Translator: Nox
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Building a Home in the Demon Realm
‘If it’s a regeneration-type monster, its healing abilities must be impressive. That fur will probably grow back in a few days.’
Cheon Do-yoon had spent his entire life hunting monsters. In the past, he would’ve killed a monster the moment he sensed it reviving—but not anymore.
The creature didn’t even have the strength to get up. It was completely splayed out. He didn’t feel the urge to kill something in that state.
“Looks like we both got lucky. Let’s make the most of our second lives. If fate allows, we’ll meet again somewhere.”
Without regret, Cheon Do-yoon turned and walked away.
Moments after he left, the monster slowly regained its strength and stood up.
Its body was round like a ball, with stubby wings on both sides, resembling a baby chick.
If it had been covered in soft fur, it might have looked cute. But without the fur, it just looked like a hulking mass of muscle.
—Grrrr.
Two muscular legs suddenly sprouted from the round body. They looked like horse legs, thick and powerful.
Thud-thud-thud.
The ball of meat with horse legs began to run. Anyone who saw it would probably faint on the spot.
After sprinting for a while, the monster glanced back toward the direction Cheon Do-yoon had gone.
The fact that only its fur had been stripped cleanly was a stroke of luck. For a human, it would be like having a malignant tumor removed through surgery.
—If not for him, I really would've died. He looks human, but gives off the aura of a monster... what is he?
The monster tilted its head, puzzled. If it still had fur, the gesture might have been endearing. As it was, it just looked like a giant meatball flexing.
—“If fate allows, we’ll meet again,” huh... Fine. If we meet again, I’ll definitely help him at least once.
The monster dashed off into the rocky mountains on its muscular legs.
It was a rare intelligent-type monster with the same level of cognition as a human.
Such monsters were born under extremely rare conditions—and one had now formed a small thread of fate with Cheon Do-yoon.
* * *
After parting ways with the monster, Cheon Do-yoon looked around.
Food, clothing, and shelter were essential for survival. He had clothes now, so next on the list was a house.
“Guess I’ll have to build that too.”
Everything in the demon realm had to be self-supplied. Though he had no knowledge of architecture, he laughed at the idea.
He had managed to make clothes—how hard could a house be?
With a relaxed mindset, he wandered off in search of a suitable site. Though he lived like a nomad, it wasn’t uncomfortable.
He slept atop trees, ate where he hunted, and moved on.
Worrying about monster attacks wasn’t even on the list. That was the last thing Cheon Do-yoon feared.
‘Honestly, I could probably just live like this forever.’
That thought crossed his mind briefly, but the desire to have a home didn’t fade.
Three months passed as he wandered. Then, he finally found the perfect spot.
He stood at the edge of a cliff where a waterfall flowed. Below was a valley filled with clear water that formed a large pool.
“Great view. And the water’s clean.”
So clear, in fact, he could see the bottom of the valley.
Schools of fish swam leisurely in the water—water-type monsters that swarmed like piranhas.
“A natural fish farm. Perfect.”
Terrifying to most, but for Cheon Do-yoon, they were just daily meals.
‘Grill one on the spot for that camping vibe? A cozy cabin nearby would make it complete.’
A log house nestled in the woods and overlooking a valley and waterfall—just imagining it made him grin.
With his decision made, he jumped down the cliff.
* * *
He arrived at a forest about ten minutes from the waterfall.
Far enough that the sound of falling water wasn’t deafening. The trees were thick, but he could clear them.
"First, let’s clear the site."
He raised both arms like he was cheering.
Threads shot out from all ten fingers, spreading like a tightly woven net, and draped over the area.
Zzzzzip. Trees and grass were sliced apart in an instant.
After repeating the process dozens of times, a clear space was made.
“Nice. The site’s ready.”
Next, he needed lumber. He walked into the woods, cut down trees with his threads, trimmed the branches, and bundled them with vines.
Even as the sun began to set, it didn’t matter.
His body now contained traits from 527 different monster species—including plenty of nocturnal ones.
With so many mixed abilities, he was perfectly adapted to life in the demon realm.
"I think that should be enough lumber."
He stacked the trimmed logs until they piled like a mountain.
