년 만에 귀환한 대마도사

【 】

낙하산
SEASON 2 STARTS

An incredibly pale man bowed his head politely to the group in front of him.

“First of all, I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to all you customers who chose
to participate in this event despite your busy schedules. I am Rutan, and I will be the
host for these proceedings.”

The man, Rutan, bowed once again as polite applause filled the room.

Rutan had long ears, sharp teeth, and above all, his pupils were slitted like a cat. He
was wearing a very professional looking tuxedo which went well with his pale skin.

“In addition, I would like to also express my gratitude to the customers who could
not be here with us today, but who have always shown interest in our company. Our
company will accompany our customers to the day we’re disbanded and we promise
to continuously introduce you to even better products.”

A relaxed smile blossomed on Rutan’s lips.

“Let’s cut the greeting short and move on to the explanation of this event. Those who
are here are all verified customers, so I will skip the unnecessary introduction. The
basic process will be the same as always. If you happen to see a product you like,
please tell us your price through the attendants assigned to each row.”

Rutan briefly explained the rules with a calm voice.

Those in the hall all nodded with serious expressions.

“The event will be held over the course of three days, and today’s proceedings will
begin in about an hour. Before that, we’ve prepared a small feast with a few special
delicacies. So please enjoy it.”
“I heard that there would be humans in this event.”

It was a heavy voice.

It was a purple-skinned man with a very large stomach. He had four eyes, and no
nose. There was also green mist which flowed gently around his body.

Rutan chuckled.

“It is as you said. Count Gomes.”

“How many did you prepare?”

“…”

Rutan didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he smiled mysteriously.

Everyone in the hall was paying attention to his mouth at that moment.
Nevertheless, he didn’t speak.

Instead, he waited until their concentration had reached the peak and they could
barely hold themselves back before letting out a small cough.

“-eleven.”

When Rutan said this, the hall stirred.

Then Rutan shrugged slightly and continued with an amused voice.

“To be precise, there are seven men and four women.”

“I’m curious about the variety.”

“We have yellow, white and black. They are also of various nationalities. American,
British, Italian, Chinese, Korean, etc… Of course, they are all under 30 years of age.
After all, our company only deals in premium products.”

“Hmm.”

Gomes snorted, this deep, nasal sound showing just how pleased he was.
“I’m confident that there won’t be any flaws with the products since they carry the
Chester Company’s brand. We also have a few amazing luxury items on hand, so
please anticipate them.”

“Huhu! No one here is foolish enough to doubt your abilities. This event will be
among the best the company has ever hosted.”

The one who spoke this time wasn’t Count Gomes, but one of the Company’s VIPs,
Duke Sandro.

Rutan chuckled softly at those words.

His words were correct. This event was being held on the largest scale, and was, in a
way, a turning point for the Chester Company.

They had dug up the greatest treasures in their warehouse, acquired slaves worth
hundreds of millions of dollars, and sent invitations to their VIP customers together
with a product list.

And more than 70% of the customers had announced their participation.

‘If things go well, I might even become a noble.’

Rutan smiled brightly from the bottom of his heart.

***

It was very cool in the cage. The temperature was always moderate.

This was natural. After all, the products weren’t allowed to get sick.

Nevertheless, Min Ha-rin hugged her shoulders as she felt a bone piercing chill fill
her body. Her body shook heavily.

She looked out past the bars of the cage.

There she saw another human with a lowered head and lifeless eyes. Perhaps in
their eyes, she was no different.

She knew very well what kind of end those who became slaves had. Because she was
one of those who’d chosen to become a hunter and fight against the Demons.

Unfortunately, she’d made two mistakes.

One was that she’d become overconfident in her own strength and left the
designated area, and the other was that she hadn’t taken her own life after being
captured.

This was the result.

Min Ha-rin stroked the collar around her neck.

It was a shackle. It prevented from harming herself or killing herself.

She didn’t know how such a thing was possible, but in the first place, Demons were
already unfathomable beings.

‘Demons.’

Although every single one of them had individual characteristics, there were still
commonalities between them.

From the humans’ perspective, they were horrifically strong and incredibly greedy.

It was said that the world had been peaceful just a few decades ago. Min Ha-rin’s
father had once told her that if the times were the same, she would have been
attending college and enjoying her youth at her age. She would have had to deal with
the stress of studying or finding a job. But regardless of that, it would still be better
than the present.

Peace had shattered, and the era had come to an end.

Humans faced the unprecedented threat of extinction.

The Hunter Association, which was the only group to remain functional in this
chaotic world, had estimated that the population of humans in the world had
plummeted to below 1 billion.

Even if the accuracy of the report was uncertain, that estimation should not be far
from the truth.
‘Half of them are livestock anyway.’

Demons.

The moment she thought of the root cause for everything, people came into the
room.

There were two of them.

One was the tuxedo wearing Rutan, and the other appeared to be a Demon Noble.

“Is this it? The special product you mentioned?”

“Yes, sir. A Demon Hunter. Her name is Min Ha-rin, she’s Korean, age twenty two.”

“The one called the White Flower.”

The nobleman laughed as though satisfied.

Rutan’s expression was a bit strange.

“In the first place, previewing the product before the event is…”

“I know. I apologize for overdoing it. And thank you for complying with my request.”

“Only because Duke Sandro is our company’s VIP. Such treatment is natural. So… do
you like it?”

“Why are you still asking when you know the answer?”

“Haha. It really was a foolish question.”

They exchanged smiles.

Then something in the corner caught Sandro’s eyes.

“Hmm… but what’s wrong with that one?”

There was one more cage in the room and there was a person in it.
It was a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes who sat in the corner of his cage
with a blank expression.

Rutan’s expression was a bit embarrassed as he answered.

“Ah. That guy… You don’t have to care about him.”

“Mm?”

“He’s one that I picked up. He was in a daze near this city. He didn’t fight back even
when I put the collar on him. He is completely unresponsive. I even tried to torture
him or affect his mind, but there is still no response.”

“Are you saying he’s already gone mad?”

If he was already crazy then there would be nothing to enjoy. In addition, the man’s
ordinary face and blank expression did nothing to attract Sandro’s attention.

On the other hand, there was Min Ha-rin. Her expression was still lively like a fish
that had just been caught. She tried to hide it, but the hostility in her eyes was still
clear to him.

Such a slave would be quite delicious to train.

‘…but he found a human around here?’

Sandro paused for a moment.

This area used to be the territory of the European powers, but it had long fallen into
their hands.

No sane human would dare to infiltrate it, and even if they did break in with some
kind of goal in mind, they wouldn’t be able to get so close to the city.

He had this thought for a while, but there were many cases of slaves who had been
abandoned or fled from their masters, so finding a rogue human was not strange.

Sandro shook his head for a moment before turning to look at Min Ha-rin once again.

A smile blossomed on his lip.s

“This one will definitely become mine.”

After saying that, Sandro left the room.

Then someone approached Rutan, who had been left alone. It was another Demon.

“That’s an area I really can’t understand. Sleeping with a human girl.”

The Demon looked at Min Ha-rin with a disgusted expression.

“Even if they have intelligence, they are a race who are no better than livestock…”

“Watch your mouth. It is because of nobles like him that our company is able to
survive.”

“…yes.”

The Demon bowed his head with a slightly fearful expression at those words.

“Well. I do admit that it is a unique hobby. But there are many more kinds in this
world than we expected.”

Rutan looked at Min Ha-rin before shaking his head.

“Anyway, finish the final inspection before the auction begins. You understand Duke
Sandro’s temper, don’t you? It should be submitted in perfect condition without any
scars.”

“Understood. But it seems this guy didn’t touch her food today either…”

“So that’s why she’s so thin. Her skin is rough too. Well, it doesn’t matter. That can be
covered by proper lighting and directing.”

He muttered under his breath before lifting Min Ha-rin’s chin and inspecting her up
and down.

“…instead, Duke Sandro might enjoy this kind of weakness. He’ll find it interesting to
improve your condition.”

Rutan left, then the Demon who had been standing beside him entered the iron cage.
He stripped Min Ha-rin naked and began inspecting her entire body like a food
inspector.

At first, she rebelled against such a humiliating act, but now she knew it was better
to just let it happen.

Thump.

After the humiliating inspection was concluded, the cage door was shut tightly once
again.

And once again, silence fell.

Min Ha-rin looked at the diluted porridge and water in front of her. The food was
provided in a bowl similar to a feed container used for pets.

Gulp. Now that she thought about it, she couldn’t remember when last she’d eaten.

If she kept starving herself like this, she might die.

That was what she thought.

‘They say people can’t last a week without water.’

With that thought, she buried her face in her knees.”

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

Min Ha-rin raised her head at that.

It was obvious who the voice had come from.

It was the blonde man.

Min Ha-rin was shocked.

This was the first time this man opened his mouth since being trapped there. Min
Ha-rin had tried to talk to him several times, but he ignored her every time.

That was why she had thought the same thing as Rutan. Believing he had gone mad.
But he clearly wasn’t.

While his expression was still the same, his voice was very clear in comparison.

In any case, she felt like she had to answer.

“This isn’t food. It’s feed.”

“So that’s why you don’t eat.”

The man muttered to himself before looking down at the feed container.

“It’s definitely more like feed than food. It will taste like boiled mud.”

“…”

“But it still has enough nutrients. If you ate it consistently, you would be in much
better condition than you are now.”

“Even though I was captured, I still have my pride.”

Min Ha-rin spoke in a soft voice.

The man responded calmly.

“Pride and dignity are certainly important. But if you are not alive to keep them, then
they are worthless. If you intend to starve to death, then you are more foolish than I
thought.”

“It’s my life. I’ll decide what to do with it.”

“You’re not wrong. But what is the point of such a death?”

The man’s tone didn’t change.

“Dying in this cold cage and leaving nothing behind. Do you think they will consider
your fasting as a rebellion? In the end, they will only curse the fact that the product
was not managed properly.

“What are you trying to say?”

“Eat. Replenish your strength, conserve it, and wait for the right time.”

“Ha.”

Min Ha-rin sneered.

“Save up my strength and then what?”

She didn’t even know where this place was.

All she knew was that this place was similar to a Demon lair. As long as the collar
was around her neck, she had absolutely no chance of escaping.

And even if she did manage to escape, she would inevitably be caught again.

There was nowhere to run.

However, the man’s next words completely surpassed Min Ha-rin’s expectations.

“How about praying for a miracle?”

“What?”

“Opportunity only presents itself to those who are ready to receive it. I wonder what
choice you will make.”

After saying that, the man closed his eyes and leaned his head back.

Min Ha-rin looked at the man’s face with an incomprehensible gaze.

Then she forcibly looked away and closed her eyes as though imitating him.

‘I won’t eat it. I won’t eat it. I won’t be livestock.’

Min Ha-rin constantly thought these words, but the man’s words refused to
disappear, as though it had become lodged in her mind.
In the past, humans could be called the owners of this planet. All of the resources on
Earth belonged to them, and the only valuable currency was the humans’.

They even added prices to the land, sea, and sky.

There were about 100 countries.

They were all connected under the same banner of ‘humanity’, but they all had their
own languages, cultures, and values.

They also had numerous conflicts amongst themselves. Racial conflicts, conflicts
between countries, between cities, and even between groups and organisations.

But all of these conflicts were resolved by the appearance of a different being. No. It
would be better to say that they were left unattended.

In any case, they no longer continued the various civil wars among their species.

Because ‘they’ showed up.

At first, the names used to refer to them were not the same.

Scientists and scholars called them otherworlders, aliens, and space people while
religious groups called them evil spirits. Depending on the region, they were referred
to as monsters, creatures, or nightmares.

These names varied because each of them had their own individual appearance and
characteristics, which made it hard to find a commonality between them.

As time went by, their actions became more and more terrible. It developed to the
point where the word ‘damage’ was no longer sufficient. Instead, it could only be
described as a ‘disaster’.

And it was only then when humanity finally found the most appropriate word.
Demon.

***

Min Ha-rin was 22 years old this year, and by the time she was born, the lives of the
humans had already changed miserably.

The land was no longer theirs.

Most humans were either dead, living miserable lives, or rebelling.

Min Ha-rin was also a rebel.

She was no less afraid than the others, but she didn’t refuse to fight. Instead, she felt
it was scarier to be deprived of even the right to fight.

Because of that nature, she was given the chance to become a Demon Hunter.

Click-

The door to the room was opened, and several cages were brought in.

Min Ha-rin realised that it was more human slaves like her.

It seemed that the auction would begin soon, so they were all being rounded up. The
room was large, so even though they had all been put together, it was still spacious.

The Demons scanned the room after carrying out their task before leaving once
again.

Min Ha-rin turned to the cage that had been placed on her right. Inside it was a black
man. She couldn’t tell his age.

She’d long learned that foreigners often looked much older than they were.

When their eyes met, he gave her a bright smile. Min Ha-rin felt a bit of discomfort at
this, but the man opened his mouth before she could react.

“Are you Min Ha-rin?”

Min Ha-rin opened and closed her mouth a few times before she finally spoke.

“You know me?”

“I am also a hunter. Ha, it’s an honor. I never expected to meet one of the big names
from the EastAsia branch…”

The man touched his collar regretfully and sighed.

“I would have asked for an autograph if our circumstances were better.”

“You are…?”

“I’m Drisa. A hunter from the Africa branch.”

“Black Panther…” (TL: facepalm…)

When Min Ha-rin muttered with a shocked expression, Drisa smiled again.

“Just call me Drisa. You don’t want me to call you White Flower, do you?”

“…fine. Drisa.”

Min Ha-rin looked at him closely.

“You seem pretty relaxed.”

“Huh? Yeah, that’s true.”

“Have you given up?”

“What can I do about this?”

Drisa tapped the collar.

“It’s over once they manage to put this collar on. I’m sure you know that too, don’t
you?”

“…”
Of course she knew.

Human power and technology were still very far from being able to dismantle the
Demon’s collars.

There was still a chance if the Demon who was bound to the collar died, but from
what Min Ha-rin knew, it required five Demon Hunters using state-of-the-art
equipment.

No matter how they looked at it, it was an impossible task for them, who didn’t even
have a small knife.

“Is this how livestock feel before they get slaughtered? Kuku. No, we’re still better off
than them. They say if you meet a nice Demon, you can live a comfortable life… ’

Min Ha-rin’s expression hardened at those words.

“Do you intend to live as a slave?”

“We don’t have a choice in the first place.”

“Being killed while resisting is also an option.”

Even if they couldn’t take their own lives because of the collar’s control, they could
still get weak, sick, or die at the hands of the Demon who became their master.

Drisa laughed like he’d heard a funny joke.

“Haha. You’re joking, right? You should know how much they enjoy breaking human
minds. The only reason they haven’t touched us is because we are products to be
sold. In other words… Once the auction is over and ownership transferred, their
goodwill will disappear. “

“Goodwill?”

When Min Ha-rin snorted coldly, Drisa only shook his head before gesturing to the
clothes he was wearing and the feed in the container.

“Maybe it’s because you are still young. You don’t understand how enslaved humans
are treated. You should be thankful that they gave you clothes to wear and food to
eat.”

“…”

Drisa gritted his teeth for a moment before continuing.

“I’ve seen a hunter who miraculously survived and was rescued after being enslaved.
He could do nothing more than called out the name of his owner, a Demon, while
crying. Not even medication and intensive counseling could help. And when we told
him that we had already killed it, he immediately bit off his tongue and killed himself
without hesitation.”

“…!”

She had never heard of something like that before. She knew that Humans who were
enslaved would certainly have mental scars, but she had never thought that it would
be so severe.

“I don’t want to be like that. No matter which Demon becomes my master, I will
smile, grovel, and even lick the soles of his feet. Just to stay alive.”

Drisa’s voice contained a firm determination. It was a desire to survive while

somehow keeping his body and mind intact.

When he saw Min Ha-rin looking at him with a complicated expression, he smiled
faintly.

“Do you think I’m disgusting?”

“No.”

It wasn’t Min Ha-rin who answered.

Instead, it came from a man whose cage was not far from Drisa’s. An Asian man.

Min Ha-rin’s gaze turned to him.

She didn’t think… he was Korean. Min Ha-rin, who was also Asian, could at least tell
that much.
“I will also obey them to stay alive. At first.”

“At first?”

“Right.”

A fierce gleam seemed to shine in the man’s eyes.

“Then I will look for a good opportunity to kill the Demon who bought me.”

Drisa’s expression became a bit strange.

“You know that killing your owner is suicide, don’t you?”

“Of course I do. But I still think it’s worth it. To have a Demon Noble accompany me
to Hell.”

The man’s voice was unwavering. Just like Drisa.

This man also had a clear purpose.

Their cages also had feed containers. But these containers, which were similar to the
one in Min Ha-rin’s cage, were empty.

“…”

They’d eaten.

This man, who was filled with determination, had eaten the Demon’s feed without
hesitation.

As soon as she realised this fact, Min Ha-rin’s face burned slightly.

She’d thought that it was right to openly rebel against the Demons and bare her
fangs. She’d thought that constantly showing that she’d never give in was the best
way to express her resistance.

But it wasn’t. In fact, it was stupid.

Who would be afraid of an exposed blade? Instead, the true threats to the Demons
were people like this man. Those who hid sharp daggers in their pockets.

Compared to him, she realised how foolish she was. How young and inexperienced
she was.

Min Ha-rin’s eyes turned to the corner of the room. There, the blonde man was still
sitting with his eyes closed and a blank expression on his face.

‘…that man was right.’

There was no point to dying from starvation. It was no better than a dog’s death.

Min Ha-rin turned her eyes to the feed container once again. The feed inside had a
disgusting appearance, like vomit that had already cooled and hardened.

Nevertheless, she stuck her face into this container without hesitation.

She chewed and swallowed without even tasting what she was eating.

“…”

Her attitude caused the Asian man’s eyes to shine. And when Min Ha-rin finally
raised her head, he opened his mouth.

“Min Ha-rin, this is my first time meeting you in person.”

This wasn’t a surprise. After all, Min Ha-rin was quite famous among the hunters.

She had also guessed the identity of this man. Nevertheless, the reason she didn’t ask
was because this identity was much greater than she’d initially expected.

“…are you… Lee Jong-hak?”

The man nodded.

“Right, I’m Lee Jong-hak.”

“…!”

Not only Drisa but even the people who hadn’t said a word reacted when they heard
this.

“The Human Dragon Lee Jong-hak.”

“It’s one of the three Dragons.”

“Th-, this kind of person was caught too…”

Drisa couldn’t help but mutter.

“Vice President of the Asia branch. You’re much bigger than I thought.”

Min Ha-rin, on the other hand, looked at him in confusion.

“I can’t believe it. I can’t believe a man of your calibre was captured…”

“We were hunting a noble in Shanghai. The enemy was a Demon Duke, and our
forces had over 1,000 hunters.”

There was a large scale noble hunt in Shanghai. Min Ha-rin had heard about it.

“You failed?”

“Right.”

Lee Jong-hak’s voice was calm as he continued.

“They wanted to capture me alive. So I proposed a trade. My condition was that they
release the rest of the hunters.”

“And they accepted it?”

“Right. They probably thought the 300 or so hunters that they released were less of a
threat.”

In other words, he had sacrificed himself to save 300 people.

Just like in the rumours, Lee Jong-hak was closer to a hero than a hunter. More than
half of the people in the Asia branch followed him. In a sense, he had even more
influence than the Branch President.
‘If Lee Jong-hak was captured… ’

Then the atmosphere in the Asia branch was currently desperate and hopeless.

Suddenly.

“Are you really Lee Jong-hak?”

It was a woman who was sitting across from them. She had bright red hair and
extremely determined eyes.

“This isn’t a situation I would lie in.”

“…I see…”

The woman hesitated for a moment before sighing and saying.

“I’m Allida. A hunter from the European branch.”

“Allida Grabino. You are a famous Italian hunter.”

Drisa seemed to be extremely knowledgeable about the famous hunters from other
regions.

“If you are really Lee Jong-hak… then we might have a chance to get out of here.”

“What?”

When Lee Jong-hak asked this with a surprised expression, she nodded and
continued.

“It won’t be easy, but it’s possible.”

“How can we do it?”

Allida touched her collar.

“I have a way to paralyse the function of this collar.”

“What did you say?”

It was Drisa who retorted with an absurd expression.

This was natural. After all, he’d just affirmed that it was impossible to remove the
collar just minutes ago.

But he immediately realised something, and his expression changed.

“No. Wait… did you say paralyse and not remove?”

“Right. It would temporarily stop functioning. Both the explosive that is attached to
our carotid artery and the curse that weakens our physical ability would disappear.”

“How?”

Allida pointed at herself.

“I’m a Wizard, and this collar uses a kind of spell.”

“Wizard!”

Drisa couldn’t help but cry out in a surprised voice. Wizards were very rare, and
there were only a few of them among the hunters.

Min Ha-rin was also surprised by this remark, and something managed to catch her
eye.

The blonde man, who was silently sitting in the corner, opened one of his eyes and
looked at Allida.
But it only happened for an instant. The moment she came to her senses, the man
had already closed his eye again.

It happened so quickly that she couldn’t help but wonder if she was mistaken.

“I thought it was impossible to use magic while wearing the collar.”

“If it was ordinary magic, then that would be the case, but mine is a bit different.”

Allida smiled mysteriously and lifted her sleeve.

Black ink wrapped around her entire forearm. If one looked closely, one would
notice that it looked like ancient text.

Lee Jong-hak’s eyes shined.

“Tattoo Magic.”

“Oh. I didn’t expect an East Asian to know about it.”

“I once had an acquaintance who used it. I heard that it was an esoteric magic only
passed down secretly within a certain clan… ’

“That’s right. Most of the Demons don’t even know that such a secret technique
exists. These guys are the same. Huhu. Instead, they kicked me because they said I
had dirty graffiti on my body. It really hurt.”

Allida rubbed her stomach for a bit before continuing.

“This one is called ‘Ice Witch’s Resentment’. And with it, I can freeze a portion of
space.”

“Are you saying you can use that to paralyse the collar’s function?”

“That’s right. However, it will be difficult to accurately adjust the range.”

“What do you mean?”

Allida made a slightly troubled expression.

“I might freeze the person’s body as well. It might have been fine if you were in good
condition, but it would be dangerous now that your resistances have been lowered
by the collar.”

“That’s why you need me.”

“That’s right.”

Allida nodded and looked at Lee Jong-hak with anticipation.

“If it’s someone as powerful as you, then it should be fine even if your physical ability
was weakened.”

“Would it be possible for all of us to escape?”

“It might not have been if we were running the entire way. But we don’t have to.
There is an abandoned base west of this city. All we have to do is get there.”

Drisa tilted his head slightly at that.

“A base? West of this city? This is the Demon’s territory.”

“It was abandoned 15 years ago. It used to be a hideout of the European branch.”

“The European branch…”

Seeing Lee Jong-hak’s surprise, Allida smiled slightly.

“Didn’t you know? This is Italy.”

They had been dragged pretty far.

Min Ha-rin couldn’t help but have this thought. She had been captured by the
Demons in Dandong City in China, near the Yalu River.

“There won’t be any people there, but it can still serve its purpose as a hideout. And
if the Warp Portal there works, it won’t be impossible for everyone to escape.”

“I see!”

Drisa spoke in a bright tone.

Before they knew it, everyone was paying attention to Allida’s voice.

On the other hand, Lee Jong-hak was lost in thought. At first glance, it might have
seemed like everything would be solved in a flash, but that was just wishful thinking.

If one really wanted, numerous loopholes could be found.

Allida didn’t mention the worst case scenario. And it wasn’t that she didn’t know
this. Instead, she was deliberately avoiding mentioning it.

Lee Jong-hak understood why.

She didn’t want to destroy the hopeful atmosphere that had been created by her
words.

‘The most important thing is the hope that has appeared on everyone’s faces.’

The heaviness that had been filling the room had disappeared.

Lee Jong-hak decided to take comfort in this fact first.

“Fortunately, everyone here is a hunter. Since your bodies are more powerful than
normal, the chances of success shouldn’t be as slim as I thought.”

“The Demons prefer former hunters as their slaves. This was because not only were
their bodies stronger, their minds were as well. So they weren’t as easily damaged.”

The Chester Company had especially prepared strong hunters for their special event,
and ironically, this was what gave them a chance.

“Wait. Is that man a hunter?”

Drisa pointed to the blonde man in the corner.

Lee Jong-hak narrowed his eyes as he looked at this man before saying.

“There are no signs of training on his body.”

“Then is he a Wizard?”

“I can’t feel any magic power.”

“He could be a priest or something.”

“I’m a priest. I don’t feel any holy aura on him.”

“…elementalist, shaman, monk…”

Drisa recited all the jobs he knew one by one but this man didn’t seem to fit the
description of any.

Then Min Ha-rin spoke.

“He’s not a hunter.”

Maybe.

As she added this word in her head, she told them the words she’d heard from Rutan
before.

Lee Jong-hak’s expression became a bit surprised after hearing the explanation.

“I see. So he’s probably an escaped slave.”

“Is he? That’s good. Then it wouldn’t be a problem if we left him behind.”

Lee Jong-hak frowned at Drisa’s words.

“I don’t agree with that. He’s a civilian. That’s something we should protect.”

“A civilian to protect? Haha. Did we just hear the same explanation?”

Drisa let out a laugh, but Lee Jong-hak’s expression didn’t change. When he saw this,
Drisa’s expression gradually stiffened as he realised that it wasn’t a joke.
“Human Dragon. There’s no need to keep making such a scary joke. We already got
it.”

Drisa patted his head.

“He’s already gone mad. He’s probably been tortured over and over again. And
ordinary people cannot withstand such torture. So he’d only be a burden. We can’t
afford to take him with us.”

“I agree. It might be dangerous to take someone who can’t speak properly, even if he
hasn’t lost his mind.”

Allida nodded, agreeing with Drisa’s opinion. Some of the others also voiced their
agreement.

But Lee Jong-hak spoke in a harsh tone.

“So you’re saying we should leave him here?”

“Then should we take such a useless guy with us? No, I don’t even want to help him.
I’m afraid that he’d fight against us for no reason or scream when we’re trying to
move stealthily. Will you take responsibility?”

“I will take responsibility.”

“What?”

“I will take full responsibility.”

Drisa’ veins protruded from his forehead.

“I knew you were a good person, but I didn’t think it would be to this extent. You are
a hunter, not a hero.”

“For me, the name hunter has a very comprehensive meaning. If I were to leave a
civilian who needed my help just to save my own life, I’d never be able to proudly lift
my head again. I would have to live with the fact that I’m a sinner for the rest of my
life.”

“I also agree with Lee Jong-hak’s words.”

“Same here.”

Several people sympathised with Lee Jong-hak.

Drisa frowned.

It was never a good thing when opinions were divided in such an extreme situation.
If something went wrong, the disagreement could become discord and their plan to
escape would then go up in flames.

“Don’t you know that trying to save this man can lead to all of our deaths?”

“Of course I do.”

“And you still want to walk down such a thorny path? Shit. You really are a saint.
Well, I guess it can’t be helped.”

Adilla scratched her head in frustration.

“Our plan can’t be implemented without you.”

Lee Jong-hak was the only one who could break open the iron cages with his bare
hands. That was the reason why Allida required his cooperation.

Drisa was also aware of this fact.

Moreover, it wasn’t just Lee Jong-hak’s opinion. Some of the other hunters also
agreed with him.

It was better to take the risk than confront them.

“If I think he will do something crazy, I will use my hands.”

“Use your hands?”

“To knock him out, or…”

Drisa deliberately let his words trail off, but Lee Jong-hak was able to understand
what he meant.
“…that won’t happen.”

While Lee Jong-hak said those words quietly, in his head, he also prepared for the
worst.

***

Min Ha-rin’s lips twitched slightly.

She didn’t think the blonde man was crazy. Although he appeared to be in a daze, his
voice had been extremely clear when he spoke.

She didn’t think that was the voice of a deranged person.

Nevertheless, she didn’t reveal this fact because her conversation with him felt like a
dream.

“…”

Even though he heard people talking about him, the blonde-haired man continued to
lean back with his eyes closed.

At first glance, it might have seemed like he was in a daze, but now, she felt like he
looked relaxed.

‘That can’t be.’

Even Lee Jong-hak, Vice President of the Asia branch, could not afford to relax. Even
if he had nerves of steel, there was no way that an ordinary person would be more
relaxed than a hunter.

“So a total of 11 people?”

“Twelve. If you count the burden.”

“Stop calling him that.”

“Then ask him for his name.”

“I’ll do that then.”

Lee Jong-hak turned to the blonde man and said.

“What is your name?”

Of course, no one in the room expected to hear an answer.

“Lukas.”

“Huh?”

Drisa’s eyes widened.

Then he turned to Allida and said.

“Did that guy really just answer?”

“I think so.”

“Well. Didn’t they say he was crazy? He looks perfectly fine to me.”

“Just because he answered doesn’t mean he’s fine. That might not have even been an
answer in the first place.”

“Hmmm.”

In fact, after saying those words, the man, Lukas, closed his eyes once again.

“I’m Drisa. Where are you from? America?”

“…”

“England? Germany… Spain…”

Lukas didn’t open his eyes again.

Drisa’s expression changed slightly before he asked again.

“Hey, are you ignoring me?”

“Don’t force him, Drisa. He might be in a very unstable condition.”

“…it doesn’t look that way.”

Min Ha-rin agreed with Allida’s murmur, but Lee Jong-hak shook his head and said.

“First of all, we should be glad that he can even communicate in the first place. And…
did you say it was Lukas? You don’t have to give an opinion, but it would be best if
you listened to our plan. For your own sake.”

Lukas didn’t react in any way, but Lee Jong-hak nodded as though he’d given his
assent.

“This auction will go on for four days. And we humans will probably be presented on
the last day.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because to the Demons, humans are the most valuable commodity.”

It was an unpleasant thing to hear. Some of them frowned at those words, but no one
stopped Lee Jong-hak.

“That’s why we should escape in the morning.”

It was a simple plan.

Drisa nodded as well.

In this type of situation, it was best to escape as quickly as possible.

“Today, we need to at least get some idea of the basic structure of this area and the
Demons who are guarding.”

“Mm… it won’t be easy.”

It felt like an impossible task to figure out the surrounding structure because they
were all trapped inside.

But after looking around, Lee Jong-hak spoke in a quiet voice.

“That might not necessarily be the case.”

“What do you mean?”

“Before we were brought to this room, each of us was held in different places. Except
for Min Ha-rin and Lukas, who were here from the start.”

“That’s right.”

In preparation for the auction, they had all been put in the same room after they
were inspected, but before that, they were held in separate rooms.

“Everyone, tell us everything you can about the path you took to get to this room.”

Drisa, who didn’t understand his intentions at first, finally exclaimed.

“I see! Since we all came from different places, the paths we saw were all different!
And if we combine these paths, we would get a basic outline of our surroundings.”

It was easy to understand if you thought about it a bit. But just being able to think
about such an idea under the circumstances was amazing.

Allida spoke up in a subdued voice.

“It’s not hard to say it, but… we don’t have any paper or writing utensils. How will we
organise them?”

There were 11 people there. Even if they had several overlapping paths, there still
should have been at least 5.

It would be quite hard to combine so many routes in their heads.

“I’ll do it.”

“Huh?”

It was Min Ha-rin. She looked around before continuing in a slightly cautious tone.

“I have a good memory.”

At least, Min Ha-rin never forgot things that she wanted to remember.
Lee Jong-hak nodded and the people in the room began opening their mouths one by
one.

Min Ha-rin memorised everything they said.

Soon, a small but detailed map was drawn in her head.

“…give me a minute.”

She needed some time to organise her thoughts.

Min Ha-rin opened her palm and drew an image only she could see.

“This room is in a basement. There are two passages to the surface. One of them
seems to lead to the stage.”

The stage was the place where the products up for auction would be presented.
There would be at least a few dozen Demon Nobles waiting there, so escaping there
was akin to suicide.

“Where does the other passage lead?”

“I don’t know.”

Min Ha-rin muttered regretfully.

Even with all the information she’d gathered, she couldn’t tell if the other passage led
to an exit or not.

Nevertheless, Lee Jong-hak made a quick decision.

“We have to escape using the other passage.”

“There isn’t a better way.”

Drisa nodded, and Allida closed her eyes.

“…I need time to use my Tattoo Magic. If I start concentrating from now, I should be
ready by dawn. If the Demons come, try to draw their attention away from me.”
“Understood.”

The hunters’ expressions lit up slightly.

Their complexions were still haggard, and their path was unclear, but they at least
had a small chance to escape.

The possibility might have been faint, but the hunters still felt hope.

“…”

Min Ha-rin should have been the same, but for some reason, her heart felt heavy like
lead. She didn’t think that things would be solved so easily.

She had an ominous feeling.

And unfortunately, her thoughts soon became a reality.

When the door opened and a group of Demons walked into the room, the hunters
tensed up in different ways.

“Hmm.”

One of the Demons who arrived was Rutan. He looked around the room in a relaxed
manner.

11 people. All hunters and none of them were too old.

It was natural that only products under the age of 30 had been gathered for this
event.

Among the group were four who were commonly referred to by them as ‘titled’
humans, and the other seven had no problems with their appearances or health.

Except for the woman with graffiti on her body.

‘In any case.’

When Rutan looked at these humans, he felt like he was looking at his bright future.

Unlike ordinary human slaves, hunters were especially hard to capture. It was not a
rare occurrence for them to kill themselves after being cornered.

Because they all knew what kind of miserable lives awaited them if they were to
survive.

This was a choice that the Demons were unable to understand. Not all Demons had
sadistic tendencies towards the slaves. Some of them could even be considered
affectionate towards their human slaves.

They had the same feeling one would have to one’s pet.

‘It’s still better than dying.’

The thought of giving up your life for your honour, pride, or rights was simply
laughable. And since the humans didn’t know that, it meant that the humans were a
low-class race.

“It’s time to start the selection.”

“What…”

Some of the hunters subconsciously swallowed their saliva. A white man couldn’t
help but let out a sound of surprise.

Rutan’s gaze turned to him.

“Why are you surprised? This is something you should have already expected after
being captured.”

“…”

After saying that, Rutan looked around.

“Today is the start of the event, so we’ll let them have a taste of two… no. Let’s show
them three.”

“…!”

Lee Jong-hak, Drisa, and Allida quickly exchanged glances.

This situation was not good. They had just made a plan thinking they wouldn’t be
forced into action till the last day, but now, it seemed like things would be messed up
right from the beginning.

Lee Jong-hak clenched his fist.

The predictions he’d tried to deny had become a reality.

‘This is bad.’

Min Ha-rin’s urgent gaze was locked onto Lee Jong-hak and Allida. These two were
pivotal in their plan to escape. Without either of them, their plan would not even
start.
“Hey. Sihard, who do you think we should pick?”

“I think two males and one female would be good.”

“That’s true. Then…”

Many of the hunters shrank back when Rutan’s gaze swept across the room.

This was natural. After all, they had only just seen the possibility of escape, but if
they caught Rutan’s eye now, they would be sold.

There were only two people who raised their heads and looked at Rutan with fiery
eyes.

It was Lee Jong-hak and Min Ha-rin.

“Do you two want to be sold? Hmm. I’d love to respect the will of the slaves, but it’s a
shame.”

Rutan’s lips curled into a sinister smile.

“You two are special products. I intend to make you the highlights of this event, so
you should relax your gazes.”

“…”

He chuckled for a moment before closing his eyes. Then he took a deep breath.

“I can smell fear. I’m talking about you two over there.”

The bodies of the two men who were pointed out by him shook heavily. They were
the two who had been trying the hardest to avoid his gaze.

“Let’s go with them. Understood, Sihard?”

“Yes, sir.”

The faces of these men turned blue.

Rutan enjoyed the looks on their faces before looking around again.
Now, for the last one.

“Let’s go with that woman.”

Shit.

Min Ha-rin almost cursed out loud.

Rutan was pointing at Allida.

Allida’s lashes trembled. She was concentrating in order to use her tattoo magic, but
she could probably still hear what Rutan was saying.

Rutan’s subordinate, Sihard, couldn’t help but ask.

“Isn’t that woman a Wizard? She’s a rare commodity, so I think it would be a waste to
use her on the first day.”

“That is certainly the case for a Wizard in good condition. However, this bitch has
graffiti on her body. Regardless of the strength or rarity of the individual, such a
defect makes her an inferior product. If we were to send her out later, the customers
might be disappointed. So today is the best time.”

“Indeed…”

Min Ha-rin bit her lip while Sihard nodded in admiration.

‘What should I do?’

Her palms began to sweat because of her nervousness.

They couldn’t let Allida be taken. But Rutan had already said he wouldn’t take her.
The other woman, a white woman, was shivering in the corner with her head down.
(TL: Wasn’t it four women?)

She didn’t think about cursing her. She must have known as well. If they let Allida get
taken, then the plan would go down the drain.

She just didn’t have the courage to accept it.

How could they change the Demons’ minds?

Min Ha-rin tried her hardest to think of a way.

‘We can’t.’

But even if she rolled it around in her head till steam began rising from her hair, she
couldn’t think of a way to do it.

It didn’t matter if she died.

The moment she was captured, she had already let go of all of her life’s regrets.
Meeting Lukas and Lee Jong-hak had changed that mindset a bit, but she would still
kill herself the moment she was able to if necessary.

But Lee Jong-hak was different. He was a hero who had to return to the East Asia
branch.

Losing him would be a loss for all of mankind.

“Take me.”

Min Ha-rin spoke in a cracked voice.

Of course, this was too soft for Rutan to hear. Or maybe he had heard it, but Rutan
would definitely not go back on his word.

Min Ha-rin was also aware of that fact.

That’s why she couldn’t believe what happened next.

“Wait.”

Rutan paused before pulling back his outstretched hand. Then he crossed his arms
and pondered deeply about something.

For a moment, he stood there, unmoving.

Then.
“…I don’t think it would be a bad idea to have a strong first day.”

“Huh?”

“Huhu.”

Rutan chuckled before pointing at Min Ha-rin.

“Forget the tattooed girl. Let’s put her in.”

Sihard was shocked.

“Are you serious?”

“Of course. Ah, and…”

He gave a sly smile as he seemed to think about something else.

“Let’s put that guy with her. We can count him as a bonus.”

The one Rutan was pointing at was none other than Lukas.

***

They moved the two cages immediately after making a decision.

But that didn’t mean that they would present them right away.

As precious human slaves, they would be the highlight of the event, which meant
that they had to be presented at the hottest moment.

Rutan placed Lukas and Min Ha-rin in a space behind the stage so that they could be
sent to the stage immediately after he gave the signal.

‘It seems they decided not to bring the two men.’

The two men who had been selected first. Min Ha-rin didn’t know their names, but
they had not been brought with them.

Maybe they had decided to leave them for another day. Or maybe they were just
being kept in a different area.

She lowered her head, feeling like it would be good if it was the former.

‘Is this the end?’

Min Ha-rin leaned against the bars of her cage while having this thought.

Surprisingly, when her life as a slave was all but confirmed, she didn’t feel any
different. Perhaps it was because she’d heard Lee Jong-hak’s words.

If she was lucky, maybe she’d be able to take down a Demon Noble.

She knew that such a thing was almost impossible, but just the thought of it made
her feel lighter.

“Do you know what happens to hunter slaves?”

“…”

Lukas spoke.

Min Ha-rin glanced around.

Some Demons were guarding the area, but they didn’t seem to care what the two of
them were doing.

Instead. their nervous and anticipated gazes were directed outside the curtain.

“To some extent.”

“That Duke Sandro who has his eyes on you seems to be a sadistic pervert. Most of
his slaves are physically disabled women. It was none other than Duke Sandro who
made them that way. He prefers slaves with strong willpower, but after he breaks
them, he kills or abandons them without hesitation.”

Was he trying to scare her?

If so, then it had worked a little. Min Ha-rin could not deny the fact that she was a bit
scared.
But the thing that she was the most curious about was why this man, who had
always been silent, had suddenly become talkative.

Moreover, it was strange that he knew so much about a Demon Duke’s hobby that
was usually veiled in mystery.

“Are you trying to test my determination?”

“No. I’m just curious why you chose to sacrifice yourself for Allida.”

“Huh? N-, no… I was just…”

Sacrificed?

Min Ha-rin was surprised by this unexpected word.

It wasn’t something so noble.

She just felt that if Allida was the one who was taken then the escape plan would
become hopeless from the start. Which would lead to the worst case scenario of
everyone in the room becoming slaves.

Therefore, Min Ha-rin chose the best option.

“It’s just… This choice made the most sense.”

Lukas looked at Min Ha-rin, who had a blank expression on her face, and said.

“You have a Wizard’s aptitude.”

His face was expressionless, and his voice lacked any inflection, but Min Ha-rin felt
that he was a bit happy.

It was really strange.

Lukas’ situation was no different from hers. However, she had never been able to feel
even a hint of despair since their first meeting.

Why?
The thought that he was crazy disappeared as if it had been washed away. He was an
incredibly rational and cold-hearted man. And he seemed to know more about what
was going on than Min Ha-rin.

Nevertheless, his calm appearance had never changed.

‘Maybe… ’

It might have been thanks to this that Min Ha-rin was able to stay calm in this
situation.

She had been influenced by this attitude, which was indifferent to the point of being
easy-going.

‘A Wizard’s aptitude.’

She recalled his murmur.

That shouldn’t have been the case.

Min Ha-rin had gotten a full examination at the association. Her aptitude was that of
a hunter, a close-combat specialist.

In fact, after developing a style that matched her aptitude, she was able to gain a
good reputation throughout Asia.

But she had always been interested in magic. In fact, she had wanted to be a Wizard
since she was young.

As soon as she was about to say something to Lukas, he closed his eyes again. When
he was like this, he would not respond, no matter how she tried to start a
conversation. He always ignored most of her questions.

Nevertheless, Min Ha-rin was able to learn a few things about Lukas following her
observation and their brief conversations.

“They will be able to escape.”

They.
Was he referring to Lee Jong-hak’s group?

Just as Min Ha-rin was about to ask a question, Lukas spoke again.

“But all of them will not survive.”

“Huh? What do you…”

Suddenly.

A Demon near to them swung his arm.

Woowoong-

Her iron cage rose into the air.

This floating caused her to feel sick. Just as Min Ha-rin heaved slightly, the curtain
that was blocking the stage was lifted and the stage was revealed.

It seemed that it was finally time for their appearance in the auction.

“You have been waiting for this moment for a long time. The moment I dare
introduce is the highlight of today’s event. The product I’m about to present is
something in which every customer here will be interested.”

There was a stir in the room.

Sandro’s lips stretched into a smile.

“They have the right amount of intelligence, so you don’t have to teach them multiple
times like stupid beasts. They also have just enough strength to do chores but not
enough to be a threat to our customers’ safety. Even though they are just at the end
of their youth, doesn’t everyone know? Flowers are most beautiful just before they
wither. The short prime makes their value shine even more… So let me formally
introduce you.”

The stir in the room grew stronger as Rutan’s soft voice sounded out.

“Suitable as ornaments, pets, or experiments! The finest slaves! Property that will
undoubtedly enhance the dignity of any noble!”
He bowed in a polite manner as Min Ha-rin appeared on the stage.

“I present to you… a Human!”

The more Min Ha-rin heard Rutan’s introduction, the more disgusted she felt. She felt
terrible, as though she was a piece of premium meat about to be sold.

