ground.

“…”

Displeased with the stalemate, Elin began to unleash her attacks with full force.

Splash—

First, she generated water, soaking the virtual opponent. Then…

Kaboom―――!

…she struck it with dozens of lightning bolts.

Crackle!

Finally, she froze the area where the virtual opponent stood, finishing her attack.

“…Did I get it?”

Elin muttered a spell of immortality and checked the spot where the virtual opponent had been, but…

“…Huh?”

…she saw the virtual opponent standing there unscathed.

“…No damage at all?”

As she felt a sense of bewilderment at the sight of the opponent perfectly fine despite her full-powered attacks…

Slide—

…the virtual opponent stretched out its hand, as if to say it was its turn now.

“…Ah!”

Elin sensed danger and tried to defend, but…

Rumble Boom Boom!

“…Ugh!”

Having depleted all her demonic energy in her previous attack, she was helplessly struck by the lightning, collapsing to the ground.

“…Pant, pant, pant.”

Elin trembled, clutching her knee with her hand, experiencing excruciating pain for the first time in her life.

“…I was careless.”

Then, with a burning gaze she had never shown before, she glared at the virtual opponent.

“…You’ll have to answer for making me angry.”

Feeling a competitive spirit for the first time, Elin resumed her sparring with the virtual opponent.

While his comrades were busy sparring…

【Please set a virtual opponent】

“Hmm, who should I choose? Ribbit, ribbit.”

Rok stared at the message window, lost in thought about who to select.

“Since it said any injuries would be healed, I kind of want to fight fiercely. Ribbit, ribbit.”

After pondering…

“Should I fight Anubis? Ribbit, ribbit.”

Rok decided it wouldn’t be bad to spar against Anubis, the demon he admired.

“Usually, I’d worry about hurting her, so I’d just focus on defense. Ribbit, ribbit.”

He knew she liked strong demons, but…

“If she gets hurt, I’d feel so bad, so I haven’t been able to have a proper spar with her until now. Ribbit, ribbit.”

He couldn’t bring himself to inflict any harm on the woman he liked, so he had refrained from attacking her seriously.

“So, it would be good to fight her in this opportunity and see how much of a gap there is between us. Ribbit, ribbit.”

Since the virtual opponent wasn’t the real Anubis, he could unleash his full power without hesitation.

“I’ll spar with Anubis.”

Rok made his decision and set the virtual opponent.

【Virtual opponent ‘Anubis’ has been set】

【The demon is currently present in the ‘Battle Space’】

【Sending a real-time sparring request to ‘Anubis’】

【’Anubis’ has accepted the real-time sparring request】

“…Huh? Ribbit, ribbit.”

He realized the situation was unfolding in a strange way.

“Th-This isn’t right. Ribbit, ribbit.”

Rok hurriedly tried to cancel the setting, but…

“Hey, Rok!”

A boisterous female voice called out from behind him.

Flinch—

“…Ah. Ribbit, ribbit.”

Rok cautiously turned around.

“I didn’t know you’d be the one to request a spar with me first.”

Anubis stood there, holding her greatsword, her face filled with a competitive spirit.

“Th-That’s not it. Ribbit, ribbit.”

Rok tried to explain the situation, but…

“Don’t tell me you called me by mistake? I hate demons who back down from a fight.”

“…”

Anubis’s words left him speechless.

‘Well, it said any injuries would be healed anyway. It wouldn’t be bad to fight with all my might this time. Ribbit, ribbit.’

Pulling himself together, Rok adjusted his posture and said,

“Please teach me a thing or two, Anubis. Ribbit, ribbit.”

Anubis nodded, a satisfied smile on her face.

“You’re not backing down from a fight like usual? I like that you look so brave today.”

“Hehe. Ribbit, ribbit.”

“Then, shall we begin?”

“S-Sure. Ribbit, ribbit.”

“I’ll let you have the first move.”

“Thanks. Ribbit, ribbit.”

Rok took a deep breath, calming his mind, then…

‘Anubis is an all-rounder combat style, pushing with strength and speed. Ribbit, ribbit.’

…carefully planned how to face her.

‘To beat Anubis, I need to utilize all three of my transformation forms effectively. Ribbit, ribbit.’

After finishing his plan…

‘It would be best to start by transforming into my third form, Miniaturization, and approach her quickly. Ribbit, ribbit.’

…Rok used his unique trait, ‘Monster Transformation’.

“Ribbit!”

Rok’s body was enveloped in demonic energy…

Buzz—

…and his size shrunk to that of a fly.

His third form was developed by taking inspiration from his first form, Gigantism, and shrinking his size.

