There’s a Demon King Inside the Hero

Chapter 12: Coincidence and Fate (1)

“Hmm… So, I just click here to get in?”

If you become a Hunter, joining the Hunter website managed by the Union is mandatory.

It’s necessary to check the missions that the Union assigns to Hunters.

“Alright, done.”

After registering on the Hunter website on his phone, Suhyeon clicked on the mission tab.

There was only one mission listed.

It was the mandatory mission that the Union had assigned to Suhyeon.

The mission details were laid out on the screen, but at the very top, the essential information was conveniently summarized for easy viewing.

> [Mandatory Mission]

> Objective: Achieve 1-Star Rank

> Condition: Clear 20 F-grade dungeons (0/20)

> Time Limit: 7 days

> Reward: Official Hunter License

The time for the Union’s mission was set to begin the next day.

I should probably warm up a bit until then.

Changing into workout clothes, he slipped the Hunter license into his pocket and strapped the Union-issued sword to his waist.

With a Hunter license, carrying a weapon becomes permissible.

The Hunter license could also be considered a permit issued by the Union to allow Hunters to carry weapons.

He hiked up the barren mountain where he had learned magic and started stretching.

“No one’s around… Perfect.”

He steadied his breathing and gripped his sword.

The familiar sensation brought a small smile to his face.

Even though it had been nearly a month since he’d last held a sword, it felt like an extension of his own body—likely due to his endless sword training back in Altera.

For a week, Suhyeon went over all the sword techniques he had learned.

He practiced moving in sync with the formal footwork of swordsmanship he had been taught in the knight order, shifting his weight and swinging the sword.

Approaching, slashing, thrusting, parrying, evading.

Then, combining all these moves into seamless transitions.

After completing each technique, he aligned his body and sword, calming his breath.

“Hoo…”

[Your form is decent. I used to think you only relied on that Holy Sword to show off in Altera, but I see you actually know how to handle a sword.]

“Is there ever a day you don’t pick a fight?”

Of course, Suhyeon agreed that the Holy Sword was an exceptional weapon.

It doubled the user’s mana regeneration, was completely indestructible, and increased maximum mana capacity, making it undeniably powerful.

But there was one problem: only Suhyeon, as the Hero, could wield the Holy Sword.

After sheathing the sword, Suhyeon wiped his sweat with a towel from his bag.

As he descended the mountain, he searched for the location of Hunter Valley.

—

An hour later, Suhyeon arrived at the entrance of Hunter Valley, showed his Hunter license, and stepped inside.

[It certainly lives up to its name. Almost everyone here is a Hunter.]

Well, of course. This was Hunter Valley.

“Hey, production Hunters! Come check out the loot from a C-grade monster we just got in!”

“Lots of new weapons in stock too!”

Since this place was restricted to Hunters, aside from the vendors, it was filled exclusively with facilities for them.

Shops selling monster loot, weapons, equipment, potion stores using dungeon-grown materials, and even blacksmiths crafting gear on-site.

The area was chaotic, with various stores and a constant stream of Hunters moving around.

According to the guidebook, however, the market was organized by product categories.

“They should consider first-timers…”

Unpleasant memories from his first hours in Altera surfaced, when he had roamed the streets like a beggar.

For now, he decided to visit the potion shop that came most highly recommended in the guide.

The shop he arrived at was quite large.

The interior was neat, and there were plenty of people coming and going through the entrance.

‘Let’s see… Do they have mana potions here?’

Suhyeon stepped inside.

[Oh… ohhhh!]

‘What’s with you?’

[Are you seriously looking at all these potions without feeling anything?]

‘What’s there to feel?’

Potions are just potions.

[They’ve manufactured potions based on their own research. Isn’t this an amazing intellectual achievement?]

‘And yet, you wanted to destroy the world?’

[All potion-making knowledge is in my head. I am knowledge itself, so there’s no need for others to possess it.]

‘I’ll never understand your logic.’

The display case held rows of transparent plastic bottles filled with colorful liquids.

These potions were crafted from monster loot and dungeon plants.

[There’s definitely a hint of mana inside these potions.]

But…

The Demon King scanned the shelves, then tilted his head.

From the mana wavelengths coming from the potions here…

[Why don’t I see any mana potions?]

‘What?’

All the potions here were meant to heal wounds, internal injuries, or cure status ailments.

[So many potions, yet no mana potions?]

Though the potions seemed similar in composition and crafting methods to those in Altera, there were no mana potions.

Suhyeon glanced at the shop assistant.

“Do you happen to have any other potions besides health and status recovery potions?”

“Excuse me?”

The assistant gave him a strange look, as if to say, ‘What’s he talking about?’

“All our potions are either health or status recovery potions. What exactly are you looking for?”

“…?”

It felt like he had been struck on the head.

[What?]

“You know, a mana potion… Do you have anything like that?”

Just in case, he asked again, but the answer remained the same.

“Mana? I don’t think we have any potions by that name. This isn’t a game; mana potions don’t exist.”

‘…They really don’t have it.’

While he’d heard that Hunters used potions, this was his first time actually seeing them in a potion shop.

Who would have thought mana potions would be missing?

[Unbelievable. I thought we’d found a way to compensate for your low mana reserves.]

So they had the technology to make health potions, but couldn’t produce mana potions?

It didn’t add up.

…Oh!

[Could it be due to the difference between mages and Hunters?]

‘A difference?’

Suhyeon’s mana pathways were opened in the way of a mage.

Meanwhile, Hunters’ mana pathways were fully integrated into their bodies.

Since the method of handling mana differed, mana potions from Altera wouldn’t benefit the Hunters of this world.

[If my guess is right, that would explain why mana potions don’t exist in this world either.]