Apart from that, she felt her chest become tighter and her body become covered in
cold sweat.

Was she nervous?

‘This is natural.’

At that moment, the curtain was lifted and the cage floated up to the stage.

She was presented in a way the Demons would appreciate.

“Ohhh…”

“Such a good product.”

“It’s S class for sure.”

When Min Ha-rin was revealed, the Demons did not hide their admiration. On the
other hand, Min Ha-rin just felt more sick.

“Urk…”

Demon Nobles filled the hall. Many of them were Counts, who could be considered as
high ranking nobility, with some being even higher ranked.

There were not one, two, or even a dozen. There were close to a hundred of these
monsters who could each dye a small region with blood.

Just the demonic energy that they constantly omitted created a poisonous
atmosphere for humans. An ordinary human might vomit blood just from inhaling
the air in this room.
Min Ha-rin’s resistance had been reduced by the collar. Nevertheless, the poisonous
air only made her face look a bit more haggard.

She was about to sit down because of the sudden dizziness that she felt when her
body suddenly froze.

Click.

“Uk…”

She felt a sting in her neck. Then, her entire body became stiff. Her senses blurred as
though she’d been put under anesthesia.

This was one of the functions of the collar.

She didn’t know the principle behind it, but she’d lost control of her body.

Then, her body began posing against her will.

Min Ha-rin’s face burned red with shame.

It was as though she was anxious to get herself sold.

Min Ha-rin had never experienced something so humiliating and terrible in her life.

“The White Flower.”

Rutan laughed as he said those words.

“Customers who are interested in enslaving humans should have heard about her at
least once. This hunter has killed three Viscounts, one Baron, and hundreds more of
our kind. Surprisingly, this product is only in its early twenties. So depending on how
you raise it, you can cultivate its youth and beauty. You can even keep it for a long
time if you maintain it properly.”

‘This is crazy.’

Min Ha-rin wanted to bite her lip, but even that was impossible.

It was completely insane.

As Rutan had said, Min Ha-rin had hunted three Viscounts, one Baron, and hundreds
of other demons.

From the perspective of humans, these were certainly achievements deserving of

praise. But it shouldn’t have been for them.

Weren’t they the same kind?

Min Ha-rin should have been treated as a mass murderer to be executed with
extreme prejudice.

But she wasn’t.

Instead, the eyes of these Demons were flashing with disgusting greed.

The fact that Min Ha-rin had killed hundreds of their kind was just one of the
achievements that raised her product value. It was just another reason for them to
desire adding her to their collection.

How could intelligent creatures be so disgusting?

‘…Demons.’

She finally understood why they were given that name.

They were smart, wore clothing, were capable of trade, and spoke in an old
fashioned manner.

But could they really be called an intelligent race?

In Min Ha-rin’s eyes, they were just ugly monsters made of instinct and pleasure who
only feigned intelligence.

“Then let us begin the bidding.”

Some of the Demon Nobles lifted their hands, and Demons who had been waiting at
the sides approached them.

These nobles then told their offers in soft voices to the Demons who then passed
them onto Rutan, who was standing on the stage.
“…”

The corners of Rutan’s lips curled upwards.

“It seems there is a hot reaction in the first wave. Haha. Everyone has good eyes.”

There seemed to be a gentle heat of emotion in his calm voice.

At that moment, Min Ha-rin looked like a large gold nugget in his eyes.

No, precious metals had no value in the eyes of the Demons. To Rutan, Min Ha-rin
was a treasure in itself.

“The highest bid is 100,000, and the bidder is Duke Sandro.”

These words caused another ripple to spread throughout the room.

Min Ha-rin’s value was already obvious to everyone there, but they didn’t expect to
see a price like 100,000 from the first wave.

The higher the product’s value, the more waves it would have.

For a product like Min Ha-rin, there would certainly be a second and third wave after
the first. And every time they proceeded to the next wave, the price would be 1.5
times higher than the previous highest bid.

In other words, this meant that at least 150,000 had to be bid in the next wave.

“Mmm.”

“I’ll let this one pass.”

Some of the nobles who knew Duke Sandro’s financial capabilities directly gave up
the bid after seeing his interest in Min Ha-rin.

He was one of the Chester Company’s biggest customers, and he was well-known for
his collection and obsession in that he could only be satisfied by products he liked.

However, some nobles who still thought it was worth it did not back down so easily.
It was then.

“Is that the next product beside you?”

A noble pointed towards Lukas.

Rutan glanced at this blonde man before smiling.

“No. He’s a bonus.”

“A bonus…?”

“This is a product whose mind has already been broken. But other than that, he is in
good condition. As you can see, his face is good and he has a surprisingly durable
body. If nothing else, he would still be useful for experiments. Of course, if you don’t
want him, you don’t have to take him.”

“Hmm…”

Sandro looked at Lukas after hearing that.

This was the second time he was seeing him. The first time, he had been focused on
Min Ha-rin, so he hadn’t paid much attention to him, but as Rutan said, his
appearance wasn’t bad.

Although he looked a bit sullen, his face wasn’t bad-looking for a male, and if he was
washed and taken care of properly, it might be possible to raise his looks to another
level.

Duke Sandro’s wrinkled face stretched with a child-like smile.

“Then let’s start the second wave.”

Sandro lifted his hand and beckoned towards a Demon before whispering in their
ear.

“…”

After hearing the bid, the Demon’s body shook slightly. He looked at Sandro as if to
confirm that he’d heard correctly, to which Sandro simply nodded with a relaxed
expression.

The Demon immediately headed over to inform Rutan of the bid. Rutan also
trembled slightly when he heard it.

‘As expected of Duke Sandro.’

Was he saying that he didn’t want to waste any more time?

In any case, this wasn’t a bad thing for the company.

Never.

Rutan had to forcibly stop himself from laughing out loud.

“The highest bid is 1 million, and the bidder is Duke Sandro.”

The nobles froze in shock when they heard this announcement.

“1 million…?”

“This is too much, even for a titled hunter.”

“Duke Sandro must really like this one.”

The bid rose by ten times in an instant, causing the other nobles to lose their fighting
spirit.

Rutan laughed once again.

There was still one wave left, but it would be a waste of time to proceed with it at
this point.

The reason that Sandro had increased the bid to such a ridiculous amount was to
bypass the annoying process.

“It seems the owner for this product has been decided.”

Min Ha-rin lowered her head.

She’d thought she’d already given up, but she was scared when the reality truly hit
her.

Looking at Duke Sandro’s wrinkled face, she couldn’t help but feel like she’d done
something stupid and regretted it.

Then, in the next moment, she bit her lip in disgust at herself.

She pretended to be fine and calm, that everything was okay, but she was regretting
it not long after?

She felt like crying because she was laughable and pathetic.

Holding back her resentment, she lifted her head.

‘It’s okay.’

If someone asked her just ‘what was okay’, she wouldn’t have been able to answer.

Nevertheless, Min Ha-rin desperately tried to steel her resolve. After all, there was no
one there to comfort her but herself.

“That will be all for today’s event. I would like to say thank you to all the customers
for joining us.”

Rutan smiled before adding.

“If you managed to successfully obtain a product, please give your payment to the
guides present in each row.”

Payment.

When she heard this word, Min Ha-rin couldn’t help but wonder.

The Demons also had the concept of currency, but few of them actually used it. They
also had no interest in gold or other material treasures.

So what were the demons using to conduct the auction?

“Ah…”
Min Ha-rin couldn’t help but become speechless when she saw what the ‘payment’
was.

A black crystal, as black as ink, was taken out of a nobles pocket before being handed
to a Demon at the side.

As a hunter, Min Ha-rin naturally knew what this black crystal was.

Soul Crystal.

A gem that could contain a human soul.

No, it was more accurate to call it a prison. Once trapped, the soul would never be
able to escape on its own. It would have to struggle in pain for an eternity unless the
crystal was broken or the crystal’s owner released it.

Min Ha-rin stumbled as she was overcome by a sudden wave of dizziness.

She felt that she could hear screams.

1 million.

That was the number Sandro had called while bidding for her.

The number had been too big for her to connect to anything. But in truth, if she had
thought about it, the answer would not have been hard to think of.

After all, the Demons had no interest in gold or other treasures. For these beings, the
thing they obsessed over and coveted to most was none other than the human soul.

The more souls they absorbed, the higher the Demons’ level became. She’d heard
that the only way for them to obtain a title was to absorb a certain amount of souls.

The Soul Crystals were items that made the absorption process easier.

All of the nobles here were participating in the auction. In other words, each and
every one of them had Soul Crystals in their possession.

If that was the case…

‘How many… ’

There were about one hundred Demon Nobles in this hall.

She wondered just how many human souls, which were suffering without even being
able to die properly, were in their possession.

***

The highlight of the event. That was what Rutan had called her. In other words, that
was the end of the auction.

Min Ha-rin was the last item.

“Come out.”

She had been released from the iron cage, but what awaited her was a life far from
freedom.

It might have been better to remain locked in the cage.

Lukas also stepped out of his cage. His face was still the same, without even a sliver
of tension.

“Follow me.”

That was all he said. He didn’t forcibly drag them along.

Their feet and hands were in restraints, but if they were really determined, these
chains would not be able to stop them from escaping.

Nevertheless, the Demon acted like there was no possibility that they would escape.

‘There’s nowhere to run anyway.’

This place was in the center of the Demon’s territory. Moreover, unless they did
something about the collar, then it would not make a difference even if they ran to
the other side of the world.

They had no choice but to follow the Demon to Duke Sandro, who bought them.
‘I will wait for the opportunity to kill the Demon who bought me.’

Lee Jong-hak’s words suddenly appeared in her mind.

Could she do it?

Min Ha-rin asked herself this question before shaking her head. She didn’t have the
confidence.

The opponent was a Duke who ranked at the top amongst the Demon nobility.

Even if she was in her peak condition, he was a monster whom she would have
difficulty scratching. So now that she’d been weakened by the collar, it was safe to
say that she had almost no chance of winning.

Nevertheless… She didn’t want to give up.

You could call it stubbornness. But she knew that the moment she gave up, her
chances of winning would no longer be slim; they would disappear altogether.

‘I think I can do it.’

While she had this thought, the Demon leading them stopped at a door.

Then, he knocked politely and waited.

“Who is it?”

“I’m from the Chester Company. I brought the products you won, Duke Sandro.”

“Come in.”

The moment the door opened, Min Ha-rin’s face became pale.
The bright lights stunned her for a moment.

Maybe it was because she was stuck in the dark for almost a month. The lighting on
the stage had been soft, so she didn’t realise it, but this place was different.

The bright lights shining within the room penetrated Min Ha-rin’s retinas.

It was only after blinking a few times that she was able to see the overall appearance
of the room.

It was a large room filled to the brim with luxurious furniture and decor.

And in the center of the room, there was a silver table at which he sat.

This was probably the first time she was getting a good look at him.

The first thought she had upon seeing him was that he was like a vampire. To be
precise, he reminded her of Count Dracula, who appeared in old time movies.

His face was pale, and his hair was grey. And the black tuxedo he wore contrasted
sharply with his body.

If he weren’t a Demon, she might have even thought that he was a very good-looking
old man.

But Min Ha-rin was feeling intense chills at that moment.

An instinctive fear, similar to the way one felt when facing a predator, licked at the
back of her neck.

A Duke, a being who stood at the pinnacle of Demon nobility. Some people
mentioned the possibility that there were Grand Dukes, but even they could not deny
the fact that Dukes were representative of the pinnacle of Demon Nobility.

They were incredibly dangerous creatures.

Walking natural disasters.

Nuclear warheads with egos.

Demons of the end.

There were dozens of names for them, and the association paid attention to the
movements of every Duke using any means they could.

This was because they understood that if they were to let even a single Duke out of
their sights, an entire branch might disappear like dust before heavy winds.

‘Officially, there are only two recorded cases of defeating Dukes.’

And the damage that accompanied this defeat was immeasurable.

Many thousands of promising hunters had become cold corpses, and many more
suffered irrecoverable damage.

And now, such a being, who could create a disaster as easy as breathing, was sitting
in front of her.

He was standing within arms reach.

What hid behind this facade of a genial old man was a monster who could destroy
her heart with the flick of a finger.

It felt like there was a sword being pressed against her throat.

Min Ha-rin forcibly tried to ignore her shivering. She tried to not shrink back, but she
still lowered her gaze.

This wasn’t because she’d given in. She’d just realised how foolish it was to openly
display her hostility.

“Hmm…”

Sandro hummed in interest when he noticed her change in attitude.

He looked at Min Ha-rin for a moment before waving his hand.

“You may leave.”

“Yes, sir.”

The Demon who brought them bowed his head politely before leaving the room,
closing the door behind him.

At that moment, Min Ha-rin felt like the atmosphere in the room was becoming
heavy again.

“…”

Sandro’s attention was only locked onto Min Ha-rin. He didn’t seem interested in
Lukas, who stood beside her.

“I don’t know if you’ve eaten. Are you hungry?”

Sandro’s voice was unexpectedly soft.

If she didn’t know who he was, she might have mistaken him for a kindhearted old
man.

Knowing he wasn’t, Min Ha-rin didn’t answer.

Sandro chuckled.

“Why don’t you relax a little?”

“…”

She didn’t answer this time either. She wasn’t openly being rebellious, it was just that
she couldn’t even think about lowering her head like Drisa had mentioned.

So instead, she bit her lip and suppressed her feelings.

“Did you have a change of heart? Your attitude is different from earlier. Well, it
doesn’t matter.”

Sandro got up from his seat and began to skillfully cut tea leaves.
A subtle scent filled the room, but Min Ha-rin had to resist the urge to cover her nose
as though she smelled a terrible odor.

“I know human nature doesn’t change so easily. But it’s not fun to have a
conversation like this…”

While listening to the sound of the tea leaves boiling, Sandro chuckled.

“Let’s do this. I will break one of that man’s fingers every time you don’t answer me.”

Min Ha-rin’s body shook.

She looked back.

There was still no change to Lukas’ expression despite Sandro’s vicious words.

“That person… has already gone mad. It would be pointless.”

She tried to speak calmly, but she couldn’t help the slight tremors in her voice.

And Sandro was very aware of this.

“What does that matter? What I want to see is your reaction. I want to see what my
new slave is like. Show me just how high your view of morals and ethics is.”

“…kuk.”

“I’ll ask again. Are you thirsty?”

Min Ha-rin bit her lip.

“…I’m not.”

“I see.”

Sandro grinned.

“Your original expression has returned. That’s good. I hope you can maintain that
rebellious spirit for a long time.”
Those words filled her with anger.

“I won’t obey a Demon. Instead of obeying you, I’d rather—.”

“Kill me? Is that what you want to say?”

Sandro let out a laugh. It was a laugh filled with genuine joy.

“I don’t care if you have such thoughts, but I should probably start your training early
so you can learn things you shouldn’t do.”

“How? Are you going to intimidate me or threaten that person again? Ha. It seems a
Duke is no big deal after all. I can’t believe you’d resort to such petty tricks because
you couldn’t make a single human submit.”

“Petty tricks? That’s an interesting expression.”

Sandro knew that Min Ha-rin was trying to provoke him. The reason she mentioned
Lukas was because she didn’t want him to touch him anymore.

Sandro, who had lived for hundreds of years, could easily see through the ploys of
this young girl.

“Of course, I know many ways to make a human submit,”

“I’m not afraid of torture. Nor am I afraid of my mind breaking or death.”

“Haha. You can only say that because you’re ignorant. Child, you can’t even begin to
imagine what real pain is like. There are many things in this world that are more
terrible than death.”

Sandro’s smile widened.

“However, I won’t touch you just yet.”

“What?”

“I won’t do it for at least a month. You can trust me. I always keep my word.
Nevertheless, you will swear your loyalty to me and do whatever I say.”
“That will never happen.”

Dak-

Sandro flicked his finger.

Suddenly, the restraints on Min Ha-rin’s hands and feet were released.

The collar was still around her neck, but to an extent, she had regained her freedom.

“What…”

Min Ha-rin looked at Sandro in confusion.

“I heard that you successfully hunted a noble during your first mission. At that time,
you were only 15 years old. I’m curious as to how promising you would’ve been if
you were allowed to grow.”

“…you did a lot of research. Do you enjoy looking into the backgrounds of slaves?”

Min Ha-rin forced herself to speak coldly, but a part of her felt cold when she heard
those words.

‘How could he know about my first mission?’

It wasn’t strange that he knew her name, age, and other minor personal information.
She was certain that the Chester Company, who sold her, had all of that information.

However, information about the missions a hunter went on were confidential and
known only to the association. So it was certainly strange for a Demon Duke to have
access to it.

‘…no way.’

She shook her head as an ominous thought appeared in her mind.

It couldn’t be. If that was the case, humanity would have already been destroyed.

She must have been overthinking. She had to have been.

“There was an unusually large number of people at the event today. So my shoes got
a bit dirty.”

It was a sudden change of topic.

When Min Ha-rin glared at him, Sandro smiled before pointing down to his shoes.

“Lick it with your tongue and clean it. I don’t want to see even a single speck of dust.”

It was a ridiculous request.

Min Ha-rin had a strange expression on her face as she said.

“You should be glad I don’t know many curse words.”

“Haha. I knew you’d say something like that. Right… It’s so heartbreaking to have a
disobedient slave.”

After muttering quietly, Sandro went silent for a moment before continuing.

“Do you want to know what I plan to do next?”

“I don’t care.”

“No. You will care. A lot.”

“…”

Sandro smiled warmly as he looked and Min Ha-rin.

“Because I have a disobedient slave who won’t listen to my orders, I think I will go
for a stroll. Just to get some fresh air. Maybe I’ll even go for a long walk. Maybe I
might even make a trip down to the peninsula.”

It was a soft voice as though he was reading a storybook.

However, Min Ha-rin’s expression became harder and harder as he continued.

By peninsula, he meant…
“I want to see the sea, so I think it would be better to go to Busan, which is called a
port city. I want to relax and enjoy the night sea, but I don’t think I’ll be able to. I
don’t know why, but I feel like a lot of hunters will suddenly come and attack me.”

“…!!”

How…

Min Ha-rin could no longer hide her shock. Her pupils shook violently.

Busan was the location of the headquarters of the Hunter Association’s East Asia
branch.

And this Demon knew that.

“They will try to kill me, and I will defend myself. It’s been a long time since I used
these old hands, so I’m not confident in holding back my strength. This means that
most of those hunters will die. The blood of hundreds of people might cause the
ocean water to become a bit red. Of course, I wouldn’t get a single scratch.”

“S-, stop…”

“However, my little plan to enjoy the view of the sea would have been ruined by then.
I’m not very patient, so this fact will make me extremely angry. It’s natural that I will
go to the den of the bugs who disturbed me and wipe them out. The hunters won’t
know that I already know the location of their underground bunker. They will think
they’re safe. But they will soon realise that it was just an illusion. I will reach the
center of the bunker in a heartbeat while laughing at their defenses. I will annihilate
all of the high-ranking officers there in a short amount of time. Then, I will find the
Branch Manager who is barely holding on to his life and tell him with a smile.”

Sandro laughed.

An ugly smile blossomed on his old face.

“If he gives me the two children, Min Ha-ru and Min Yoo-seong, I will let him live.”

“A-, ahh…”

Min Ha-rin collapsed when she heard the names of her two younger siblings.
Her body shook.

To Min Ha-rin, their deaths were tens of times more terrifying than her own. It was
the worst situation she couldn’t even imagine.

“They are you brother and sister. Only twelve and fourteen years old. Why aren’t you
more pleased? You will soon be reunited. I assure you, they will call for you
desperately. Until their blood spills from their throats.”

Sandro finished his cup of tea.

Then, he got up from his seat and put on the coat that had been hung over the chair.

“I sincerely hope your siblings are as strong-willed as you are.”

Just as he was about to walk out the door.

“…I’m sorry.”

Sandro stopped.

Then he turned around with a smile.

“What was that?”

“S-, sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

Min Ha-rin said these words with tears rolling down her face. She repeated the same
thing like a broken radio.

She bent her knees, which she’d vowed to never do, and banged her forehead against
the ground over and over again.

“I, I… I don’t care what you do to me. But please… Please don’t do anything to my
siblings. I was wrong.”

Sandro looked down at her. He let out a pleased laugh before walking back to his
seat. Then, he sat on the chair and crossed his legs while looking down at Min Ha-rin.

“Well, it seems my shoes are still dirty.”

Min Ha-rin froze, but it was only for a moment. She stood up from the ground with a
resigned expression.

To go to Sandro. To clean his shoes with her tongue.

“Not like that.”

“…huh?”

Sandro smiled and pointed to the floor.

“You have to come to me. Like a slave.”

“…”

She didn’t have a choice.

Min Ha-rin didn’t bite her lip this time. Her pride had already been torn to shreds,
and her eyes were lifeless.

She crawled towards Sandro.

More than humiliation and shame, fear for Sandro grew within her. Fear that ate at
her mind.

She could see the shoes. As Sandro had said, they were a bit dirty.

Instinctively, she knew that if she were to really lick Sandro’s shoes, she would not
disobey until the day she died.

But even so.

She didn’t have a choice.

Crack!

Then she heard a strange sound. And Min Ha-rin realised that the atmosphere in the
room had changed drastically.

She raised her head.

Duke Sandro was no longer looking at her. He was no longer smiling as well. But this
was different from before.

His expression was a bit stiff as though he’d witnessed something unexpected.

Min Ha-rin followed his gaze.

Lukas was standing there. He still stood in a daze with a blank expression on his face,
but something was different.

He didn’t have a collar.

‘No.’

Duke Sandro narrowed his eyes.

To be more specific.

Clatter…

Lukas had ripped it off on his own.

“How surprising.”

Sandro’s smile returned to his face.

He leaned deeper into his chair as if to show off his composure.

“Was the collar loose? Or was it defective from the start?… In any case, I’m
disappointed in the Chester Company. This is a bit upsetting.”

He’d have to call Rutan and set things straight.

They would probably bow till their foreheads touched the floor. After all, they should
have been fully aware of what kind of world they were stepping into.

“It’s useless even if you do it right 100 times. Naturally, all that matters is whether
you make one mistake or not.”

Lukas still didn’t say anything.

Sandro smiled.

“But you’re foolish. If you had hidden the fact that the collar was defective and
waited for the right chance, you might’ve gotten the chance to run away.”

Sandro had little interest in Lukas from the beginning. His attention had always been
on Min Ha-rin.

This blonde-haired man who came with her was nothing more than an extra, a
bonus. Even if he was somehow able to miraculously escape, Sandro would not feel
any loss.

However, it was a different story altogether for him to remove the collar before his
eyes.

His authority would be challenged if he were to let go of this after seeing such
behaviour with his own eyes.

“No matter how I look at it, you don’t seem crazy… Am I mistaken?”

“No.”

Lukas opened his mouth for the first time, and Sandro admired his clear voice.

“You have a pretty good voice, better than I expected. You also look fine.”

Sandro’s eyes swept over Lukas.

He seemed to appraise him for a moment before he smiled and said.

“How about this? If you kneel and kowtow right now, I will pretend like I didn’t see
you take the collar off. I have a few spare collars, so I’ll let you pick whichever one
you like most. If you do that, I will forgive your rudeness and give you the right to be
my slave again.”

This was an unconventional offer for Duke Sandro.

In the first place, he still didn’t have much interest in Lukas. However, he felt that it
was a bit of a waste to just kill him like that.

He felt that he was a compassionate person who showed unending mercy to those
who pleased him.

It was the same this time as well.

But Lukas didn’t answer.

At first, he thought that he was thinking about it, but that didn’t seem to be the case
either.

Surprisingly, he couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

‘This guy is an unknown.’

That was the end of Sandro’s analysis.

He shook his head.

In any case, he was only a bonus.

“That’s too bad.”

Paht.

Sandro’s cloak turned dark and began moving as though it had a life of its own.

Min Ha-rin looked back with an anxious expression.

Even she, who had participated in numerous battles against Demon Nobles, didn’t
know just how strong a Duke was.

To be more precise, all she knew was that they were incredibly strong.

With one gesture, they could cause heavy winds, lakes to rise, and forests to burn to
ashes.

If such beings really existed, then it could only have been seen as a sign of the coming
of God.

It was unbelievable.

She couldn’t believe it, and she didn’t want to believe it.

If even some of the rumors she heard were true, then mankind’s struggle was for
naught.

Min Ha-rin had once participated in a battle to subjugate a Count.

It was a Demon named Cerberus whose powers were so transcendent that he killed
90% of the hunters who participated in the battle.

And yet, Counts could only be considered as beings at the threshold of high ranking
nobility. They were called high-ranking nobility because their level of strength was
several times that of the normal Demon Nobles.

The strength the Demon Count had shown that day had become a nightmare deeply
engraved in her mind.

And now, the being in front of her was a Duke.

He was definitely much stronger than any Count or Marquis.

Min Ha-rin couldn’t even begin to imagine just how horrifying such an existence was.

The cloak shot forward.

The cloak, which was made of cloth, suddenly clumped together to form a spear.

Despite the fact that it didn’t make a sound, the speed it moved at wasn’t particularly
fast.

In all honesty, it wasn’t that impressive.

Was this all the power a Duke had?

If it was only that much, then even she would be able to avoid that attack.

But the moment she thought that…

Min Ha-rin’s face became pale.

“…”

She didn’t blink. And she didn’t lose track of it, either.

But before she realised what had happened, the spear split open.

Instead of a spear, the cloak became a monster filled with hundreds of teeth, which
devoured Lukas’ body.

Crunch, crunch…

The only thing that could be heard was the sound of flesh and bones being crushed
and torn apart.

Min Ha-rin’s face turned white at the sudden tragedy.

Everything had happened before she even had a chance to react.

It wasn’t hard to realise that the strained voice was coming from Sandro.

Min Ha-rin realised that Sandro’s voice was shaking slightly and that his face would
occasionally twitch.

But Sandro’s face wasn’t the only thing twitching. The cloak wrapped around Lukas’
body shook.

Paht!

Then, following the sound of a light explosion, the cloak was torn apart.

And through the strips of cloth that fell like snowflakes, Lukas’ body could be seen.

Just by looking at Sandro’s expression, one could tell how he took this scene.

“What did you do?”

Sandro’s aura had changed dramatically.

Black smoke poured out of his mouth and swirled around him.

The spear he’d just sent forward was strong enough to pierce through any metal the
humans had in their possession. It wouldn’t even be a problem for it to pierce
through a missile bunker.

At least, Sandro could never have imagined that someone he wanted to kill with it
didn’t immediately become a puddle of blood.

What’s more, the one who had done so was nothing but a lowly slave.

“Who are you?”

Sandro’s voice contained confusion that he could not hide even if he wanted to.

Human… was he a human?

No. It wasn’t possible.

He’d met strong humans before, some who were even praised as heroes, but none of
them had been a match for him.

Not to mention a Duke.

Even a Marquis. No, they could barely even match a Count.

Weaklings to be trampled on, raised with affection, or thrown away like garbage,
depending on their mood.

That was what humans were.

Then what was this being?

He paused his attack.

No. There was something that confused him even more.

‘How did he stop it?’

He couldn’t guess. And it frustrated him that his opponent had a mysterious trump
card.

But Sandro hid his agitation.

He had only blocked one attack; nothing had changed. It was hard to tell whether it
was intentional or accidental, but the fact that Lukas didn’t die remained unchanged.

So he intended to fight seriously from then on.

Sandro’s gaze deepened.

“Are you working for another Duke? Did they send you to assassinate me? Pride. Is
he your master?”

Lukas murmured at those words.

“That’s an unpleasant delusion.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m not a Demon. And naturally, I’m not a servant of Pride.”

If that was the case, then was he really human?

‘A human blocked my attack?’

Ha.

Sandro couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

“You’re trying to pretend. How interesting. I hope your wits are strong enough to
overcome torture.”

“Do you think you deserve to test me?”

Sandro’s playful expression disappeared when Lukas asked these words.

“Your way of speaking annoys me. Only the Demon King dares to talk to me like that.”

Sandro’s expression became hazy. The lights in the room fluttered like a candle in
front of a breeze before suddenly going out.

The room descended into darkness.

“You… will… beg me… to kill you.”

Sandro’s voice gradually faded into the darkness. His black cloak was swallowed by
the ground, followed by his body.

Like ink seeping into a piece of paper, his body was absorbed into the ground.

“Get on the table.”

Min Ha-rin belatedly realised that those words were directed at her.

She hurriedly climbed onto the silver table. Anyone could tell that it was not wise to
be moving around blindly in the dark.

‘Sandro is serious.’
She knew how Demons behaved when they became serious. Now, Sandro would not
hesitate to reveal his full power.

A full-strength attack from a Duke.

How was he supposed to survive an attack like that?

Shuk.

Lukas knelt on one knee and put his palm on the ground.

And that was it.

“…ku-, urk?”

Like a fish who had been hit by an electric current, Sandro’s body popped out of the
darkness.

“U-, urk! Uk! Kuk! Kuuk!”

He looked at Lukas with shaking eyes.

“How… the hell…? I was… between the boundaries… of the shadows…”

He hadn’t simply been pulled out.

His body had been immobilised. Even his joints were frozen as though he had been
tied up with an invisible chain.

Now, even his tongue had been paralysed. All he could do was move his eyes around.

“…!!”

For Sandro, it was supposed to be a pleasant day. After a few years, he’d finally found
a slave whom he’d liked, and he was certain that he wouldn’t be bored of it for a long
time.

He finally got it in his hands, and all he had to do was enjoy it.

Slowly corrupting and breaking humans who mistakenly believed they were strong
was something he relished in.

One thing was for certain, though. He never thought that he would die today.

Crack.

As soon as Lukas clenched his fist, Sandro’s body exploded.

It wasn’t blood and flesh that scattered everywhere. Instead, it was an ink like
substance.

This thick, black liquid landed on Lukas’ face, but he didn’t need to wipe it off.

This was because after the darkness in the room faded, the ink disappeared as
though it had evaporated.

Clink~

And in the place where Duke Sandro’s body had been, a crystal fell to the ground.

Lukas looked at this crystal for a moment before saying.

“You can come down.”

Min Ha-rin blinked a few times.

“…huh?”

He didn’t answer as he kept looking at the crystal on the floor.

Min Ha-rin gulped slightly before stepping onto the floor. But she still looked around
hesitantly.

“Hey… What the hell just happened? Wh-, where is Duke Sandro…?”

“I think you should have this.”

As he said this, Lukas handed the Soul Crystal over to Min Ha-rin.

Min Ha-rin took it reflexively before flinching.

There was no reason to ask whose Soul Crystal this was.

A Duke. A Duke’s Soul Crystal.

How many souls were trapped in here?”

‘There’s no way a Demon would have abandoned its Soul Crystal and ran.’

To them, this item was just as important as their lives.

That meant…

This man had really killed Duke Sandro.

“A-, ah… Th-, thank you for saving me…”

She was still confused, but just as she was about to bow her head…

A small vortex appeared in the air in front of them, from which a person then
appeared. It was a being wearing a black robe whose face couldn’t be seen because it
was covered by strips of cloth. It was almost as if they didn’t have a face.

[It seems my patience over the past few decades has put me to shame.]

The being’s voice was bizarre.

And its sudden appearance seemed to have something to do with Lukas.

[Are you saying it’s none of my business? Fine. But keep in mind. You gave them a
justification.]

Huk.

They disappeared just as quickly as they appeared, but Lukas didn’t seem
particularly concerned about it.

He turned to Min Ha-rin and said.

“How old are you?”

“Huh?”

When Min Ha-rin asked back in surprise at the sudden question, he murmured in a
slightly embarrassed voice.

“Did I say something strange? I mean… How many years have passed since you were
born?”

It was rude to ask someone’s age out of nowhere. If it was another situation or if
another person had asked her the same question, she might not have answered.

But this was different.

Min Ha-rin answered in a low but clear voice.

“Twenty-two.”

“Really?.”

“Huh?”

…Was he trying to say she looked older?

Min Ha-rin’s expression hardened, but Lukas continued as if he didn’t care.

“What do you think about magic?”

“…”

What did she think?

She’d never thought deeply about it. This had been the case ever since she was told
that she had no talent for magic.

However, the magic Min Ha-rin had seen today reminded her of a midsummer
fireworks display or a christmas tree.

What did she think while watching this scene?

Min Ha-rin felt like her memories had been awoken like she’d taken an old book
from a bookshelf.

“I think… it’s pretty.”

When Lukas’ eyes widened slightly at her response, Min Ha-rin flinched.

“Th-, that…”

Did she make a mistake?

While she was unable to hide her nervousness, she heard a voice.

“That is the first time I’ve heard a response like that.”

“…”

“What is your name?”

The order of these questions seemed a bit strange.

Besides, didn’t he hear it when Sandro was calling her name?

Though she had these questions in her head, Lukas was the benefactor who’d saved
her life. She couldn’t complain about something like this.

“I am Min Ha-rin. Th-, thank you for saving me.”

Though she had sincerely thanked him once again, Lukas seemed to be paying
attention to something else.

“…Min Ha-rin.”

He closed his eyes slightly and seemed to ponder about something.

After a long silence, Lukas finally opened his eyes and looked at her.

“I will teach you magic.”

Note:

I thought it would be best to put a list of the nobility ranks for those of you who are
unaware of the ranks. This doesn’t mean the author will follow this exact ranking
though, since there are some variations.

From the top it should be:

King

Grand Duke (The possibility was hinted at, but it’s still unclear)

Duke

Marquis

Count

Viscount

Baron

Lord(If it goes so low. It’s possible that they might skip this one)
Min Ha-rin didn’t know just how many times she had asked this, but she had no
choice other than to do it again.

“Huh?”

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to do it right now, so I’ll teach you later, after I manage to
find a suitable place.”

“That…”

Min Ha-rin was speechless.

She couldn’t keep up with the flow of the conversation at all.

He was going to teach her magic?

So suddenly?

No, in the first place, who the hell was this guy?

These questions poured into her head one after the other, but the atmosphere didn’t
allow her to ask them easily.

Nevertheless, she had to confirm one thing.

“Is Duke Sandro really dead?”

“Didn’t you see it for yourself?”

This answer made her speechless again.

She forced herself to open her mouth.

“How the hell… I heard that Demon Dukes have power similar to God.”
At those words, Lukas stared at Min Ha-rin for a moment before walking towards
her.

Juk.

He was getting closer and closer.

Sandro’s death flashed in Min Ha-rin’s mind. She didn’t realise it, but she was
stepping back.

But Lukas was faster.

Crack.

She heard the sound of something breaking. Then, Min Ha-rin realised it had come
from the collar which restricted her freedom.

“A-, ah?”

Incomprehensible things were happening over and over.

She felt like she was dreaming. She hurriedly put her hands to her neck.

It was an unfamiliar feeling because she could feel her skin for the first time in a long
while.

This wasn’t like the paralysing function that Allida had mentioned. He had destroyed
it. It was that simple.

“Sandro’s power isn’t even close to a Demigod’s. He’s not worth comparing to God.”

“…”

Min Ha-rin had mentioned God because she couldn’t think of a more appropriate
metaphor, but Lukas’ words felt a bit strange.

Before she could think about it too deeply, Lukas spoke again.

“Let’s go.”
“Where?”

“To Lee Jong-hak.”

Lukas’ voice was calm.

“Their plan went awry. We shouldn’t be too late.”

***

It was a long day.

Rutan stretched as he had this thought.

He was tired. He felt like he would doze off even if he closed his eyes at that moment.

But he couldn’t yet.

He got up from his seat. Then he looked at the list of products that had been sold that
day.

Min Ha-rin’s name was on that list.

“Why did I do that?”

It would have been more dramatic to reveal Min Ha-rin on the last day.

Of course, selling her on the first day didn’t cause a big loss. She was sold for a high
price, so his boss would be satisfied with his performance.

Nevertheless, Rutan didn’t understand his price.

It was an item that could have been sold even more expensively, and yet, he’d rushed
it like an amateur.

It was even stranger that when he recalled that time, it was faint like he was in a
dream.

“…I haven’t been sleeping much lately.”

That was probably why he felt so tired.

He should have had some free time after he was done bookkeeping. He felt like he
should sleep in order to ensure that tomorrow went smoothly.

Just as Rutan tried to close his tired eyes.

An uninvited guest came from nowhere.

Clack.

“Ru-, Rutan.”

Sihard entered his room without knocking.

In an instant, Rutan’s anger soared and he was about to kill him, but he quickly
reined in his temper.

Sihard knew his personality well. He would never have committed such a rude act if
it wasn’t an urgent situation.

“What is it?”

“Th-, the hunter slaves escaped.”

“What did you say?”

The sleepiness immediately went away.

Rutan immediately got up and grabbed his coat that was hanging on the back of a
chair before putting it on.

“Tell me everything.”

“A-, as you know, I check on the slaves every hour. I just went to the room about 5
minutes ago…”

Sihard closed his eyes as he continued.

“A-, and all the slaves are gone.”

Rutan didn’t get angry right away.

Instead, he felt his head get cold.

The voice that came out of his mouth wasn’t excited either. It was very low and
gloomy.

“I don’t think you came here just to report to me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Right. Of course you’re sorry. Come here.”

“Huh?”

“Did you not understand what I said? Come here. Come closer to me.”

Sihard gulped before closing the distance. Then, Rutan grabbed him by the throat.

“Ku-, uk…”

“If you know you did something wrong, then you know that you will be punished.
Right Sihard?”

“S-, sorry…”

“What about the pursuit?”

“Already… sent them…”

“How many?”

“Three… groups… under my command…”

“…tch.”

Rutan clicked his tongue before throwing Sihard to the floor.

Sihard fell heavily to the ground and coughed a few times.

If it was another time, then Rutan would have definitely killed him, but he was short
of hands at the moment. And venting his anger wouldn’t change the fact that the
slaves escaped.

“Capture them all.”

“Huh…?”

Sihard tilted his head to the side.

“Don’t you get it? It doesn’t matter if they escaped. They have nowhere to go anyway,
and this land is our territory. They are literally flies in a jar. It won’t be difficult to
capture them again. The important thing is to hide this fact from the customers.”

“…!”

It was only then Sihard realised.

That was definitely true.

It wasn’t a big deal that the slaves had escaped. In a sense, the fact that the
customers might have noticed the movements of the three groups was more
important.

“I will lend you command of the <Night Dew>. Use them to comb the surroundings.”

“I, I will follow your orders. But what about you, Rutan?”

“I will look for them, too. But I will move on my own.”

Although Rutan was not titled, his fighting power definitely surpassed that of most
low-ranking nobility. Even if he encountered them alone, it would not be hard for
him to deal with 10 or so weakened hunters.

“If they escaped from the basement, they could have only taken one of two paths.
There must be traces left. Search thoroughly then move as stealthily as you can.”

“Yes.”

Sihard’s figure disappeared.

Rutan went straight to the basement. This was to check the situation.

He headed to the room in which the slaves were being held.

Then he saw it.

The cage bars had been bent by force.

“Someone didn’t release them. They escaped from the inside. Only pure brute
strength could bend these cage bars.”

In the first place, if there was anyone there who could help them, it would only be a
Demon. And that was impossible.

The only way a noble would steal slaves from under Sihard’s eyes was if they were
poor and had no pride.

But it was clear that wasn’t the case. If a Demon had really helped them escape, then
there would not be any traces left.

“I’m sure they would have done things smarter.”

Rutan closed his eyes.

“That means they escaped on their own.”

But how?

It would have been impossible for them to pull the iron cage open with the collar
around their necks. No, it would have been impossible even without the collar.

“It might be possible for Lee Jong-hak.”

It was impossible for the other slaves, but that might not have been the case for Lee
Jong-hak. However, he also had the collar on.

The possibility that the collars were defective?

Slim.
After all, it was Rutan himself who put the collars on. There was no way he wouldn’t
have been able to tell whether the collars were defective or not.

“…The collars were still on. If they were taken off or broken, then the pieces would
still be here. They wouldn’t have had the time to care about the mess.”

He could tell that they were in a hurry just by looking around the room.

Of course, the collars also had a tracking system. So as long as the slaves didn’t take
them off, Rutan would be able to find them.

‘If that’s not possible… ’

Rutan’s thoughts churned.

It wasn’t long before he came to the most realistic conclusion.

“…they must have paralysed the collar’s functions.”

Magic. They must have used magic.

He knew some of the humans’ tricks. He was not only knowledgeable about magic
but also about witchcraft, sorcery, divination, and curses.

However, none of the slaves were Witches, Sorcerers, Seers, or Shamans.

But there was a Wizard. She was also one of the titled humans.

Allida Grabino.

“It’s strange, though. She shouldn’t have been able to use magic with the collar on.”

He could no longer figure anything out no matter how he turned it around in his
head. He would only be able to find out when he saw them for himself.

There were a lot of people there, so there weren’t many places they could hide.
Nevertheless, the fact that they escaped meant that they believed they could.

Rutan chuckled.
He had a feeling that he knew where they went.

“There’s nothing more miserable than a half-brained idea.”

* * *.

“I can’t tell if it’s day or night.”

Drisa grumbled as he looked up at the black sky.

This was what happened to land that had been occupied by the Demons.

The ground became purple, and the sky became black. (TL: Sounds familiar.)

He sighed.

“…anyway, did we really manage to escape?”

“This is only the beginning.”

When Lee Jong-hak spoke in a low voice, Allida nodded.

“But we did cross the hardest bridge. Now, all we have to do is get to the hideout.”

“How far is it?”

“We have to go to the cathedral first.”

“Cathedral?”

“There.”

Allida pointed towards a cathedral at the side.

The cathedral was a huge building that could have been seen from any part of the
city. It was built in a gothic style with stained glass windows glimmering even under
the dark sky.

“Is that cathedral the hideout you were talking about?”

“It’s not, but beneath the building is a passage that leads outside the city. If we use
that path, then we will find ourselves only a short distance away from the hideout.”

“Sure enough.”

The hunters’ faces brightened.

There weren’t many Demons on the streets. It wouldn’t be impossible for them to
reach the cathedral if they were careful.

“How long will this ice spell last?”

“About two days. But it could be shorter.”

“So we have to activate the portal and get to an association branch equipped with
advanced equipment before that.”

It wouldn’t be easy.

Lee Jong-hak took a deep breath before saying.

“Let’s move immediately. I’ll take point.”

After saying those words, he strode` forward without hesitation.

Drisa, who followed nervously, couldn’t help but say.

“Can we really walk so confidently?”

“That’s right. It should be morning now.”

“Huh…?”

“The Demons are usually asleep at this time.”

“Oh. I see, but…”

It was common knowledge among the hunters that Demons usually slept during the
day and were active at night.
“…how do you know it’s daytime?”

“My body clock is relatively accurate.”

“…”

Was he joking?

No, he didn’t believe that this serious guy would make a joke in this type of situation.

“Body clock.”

Drisa chuckled slightly.

If someone else had said that, he would have dismissed it as bullshit, but because it
was Lee Jong-hak, those words had a strange weight.

Drisa and the other hunters silently followed Lee Jong-hak’s steps.

Allida looked around at their surroundings.

She knew how beautiful this city used to be. Of course, she’d never seen it in person,
but she’d seen many pictures. Her heart felt heavy.

One of the most beautiful cities in Italy had lost its former appearance.

If it wasn’t for the cathedral, she wouldn’t have even known what city it was

‘There aren’t many Demons on the street.’

Looking at the empty streets of the city that seemed to lack vitality, she couldn’t help
but feel a bit scared.