While he lost combat power due to his smaller size, he gained incredible speed.

“Huh? You think you can face me in that tiny form?”

Anubis scoffed at Rok, who had shrunk to the size of a fly, but…

“Ribbit!”

Whoosh――― Bang!

With a tremendous sonic boom, Rok vanished from her sight.

“…Huh?”

As Anubis expressed bewilderment at the sudden turn of events…

“Ribbit…!”

…Rok, who had taken position behind her, used his first form, ‘Gigantism’, and at the same time…

Boom――――!

…struck Anubis’s body with his giant fist.

“…Ugh! What?”

As her body was launched into the air…

“Such a cheap trick…!”

…Anubis frowned, trying to land quickly, but…

“Ptoo!”

“Gah?”

Thud—

She was hit by the poison Rok spat, failing to land properly and tumbling pathetically on the ground.

“Ribbit!”

Then, Rok transformed into his second form, ‘Berserk’…

“Grrr.”
T h is w a s co p i e d f r o m k in gm tl . o rg

…and stretched out his arm, shooting it towards Anubis, who was lying on the ground.

Whoosh— Bang!

“Tsk!”

Dash—

Anubis regained her senses and kicked off the ground to dodge the attack, but…

Whirl—

“…Oh no!”

Rok’s fist bent in a bizarre direction, striking Anubis’s face.

Boom――――!

“Ugh?!”

Taking the hit, Anubis once again tumbled gracelessly on the ground.

“Damn it, this is completely different from our last spar.”

Anubis stood up, dusting herself off, and said,

“Still, I like that you’re being aggressive instead of just defending like before. This is how a spar should be, don’t you think?”

“Grrr…?”

Then, with a bright smile, she walked forward and said,

“I’ve always wondered. How would a fight go if you, with your incredible resilience, were to fight seriously?”

Crack—

Blood vessels popped out on Anubis’s body as her muscles began to bulge.

Her eyes became bloodshot, and her gray hair turned crimson.

“Rok! Let’s have a real fight!”

As Anubis, having completed her ‘Awakening’, shouted energetically…

Whoosh—

…her figure blurred…

Kaboom―――!

…and she arrived in front of Rok in an instant, swinging her greatsword.

‘It’s too late to dodge…! Ribbit, ribbit.’

Rok hurriedly transformed into his first form, maximizing his defense, but…

Crack—

The moment the greatsword touched him, his bones shattered, and his body folded in half.

“…Ribbit?!”

Thud—

As his massive body was sent flying and rolled on the ground…

“Rok! Where’s that spirit from before?!”

Anubis, consumed by frenzy, closed the distance and swung her greatsword down.

Whoosh— Crack!

‘I can’t take that attack! Ribbit, ribbit.’

Whoosh— Whirl!

Rok quickly transformed into his third form, ‘Miniaturization’, narrowly dodging Anubis’s attack.

‘…There’s no chance of winning with a direct approach. Ribbit, ribbit.’

Realizing he couldn’t inflict any significant damage unless it was a brawl…

‘I have no choice but to overpower her with brute force! Ribbit, ribbit.’

…Rok transformed into his second form, ‘Berserk’, and swung his fist at Anubis.

“Ooh, that’s fiery and I like it!”

Then, without moving an inch from their spots, they exchanged blows, fists against greatsword, engaging in a fierce spar.

After about 46 hours…

“…Ugh!”

Rok collapsed on the ground first, losing the spar.

“…Pant, pant, pant.”

Anubis, the victor, also seemed exhausted as she let out ragged breaths and lay down next to Rok.

“Hehe, Anubis is strong after all. Ribbit, ribbit.”

Rok gave a refreshing smile and gave a thumbs up to Anubis, who was lying next to him.

“You weren’t bad yourself.”

Anubis chuckled and returned the thumbs up.

“Haha, is that so? Ribbit, ribbit.”

Rok scratched his head at the unexpected compliment, and then…

“If you work a little harder, I might actually see you as a man.”

…he heard an unimaginable statement coming from Anubis’s mouth.

“H-Huh? What did you say? Ribbit, ribbit.”

Rok asked if he had heard correctly, but…

“What, you want me to repeat it? If you didn’t hear it, then it’s fine.”

Anubis waved her hand dismissively, as if she didn’t want to repeat herself.

‘If I work a little harder, she might see me as a man… Ribbit, ribbit.’

Rok blushed as he repeated Anubis’s words in his mind.

‘I now have a clear reason to become stronger. Ribbit, ribbit.’

Having tasted hope, Rok set a goal to become stronger than Anubis and transform into a remarkable man.