Suhyeon used magic, while hunters used skills.

Even if they had developed a potion to increase mana, it would have only functioned as a replenishing potion for mages, whose bodies were structured to utilize magic.

Therefore, when consumed by the awakened individuals in this world, it would have had no effect.

Though it might have been developed, it was likely judged ineffective and thus never made it to market.

‘Does that mean I have to make the mana potion myself?’

[Ha, you say that it’s easy. Hey, do you think potion-making is child’s play? With basic tools, you’re not going to produce anything worthwhile.]

‘But don’t you know the method for making mana potions?’

[I do… but using it might be another story.]

‘I’ll have to give it a shot.’

Suhyeon asked a store clerk if they could possibly manufacture a potion following a recipe provided by the customer.

“Manufacturing?”

The clerk frowned.

“I’m sorry, but we only serve as sales agents for potions produced by companies. If you’re looking for custom potion-making, you’d likely have better luck consulting a guild rather than a business.”

“Pardon?”

“Well, I don’t know if any guilds still make potions these days…”

[Guild? Isn’t that a term for organizations in Altera?]

‘Not here. In this world, the term guild has a somewhat different meaning.’

Hunters primarily chose and completed missions assigned by the Union.

Among them were hunters with aligned interests who would band together to form guilds—organizations of like-minded hunters who could take on collective missions.

Guilds served as both a convenient system for group mission-taking and a structure hunters could form themselves.

Moreover, if a guild included a high-ranking hunter, members could receive hands-on training from them. Famous guilds also had a higher mission selection priority than other guilds.

Because of this, most hunters aspired to join renowned guilds.

The only drawback was that once a hunter joined a guild, they couldn’t belong to any other organization.

This restriction was also stipulated in the Hunter’s Contract.

While hunters could create teams within guilds, they were legally barred from direct affiliation with companies.

The Union imposed international sanctions to prevent corporations from exploiting hunters for mere profit.

As the clerk mentioned, some guilds did procure materials from dungeons to develop weapons, equipment, or even potions independently. However, hunters who took on production roles were rare.

No matter how hard a hunter, trained solely to hunt monsters, tried, competing with goods mass-produced by profit-driven corporations was practically impossible.

“Even if you procure ingredients on your own, what you make can’t compare to the potions companies produce in bulk.”

“…”

Listening to the clerk, Suhyeon left the store.

‘So I need to find a shop that can make potions…’

With that, Suhyeon scoured every potion shop in sight.

“A custom potion order? Sorry, we don’t take requests like that.”

“Who makes potions by hand these days? People just buy from companies.”

“Instead of a custom order, how about this? It’s a new stamina potion…”

The results were disastrous.

[Ha…]

“…Ha…”

This was maddening.

I expected the process of obtaining potions here to differ from Altera, but this was extreme.

The entire market was structured so that companies produced all potions and supplied them to shops.

[Are there even any stores that still make potions?]

‘If I search thoroughly, I’m bound to find at least one.’

There had to be a shop somewhere that still made potions by hand.

Just as Suhyeon was about to straighten up and continue searching through potion shops—

Bang! Bang! Ting! Bang! Bang! Thud!

“…Hmm?”

A metallic clang echoed sharply.

He followed the sound, feeling a wave of heat against his skin.

[This… isn’t this a forge?]

It was the street of blacksmiths, who crafted hunters’ weapons and equipment from monster materials.

Suhyeon had wandered so far through the potion shops that he’d ended up here.

Gazing around at the smoke billowing from chimneys and the hammering sounds filling the street, Suhyeon felt a pang of nostalgia.

This brought back memories.

The steady clanging reminded him of the dwarven chieftain.

The dwarf chieftain, who once looked displeased at Suhyeon for wielding only a single holy sword as his sole equipment, had rolled up his sleeves, grabbed a hammer and tongs, and sat before the forge.

‘A hero wearing such shabby armor? Stay put. I’ll craft you a full set.’

He had been a formidable blacksmith, skilled enough to make solid minerals seem malleable as clay.

Suhyeon could vividly recall the way he spat into his palm, hummed a tune, and struck in time with the rhythm.

That hammering sound was surely…

Ding! Bang! Ding! Bang! Squeal! Ting! Screech! Bang! Thud!

Yes, it sounded almost exactly like…

…Wait?

Amid the chorus of hammers, one sound captured Suhyeon’s attention.

[Where are you going?]

Drawn by a strange compulsion, Suhyeon followed the sound, venturing deeper into the street.

He soon found himself standing before a shop, gazing inside.

Illuminated by the forge’s light, a dark shadow was cast across the figure’s back. But there he was, humming a tune while joyfully striking minerals.

He looked so much like the dwarven chieftain that Suhyeon couldn’t help but utter the words that sprang to his mind.

“…Chieftain Dwarf?”

“Hm?”

A man in his mid-to-late twenties turned around at the sound of Suhyeon’s voice.

He was someone completely different.

Ah… so it wasn’t him.

Of course, a dwarf wouldn’t be here.

I must have been swept up in old memories.

Curious about the unexpected visitor, the blacksmith tilted his head and asked Suhyeon, “Are you here to order a weapon?”

“…I apologize. I mistook you for someone I knew.”

After looking around the blacksmith’s workshop, Suhyeon carefully spoke up.

“Excuse me, Blacksmith… May I ask for your name?”

“It’s Lee Gwangbae. Why?”

“Mr. Lee Gwangbae, may I ask a favor?”

“What is it?”

Suhyeon’s gaze shifted to the forge. It looked similar to the one the dwarf had used, with its intense red and white glow from within. Suhyeon felt the pull of nostalgia for Altera.

He wanted to linger in that memory just a little longer.

“Could I… watch you at work for a while?”