Even walking through a zombie-filled city would not have made her feel so nervous.

Fortunately, Lee Jong-hak’s senses were excellent. He didn’t even get close to places
where the Demons were likely to be, but he didn’t divert much either.

Because of this, they were able to arrive at the cathedral in less than an hour.
“I’m gonna lose my tension. This is too easy.”

Drisa laughed, revealing his teeth. She didn’t say anything, but Allida agreed with
him.

Nevertheless, she held her breath and said.

“It’s still too early to relax. There might be Demons inside the cathedral. Now, this
way.”

Allida stepped into the cathedral before heading to the chapel(1).

“Can you help me? We need to remove these chairs.”

The hunters moved the chairs aside as directed by Allida. And finally, a door handle
was revealed on the exposed floor.

When Drisa pulled on the handle, a stairway leading underground was revealed.

“It’s too dark. Do you have a light or something?”

“I tried to turn it on, but it seems there is no power. Or the Demons cut the wires.”

Allida flicked the light switch at the entrance as she said this.

“Damn, if we run into a Demon in the darkness, we’ll probably die.”

“We can go another way if you’re dissatisfied.”

“…Mm. I politely decline. At least if I die underground, I won’t have to worry about
being a slave.”

Drisa forced himself to speak positively, then he immediately went down into the
underground passage.

It was dark and damp. A rotten smell also filled the air, and sewer rats ran past their
feet.

This gloomy atmosphere, together with the darkness that their eyes could have only
barely pierce through, caused the hunters to be extremely nervous.
Fortunately, Drisa’s worry did not become a reality.

There were no Demons in the underground passage, and they were all able to get out
without a scratch.

“W-, we survived.”

“Did we do it?”

“I’m relieved now that we were able to come this far…!”

“…”

But Drisa’s expression was not good.

When she saw this, Allida asked.

“Why do you look like you’ve eaten poop?”

“Do you remember what I said just now?”

“You can now be relieved? What about it?”

“I feel like I said something that shouldn’t have been said. You know. Like a jinx.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Have you never seen the cartoons?”

When she heard those words, Allida’s expression became grim.

“Alright, let’s hurry to the portal. I’m sure it’s a mess, and staying here means we are
wasting the time we could have been using to fix it.”

Even if Allida took Drisa’s premonition seriously, there was nothing they could’ve
done about it.

The hideout was located at the foot of a small mountain, and the entrance was
covered by a large boulder. This boulder was larger than most houses, so it was easy
to recognise.
“That’s the boulder.”

“Let’s hurry.”

“Stop.”

Lee Jong-hak called out in a firm voice.

The other hunters didn’t question him. Instead, their faces quickly became pale.

“I thought you’d come here.”

It was the host of the Chester Company’s auction and the Demon who put the collars
on them.

Rutan looked at them with a smile.

Drisa’s expression crumpled.

“See… Fuck…”

(Note:

1. A chapel is the space in the church/cathedral that is dedicated for prayer or

worship. It could be a room in the building or a separate building of its own. Chapels
are usually the places where Mass and other such services are held.)
“That fact that you managed to avoid detection from Sihard and the <Night Dew>
means that you didn’t cut across the city in the open.”

Rutan got up from his seat.

He looked in the direction the hunters came from before muttering in a soft voice.

“You couldn’t have left through the sky either. Because you don’t have the means.”

Then what other reason could it be?

Rutan enjoyed guessing like this.

He closed his mouth for a while and organised his thoughts, and his silence put great
pressure on the hunters.

“…right. It should be underground. There is probably a long passage below Amado

City that stretches to this mountain range. Am I wrong?”

“…”

He didn’t receive an answer, but Rutan knew his guess was correct. He burst into
laughter once again.

“How… do you know the location of this hideout?”

Rutan had been waiting at the rock entrance. This would have been impossible if he
didn’t have an idea of the hideout’s location.

“I also lent a hand when we were taking over this city in the past. I was lucky. At the
time, there were some humans who managed to escape, and I tracked them to this
hideout. But when I reached this place, I lost them.”

The sky seemed to turn yellow because of this unlucky situation.

“So you guys have already occupied this hideout.”

“Occupied? Why the hell would we do something so annoying? Do you think this
shabby little bunker is of any value to us?”

Then did that mean they hadn’t touched the facilities inside?

‘Is he lying? Or is he telling the truth?’

She couldn’t tell.

It was impossible to read any intentions from Rutan’s smiling face.

She couldn’t hide her anxiety.

If the Warp Portal was already broken, then everything would have been in vain.

“This isn’t the time to worry about the future.”

Rutan spoke as if he’d read Allida’s mind. At the same time, demonic energy surged
from within his body.

The hunters’ expression hardened. The same was true for Lee Jong-hak.

‘This Demon is strong.’

The restrictions on the collar had been temporarily paralysed, but they hadn’t
properly trained for more than a month. The feed that the Demons gave them also
slowly wore away at their physical strength.

Although these changes weren’t permanent, it would take at least two to three
months before they could regain their strength.

The physical strength that Lee Jong-hak could unleash at that moment was not even
half of when he was in his best condition.

‘And we don’t even have any equipment.’

The Demons were a race who were naturally more powerful than the humans. This
meant that humans needed weapons and armor just to stand on even ground.
But they didn’t have any.

Lee Jong-hak and the other hunters were practically naked.

‘I don’t even need armor.’

If he’d had even a single sword.

Lee Jong-hak bit his lip at this thought.

It wouldn’t be enough to say that he was desperate.

On the other hand, Rutan was completely relaxed.

He’d already accomplished his goal the moment he found the hunters. Now, he was
only observing them to appease his own curiosity.

He saw the frozen collars.

“You used Ice Magic to freeze the functions of the collar? You there, red-haired
human bitch, this was your doing. I don’t know what kind of magic you used on the
collar, but… Well. I’ll figure it out soon.”

Rutan smiled for a moment before continuing.

“I’ll make this short. Turn around, go back the way you came, and get back into your
cages. With your own feet. Then, no one will get hurt and no one will die.”

‘No one would die.’

Some of them flinched at those words.

Rutan’s voice was soft, but it carried an intimidation that made them shudder.

Allida forced the corners of her lips to curl upwards.

“Stop bluffing. We know that we are your best products. You are a mere paper-
pusher in the company at best. Would you dare to hurt us recklessly?”

“This is why humans are annoying. You always try to roll your heads around and
negotiate when it won’t work. Hey, Wizard. How many human slaves do you think
I’ve handled so far?”

As he said this, Rutan cracked his neck and loosened his joints, causing several
hunters, including Lee Jong-hak, to take up battle positions.

“Do you intend to fight me with your bare bodies? Then go ahead. I can subdue all of
you without leaving a scratch. But if you annoy me, then I will make you experience
hell. I will give you a taste of pain that you have never experienced before I auction
you off.”

Rutan’s voice was full of vigor.

Allida and several other hunters flinched.

“I-, if you do that and our minds break…”

“You value yourselves too highly.”

Rutan chuckled.

“We can capture any number of slaves we want. It would just take time. In truth, it
wouldn’t matter if I killed every slave here apart from Lee Jong-hak.”

Every hunter gulped at those words.

In all honesty, Rutan’s words did contain a bit of a bluff. After all, these were all
slaves who had been specially selected for the event and each of them could be
considered high-class goods.

It just couldn’t be denied that Lee Jong-hak and Min Ha-rin were the most special.

“There aren’t any other Demons here.”

“Mm?”

“You are the only Demon who came to retrieve us.”

When Lee Jong-hak spoke in a soft but firm tone, Rutan tilted his head and asked
back.
“So?”

“So if we kill you, we can leave this place.”

“Ah! I seemed to have missed that point.”

Rutan smiled and took off his coat.

“I’ll even give you some information. I didn’t get a title. Can you guess why?”

“You must be too weak!”

Rutan shrugged at Drisa’s rough shout.

“That is one of the reasons. However, it’s not the main one. It’s because I don’t have
any Demon powers.” (TL: Think Demigod powers)

Lee Jong-hak’s expression became strange.

Every Demon Noble had their own individual power. This power varied greatly
depending on the individual. From the simple ability to control ice, fire, or wind, the
ability to transform into bloodsucking bats or wolves, or the ability to spew out
poison to truly demonic abilities.

But Rutan had just admitted that he himself didn’t have any powers.

‘As expected of a Demon. He’s arrogant.’

Crunch…

The sound of joints being twisted could be heard from Drisa’s body.

In truth, Drisa’s body was so well-trained that even Lee Jong-hak couldn’t help but
admire him. Although he might not have received systematic training, his muscles
were still clearly outlined.

Just like a piece of art that had been carefully crafted, his body had a brilliant
physical beauty.

His body changed. His back became hunched, and his hands and feet twisted and
became deformed. His teeth and nails sharpened and grew longer, and his brown
eyes turned yellow.

“Transformation. Right. You are a Shaman.”

Rutan chuckled.

Unlike other hunters, whose powers would drop by at least half when they didn’t
have weapons or armor, Shamans were used to fighting without any equipment. This
was because their bodies often went through violent physical changes.

Perhaps the strongest hunter in the group at that moment wasn’t Lee Jong-hak but
Drisa.

Drisa kicked off from the ground and shot towards Rutan like a cannonball.

Demons weren’t immortal; they just had strong vitality. There were cases in which
some had stronger vitality or had different vital points, but generally, if you cut off
their head or destroyed their heart, they would be killable.

“Cover him!”

With a short shout, Lee Jong-hak charged after Drisa. He picked up a branch that had
randomly fallen onto the road, intending to use it as his weapon.

The length of the branch wasn’t much, and its weight distribution was terrible, but it
was still better than using his bare hands.

Crunch!

Meanwhile, Drisa bit into Rutan’s shoulder. And Allida, who was watching this scene
from a distance, clenched her fist.

“That’s right!”

“Haha.”

Then they heard Rutan let out a laugh.

Drisa couldn’t help but panic. His jaw felt numb like he was biting a piece of steel, not
flesh.

Was he wearing a suit of inner armor or something?

If not…

Paak!

“Kuk…!”

Before he could even finish that thought, he felt a strong shock to the back of his
head.

His jaw joint gave out with a snap.

Afterwards, Drisa was sent flying after feeling a sharp pain in his abdomen.

Then Lee Jong-hak stormed in as though he had been tagged. White light shined on
the branch in his hand.

Rutan spoke in a cheerful voice.

“You are pouring your aura into a tree branch. Amazing. Should I say as expected of
the Human Dragon?”

“…”

Lee Jong-hak didn’t answer, instead squeezing the branch tighter.

This Demon… was strange.

His manner of speaking, his attitude, and even his way of fighting…

‘He knows too much about humans.’

The Shaman’s transformation power,

The swordsmanship developed by humans,

And magic.
Instead, it was surprising that he didn’t know about Allida’s Tattoo Magic
considering how much he knew about humans.

Usually, Demons tended to disregard humans. Because of their arrogance and pride,
they didn’t want to know more about humans because they considered them a lower
race.

Naturally, this usually meant that they didn’t even know their way of fighting.

This wasn’t that strange.

After all, even if they didn’t know anything, it wasn’t hard for them to easily step on
or kill humans.

If they did know anything, it could only be likened to memorising the breeds,
tendencies, and habits of their pets.

“Shit!”

With a curse, Drisa got back to his feet. He grumbled for a moment before spitting,
and his smashed fangs flew out with his bloody phlegm.

“Be careful. His body is as hard as steel. I can’t hurt him with my teeth and claws.”

“Is it the power to increase your physical strength?”

Rutan spoke while calmly dodging Lee Jong-hak’s attacks.

“You are so stupid. I told you that I didn’t have a power. Well. I was born a bit
stronger than normal Demons in return. However, I was only able to reach this level
through hard work and training.”

Crack!

The branch could not handle Lee Jong-hak’s aura and cracked.

He was forced to step back.

He was in worse shape than he thought. He had only been fighting for a few minutes,
but he was already out of breath.
“…training? A Demon?”

“It is rare. We’ve been chatting for longer than I expected. Then…”

Rutan looked around.

The hunters had surrounded him before he realised.

“Don’t tell me you were trying to surround me from the start.”

Rutan mumbled softly before taking a deep breath.

Suddenly, demonic energy began surging in his eyes.

“Hooo…”

He took a deep breath.

Then, Rutan’s right foot shot up like it was going to touch the sky.

Lee Jong-hak’s expression became stiff when he saw this. He was the quickest to
notice the danger.

“Be caref-…!”

Lee Jong-hak’s words were cut off before he could finish them. Because Rutan’s right
foot hit the ground.

Boom!

Earthquake.

It was an earthquake.

Drisa couldn’t help but have this thought.

The instant Rutan’s foot hit the ground, spider web-like cracks spread out in every
direction. The ground shattered like glass.

The shattered earth undulated on its own, creating a huge vortex.

“Kuuack!”

“Sa-, save me!”

Some of the hunters reacted too slowly. Their bodies were sucked into the rock
vortex, and their entire bodies were crushed.

The only ones who managed to escape were Drisa, Allida, and Lee Jong-hak, who
happened to be further away than the rest.

“Do you really intend to kill us?”

“No. He adjusted the power. They might look severely wounded at first, but they’ll
only suffer broken limbs and torn flesh at most.”

Lee Jong-hak spoke with a firm voice.

“I guess there’s only one thing we can do now.”

“Did you think of a way to kill this bastard?”

“Run away. I will buy you time.”

Drisa froze.

“…are you serious?”

Lee Jong-hak’s mouth twisted.

It took Drisa a moment to realise that it was a forced smile.

“I haven’t made a joke for a very long time.”

“…but.”

“You seem to have a reason to live. Am I wrong?”

Rutan simply looked at them with his arms crossed.

As Lee Jong-hak had said, he’d adjusted the strength of his attack, but it wasn’t by
much. Humans were fragile, so maybe some of the hunters were already dead.

“Hmm.”

He checked again and found that they were all still alive. His control was perfect.

Rutan smirked as he admired his own skill.

With these kinds of injuries, they would be able to heal them up before it was time to
present them.

So now, there were only two left.

…Or, at least, that was what he expected, but he found one more.

‘That’s strange.’

It was certainly strange. According to Rutan’s judgement, only Lee Jong-hak and
Drisa would have been able to respond to his attack in time.

Did he get lucky? Or did he keep his distance like Allida had?

That was what he thought until he looked at this man’s face.

“…”

Rutan’s expression became strange. He even momentarily forgot about Drisa and Lee
Jong-hak.

Was he dreaming?

Or was he just seeing things?

Rutan shook his head.

It wasn’t possible.

But the man’s appearance was so random that he couldn’t help but think so.

“Is it an escape play?”

The blonde man, Lukas, didn’t answer. Instead, it was Rutan who frowned.

Escape play?

It was unlikely. After all, the one who’d bought Lukas was none other than Duke
Sandro and not some ordinary noble. He was a VIP of the Chester Company and a
Demon who was personally given the title Duke by the Demon King.

Even Rutan didn’t have the confidence to trick his eyes and run away.

So… did he let him go because he was already tired of him?

Right. That made more sense.

‘But why is he here?’

Did this man know about the hideout as well?

Just as Rutan was about to ask a question.

“Sandro is dead.”

“…what?”

Lukas didn’t repeat himself.

He didn’t have time to waste. He had just dealt with a Duke.

He didn’t want to waste his time and energy on a small fry like Rutan.

He wanted to finish it quickly, and he did.

His eyes sank slightly.

“And you will soon follow suit.”

“…”

Rutan’s expression hardened.

He was quick-witted. He’d been like that for a very long time.

After all, it was quite obvious how a Demon who didn’t have a power would be
treated by his own people.

It was much better than the unintelligent Demons or slaves. That much was certain.
But that was all.

They were awkward beings whose treatment was far lesser than even the lowest
Demon Noble.

The Demons referred to them as Demonic Humans.

If one looked at how the Demons treated the human race, one would realise just how
humiliating such a title was.

But Rutan was different from the other Demonic Humans. There was something
about him that was inherently different.

It was desire.

The greed in his heart was equal to the high ranking Demon Nobles’.

He wanted to get everything he wanted.

He wanted to be stronger than everyone else.

He wanted to go to the highest position and look down on all of the weaklings.

That was why he joined the company. Because there was no other place where the
transaction of Soul Crystals was more active.
The number of souls contained in a Soul Crystal was directly linked to a Demon’s
level.

If he had just 100,000 souls, he would be able to grow strong enough to not be
pushed around by most Demon Nobles, even if he didn’t have a power.

And to do that, the most important thing was to somehow survive.

And Rutan survived brilliantly. He proved his worth, even earning the recognition of
the capricious high ranking nobles.

Rutan was quick-witted.

Nevertheless.

‘This man… ’

Rutan looked at Lukas.

He looked at this man who said that he’d killed Duke Sandro and would soon kill him
as well.

If another human had told him that, he would have laughed heartily in their face. In
fact, he might have even sarcastically told them that they were ‘bluffing too hard’.

But this man…

He couldn’t understand. He didn’t know what he was.

He felt so weak that he could defeat him with just a finger. But he also felt like a
monster that Rutan would not be able to scratch even if he tried his best.

It couldn’t possibly be the latter.

Rutan tried to make himself think this, but Lukas’ words reverberated as though they
were stuck in his head.

If this man had really killed Duke Sandro…

‘…I have to try.’

Fwoosh-

A black haze of demonic energy surged around him.

It was completely different from before. Just the momentum from his aura became
an intangible pressure enveloping the entire surrounding area.

“Kuk…”

“Huk.”

The faces of the hunters became pale because of this momentum. In the first place,
most of the hunters had been swallowed by the ground. Their resistances and
strengths were already as low as they could get.

Lukas shook his hand slightly.

Woosh.

“…huh?”

The momentum disappeared.

It had been hard for the hunters to breathe before, but now, they felt very
comfortable. Their wounds were still there, but the pressure was gone and they felt
much better.

Rutan’s expression stiffened even more. He bit his lip.

Right. Such a simple check was pointless.

Although he wasn’t a noble yet, his power was still comparable to most Counts. He’d
only been able to snatch the position as host of the Chester Company because of his
strength.

Rutan looked down.

Pieces of stone were scattered on the ground. It was the aftermath of his previous
attack.
Rutan stomped the ground once again. However, it wasn’t to overturn the ground like
he did before.

Boom!

The ground shook heavily, and dozens of stone pieces shot into the air.

Crack!

Rutan punched forward.

Following the sound of the air tearing, his fist collided with many of the pieces of
stone floating in front of him.

Papapat!

These pieces of stone became lethal bullets, which shot towards Lukas. Because he
put demonic energy in them, they wouldn’t be easy to block.

What would happen next was most important. After all, Rutan’s judgement would
change depending on how Lukas reacted.

Rutan widened his eyes and paid attention to Lukas’ every move.

“You…”

Lukas murmured in a soft voice.

“…are very timid.”

“…!”

Despite the fierce roar of the pieces of stone piercing through the air, those words
could still be heard clearly.

It was an insult.

This fact was clear to everyone who heard.

If anyone had told him this, even if it was a Demon who was stronger than himself, it
would have been incredibly humiliating.

But this was different.

The moment he heard that voice, Rutan’s entire body became cold.

It was like his entire body had been soaked in freezing cold water, and the chill even
crept into his bones.

Bang!

Suddenly, a piece of stone was sent flying back to him at an even faster speed.

This piece of stone brushed past Rutan’s face, but he didn’t even think about wiping
the dripping blood.

His judgement was complete. Or, perhaps, it was his instinct.

‘Run…!’

He had to run away immediately.

He couldn’t win.

With that thought, Rutan immediately turned around and attempted escape.

Shuk-

But it was too late.

***

Lee Jong-hak blinked.

‘What just happened?’

He knew that his power could be considered at the peak of the hunters. This wasn’t a
bluff or pride. Rather, it was an objective statement.

Lee Jong-hak was one of the strongest humans, whose numbers were now lower
than one billion. He’d never felt like he was far behind anyone else while watching a
battle.

Nevertheless, he had no idea what had just happened.

He’d only blinked once, but Rutan had died.

“…!”

Lee Jong-hak’s body had weakened. The fact of the matter was that he didn’t even
have half as much power as when he was at his peak.

However, his eyesight remained the same. He was confident that he would have been
able to track their movements even if his opponent was a Count.

But he couldn’t tell what Lukas did.

Did he miss his movement?

No.

Did he even move in the first place?

His back grew damp with cold sweat.

If this man, who had just killed Rutan, wanted it, Lee Jong-hak would have been dead
as well.

He half-instinctively rubbed his throat.

Then Lukas moved.

Some of the hunters flinched when he moved. Some of them looked like they really
wanted to run away, but because their bodies were still stuck in the ground, they
couldn’t move.

Lukas didn’t seem to care about them as he walked to Rutan’s body.

Rutan had been decapitated. The surface of the cut was exceptionally clean. It was as
if he had been cut by an incredibly sharp blade without any resistance.
However, let alone a weapon, Lukas didn’t even have a tree branch in his hand.

‘What did he cut him with?’

As Lee Jong-hak looked at him in confusion, Lukas took Rutan’s Soul Crystal and
threw it to him.

After receiving it, he couldn’t help but ask.

“Why did you give this to me…?”

He himself hadn’t even realised that had started speaking politely.

Lukas didn’t respond to it as though he too hadn’t noticed the change in attitude.

“You should get them out.”

“Ah…”

That’s right.

Lee Jong-hak, Drisa and Allida exchanged glances before moving to free the other
hunters. Then Min Ha-rin approached them with a bashful expression.

“You…!”

Allida looked at her with a joyful expression. That’s because she knew that Min Ha-
rin had sacrificed herself for her sake.

“I’m glad you’re okay!”

“Yeah.”

“That’s a relief. I’m so happy.”

“…how did you get away?”

Unlike Allida, who was genuinely happy, Drisa looked at Min Ha-rin with a face filled
with suspicion.
Min Ha-rin glanced at Lukas.

“He saved me.”

“How?”

“That…”

Lee Jong-hak shook his head when he saw Min Ha-rin hesitate with an embarrassed
expression on her face.

“Let’s save the other hunters first. We can talk about this after.”

“…right.”

Lukas went back to the large boulder.

With a sweep of his hand, the camouflaged wall broke apart and a sturdy-looking
steel door was revealed.

Although it had been left unattended for a long time, there were no signs of damage
except for rust.

“Ah. Y-, you can only enter with the correct password.”

When Allida said this with a slightly anxious voice, Lukas stepped back without a
word.

She glanced at him hesitantly before approaching the door.

At the side of the door was a small LCD number pad.

With her finger outstretched, she entered the password. But it was so dirty and stiff
that she had to press so hard her finger tips became white.

[Password matches.]

[Welcome to the European Branch’s 11th Headquarters.]

Pshh-
When the steel door opened with a hiss, Drisa couldn’t help but murmur to the other
hunters.

“That’s it? There wasn’t any iris or fingerprint recognition?”

“You watched too many movies.”

Although Allida said these words sarcastically, there were actually many hideouts
that employed such systems.

“This place wasn’t important enough to invest so much money in. Can’t you tell from
the fact that it was actually captured?”

“That’s true, but… it was still too weak.”

The door opened, revealing the interior of the hideout.

It was in a much better condition than they expected. It seemed that Rutan’s words
that no one had bothered to occupy the hideout were true.

Allida sighed in relief.

“Fortunately, the power still seems to be working, but… I’m not sure whether the
Warp Portal will work or not. I’ll have to take a look around first. Those who were
injured need first aid. There should be first-aid kits in the lobby.”

As she said this, Allida headed to the hideout’s system management office.

After she left, silence befell the lobby.

The hunters naturally turned their eyes to look at Lukas. Then Lukas turned to look
at the entrance before getting up from his seat.

“Where are you going?”

Drisa only received a short answer to his question.

“To greet the uninvited guests.”

“What?”

“It would be better if none of you came outside.”

Then he left the hideout without waiting for a response.

***

Lukas walked out of the hideout.

It seemed that quite a long time had passed as the sky was lit by the final glow of
twilight. By the time this dim light finally disappeared, the humans would have
finished their daily tasks and they would wake up.

Demons.

Shuk-

His body floated up, and he shot up above the clouds in an instant. He reached a
place where the air was incredibly thin, but the lack of oxygen didn’t matter to him.

He looked down at the ground. From his vantage point, he could see everything
happening in the nearby surroundings.

The severely-polluted earth, which had long died, a river, which was as black as ash,
and the Demons, who had forcefully occupied a human city.

Were they looking for Duke Sandro?

He saw a group of Demons moving hurriedly around the city.

That city.

There had to have been thousands of Demons there.

[They are like a disease for this planet.]

Before he realised it, a mysterious, black-robed being had appeared behind Lukas. It
was the same who’d shown up right after he killed Duke Sandro.

Lukas kept his head lowered as if he didn’t care about this black-robed being. (TL:
For now I’ll refer to this being as man… to make it easier…)

Then he responded.

“Humans are the same.”

[…]

What was it?

The mysterious man couldn’t help but feel that Lukas’ voice was slightly cold as he
said those words.

But he soon shook his head. This was an Absolute who loved humans. The tip of his
blade would never be directed at them.

[However, humans still have a slight sense of self-control.]

“I’m sure you didn’t come here to tell me that.”

[…there is something I’d like to ask you, Sir Absolute.]

“Speak.”

[Have you already made your judgement?]

When Lukas remained silent, the mysterious man continued, unperturbed.

[Over the past few decades that you’ve been in this world, you’ve only saved a
handful of humans. At first, I didn’t understand what you were doing, but now, I do.
You were testing the humans in this universe.]

“…”

[Did you hear me? You wandered around this world to see if the humans in this
universe deserved to be saved, didn’t you?… And now, I think you’ve reached a
decision. Because you even went as far as to kill a Demon Duke.]

The mysterious man’s voice was filled with confidence, but Lukas slowly shook his
head.

“I’m not so arrogant.”

[Then…]

“You don’t know anything. I have already lost my authority and fallen.”

[…what?]

The mysterious man couldn’t help but ask with a perplexed voice.

This was natural.

After all, he thought that the reason Lukas wandered around this world for decades
was because he wanted to determine whether the humans in this universe were a
good race.

After all, considering Lukas’ track record, such a thing was obvious.

But now, Lukas himself was denying it.

He said that it wasn’t his goal.

[Then what is your real goal?]

The mysterious man’s voice sharpened.

[You have heard these humans’ screams. You saw the outstretched hands of those
begging for help. Don’t you know just how many humans you could save as long as
you were willing to do it?]

“In the beginning, I did want to save the humans. If only I could.”

[If only you could? Who would dare to defy your will? The Demon King isn’t even a
problem. He certainly has power that surpasses mortals, but he’s nothing more than
the king of a small world.]
When Lukas didn’t answer, the mysterious man became even more agitated.

His voice grew louder.

[You are a Lord! The second highest rank among Absolutes! Even if you were
pressured by the other Lords—]

“They are not the ones I’m worried about.”

It wasn’t them?

That was strange.

Who else could Lukas, who seemed to disregard the other Lords, be worried about?

[…!!]

Then the mysterious man had a sudden thought.

…There was.

There were only four beings in the multiverse who were stronger than Lukas.

[R-, Rulers…!!]

He didn’t hear any denial.

This made the mysterious man even more terrified. He barely managed to speak
with a trembling voice.

[O-, oh, my god! Y-, you earned the ire of a Ruler…!]

When Lukas nodded at those words, the mysterious man stumbled as he was unable
to contain his shock.

Just mentioning them seemed to shake his very existence.

How many hundreds of years had it been since he’d last received such a great shock?

He knew.
Just how strange Lukas Trowman was among the absolutes.

In fact, a majority of the Absolutes found him displeasing and regarded his deeds as
disrespectful.

Because of him, many of them felt like it was impossible to save humans. Because
Lukas was a rare, biased Absolute who wielded his power not to carry out God’s task
but to complete his own personal objective, it gave the other Absolutes a chance to
intervene.

But it wasn’t them whom Lukas was worried about.

‘What the hell did he do?’

The Rulers rarely displayed interest in matters that weren’t of utmost importance to
the entire multiverse. Because they didn’t care about the smaller things.

Naturally, this also meant that they didn’t care about what the Absolutes, other than
their companions, did.

He had angered such a Ruler?

The mysterious man couldn’t help but ask in a trembling voice.

[Wh-, who was it?]

“…”

[Which Ruler did you anger? The Thunderous Lightning God? The Black Horned
Demon King? The Sun Giant? Or…]

“All four.”

This time, the mysterious man’s face became pale.

[I… I beg your pardon?]

Lukas looked at the setting sun and spoke with a calm voice.

“All of the Rulers have become my enemies.”

When Lukas left, the atmosphere in the hall instantly became lighter.

Everyone there owed him their lives. And it was true that they were all grateful. But
Lukas hadn’t said a single word to them.

They couldn’t even tell what he was thinking.

This man had power surpassing imagination. He had the power to kill Rutan like a
bug.

That’s why it was natural for them to feel terrified in his presence instead of relieved.

‘An uninvited guest.’

Who could it be?

Drisa was bothered by it, but he didn’t get the chance to ask.

Everyone there had their attention focused on Lukas.

“Hoo.”

Then, Lee Jong-hak, who was helping bandage the other hunters, sighed,

“Drisa, it would be better if you were more careful of the way you spoke to him.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know who Lukas is or what his goal is. But there is one thing that is clear.”

Drisa spoke without having to think long about it.

“He’s strong.”

Lee Jong-hak nodded and continued.

“Could you tell how Rutan died?”

“…”

There was no way he could’ve. Evan Lee Jong-hak, who had the best eyesight out of
the group, couldn’t tell.

Drisa remained silent, and the other hunters were no different.

“I’ve been rolling around on this Earth for decades. Even when I was weak, I was still
able to broaden my horizons. Now, even with the most secretive techniques, I would
be able to see through their tricks just by looking at them. However… I have no idea
what Lukas did. In all honesty, for a moment, I thought that he might have been a
Demon.”

It was a simple guess, but no one in the room refuted it. If this guess was true, then it
would have been no different from saying they directly fell into the hands of the
reaper.

“But as far as I know, the only reason Demons kill each other is to take away the
other’s Soul Crystal.”

Lee Jong-hak then took out Rutan’s Soul Crystal.

“That man gave this to me. A Demon wouldn’t do that.”

“Maybe he did it cause he thinks he can take it back at any time.”

“That’s a stretch. A Demon wouldn’t do something so annoying.”

“You are making a decision too quickly. Hey, this matter involves all of our lives. This
isn’t something we can afford to be half-assed about.”

“…well, it’s not like it’s a problem that we’d be able to answer just by discussing it.”

“That’s true…”

Meanwhile, they had basically finished giving first aid to the injured. No one had
been more severely injured than they expected.
Of course, this wasn’t because they were lucky. Instead, this was due to the fact that
Rutan had controlled the force of his attack so that they wouldn’t get fatally injured
in the first place.

“By the way, Min Ha-rin. How was your collar released?”

“Uh. That…”

Min Ha-rin hesitated for a moment before saying.

“Mr. Lukas released it.”

“He released it? How?”

If she told them that it crumbled like sand after he touched it… they would definitely
treat her like a crazy woman. Fortunately, Min Ha-rin had a basic level of
discernment and didn’t just blurt it out.

Then how should she put it?

Her eyes became dazed as she tried to think of something to tell them.

“What are you waiting for?”

Not only Drisa’s but the faces of the other hunters were also filled with suspicion.

Min Ha-rin made a bold choice.

She decided to just pretend.

“I don’t know. I don’t know how he did it.”

“…you too? Tch, it feels like we’re going deeper and deeper into the unknown/abyss.”

As he said this, Drisa got up from his seat.

There was a refrigerator in the lobby, and when he opened it, he found many combat
rations inside.

“This is nice. It’s been a while since I had human food.”

His expression became one of joy, but then a hunter spoke to him.

“What is the expiration date??”

“Uh. What month is it?”

“Should be May.”

“Then… it’s about a month off. I won’t die if I eat it.”

“Shouldn’t you look at the year? This hideout has been abandoned for decades.”

At Lee Jong-hak’s question, Drisa looked at the year and his expression became stiff.

“…it’s about 13 years…”

“Put it back.”

Drisa looked down at the combat rations again, his face going through various
shades of color as he seemed to be contemplating something.

“I mean… If I ate this…”

“It wouldn’t end with just a stomachache and diarrhea.”

“You’re right. Shit.”

He couldn’t afford to get diarrhea in such an urgent situation.

Drisa cursed before throwing the combat ration back into the refrigerator. Then, he
slammed the refrigerator door.

Juk.

And at the same time, Lukas came back into the room. Nothing seemed to have
changed since he went out, but he didn’t say anything and instead leaned against the
lobby wall with his eyes closed and his arms crossed.

His expression, appearance, and posture were like a perfect representation of the
phrase ‘don’t talk to me’.
“Kuh.”

Drisa was conflicted.

Shouldn’t he ask him what happened outside?

Just as the conflict intensified and he was about to make a move, Allida returned to
the lobby.

Unlike when she disappeared, her expression was much brighter.

Still, they couldn’t be completely relieved.

As the hunters looked anxiously at her, Allida smiled and spoke.

“The portal seems to be working.”

Many of the hunters released sighs of relief.

“We survived…”

“C-, can we finally go back?”

Most of them had given up all hope of survival after they were captured. They didn’t
get their hopes up even when planning to escape. It was only when they heard that
the portal was working that they could finally relax.

Unlike the hunters whose hearts were pounding, Lee Jong-hak remained calm.

He asked with a sharp gaze.

“Where does the portal lead to?”

“The European branch. The mana capacity is almost empty. It will probably be spent
after just one Warp.”

“The European Branch…”

Lee Jong-hak was conflicted.

The places in the world with the highest Demon activities were Europe, Africa, and
the Middle East.

Naturally, this meant that most of the land in these places had fallen to the Demons.

“Where in the European Branch? Is it the headquarters?”

“That…”

Allida glanced at Lukas without answering.

Drisa nodded with an enlightened expression.

They had not figured out Lukas’ identity yet, so they had to avoid mentioning the
specific location of the headquarters.

However, this was not a problem that they could keep avoiding. They had to go back
to the association as soon as possible and get rid of the collars.

As if she’d made up her mind, Allida walked up to Lukas and said.

“Can you tell us who you are now?”

This time, Lukas didn’t ignore the question.

“If you take me to Nina, I’ll talk to her.”

“…!”

Those words caused the expressions of some of the hunters to harden considerably.
The same was true for Allida.

No, it could be said that she was the most surprised in the group.

“Are you talking about President Nina Rednikova?”

“Nina Rednikova, head of the Hunter Association’s European Branch. I don’t think
there is another president with the same name, so I think we’re talking about the
same person.”
Allida’s expression became even more shocked.

An acquaintance of the president? The freaking president?

Allida knew Nina’s personality better than anyone else there. That’s why she didn’t
understand.

Was he lying to get out of the situation?

“…can you prove that?”

“It’s impossible to do that here.”

“Then it’s hard for us to trust you.”

“Allida.”

When Lee Jong-hak called her name, Allida scratched her head.

“I know. I look like an ungrateful bitch who is turning on the person who saved us.
However… what if it was all a ploy? To find the location of our headquarters and kill
our president? We can’t afford the risk. It’s like taking an unknown monster right
into the heart of our association branch.”

Allida’s words caused Lee Jong-hak to fall silent. That was because there was nothing
wrong with what she said.

They couldn’t trust Lukas just because he saved their lives.

“That’s not it.”

It was Min Ha-rin who spoke up in a firm voice.

“How can you be so sure?”

“He killed Duke Sandro.”

“…”

Silence fell upon the lobby once again. Every hunter had an expression of disbelief.
But Lee Jong-hak and Drisa’s expressions became strange instead.

They had already heard those words before.

It was none other than Lukas who had said them.

‘Sandro is dead. And soon, you will be, too.’

And then he’d killed Rutan.

They had seen it with their own eyes but they still felt like it was unbelievable.

“…that man killed a Duke? On his own?”

“Yes. It wasn’t a Count or a Marquis but a Demon Duke. He killed a Demon Duke,
whom humanity had only been able to slay twice, with his bare hands. I don’t think
he’d take the risk of killing a Duke just to sneak into the headquarters.”

“That should have been the case if what you said was true. But what you saw could
have been an illusion. How can you prove that Duke Sandro is really dead?”

Fortunately, she did have a way to prove it.

That was because Min Ha-rin still had the Soul Crystal that Lukas had given to her.

The Soul Crystal she took out had an unpleasant, blood-red color.

“…”

Allida gulped.

She’d heard before in rumors that the higher the rank of a Soul Crystal, the redder
and darker it was.

‘The dark red light is somehow illuminating the entire room.’

Due to her profession as a Wizard, Allida had seen, created, and transformed
numerous Soul Crystals. But she’d never seen one that was so ominous.

“…and it’s possible that the Demons already know the locations of the Hunter
Association Branch Headquarters located around the world.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because Duke Sandro knew that Busan was the location of the Asia Branch
Headquarters.”

“That means…”

“It would be impossible for them to know if they didn’t have people on the inside.”

“…”

In the end, Allida couldn’t help but sigh.

Right. She already knew.

The chances that Lukas was a Demon were incredibly slim.

In the first place, the Demons would never do something so troublesome and
annoying. They much preferred the aesthetic of crushing their opponents from the
front.

Nevertheless, as a hunter of the European branch, she couldn’t just trust Lukas. After
all, for her, who had lost her homeland, the association was her new home.

However, the time had come for her to stop casting her doubt.

Allida immediately walked up to Lukas and bowed her head.

“I’m very sorry for doubting you. Please forgive my rudeness.”

It was a sincere apology, but Allida was still prepared to be criticised to an extent.

After all, it would be natural for Lukas to feel disgruntled. He had saved their lives
without asking for anything in return, but he was still met with their doubt and
suspicion.

But Lukas shook his head calmly.

“Your suspicion was valid.”

“Huh?”

It was a blunt but soft voice.

Allida raised her head, her eyes wide open.

She looked into Lukas’ eyes, which were like a glassy lake without a single ripple.

“Sometimes, we have to assume the worst. There’s no harm in being careful. I

understand your judgement.”

“…ah. Yes. Thank you.”

She had a strange feeling while bowing her head. This was because she never
thought that he would not criticise her, and, instead, agree with her.

‘What is this feeling?’

It was a strange, tickling sensation in her heart that she hadn’t felt for a long time.

But one thing was clear. It wasn’t a bad feeling.

“President.”

Nina opened her eyes when she heard the deep voice.

She was tired. She was so tired that she felt like she was losing her mind.

She’d only slept for a few hours in the past week.

‘Damn insomnia.’

When she grit her teeth, the man in the black suit standing in front of her flinched.

Nina Rednikova was the president of the European branch of the Hunter Association.
This woman, who had silver hair and looked like she was in her mid 20’s despite her
true age, had such a ferocious personality that every hunter in the European branch
was afraid of her.

Not to mention Ludwig, the Vice President of the European branch who was
practically Nina’s secretary.

“It’s urgent.”

In a subdued voice, he recounted his reason for being there.

“We received a signal from Warp Portal 15.”

“Number 15… that’s Milan. It’s been a very long time since that city was occupied.
What could the signal be?”

“As you said, it has been more than a decade since it was conquered by the Demons,
but…”

“It’s probably just a dummy signal. Ignore it as usual.”

After saying her piece, she put her head back on her desk.
And before Ludwig could say anything else, he heard a murmur.

“…tch. Just thinking about it makes me annoyed. Do you really think you need to
report every little thing to me? Can’t you see the dark circles under my eyes? Do you
want them to reach down to my chin?”

Nina’s voice was cracked with fatigue and sleepiness, and its pitch was low.

Anyone who knew her could tell that she was about to explode.

“W-, we received the signal multiple times. And they knew the code that is only
known to Hunters in the association.”

Nina looked up at those words. Her expression became serious.

“…could it be the Demons?”

“I think the probability is 50/50.”

“Hmmm…”

It was certainly possible that the Demons were contacting the headquarters after
prying the information from a hunter.

Nina tapped a pale finger on her desk as she said.

“Wait. Milan… That’s where the Chester Company’s event is being held.”

The gathering of such a large number of nobles in one city might have only been an
event for them, but it was something that the hunters and even the entirety of
mankind had to pay attention to.

The fact that the Chester Company was hosting an event in Milan was something that
most European Hunters were aware of. This was mostly because the Demons didn’t
try to conceal this event.

“Does that have anything to do with it?”

“You heard about it, didn’t you? The Duke hunt in Shanghai, about a month ago,
failed.”
“You mean the large-scale operation led personally by the Human Dragon, Lee Jong-
hak.”

Ludwig nodded.

This was also something that most hunters had heard about.

He spoke in a somber tone.

“At best, 300 of those hunters survived. Lee Jong-hak is still missing. It was
considered a huge loss. Not just for the association but the entire human race.”

“…”

Nina seemed to think of something before suddenly smiling.

“Ludwig, open the portal.”

“Why? No, you mean me? You want me to go and open it myself?”

Nina’s smiling face seemed to become a shade darker, and Ludwig’s head became
covered in cold sweat.

“A-, as you wish.”

Nina was left alone in the room. Her thoughts, which were a mess, finally settled.

Her cheeks became pink, and her eyes began to shine like stars.

“Finally…”

***

“Don’t let down your guards.”

As he said this, Ludwig looked at the portal.

Around the portal were the fully armed hunters whom he’d gathered.

They all had stiff faces, and the atmosphere in the room was tense.
Except for one person.

“I don’t know why you chose to do this in the middle of the night, Ludwig.”

A middle-aged man in military attire lit a cigarette as he said those words.

His voice was harsh, but Ludwig could only smile bitterly.

“Sir Nicholas, please understand. It was the President’s orders.”

Nicholas.

Although he was ranked below Ludwig as the Knight Commander, he was also a
legend among European hunters and he had been a hunter for much longer.

Even if Ludwig was the second-in-command of the European branch, he could not
treat him recklessly nor did he want to.

“Nina? What can we do if it’s that damn woman’s order.”

Despite his fierce words, the harshness in his eyes faded a little. This was because he
and Nina had been working together for decades.

He puffed his cigarette with a sigh.

“There shouldn’t be any possibility of Dukes showing up.”

“Isn’t that better? I think that would be better than a bunch of weaklings showing
up.”

“Why?”

“At least, that way, we can all hold hands and die together. Neatly and painlessly.”

“I’m sorry, but my daughter baked apple pie and is waiting for me to try it. If you
want to die, then you can die alone.”

“Haha.”

Woowoong-
It was at that moment that the ripples in the portal increased.

Nicholas raised a hand.

Churk.

Every hunter raised their weapon.

They had intentionally not brought a firearms squad. To break through the Demons’
defenses, one needed to use a mounted machine gun or anti-tank weapons. And with
the size of the base where the portal was held, it would be impossible for them to use
such weapons.

‘The president said that there was no reason to worry… ’

But how could he not be worried?

Ludwig looked at the portal with a stiff expression.

In the meantime, the whirring sound grew louder and the Warp Portal doubled in
size.

It felt like a large force was pulling them.

Paht!

The portal flashed.

Then, the shadow of a person appeared. It was soon followed by others.

There were many of them. Appearing to be twelve. And they all looked like humans,
but that didn’t mean they could let down their guards.

There were many more Demons who concealed their appearances and hid amongst
the humans than they thought.

But when he saw the face of the red-haired woman who was leading the group,
Ludwig couldn’t help but relax his guard a little.

