Chapter 19
“Friends…”
It was a clear Saturday morning with no gate missions on the horizon.
Back at my family’s home after a while, I found myself ruminating on the word “friend” that Merhem and Jun-woo had used yesterday.
“Togetherness makes friends… That’s a novel idea.”
It’s a word as foreign to me as “family.”
However, while family was a blessing denied to me, friends were a relationship I had never permitted myself.
You could say it was the difference between being passive and active.
I thought back. Why didn’t I make any friends in my previous life?
Was there no one?
I shook my head.
There was no way I didn’t have people trying to get close to me. When I was the Demon King, objectively and subjectively, I was a perfect person, lacking nothing.
Does it sound arrogant to say that?
Well, does anyone feel embarrassed to say that humans need to breathe? This is exactly like that. It’s just a fact of life.
Talent, ability, background—I lacked nothing. Even my appearance left nothing to be desired.
In one magazine, I was described as “a man who evokes a protective instinct, yet harbors an unknowable darkness—a bad boy who is irresistibly attractive.”
Thanks to that, I was rated as a top-tier marriage prospect among noble families. Even the damned emperor was considering me as a potential son-in-law.
So how many people do you think tried to befriend someone as coveted as I was?
And yet, I had no friends.
Why? When I think about it, the reason is pretty simple. I just…
“I was always focused on what lay ahead.”
It’s only natural.
I was a lowborn commoner. A gutter rat. How much ability would a lowborn need to survive and live a life of grandeur?
To live as I wanted—to act as I pleased and speak without restraint.
For instance, I used wedding invitations from noble families as kindling for my fire. I told the emperor to his face, “You’re utterly incompetent,” without a care.
How much ability would it take to act so recklessly?
An ordinary level of skill would get you killed. Even being a genius wouldn’t suffice.
You needed unparalleled power—an overwhelming force that no one could challenge.
That’s why I needed strength.
That’s why I became the Demon King.
“And that’s why it felt so awkward when Merhem and Jun-woo called me a friend.”
It wasn’t the word “friend” that was unfamiliar—it was me, the one receiving it, who found it strange.
If I had been as consumed by power in this life as I was in the last, I wouldn’t have been shaken by the word “friend” that they mentioned.
I would have brushed it off and continued doing what I needed to do.
But now, things are different.
“For some reason, I find the idea of ‘friends’ oddly appealing.”
My life is certainly different from how it was before.
What has changed me?
Is it because my vessel has changed? Because I now have a family? Because my environment is different?
Sure, those could be reasons. But they’re not the definitive answer.
I’ve thought about it all night, and now I think I’ve found the answer.
“It all comes down to power.”
It all circles back to power.
The power to be confident.
The power to pursue my dreams.
The reason I can be genuinely happy about my new family is that I believe I have the strength to protect that happiness.
It’s the same with friends. Because I have power, I now have the leisure to react to the word “friend.”
Omnipotent strength!
Indeed, power is truly omnipotent!
“I’ve found yet another reason to become stronger.”
It was an expensive revelation, but valuable nonetheless.
I laughed with a sense of relief and stood up.
I could almost hear my mother’s voice in the back of my mind, saying, “Gi-hyuk, that’s not it!” But that was probably just my imagination.
Yes, definitely.
Power can’t be wrong, after all.
……
…
After gaining this expensive insight, I headed to the basement of the family home. My mother had prepared a laboratory for me there, and I immediately got to work.
What kind of work?
Obviously, work to become stronger.
“I’ve been so focused on the kids that I’ve neglected myself.”
Of course, it was more about the need for an adjustment period, but I won’t make excuses.
There’s nothing more disgraceful than blaming others.
I’ll reflect on my lazy past self and push myself today.
Get to work, Park Gi-hyuk!
“Let’s start with the basics.”
As I’ve always emphasized, the foundation of power is to know oneself objectively.
I began to observe myself.
Here’s how the forces within me currently stand:
The demonic power of the Demon King.
The physical power of the Giant.
The martial power of the Swordmaster.
These three powers are in balance…
“No, ‘balance’ is too mild. They’re in a territorial fight. And the force that had the upper hand at first was…”
I wrote “Demon King” in big letters on the whiteboard.
The power I was most familiar with and confident in—my original power, the “Demon King.”
I had overcome the minor handicap of mana depletion, caused by my giant’s body, by constructing an “external mana hole” with Baphomet. Since then, it’s been smooth sailing.
Whether it’s strengthening skeletons through training, acquisition, and command, or invoking necromantic curses, it’s as easy as taking candy from a jar. I’ve spent a lifetime honing this power.
It’s the epitome of effortless mastery.
“But this is where the problem arises.”
I drew a box labeled “Giant” underneath “Demon King,” with the two forces encroaching on each other’s territory.
It was a silly drawing, but nothing else could capture the situation better.
As the power of the Demon King grew stronger, the presence of the Giant also intensified.