"What should I start with…? Yeah, let’s set the corner posts first so I can gauge the size."
He drew a square about 66 square meters (20 pyeong) on the ground and planted a log at each corner.
Lifting huge logs and driving them into the ground like stakes—it was a sight that would’ve stunned anyone.
"I’ll match the floor to the height of the posts."
Would it work? Who knew. He’d just try it out.
He used his threads to cut the wood down further and shape it.
The stamina that once made him feared as a Chimera Hunter was now being used to build a house.
The materials and method were primitive, but his face beamed with joy.
“This floor should do it.”
He layered thinly sliced planks across the ground.
The foundation was rough and improvised, but he didn’t care.
He wasn’t aiming for a perfect house.
He wasn’t trying to become an architect—he just did whatever he felt like.
“How should I stack the walls? If I just pile them up, they’ll collapse. And I don’t have nails...”
He looked at his hands.
His primary ability was producing sharp thread from his body—silk from an S+-Class monster larva.
That was the first monster cell he’d ever been fused with. As such, it was his most familiar power.
"Not useful for this. Let’s try something else..."
He wedged a log between the wall frames and rubbed its top surface with his palm.
A green fluid began to coat the wood.
Sticky green thread.
Hunters called it "spider silk" due to its texture, but it actually came from a snail-type monster.
‘Feels a bit like glue. Not reassuring… but at least it’s sticky.’
Once hardened, it would turn rock-solid—perfect as an adhesive.
He applied the sticky secretion and stacked the next log.
Repeating this process, he soon built up one wall.
“Looks better than I expected. Pretty solid.”
One by one, all four walls were raised. He even spread the sticky secretion on the floor to keep bugs out.
He built the roof the same way—and before long, the house was nearly done.
* * *
It took five days to finish the house.
Cheon Do-yoon surveyed his work with a satisfied smile.
The house looked like a square container box. Stacked without much thought, it had no windows.
Without sunlight, the interior was dark, and the dried green secretion running down the walls made it feel eerie.
“Honestly… it looks more like a trap than a house. Still, it’s good enough.”
He was satisfied with the result. If it felt cramped, he’d just build another one and connect them.
“If it collapses, I’ll just try a different method.”
Thinking lightly, he smiled with contentment.
One last step remained—to mark the house so monsters wouldn’t destroy it while he was away.
He extended his arm. Silk shot from all ten fingers and blanketed the house.
It was still the silk from the S+-Class monster larva—but this thread was different.
This was cocoon silk.
Softer and more durable, used to build resting chambers, and often employed by the creature for territory marking.
The wooden house was instantly covered in white thread.
The trailing strands over nearby trees and ground made it look like something out of a horror movie.
It was a declaration of territory—this area was his.
“That should be enough.”
Turning his already eerie house into a haunted one, Cheon Do-yoon smiled in satisfaction.
He didn’t care what others thought. He liked his new home.
* * *
With clothes and shelter secured—and a waterfall and natural fish farm nearby—what more could he ask for?
Solving food, clothing, and shelter filled him with a quiet sense of fulfillment.
But humans are creatures of desire. That satisfaction gave rise to a new kind of emptiness.
‘Something’s still missing. Something… more human. What is it?’
He wandered around the front of the house and paused.
“A garden?”
A house with a garden full of flowering trees.
A dream home for many. But Cheon Do-yoon’s expression was odd.
“Flowering trees, huh…”
He looked around. The house was already deep in the woods. Greenery was everywhere.
Creating a garden here felt pointless.
"Besides, most flowers in the demon realm are carnivorous. Planting them would just ruin the landscaping."
He didn’t want to start his mornings watching flowers eat monsters.
"So, no garden. Hm… what about a vegetable patch? That seems more practical."
Most demon realm plants were poisonous. But Cheon Do-yoon had immunity to just about every toxin.
‘If I plant fruit-bearing ones, I can harvest them too. Not bad. What could I plant right now…?’
One particular plant popped into his mind.
A legendary herb worth tens of millions per root. One that turned into deadly poison if mishandled.
An SSS+-Class botanical monster with extreme cultivation difficulty.
“Maybe I’ll plant a mandragora.”
He said it casually—something that would’ve made most people faint on the spot.