“Allida.”
“Ludwig, haha…”

When he heard Allida’s soft laugh, Ludwig’s eyes trembled.

“Are you really… Allida?”

“Do I look like a fake? Ah, shit. My nose hurts so much I feel like I’m gonna die.”

“You dumbass! I told you not to go to Italy!”

“Would it hurt for you to just come hug me? Tactless fool.”

While the two of them were enjoying their reunion, the other hunters were looking
at another man with disbelief in their eyes.

“Lee Jong-hak?

“The Human Dragon.”

“There’s the Black Panther too.”

“I think I’ve seen that Asian woman before…”

As the chatter grew louder, the tension in the room dropped considerably.

It was Nicholas who changed the mood. He drew the sword at his waist.

Sssng-

Strangely, the faint sound reached everyone’s ears. The bustling atmosphere
disappeared in an instant, and heavy silence fell in the hall.

“Outsiders, stop there. I will not tolerate any reckless movements. Vice President
Ludwig, you can have your reunion later.”

“But Allida is…”

Nicholas sighed.

Although he was a young man with outstanding talent, he sometimes had the
disadvantage of being too affectionate to the point where he failed to recognise the
proper course of action.

This wasn’t a virtue that one wanted a superior to have.

‘I see why Nina called me.’

He shook his head before commanding in a cold voice.

“Knights, maintain the order and let the guards check their identities. There could be
Demons mixed in amongst them.”

When Nicholas said those words coldly, Allida looked at him with a smile.

“Uncle, it’s me. Allida. Have you already forgotten me? These people aren’t
suspicious. They’re my party. We were all slaves, and after numerous twists and
turns, we finally managed to escape. There aren’t any spies. Listen. What happened
was…”

“Be quiet and let them do their work. I will listen to your explanation later.”

Allida’s expression hardened. She was unable to keep her disappointment from
showing on her face.

Nevertheless, there was no change to Nicholas’ expression.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t trust you right away. Please understand my position and
duties.”

Of course she knew. She knew, but she still couldn’t help the slight sting that she felt.

Allida nodded, and the guards soon approached them.

They thoroughly investigated the identities of the former slaves, including Allida.

Nicholas watched this scene with a sharp gaze.

“The investigation is complete, Sir.”

“The result?”
“There are no problems. All of them are hunters who either went missing or were
confirmed to have been captured by the Demons.”

“Is there any possibility that a Demon is hiding amongst them?”

“I think the possibility is extremely low. They’re all wearing collars.”

Then he added with a slightly uncomfortable expression.

“…except for two.”

“Two?”

“One of them is pretty well-known. The Asian Rookie, White Flower. Have you heard
of her?”

Nicholas nodded. He knew most of the names of the top rising hunters in every
region.

Min Ha-rin was one of the young Korean Hunters. He’d heard that there were great
expectations of her not only in the Asian Branch but in the entire Hunter Association
because she had an amazing track record despite her young age.

“We also confirmed her identity. Her fingerprint matched the one that was in our
database. She’s not a Demon. The problem is the other one.”

“Who?”

“That guy.”

It was the blonde-haired Lukas that the guard pointed to.

“There is no matching information for him. It’s possible that his identity was never
registered. I think we need to do a more detailed investigation, but that will take
time…”

“Stop, you did a great job. I’ll handle that guy, so you guys just stand back.”

“Yes, sir.”
Nicholas walked up to the man who had been pointed out to him.

“Excuse me. What’s your name?”

“Lukas.”

“Lukas… I don’t think you are a hunter.”

“Right.”

His casual nod felt incredibly suspicious. This was because he didn’t show any
apprehension despite being looked at straight in the eyes.

He also couldn’t guess his thoughts because his attitude was calm and his face was
expressionless. Nevertheless, he felt a faint pressure just by standing in front of this
man.

Any person who could subconsciously release this sort of pressure could not have
been an ordinary person.

As he raised his guard, Nicholas said.

“I think we will need to do a separate background check for you. So please

cooperate.”

“Call Nina.”

“What?”

Nicholas’ eyebrows furrowed.

“You say it like you two are close. You do know that the name you just called is our
President, don’t you?”

“Of course I do. So I’ll say it again. I’ll talk to Nina. So let me see her.”
“…”

Since he said those words confidently, Nicholas couldn’t tell if this man was serious
or just bluffing.

He suddenly had the strong urge to smoke a cigarette, but he held himself back and
turned to Lee Jong-hak.

“Human Dragon, who is this guy?”

“He is…”

Lee Jong-hak pursed his lips slightly.

“…Lukas.”

Nicholas’ crumpled expression told him that his answer wasn’t the one he was
looking for.

“Are you joking?”

“Of course not, Sir Nicholas. Lukas is our benefactor. He saved all of our lives.”

“A civilian saved the lives of a group of hunters?”

How?

By stealing a key?

Did he use his wits?

No. The instantaneous judgement of a civilian could never compare to that of a

hunter.

Nicholas looked at Lee Jong-hak with suspicion, but his serious expression didn’t
change.

“Call President Rednikova. Please.”

“…”
This was a request made by Lee Jong-hak, one of the Three Dragons of the Asia
branch, while bowing his head. The weight of his words was different from those of
the man named Lukas or whatever.

Nicholas, who was struggling within, eventually clicked his tongue.

“…your bodies stink. We can’t let you meet the President like that. And we should
remove the collars as soon as possible.”

“Thank you for your consideration. We will not forget this kindness.”

“That’s enough of the awkward show. First, we’ll remove the collars. Then, we’ll let
you wash up in the bathroom. When you’re done, wait for me in the reception room,
I’ll take you to Nina.”

After saying this, Nicholas turned and muttered to a hunter standing behind him.

“Watch that guy named Lukas. If you think he’s up to anything funny, take him down
immediately.”

“Yes, sir.”

***

The bathroom was equipped with a bath.

While washing in it, it felt like the past few months of humiliation and fatigue were
being swept away together with the dirt.

The muscles around Min Ha-rin’s mouth began to relax without her noticing. This
was probably the most human she’d felt in the past few months.

This didn’t mean they weren’t allowed to wash up when they had been treated like
slaves. However, it was completely different from a bath like this.

They didn’t wash themselves; they were washed.

When they got out of the bathroom, food had been prepared for them. It wasn’t
anything amazing. Just cereal and high-calorie foods that were used by soldiers.
But even that much was touching for Min Ha-rin and the other hunters.

After their simple meal, they were escorted to the reception room.

It was only when her body sank into the soft sofa that Min Ha-rin realised that she’d
truly escaped slavery. She was hit by a sudden wave of fatigue and couldn’t help but
feel a bit sleepy.

She shook her head and pinched her thigh.

On the other hand, Drisa yawned without a care as he said.

“But why were we the only ones who were called here?”

Only Lee Jong-hak, Min Ha-rin, Allida, Drisa, and Lukas were in the room.

Allida shrugged.

“All four of us are titled. And Mr. Lukas is the president’s acquaintance.”

“Self-proclaimed.”

Drisa muttered under his breath before scratching his head.

“I’m thirsty.”

“Still? We already had so much.”

“I’ll just get something to drink.”

Drisa glanced at the table in the corner of the room. There were quite a few teabags
there. He didn’t like green or black tea, so he checked again. Finally, he found a coffee
mix that he’d tried before.

There was also a kettle on the table, and when he opened the lid, he found that it was
filled with water.

“What luck!”

Drisa boiled the water with a delighted expression.

He put the coffee mix into a paper cup, and when he added the boiled water, the
sweet and deep scent of coffee filled the room.

This brought the interest of someone whom Drisa would have never expected to
show interest in anything.

“What is that?”

“Can’t you tell? It’s coffee.”

Lee Jong-hak shot a stern look at Drisa, who was talking informally again. But
fortunately, Lukas didn’t seem to care. He tilted his head.

“That’s different from the coffee I know. This is my first time seeing it. Its scent is
unique.”

“Ahh… this is a coffee mix. It’s sweeter than regular coffee and more refreshing.”

“…”

He said this with a mixed tone, but it didn’t seem to work on Lukas. He was just
staring at the cup of coffee.

“It’s not that interesting.”

Where the hell did he come from that he didn’t even know about coffee mix?

Just as Drisa was about to take a sip of coffee while feeling suspicious…

Paak!

He felt a strong blow to the back of his head, causing him to almost pour the
steaming cup of coffee onto his face.

Blood vessels popped out on Drisa’s forehead.

“Which motherfu-”

The moment he turned around and saw who hit him, the words he was about to say
got stuck in his throat.
A young-looking woman with silver hair smiled at him and said.

“Why don’t you speak more politely when you’re in someone else’s house, n*****?
You don’t want to get any darker, do you.” (TL: wtf… what the actual f…)

“…”

It was a racial insult that would have made him go wild if it had been said by anyone
else, but Drisa could only avert his eyes slightly in shock and slightly in fear.

This was because he recognised this woman immediately.

She was Nina Rednikova, President of the European Branch.

She had a filthy mouth, and her personality was at least three times worse than that.

Drisa wasn’t the type of person who would back down from others, but if the rumors
were true, touching this woman was tantamount to suicide.

Fortunately, Nina didn’t seem to be interested in Drisa any longer.

She walked towards Lukas. Then her lips parted and she spoke with a slightly
cautious tone.

“The people here…”

“They are qualified.”

Nina’s expression brightened at Lukas’ words.

“I don’t have to hide it, then… Ahem.”

Nina cleared her throat and adjusted her expression before bowing in a polite
manner.

“Nina Rednikova greets Master. Have you been strong since we last met?”
“…Master?”

Drisa muttered with a blank voice while Lee Jong-hak and Min Ha-rin had strange
expressions on their faces.

The one who was the most surprised was Allida.

She couldn’t help but wonder if she was seeing an illusion or if Nina had been hit in
the head or something.

“You mentioned it when we separated the last time. That we would only meet again
if there was an emergency. Master, is it that time?”

“No. The situation has gotten worse.”

Nina let out a bitter laugh at those words.

“I can’t imagine a situation worse than the current one. In any case, I understand.”

She understood what Lukas wanted from her. In other words, she understood her
role.

Min Ha-rin and the rest were still staring at Nina with disbelieving expressions.

Nina Rednikova, President of the European Branch of the Hunter Association.

It wasn’t just Allida, the European hunter, who knew about her violent personality.
Min Ha-rin and the others also knew about it.

‘It was Nina, who was considered second among all the Presidents, whom one had to
be the most careful around.’

Lee Jong-hak had met Nina numerous times during meetings. At least as far as he
knew, Nina Rednikova wasn’t even this polite to the Head of the Association.
Drisa scratched his head.

“President Nina. Who the hell is this man… no, this gentleman? Is he the Deputy
Head? One who has never been revealed to the public?”

Any hunter knew of the position of Deputy Head of the Association.

It was the position directly beneath the Head of the Association, but the position had
always been vacant. To be precise, most people believed that the position only
existed in name.

Rumour had it that the Head of the Association was the only one who knew who the
Deputy Head was and what kind of role they played in the association.

If Lukas was the mysterious Deputy Head, then Nina’s attitude could have been
explained. After all, there were very few people to whom the President of the
European Branch had to be polite.

But Nina shook her head.

“No.”

“Then…?”

“Before I answer that, I want to ask you one thing. Why do you think humans haven’t
gone extinct?”

“…”

It was a sudden and extremely sensitive question. At least, that’s how any human
should have felt when asked this question.

Min Ha-rin’s expression hardened and Drisa clicked his tongue.

“You want us to answer that now?”

“Right.”

When Nina responded in a firm tone, Drisa flinched slightly.

The fastest to grasp the situation was Allida. She sighed so softly that most of them
didn’t even hear it before she answered the question.

“…It’s thanks to the treasures discovered all over the world following the Demons’
appearance.”

Treasures.

They suddenly began to appear in the world one day, providing humanity with a
foothold to keep them from tumbling over the edge of the cliff.

They called them treasures, but there were so many kinds that they couldn’t have
really been described as such.

From books on magic, swordsmanship, and martial arts to weapons, armor, and
accessories had special properties and were made of materials that couldn’t have
been found on earth.

The humans thoroughly analysed the treasures that they found and made them their
own, which allowed them to obtain just enough power to resist the Demons.

Nina nodded before saying.

“What else?”

“It’s thanks to the potential of the humans that erupted when we became united.”

It was Lee Jong-hak who answered this time.

Of course, they didn’t join hands in the beginning. It took more than a decade after
the Demons first appeared for humanity to unite. After they had suffered great
damage.

But the resistance and potential that humanity had shown since then could only have
been described as amazing.

Knowing that, Lee Jong-hak’s voice was filled with subtle pride.

The final answer came from Drisa, which came after he thought for a long time.
“Isn’t it because of humanity’s quick and accurate response?”

When the Demons appeared, Europe and Africa quickly became lands of death, and
most of the great powers there could not have maintained their functions as
sovereign states after the devastating blows.

North America, which was now called the safest continent on Earth, was no
exception to the devastation, but they were able to earn that title because of their
relatively fast defeat of the Demons.

Many countries lost their power, and the state of Anarchy lasted for nearly a decade.

Just before civilisation collapsed, the Hunter Association was founded, and it rallied
humans together to restore stability to mankind.

In fact, for the first time in human history, a world government was established.

“You all are not wrong. But there are other large and small reasons besides those.”

“Why did you ask something like that?”

“To tell you the truth.”

Nina’s voice became serious.

“One of the decisive reasons why humanity didn’t collapse was because my Master
was helping us behind the scenes.”

“…”

It was natural that those words caused a cold silence to descend upon the room.

“What did you just…”

“By Master… are you talking about Mr. Lukas?”

Nina nodded and continued.

“Of course, it won’t be easy to accept. I understand that. But everything I’ve said is
true.”
“…”

Nina looked at the people in the room.

It was possible that if someone else had said those words to them, they might have
already left.

With that in mind, she understood why Lukas wanted her to be the one to explain.

“…how exactly did he help us?”

“He was the one who scattered the treasures across the world, taught us how to
interpret them, and advised us on how to utilise them. He was a great help in the
founding and maintenance of the Hunter Association. He taught us how to hunt
Demons, and those whom he taught personally are all key figures who are now
supporting humanity. That’s the best I can summarise the essential points.”

“…”

Maybe it was just her, but it felt like the mood in the room had grown even more
somber.

The four of them looked at Nina as if she was crazy.

Holding back her words of denial, Min Ha-rin asked a question instead.

“Are you saying he did all of that on his own?”

“Right.”

“How… Who the hell is this person?”

“The Saviour.”

Drisa snorted loudly.

“How interesting. Are you saying he’s the second coming of Jesus?”

“Huht.”
Nina chuckled, but Drisa didn’t mean that as a joke.

What would be so strange about Jesus resurrecting when Demons had already
descended upon the Earth?

Nevertheless, there would be no problem other than the exponential growth in the
influence of Christianity, which already had a strong stake in the association.

“Of course not. Master is…”

“God.”

Lukas looked at the one who said that.

It was Lee Jong-hak. He was expressionless, but it was apparent to those in the room
that he was angry.

“Or something similar.”

Nina paused.

Strangely, it wasn’t easy for her to deny those words.

Lee Jong-hak continued in a low voice.

“I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“Not you, President. I’d like to ask him directly.”

Lukas looked Lee Jong-hak in the eyes. His expression was very serious.

Lukas nodded.

“Go ahead.”

“Where were you, and what were you doing right after the Demons appeared?”

“In another place, saving others.”

“…then when did you come to ‘this place’?”

“About 30 years ago.”

Lee Jong-hak fell silent for a moment.

“According to Min Ha-rin, you have the power to kill a Demon Duke easily. So why
have you been silent for the past 30 years? If you had been more active, you would
have been able to kill dozens if not hundreds of Demon Nobles.”

How many lives could have been saved if he had done that?

It was Nina who answered.

“It’s not that simple. My teacher can only save a limited number of humans.”

“Limited? So you mean he saves humans selectively?”

“That…”

Nina was speechless for a moment.

“Earlier, you said we were qualified. Is that why you saved us? Because we were
qualified?”

“Right.”

“…”

Lee Jong-hak’s expression became harder.

“My mother died when I was 7 years old.”

“…”

“Many people consider Europe and Africa to be the lands of death; China was also in
a bad situation. At least, it was the worst among the East Asian countries. The
tragedy that took place in my hometown, Guizhou Province, was especially terrible…
A huge horde of Demons who covered the sky in black appeared suddenly. In the face
of this disaster, my mother’s judgement was quick and wise. She found a place for me
to hide behind a bookshelf.”

Lee Jong-hak closed his eyes, and it seemed that he was recalling that day.

Stay right there. Be quiet. No matter what happens, don’t say anything.

His mother had said this with a trembling voice while tears rolled down her cheeks.

How could he not have been scared at the time?

“She probably knew that after I was put in there, she wouldn’t be able to fit.”

When Lee Jong-hak opened his eyes again, there was a fire of hatred flickering in
them.

“After a while, a Demon smashed the door and stormed in. My mother ambushed it
with a kitchen knife, but it wasn’t enough. She was overwhelmed in an instant, and
what happened next was hell to watch.”

At that point, Min Ha-rin didn’t want to hear anymore. This was an instinctive
rejection.

Even before hearing it, she already knew how the story would end.

Nevertheless, she couldn’t cover her ears and her eyes remained locked to Lee Jong-
hak’s lips.

“What was even more terrible was the fact that it didn’t kill her before it started
eating her. It tore off my mother’s arm with its sharp teeth, ripped the flesh from her
thighs, and ate it ravenously. Her screams were the most horrible screams I’d ever
heard in my life. I wanted to rip my ears off. But… the most frightening moment was
when I couldn’t hear the screams anymore.”

Lee Jong-hak would never forget the last sound he heard. The sound of the demon
chewing on his mother’s skull.

“I couldn’t move. And my tongue had been frozen by fear. I even forgot how to blink,
which meant I saw every single thing that happened.”

Lee Jong-hak looked up.

He looked directly at Lukas.

“If you are the saviour, then why didn’t you save my mother? Because she didn’t meet
the qualifications you just mentioned?”

The ‘mother’ whom Lee Jong-hak was talking about wasn’t just his own.

Lukas knew that too. His words weren’t just whining. Instead, he was blaming him
for his arrogance.

Instead, he was asking about the countless people who died because they weren’t
chosen by him.

“I know, yeah. Everyone knows. It’s impossible for you to save everyone. Even God
couldn’t have done that. That’s a given. What I’m saying might only be because of my
perspective. However…”

Lee Jong-hak’s voice became filled with anger.

“Can you imagine how the fact that you wandered the world for decades saving only
those you selected… looks to me?”

“…”

“This is what I’m really curious about. What if you saw a suffering human who didn’t
meet your requirements? Would you just walk past them and pretend you didn’t see
anything? Are you standing on the sidelines while countless humans, whom you can
save, die? Just because they aren’t qualified enough?”

“Stop.”

Nina spoke in a low voice, but Lee Jong-hak didn’t shrink back at all.

He continued in a cynical tone.

“I really wonder how I can feel grateful after learning that you only saved me
because I suited your taste… I can’t accept that. I believe that you are a great being
and that everything Nina said is probably true. You supported humanity from behind
the scenes, gave us the tools we needed to defend ourselves, and taught us.
However…”
Lee Jong-hak’s breath came out sharply.

“We haven’t been able to survive this long because of your help. We lost our families,
our countries. Our population is not less than half of what it used. But even though
there are countless monsters stronger than us out there, we haven’t given up…
That’s purely our own power. It’s not because we had the help of some unknown
saviour.”

Nina couldn’t have been angrier. But the only reason she hadn’t done something was
because Lukas had blocked her voice.

So all she could have done was grit her teeth and glared at Lee Jong-hak.

Lee Jong-hak rose from his seat. Then he walked past Lukas and said.

“…I will find a time to repay your favour of saving my life.”

After saying that, he left the room without hesitation.

Then Drisa and Allida slowly rose up from their seats.

“Um… well. I think I need some time to think about all of this. It’s not something that
I can easily accept at this moment.”

“I’m sorry, President. Please give me some time.”

When the three of them left, the only ones left in the room were Nina, Min Ha-rin,
and Lukas.

Min Ha-rin looked at Lukas’ face.

She’d thought that his expression would have changed this time. Because he had
been criticised by someone whose life he’d saved. Even if he was an emotionless
person, he still would have had some kind of reaction.

But it didn’t happen.

Lukas’ face was still as expressionless as before. As if he noticed her gaze, Lukas
turned to look at her.

“Do you have something to say?”

“…and if I do?”

“I’ll listen to whatever you have to say.”

He paused for a moment before adding.

“Because there’s nothing wrong with what Lee Jong-hak said.”

“…”

Lukas’ voice was calm.

His voice didn’t shake even a bit, and his eyes remained clear like a tranquil lake.

“…you agree with him?”

“I do.”

How was that possible?

Of course, Lee Jong-hak’s words weren’t wrong

His doubts were natural, and from a certain perspective, his criticisms were valid.

Nevertheless, Min Ha-rin still had a few questions.

‘However… ’

Despite her doubts and suspicions, it could not have been denied that Lukas had
saved them.

He’d also been helping humanity for decades.

So she still wasn’t sure. She couldn’t understand Lukas’ intentions either.

However, she felt that there was a reason why this man refused to defend himself.
And she realised why she was the only one who had this thought.

Only Min Ha-rin had heard what the mysterious black being, who had appeared after
Duke Sandro died, had said.

‘It seems your patience over the past few decades has run out.’

Patience. What had he been patient with?

She didn’t know. And she could not read anything from Lukas’ expression.

He looked like someone without emotions.

Or.

Someone who knew that this would happen.

Min Ha-rin suddenly felt that his expressionless face seemed lonely.

“At this moment, tens of millions of people are struggling in pain. But I can’t save
them all.”

“Even if you can’t save all of them, can’t you save as many as possible?”
Min Ha-rin knew how strong Lukas was. Because she’d seen how he killed Duke
Sandro.

It wasn’t even a fight.

Sandro didn’t understand or accept his death even at the moment he died.

She couldn’t help but feel the Demons’ power would have been greatly reduced if he
was willing to use his power more actively.

“I can only save a handful of people.”

“…even if you have that much power?”

“Even if I have this much power.”

This was said in a much firmer voice than she expected.

Min Ha-rin fell silent because she couldn’t understand.

Lee Jong-hak had already shown that they wouldn’t be able to understand the
answer even if they asked the question.

Likewise, they wouldn’t be able to understand his true identity.

Lukas looked at her face and continued.

“I agree with Lee Jong-hak’s words. It’s an exaggeration to say that humanity only
made it this far because of my help.”

Nina’s lips parted slightly when she heard those words. Although she did not agree
with Lukas disparaging his own achievements, denying his words would be the same
as denying her Master.

“It’s also arrogant of me to decide whom to save based on my own personal

standards. There are people who are better and people who are not, but all life is
precious.”

This was something that everyone knew.

These words, which were so familiar and easy to overlook, were the closest to the
truth of the universe.

But Lukas still thought that he was ridiculous. Despite knowing the truth of these
words better than most people, he had personally ended countless lives, and he
would continue to do so.

Was it because he knew the law of the cycle of reincarnation?

Because he knew that death wasn’t the end?

Because he was aware of the existence of an afterlife?

How ridiculous.

Did knowing that lessen the weight of life?

No. Because every being still had one life. It was disgusting to comfort himself and
justify his slaughter with such an excuse.

But Lukas thought.

Knowing it and practicing it were two different things.

He knew that all life was precious. Nevertheless, because of his personality, there
were clear limitations. His judgements were bound to always be subjective.

Even Lukas could not look at everything objectively.

Min Ha-rin was proof of this.

To an extent, Lukas… had saved her on a whim.

“You said that we were qualified. Can I ask what that means?”

“The power of transformation.”

The answer came from Nina. It seemed that she had managed to suppress her
agitation.
Min Ha-rin tilted her head to the side.

“…the power of transformation?”

“Some people have other childish names for it, but I like this one the most.”

She then shrugged and explained.

“To put it simply, it means those who will have a profound influence on the course of
history. There are many cases in which a single individual managed to change history
more than anyone could have expected. Those who possess hundreds or even
thousands of times more of that potential are called ‘transformers’” (TL:… I had to…
it’s literally ‘transformation people’)

“Then Mr. Lukas…”

“Right. He looks for those transformers.”

To be precise, he only looked for transformers. But Nina closed her mouth without
mentioning that fact.

She didn’t know why, but Lee Jong-hak’s angry voice came to her mind at that
moment.

“…Master… probably wanted to save Lee Jong-hak.”

Lee Jong-hak.

He certainly appeared to be the main character in a heroic tale. Min Ha-rin couldn’t
fully understand the concept of the power of transformation and transformers, but
she could at least see that he was an indispensable hero of mankind.

“He ended up saving everyone else, but…”

In truth, even Nina wasn’t entirely sure about this situation. This was the first time
Lukas had saved so many people at once.

At least as far as she knew.

She shot a questioning gaze to Lukas, but he didn’t answer her unspoken question.
Then Min Ha-rin spoke again.

“Then he must have saved a lot of people… who were transformers. Since he’s been
around for 30 years.”

“Not that many. Probably fewer than ten.”

“Huh? That’s all…?”

“Maybe.”

Nina shook her head.

“I don’t know just how many people Master has saved. And… just because he saved
them doesn’t mean they think he’s their benefactor.”

Min Ha-rin could easily understand Nina’s words.

After all, she’d just witnessed such a case for herself.

“One thing is certain: Regardless of what they think about Master, everyone he saves
is a key to sustaining humanity.”

This was something that could have been understood just by looking at Nina and Lee
Jong-hak. After all, how many hunters were stronger or had more influence than
them?

Nina held the position as the President of the European Branch of the Hunter
Association. In other words, every hunter in Europe was her subordinate.

Although Europe was considered one of the weaker branches of the Hunter
Association, it still had a large number of top hunters.

It was the same for Lee Jong-hak. He was a hero who was known throughout Asia. He
was one of the Three Dragons who protected Asia, and it would’ve been hard to find
a hunter who didn’t know his name.

‘If there were even just a few more people in similar positions to President Nina… ’

And if they were to give their absolute trust and loyalty to Lukas, the influence that
this blonde-haired man could exert on the association would have been much
greater than anyone could expect.

“Master, there is one thing I’d like to ask you.”

Lukas turned to Nina and said.

“You want to know why I’m letting you explain all of this to Min Ha-rin?”

“…that’s right.”

Her thoughts had been seen through before she could even bring them up, but Nina
wasn’t surprised. This was because this was something that anyone who talked to
Lukas would encounter.

But Nina’s composure was broken by Lukas’ next words.

“I plan to take her as my disciple.”

“…”

Come to think of it, he had said that he would teach her magic. Min Ha-rin blankly
recalled that conversation.

She was so distracted by everything happening that she’d forgotten about it.

‘But did I say I would learn it?’

“Of course, that depends on if she’s willing.”

Crack.

Min Ha-rin felt like she heard something crack.

She didn’t hear incorrectly.

Nina’s fists were clenched tightly, and her face was cold. It suddenly felt like the
room was filled with cold air.

Min Ha-rin subconsciously swallowed her saliva.

She didn’t know why, but she suddenly felt anxious. It felt like she had taken
something she shouldn’t have touched.

“Disciple?”

Nina spoke with a disjointed voice. Then she turned to look at Min Ha-rin.

The moment she saw the emotions brewing in her eyes, Min Ha-rin flinched.

“But…”

Envy, jealousy, and hatred seemed to form a dense web in her eyes.

Nina bit her lip before speaking in a strained voice.

“I would be…”

Nina, who had started trembling slightly, closed her eyes.

“…”

Then, after taking several slow, deep breaths, she opened her eyes and returned to
her usual self.

“…I see.”

Nevertheless, she was unable to completely hide the slight tremors in her voice.

Nina spoke in a soft voice.

“I envy this child.”

“Nina, those who aren’t wandering—.”

“…don’t need directions. I remember Master’s teachings clearly.”

Nina sighed deeply.

“I’m sorry for pursuing this. And I understand, but…”

Min Ha-rin belatedly realised that Nina was upset.

She was complaining to Lukas.

“…Min Ha-rin’s not exactly young.”

Min Ha-rin’s expression hardened slightly as she heard the familiar words,

“I heard that she uses a sword. It would take a lot of painful effort for her to learn
magic.”

Ah. Was that what they meant?

Then Lukas’ words last time weren’t because she looked older than her actual age.

Min Ha-rin briefly forgot her situation and nodded to herself.

“The important thing is her attitude. As you said, it would have been painful, but it
wouldn’t matter if she believed that she could overcome it… Though, it might be too
late to ask.”

Lukas turned to look at Min Ha-rin.

“Do you have any plans of becoming my disciple and learning magic from me?”

Magic.

In the past, she’d yearned to learn it. To be precise, she’d always had a faint
admiration for Wizards.

But after learning that she didn’t have the talent for it, that yearning disappeared.

What about now?

“You have great talent for swordsmanship.”

“Huh?”

“If you continue walking on the path you’re on, you will be able to surpass Lee Jong-
hak in 5 years.”
“…”

What did he mean by ‘surpass Lee Jong-hak’?

She didn’t understand.

While she was only a rookie at best, Lee Jong-hak was viewed as the Dragon of Hope
throughout East Asia and had defeated dozens of Demon Nobles.

Min Ha-rin had heard countless rumors about him. And she had been greatly
impressed by his upright personality in the short time that she’d spent with him.

How could she surpass a man like that in 5 years?

Min Ha-rin looked at Lukas in confusion as he continued.

“But if you accept my teaching, you can surpass him in 1 year. With magic.”

“…”

This time, it felt like cold water had been poured on her head.

That was because those were too unrealistic.

‘In 1 year?’

It was impossible. She was absolutely certain that such a thing was impossible.

Min Ha-rin knew absolutely nothing about magic, and she could barely feel the mana
that filled the atmosphere.

In other words…

“…I have no talent for magic.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because I can’t feel mana.”

Lukas looked at her.

“It’s not that you don’t have any talent. It’s just that your mana sensitivity is low. I
can help you with that. The most important thing is your attitude.”

Min Ha-rin’s expression changed when she heard the word attitude.

When it came to willpower and perseverance, she didn’t think she would lose to
anyone.
Min Ha-rin wanted to become strong.

“The weak have no choice.”

She muttered in a soft voice.

“I realised this when I was caught by the Demons. I didn’t even have the right to kill
myself. I resented that I had been born in this age. And I wished I had lived decades
ago.”

She’d seen it in a drama that she’d watched on a half broken electronic device.

It was probably just a B-grade drama that didn’t become a big hit when it was aired.
It was a simple story about a protagonist, who was an ordinary college student,
having troubles with studying, finding a job, dealing with friends, and worrying
about men and women.

It was such a warm and carefree life that it always made her laugh.

There was no threat of war.

There was no need to worry about killing or dying.

When Min Ha-rin hated the fact that she was one step too late to save a teammate,
they resented the fact that they’d missed the bus by a hair’s breadth.

When Min Ha-rin had to stand guard against the Demons and Demon Beasts, they
stayed up all night worrying about the person they liked.

When Min Ha-rin jumped up and drew her sword just from the sound of a rat
rustling nearby, they covered their heads with their blankets to block out the sound
of the alarm ringing in their ears.

She envied them like crazy.

But what could she do about her envy? Could she travel back in time?

It was impossible.

At least as long as the Demons were still on Earth.

That was why Min Ha-rin wanted to become strong. She wanted to get rid of all of
the Demons and return to a life like she’d seen in the drama.

Even if it was impossible for her, she wanted her siblings to have such a life.

“You want to be strong?”

“Yes.”

“How strong?”

“I don’t want anyone to be able to force me to do anything.”

Lukas’ expression became a bit strange.

“That would only be possible if you were stronger than everyone else. You know that,
don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“You will have to walk a very thorny path.”

“I can overcome it. At least I won’t give up. Ever.”

Min Ha-rin’s voice was firm.

Her courageous expression filled Lukas’ heart with happiness.

“From today, you are my disciple, Min Ha-rin.”

“Ah… Th-, thank you.”

She couldn’t think of anything else to say, so she just bowed her head.
Then she became slightly embarrassed as she thought of something and said.

“…do I have to kneel before you?”

“No.”

“…I see.”

Silence fell for a moment.

Min Ha-rin hesitated for a moment.

“I… Master. Can you call me Ha-rin?”

“Why?”

“I think saying my full name is too formal.”

“Sure.”

“…thank you.”

Min Ha-rin’s cheeks became slightly flushed, probably because of her

embarrassment.

Nina couldn’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable at the sight.

“Ahem.”

Therefore, she loudly cleared her throat and changed the subject on purpose.

“Then you are his first disciple.”

Lukas couldn’t help but feel a bit strange at those words.

She wouldn’t be his first disciple.

“Aren’t you also Master’s disciple?”

Nina shook her head when Min Ha-rin asked this question in confusion.
“I’m not.”

“Huh? But you keep calling him Master…”

“That’s because Master taught me a lot of things. Anyways, he is my Master, but I’m
not his disciple.”

It was a strange statement. When Min Ha-rin closed her mouth because she wasn’t
able to easily understand what she said, Nina chuckled.

“My Master has a strange stubbornness. So you should understand how much of an
honour this is and not do anything to embarrass him.”

“Yeah.”

“…then. Does that mean there are four left? You said you’d accept a total of five
disciples.”

When Lukas nodded, Min Ha-rin couldn’t help but ask another question.

“Why do you need five?”

“In my experience, that is the most appropriate number to transform a world.”

It was Lukas who answered this time.

Of course, there were still many things for him to do besides looking for disciples.

He might not have been able to move openly, but he could at least be more active
than he was now.

“Nina, I’m thinking about creating an organisation. One that doesn’t obey the orders
of the Association, one that will sometimes act on its own judgement. It will probably
be the busiest organisation in the world.”

“An organisation would be good. Have you thought of a name?’

Lukas nodded.

He’d decided upon a name a very long time ago. Or maybe it had appeared in his
head just recently.

His eyes fell on Min Ha-rin as he spoke.

“Argento Spell.”

***

“What do you plan to do from now on?”

“I plan to stay here for the time being.”

“Stay here…”

Nina’s expression brightened up considerably.

Min Ha-rin didn’t say it, but she felt that the way she was acting would give anyone
chills.

Where did the scumbag Nina Rednikova disappear to?

Min Ha-rin shook her head inwardly, but it wasn’t strange that Nina was so happy.
That was because it could be considered rare for Lukas to stay in one place for a
month.

Regardless of the reason, being able to see her beloved teacher as much as she
wanted for the foreseeable future greatly boosted Nina’s motivation.

“Then, I will serve you with all my heart.”

“Don’t mind me. Just focus on your own work.”

“But…”

“Duke Sandro died. The loss of a Duke, not some other noble, will surely cause the
Demons’ movements to change. And these changes will take place in Europe, where
the Chester Company is located. It’s very important that you pay attention to the air
currents.”

“…understood.”
Nina had no choice but to nod her head with a sad expression.

“I’ll inform Ludwig. That way, you won’t have any restrictions when entering or
leaving the headquarters nor when accessing the various facilities.”

“Thanks.”

“…”

“Do you have something else to say?”

“…it’s a bit different.”

Nina was slightly tense as she continued.

“There’s a child I want you to see.”

“A child you want me to see?”

“Yes. Please forgive my rudeness, but… Could you take a look at that child and accept
them as your disciple if you like them?” (TL: wasn’t clear on ‘the child’s’ gender)

Lukas fell silent for a moment before speaking.

“Is that child in the European Headquarters right now?”

“No, they went on a mission. If everything goes according to plan, they should be
back in about two weeks.”

Her worries didn’t last very long.

Against her expectations, Lukas nodded.

“Tell me when they return.”

“Th-, thank you.”

Lukas patted Nina, who had a bright expression on her face, on the shoulder.

***
The 11th Training Room was a dedicated training space for Wizards. There was no
training equipment there, and the space was smaller when compared to the other
training rooms.

But the strange thing about this room was the atmosphere. All of the walls in the
room were brown, and the lighting was dim. There was also the subtle smell of
charcoal, and when one smelled it, one’s mind was soothed.

Lukas was already there by the time Min Ha-rin arrived.

She hurriedly bowed her head.

“I apologise for being late.”

“You came ten minutes early; you’re not late.”

When Lukas responded nonchalantly, Min Ha-rin glanced at his expression.

“…but wasn’t I still later than Master?”

“I stayed here yesterday.”

“Ah…”

Min Ha-rin believed him. But she didn’t understand what he meant by ‘stayed’.

Did he sleep there?

She couldn’t see any furniture in the room. It was an empty space that didn’t even
have a sofa or a chair, let alone bedding.

The only thing that stood out was the basin beside Lukas, which had a dry towel and
a bottle of water.

‘No, he said he stayed.’

He didn’t sleep. He just stayed.

Maybe he didn’t need sleep.

“Breakfast?”

“I haven’t eaten.”

“Good. Come here and sit with your back to me.”

Min Ha-rin did as Lukas instructed.

“Close your eyes and try to relax.”

Soon, she felt something touch her back.

It was probably Lukas’ palm.

‘It’s cold.’

That didn’t mean it was uncomfortable. Instead, it was a pleasant coolness that
reminded her of a tree’s shade in the middle of summer.

“Since you said you can’t feel mana, the first thing we will do is awaken your senses.
This… is mana.”

Kung!

“…!”

Her hair seemed to stand on end.

The moderate coolness that she had been thinking about before suddenly became
cold water that penetrated into Min Ha-rin’s body.

She almost jumped up from the ground. But Lukas was gently pressing on her
shoulder with his other hand.

“Be still. This won’t hurt you… It is possible to change the attribute of mana
according to your will. What you are feeling now is water attribute mana. It is the
easiest to feel, the easiest to mold, and the least dangerous. Unless you reject it
excessively.”

“…”
Min Ha-rin didn’t answer. She couldn’t afford to.

At some point, the mana, which had been scrambling wilding around her body, began
to move through her blood vessels. It felt like she could track the movements of her
blood.

In all honesty, it wasn’t a good feeling. She felt some degree of coolness and
refreshment, but it was hard to endure the feeling of something foreign wandering
around her body.

“Think of the Mana Room as an organ that can accumulate mana. It exists in every
human being, and naturally, you are no exception. From now on, you must recognise
the existence of this organ.”

At that moment, the mana, which had been flowing around her body nonstop,
gathered together in a spot just below her belly button.

‘Ah… this… ’

That was where the Danjeon(1) was located.

Min Ha-rin’s expression became stiff.

As a swordsman, her Danjeon was where she stored her ki.

And at this rate, her mana and ki would…

Kung!

“Kuk…!”

As expected.

The two energies collided violently. The collision was so powerful that Min Ha-rin
drooled without realising it.

Lukas spoke in a firm tone.

“I will now convert your Danjeon to a Mana Room.”

“…!”

Convert it?

Then would all of the ki she’d worked hard to accumulate in her Danjeon disappear?

‘I did swear to focus all of my attention on Magical science, but… ’

It was too sudden!

She wouldn’t have been so surprised if he had only told her about it in advance.

Min Ha-rin wanted to say something, but she still couldn’t afford to. She could only
clench her teeth and endure it.

The pain was not as great as she thought it would be, but the pressure was severe.
She felt like if she were to relax for even a moment, her entire body would collapse
under an unknown pressure.

Crack… Crack…

She felt something crack.

It was none other than her Danjeon. Her Danjeon was cracking.

It was being covered by one crack after another.

Crack!

Then, with one final cracking sound, her Danjeon shattered. No, it wasn’t broken. She
couldn’t understand the details, but it felt like the components of her Danjeon were
gradually being changed.

It was like dead skin was being peeled off and new skin was growing.

‘Ah… ’

Her ki began to disappear.

The culmination of over 10 years of sweat and blood, which she had accumulated
step by step from the day she was examined in the association, washed away like the
ebbing tide.

(Note:

1. Danjeon is an imaginary space in the middle of the body around the area of the
belly button and usually refers to an inner space in the middle of the back and
stomach. In other words, you can think of it as the most central part of your body. It
is mentioned frequently in martial arts and is usually the place where ki/qi is
stored.)
Just as Min Ha-rin was filled with an extreme sense of loss, a new energy seemed to
fill the void within her.

Mana.

Woowoong-

Her Danjeon was changed to a Mana Room, and mana began filling it.

‘How is this possible?’

Min Ha-rin’s expression became complicated. She felt like something crazy had just
happened within her body.

It was at that time that Lukas spoke.

“The first step is complete, so you can relax.”

“Puha…”

It was only then when Min Ha-rin let out the breath that she had been holding.

Lukas held out a towel to her.

That was when she realised that her entire body was covered in sweat.

“Because all of your ki has been released, you will feel temporary exhaustion. You
feel like you have no strength in your body, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“There will be no problems, so you don’t need to be afraid.”

“Thank you.”
As he looked at her wiping herself with the dry towel, Lukas said.

“I checked your body. Your blood vessels are very clean. I can see just how seriously
you were with your swordsmanship.”

His words made Min Ha-rin so embarrassed that she ended up rubbing a spot that
she’d already cleaned.

“…you could tell?”

“Right. There is still some residue left, but that won’t be a problem. We’ll take a ten-
minute break before moving on to step two.”

“Step 2…?”

“I will be removing the impurities in your blood vessels, organs, muscles, and
skeleton. It will increase the speed with which you can use your mana.”

She had an ominous feeling when she heard the word impurities, but she didn’t have
the time to think too deeply about it.

After about ten minutes, she sat with her back to Lukas once again.

Lukas placed the basin in front of her before saying.

“This will hurt a bit.”

“Huh?… Hup!”

In that instant, an intense pain seemed to pierce through her spine.

“…!!”

Min Ha-rin clenched her jaws tightly. Nevertheless, she was unable to keep her
groans of pain from leaking out.

An electric current seemed to run through her body, starting with her head. It was
like she was being pricked by thousands of needles.

Tears flowed from her eyes.

But what happened next was the most shocking.

“U-, urk…!”

It felt like something was stuck in her throat. Like a lump was moving up her
oesophagus.

“Blech!”

She couldn’t hold it in, and she ended up vomiting it out.

Then, a foul-smelling black lump fell into the basin in front of her.

Lukas looked down at it and said.

“It smells very bad… so it seems you spat out most of the impurities. It’s also just a
small amount, which means your body was clean just like I expected. This might end
sooner than I thought.”

Min Ha-rin looked at the black mass in the basin with a mixture of horror and
disgust. It was so disgusting that it made her nauseous.

“Th-, this… came from inside of me?”

“Why are you asking that when you spat it out yourself?”

Lukas then looked over at Min Ha-rin before continuing.

“Your front teeth are black. It doesn’t look very good, so you should rinse your
mouth.”

“…!”

Min Ha-rin was startled for a moment before roughly grabbing the plastic water
bottle that Lukas was holding out for her.

Then she quickly rinsed her mouth with the water before looking at Lukas with
resentful eyes.

“…Master, have you ever heard that you are very inconsiderate?”
“I’ve heard it countless times before, but I don’t understand it. Do you think so as
well?”

“…”

How could he say that in such a surprised tone? Did he have no self-awareness at all?

Min Ha-rin was speechless.

Lukas continued with an expression showing that he didn’t understand.

“In the first place, the impurities would have come out of every orifice in your body.
Not just your mouth but your eyes, nose, ears, and pores. I adjusted it so that you
would only need to spit them from your mouth. I even prepared a basin and water
for you in advance. I think that is very considerate.”