At first, I thought it was simply trying to grow stronger to avoid being overwhelmed. Like the “catfish effect,” where introducing a predator into a stagnant ecosystem shakes things up, leading to a burst of vitality as the system struggles to adapt.
I optimistically thought that the Demon King’s power was stimulating the Giant, helping it grow.
But that wasn’t it. For some reason, these two forces were hell-bent on devouring each other.
It felt like being the protagonist in a third-rate romance, caught in a love triangle.
The Giant inside me would grumble, “How dare you ignore me and mess around with that other power?”
Then the Demon King would step in, saying, “Hmph, don’t bother with that brute. I’m the one you need.”
It was absurd, really. Now I had to deal with a power struggle on top of everything else.
The problem was, as this ridiculous comedy played out, my body’s balance gradually deteriorated.
So initially, I decided to side with the power I was most familiar with—the Demon King. After all, a partner you’ve been with for years is better than a new fling.
At that time, I was teaching Merhem sorcery, and my soul’s quality was improving, so it seemed like my approach was working.
That is, until I picked up a sword.
“Damn it, I should’ve never touched that sword.”
It was during a sparring session with Jun-woo.
The first time I witnessed the power of his “Dancer” ability, I got excited and picked up a sword. That’s when I had to face it for the first time.
The insane tiger sleeping within my blood.
“Crazy bastard.”
I drew a sword on the whiteboard, sharp like a rapier—a pointed triangle.
Circles, squares, triangles.
It might look like I’m playing with shapes to someone who doesn’t understand, but I was dead serious.
So serious that cold sweat was trickling down my spine.
The sharp tip of that triangle was slicing through my body relentlessly—what human wouldn’t be worried?
The power of the “Swordmaster” is that dangerous. In terms of provoking the instincts lying dormant within me, it’s far more potent than either the Demon King or the Giant.
“It unleashes the body’s full potential, swinging the sword along the optimal path to kill the enemy.”
The murderous intent that arises is something no human should ever possess.
It’s more akin to the aura of a predator stalking its prey.
Because of this, opponents below a certain threshold are completely incapacitated just by being exposed to this killing intent, and it even allows me to read their information and psychology.
And the cost of using this inhuman power?
Amazingly, it’s zero.
There’s no cost.
The only condition is:
“Hold a sword.”
That’s all it takes.
No joke, just by picking up a sword, I become a high-performance killing machine, programmed to kill in the most efficient way possible.
It’s a strange feeling.
The swordsmanship I knew transformed into something entirely new, and even created bizarre techniques on the spot.
This destructive power of the “Swordmaster.”
But the downside is that it’s incredibly difficult to control.
Too difficult.
If I let my guard down for even a moment, this power could consume me, leaving me as a mere spectator in my own body.
Even as a former Demon King, I struggle to keep my mind intact. An ordinary person wouldn’t stand a chance. Not even close.
By the way, the reason I don’t use a sword when sparring with Merhem and Jun-woo is because of this.
I’m afraid I might kill them.
To be honest, even when I first picked up a wooden sword back then, it was dangerous. It was nerve-wracking. I could’ve easily lost myself to the instinct.
The “Swordmaster” is a power unlike anything I’ve experienced before, and because of that, I can’t confidently say I can control it 100%.
“Demon King, Giant, Swordmaster.”
These three forces are currently fighting tooth and nail to claim as much of my body’s territory as possible.
And so, my body’s balance is gradually breaking down.
If this situation continues to worsen?
There’s no need to explain. Something in me is bound to break.
So what’s the solution? I wrote “Solution” in big letters on the board.
“The easiest method is time.”
The human body has a remarkable ability to adapt. Given adequate rest and enough time, the struggle between the three forces within me would eventually stabilize and find a balance.
But while this method is stable, it requires too much time.
“And waiting around isn’t my style.”
You know me. I’m not one to live with my temper restrained.
No chance.
That option is out.
“Then the next method…”
This was something I realized a few days ago, while at the playground near my house.
Three little kids were fighting. They were too worried about me noticing to throw punches, but the atmosphere was pretty tense.
They were yelling their heads off, but in the end, they put their arms around each other’s shoulders and went to the convenience store together.
And the reason was hilarious.
They were hungry.
After screaming at each other, they got hungry, and suddenly the fight didn’t seem that important anymore.
That’s when I thought, after the rain, the ground hardens. What if I let the forces inside me go wild and fight it out? Maybe they’d get tired and, like those kids, decide to just get along.
“Yeah, kids grow up by fighting. Wouldn’t it be good for you guys too?”
I grinned mischievously at my reflection in the mirror.
“I’ll set the stage. Go wild.”
I’ll create the best stage with the best materials.
“Just wait a little longer.”
And as if to help with my decision, a few days later,
I stumbled upon an unexpected opportunity.
“They’re selling this?”
Enjoying the story? Don't forget to rate 5 stars and review in NovelUpdte!