That wasn’t the problem.

Min Ha-rin held back the words that she wanted to say.

“…I think so too. Thank you for your consideration, Master.”

While thinking that it would take some time to decipher her new Master’s
personality, she once again put the water bottle to her lips.

***

Red Mafia.

It was the name of a Russian criminal organisation. Civilisation declined, the

population dropped sharply to less than one billion, and the territory through which
humans could move freely fell to less than half, but criminal organisations like this
one didn’t disappear.

Instead, it could be said that this era was one of surging prosperity for them.

For the Red Mafia, the 2000s could be called a nightmare. Due to the aggressive
policies put in place by the party, criminal organisations in Russia were virtually on
the verge of annihilation and the remaining forces who barely managed to save
themselves were forced to flee abroad.
It wouldn’t be enough to say that it was their most miserable moment, but somehow,
they were able to keep their name.

Then, the world had been turned upside down, and it basically reached a state close
to anarchy.

It was then when Russia’s underworld had a splendid resurrection.

The Red Mafia quickly gained power and became a group that was several times
larger and scarier than in its heyday.

Even if they were to openly act as black market traders in a residential area in a
major city in Russia, they wouldn’t have to worry about any inspections.

This couldn’t be helped.

The Hunter Association was practically acting in the capacity of the world
government. Their main enemies were the Demons, not the mafia. And they were
extremely understaffed.

They didn’t have the means to restrain the various activities of the organisation.

That was why the young boss of the organisation, Vaches Bondarenko, was quite
pleased that he could live in this era.

“Are you serious?”

Vaches couldn’t help but ask again.

He was staring at the man in front of him with suspicious eyes.

“Have I ever messed around when making a deal?”

The man in the suit shrugged as he said this.

Vaches laughed.

“…of course not. Ah, by the way, I had a nightmare that I was burnt to death last
night.”
“They say that dreams usually mean the opposite.”

“Kikiki. That’s right.”

Vaches chuckled.

“I’ll accept it. Kidnapping a single man is not a problem.”

“Thanks. The reward will be twice as high as last time.”

Vaches’ eyes widened at those words.

“Twice as last time…? That’s 10 million dollars…”

“What? Is it not enough?”

“No way.”

Vaches shook his head.

It was enough; in fact, it was too much. Asking for more would just be greedy.

“You said it yourself, so I won’t give you a single cent more. Don’t come crying to me
later.”

“Of course.”

The dollar was the only currency in the world that had maintained its original value.

The North American continent across the sea was called Paradise. A place where one
could live a life that was only dreamt about. It was the only place on the planet that
the word peace could still be used to describe.

That was why the dollar had become the common currency of the world or, to be
precise, the only currency.

Of course, because of the situation, the value of money was not the same as it used to
be, but 10 million was still a sizable sum.

When the suited man left, Vaches’ right hand man approached him.
“This is a big deal. Kidnapping one person for 10 million.”

“Don’t let your guard down. There is little information on him, so he might be more
important than we think.”

After saying that, Vaches laughed.

“Of course. If he really was a big shot, there is no way we wouldn’t know about him.”

“Kuku. Where is he now?”

“In the European Branch of the Hunters Association. In other words, right below this
city.”

The fact that the European Branch of the association was beneath the city was an
open secret of which almost all of the city’s residents were aware.

The man frowned at Vaches’ words.

“Is he a hunter?”

“He’s not.”

“Hmm. I’m glad to hear that, but… How did that man know that the target is in the
European branch headquarters?”

Vaches responded nonchalantly to his subordinate’s words.

“That’s nothing. That guy is a European hunter who works in the headquarters.”

“Ah…!”

“In any case, the information is clear, so memorise the target’s face.”

The other members of the organisation who came into the room looked down at the
blurry image on the table. It looked like they had cut a clip from CCTV footage or
taken the image with a hidden camera.

Nevertheless, it wasn’t hard for them to grasp the general characteristic and
approximate features of the man in the image.
“His name is Lukas. We’re going to grab him whenever he comes into the city, so stay
alert.”

One of the subordinates looked at the picture and grinned.

“It would be lucky for us if he came as late as possible.”

“You have to be polite. That’s a $10 million body. If he’s obedient, we can end this
without hurting him.”

Vaches lit a cigarette and grinned.

“As long as he’s obedient.”

Lukas focused on cleansing Min Ha-rin’s body until the next day.

Min Ha-rin had to suffer through tremendous mental torture. What was worse than
throwing up the impurities was the bad smell that remained in her mouth.
Unfortunately, the headquarters didn’t have anything that helped bad breath, so she
could only brush her teeth every time she got a break.

‘If I keep brushing my teeth like this, won’t they wear away?’

While she was contemplating this dilemma, Lukas called out to her.

“Look at me.”

Min Ha-rin turned to look at Lukas.

Then she was amazed. She could see a blue haze rising up from his body.

“Can you see it?”

“Yes… so that’s mana…”

“Right.”

When Lukas nodded, the blue haze disappeared.

“I just intentionally made my mana visible. You won’t be able to see the mana in the
air just yet, but it shouldn’t be a problem for you to sense it with your body. So focus
on gathering mana from today.”

“That means…”

Lukas nodded.

“The preparations are complete.”

“Ah…!”

In other words, she wouldn’t have to vomit out any more disgusting impurities!!

Min Ha-rin almost cheered from the joy rising up within her heart.

“Before that, you must first learn how to move it on your own. Can you feel the
presence of your Mana Room?”

“Yes.”

“Repeat the thought of opening and closing your Mana Room. You can imagine a
faucet as a substitute. Uncontrolled mana will be released through your skin after
running wildly around your body. You don’t need to force yourself to control it at
first. It’s no different from moving ki, so you’ll be able to learn it quickly.”

“Understood.”

“When your mana runs out, sit down and absorb the mana flowing in the
atmosphere. Breathing while feeling like your body is accepting all of the energy in
the air will help. When you have collected a certain amount of mana, release it again.
By repeating this process, the cycle of absorption and release of mana will gain
momentum.”

Lukas looked around the training room.

“The structure of this room allows you to gather mana easily. It would be helpful to
stay here even when you eat and sleep.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Min Ha-rin nodded with a determined expression.

“I will return in a week.”

After saying this, Lukas left the room.

Now that she’d taken her first steps in Magical Science, he wondered just how far
she’d go.
‘This world is filled with mana.’

It was so full that he couldn’t help but find it strange.

Even Lukas was unable to guess the reason.

In general, scientific advancement and conservation of nature are factors that are
incompatible. And the science in this world was very advanced.

Naturally, this meant that nature suffered from a lot of damage, so it would have
been normal if the mana in this world’s atmosphere was sparse.

‘Not this place.’

This world had at least twice the mana density of the world he was born in.

As proof of that, it had only been a few decades since he’d spread the knowledge of
Magical Science to this world and there were already many outstanding Wizards.
Even if Lukas secretly helped them, such a rate of growth was abnormal.

There must have been a reason for this freak phenomenon.

Lukas had tried to find the cause during his time here, but his investigations had not
been successful.

And in a way, the lack of results was the most conclusive evidence.

That was because it meant that there was something in this world that even an
Absolute like Lukas could not have decipher.

***

Lukas went up to the city above.

This wasn’t because he had taken Nina’s advice to look around. Instead, he had
another goal.

However, it would have taken some time to accomplish this goal. Until then, it
would’ve been fine to observe the culture of this world’s humans with his own eyes.
Lukas had traveled the world for decades, but he had never stayed in a human city
for a long time. So naturally, he didn’t know much about their culture or lifestyle.

Nevertheless, he knew that this was a relatively advanced world.

In this world, there was no outward manifestation of power and mystery. But that
didn’t mean they didn’t exist at all. Although the systems were different, there was
still magic, witchcraft, and sorcery. There were also Magic Warriors and Knights who
trained their bodies.

Nevertheless, their activities were never recorded in history. Instead, they were
passed down as legends, myths, or fairy tales.

Instead, the world developed along the path of science, and this hideout was a
byproduct of that.

The European Branch headquarters was located beneath the city. In fact, most of the
hideouts were. Because this was the best way for them to avoid the Demon’s prying
eyes.

There were only two ways to enter or leave the headquarters.

By using the portal or by taking an elevator to the surface.

The method Lukas chose was the latter. He approached the security guard who was
standing in front of the elevator.

“Are you going to the surface?”

Instead of answering, he simply showed the guard the card he’d received from Nina.
It was a free pass card stamped with the President’s seal. It was the highest level
pass, which allowed unlimited access to any facility without restrictions.

That’s why it wasn’t strange that the guard flinched and bowed his head.

‘Is this the man whom Vice President Ludwig mentioned?’

He didn’t seem that special, so he didn’t understand how this man was able to
capture President Nina’s heart.
Of course, this wasn’t something that a simple security guard like him could afford to
care about.

“Pardon me.”

Wiing-

Lukas took the elevator to the surface.

The city was right above the base. In other words, they needed something to
camouflage the entrance to the headquarters.

The elevator led to a shabby clothing store. Even when Lukas opened the back door
and stepped out, the owner of the store, who was sitting at the counter, didn’t react.
He simply yawned with a bored expression as if he couldn’t see him. It would
probably be the same when he returned.

When he left the clothing store, he smelled salt. This meant that a sea was nearby.

This city was called Sochi. It was located in the Krasnodar Region in the
southwestern part of Russia, and it was once a famous resort that was well-known
for its beautiful natural scenery and beaches.

When one thought of Russia, one would have usually thought of extreme cold, but
Sochi was one of the warmest places in Russia.

In other words, it was a tourist attraction. Of course, the streets now were so quiet
that one would never have that thought.

This was inevitable. The world had fallen to ruin, so who would’ve still cared about
tourist attractions? Especially when considering the fact that it was in Europe and
close to the region where the Demons were most active.

Lukas looked around the city for a bit before entering an alley.

It was an incredibly beautiful city, but the back alleys, which did not get much
sunlight, had a rather nasty vibe. This was further pronounced by the fact that they
didn’t bother to clean these streets.

The atmosphere became even gloomier when he exited the shopping district and
entered the residential area. The air in this place even felt a bit cold.

Nevertheless, Lukas continued to walk through these alleys as if he was possessed.

By the time the road started to narrow, a group of people appeared in front of him.

These men all wore thin clothes as though they were trying to show off their
muscles. They were also chuckling sinisterly to themselves, and one of them was
spinning a military knife like a pen.

They smelled like cigarettes and drugs.

It was impossible for him to continue walking because they were blocking him. To be
precise, it felt like they wouldn’t let him pass easily.

When Lukas turned around, seemingly intent to go back the way he came, he found
that more men were standing there.

A man in front of him smiled so brightly like his eyes squeezed shut. His yellow teeth
were revealed in the dark alley.

“Let’s talk for a moment.”

“Talk?”

“Ah. Of course… If you don’t want the talk to become screams, we’ll need you to
cooperate.”

A man with a bald head grinned and pulled out a gun. In this narrow alley, there was
not much distance between them.

Even a powerful hunter would not have been able to dodge a bullet.

Click-

Lukas felt movement behind him. The men who were blocking his way back had
moved closer.

He raised his hands and said.

“Okay.”

This attitude unnerved the man a bit. He had heard that Lukas was not a hunter, but
since this man could enter the European Headquarters, he’d thought that he had at
least trained to an extent.

However, when he saw him in person, his skinny, weak-looking body didn’t seem to
have even the slightest signs of training. There was the possibility that he was a
Wizard, but now that they had closed the distance so much, that wouldn’t matter. He
could rush forward and cut off his tongue before he could even chant a spell.

But he didn’t relax.

This person was an acquaintance of the scumbag Nina. It was natural that he would
have some hidden secrets.

But when he just obeyed without any signs of resisting, he felt empty.

‘No.’

The man erased that thought.

Things were going well. He shouldn’t complain.

“Follow me.”

Lukas followed behind the man.

The men surrounding him tried to make an intimidating atmosphere by spouting

vulgar curses or grabbing and poking him in the back with the handles of their
knives. Nevertheless, they soon stopped when he didn’t react to their actions as if
they were bored.

The man walked through the maze-like residential alleys, making one turn after
another, before finally coming to a shabby-looking house.

In front of the house was a large iron gate that didn’t match with the house. When
the man opened the door and they entered the house, it felt like the air had become
heavier.
“You came sooner than I expected.”

Then they heard a deep voice. The man in front bowed his head and called out.

“Boss.”

Lukas’ gaze turned to the man who was called boss.

It was a large, threatening man with many tattoos on his arms. His entire body was
covered in injuries.

While sucking on a large cigar, the man said.

“You must have made the smart decision since you were brought here in such a nice
manner. Did you get a rough explanation from my men?”

The subordinate was the one who answered.

“Ah. He… he was more obedient than we expected. We haven’t told him anything yet.

“That so? Hmmm. Ah. Don’t be scared, my blonde friend. Just answer my questions.
Then, I’ll let you go cleanly without a scratch.”

The men around him burst into laughter at his words.

Lukas glanced at them.

They all seemed to have well-trained bodies and experience handling weapons. In
particular, the man referred to as ‘Boss’ seemed to be exceptionally strong.

Nevertheless, their races were diverse, and their clothing and weapons were, too.

“You guys are not hunters.”

A look of interest appeared on the boss’ face.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because you’re too weak-minded. That’s not something you can hide.”
“Kukuku.”

This guy was funny.

Boss Vaches chuckled as he thought that. His men also responded with soft guffaws
as if they were watching a comedy skit.

“You’re a pretty good detective. But you’ve gone too far.”

When Vaches grinned, a man behind Lukas stepped forward and put his hand on
Lukas’ shoulder.

No, he tried to.

Crunch-

“…u-, urk?”

The pain took a while to register.

“Kuack!” (TL: is it strange that I’ve only just realised that this is practically ‘quack’?)

The man screamed, grabbing his arm, which had been bent in the wrong direction.
Then something heavy struck his face.

It was Lukas’ fist that he swung backwards without even looking.

“Urk!”

Holding his nose, the man collapsed.

It was the perfect position, and Lukas didn’t miss the opportunity. With a well-aimed
strike to the back of the man’s neck, he passed out cold on the ground.

“You son of a bitch!”

It was almost at the same time that the man wielding a knife beside him rushed
forward. At first glance, it seemed that he had lost his reason in anger, but the man’s
eyes were cold. This showed that he had never lowered his guard.
Hwuk.

Lukas narrowed the distance. The man shrank back subconsciously when his
opponent came so close.

The gap that this action caused was fatal.

Paak!

Lukas’ elbow hit the man’s face. The shock from the attack was multiplied due to the
fact that they were running towards each other.

With a crunch, the man could feel his nose shatter. But that wasn’t enough. While it
hurt a lot, it wasn’t enough to make him faint.

Lukas grabbed the man by the collar before punching him in the chest and stomach
with his left hand.

The man couldn’t even let out a scream before he collapsed to the ground.

“…”
Silence fell upon the hall. No more laughter could be heard.

‘What’s going on?’

Vaches had a shocked expression.

His body definitely didn’t show any signs of training. That much was clear.

Nevertheless, the movements that he’d just displayed were in no way lacking when
compared to top-class hunters.

It was strange.

The power of the body could never be hidden. When one reached Vaches’ level, one
could infer the level of one’s opponent just by looking at an exposed forearm.

And according to Vaches’ eyes, Lukas was a weak man who could have been
overwhelmed with just a pocket knife.

“This place looks shabby, but it’s completely soundproof. It’s made of concrete, the
wallpaper is made of soundproof material, and the window and door frames all have
a silicone finish. So no screams will be heard.”

Lukas pointed behind him.

“There’s only one entrance. Once someone enters this house, escape is nigh
impossible. Or that would have been the case if the two idiots who were blocking the
entrance didn’t collapse.”

“You bastard.”

“I will rip your tongue out.”

The surrounding men threatened him with angry expressions on their faces. But
they wouldn’t have been able to shoot their guns here.
It was clear between a majority and a minority that the majority would be at a
disadvantage if they were to open fire in such a small space.

Lukas judged that they weren’t stupid enough to be ignorant of the dangers of
ricochets.

Vaches spoke in a confident tone.

“Are you going to escape? You better give up. My men are all over this area. You’ll be
caught before you can even take ten steps. Then we’ll be the ones with the last laugh.
You’ll scream and shout everything that you know by the time we’re done with you.”

Lukas, who was thinking about something else, paid no heed to Vaches’ words.

These men were all humans.

No Demon, Demonic Humans, or possessed humans.

This fact was very important to Lukas.

He walked towards the iron door.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

“Catch him!”

Click-

“…”

The bodies of the gang members, who were about to rush forward, froze when they
heard the unexpected sound of the door being locked.

Vaches’ expression also hardened.

This was because Lukas had deliberately made the room a half-enclosed space.

‘What’s going on?’

Vaches knew that if he and his men were to surround them, even Titled Hunters
would falter.

Even if it was a bit unusual, Lukas’ action wasn’t a big problem. Numbers were the
most overwhelming form of violence, and Vaches knew how to use them well.

But at that moment.

For some reason, he felt that it wasn’t Lukas had trapped himself. It was they who
were trapped there with Lukas.

***

Bang!

“Kuk…!”

Vaches’ slid in his blood for a few seconds as his face collided with the floor.

His head was spinning. And it wasn’t only because of the pain.

‘What’s going on?’

Even with the pain that seemed to come from every part of his body, he couldn’t
understand.

What just happened?

Was it one minute? Was it longer? Was it shorter?

He didn’t know.

Vaches had 25 men waiting in the house, and all of them were veterans who wouldn’t
lose even if they were to go head-to-head with hunters.

Yet they were all annihilated. They didn’t even have a chance to reach for their
handguns.

Despite seeing it with his own eyes, he still couldn’t believe what happened.

But he definitely remembered what happened next.

Lukas had overpowered him in three seconds.

‘He’s a monster.’

He didn’t use any special powers like magic, sorcery, or witchcraft. He simply read
their movements.

Surprisingly, this feeble-looking blonde man had taken out the Red Mafia’s most elite
group with nothing but his physical ability.

“What’s your name?”

The soft voice sounded threatening, and Vaches shook as he replied.

“Va-, Vaches Bondarenko.”

“Who gave you the order?”

“I-, I can’t say…”

As he said this, Vaches clenched his teeth. He thought that pain would follow.
Perhaps there was a high chance that the man would break a finger or an arm.

‘I’ll try.’

He wasn’t afraid of such pain. The same went for dying. He always knew that a day
like this would come from the moment he joined the organisation.

Above all, Vaches knew that betrayal now would come with consequences that were
far worse than death.

“…”

But Lukas got up from his seat without doing anything.

Then, he simply walked out of the house.

‘What the hell…?’

Where was he going?

He looked at the door with anxiety.

If he had been in a good condition, he would have tried to escape, but currently, his
head was the only part of his body that could move.

Vaches could only look at the iron door in fear.

Click.

Then, the door opened again and a group of people walked in.

When he saw the faces of these people, Vaches’ expression crumpled.

They were hunters from the European Branch.

***

“Those Red Mafia bastards… just because I looked the other way a few times, they
got really ballsy.”

Nina swore angrily.

“Vaches Bondarenko is one of the Young Bosses in charge of Sochi.”

By Young Boss, it meant that he was in charge of a single division of the organisation
instead of the entire Red Mafia.

“How is the interrogation coming?”

“Not very good. As you know, they’re not afraid of pain…”

“Then you don’t need to keep being nice to them.”

When Nina said these words in a cold voice, Ludwig’s eyes shook.

“You mean…”

“Regardless of what method you use. Get the information out of them without
breaking their minds.”
Basically, it was an instruction to no longer mind the administration of drugs or use
of magic.

Regardless of how inhumane the President’s orders were, Ludwig simply bowed.

“I’ll do as you command.”

Just before leaving the room, he glanced at Lukas, who was drinking coffee while
sitting on a sofa in the corner.

‘…who exactly is this man?’

He went in and out of Nina’s office as if it was his own place, and he had even been
given a free pass that only the President could issue.

In all honesty, it didn’t look good. After all, from Ludwig’s perspective, Lukas was still
an unknown.

However, he could have clearly seen that Nina had extreme trust in this man.

In fact, it made him feel a bit jealous. Even Ludwig, the Vice President, had rarely
seen Nina smile so comfortably.

Then he suddenly went outside and suppressed every single organisation in the city
under the Red Mafia. He defeated every one of their best fighters, including the
Young Boss, Vaches. This was something that would have been extremely difficult
even for Titled Hunters.

‘I don’t think she’d tell me even if I asked.’

Ludwig tried to suppress his curiosity and left the room.

“You seem to like it a lot.”

Nina spoke up while watching Lukas drink the coffee mix.

“I haven’t tasted anything like this since a long time ago.”

“Huhu.”
Nina chuckled for a moment before her expression changed.

“…Master, did you know about the Red Mafia?”

“I did.”

“If you had told me about it in advance, I could have assisted you.”

“If they were Demons, I would have.”

Lukas took a sip of coffee.

“It seems there are spies in the headquarters.”

Nina wasn’t surprised by that, so instead, she nodded.

“I’m sure there are a lot of them. There’s probably no other headquarters as mixed as
this one.”

Nina sighed heavily.

“Can I do anything about it? Europe is now in such a desperate situation that we’re
literally grasping at straws. We can’t check and monitor the reinforcements sent
from each region. We can’t afford to.”

Lukas nodded.

He understood what Nina meant by ‘mixed’.

The European Branch probably had some of the world’s most diverse hunters.

“Not everyone is who they appear to be. As you know, this place is on the front line,
so they have no choice but to send their informants here.”

“One of them targeted me.”

“Yeah. If I had to guess, it was probably Neil’s doing…”

Lukas’ expression became gloomy.

This was because the name Nina had just mentioned was the person who was his
first disciple before Min Ha-rin.

“Have you met him recently?”

“No. I haven’t had a reason to go to America.”

“…”

Nina was being honest.

The United States was the region with the fewest amount of Demons. In the first
place, the Demons hadn’t stretched their hands too far in North America when
compared to the other regions, but it couldn’t be denied that America had handled
the problem better than any other country.

In fact, there were many people nowadays who called America the Land of Paradise.
Even if it was a utopia built on ruins, it was clearly the safest and most peaceful place
on the planet.

‘Although, the Association took the place of the government.’

And now, that man was sitting in the seat as Head of the Association. He was the
strongest, greatest, and most powerful person Nina knew.

“Neil seems to be looking for you, Master. It’s been like that for over 10 years. Do you
have any plans to meet him?”

“I will see him soon. In about 3 months.”

Nina’s eyes shined.

“Are you going to show your face at the world conference?”

“Right. I intend to talk about the establishment of Argento Spell there.”

It was the right call.

Argento Spell would act as an independent organisation, but support from the
Hunter Association would be indispensable. If the relationship between the two
grew sour, it could lead to bad results.

The existence of the organisation should have at least been revealed, even if it didn’t
obtain the support he wanted.

“I’m sure there will be a lot of people who’ll oppose it, but…”

An armed organisation that was outside of the control of the Association and that
could, at times, act upon arbitrary judgements was certainly something that many
high-ranking members of the association would definitely not be pleased with.

“That’s right. But it would be possible if we got the consent of one Director and three
Branch Presidents.”

“Three Branch Presidents.”

Naturally, Nina would follow Lukas’ judgement regardless of what happened. But
they would still need two more.

“Do you have anyone else in mind?”

Maybe there was another person with a powerful influence among the transformers
whom Lukas had saved.

Nina asked that question with this expectation, but Lukas shook his head.

“No.”

“Then how…?”

“I’ll have to negotiate.”

“Huh?”

Lukas spoke with a calm voice.

“I’m thinking of meeting the President of the Asia Branch.”

A few days passed.

In that time, Lukas’ life could only be described as monotonous. All he had to do was
occasionally give Min Ha-rin books about Magical Science.

He didn’t talk to her. To be precise, he deliberately avoided her.

He felt that it was necessary to create an environment allowing her to train on her
own for a week.

That was why he spent most of his time alone in his room.

One day, Lukas was meditating in his room when he heard a voice.

[…he’s here.]

It was a weak, terrified voice. It sounded like it would disappear at any moment.

Lukas opened his eyes.

In front of him was the mysterious man in black, who was shaking like a leaf in the
wind.

[I won’t get involved anymore. I’m sorry…]

The man’s voice grew faint after saying those words, and he soon disappeared like a
puff of smoke.

Lukas got up from his seat.

Then he headed to the elevator.

“We received a thunderstorm warning…”

The security guard at the elevator warned him with an embarrassed expression, but
he didn’t try to stop him, and Lukas was able to use it.

Rumble-

The elevator shook violently.

Fortunately, it still seemed to work properly, but as the ground drew closer, the
sound of heavy rain, which seemed to be pounding the ground, could be heard.

Boom!

Then there was the sound of thunder. The elevator’s lights blinked dangerously, but
Lukas didn’t even flinch. He was simply lost in thought while listening to the
pounding rain.

The humans called Demons a disaster, and they weren’t wrong. But he didn’t think
they could’ve even imagined just what a true disaster was.

It was the extinction of the planet, not the species.

Furthermore, the entire universe could be returned to a state of nothingness.

Lukas saved only those who had the potential to save the world. He hoped that they
could create the winds of change. This was because he hoped the humans would
overcome their trials on their own.

By the time he’d come to this world, the human population had already been halved,
but he didn’t make a move until that number fell far below half.

He didn’t do anything to the Demons.

If Lukas were to use his power wantonly, then they would have a reason to intervene.

He’d saved many worlds.

To be precise, he’d saved many worlds’ ‘humans’.

It was an act that had become the reason for Lukas’ existence. He wandered through
countless universes performing the role he set for himself.
He heard cries of gratitude, received intense faith and belief, and earned a lot of trust
and affection from the humans he saved.

And.

He received hatred, resentment, and fear from many more races.

‘It was as I expected.’

From a cosmic perspective, favouring one species was not the right thing to do.

There were many beings who were born ugly. These beings were designed to
torment and make others feel despair.

They weren’t good beings, but Lukas sympathised with them. They were poor
creatures who were born evil from the start.

Unlike humans, they didn’t get the chance to choose whether they wanted to be good
or evil.

Nevertheless, there might have been another way. It might have been possible for
him to lead them on the right path.

It might have been possible to make them good.

But he didn’t.

Instead, Lukas exterminated every enemy of the humans.

At some point, the other Absolutes began calling Lukas [Madman] or [Human] and
criticised him heavily. But the fact was that they weren’t wrong. He didn’t even think
about denying it.

However, he didn’t stop his actions.

He silently carried on with his work.

Time passed. A really long time.

The winds of time couldn’t touch him because he had already transcended time.
Karma gradually accumulated, and his level increased.

Ironically, the more the races who persecuted humans hated Lukas, the stronger he
became.

For an Absolute, reverence was the most efficient form of energy. And the more
negative and ugly the emotion was, the thicker the concentration.

Lukas became stronger at an unusual rate. This caused him to stand out amongst the
Absolutes, and before long, they became interested in him.

But that interest soon became displeasure and then hostility.

Lukas was an unforeseen obstacle.

Despite their warnings, he didn’t hesitate to pick worlds that could have been
regarded as their territory. Then, he ruined many small and large plans of their
design. Even going so far as to destroy them completely.

Ding-

He walked out of the elevator.

It seemed that the clothing store was closed because the lights were off and the
owner wasn’t behind the counter. It was probably due to the heavy rain and the
thunderstorm.

Fortunately, the back door was open, so he could still leave the building.

Shaaa-

None of the stores in the city were open. This was because the rains were too severe.
While walking through the street, only the sound of the rain could be heard.

Lukas walked up to a bench and sat on it without paying any attention to the
raindrops pounding against his skin.

Boom!

Suddenly, an enormous bolt of lightning tore through the sky.

And the world froze.

The raindrops froze in the air, and the lightning bolt remained in the sky as though it
had been painted.

Lukas had only experienced this phenomenon once before. This had happened in the
past when he had finally defeated his greatest enemy and accomplished his goal
before becoming an Absolute.

However, it wasn’t God who appeared this time.

He saw the shadow of an enormous being behind the dark clouds in the sky.

This was the existence whom God had mentioned that day.

A being who had been born as a cosmic entity.

A being who stood at the pinnacle of countless Absolutes.

Perhaps the most dangerous being in the entire multiverse.

[Nice to meet you, Madman.]

Lukas was looking at a Ruler.

***

His voice sounded like a clap of thunder.

Lukas knew.

It would be impossible for anyone who wasn’t at least a transcendent being to even
understand that sound. The moment a normal person heard that voice, their body
would collapse and their soul would die.

Only those at the rank of Absolute would be able to understand the language in his
voice and converse with him.

The freezing of time and space was for that purpose.

Even though he had only sent a thought projection to this place, if he hadn’t frozen
time and space, the entire planet would have probably collapsed.

This was Lukas’ first time seeing a Ruler in person. But even though it was just a
thought projection, facing it was still a considerable burden for him.

His entire body shook as though an electric current was running through him.

Nevertheless, his voice was unexpectedly calm.

“I wanted to meet you, too.”

[Do you know who I am?]

He spoke in a somewhat cheerful voice, and Lukas responded while looking up at the
lightning which lit up the night sky.

“Lightning God.” (TL: I changed his name to ‘Thunderous Lightning God’ which is a bit
closer to what I’m assuming the author meant… Author is using a strange blend of
Korean-Chinese that is besting me.)

[Uhaha!]

The Thunderous Lightning God burst into laughter.

His laugh sounded more powerful than the thunderstorm that had just been
battering the city.

Lukas recalled the Demigod from the past who had the power of lightning.

Indra.

His lightning, which Lukas had felt countless times in his mental world, had been so
powerful that it was able to completely burn Lukas’ body despite the fact that he was
already much stronger than any mortal at the time.

But in the end, he won.

And with Riki’s help, he managed to make Indra give in, allowing Lukas to make his
power his own.
The Lightning God’s power was the same as Indra’s.

‘The same?’

Could this be called the same?

Lukas denied it.

The Lightning God was stronger than millions of Indra’s combined. His tremendous
power could be felt even with just his thought projection.

Just like a drop of water and an ocean were the same, they had the same essence.

But everything else was different. No. Even the word ‘different’ wasn’t enough.

Lukas thought for a moment before he could think of a suitable word.

They were on different ‘levels’.

[You’ve been running around the multiverse as you please. It wouldn’t be

unreasonable to say that almost everyone hates you. I’ve lived for a very long time,
but I don’t think I’ve seen anyone as crazy as you.]

“There were some. Who were the same as me.”

[Put your expectation aside. You’ll never be able to meet them. They are all dead.]

The Lightning God continued to talk in a cheerful manner.

Lukas wasn’t surprised because he had expected something similar. However, he was
surprised that this Ruler was such a chatterbox. Just like God.

He couldn’t help but wonder if all the beings above the Absolutes were like this.

Hiding his thoughts about the Lightning God, Lukas asked.

“So are you going to kill me too?”

[If it was the Demon King, he probably would’ve done just that. He’s the most angry
of us. If you meet him, your soul will disappear without even a speck of dust
remaining.]

“…”

[But I’m different. I can tell after seeing you in person. Your head is more twisted
than I thought. But that’s precisely why I like you.]

“…what are you trying to say?”

[Serve me, Madman.]

Lukas’ expression became strange. He didn’t answer immediately, but he didn’t

panic.

He just looked at the giant being beyond the clouds as though he was urging him to
explain.

[You must know that every Lord follows a Ruler.]

“Right.”

[Do you know why?]

“To shift responsibility.”

[Hoh…]

The Lightning God looked down at him with interest.

[That’s an interesting way to put it. You’re not wrong. No matter how much they
grow, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, and even millions of Absolutes will
encounter the same problem. To put it simply, they become distracted.]

There wasn’t a need to explain whether this was a dangerous phenomenon or not.
The most important thing for Absolutes was a healthy and focused mind.

You could call it willpower.

Believing in themselves and not doubting themselves was the foundation of

Absolutes, and it was the source of their power.
[You can still hold on. But that’s because you are rather young when compared to
most Lords. However, it won’t be long before your beliefs begin to crack. Then, every
moment will feel like a waking hell. And then you’ll do what everyone else does.]

The Lightning God chuckled.

[In other words, you will look for God. Isn’t it funny? Beings who are like gods in the
eyes of mortals end up seeking out God.]

“I won’t do that.”

[That might be the case now. But the point is that we are beings who have
transcended the concept of time. And we have eternal, interminable work. No matter
how you look at it, if you do the same thing for hundreds of millions of years, your
beliefs are bound to change. Just like water droplets that have fallen for hundreds of
years can pierce through rocks.]

“…”

[But we all know what God is like. I can’t speak for those who have completely lost
their minds, but at least, I wouldn’t want to rely on our neglectful creator.]

God was surprisingly unpopular among the Absolutes.

Lukas knew that too.

“So you mean I should rely on you?”

[I will carry your karma for you. I will let you continue saving humans in my
territory. I don’t care about conflicts with the other Rulers. Instead, I’ll stop them
from pressuring you.]

Lukas suddenly let out a laugh.

[Why are you laughing?]

“What are you hiding?”

Lukas’ voice sounded.

“You’re not just helping me out of pity. As you said, I’ve only been a Lord for a short
amount of time, but I know well what you Rulers are like. You guys don’t pay
attention to anything unless it affects the multiverse as a whole or unless someone
touches your territory. And amongst the Rulers, you are the one with the least
attachment to your territory.]

[Kuku…]

The Lightning God chuckled.

[You just answered your own question. Right. I wouldn’t pay attention to something
unless it was serious. You became the eye of a storm. Every Absolute in the
multiverse is paying attention to you. You were born with a destiny of chaos. Thanks
to that, the balance and tranquility which had been maintained for a long time has
begun to crack…]

The Lightning God’s voice became serious.

[There is a possibility that you might become another Ruler.]

“…!”

Lukas couldn’t help but feel shocked.

A Ruler…

Right. He’d forgotten.

Becoming a Ruler had been one of Lukas’ secret goals. It was for the sake of saving all
of the humans in the Three Thousand Worlds and returning to his homeworld at any
time.

His universe, his home.

And those who waited for his return.

However… at some point, the thought of becoming a Ruler had become faint.

He had realised it after becoming a Lord. Just how absurd they were.

He felt that if he thought too deeply about it, he would realise just how impossible
his goal was. That was why Lukas deliberately stopped thinking about it.

But now, Lightning God, one of the Rulers, had said it.
He had the potential to become a Ruler.

“How is that right given? Do the four Rulers have a meeting? To decide which
Absolute is qualified?”

[Everything has an order. However, it is true that your case is quite unique… Prepare
for ‘The Great Game’, Madman.]

“…the Great Game?”

It was the first time he’d heard of it.

But it didn’t seem like the Lightning God intended to tell him more about it.

[I will suggest it again. Come under me. You have nothing to lose. You cannot stand
on your own. If you don’t choose a Ruler to serve, you will die. Don’t think that you’ll
be able to escape like in the past.]

“…”

[The other Rulers want to kill you. I am the only one willing to help you.]

Thinking that Lukas was still worried, the Lightning God added.

[Have you ever felt calm since becoming an Absolute? After saving one world, a next
one awaits, and even if you save that one, there will be another. The screams ringing
in your ears would never stop, and your initial determination would eventually fade
away. Your emotions would dry up, and that part of you that can be called a
personality would disappear. Then what would happen in the end?]

“…”

[You would simply become a puppet. With no emotions, no personality, no beliefs.

You would become a machine who gets summoned to universes that have lost their
balances, and you would leave after perfectly performing your task. I’m sure you
know that a majority of Absolutes have become like that.]

“But that won’t happen if I obey you?”

[Exactly. Personality is incredibly important. A strong personality that is second to

none is one of the requirements to become a Ruler. That is why you have the
potential. An Absolute like you who has a strong personality is very rare.]

He was right.

Lukas understood.

God or the Rulers.

He understood why these beings, who had lived for countless years, talked and acted
in ways that appeared similar to mortals at first glance.

Perhaps… they acted in a certain manner on purpose. Or it was possible that they
changed their personalities periodically.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to maintain their egos.

“I refuse.”

Despite Lukas’ cold refusal, the Lightning God smiled widely.

[Why?]

“I have no intention of passing my karma onto someone else. This is the path that I
chose to walk on. It has nothing to do with you.”

This wasn’t an emotional decision.

Lukas didn’t believe everything the Lightning God had told him, and he knew what
kind of mindset the Absolutes who submitted to the Rulers would have.

Serving the Rulers was a choice that was completely incompatible with his beliefs.

The Lightning God simply laughed for a while as if he didn’t know what to say.

[You really are a madman.]

Lukas was unable to tell whether he was angry, amused, or something else entirely.

[You killed a Demon.]

Lukas remained silent.

[By this universe’s standards, he was a pretty powerful Demon too. Why did you kill
him? I was able to pinpoint your location because of that.]

“You can stop talking nonsense. You would have found me regardless of if I had killed
a Demon or not. This is proven by the fact that you arrived here before the Demon
King.”

[Hehe.]

The Lightning God chuckled.

His insight was pretty good.

The Demons here could also be considered as the Demon King’s creations.

Killing them was the same as touching the Demon King’s bottom line.

Nevertheless, Lukas had killed a Demon. Not only did he kill a Demon, but he killed a
Demon Duke, one of the highest-ranking Demons.

Nevertheless, it was the Lightning God, not the Demon King, who had found Lukas
first.

In other words, this Ruler had been actively looking for him.

[You should know that each universe has a certain level of tolerance.]

The huge shadow standing behind the clouds moved. It was as if he was looking
around.

[There are creatures born into the world who are weaker than insects. On the other
hand, there could be countless beings in a universe who are comparable to
Absolutes. I was born in a universe like that.]

The Lightning God unexpectedly mentioned his own creation.

[On average, the higher the level of the beings in the universe, the higher that
universe’s tolerance. This fact is very important for Absolutes. If a force exceeds the
limits of the universe, the balance is broken, and eventually, it will lead to the
collapse of that dimension.]

That was the reason why Absolutes, who entered specific universes as saviours,
usually didn’t use their full power.

It was the same for Lukas.

[This universe’s tolerance is below average. The science is a bit advanced, but that’s
it. Just a few hundred thousand Demons is enough to push it to the brink of
extinction.]

The Lightning God clicked his tongue as if to say it was pathetic.

[That’s probably why you wanted the humans to grow stronger. The stronger they
become, the higher the universe’s tolerance would become and, naturally, the more
power an Absolute would be able to exert. Kuku… Honestly, I’m surprised you were
able to raise the humans’ power by this much in only a few decades.]

The Lightning God knew that Lukas had made the best choice.

He could have dealt with the Demons as soon as he entered this universe. Even with
limited power, as an Absolute, he would be able to get rid of the Demons with
nothing but 9 star spells.

The problem was what came after.

If he killed all of the Demons, perhaps within a day, another Absolute would
intervene, and they would inevitably have a battle with Lukas.

If his opponent was another Absolute, then Lukas would be unable to hold back his
power. Power that far surpassed this universe’s tolerance would inevitably be
released, and eventually, the dimension would collapse.

If that were to happen, then humans would no longer be the problem. The entire
universe would disappear in vain.

That didn’t mean that he could tolerate watching the humans being slaughtered.

That was why Lukas spread his knowledge around the world and facilitated their
growth. He also saved those who could promote human development as much as
possible, those who could lead them, and those who could create a great wind of
change.

In addition to that, he used every other means available to him to make the humans
stronger.

It wasn’t easy. Because he had to support them behind the scenes.

Nevertheless, Lukas didn’t give up, and in time, he received the results that he
wanted.

As a result, in only a few decades, it became possible for humans to fight the Demons
with their own power. The universe’s tolerance also increased greatly.

[However, your plan to raise the humans has come to an end.]

“…you mean…”

[Right.]

Lukas’ expression hardened when he heard the Lightning God’s next words.

[Let’s just say that your time’s up. Soon, an Absolute will enter this universe. And I
don’t think I have to tell you what their goal is.]

Lukas remained silent.

[They’re not coming to this universe as saviours. Whether the balance is broken or
the universe is collapsing doesn’t matter to them. Nevertheless, they still have their
consciences as Absolutes, so they will be mindful to an extent, but they won’t
hesitate to use their full power if necessary.]

They would exert the full power of their body if they felt that it was worth doing.

Absolutes were divided into Assistants, Managers, Lords, and Rulers.

Lukas was an Absolute with the second-highest rank. And even amongst the Lords,
he had the power to stand at the very top.
But he didn’t want the universe to collapse. This meant that he would be unable to
unleash his full strength as a Lord.

Lukas wouldn’t be able to use External Force, which was a power unique to
Absolutes, or Endtongue, which was his main power.

This meant that he would be fighting with a major handicap.

Lukas’ heart became heavy.

It was still too early. If he had a little more time…

[I will block their entry as long as possible.]

“…”

Instead of gratitude, it was natural that he felt suspicion after hearing the sudden
declaration.

[Don’t you believe me? I’m serious. I’ll buy you a year or so. And I’ll prevent the
intervention of the other Rulers as much as possible.]

Lukas narrowed his eyes.

He couldn’t understand what the Lightning God was thinking.

However… He couldn’t refuse his unconventional offer.

It didn’t matter if he was up to something.

The worst-case scenario for Lukas would be the Absolute arriving before he was
ready.

1 year.

Even a single year was precious time for him.

[But I was a little late. So I apologize for that.]

“…what do you mean?”

Lukas looked up at the clouds.

It felt like the Lightning God, whose features he couldn’t see, was smiling.

[I mean that I can’t kick out any Absolutes who have already entered this universe.]

Lukas’ expression hardened.

[I wonder if you can handle it. Please don’t die before the Great Game begins, Lukas.
Don’t let me down…]

The Lightning God’s voice gradually faded.

He could feel the giant presence, behind the clouds, leaving…

And space and time started moving once again.

Shaa-

It was raining heavily. The bolt of lightning in the sky spread like a spider web before
disappearing.

Lukas realised that the Lightning God’s thought projection had completely left the
universe.

“…the Great Game.”

These words remained stuck in his head. At the same time, he had a premonition
that it would be a trial unlike anything he’d ever encountered.

“Hoo.”

He took a deep breath and organised his thoughts.

Instead of the ‘Great Game’ which he knew nothing about, it would have been better
to think about the Absolutes who would soon be entering this universe.

Absolutes.

That’s what the Lightning God said.

In other words, it wouldn’t be only one Absolute who would be entering this
universe.

It hadn’t been a big problem that he couldn’t use Divine Magic Power or Endtongue.
At least so far.

The knowledge and experience he had, together with 9 star spells, were enough to
allow him to have no threats in this universe.

Although he hadn’t met the Demon King, the Dukes, who were considered the
strongest Demons after the Demon King, couldn’t pose any threat to him.
However, it was completely impossible to face an Absolute with nothing but the
power of 9 stars.

‘If an Absolute has already entered… ’

Then it was important for him to find out where they were.

In order to do that, he needed information.

This meant that he had to obtain the assistance of organisations that could identify
major events happening around the world with ease.

Currently, the most favourable force for Lukas was the European Branch. That was
because he had the absolute trust of Nina, the Branch President.

However, Europe could not afford to fight against the Demons who were constantly
encroaching on their territory.

Although some modicum of intel collection was carried out, it was different from the
information Lukas wanted.

He needed first-class operatives who gathered information not only in the human
territories but also in the land of the Demons.

He needed eyes and ears.

‘I need the power of the Chinese Intelligence Agency.’

China could be called the most controversial country in the world, but such feelings
had grown thin following the Demons’ invasion.

Now, most of the people were moving under the ideology of ‘One of China’, and they
faithfully played the role of the biggest defense wall for the human front.

Unlike Japan and Korea, where one would have relatively few opportunities to see
Demons, the power of the Chinese Branch could be considered among the top three
in the entire world because it had always been fighting life-threatening battles on the
frontline.

That was why their intelligence went without saying. At this point, most advanced
science had been neutralised.

The Chinese Intelligence Agency’s ability to obtain information directly from the
Demons’ territory despite the fact that it was filled with Demons was beyond even
the United States’.

But things wouldn’t work so easily.

Even if he borrowed Nina’s power. No. Instead, there was a high possibility that he
would be criticised for such tricks.

China didn’t have a very positive opinion of the United States, who lived in the
peaceful space they created across the sea. And it was the same for Europe, who had
built a close relationship with the United States.

It was then Lukas thought of a man.

He was the second-in-command of the Hunter Association’s Chinese Branch, and he

was a revered figure throughout Asia. (TL: How did it become ‘Chinese Branch’ after
‘East Asia Branch’?)

The Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak.

To gain the power of the intelligence agency, his assistance would be indispensable.

***

A few days before Lukas had an encounter with the Lightning God.

Europe and Africa were said to be the two regions that had suffered the most
devastating damage on earth. It was no exaggeration to say that most of the land on
these two continents was occupied by the Demons.

Great Britain, which could have been called one of the three major powers in Europe,
was no exception. Among the island nations across the world, Great Britain suffered
an unprecedented amount of damage.

This might have been because the Demon King descended upon France, which was
the country closest to Great Britain.
The situation of Northern Ireland, which didn’t belong to Great Britain, fared
relatively better.

Or at least, that was the case not so long ago.

“H-, hoo…”

Katherine panted with a terrified expression.

She wanted to cover her ears from the beastly grunts, screams, and sounds of things
being eaten coming from outside the house.

“Big sis?”

Tom, who was now six years old, still didn’t seem to fully understand what was
happening. His voice was filled with curiosity about his sister’s unusual expression.

Seeing this little boy, who was much weaker than she was, Katherine gained some
courage.

“It’s fine. Everything will be fine. Do you trust big sis?”

“Mhm.”

“Good. As long as we stay…”

Crack!

“Kyah!”

The door was smashed, and a bizarre looking creature entered the house.

Its snout was as long as an anteater’s, and its upper body was unusually large.
Compared to that, its lower body was so thin that one couldn’t help but wonder how
it could’ve supported its own weight.

“Grrr…”

The monster’s red eyes shined brightly, and its nose flared. His sense of smell was
abnormally strong, so it was no problem for him to find the boy and girl who were
hiding in the house thinking that they were safe.

“O-, oh, my God…”

Katherine closed her eyes with a look of despair.

On the other hand, Tom didn’t close his eyes.

Instead, he was staring at the sky with a blank expression on his face.

The ceiling of the house had collapsed during the Demon Beasts’ rampage, so the
night sky was clearly visible.

And in it, a meteor could be seen.

“Pretty.”

Tom muttered this softly. But he noticed that the meteor’s movement was strange. It
was as if it was coming right for them.

No, was that really a meteor?

Boom!

“Krk?”

The Demon Beast turned its head. An unidentified object had fallen from the sky and
smashed into the ground.

Turning away from the two humans who it didn’t think could escape, the Demon
Beast looked at the crater.

Then, someone walked out of the dust cloud.

“…”

It was a breathtakingly beautiful woman. Her hair was so dark that it seemed to
absorb the moonlight, and her clothes were pitch black.

Her eyes seemed to shine with a bloody light, and her expression was grim.
What truly stood out, however, was the weapon in her hand.

It was a ridiculously large scythe, which didn’t seem to suit her at all.

“Krrr…”

The Demon Beast stared at the woman with a cautious expression.

The hair on its entire body stood up, and its pupils shook. It found it hard to breathe
because of the vicious aura surrounding the woman.

“Kyaah!”

Nevertheless, a beast was a beast.

The Demon Beast did not like the feeling of fear it got from the woman, so it charged
towards her. Its claws, which could easily tear through stone, flashed in the
moonlight.

Chuk-

But the Demon Beast’s body suddenly became thousands of pieces of meat,
splattered across the ground.

Nevertheless, there wasn’t a single drop of blood on the scythe.

“H-, hik…”

Katherine stared at the woman in horror, but the woman left the house while
pretending to not notice them.

“Krk!”

“Kaak! Kaak!”

The Demon Beasts who smelled the heavy scent of blood started swarming. There
were even some incredibly large ones who made the Demon Beast who had just died
look small in comparison.

“Ignorant things.”
The woman muttered darkly.

Then the entire city became bathed with blood.

Beijing, China.

This used to be a large metropolitan city that housed more than 20 million people,
but now, only about 1 million people remained. And about 5 percent of them were
hunters.

This meant that there were more than 50,000 hunters in this city alone.

Cha Gung-hwan, President of the East Asia Branch, was already over 70 years old.
Although training in martial arts had slowed down the aging process to an extent, his
white hair and wrinkles could not be hidden.

There was usually an ever-present smile on his lips, but today, his expression was
hard as if he’d bitten a rock.

“You’re here.”

“How’s the situation?”

“It’s been quiet since the first fall.”

“Good work.”

Cha Gung-hwan briefly commended his subordinates before turning around.

“Hmm…”

An invisible aura seemed to swirl around his body.

There was a crater in the ground as though a small meteor had landed here. The
surrounding area also had a horrific appearance as if there had been a disaster.

Most of the skyscrapers in the area had collapsed, and the lower buildings were all
buried in the torrents of rock.
This had been an area where civilians stayed.

‘Thousands must have died.’

Cha Gung-hwan’s heart became heavy, but no signs of this were visible on his face.
After all, the President and leader of such a large group could not display such
weakness.

The Demon Slayers, known as China’s strongest hunter group, were watching him.

“Let’s go.”

At Cha Gung-hwan’s words, the Demon Slayers followed him. They descended to the
center of the crater.

There was still dust lingering in the air, and the burnt smell had yet to fade.

After a short walk, they found the main culprit of the disaster.

“…”

It was a handsome man with blue hair. He was wearing a fur coat, and as they
approached him, they felt a strange pressure.

“Kuk…”

Ten steps.

That was his limit. When he reached ten steps away, Cha Gung-hwan found that he
couldn’t get any closer.

If he tried to get closer, his airways might get blocked or his heart might explode. It
was the same for the Demon Slayers.

The man opened his eyes. His golden eyes gleamed with a light that made them feel
like their souls would be sucked out.

Cha Gung-hwan forcibly swallowed his saliva and opened his mouth.

“Who are you?”

In fact, there was no need to ask.

The only reasonable explanation was that he was a Demon.

This man had reportedly fallen from the sky. He’d smashed the protective barrier
which surrounded Beijing in an instant, and even then, his momentum had not
reduced in the slightest.

It was not something a human could do.

‘Beijing’s protective barrier is among the top three in the entire world. If he smashed
it in an instant… ’

This meant that he was at least a Demon Duke. However, Cha Gung-hwan found that
he couldn’t identify whether the man in front of him was a Demon or not.

He couldn’t feel any demonic energy from this man. In fact, his calm eyes seemed to
have a serenity that even a sincere monk would find hard to match.

‘The stronger the Demon, the harder it is for them to hide their demon energy.’

If that was the case, then who was this person?

The man looked at him and spoke.

“You are the leader of these people.”

“…you! Don’t you know who this is?!”

One of the Demon Slayers growled out. His strength and willpower seemed great as
the other members beside him were having a hard time even opening their mouths.

But it wasn’t a smart move.

“U-, urk…?!”

The Demon Slayer member grabbed his neck, his face becoming pale.

“H-, hey!”
“Why all of a sudden…?”

“K-, kuk…”

Suddenly, water began flowing from the man’s eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. A ghastly
amount of water was flowing out of his body. As it flowed, the water became redder
and redder until it became as red as blood.

“Kuh… Uk… Kuk…!”

The member of the Demon Slayer’s held his neck tightly, as though he was being
choked, before collapsing.

And after twitching a few times, he stopped moving.

“…”

A cold silence fell.

The man opened his mouth again.

“I will give you two options.”

“…options?”

“The first is that you’ll all die.”

“…!”

Cha Gung-hwan’s heart sank.

The man continued in an emotionless voice, seemingly ignorant of their feelings.

“The second is to obey me. If you do that, then your enemy, the Demons… I will
destroy them.”

***

In the sky without a single dark cloud in sight, the largest lightning bolt in history
suddenly struck down.
Boom!

If someone were to see this occurrence, they would only have seen an incredibly
bright light that completely filled the horizon. It was several times larger than the
largest lightning bolt ever recorded.

If this lightning bolt had struck down in a populated region instead of in the middle
of the ocean, it might have multiplied the number of deaths ever caused by lightning
bolts by a few times.

A tidal wave as tall as skyscrapers rose up into the air, and dozens of large and small
vortices formed.

For a long time, the ocean raged and the waves roared as if they were afraid.

This phenomenon happened for a while before the ocean finally settled down once
again like it had never happened.

No one noticed this disturbance, which had suddenly occurred in the South Pacific.

***

Lukas didn’t get the chance to meet Lee Jong-hak.

He was told that he’d left on a mission just the day before.

It seemed that he had completed his rehabilitation to some extent.

The mission he had chosen was a long-term mission, so it could take up to a few
weeks or even a month in some cases.

‘He wouldn’t come if I called him.’

Despite the fact that he was currently staying in the European Branch, Lee Jong-hak
was an Asian hunter. Together with the fact that he held the high position of Vice
President, this meant that Nina could not force him to obey her orders.

The only option would be to go to him directly. But Lukas decided against that for
now.
There was a disciple whom he had to pay attention to at the moment.

“Magic Missile.”

Woowoong-

A bluish energy projectile formed with a soft hum.

Min Ha-rin looked down at the projectile that she’d created.

Lukas nodded.

“You were successful. That’s your first spell.”

“My first spell…”

A sense of accomplishment filled her heart with those words.

Min Ha-rin clenched her fist as her body shook.

Lukas patted her on the shoulder.

“Congratulations on taking your first step on the path of Magical Science.”

These words brought her back to her senses.

Right. Min Ha-rin was no longer a Swordsman. At that moment, she had been reborn
as a newbie Wizard, not a first-rate Swordsman.

It would be a lie to say she didn’t feel a bit strange at that revelation. After all, her
dedication over the past 10 years had basically been for nothing.

But her heart still beat uncontrollably in her chest.

It was a very thrilling and special experience to manipulate this mysterious power.

“Did you read all the books?”

“Yeah. But I didn’t memorise everything.”

“You don’t need to force yourself to memorise everything. It’s good enough to just
read it. Don’t try to cram it all into your head. Instead, read them like novels. That
way, even if you don’t remember the exact wording, you’ll still be able to remember
the concept.”

Lukas chuckled as he said that.

Min Ha-rin lowered her head a little, and she couldn’t help but think that that smile
was very attractive.

Her Master was a strange person. Especially when it came to teaching magic.

She could never tell what he was thinking, and his words were always short. He was
beyond blunt. He was like a person without emotions or a monk who had truly
separated himself from the world.

But when teaching magic, he was like a young boy who was doing the thing he liked
the most.

When the usually blunt image and this not-so-bad image overlapped, Min Ha-rin
seemed to feel a fluttering in her heart.

“Did you have any difficulty?”

Moreover, her tone when she spoke to him seemed to be getting softer and softer.
Maybe that was why Nina sometimes shot a resentful gaze at her.

She finally understood.

‘It’s not that.’

Min Ha-rin let out a breath as if to get rid of her clustered thoughts before replying.

“No. It’s just… fun.”

“Which part?”

“Everything.”

She enjoyed increasing her mana while meditating, reading books and learning
about Magical Science, and using magic directly.

That’s why she was slightly nervous.

“Should I be enjoying it like this?”

There was a saying that it was easier to learn something you enjoyed.

Min Ha-rin knew this.

But she was still nervous.

As a human who was living in this apocalyptic era, she instinctively rejected the
thought of training with such a light heart.

Lukas also understood what Min Ha-rin was thinking.

That’s why he spoke in a slightly mischievous tone.

“When the time comes, you’ll desperately wish for that feeling.”

“Huh?”

“Your talent is obviously excellent, but someday, you will inevitably hit a wall. At that
time, you will naturally have a different mindset.”

“…”

“There’s no need to worry about that now. First of all, you should try to reach 3 stars.
Then, you’ll be able to do your part.”

“When will I know that I’ve reached 3 stars?”

“Hmm… Right.”

Lukas raised his index finger and a ball of flames appeared on it.

“You should at least be able to create a Fireball this size.”

Fwoosh-
As he said that, more balls appeared above his finger.

“At least three of them.”

Min Ha-rin frowned slightly.

“…I’ll have to increase my mana capacity first.”

“Right. Also… Do you still have the Soul Crystal?”

Min Ha-rin nodded. She knew that he was talking about Sandro’s Soul Crystal.

“Yeah. Do you need it?”

“No. Make sure you don’t lose it. When you reach 5 stars, you’ll be able to use the
crystal to train.”

Min Ha-rin’s expression became a bit stiff before she asked carefully.

“…are you talking about absorbing the energy in the Soul Crystal?”

This was a very controversial topic among hunters.

The souls in the Soul Crystals were constantly eroded by demonic energy, which
caused them to become large sources of pure energy.

This meant that they were a great resource for not only the Demons but also the
hunters as well.

Swordsmen or Warriors could use it to increase their ki while Wizards and other
mana users could use it to increase their mana. Or if their ki or mana ran out, they
could use Soul Crystals to replenish.

Soul Crystals were high-quality elixirs that were created by using the suffering and
despair of numerous victims.

Because of this, there were many voices saying that increasing one’s power at the
cost of others’ souls was inhumane. Religious forces, in particular, were strongly
opposed to the practice.
It was one of the rare times when Catholicism and Buddhism were in agreement
about something.

Min Ha-rin did not criticise others for the practice because of her own morals, but
she was still reluctant to sacrifice souls for her own gain.

Lukas shook his head.

“Of course not. I guess you haven’t heard of it. There is a way to save the souls in a
Soul Crystal.”

“There’s a way to do that?”

“Right.”

“Then why…”

Why didn’t he teach it to other humans?

Min Ha-rin wanted to ask this question, but she closed her mouth instead. The image
of Lee Jong-hak flashed in her mind.

There might have been a reason why he chose not to tell them.

But Lukas shook his head with a bitter expression.

“…I already taught them how to do it.”

“Huh?”

Min Ha-rin stared at him with wide eyes.

“However, my teaching didn’t spread. Most of the humans I taught chose to remain
silent about the method.”

“Why…?”

“Because it is clear to everyone that the energy stored in Soul Crystals is incredibly
efficient. They lied to the world and said that there was no way to save the souls in a
Soul Crystal in order to prevent the humanitarian backlash.”
“That…”

Min Ha-rin bit her lip.

She never would have imagined that such a dreadful thing had been happening.

But Lukas simply looked at her and said.

“Do you think they’re wrong?”

“Of course I do! The souls in the crystals can be saved, but they are using them like
fuel…”

“There was a time when two Demon Counts suddenly appeared in Shaanxi Province,
China.”

“Huh?”

“It was a sudden attack, and the humans were not prepared for it. At the time, a
Wizard from Shaanxi used hundreds of Soul Crystals to form a large, powerful
barrier, which allowed the humans to successfully survive the attack without any
casualties.”

“…!”

Min Ha-rin froze, but Lukas continued.

“If the Demons hadn’t been stopped, then at least tens of thousands of people would
have been killed or imprisoned by them, but thanks to the Wizard’s quick response,
the damage was minimal. Would you go tell that Wizard that he had thrown away the
souls of countless humans and deserved to be hated instead of praised?”

“…”

Min Ha-rin didn’t know what to say.

Lukas looked into her eyes.

“In conclusion, thanks to the Soul Crystals, many lives were saved and the Wizard
became the hero of Shaanxi.”
Min Ha-rin was certain. If she had been one of those who had been saved by that
man, she would have thanked him.

However…

She couldn’t help but feel conflicted.

“Then what the hell is the answer? I want to know what you think.”

“My perspective would not help you. The same goes for my conclusion.”

Lukas spoke bitterly.

“Ha-rin, I don’t know why, but I’m actually curious about your thoughts.”

“…”

“You wouldn’t hesitate to cut your own heart out, but you couldn’t stand to see
someone else receive even a single scratch. That’s your most humane part.”

Min Ha-rin realised that Lukas was talking about her siblings. She spoke in a weak
voice.

“That’s because they are my family. They’re all I have.”

“Not all blood relatives have such a relationship. Don’t you know that there are
mothers who sell their own newborn babies? Moreover, you sacrificed yourself for
Allida.”

“Excessive humility isn’t good. You made a noble choice. That is something deserving
of praise.”

Min Ha-rin was honestly not confident.

Even Lukas wasn’t sure if his conclusion was the right one, so she doubted if she
would be able to find the right answer.

However, when she met Lukas’ gaze, she naturally opened her mouth.

“When I come to a conclusion, you will be the first person I tell.”

Lukas smiled.

“I’ll take your word for it.”

As he said that, Lukas put his hand on Min Ha-rin’s head.

***

“Master, Gerard has returned.”

Lukas raised his head at Nina’s words.

“Gerard?”

“Yes. The one I told you about last time…”

“Ah.”

Lukas nodded.

She was talking about the child she’d asked him to consider taking as a disciple.

“He should be heading to my office now to make his report… If it’s fine with you, can
you take a look at him now?”

“Did you tell him about me?”

“No. I didn’t say anything.”

Nina was considerate.

Lukas nodded, and a short moment after they entered the office, they heard a knock
on the door.

“Come in.”

With Nina’s permission, the door opened and a group of people walked into the
office.

There were a total of five people, three men, and two women. They were not clean,
so it seemed they had come to make their report before washing up.

A young man standing in the middle of the group smiled and bowed.

“President, Gerard and the four others are here to report our return.”

Gerard.

Lukas was able to recognise the fact that he was a Swordsman at a glance because of
his outfit, physique, and aura. In fact, he was a fairly strong Swordsman.

While he couldn’t be compared to Lee Jong-hak, he was comparable to Min Ha-rin

when she had still been a Swordsman.

In other words, this meant that he was comparable to a Titled Hunter.

Nina nodded.

“Good job. Was the mission difficult?”

“No. It was very rewarding.”

“Have a cup of tea.”

“I’m honoured.”

Despite just returning home from a long mission, he sat on the sofa in front of Lukas
without showing any tiredness.

When his eyes met with Lukas, who was sitting there, he smiled slightly and lowered
his head.

He was a polite young man. Thinking this, Lukas also bowed his head to him.

Soon, Nina also came to the sofa and took a seat.

“How was your mission?”

“It was difficult more because of the Demon Beasts than the nobles. There were
twice as many as reported. Fortunately, the local hunters helped us, so we were able
to get through it without taking much damage.”

“That’s good.”

It was then.

“One of them is injured.”

Lukas spoke.

Gerard and the rest turned to look at Lukas when he said those words.

“Huh?”

The one he was pointing to was the man on the far left.

In all honesty, it would have been more appropriate to call him a boy than a man.

The boy was slim, and at first glance, one might even mistake him for a pretty girl. He
had soft blonde hair, light blue eyes, white skin, gentle features, and an emotionless
expression that didn’t seem to suit his bright appearance.

“It’s just a few scratches. I’m fine.”

He answered in a calm tone, one unbefitting of his age.

Lukas looked at him for a moment before speaking.

“Your right arm has been corroded by demonic energy. It seems you only did simple
first aid, but if it’s not treated properly, you’ll probably have to amputate your arm. In
the worst case scenario, you could even lose your life.”

Gerard was shocked by those words.

“Oh, my God. Leo, is he telling the truth?”

“…yeah.”

“This is my failure as the team leader. I’m sorry I didn’t notice it before.”
“It’s fine.”

“If it hurts, you should’ve said it hurts.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think it was that bad.”

When the boy named Leo said that, Nina nodded.

“Leo, go wait in your room. I will send a priest to heal you immediately.”

“Understood.”

“The rest of you should go back as well. You can finish your report later. Take a good
rest today.”

“Thank you for your kindness.”

After bowing one last time, the group got up and left the room.

Silence fell upon the room for a moment, then Nina asked carefully.

“What do you think?”

Lukas replied after a moment of silence.

“He has a good aptitude.”

“Ah. You must have liked him. Gerard is an upright and sincere child. I’m also
satisfied with his strength…”

“I wasn’t talking about the child named Gerard.”

“Huh?”

Lukas sipped his coffee instead of responding.

It didn’t take long for Nina to realise who Lukas was talking about. This was because
he asked to view his file.

Leo Freeman.
This boy who always had a calm expression on his face was the one that Lukas
noticed.

He was British, 18 years old, and had no family.

He’d been a hunter for 3 years, and his current job was…

“Supporter?”

“Yes.”

“What is that?”

“Basically, his job is to provide assistance. He fills in the blanks in case of an

emergency, or he helps to ease the burden of a particular role. But that’s only for
emergency situations. Usually, he would be in charge of reconnaissance or carrying
the equipment.”

In other words, he was in charge of the chores.

Lukas grasped the essence of the Supporter role in an instant.

His eyes quickly skimmed over Leo’s file.

“He has some background in martial arts. It seems he was quite outstanding as well,
but he quit not long after starting. Then he learned swordsmanship, magic, and
sorcery, but he didn’t do those for long either…”

“That’s right. His aptitude as a hunter is below average, but his win rate in battles is
terrifying. I believe it’s about 90 percent.”

“…”

“It is said that he is particularly driven when it comes to fighting Demons. It also
seems that he chose to be a supporter because he was not acknowledged by
someone…”

Nina looked at Lukas who seemed to be lost in thought.

To be honest, she didn’t understand his interest in Leo.

Naturally, she also knew about Leo.

Once a month, she would stay up for an entire night going through the file of every
hunter.

In a way, Leo could be called outstanding. He had a monstrous win percentage. In

simulated battles against other humans, his win percentage was over 90 percent.

This meant that over the course of 10 battles, he would win 9 times.

And this win rate wasn’t because he fought opponents weaker than him. According
to the data, most of Leo’s opponents were stronger than him.

Nevertheless, it was stated clearly in the file that his aptitude as a hunter was
abysmal.

Lukas should have read that too. That was why she was curious as to why Lukas was
interested in Leo.

‘What does Master see in Leo?’

Nina held in her doubts as she continued to look at Lukas from the side.

After a while, Lukas placed the file onto the table and said.

“I need to see him in person.”

“Huh?”

Nina couldn’t help but tilt her head to the side.

Lukas went to Leo’s room where he was waiting.

Knock knock.

“Yeah.”

The door opened following the gentle call, revealing Leo.

His face was a bit dark, showing how tired he was after returning home from the
mission.

His expression changed to one of suspicion when he saw Lukas.

“You were the one in the office…”

“You can call me Lukas. I’ll be in charge of your treatment this time.”

“…ah. So you’re a priest.”

Leo nodded as if that made sense.

After all, it was natural for a priest to be able to tell that he was injured with nothing
but a glance.

Lukas dressed in a very free manner, and he didn’t have the religious zeal that one
usually felt from priests, but Leo didn’t pay much attention to that.

“…well. Something like that.”

Pretending to be a priest could be troublesome, so Lukas decided to gloss over it

roughly.

“Come in. I just got back, so it’s a bit messy.”

The room wasn’t very spacious. In fact, it was quite narrow. It had a structure similar
to a Gositel(1).

It was furnished with a bed, a desk, and a chair.

Contrary to what Leo said, the room wasn’t messy at all. In fact, it was quite clean
except for a little dust. This showed that the organisation kept it in order while he
was away.

‘It’s like an ascetic’s room.’

The books on the shelves and the simple training props in the corner seemed to
emphasise that feeling even more.

“Sit on the bed.”

“Okay.”

Lukas grabbed the only chair in the room and sat across from Leo.

“Stretch out your arm.”

Leo held out his arm as he was told.

When he saw his arm, Lukas frowned. His injury was much worse than he expected.

A large, grotesque black spot stretched from Leo’s elbow to his wrist. It was a bizarre
sight.

“You must be in a lot of pain…”

“I’m confident in my tolerance.”

“That’s not something to brag about.”

Leo flinched slightly when he heard Lukas’ harsh tone. He bowed his head and
murmured.

“…I’m sorry.”

Lukas sighed as if he didn’t want to hear it, and he started treating him.
Basically, the most reliable and efficient way to deal with an injury like this was to
cleanse the demonic energy that was embedded in the flesh.

There would have been almost no aftereffects if one were to use holy energy to burn
the demonic energy away.

But Lukas couldn’t use holy energy. Therefore, he simply sucked the demonic energy
into his body.

Juk- Juk-

If a real priest were to see this healing process, his jaw might have dropped in shock.
This was no different from curing poison by putting it in your own body.

“…”

Leo looked down at his arm curiously.

Although he wasn’t completely sure how purification worked, he had a vague feeling
that this was different from the usual process.

As he took the demonic energy out, Lukas spoke.

“How did you get this injury?”

“It was an attack from a Demon’s whip. The range was too wide, and the attack was
too fast for me to respond. It was Baron Doldor, the target of our mission.”

Barons weren’t very high-ranked Demons, but they were threats nonetheless.

It was a target that most hunters would be unable to defeat on their own.

“Couldn’t you have avoided it?”

“Huh?”

“You train your body extensively. You probably don’t miss a single day.”

Leo’s eyes widened.

“How did you know that?”

“I can tell just by looking at your physique. There is hardly any fat on your body. At
least you don’t have a body that suits the term ‘couldn’t respond’.”

“Thank you.”

Lukas looked down at Leo’s slightly bowed head and said.

“Is it a mental problem?”

Leo remained silent for a while before he finally opened his mouth.

“…are you British?”

It was a random question. However, it is something the Lukas had encountered quite
often since coming to this world.

As he slowly shook his head, he heard a soft voice.

“My family was exterminated by the Demons. I was the only survivor, and since then,
I’ve despised the Demons.”

While it was hard to bear, situations like that were quite common in this era. In this
day and age, there were very few people who hadn’t lost their families to the
Demons.

Nevertheless, Leo seemed to summarise his ordeal as though he was only a third
party who watched on from the side.

“I wanted to be a hunter. Fortunately, my talent wasn’t poor. I was even told that I
had an exceptional talent for martial arts. I felt that I was lucky. After all, the faster I
grew strong, the sooner I’d be able to kill the Demons.”

He trained for 3 years.

And on the day he turned 15, Leo participated in a subjugation mission.

“It was only then when I realised I had a major flaw.”

Lukas knew what that flaw was. After all, he’d already seen it in his file.

“Whenever I practice, my body is firm. But when I face Demons, I become so tense
that I can’t even move a finger. That’s why I haven’t been able to become a proper
hunter yet.”

“…”

“I don’t know if you believe me or not, but that’s why I was unable to avoid the whip.”

He had no reason to hide it.

Most of the hunters in the European Branch knew about Leo’s flaw.

That was because he had been in most hunter groups before.

“I heard that you’re a Supporter.”

“Yeah.”

“Normally, Supporters would be standing at the back during a battle against a noble.”

Lukas’ question had a deep meaning.

Why was a Supporter within the range of a noble?

“I told you, didn’t I? The whip’s range was long.”

Even Lukas couldn’t help but sigh when he received that answer.

“I don’t know why you’re lying to me.”

“Why do you think I’m lying?”

“There are a lot of bruises on your body.”

Leo was silent.

“I saw the mission record. The noble’s weapon was a whip while the rest of the
enemies were all Demon Beasts. If you had been injured by them, you would have
scratches or bite marks.”

“…”

“Those are injuries that could only be inflicted by other humans.”

They were bruises that occurred when someone was kicked or punched.

Lukas realised that besides the wound on his arm, which had been caused by the
whip, the rest of his injuries were like that.

Of course, it was possible that he had been punched or kicked by Demon Beasts, but
if that had been the case, he would not have suffered such minor injuries.

More importantly, he could feel deep malice in Leo’s wounds.

They were deliberately caused by a malicious person who wanted to cause as much
pain as possible without killing him.

“They made you the shield.”

That’s why he got the wound on his arm.

There was no need to say who they were.

Leo looked down at his arm for a while.

“Please keep it a secret.”

“Why?”

“They are the only group who will accept a guy like me. I really want to help defeat
the Demons. I beg you.”

As he said this, Leo bowed deeply.

This meant that he was willing to continue living his current life.

“It doesn’t matter if they beat me up. I can take it.”

By then, the treatment was completed.

Lukas stood to his feet and said.

“You’re pathetic.”

Leo blinked in surprise.

His voice was filled with contempt, which was completely different from the slightly
caring attitude he had been showing so far.

“The pain isn’t a problem? You can take it? Does saying that make you feel like you’re
making a great sacrifice?”

The sarcastic voice caused Leo’s expression to stiffen.

A mocking smile hung from Lukas’ lips.

“You’re really good at wrapping the fact that ‘you don’t have the courage to fight’ into
a nice little box. But don’t get it twisted. You’re nothing but a loser who is unable to
overcome his own flaws.”

“…what do you want me to do?”

Leo’s voice was filled with helplessness.

“I’ve done everything I could to cure the trauma. I’ve tried psychotherapy and taken
medicine. I thought that experiencing a shock while facing a Demon would help, so I
didn’t hesitate to bite my own tongue. And yet…”

And yet his body still wouldn’t move.

He could not even move a single finger.

When he faced a Demon, his entire body would become covered in cold sweat, his
vision would blur, and his entire body would go numb.

“So you’re saying that what you’re doing now is the answer? Are you pretending to
gain comfort in the fact that you can hunt Demons while satisfying the lowly desires
of that group?”
“…what do you know?”

“I know of a better way.”

Lukas muttered in a low voice.

“Of course, it won’t be easy. In fact, it will be dozens of times harder than everything
you’ve done up to this point. Perhaps living like you are now would be a better
choice in comparison. But if you don’t like the way things are now, if you have even
the slightest bit of dissatisfaction… Come to the 12th Training Room. I will wait there
until tomorrow morning.”

After saying those words, he left the room without turning around.

Leo looked at his back with gleaming eyes.

He could dismiss everything he’d just heard as bullshit from a person he’d only just
met who knew nothing about him. After all, he’d already been insulted countless
times.

He’d put up with it every time. In fact, at this point, it wasn’t even hard to do.

He knew how to ignore the criticism and contempt of others.

But he didn’t know why Lukas’ words shook his heart so much.

“…shit.”

No. Leo knew why.

He bit his lip hard.

***

“Magic Missile.”

Woowoong-

Three bluish projectiles appeared at the same time.

‘Great.’

Min Ha-rin clenched her fist.

It was now possible for her to cast three Magic Missiles at the same time.

“Hoo.”

But the moment she lost her focus, the Magic Missiles disappeared.

Min Ha-rin took a few sips of cold water and wiped her mouth before looking at the
door.

‘…he hasn’t been around lately.’

Her Master, in other words, Lukas, had been showing his face less and less over the
past few days.

Originally, he would come to give her advice two or three times a day, and sometimes
he even stayed the entire day, but lately, he would not show up for two or three days.

‘I’m not stuck on anything right now, but… ’

In all honesty, Lukas’ presence wasn’t absolutely necessary.

The increase of her mana capacity, which was what Min Ha-rin was currently
working on, was nothing but simple repetition, and there was nothing she didn’t
understand when she occasionally read the books.

In the first place, Min Ha-rin was very smart. She couldn’t speak for herself, but it
was rare for her to find someone smarter than she was.

Despite not having any learning difficulties, she still felt empty inside.

Was it because he wasn’t there?

“Mm…”

Min Ha-rin frowned.

No. She couldn’t do this.

This kind of dependence was not good, and it didn’t suit her.

Min Ha-rin mustered up her determination, but soon after that, her mind went blank
again.

She was currently in the European Branch Headquarters, so she had very few
acquaintances. Most of the hunters who had escaped with her had either returned to
their own branch or gone on missions.

And although Allida was still in the headquarters, she seemed to be very busy due to
the fact that she was a Wizard.

Nevertheless, she didn’t feel lonely.

This was because learning magic was fun, and she still had Lukas.

Lukas was the first real teacher she’d ever had. She still cared about his identity, but
after a few weeks, she’d grown to trust him.

He was reasonable and wise. And upright.

The last one was just her opinion, but she felt that it was the reason that Nina was so
respectful to him.

Of course, there were still problems. She didn’t know the proper distance to keep.

He was her first Master. And sometimes, she felt like he didn’t like her, so she was
unsure.

What kind of relationship was a master and student supposed to have? How polite
should she be? Would he mind if she played pranks on him?

If they got closer, maybe he might spoil her a bit…

After thinking this, Min Ha-rin couldn’t help but fan her face with her hand.

“…ah. Hot.”
Her eyes once again turned to the door.

However, the door didn’t budge, as though it had no intention of moving in the first
place.

(Note:

1. Gosiwon/Gositel is a form of housing that has been in South Korea for more than
40 years. It started as cheap, temporary accommodations for students who spend
years studying for difficult state and bar exams. The rooms are incredibly small,
sometimes to the extent of feeling suffocating.)
The fact that the Demons had killed his entire family wasn’t special. Leo also thought
so.

But for someone who’d witnessed the tragedy in person, it was a nightmare. The
hardest thing to overcome was their sorrow.

“…”

Leo lay on the bed and looked up at the ceiling.

Everything Lukas said was true.

He’d become like this because he was too weak to overcome himself. It was
something that he would have avoided thinking about for a long time, so he was
unable to control his emotions when he heard someone else say it.

‘I thought I’d buried my emotions long ago.’

Ironically, Leo had been living a dead life.

Lukas was right.

He ran away because he didn’t have the courage to fight back. He was a loser, who
couldn’t break past his own flaws, and a fool, who thought that he was sacrificing
himself for his goals.

However, the thing that touched his heart the most were the words that he was just
comforting himself.

Knock knock.

Then there was a knock on the door.

Leo had already figured out who it was, but he still got up and opened the door.
“Hi.”

It was Gerard.

He smiled and pointed at the room.

“Can I come in?”

Leo stepped away instead of answering.

Gerard didn’t hesitate to walk into the room. Then, he closed the door.

“Did you talk?”

At the same time, a cold voice sounded out.

Gerard stood in the room with a cold expression on his face. If there was anyone
there except Leo, they might have doubted their eyes and ears at that moment.

But Leo wasn’t surprised. He’d long known that this was Gerard’s true nature and
the nature of his team.

“No.”

He denied it.

It was a short question, but he could tell what he was talking about.

Leo had been treated by a completely different priest, or, to be precise, by someone
who wasn’t one of Gerard’s subordinates.

This was because Nina had noticed his injuries.

In other words, there was the risk that the bruises on his body would have been
noticed during the process of removing the demonic energy.

Gerard might have seen Lukas enter the room. No. He must have seen it.

And as soon as he noticed him leaving, he came to check on Leo.

“Right.”

Gerard responded in a dry tone. It seemed that he didn’t think Leo would lie to him.

Gerard flopped onto the bed as though he was the owner of the room.

“I like the relationship we have right now, Leo.”

Lee didn’t respond to his words again, but Gerard continued to talk like he didn’t
care.

“In a world like this, I feel stressed just by breathing. And it builds up so much that I
can no longer hold it in. So at first, I vented my frustrations on small animals and
stuff like that. Like cats and dogs. Their screams were really satisfying at first, but I
grew bored of it after a while. They were too weak. That’s why… I was so happy
when you said you wanted to join our group.”

A wide smile appeared on Gerard’s face.

“You are strong. Although you’re weaker than me, you’re stronger than most
hunters.”

He was telling the truth.

Gerard had the talent and strength to rank around the top among hunters his age,
and most Titled Hunters had great interest in him.

Nina, the Branch President, was no exception.

Above all, Gerard was older than Leo.

They had fought numerous times, but Leo had never been able to defeat him.

“When you, like a doll, don’t do anything and let me beat you up… Do you know how
excited I feel? It’s like you were a toy that God created just for me.”

He didn’t know. He wasn’t even curious.

Leo remained silent.

“Our interests match perfectly. You get the sense of accomplishment of killing
Demons while I get pleasure and stress relief. I hope this relationship can last for a
long time.”

Gerard laughed at the silent Leo.

“That’s all. Make sure you heal your bruises quickly. As your group leader, I worry
about you.”

With that, Gerard left the room.

Leo remained in the same spot.

‘Comforting myself… ’

Leo didn’t kill Demons.

He was just a member of a group who killed Demons. He had tricked himself into
seeing it differently.

He thought that he had a stake because he helped the group slay Demons. But how
could he not know that it was just a delusion?

Did his support really help them kill the Demons?

Were there any missions that would not have been successful without him?

What exactly did Leo Freeman really want?

‘A loser who couldn’t break past his own flaws.’

As soon as he remembered Lukas’ words, the bruises on his body began throbbing
fiercely.

It was like the senses in his body had only returned at that moment, and the pain
was unbearable.

“Kuh…”

Nevertheless, Leo endured the pain.

With a staggering gait, he left his room.

Of course, he didn’t go looking for a priest like Gerard said.

***

Lukas felt that there was a high chance Leo would come to him.

But he never expected him to show up after just one hour.

“…”

Leo didn’t say anything. It seemed that he was waiting for Lukas to speak first.

He was still covered in bruises. Lukas felt that it would have been better if he’d come
after being treated.

‘No.’

He looked into Leo’s eyes and thought. It didn’t really matter.

“Have you had a change of heart?”

“…”

“Well. That’s good. Get ready.”

“…ready?”

For what?

Leo didn’t continue to ask.

This was because Lukas removed his coat and took a stance.

It was the first time he’d seen such a stance in his life, but Leo immediately realised
what it was.

Lukas had taken a martial arts stance.

“Do you want to fight me? With martial arts?”

Leo’s voice had a tinge of absurdity in it.

Lukas didn’t look like a Warrior. Just as he had looked at his physique and figured out
his strength, Leo had done the same to Lukas.

He didn’t have a trained body.

More importantly, didn’t he say that he was a priest?

As soon as he thought that, Lukas’ murmur appeared in his mind.

‘…well. Something like that.’

…Now that he thought about it, Lukas had never affirmed that he was a priest.

‘Still.’

Leo was well aware of his own capabilities when it came to fighting humans. If it was
a 1-on-1 battle under equal conditions, he was confident that he wouldn’t be pushed
around even by the most talented fighters.

At least he didn’t think he could lose to a skinny man like this.

Taht.

Suddenly, Lukas kicked off from the ground.

There was no need for him to panic because it was a telegraphed attack. But Leo’s
gaze changed when he saw the speed of the charge.

It was much faster than he expected.

Leo hurriedly drew upon his ki.

‘The right.’

He leaned back and avoided Lukas’ fist.

Swoosh-

The tip of his chin was stung by the wind generated by the punch.

“…!”

After a brief moment of surprise, Leo’s expression became serious.

It wasn’t just speed. Lukas’ fist also contained a lot of destructive power.

He didn’t know where he was hiding such strength in his skinny body, but Leo knew
that if he didn’t take this seriously, he might suffer an unexpected blow.

‘A Monk?’

Among all the classes, their close-combat capabilities were said to be the best. Only
those who had undergone strict internal screening and difficult trials could become
Monks, so it could be considered an elite class.

It wouldn’t be strange for a Monk to be good in both healing and fighting.

‘However… ’

Bluish energy rose up like a haze around Lukas’ body.

It wasn’t ki. Nor was it holy power.

As far as Leo knew, there was only one bluish energy.

‘Mana.’

Martial arts using mana?

He’d never heard of it before.

This was natural. While Lukas had spread numerous abilities around this world, he
had not spread Magical Martial Arts.

There were several reasons for this, but the main reason was that this world already
had its own martial arts system.
In particular, Lukas was impressed by the ancient Chinese martial arts.

They had learned to use martial arts based on their ki, and their system was so
established that they didn’t need the martial arts from another world.

Unlike the lack of knowledge of magic, the various martial arts styles and techniques
were firmly embedded in this world. There was no need to spread martial arts.

But for Leo, who obviously didn’t know that, Lukas’ movements were a mystery.

‘I’ll think about it later.’

Leo’s gaze sharpened.

His waist, which had been nearly bent in half, became straight in an instant. He used
nothing more than his flexibility to correct his stance.

His entire body throbbed because of his bruises and tiredness, but he endured it.

And naturally, he launched a counterattack.

Leo’s fists shot forward quickly.

Papapa.

He unleashed a series of quick, powerful attacks in an instant.

Lukas dodged all of the attacks before he grabbed Leo’s fist after the last punch.

Taht!

But at that moment, Leo leapt off the floor and kicked towards Lukas’ stomach as
though he’d expected this.

Unable to withstand the shock, Lukas’ body slid backwards.

His eyes shined.

‘His reactions are good.’

He made no unnecessary movements, and his balance was solid.

Above all, he was extremely calm. That calmness would become this child’s greatest
weapon.

But only if he could maintain it under any circumstances.

Unlike Lukas, who had a soft smile on his lips, Leo’s expression was stiff.

‘It’s like kicking a lump of iron.’

If it wasn’t for his ki, he might have broken his toe. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop him
from taking advantage of the situation.

Taht!

Leo quickly closed the distance and continued his attacks.

He mainly used his fists, and every attack was aimed at a vital spot. Because the
connection and flow between his attacks was smooth and clear, it would be hard to
retake the initiative after it was lost.

‘I have the flow.’

Although he thought this, Leo couldn’t hide his nervousness.

He’d launched over a dozen attacks, but let alone a decisive blow, he could not even
inflict a scratch.

Lukas avoided most of his attacks, and for the ones that he blocked, it made Leo feel
like he was hitting a wall instead of a person.

By then, Lukas had finished judging Leo.

‘He should be a Second Class Warrior.’

This was extremely impressive considering his age. Even with the flaw in his mind,
he was looking forward to how far Leo could go when he was given an environment
in which he could focus.
“Huk…”

Lukas sucked in a breath.

Just as Leo started to feel uncomfortable.

Kwak!

“…!”

Leo’s vision flipped, and he found himself lying on the floor.

It was a good thing that the training room had padded flooring, or he might have
gotten a concussion.

Leo stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment before realising that the fight had
been decided in an instant.

‘Was he testing me?’

This fact was hard for him to accept.

As he stared blankly at the ceiling, he heard Lukas’ voice.

“First of all, we’ll start with breaking your delusion.”

“…delusion? You mean me?”

“Right. You have the delusion that Demons are the most fearsome beings in the
world.”

Lukas looked down at Leo as he spoke.

“My old friend once tried to make someone, who was similar to you, his disciple. He
wasn’t able to finalise the relationship, but, at least, he managed to fix their mental
trauma.”

Leo didn’t think that that could apply to him, but he was curious.

“How did they overcome it?”

“They didn’t overcome it.”

“Huh?”

“They simply learned that there were things even more frightening than what they
were afraid of. That’s all.”

Lukas chuckled.

“Stand up, Leo Freeman, catch your breath, and take your stance. Your last break for
today has ended.”

At that moment, Leo felt that something was wrong.

“From today on, you will learn that Demons aren’t the thing you need to fear.”
“That’ll be all for today.”

When Lukas said those words, Leo collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been
cut.

“Huk…! Huk…!”

His entire body shook heavily like tree leaves in a strong breeze. His lungs felt like
they would have climbed up his throat just so that they could fill themselves with the
air they desperately desired.

How much did he sweat? His throat was parched.

He was so exhausted that his body felt like a dried carcass in a desert. If his sweat
were to dry at this moment, he was half sure that salt flakes would fall like when sea
water evaporated.

Leo had never neglected even a day of training in his life. He always tried his best
when training, and if he felt that there was something lacking, he wouldn’t hesitate
to push his body even further.

But today’s training with Lukas was different.

It wasn’t just his body. Lukas persistently and brutally attacked his mind as well.

“Move! Use your head! Don’t stop thinking!”

“Fool! Is that the only thing you could’ve thought of after squeezing your brain? Do
you really think that’s the best choice?”

“Why didn’t you reach your arm out? You shrank away from something as simple as a
shake of a hand.”

Lukas didn’t miss even the smallest mistakes. And Leo couldn’t refute him because
nothing he said was wrong.
Leo grit his teeth and constantly look for better moves, but he was always met with
harsh criticism.

He had felt that he didn’t have a weak will in front of anything but the Demons, but
after listening to that constant abuse for an entire night, his brain felt like a wet rag.

But… it was still worth it.

The most terrible part was what came at the end.

“Focus from now on. If you can’t endure it and pass out… I’ll kill you.”

With those words, Lukas’ aura changed.

Kung—

“…!!”

The invisible pressure that Lukas exuded seemed to penetrate his entire body. Not
just his skin and muscles, even his internal organs could feel it.

Even breathing became painful.

His entire body shook.

Fear similar to when he faced a Demon filled his body. No. It might have even been
greater.

‘Die. I’m going to die. He will tear me to pieces and kill me… ’

The only thought resounding in his head was his inevitable death.

Lukas didn’t move.

He just stood in place and released his aura.

But that alone was enough to make Leo panic.

Clatter.
The shaking got worse. He felt like his brain was slowly melting. It was like lava was
flowing around his skull.

His thoughts had already gone blank. He didn’t even know if he was still standing.

How long had it been? How much longer did he have to endure this torture?

‘Hu-, huk… ’

He couldn’t breathe.

He’d reached the limit.

Leo’s face gradually began to turn white.

— He would really… die…

Just as Leo’s eyes were about to roll back into his skull.

Shuk.

The pressure disappeared.

Leo’s body collapsed to the ground and became what it was now.

“Huk, huk…”

His breathing still hadn’t calmed, but Lukas spoke briefly.

“Today is just a taste.”

“…”

“I will increase the intensity tomorrow. And the next day. And the next.”

Fear blossomed on Leo’s face.

When he saw this boy looking up at him with an expression of fear, Lukas felt a
thread of sympathy in his heart, but his voice was still cold.
“If you don’t return by midnight, I’ll take it that you’ve given up.”

Then, he left the room.

He didn’t give any comfort or encouragement. What Leo Freeman needed was not
warmth.

He was a wildflower. The harsher the winds blew, the more barren the ground was,
the more violent his environment, the more beautifully he would bloom.

‘And.’

Lukas’ gaze sank.

He had to go to a very important place now.

***

There was an unprecedented scene in the Chinese Branch of the Hunter

Association’s Headquarters in Beijing, China.

Most of the association’s heroes who represented East Asia had gathered in the
conference room, which could seat hundreds of people.

In terms of influence, the people in this room were completely mind-blowing.

The Great Shaolin Master, Warrior Nun(1), and Sword Saint of Mount Hua.

Hwarang(2) Leader, Heaven and Earth Fighter, and Bow God.

Ying Yang Warrior, Beastman, The Black Armor General, etc…

(TL: I decided to translate the names since you wouldn’t really understand if I just
romanised them, that’s why some of them sound strange.)

They were all representatives of the different regions, and they were heroes who
received explosive support from the hunters and the public.

And there were two exceptionally young and extremely powerful beings among
these heroes.
Heavenly Dragon, Kim Go-hyuk, and the Earthly Dragon, Kano Aya.

Two of the Three Dragons who protected East Asia were attending the meeting.

The Heavenly Dragon, Kim Go-hyuk, looked around and grinned.

“Hey. This is quite the sight. What’s going on? Are we picking the East Asia team for
an All-Star Game?”

“If we really were called here for such a stupid thing, I’ll punch someone. I pushed
aside my busy schedule to come here. I had to cross a sea.”

While Aya grumbled, Kim Go-hyuk looked around before tilting his head to the side.

“I don’t see Lee Jong-hak. I heard he’s still alive, so why didn’t he come? There’s no
way he wasn’t called as well.”

Without him, it felt like something was missing.

In fact, that was simply the impact that Lee Jong-hak had on those around him.

“It’s said that he’s currently on a mission in Europe. He’s always wanted to be on the
frontlines, and now, he can do it under the guise of repaying his debts. So he’s like a
fish in water.”

“Oho, that guy’s a real hero. No wonder he easily took first place in the East Asia
Popularity vote.”

“What the hell is that?”

“Haven’t you seen the questionnaire? For your information, you’re 4th place. I’m
12th, so I think I need to improve my look.”

“I don’t think that’s why your ranking is so low.”

Kim Go-hyuk simply chuckled when Aya spoke in a sarcastic voice.

Then the door opened and an old man appeared. The chatter in the room
disappeared in an instant.
At first, they couldn’t recognize him because his appearance was very different from
the last time they saw him.

The Great Shaolin Master couldn’t help but mutter in a soft voice.

“President Cha Gung-hwan?”

Only then did these people realise that this old man was Cha Gung-hwan, President
of the Chinese Branch.

‘What’s going on?’

Aya frowned.

It had only been a few months since she last saw him, but he’d aged so much it was
like a few years had passed instead.

Gone was the impression of a strong middle-aged man. Instead, he only looked like
an old man who was about to cross over to the other side at any moment.

It wouldn’t be a lie to say that everyone’s attention was focused on Cha Gung-hwan,
whose expression was abnormally tense.

“Thank you for putting aside your busy schedules to come here today. Not everyone
could make it, but I think we have roughly everyone we need.”

“This is the second time the President has called for an emergency meeting. What
the hell happened?”

When the Nun asked this question in a blunt tone, Cha Gung-hwan responded with a
slightly shadowed face.

“He will tell you the details.”

“…!!”

At that moment, most of the heroes seated in the room leapt from their seats.

“What the hell?!”

“Since when…?”

Cha Gung-hwan pointed to a place that should’ve been empty, but when they looked,
a man was sitting there.

It was a man with blue hair and an emotionless expression.

He looked at those who’d gotten up before saying.

“Sit.”

Thud—

“Huk!”

“Kuk…”

Those who had jumped to their feet were forced to sit down, as though pressed by an
invisible force.

All those who were gathered there were those who wouldn’t be frightened by high-
ranking Demon nobles but who would instead draw their swords with great spirit.
But now, they had been forced to sit with one word from a man whose identity was
still unknown.

There were some who grit their teeth and tried to withstand the pressure, but they
didn’t last very long. This was because it felt like their bodies would crumble if they
resisted any further.

The man then spoke in a cold voice.

“From today on, you’ll obey me.”

“Who are you?”

When the Sword Saint asked this in a forced voice, the man spoke nonchalantly.

“Nodiesop. I don’t want much from you. Obey me, and I will lead your people-”

“You son of a bitch…!”

Nodiesop turned to the man who cut him off.

It was the Black Armor General. He was a man who wore large black armor that
didn’t reveal even a bit of skin. He was one of Japan’s greatest heroes, and he was
known for his exceptional sword skills.

Cha Gung-hwan hurriedly tried to restrain him with a pale face.

“Black Armor General! Stop!”

“It’s you who should stop! President Cha Gung-hwan. Who is this man? Did you just
call us here to have him insult us?!”

The Black Armor General spoke in a fiery tone.

“Answer me! Who are you?!”

“I am Nodiesop.”

“I was asking about your identity, not your name!”

Nodiesop stared at the Black Armor General.

After a while, a soft smile appeared on his lips.

“My identity? Fine. Since you want to know, I will show you.”

“Y-, you can’t! Stop! Nodiesop!”

Cha Gung-hwan desperately tried to stop him, but it was too late.

“U-, uk… urk…”

“Wh-, what’s going on?”

‘What are you doing?”

Pujik, pujik, pujik…

An eerie sound could be heard from within the armor.

They didn’t know what was happening inside it.

Pop!

Suddenly, following a popping sound, the Black Armor General fell to his knees.

Blood trickled from the gaps in the armor.

“H-, he’s dead!”

“Shit…!”

Despite the threat of death, the heroes glared at Nodiesop.

But that was all. As if they had been bound by an invisible force, they still couldn’t
move their bodies.

“What the hell did you do?”

“Didn’t he ask who I was? I just told him.”

Thud—

It was at that moment when the armor, which had still been maintaining a human
shape, fell into pieces.

“Mm!”

“Such a thing…”

The Black Armor General within the armor had become a ball of blood. His entire
body had exploded like a balloon.

‘He became like this just for asking his identity?’

Aya’s expression became hard.

She tried to calm her pounding heart.

In her opinion, Nodiesop was way more powerful than any Demon she had ever
encountered. His power completely surpassed human perception.

But it was Cha Gung-hwan’s expression that truly caught her attention. He bowed his
head beside Nodiesop with a sorrowful look on his face.

‘Is this the reason Cha Gung-hwan called us here?’

To make them submit to that man?

“What do you want?”

It was the Great Shaolin Master who spoke in a heavy tone.

Nodiesop responded as though he was waiting for this question.

“I want you to find a man. It would be good if you could bring him to me, but if that’s
impossible, just telling me his location would suffice.”

“A man…? Who are you talking about?”

Nodiesop spoke with a cold expression on his face.

“Lukas Trowman.”

(Note:

1. Nun in this case is referring to a female monastic in buddhism, or a ‘Bhikkhuni’. As

Bhikkhuni or Buddhist Nun are quite the mouthful, I settled for nun.

2. Hwarang was basically a group of youth(usually handsome) from ancient Silla(one

of the past Korean kingdoms) who were trained under the guise of strengthening
their body and mind. But in truth, the main purpose of the group was to train highly
capable soldiers.)
Katherine gulped.

She’d already done it several times, but every time she did it, she felt nervous.

“I brought food.”

“…”

“…I’ll leave it here.”

The woman with pitch-black hair was leaning against a wall with one arm wrapped
around the huge scythe.

Looking at Katherine who put down the plate of food and stepped back, she spoke
softly.

“I told you that I don’t need it.”

Katherine flinched and trembled. She bowed and shook her head.

“I-, I’m sorry.”

“Go away.”

“Yes…”

But there was a reason why Katherine was so polite to this woman.

Most of Northern Ireland had fallen into the hands of the Demons. That’s what Uncle
Freddy, a survivor, had told her. He had a radio, which allowed him to have a basic
understanding of the situation around them.

This city might have been the only safe place in Northern Ireland, no, in the entirety
of Great Britain.
Katherine knew why.

It was all thanks to this woman. She’d killed all of the Demons and Demon Beasts in
the city.

She didn’t know who she was or why she didn’t kill any humans, but Katherine was
certain of one thing.

It was only because of her that she and her brother Tom were still alive.

She preferred to be alone.

Katherine knew that.

She didn’t like talking to her more than twice a day.

Katherine headed outside. She intended to go to Uncle Freddy to exchange for food
and to get some more information.

But Katherine’s little plan was broken before it could’ve even started.

There was someone standing in front of her house.

“Ah…”

It was a man with light blonde hair.

Katherine knew most of the people in the city. But she’d never seen this man before.

However, this man felt strangely familiar.

After a while, Katherine was able to recognise why.

The black-haired woman in the house. He reminded her of her.

When their eyes met, the man smiled faintly as if to reassure Katherine.

“Did I startle you?”

“N-, no…”
“Right. That’s good… I would like to ask you a question.”

“Okay.”

“Can I ask who is in this house?”

The man was pointing to Katherine’s house.

“My younger brother and our benefactor.”

The benefactor who saved the entire city.

That’s what the survivors called the black-haired woman. The fact that she was
staying in Katherine’s house wasn’t really something to hide, so she revealed it
gently.

“…benefactor.”

At those words, the man mumbled like he’d heard something unexpected before
saying.

“Can you call her?”

“O-, our benefactor doesn’t like to move.”

“Tell her Lukas is here. She’ll come out right away.”

“There’s no need.”

Katherine trembled.

When she turned around, she found that the woman, who had not taken a single step
out of the room after entering it, was standing there.

With a bright smile that didn’t match her dark appearance.

“You came sooner than I expected.”

“You scattered your aura around so much that I couldn’t help but come.”
There was no need to look closely. External Force surrounded her body, the only
power that allowed one to move freely in the multiverse and a power that a
transcendent being would have never been able to imitate.

Decades after coming to this world. Lukas was finally meeting a being on the same
level as him.

***

“…”

Katherine glanced nervously at the room.

It had been quite a while since Lukas and the black-haired woman had gone in there.

Did they know each other? It didn’t seem that way.

However, when the two met, a strange tension seemed to emerge.

‘What are they talking about?’

Although she was curious, she didn’t dare to eavesdrop.

Katherine could only sit in a corner, waiting quietly while her anxiety slowly built up.

***

The two Absolutes sat with an old wooden table between them.

Technically speaking, Lukas hadn’t found the Absolute sitting in front of him. She had
deliberately released her aura and led him to her.

As soon as she’d entered this world, she spread her presence across the entire
continent. Then she waited.

Because she knew Lukas would come.

It was a smart decision.

After all, Lukas wanted to protect this world at all costs.

This was her summons.

If he hadn’t responded, there was no telling what disasters would have followed.

“Sedi.”

When Lukas looked at her with a puzzled gaze, she continued.

“My name, but I think you might’ve known it already.”

“…I knew it.”

While it was his first time meeting her in person, Lukas had heard about her before.

“You did? Hmm.”

Woowoong-

The scythe resonated softly with Sedi’s hum.

Lukas’ eyes narrowed.

Naturally, this scythe wasn’t an ordinary weapon.

Maybe it was a Soul Weapon.

A transcendent weapon that embodied the power of an Absolute.

“I came to make an offer.”

“Kiki.”

While Lukas glanced at the scythe, Sedi shook her head.

“You’re predictable. Just like Nodiesop said.”

“…”

“So, is that all you wanted to say?”

Sedi was indirectly saying that she had no intention of talking.

“You are called [Battle Fanatic].”

“That’s right, Madman.”

Her tone became cold.

“So what? I’m barely holding myself back at the moment, so please don’t say
anything stupid, okay? Ah, of course, I really do want to see how strong you truly are,
Madman, but…”

Sedi’s voice became lower and lower. Apart from that, a fierce aura seemed to be
trying to burst out of her body.

The entire house began to shake.

“The person I serve wants you dead. And that has a lot more priority than my little
desires. Plus I really don’t want to stay in this measly universe for very long. The
longer I stay here, the more irritated I feel.”

Her reaction was much more hostile than Lukas expected.

Nevertheless, Lukas’ expression remained unchanged. If he had thought that it

would have been impossible to negotiate with her, he wouldn’t have done something
as crazy as coming directly to her.

The most important thing was what would happen next.

“The Great Game.”

“…”

When she heard those words, Sedi’s aura faded a little. Her expression also changed.

“As early as a year and at latest a few years. A Great Game will begin in this universe.”

“…bullshit. Even if you are a Lord, there is no way you’d be able to know the exact
timing. Only the four Rulers and God could know.”
Sedi’s expression was strange as she refuted his words.

“What if I told you that I heard it directly from the Lightning God?”

“…”

Those words couldn’t be dismissed as bullshit.

Sedi knew that this universe was currently being protected by the Lightning God. As
a result, the other Rulers could not easily interfere and other Absolutes were unable
to enter.

She too would not have been able to enter if she had been even a step too slow.

Huk.

Her aura disappeared. In other words, Sedi had agreed to sit at the negotiation table.

“…so? What does the Great Game have to do with your offer?”

“Nothing special. When that time comes, we will work together.”

“It seems you know what the Great Game is.”

Of course, he didn’t know. It could be said that he didn’t know anything but the
name.

But Sedi was the same.

Just as she’d said. Only the four Rulers and God knew about the Great Game.

In a sense, the four Rulers were enemies. So they would never help each other.

The balance in the multiverse could have only been attained when the four Rulers
maintained their existence as independent concepts.

If these cosmic beings were to work together, the order of the multiverse would be
disrupted just by that mere fact.

And if such a thing were to happen, then the aftermath would affect every single
universe.

So Lukas bluffed.

“Well.”

“…”

Sedi’s eyes were filled with suspicion.

But that alone was a sign of half success.

‘This universe is currently being guarded by the Lightning God.’

Interference from the other Rulers was impossible. In other words, Sedi couldn’t ask
or consult with the Ruler she served about this matter.

She couldn’t think about Lukas’ proposal and make a judgement on her own.

This fact alone was Lukas’ greatest advantage.

He only needed to persuade Sedi, who was in front of him, not the Ruler behind her.

‘I just need to buy myself at least half a year.’

He grasped this thread.

If he was able to buy that time, he would have a way to fight against the Absolutes
without needing to limit his own power.

Of course, this method came with risks, but it was much better than the alternatives.

“It would be impossible for you to work together with another Absolute. Unless you
both serve the same Ruler.”

The Rulers usually had such an influence on those who followed them. At least,
Lukas had never seen Absolutes who served different Rulers working together.

But Lukas was an exception.

As long as he didn’t follow anyone, he could cooperate with any Absolute depending
on the circumstances.

It was a rare advantage granted to him by his isolation.

“To get rid of me or to get a Ruler under them. Which outcome do you think your
Ruler would prefer?”

Forming an alliance didn’t mean that one would definitely become a Ruler. But it was
clear that the odds would increase.

“…”

Sedi furrowed her eyebrows as she agonised over Lukas’ words. She even let out an
audible groan.

Unlike the cold impression, it seemed that she had a simple side.

Then she suddenly raised her head and asked.

“By the way, you…”

“What is it?”

“Do you have the confidence to handle the other two guys who came here?”

Lukas chuckled.

“Thanks.”

“What are you talking about?”

“So three Absolutes entered this universe.”

“…ah.”

Sedi made a face. Then she glared at Lukas with an unfair look in her eyes, but Lukas
expertly avoided her gaze.

Among the Absolutes, there was a surprisingly large amount of such simple people.
Their minds were worn away by an eternity of repetitive work.

So while this side of Sedi was unexpected, it wasn’t surprising.

“…you mean bastard.”

“…”

Mm.

Lukas was surprised by her accusation for a moment, but he soon collected himself
and answered her question.

“It would be difficult for me alone. However…”

When he glanced at her, Sedi let out a laugh.

“I don’t intend to help you with that.”

Well. Maybe he was hoping for too much. For Lukas, the fact that she wouldn’t do
anything was already good enough.

“…”

Sedi agonised for a moment longer. Then, as if she’d thought of something, her
expression brightened.

“I can give you some information.”

“Information?”

“Yeah. But there are conditions.”

“What is it?”

“You can’t kill any more Demons in the future.”

“…”

Lukas looked carefully at Sedi when he heard those words.

Her appearance, the essence of her aura, and her Soul Weapon.

And now, the remark to not kill the Demons.

It was like the image of a Ruler appeared behind Sedi at that moment.

“The Black Horned Demon God. That’s the Ruler you serve.” (TL: As mentioned in the
comments, the fact that there is another ‘Demon King’ in the world currently might
cause some confusion. So the Ruler is now ‘Demon God’.)

Sedi nodded. It seemed she had no intention of hiding it.

But Lukas asked in confusion.

“The humans here call you benefactor. Didn’t you kill every Demon and Demon Beast
in this city?”

“If they can’t recognise the level of their opponent and jump into battle like fools,
then they’re worthless.”

It seemed she valued smart subjects. Lukas had identified one of Sedi’s traits.

Perhaps it was for this same reason that she didn’t kill the humans in this city. The
humans in this city had unknowingly gained a safe haven that was even better than
the United States across the ocean.

“In any case. I don’t care about the humans you raised, but you can’t move
personally.”

Her request wasn’t particularly difficult.

Lukas had no intention of revealing his strength for the time being. He wanted to
hide his existence as much as possible.

Even this face-to-face meeting with Sedi was a big gamble for Lukas. However, the
more they talked, the higher the possibility of negotiation. And he’d just become
even more convinced.

When he realised that she was serving the Demon God.

‘This universe has the potential to become one of the Demon God’s realms.’

Of course, Lukas would never tolerate such a situation, but the other side might have
different thoughts. The Demons, these creatures who had been created by the
Demon God, had already swallowed about half of the land in this world.

He couldn’t tell about the Demon God’s thoughts, but his subordinate, Sedi, would
surely consider this world as a ‘universe to protect’.

But the other Absolutes were different.

Lukas wasn’t sure what they would do. He could only hope that they were conscious
of their identities as Absolutes.

So he wouldn’t touch them for the time being. He would try to avoid them as much as
possible until they realised what was going on.

“Understood.”

Lukas accepted Sedi’s offer.

But they both knew that this alliance was as strong as wet paper. But for now, at
least, it was beneficial to work together.

“Then our alliance is formed.”

Crack!

A large scythe came to a stop in the air right in front of Lukas. He’d released a barrier
to stop Sedi’s attack.

Even though he’d put quite a bit of mana into the barrier, it still creaked as the scythe
pressed against it while unleashing dark energy.

“What are you doing?”

“This is my last condition.”

A large smile blossomed on Sedi’s face.

“Let’s loosen our bodies a little. I’ll control my power. I won’t use any force beyond
what this universe can handle.”

Both sides would fight while restraining themselves.

He couldn’t refuse it.

He could tell just by looking at Sedi’s face.

Lukas sighed.
Lukas returned to the 12th Training Room. As soon as he opened the door and
stepped inside, he heard a familiar voice.

“You’re back.”

It was Leo.

There was still time to spare, but it seemed that he had been waiting there for a
while already.

Lukas looked at Leo and said.

“What about your injuries?”

“I went to get them treated.”

“What about a break?”

“I rested enough.”

The answers came back smoothly in a clear voice.

Lukas then asked the most important question.

“Are you ready?”

“I am.”

The answer came once again without any wasted words. Leo’s firm resolve could be
heard in his voice.

Lukas smiled faintly.

Leo’s willpower was exceptional when one looked at it objectively. The fear he felt
when facing Demons was enough to drive normal people crazy. If he really was a
coward, then he wouldn’t have dared to confront the Demons at all.

But Leo faced his fear. He faced it and looked for ways to overcome it.

Nevertheless, he became desperate and lost because he couldn’t find a clear solution.

Then, just as he was about to give everything up, he saw hope.

It was impossible to describe the joy Leo had felt at that time. Lukas’s harsh training
might have made his body and mind feel like they were about to break, but on the
other hand, his mind felt more comfortable than ever.

Leo’s face said so.

“From today on, call me Master.”

“…”

Leo froze for a moment before bowing his head. His shoulders shook slightly.

“Yes, Master.”

Then he raised his head again and spoke, his expression changing.

“…umm.”

“What is it?”

“This might be rude to ask, but…”

He looked at Lukas’ body and continued.

“Are you okay, Master?”

“…”

Lukas sighed.

To be honest, he wasn’t okay.

 ***

A week passed.

During that period, Lukas focused only on Leo’s training.

They touched upon numerous fields, but the main focus was martial arts. If the
foundation wasn’t right, then it would have been meaningless no matter how
beautiful the building that was built on it was.

“Huk, huk…”

Today’s training had just ended.

Leo panted like he was about to die.

Only a week had passed, but his cheeks had become thin and bruises covered his
entire body. His body had become like this even though he received treatment every
day.

Although he looked haggard, Lukas was more fond of him now than he was a week
ago. That’s because his eyes were alive.

“We’ll stop here.”

“Puha!”

As if he had been waiting for those words, Leo’s body collapsed.

Nevertheless, he didn’t relax his respectful attitude as he kept his breathing as quiet
as possible so he wouldn’t disturb his Master.

Lukas had told him that he could just lie down without caring about such courtesy,
but Leo seemed strict in this regard.

After a while, Leo, who had calmed his breathing to an extent, opened his mouth.

“The Warrior King Fist that I use seems to feel different from Master’s.”

Lukas was teaching Leo the Warrior King Fist.

Of course, he didn’t ask Leo to forget or disregard the martial arts he’d learned
before. It wasn’t something that he’d be able to easily forget anyway, and it was
better to use martial arts with which he was familiar.

But Lukas hoped that Leo would have been able to combine the two martial arts and
eventually mix them completely to create his own martial art.

Of course, such a task would not be easy.

“I modified it to suit your body. Your physique is smaller than the average man’s. Was
there anything that made you uncomfortable?”

Lukas’ voice was slightly worried as he asked this. After becoming an Absolute, he’d
gained extensive knowledge in various fields. Martial arts was one of them.

But apart from gaining deep knowledge, Lukas didn’t have much confidence in
himself.

That’s because he had no affection for martial arts. It could be said that he’d just
absorbed the knowledge.

This was due to the fact that he’d already devoted his life to Magical Science.

Martial arts wasn’t something that one could have dig into and see the end of with a
flimsy mindset. It was impossible even for Lukas.

Fortunately, Leo shook his head.

“No. But I heard that it was impossible to modify an established martial art unless
you were at least a Master.”

Leo’s eyes were filled with respect and reverence.

His face was still expressionless, but his eyes shined like stars.

“…as expected, Master is a great person.”

“…”

In all honesty, Lukas hadn’t expected Leo to react like this.

He was fully prepared to be somewhat resented by this boy. Unlike Min Ha-rin, he
was pushing himself forward without hesitation.

For Leo, this training was closer to torture.

At the same time, he rarely said words of praise, and usually, all he did was give
advice that was closer to criticism.

Nevertheless, at some point, Leo began to show him respect. Maybe Lukas’ shock
therapy was working. Or maybe it was because Leo thought it was.

‘He must be curious about me.’

By now, Leo must have realised that Lukas was no ordinary Priest or Monk.
Nevertheless, he never mentioned anything about his identity. And he never showed
any signs of curiosity.

Since Leo acted in such a way, Lukas didn’t bring it up, either. In any case, he would
naturally find out on his own someday.

Instead, there was something more important for Leo right now.

“What are you going to do about Gerard? He won’t let you go.”

Leo’s expression became serious at those words.

“I will have to deal with it sooner or later.”

“Have you thought of any countermeasures?”

“Yes. I’m going to defeat him in an official duel. And I’ll have a qualified person be the
judge. If he loses the duel in front of an audience, he will understand.”

Lukas nodded before speaking in a firm voice.

“I won’t interfere.”

“Thank you.”

“It won’t be easy for you to win. Even if you follow my training perfectly, it would still
take you a month before you’re ready.”

Leo seemed to think about something for a moment before speaking in a firm voice.

“Then I’ll defeat Gerard within two weeks.”

He wasn’t bluffing.

Lukas had learned Leo’s way of thinking a bit. This boy would never say anything
that he couldn’t take responsibility for.

‘His talent is definitely enormous, but… ’

Leo was also a transformer. (TL: Okay my childishness aside, would you guys prefer
‘transformers’ or ‘revolutionaries’? The first is closer to the true meaning while the
latter sounds better from an english perspective.)

This meant that if he was raised properly, he could become someone on the same
level as Lee Jong-hak.

Even so, it wouldn’t be easy for him to defeat Gerard in a month.

Regardless of his personality, Gerard’s ability was comparable to Min Ha-rin’s when
she was still a Swordsman. After all, Nina wouldn’t recommend him so confidently
without reason.

But Lukas decided to trust his student.

“…come to think of it.”

Recently, he hadn’t been paying any attention to Min Ha-rin.

No, he hadn’t seen her for the week that he was training Leo.

Of course, at this point, there was nothing for him to guide her on. There was no
need for any great enlightenment until she reached at least 3 stars.

What she had to focus on now was increasing her mana and honing her senses. And
it was important to increase the number of branches of magic that she could use.
Min Ha-rin was very intelligent. Even if she was confused about something, she had
the ability to read through a book and understand the problem on her own.

Nevertheless, since he had a new student, it was about time that they got to know
each other.

“Is your body okay?”

“Yes.”

“There’s someone I’d like to introduce you to.”

Leo’s eyes shined when he heard those words.

“Do you have another Disciple, Master?”

“Right.”

“So it’s my Senior Martial Brother.” (TL: Fun fact, the word the author used for ‘senior
brother’ is the same as ‘death penalty’)

Lukas tilted his head before revealing the fact that Min Ha-rin was a woman.

“Senior Martial Brother… isn’t that of eastern origin?”

“The origin of the martial art I learned is said to be closely related to Shaolin from
China. The format they followed is also the same. Of course, I learned the martial art
informally as a child, so I didn’t have a real Master or Senior Martial Brothers…”

Leo began to ramble a bit at the end. Perhaps he had been longing for such a
relationship in the past.

‘So he was learning Shaolin martial arts.’

This wasn’t particularly surprising. Europe was an area where swordsmanship,

magic, and sorcery were developed instead of martial arts.

Therefore, it was common for European Martial Artists to learn martial arts from the
east. Leo was the same.
“Mm…”

Lukas felt troubled.

If Min Ha-rin and Leo were learning the same things, he would have been able to
develop a bond between his students, but they were learning different things.

Min Ha-rin was learning magic.

Leo was learning martial arts.

They had the same Master, so they could be said to be from the same school, but
there was not much of a difference in their initiation dates, so something like
seniority would be hard to establish.

‘It was unintentional.’

This was the first time he’d taken on two students at the same time.

Lukas shook his head.

“I’ll think about that later. First of all, Ha-rin is older than you, so don’t be rude.”

“Understood.”

He didn’t think Leo would be rude in the first place, but he still said it anyway.

Min Ha-rin was in the 11th Training Room, right beside them.

The 11th and 12th Training Rooms had been lent to Lukas due to Nina’s
consideration.

In any case, most of the hunters were busy carrying out missions, so the training
rooms were currently unused.

Click.

He opened the door and saw Min Ha-rin.

She was squatting in a corner, reading a book, and when he looked closely, he noticed
that she was wearing glasses.

She looked up when she heard the door open, and her expression changed.

“Ah…!”
Lukas seemed to see an illusion of flowers blooming around Min Ha-rin when she
saw him.

“Master…!”

He felt that she was exuding joy that was far greater than the last time they’d met.
Min Ha-rin ran up to Lukas and smiled like a lost puppy.

“Is everything okay?”

“Huh…? Oh. I can summon two Fireballs at the same time now.”

“That’s a pretty encouraging achievement.”

“Yeah. But besides that, I’d like to ask you something… Ah.”

Min Ha-rin, whose attention had been focused on Lukas the entire time, finally
noticed Leo.

“…who’s that behind you?”

“This is Leo Freeman. My new disciple.”

Duk.

Min Ha-rin froze.

“Disciple?”

“Right.”

Lukas nodded and wondered.

It was strange. He was having a strong sense of deja vu at that moment.

‘Ah… ’

It was Nina.

She’d had a similar reaction when he’d said he was taking Min Ha-rin as his disciple.
Even their stiff facial expressions were the same.

“Master’s… new… disciple…”

Min Ha-rin spoke each word slowly.

“This is the first time I’m hearing about this…”

“Because this is the first time I mentioned it.”

“…”

There was silence again.

It was at this time that Leo stepped forward and bowed to Min Ha-rin.

“I’m Master’s newest disciple, Leo Freeman. Please take care of me.”

“…”

Min Ha-rin stared at Leo for a moment with a blank expression on her face.

What was going on? This boy had an unbelievable appearance.

Leo appeared haggard because of Lukas’ training, but that did nothing to hide the
sheer brilliance of his appearance. At least Min Ha-rin had never seen a boy with a
face as pretty as Leo’s.

She’d never had an inferiority complex when it came to her appearance, but she
couldn’t help but feel this way now because of a man.

With a complicated expression on her face, Min Ha-rin replied.

“I’m Min Ha-rin. Please take care of me too.”

“Please speak comfortably, Senior Sister.” (TL: Actually had a bit of trouble with this as
I never had to translate it to English. But in essence, he’s putting himself beneath her
and saying that she doesn’t need to be polite to him.)

“…Senior Sister?”

“Yes.”

This caused her expression to become even more complicated.

Min Ha-rin turned to look at Lukas as if asking for help, but Lukas simply avoided
her gaze as if he was telling her to deal with it on her own.

“Then… Leo.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll take care of you.”

“Yep.”

Leo smiled faintly, and the atmosphere in the room seemed to soften.

It was like an invisible bond had been formed between them. And the fence that
made them a community was Lukas.

‘…indeed.’

This was probably how Schweiser felt.

It was a different relationship from family and friends, but it was not lighter than
them.

Lukas felt that he could finally understand why Schweiser had accepted so many
disciples.

‘Come to think of it… ’

Lukas couldn’t remember when last he’d had such a comfortable feeling.
“Can I ask you one thing?”

“Anything.”

“Was Master training you for the past week?”

“Yeah. He’s been at my side guiding me the entire way.”

“…at your side… the entire way…”

Because he could feel a gaze on him, Lukas looked up and found Min Ha-rin staring
at him with a complex gaze.

But he didn’t think much of it.

“I’m curious about what you achieved so far. Can you show me?”

“Yeah.”

Min Ha-rin nodded.

“Fireball.”

Crackle-

A ball of flame bloomed on the tip of Min Ha-rin’s finger.

Her casting speed was admirable. She was already comparable to a 2 star Wizard.

Then, another ball of flame bloomed on another finger.

“…”

Lukas looked at this fireball.

It appeared unstable and flickered as though the flames would go out at any time.
Then, the flames did go out with a ‘huk’ sound.

“You failed to maintain it. That’s a phenomenon that occurs when your mind is
distracted during casting. Focus a bit more. You won’t be able to play your part if
you’re like this.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know because I trained on my own for a week. I didn’t have
anyone to explain it to me.”

Lukas’ expression became strange when Min Ha-rin bowed her head.

“…I see.”

“…”

A sudden, tense silence filled the room.

After a while, Lukas opened his mouth.

“Are you perhaps…”

“Huh?”

“…no. It’s nothing.”

Lukas was about to ask if she was upset.

But his sharp and accurate intuition, which had been honed after living for such a
long time that humans couldn’t even imagine, was telling him.

To just stay still for now.

***

“President. We received a call from the Chinese Branch.”

Nina frowned.

She could already predict what they wanted, but she still asked him anyway.

“What did they say?”

“It seems they are asking for Lee Jong-hak’s return.”

“Ha.”

Nina burst out into a laugh that was a mix of cynicism and helplessness.

Naturally, Lee Jong-hak didn’t listen to Nina’s orders. This wasn’t a situation where
she was pressuring him and forcibly keeping him in the European Branch.

Lee Jong-hak was performing missions in Europe of his own volition.

And Beijing, China, in other words, the East Asia Branch, should also have known
this fact.

Nevertheless, there was one reason why they were sending their requests to Nina.

Because they didn’t have the power to force Lee Jong-hak to return, either.

‘It’s easier to use me.’

Crunch.

Nina grit her teeth.

Europe and Asia didn’t have a balanced relationship.

This wasn’t just about the headquarters in Russia. The entire European Branch,
which was now in a precarious position, was receiving great support from them.

From manpower to food, information, and other important material resources. If any
of these were cut off, the effects would be devastating.

‘They wouldn’t publicly cut off their support.’

But it was still possible for them to delay the shipment of goods or subtly reduce the
amount they sent by using all kinds of excuses.

The pressure from that alone would give Europe a hard blow.

“Did you tell them that Lee Jong-hak refused?”

“I’ve said it numerous times… but they don’t believe me.”

“They’re only pretending to not believe. After all, they’re not stupid. Hmm. They
know, but they’re still pushing us.”

“That means…”

“They’re trying to get something from us.”

Nina frowned.

Then what does the Asia Branch want?

There was nothing for them to gain by squeezing Europe. Or at least that’s what Nina
thought.

The number and quality of their hunters were all superior to the ones on this side.
And they didn’t lack resources or have a special crisis.

“…can you excuse me for a moment?”

Ludwig pointed to his ear. He’d probably received another report.

When Nina nodded, he turned slightly to the side and lowered his head.

“It’s me. Right. I just reported it… What?”

Ludwig looked shocked.

He glanced at Nina for a moment before speaking.

“…wait a bit. I’ll report it now and contact you after. Right.”

Ludwig fell silent after saying that. It seemed that he was trying to organise his
thoughts.

“What is it?”

“They made a request to connect a portal.”

“A portal?”
“Yes, they want to meet Lee Jong-hak directly and persuade him.”

Nina pressed her fingers to her temples for a moment.

In truth, she didn’t have to agonise over it for very long. Their request wasn’t
troublesome at all.

The two sides would meet and directly have a discussion.

For Nina, this was something she should welcome.

She wouldn’t have to suffer like a shrimp in a battle between whales anymore.

“Where is Lee Jong-hak now?”

“In Germany.”

“Hoo.”

Nina nodded.

“Contact the German Branch and connect the portal.”

The Palace of Versailles is a world-class feat of architecture that can be found in the
city of Versailles, France.

This palace, which was a symbol of absolute monarchy and a representative work of
baroque architecture, remained in relatively good condition when compared to the
other ruined buildings in the city.

There was only one reason for that.

Because that was where the Demon King lived. And from the moment he occupied it,
it had become the Demon King’s Palace.

It was a place where only high-ranking noble Demons were even allowed to enter.

It was a place where there were rarely any gatherings, but today was different. A
much thicker aura of demonic energy was swirling around the palace than normal.

The beings who were gathered in this place were those who stood at the peak of
countless Demons.

The Five Dukes.

“It’s been a long time since a Duke died.”

“That makes three. The humans are pretty impressive. But who died?”

“Sandro.”

“Ah.”

A deep voice was heard after.

The Vampire Duke, Gullard, sighed.

Rose and Ugkas didn’t seem to understand the severity of the situation yet.
On the other hand, Azazel, the most powerful of the Five Dukes and practically the
representative of the Demon King, was different. He opened his mouth and spoke
with a serious tone.

“This case is different from Ludmill or Goubal’s deaths. He wasn’t slain by the
humans’ numerical superiority.”

“Then…?”

“I would say that it was closer to an assassination.”

Laughter sounded out.

It was Rose. Her raid hair fluttered around her despite the lack of wind, giving off the
impression of a sea of blood.

“You’re saying a Duke was assassinated? Not only that, but it was Sandro who could
control shadows? Haha. That would be impossible for even the Three Great Demon
Hunters. In fact, I don’t even think Sandro is dead. I think he just doesn’t want to see
us right now.”

“Watch your mouth, Rose. This is the King’s summons. There is no way that Sandro
would ignore such an order.”

“…”

Rose closed her mouth.

This was because she silently accepted that her previous statement was wrong.
Nevertheless, she still wasn’t convinced.

“Sandro had a lot of slaves. Some of them shared their lives with him.”

“So?”

“All of those slaves are dead.”

“…”

Rose had no choice but to become serious at that.

“And the slaves who were supposed to be put on display by the Chester Company
escaped. Among them was Lee Jong-hak.”

Even the Five Dukes knew who Lee Jong-hak was.

“Where is Lee Jong-hak now?”

“Recently, it has been reported that he’s been active around Europe.”

Suddenly, Ugkas, who had been silent up until that point, finally spoke.

“Then let’s conquer Europe.”

This Demon, who had the bizarre appearance of a steel statue, spoke in a strange
voice that sounded like clanging metal.

“There isn’t a lot of land left there anyway. If we really made up our mind, it would
take less than a month to completely capture Europe.”

“Only the Demon King can determine a conquest for territory, Ugkas.”

“…”

The rest of the Dukes froze slightly at Azazel’s words.

“Where is the King now?”

“He has gone into training.”

“Mm.”

Again?

All of the Dukes had this thought, but none of them expressed it.

The Demon King.

He was the only being in the entire world for whom all Demons would lay down their
lives without hesitation, and he had their utmost loyalty. But even the five in this
room, who could be said to be the closest to him, couldn’t tell what he was thinking
sometimes.

It was the same at that moment.

The Demon King rarely appeared in public. This was because he thought it was
better to increase his demonic energy than waste time sitting on the throne.

Even Azazel couldn’t understand the Demon King’s obsession with training.

To put it gently, even if all the Dukes in this room worked together, they still wouldn’t
be able to defeat the Demon King. To some extent, he had already transcended the
realm of mortals, and he himself had to be aware of that.

Nevertheless, that didn’t stop his desire to grow stronger. No. Instead, it seemed he
pushed himself even harder as a result.

‘…however, even if the King is absent, we can’t stay silent after the death of a Duke.’

Black light fluttered within Azazel’s eyes.

It was time for a counterattack.

***

Lukas was contemplating how he would move forward. But before that, he
remembered his fight with Sedi.

“Nodiesop is a disgusting guy.”

Sedi spoke after spitting out a mouthful of blood.

It had only been a short fight.

Neither of them fought with their full strength. And for them, their bodies were
nothing but a shell. Even if it was damaged, repairing it wasn’t a problem.

This was true even if their heads were cut off or their hearts exploded.

Any attack was meaningless unless it was powerful enough to reach their core, their
‘essence’.
So this fight was a simple warm-up.

“He’s nasty, cruel, and smart.”

“So he’s the most annoying type of enemy to have.”

Lukas replied while brushing dust from his body.

Sedi nodded.

“The fortunate thing about this misfortune is that he’s also incredibly rational. So he
won’t break the balance of this universe by unleashing his powers as an Absolute.
Maybe…”

That would be Lukas’ biggest advantage. But he couldn’t help but worry slightly at
her last word.

But the words that Sedi said next were even more significant.

“He said he wants to see your downfall.”

“…downfall?”

“I don’t know what he means. It’s not like we’re close.”

Sedi shook her head.

“It’s been a few weeks since we entered this world. Depending on how you think
about it, that’s either short or long. But unlike me, who’s been idle, Nodiesop has
probably prepared something already. Soon, he will approach you in some form.”

This meant that Lukas would have to make his own preparations.

He nodded.

“Who is the last Absolute?”

Sedi had said that three Absolutes had entered this world. Aside from her and
Nodiesop, there was still one more.
“I don’t know who it is. I only sensed their presence as I was entering the world…”

Sedi frowned.

“I don’t know who it is, what their goal is, or where they are right now. But do you
need to care about them right now?”

Unlike her, who had called Lukas by scattering her presence across the continent,
and Nodiesop, who was definitely manipulating the scene from the shadows by now,
the third Absolute didn’t seem to be doing anything.

“In any case, the one you need to worry about the most right now is Nodiesop.”

-After recalling Sedi’s words, Lukas came back to his senses.

“Hoo…”

Nodiesop.

Sedi said that she didn’t know where he was.

However, unlike Sedi, whom he had successfully persuaded, and the third Absolute,
who didn’t seem to be doing anything, Nodiesop was currently acting in the dark.

‘He wants to see me fall.’

The first move.

What was the first move that Nodiesop would show Lukas?

Of course, he couldn’t know. And he wouldn’t be able to find any clues by agonising
over it.

Lukas didn’t know anything about Nodiesop. And there was a limit to the amount he
could infer from Sedi’s piecemeal information.

He couldn’t help but feel that it was unfortunate.

If he had met him even once, then he might have been able to guess what method he
would use.
‘It can’t be helped.’

Since that was the case, Lukas did not know what he could do to prevent Nodiesop’s
actions.

It seemed that he would inevitably have to suffer the first blow.

And perhaps in the near future.

‘…it would be nice if he took his time.’

It would be good if Min Ha-rin and Leo were good enough to help him at that time.

However, he had a feeling that things weren’t going to be so easy.

***

“Thank you. Thank you so much…”

A very old man bowed deeply while tears poured down his cheeks.

“Take refuge in the shelter. Leave this place to us.”

“M-, my grandson is still here. He’s only 7 years old…”

Lee Jong-hak’s expression hardened slightly.

Then he smiled reassuringly at the old man.

“I will save him even if it costs me my life.”

“P-, please, please…”

“Don’t worry, sir.”

Lee Jong-hak sighed after the old man disappeared into the distance with a worried
expression on his face.

It wouldn’t be as easy as he made it sound.

This land, Germany, had already lost most of its territory to the Demons.

Lee Jong-hak looked at the fluttering flames. The entire city had been swallowed by
fire.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to jump in there.”

It was Drisa who spoke.

Since they had escaped, the two found that they got along with each other, so they
started taking missions together. To be precise, Drisa had chosen to follow Lee Jong-
hak.

At first, he just wanted the benefits that came from being beside Lee Jong-hak, who
was a proven hero, but now, he was different. Drisa truly had a feeling of respect for
Lee Jong-hak.

‘If there really is a person who could save this world, it would be this man.’

That was how convinced he was that Lee Jong-hak was an upright and
straightforward man. He had only seen him lose his composure once.

‘…mm.’

The blonde man named Lukas. When he remembered him, Drisa couldn’t stop the
complex feelings that filled him.

The ‘saviour’ who supported mankind from the shadows. To be honest, he still
thought that half of it was a lie. If it wasn’t for Nina’s guarantee, he would have taken
Lukas for a fraud.

Lee Jong-hak kept looking at the fire as he responded.

“There are people who haven’t been rescued yet.”

“There are also more Demons.”

“You don’t have to come. I’ll go alone.”

“…how could I do something like that?”

Drisa sighed.

He wouldn’t let him go alone. After all, two was always better than one.

Lee Jong-hak smiled.

Just as they were about to enter the city.

“Reinforcements have arrived!”

One of the hunters who was on the rescue mission with them shouted.

Drisa tilted his head to the side.

“Reinforcements? I don’t think the German Branch has anyone left.”

“They’re not from Germany. They are hunters from the East Asia Branch.”

Lee Jong-hak furrowed his eyebrows at those words. He couldn’t hide the shock on
his face.

Those who came were all big names who couldn’t be treated as mere reinforcements.

“Wow. As expected, the European night scene is very hot.”

The young man in the middle spoke in a frivolous tone.

It was someone whom Lee Jong-hak didn’t have a good relationship with.

“Kim Go-hyuk.”

“It’s been a while, Human Dragon. You look pretty good for a guy who almost died.”

When the Heavenly Dragon, Kim Go-hyuk, said those words with a smile, Lee Jong-
hak could only smile bitterly.

“I guess it wasn’t my time to die.”

“You’re still so old-fashioned.”

“I didn’t expect you to come here as reinforcements. Did the East Asia headquarters
allow it?”

“…ah. That’s because we have an emergency situation. The situation required us to

move personally.”

“What are you doing here, then?”

“We’re looking for a person.”

Kim Go-hyuk’s eyes shined slightly.

“And I thought you might know him.”

“We’ll talk about it later. For now, there is work to do.”

“What work?”

“I also have to look for people.”

Lee Jong-hak spoke in a cold voice as he turned to look at the city.

Kim Go-hyuk tilted his head to the side.

“Who?”

“The civilians who are still in this city.”

“So you don’t want to look for them. You want to rescue them. Are you serious? You
actually wanna go in there?”

As Kim Go-hyuk spoke, a five-story building was eaten by fire and collapsed.

Even if it was Lee Jong-hak, entering a city that was completely consumed by fire was
incredibly dangerous. And assuming that Demons were lurking there, it was no
different from suicide.

Lee Jong-hak didn’t respond. But Kim Go-hyuk realised that nothing he said would
change his mind.

“You’re still the same.”

He burst into laughter, which seemed to be filled with admiration and something
else.

Then, Kim Go-hyuk’s expression suddenly changed.

“Lee Jong-hak, do you believe in God?”

“We can talk later. I don’t have time now.”

“This isn’t the same. This is important.”

This was said in a serious voice.

Lee Jong-hak had no choice but to stop because he knew of the way Kim Go-hyuk
usually acted.

God.

Did he believe in God?

“I don’t.”

There was no way he would believe that. Anger and hatred were mixed in Lee Jong-
hak’s voice.

Kim Go-hyuk nodded as if he expected it.

“Right. But you will believe from today.”

“What?”

“I… no. We saw God. Lee Jong-hak, follow him from now on too.”

“What are you…”

It was then.

Kim Go-hyuk suddenly stretched his hands to the sky. That wasn’t all. The Hunters
from East Asia, who hadn’t said a single word before then, also followed his
movements.

“Nodiesop! Please save the people in this city!”

“Give your lambs the hand of salvation!”

“Please!”
“…”

Lee Jong-hak’s eyes dimmed slightly.

What the hell were they doing?

“Uh… Heavenly Dragon, Kim Go-hyuk… did you go crazy? Or is this some kind of
play?”

Drisa asked this while spinning his finger around his ear.

Kim Go-hyuk didn’t answer him. The other people also didn’t seem to care about his
words.

They all should have heard Drisa’s voice, but their attitudes remained the same.

At that moment, they were all staring at the sky solemnly.

“…”

Drisa’s eyes narrowed.

‘This is weird.’

There was a creepy chill in the air. The hunters’ cries grew louder and louder.

Gradually, it felt like a strange feeling was tickling his heart.

“I’ll go ahead.”

Lee Jong-hak spoke in a contemptuous voice before turning around.

Suddenly, someone stopped him.

“Wa-, wait.”

It was Drisa, not Kim Go-hyuk.

He spoke with a stutter.

“Lo-, look at the sky.”

Hearing his shocked voice, Lee Jong-hak looked up to the sky. And his mouth fell
open.

Giant droplets of water floated in the sky above them.

“Huh?”

It was a scene that went beyond strange.

Lee Jong-hak took a step back, suddenly feeling like the borders between real and
unreal had blurred.

This was a phenomenon that far surpassed human understanding. And the fear of
the unknown made him tremble slightly.

How was this possible?

“Ohh…!”

“Great God…! Thank you!”

“Look! God’s power!”

Bang!

Suddenly, the balls of water in the sky exploded and heavy rain began to fall down.

Shaaa-

No, it couldn’t be called heavy rain. The rainwater was so violent that it could even
pierce windows.

Rather than just dousing the flames, the raindrops pierced through the concrete. Not
only was the fire extinguished, but the buildings in the city also collapsed.

“What have you done…?!”

Lee Jong-hak grit hit teeth.

With that degree of power, not to mention the humans who were extremely weak,
even the Demons in the city would not be able to withstand it.

Ahhh-

“…!”

When he heard the screams, Lee Jong-hak could no longer hold himself back. Just as
he drew his sword and prepared to charge into the city.

Kim Go-hyuk blocked him from the front.

“Get out of my way.”

“The people are safe. Don’t worry.”

“Do you think I would believe that?”

“Calm down. Listen carefully. Do those sound like human screams?”

Kiiieeek-

Lee Jong-hak froze when he realised he was hearing the screams of Demons.

“Relax, do I have to explain this to you?”

“…what kind of spell did you use?”

“Spell? Hahaha!”

Kim Go-hyuk burst into laughter.

“It’s not something stupid like that. Hey, Lee Jong-hak! Haven’t you realised it yet?
What you see before you is not something that can be explained by common sense.”

Kim Go-hyuk turned to the city.

All the Demons in the city were dead. He was sure of that.

The rain was the work of a noble god. At the same time, its benevolent touch would
also heal the humans.

Kim Go-hyuk spoke in a fanatic voice.

“To put it simply, a miracle is happening here.”

“…miracle?”

What he’d wished and hoped for the most in the past.

Lee Jong-hak stared at the city with a blank gaze.

The flames that had engulfed the city had died down. And people could be seen
gathering together among the rubble.

None of them were wounded.

All of the civilians had survived.

“…”

Lee Jong-hak clenched his fist.

God’s miracle.

The moment he thought of those words, his heart began to beat violently in his chest.

***

“Leo.”

Leo turned around when he heard someone call his name.

It was Gerard, who was walking up to him with a bright smile on his face.

“It’s been hard to see your face these days. Have you been busy?”

“A little.”

“I see.”
Gerard came beside Leo. When they stood side by side, he naturally had to look
down at him.

For a strong, healthy man like Gerard and a boy who was not fully grown like Leo, the
difference in physique between them was obvious.

“You’ve been frequently in and out of the 12th Training Room these days.”

“Right.”

“The person there is supposed to be Lukas, right? I heard he was an important

acquaintance of Nina.”

Lukas was now somewhat of a celebrity in the European headquarters.

“…”

Leo remained silent.

This wasn’t because he was afraid to reveal his relationship with Lukas. Instead, it
was because he just didn’t want to tell Gerard anything.

Gerard laughed.

“In any case, we have a mission tomorrow, so prepare to leave at dawn. We have a
new hunter in our group, so you’ll have to prepare six sets of supplies.”

“I’m not going.”

“…huh?”

Gerard couldn’t help but wonder if he’d heard incorrectly.

“What did you say?”

“I won’t be going on any more missions with you.”

Gerard’s expression changed. He looked down at Leo with a slightly stiff face. Then,
he took a deep breath.
It was clear that he was trying to keep his true thoughts from showing.

“What are you talking about so suddenly? Tomorrow is the day of the mission. This is
too sudden.”

“I’m not breaking any rules.”

“…”

This was true.

Supporters weren’t officially included in hunter groups. For this reason, the rewards
they received for completing missions were extremely low. But they had the
advantage of being able to withdraw from their group without needing the
permission of the leader.

Leo was the same.

He could quit being the supporter of the group just by telling Gerard.

Of course, this would offend Gerard. But that was exactly what Leo wanted.

“It’s not like you’d lose any power in battle.”

“No way. It would be hard to find a supporter like you.”

Leo laughed.

That was the crucial part.

“…why are you laughing?”

His strained voice contained obvious displeasure. Gerard’s mask was beginning to
crack.

“I intend to stop being a supporter from now on.”

“…does that mean you’re going to stop pretending to be a hunter?”

“Mhm. I will stop pretending and become a real hunter instead.”

Gerard wanted to laugh, but he couldn’t.

Leo’s quiet voice was filled with confidence.

His mouth twisted subconsciously.

“You? That’s impossible.”

“Would you like to test it yourself?”

“What?”

Leo didn’t respond. He simply stared at Gerard.

Only then did Gerard realise his true intentions and burst out laughing.

“Ha, haha… do you intend to duel me?”

“Yeah.”

“…can’t we come to some kind of understanding? We can have a personal match, and
I’ll let you beat me. How about that?”

“It’s fine if you don’t want to do it.”

When Leo said that and turned around as if he didn’t care, Gerard called out
impulsively.

“Fine. Let’s duel. When will it be?”

Leo turned around at those words.

“As soon as your mission is over.”

“That will be about a week from now. Fine.”

Gerard then smiled.

“However, I have a condition. It has to be an official duel in which the fight clauses
apply.”
The fight clauses.

In a duel recognised by the association, if one side was crippled or worse, the other
side would not be held accountable.

In other words, it could be a fight to the death during which they were allowed to kill
each other.

Gerard thought that Leo would back down after hearing this.

“Good.”

However, his reaction was unexpected.

“I look forward to it.”

Leo was smiling softly.

Min Ha-rin had become a 3 star Wizard. She learned to properly utilise most of the 3
star spells, and her mana control and understanding of Magical Science had risen a
level.

Now, regardless of what would happen in the future, she would be able to be of some
assistance.

Leo’s growth was in no way lacking when compared to hers. He had mastered all of
the basic forms of the Warrior King Fist, and he had already begun to mix it
somewhat with his own martial arts.

“…”

Lukas expected them to be quite talented. Given that they had the power of
transformation.

Nevertheless, they both still managed to exceed his expectations.

From the perspective of a master, he should have been pleased, but the first thing
that Lukas felt was confusion.

Even if they were supposed to be fast, this was too fast.

To become a 3 star Wizard in a month?

This was something that was impossible even for the greatest geniuses whom Lukas
had met in the past.

It was the same for Leo.

Mixing different martial arts was something that even Masters would struggle with.
And yet, Leo was now blending the two he knew with ease.

‘It’s not just Leo and Min Ha-rin.’

The growth capability of the humans in this universe was abnormal.

In Lukas’ home world, the study of Magical Science was something that was
developed over thousands of years.

During those long years, countless humans worked together to develop it.

It had a history that allowed one to describe it as a culture instead of a field, and over
time, the bodies of the humans also adapted to be able to use mana.

But this universe was different.

Although he had secretly transmitted techniques and tricks to them, it had only been
a few decades since the existence of mana was discovered.

And yet, there were already several beings who could be called Archmages.

This was not something that could be described with effort, talent, teaching, and
luck, nor could it be attributed to the fact that he was assisting them from the
shadows.

It was like…

‘The universe itself seems to be boosting their growth… ’

This thought appeared in his mind, but Lukas shook his head. It was too early to
come to a conclusion.

In any case, it was a good thing for him that there was a fast growth rate.

The only concern would be that they might become intoxicated with pride, but that
wasn’t something that could be associated with Min Ha-rin or Leo.

‘And today.’

The duel between Gerard and Leo would take place.

He’d heard that it would be held in the 2nd Duel Room at 10am. Naturally, Lukas
would go watch, and Min Ha-rin would too.
‘Leo is still weaker than Gerard.’

It was true that Gerard was still a bit better than Leo. But Lukas didn’t think that Leo
would lose.

Lukas got up from his seat.

He decided to leave the room now in order to not be late. The 2nd Duel Room was
located three floors below him. In other words, it was on the 8th floor.

Lukas walked to the elevator.

Ding-

The elevator door opened.

There were many people inside. This fact alone wasn’t surprising.

What surprised Lukas was their appearance. These weren’t hunters from the
European headquarters.

The group consisted of only Asians. Something that was rare to see in Europe.

“…”

One of these people appeared surprised when he saw Lukas. He seemed to hesitate
for a second before his expression changed, becoming harsh.

And everything that happened next happened in a flash.

“You… this guy!”

The man swiftly closed the distance and grabbed Lukas’ collar.

***

The Duel Rooms, together with the Training Rooms, were some of the most
elaborately built rooms in the headquarters.

As the levels of the hunters increased, it became harder for them to find
improvement through simple training.

The best way for them to find their flaws and improve were to fight against similar
or stronger opponents.

Min Ha-rin nodded while looking at the outer wall of the Duel Room.

‘It’s just as good as our branch.’

If the durability was poor, it would not be able to withstand the destructive power of
high-level hunters.

The Duel Room was also large and well-maintained.

The number of Duel Rooms in the headquarters was small, but this wasn’t much of a
problem since most of the hunters were usually on missions.

Min Ha-rin chose a corner in the stands and took a seat, feeling it was fortunate that
she’d come early.

Her gaze swept across the room. There were more people there than she expected.

“Leo and Gerard are having a duel?”

“Leo’s win rate against humans is monstrous, but…”

“But his opponent is Gerard, isn’t it? He’s the man who’s most likely to become Sir
Nicholas’ successor.”

“More than that, why are they fighting all of a sudden?”

“I heard that Leo caused the dispute.”

“Ha. That ungrateful guy. It seems he forgot that Gerard was the only one willing to
accept him after he failed as a hunter.”

Min Ha-rin almost shouted at those words.

She knew how Leo had been treated by Gerard.

That bastard! Filled with anger, Min Ha-rin looked down at the duel ground.

Leo and Gerard were faced off against each other. And a strange tension filled the
room.

‘You must win, Junior Brother.’

Min Ha-rin had learned a lot about this Junior Brother, named Leo, over the past few
weeks. And she’d come to accept him.

When she heard about Leo’s traumatic past, his current situation, and his goal, she
couldn’t help but feel some similarity to herself.

Min Ha-rin grew accustomed to Leo because she had two younger siblings of her
own. And Leo, who had long yearned for such a relationship, always expressed his
feelings without losing his courtesy.

Naturally, this allowed the two disciples to form a close relationship much sooner
than Lukas expected.

How could Min Ha-rin have any good feelings for Gerard?

In her eyes, he was a perverted bastard who deserved to be killed hundreds of times
for what he’d done to her cute Junior Brother. If she hadn’t given up swordsmanship,
she might have stood up and fought in his stead.

‘Of course, I’d never do that.’

This was Leo’s fight.

Min Ha-rin took a deep breath to conceal the anxiety she felt.

Then, she looked at the clock on the wall.

‘10 o’clock.’

The duel was about to begin.

Min Ha-rin turned her eyes to the door.

Lukas, who’d said that he’d definitely be there, was nowhere to be seen.

***

Lukas looked at the man who was grabbing his collar.

The man seemed to be in his mid-30s, with a small physique and a cold expression
on his face.

It wasn’t a face he recognised.

“What’s going on?”

There was a small uproar.

The Asian hunters seemed shocked at the sudden turn of events.

A man in the middle of the group opened his mouth.

“Otsuru, do you know this person?”

“Yeah. You guys go greet President Nina first. I have something to discuss with this
guy.”

The man looked at Lukas with a slightly suspicious gaze before nodding.

“…fine, but don’t stir up too much of a fuss. This isn’t East Asia.”

“I know.”

As if they didn’t care about it anymore, the hunters all walked past Lukas.

And when the sound of their footsteps grew further and further away before
disappearing completely, the expression of the man named Otsuru changed again.

“Please forgive my rudeness.”

He whispered in a soft voice before kneeling on one knee.

Lukas fixed his rumpled clothes.

“You are?”

“This one is called Otsuru.”

It was a name he’d heard before

Banyo Otsuru.

He was one of the best Japanese hunters.

Of course, this was Lukas’ first time meeting him in person, but Otsuru seemed to
know him.

“I heard about you from the old man.”

“Na Jong-cheol?”

“Yes.”

When the Bow God, Na Jong-cheol, was mentioned, Lukas had no choice but to
change his attitude.

He was one of the transformers whom Lukas had saved while wandering around the
world.

That was already decades ago.

Na Jong-cheol was a man who could remain calm in any situation and who had a very
upright and straightforward attitude. Due to his excellent bow handling skills and
unique charisma, he became the head of the ‘Demon Trappers’, one of the top three
guilds in Korea.

It had already been decades since Lukas had saved him. He was old enough to have
witnessed when the Demons first appeared.

He should already have been past seventy by now.

Otsuru raised his head and spoke in a serious voice.

“You are in a very dangerous situation right now.”

“Dangerous?”

“Yes. I’m sure there are people watching us right now…”

His voice faded at the end of his words.

Lukas thought about Leo’s fight with Gerard, but he felt that listening to what Otsuru
had to say was more important.

“Let’s go to my room.”

He headed to the room with Otsuru, who closed the door carefully before sighing.

“I apologize for my rudeness earlier. I didn’t want your existence to be revealed to

Kim Go-hyuk and the others…”

“I’m guessing that something has happened in East Asia.”

“Yes. Most of the hunters there are looking for your whereabouts.”

“Why?”

Otsuru’s voice became solemn as he spoke.

“Because our new President ordered it.”

New president.

Lukas soon realised what this meant.

“…is it Nodiesop?”

Otsuru shivered when he heard the name.

“You know him? Yes. He took control of East Asia. He gathered the hunters with
powerful influence together and subdued them in one fell swoop. He showed power
against which no one dares to stand.”

“…”
“We don’t know who he is, but one thing is clear. His abilities are completely unheard
of.”

Lukas fell silent for a moment before asking.

“What about the hunters who were with you?”

“They are part of a group who came here to look for Master.”

“How did you know my location?”

“We heard it from Lee Jong-hak in Germany.”

Lukas froze at those words.

Then he looked Otsuru in the eyes. Otsuru held his gaze for a moment before
lowering his head and continuing.

“They will soon start scouring the entire European headquarters, so we must move
quickly. This is our only chance while they talk to Nina.”

“Where are we going to go?”

“I have secured a temporary safehouse.”

“…let me ask you one more thing before that.”

“Yes.”

“What did Na Jong-cheol say about me?”

“He said that you were the Master who supported mankind from the shadows. He
also said that a lot of heroes were saved by you.”

Lukas looked at Osturu again.

His head was still bowed.

“Wow, I never thought I’d see coffee mix here.”

Kim Go-hyuk looked at the coffee mix with a hint of emotion in his expression.

Ludwig looked at him with a slightly displeased gleam in his eyes.

The Heavenly Dragon, Kim Go-hyuk, the hero who represented Korea and a hunter
who had significant influence across the entirety of East Asia as well as the rest of
the world.

This was Ludwig’s first time meeting him in person, but he already knew about his
appearance as well as his achievements.

In all honesty, he looked forward to it. He thought he would be like Lee Jong-hak.

Although it could be called prejudice, he thought that all Asians were generally polite
people.

But this man was disgusting.

And he didn’t mean cleanliness.

His vulgar attitude, which reminded him of the gangsters in the city, couldn’t help
but make him frown.

He didn’t suit the noble name Heavenly Dragon at all.

Although Kim Go-hyuk noticed Ludwig’s displeased gaze, he opened his coffee mix
without a single care in the world.

“This is made in Korea. Did you know?”

His gaze was on Nina.

When Ludwig couldn’t resist and was about to say something, Nicholas, who was
beside him, spoke up.

“…how about being more polite in front of the President, Kim Go-hyuk.”

“Ah, sorry. It’s been a long time since I took a business trip abroad. I’ll do as you say,
Sir Nicholas.”

Kim Go-hyuk responded in the same tone, with seemingly no sign of reflection in his
voice. It was followed by a ‘slurp’ sound as he sipped some coffee from his cup.

Nina spoke with a cold voice.

“Why are you here? I already told you Lee Jong-hak’s whereabouts.”

“Hmm. Well, you did. Thanks to you, we were able to meet him.”

Nina looked at those standing beside Kim Go-hyuk.

‘Goddess, Sword Saint, Hwarang Leader… ’

They were all big names.

Nina’s hand shook slightly. There was a bit of sweat on her palms.

‘Why do I feel nervous?’

Even if they were from another region, they were all bound by the large net known
as the Hunter Association.

They should have considered themselves comrades to an extent, but the moment she
looked into Kim Go-hyuks eyes, that feeling disappeared and she opened her mouth.

“What about Lee Jong-hak?”

“He went back to China.”

“…he just left so easily?”

“Of course.”
Nina was not convinced.

Lee Jong-hak had long wanted to work in Europe and had shown this passion to
Nina. At least, the Lee Jong-hak whom Nina knew would not have returned to China
simply because of a request from the President.

“Did Lee Jong-hak have urgent business?”

“Right. Well, it’s not that big of a deal. Just that the President of the East Asia Branch
has changed.”

Nina blinked.

“…you mean President Cha Gung-hwan retired?”

Although he was in the same position as Nina, Cha Gung-wan was a man who Nina
would willingly give way for, considering his status and experience.

Nina was speechless.

‘It’s naturally around the time for him to retire, considering his age, but…”

But even considering that, it was too sudden.

Furthermore, it wasn’t such a simple thing for the President of an Association Branch
to retire. It was usually common for them to make an announcement through the
Association headquarters.

“Then, the current President…”

“Ah. There’s no need for you to worry about that. An amazing guy took over.”

“…”

“In any case, he recently took office and he came up with ironclad rules.”

“…ironclad rules?”

“Yes. But before that, there is something I’d like to ask.”

Kim Go-hyuk continued in a relaxed voice.

“Do you know a man named Lukas?”

“I don’t. Who is he?”

Nina’s expression became cold, and then she stared at Kim Go-hyuk.

Kim Go-hyuk looked at Nina with an unknown smile on his lips.

“Kikiki. Your control of your facial expression is pretty good. If I didn’t know in
advance, I might have been fooled by you.”

Those words caused a cold atmosphere to descend upon the room.

Ludwig and Nicholas stepped forward at the same time.

”This is the second time, Kim Go-hyuk.”

“Didn’t I warn you about being polite?”

“Can you two little punks shut up?”

“What did you say…?”

Ludwig couldn’t hide his shock at the sudden remark. He never expected that he’d be
insulted straight to his face.

Kim Go-hyuk grinned.

“Why do you keep interrupting when adults are talking? Can’t you go sit in the
corner? Do you want to die?”

“You… you crazy bastard!”

Crack!

Ludwig hurriedly ducked instead of continuing his swearing.

Something sharp brushed past his hair.

“You’re pretty good at dodging.

Sss…

This crazy guy had actually attacked him!

Rustle!

All of the European hunters, including Nina, rose up from their seats at the same
time. They stared at Kim Go-hyuk with cold gazes.

“You’ve crossed the line, Heavenly Dragon Kim Go-hyuk.”

“Crossed the line? You haven’t seen anything yet.”

Kim Go-hyuk took out a dagger like he’d thrown at Ludwig. He threw the dagger
casually into the air, as though he didn’t care about the tense situation.

“Our new President told us that the Demons appeared in this world because of that
man named Lukas.”

“What the f**k are you talking about?”

“And that those who side with him are no better than the Demons. So, President
Nina, I will give you another chance.”

Kim Go-hyuk sneered.

“Give us the man named Lukas. Otherwise, we’ll just assume everyone in this
European Headquarters is collaborating with the Demons.”

***

This wasn’t a joke.

Ludwig swallowed heavily. Even though he knew it was wrong, he couldn’t help but
look at Nina.

‘President… ’
Lukas naturally knew whom this name belonged to. The blonde-haired man who
came to the base together with Lee Jong-hak was named Lukas.

It wasn’t a unique name.

In fact, the name was quite common in Europe.

Nevertheless, Ludwig was certain that the man, whom they were looking for, was
that blonde-haired man.

He didn’t know who this man was, but he did know that he was very important to
their president, Nina Rednikova.

…That was all Ludwig knew.

Lukas had been staying in the base for about a month, but he hadn’t had any contact
with any of the other hunters. He’d heard that he’d only interacted with two or three
people, including Nina.

And since they’d first met, Ludwig didn’t think he’d exchanged more than five words
with the man.

‘Is it really the right decision to hide this man?’

Of course, he found Kim Go-hyuk’s disrespectful attitude infuriating. In fact, he

wanted to kill him. After all, he’d almost killed him. He wanted to ignore his
ridiculous demands and just attack.

But he couldn’t act upon his emotions.

After all, the opponent was one of the Three Dragons, one of the most influential
people in the entirety of Asia.

‘Dammit.’

This didn’t feel real. In the blink of an eye, a ridiculous situation had erupted.

He never would have expected that he might have to fight other human beings. This
was something that he could never imagine.
‘Is that man named Lukas worth it?’

Was he worth them becoming enemies with the East Asia branch?

Ludwig wanted to ask Nina this question, but he knew that he could not speak lightly
at that moment.

“Hmmm.”

Kim Go-hyuk hummed as he stared at Nina. He was no longer showing the same
aggressiveness as in his initial attack.

It seemed he was waiting for an answer.

It was only then when Ludwig felt like he’d seen the true essence of this man named
Kim Go-hyuk. Perhaps his frivolous attitude was only a mask to make everyone
lower their guards around him.

Then he realised that he was the only one who had been perfectly fooled by his
cheap provocation.

Nina had remained cool-headed to the end, and Nicholas also hadn’t made any real
moves yet.

“Kim Go-hyuk, do you simply believe everything your new President tells you?”

“Of course.”

“What evidence did he give you? Tell me. If you can convince me… I will help you find
the man named Lukas.”

“Haha.”

Kim Go-hyuk burst into laughter.

It was a very stiff, strange laugh, but he himself didn’t seem to notice.

With a shrug, he opened his mouth.

“Imagine. That there is a throne in front of you and sitting on it is a tyrant.”

“…what?”

Nina’s expression became slightly suspicious at the unexpected words.

But Kim Go-hyuk continued without any hesitation.

“Standing around this tyrant are hundreds of knights in brilliant armor. If he only
lifts his hand once, your head will be chopped off.”

“…”

What was this man talking about all of a sudden?

All of the hunters, including Nina, looked at him with gazes filled with confusion.

“Suddenly, that tyrant pulls out an orange and says, [Doesn’t this apple look really
good?]”

Kim Go-hyuk seemed to imitate the tyrant’s stern voice. But his expression and
vocalisation were terrible.

No matter how you looked at it, it seemed like the actions of a third-rate clown,
something that you would usually laugh at just because of how ridiculous it was. But
the room was deathly quiet.

“So you answer, [My Lord, that isn’t an apple but an orange.] Then the tyrant says,
[No. This is an apple.]”

“Pfft. Hahaha! Hahaha!”

Kim Go-hyuk suddenly burst into a loud, maniacal laugh. He laughed so hard that he
was forced to hold his stomach.

Nina kept looking at him with a stiff expression on her face.

“Then I nodded, [Ah. Yes. It is an apple that looks very delicious.]”

“…”

“You understand, don’t you, President Nina? Even if Lukas was a senile old man or a
gorgeous young woman, it wouldn’t matter. What is important is that Nodiesop told
us Lukas was a disaster. So he is a disaster.”

“…”

Kim Go-hyuk then continued with a slightly strained voice.

“So how about you quit the bullshit and tell me where Lukas is?”

“…hoo.”

Nina closed her eyes and sighed. Then, she began to deeply consider Kim Go-hyuk’s
request.

This wasn’t just her problem.

Nina owed Lukas her life and more. The grace he’d bestowed upon her was so great
that she wouldn’t be able to repay him even if she devoted her entire life to him.

But Nina Rednikova was the President of the European Branch.

On her shoulders, she carried the fate of hundreds of thousands of European

hunters.

…If she were to reveal Lukas’ location here and claim that she had nothing to do with
him.

Lukas would probably, no, definitely, agree with her choice.

He wouldn’t even hold a grudge against her for it.

“…”

Kim Go-hyuk folded his arms and looked at Nina with interest.

Finally, Nina opened her eyes. From the look in her eyes, he could tell that she’d
made a decision.

“Have you finished weighing your options?”

“Right.”

“So what’s your choice?”

Just as the corners of Kim Go-hyuk’s lips began curling upwards, Nina spoke.

“I don’t know.”

Kim Go-hyuk froze for a moment before he began to clap with a ridiculous
expression on his face.

“What a selfish woman. With that choice, you’ve basically signed the ticket to send all
European hunters to the underworld.”

“Cut the crap. You came here to devour this Russian branch in the first place.”

“Hoh. Why do you say that?”

“Because we have not been able to contact the control room since a while ago.”

Kim Go-hyuk chuckled when Nina pointed at her ear.

“I guess being so old isn’t such a bad thing after all. Old people tend to have such
good insight.”

Nina didn’t show it at that moment, but she decided that she would turn Kim Go-
hyuk into minced meat the moment she got the opportunity.

“That’s right. We received orders to annihilate this branch. But I never thought you’d
figure that out.”

What a disgusting bastard.

He intended to kill them from the beginning, but he still pretended to give them a
chance to live.

Nina didn’t have a particular reason for hiding Lukas’ existence. She just didn’t
believe Kim Go-hyuk’s words.

And it seemed her judgment was correct.

“By the way, I met that man named Lukas before I came to this room.”

Kim Go-hyuk pointed to the door.

“We ran into him just after getting off the elevator. He doesn’t seem that impressive.
But I pretended not to notice him.”

“Why…?”

“Why did I just pass by him?”

Kim Go-hyuk predicted Nina’s question and interrupted her.

“Naturally, it’s because I have something else planned.”

Lukas looked down at Otsuru for a while before speaking slowly.

“Na Jong-cheol had always been an inflexible child.”

“…huh? Ah. Yes. I see.”

Otsuru raised his head.

Lukas fell silent for a moment before continuing.

“And Lee Jong-hak hates me.”

Otsuru felt like he couldn’t keep up with the conversation. He really wanted to say
that there wasn’t much time, but he showed superhuman patience as he nodded.

“However, he’s not someone who would ignore someone simply because of a
momentary emotion. He’s a foolishly upright guy, after all.”

“…”

Otsuru’s face became filled with frustration.

Lukas looked him in the eyes as he spoke.

“What I’m trying to say is that Lee Jong-hak would never have told you where I was.”

“What are you trying to say…?”

“Enough with the terrible acting, Otsuru. There is something I want to ask you. Is Na
Jong-cheol still alive?”

“…”

At that moment, Otsuru’s face became expressionless. The change was so sudden
that someone who saw him might have felt they were looking at a different person
altogether.

“Hoo.”

Then he took a deep breath and let the air slowly out his mouth.

“I see. It seems there was still some information we should have extracted.”

Now that he no longer had to pretend, Otsuru finally felt like he was wearing his own
clothes. He looked at Lukas with an interested look in his eyes.

“Haha. More than that… I can’t believe you said my acting was awkward. This was
the first time in my life that I’ve heard those words.”

He was speaking frankly.

Otsuru was well aware that his acting skills were in no way clumsy. His profession
often required him to perform espionage or information gathering, and when he
performed those tasks, he inevitably had to hide his identity and blend into crowds.

He’d even entered and studied in a women’s university without anyone realising.

He was surprised, but Otsuru was still relaxed.

“I know that you’re strong. Nodiesop already told us to be careful. So you must be
strong enough that even a hunter would be in danger.”

“Your attitude is quite proud despite knowing that.”

“Kuku.”

There was a confident smile on Otsuru’s lips.

“The control room is already under our control. By now, the control of the portal
should also be in our hands.”

Lukas paused at that.

“What about the people there?”

“Their resistance was too much. We couldn’t restrain them. We didn’t have the time.”

“Some of them should have been civilians.”

“So what? Should we not touch them? I guess you wouldn’t know, but everyone in
this base is already prepared to die.”

Right. They were all prepared.

Prepared to die at the hands of Demons. Not by their own kind.

This man knew Lukas’ power. He didn’t know how strong he was, but he knew that
he was at least stronger than him.

Nevertheless, his attitude remained relaxed. He was confident as though he was

protected by some kind of absolute field.

But no matter how hard Lukas pondered, he couldn’t think of a reason for that.

So he decided to check for himself.

Crack!

“…?!”

Otsuru’s neck was sucked to Lukas’ hand. It all happened in a flash.

“This… what…?!”

In the instant it happened, Otsuru reacted. When he felt the unknown power, he used
five different evasion techniques that could be used in an instant.

Two of them were absolute survival methods that had saved Otsuru numerous times
in the past.

But none of them worked.

By the time he came to his senses, his throat was already being held tightly in Lukas’
hand.
“As… I… expected.”

“Ku-, kuh. No matter what, you wouldn’t kill a human… right?”

“Did Nodiesop tell you that?”

“Of… course.”

“…”

Lukas loosened his grip.

Otsuru, who fell to the ground, looked up at Lukas as he coughed. He looked

distressed, but in his eyes was a hint of elation as if he had expected such an
outcome.

“You talk like you know me well.”

“Of course! Because he said it himself!”

Nodiesop.

It had only been less than a month since Nodiesop had arrived, and yet, he was
already being worshipped fanatically.

Of course, it wasn’t like Lukas couldn’t understand. The charisma of an Absolute

could be likened to a curse or brainwashing.

Otsuru was a famous Titled Hunter and one of the most powerful humans. But that
was all.

What one needed to resist the temptation of an Absolute wasn’t a strong body but a
strong mind.

If someone was able to distinguish right from wrong despite being overwhelmed by
fear, then Nodiesop’s influence as an Absolute would be limited.

This meant people like Na Jong-cheol. And all of them probably had bad endings.

Most of the East Asian hunters, including Otsuru, would regard everything Nodiesop
said as the absolute truth.

Even if they were told that family members were Demons, they would smile as they
choked their children to death.

The reason was simple.

“You were rotten from the start.”

“What?”

“A man like you didn’t need to be instigated by Nodiesop. I guess this is close to your
true self. Don’t you feel happy now? You can finally show the self you’ve been hiding
all this while.”

Therefore, he would be able to kill even those who should be protected.

There were people like this.

Those who caused Lukas to feel deep skepticism.

He knew that humans were a chaotic race. He also knew that good and evil coexisted
within every human. Some more than others.

But apart from that fact, it wasn’t a good thing for Lukas to dwell on this ugliness.

Gurgle…

If he was exposed to too much malice, then the darkness hidden deep in his heart
would begin to surface. It would make him look back on the path that he’d walked so
far. It would make him wonder if it was the right path.

Of course, he wouldn’t be shaken. His belief wasn’t so easily shaken.

However, the situation itself would cause Lukas’ mood to drop. His mood would be
the exact opposite of when he taught Min Ha-rin and Leo.

“Huhaha! You know me well, too!”

Otsuru laughed without understanding the situation.

Lukas looked at him while thinking.

‘What a disgusting creature.’

Squelch.

“…huh?”

Otsuru blinked dumbly as his brain took a while to register the terrible pain that
came from his shoulder. It felt like it was on fire.

“Kuk…!”

There was a hole in his shoulder.

When and how?

Otsuru stumbled without understanding anything.

Lukas approached him as he groaned in pain.

“I can’t kill humans? Did Nodiesop say that? Does he think he has the right to
determine my actions?”

Curiosity became displeasure, and displeasure became anger.

My head felt like it was on fire.

Dozens of voices rang out in Lukas’ head.

The ego which was the Absolute, the part of him, which had been the most wary
since he left the coils of mortality, was constantly whispering to him.

This voice was subtly making suggestions.

Talking about how he should follow the rules, which would mean he would stop
suffering from such situations.

He knew how intense that temptation was.

“U-, urk…”

Otsuru, who took a step back, could not maintain his balance and fell on his butt.

Paak!

Lukas kicked him in the chin.

Otsuru fell backwards with a short cry. Then Lukas gently stepped on his injured
shoulder.

“Kuaak!”

Even his scream was disgusting.

If Nodiesop’s goal this time was to piss Lukas off, then he’d succeeded. Regardless of
whether this fact was good for him or not.

“You guys seem to have misunderstood something. And among them, you
misunderstood the most important thing by far.”

“Kuh…! Motherf**ker…! I’m going to kill you…!”

Lukas didn’t respond. Instead, he simply stepped a little harder on Otsuru’s shoulder.

Naturally, there was another loud scream. Otsuru grabbed Lukas’ leg with his other
arm, but Lukas didn’t seem to care as he continuously applied pressure.

“Your biggest mistake was that you still thought of yourself as a human.”
Bandages were important. Especially for warriors who used martial arts.

This was because they used them to secure their wrists, something incredibly
important to do.

Of course, they weren’t as good as wrist guards made of state-of-the-art materials,

but they were still better than other wrappings.

Kuk.

Leo carefully bandaged both of his arms, ensuring that they were tight and secure.

Seeing this, Gerard smiled.

“Are you going to fight me with your bare hands? I thought you might have gotten
hold of some good equipment, but it seems that wasn’t the case.”

“I don’t intend to rely on equipment. For a warrior, the body is the greatest weapon.

“Haha. Is that some kind of eastern philosophy? I’m not sure I can agree with that.”

Gerard drew his sword.

As he held it in front of him, white energy began billowing around the blade of the
sword.

Sword Ki. This was a type of power that could only be utilised by First class
Swordsmen who were close to reaching the stage of Master.

Leo’s expression hardened slightly.

He could see it for himself. Just how good of a hunter Gerard was.

“You’re right-handed. So in remembrance of the old days, I’ll only cut off your left
arm.”
This cruel murmur was said so quietly that only Leo was able to hear him.

From his tone, Leo knew that Gerard was serious.

But it didn’t intimidate or frighten him.

Instead, he was grateful. After all, those words had just given him a hint for how to
fight.

Gerard was extremely prideful. After declaring that he would cut off his left arm, it
was clear that he would keep his word.

This meant that at a critical moment, he was more likely to aim for Leo’s left arm.

Now that he knew this, he would be able to avoid the crisis to an extent.

‘I have to avoid head-on confrontations.’

While thinking this, Leo took a stance.

He knew that he had no chance of winning if he used the martial arts or subsidiary
techniques he learned.

‘Warrior King Fist.’

But there was a chance to win if he used the technique his master had taught him.

Leo took a deep breath.

[This duel will be officiated by Matthew Costa, and it will be stopped if I feel it has
ended. Keep in mind that the two duelists must agree to the fight clauses.]

They heard the voice of the referee, Matthew Costa. He was in a room beside the duel
ground, which was separated by a glass wall.

Leo and Gerard just nodded because there was no way he would hear their voices
unless they shouted loudly.

[Then the duel can begin.]

 ***

The portal management room.

This was a room created for the management and maintenance of the portal and
could be found in every branch.

People might think that simply opening and closing the portal was not an important
job, but that was not true. If they allowed entry to those who weren’t their allies, it
could cause their enemies to attack from within the base.

Therefore, the ones who were allowed to work in the portal management room were
those who the administration had complete trust in.

“They would never have expected even until the moment they died.”

Du Dangpae couldn’t help but have this thought as he looked down at the corpses
with a stiff expression.

They were human corpses, not Demons. And they had been killed by none other than
him.

‘I killed my own kind.’

As soon as he thought this, he couldn’t help but feel strange, like animal blood had
been spilled all over his spotless white shirt.

Although they were of different nationalities and races, they were still comrades who
once fought against the enemy known as Demons. It could not be denied that they
were allies.

More importantly, most of the humans here were civilians.

Nevertheless, he had not shown them any mercy.

What did they think as they died?

Du Dangpae had deliberately revealed himself to them just before they died. And he
watched as their eyes widened in shock.
These poor people would never have expected to die at the hands of a fellow human.

When he recalled the fear and disbelief in their eyes, a thrill of pleasure once again
surged through his body.

Nevertheless, while he enjoyed their reactions, he didn’t allow them to raise the
alarm. This mass assassination had occurred silently.

After all, with even the control room under their control, the situation in the Russian
Headquarters remained as calm as usual.

They would never know that the dozens of people in the control and portal
management rooms had all been exterminated.

Du Dangpae manipulated the portal’s control panel.

Jing-

When he was done, the portals of the East Asia Branch headquarters and the
European Branch headquarters were connected.

Now, when the order was given, the portal would be triggered and hundreds of
selected hunters from East Asia would appear in this base.

Woowoong-

Just as he had that thought, he felt a vibration in his ring.

He was wearing one of a pair of couple rings, and if ki was injected into one, the
other would vibrate.

The range was short, and it was impossible to communicate outside of the
vibrations, but it was good enough for situations like this one.

Before opening the portal, Du Dangpae took a deep breath.

“…hoo.”

If he opened this portal, this base would become a mess. It was impossible to tell just
how many people would die.
And it would not be a fight against the Demons but against fellow humans. The
defeated side and the victorious side would end up with numerous scars without
gaining anything.

There would be countless people who died for nothing.

He could already smell the heavy scent of blood.

He could also feel his heart pounding. But it wasn’t anxiety or fear.

With a smile, Du Dangpae opened the portal.

***

Lukas now knew the role of those who came to this base.

“Keeeek!”

Otsuru’s face looked hideous.

Blood vessels stuck out from his face, and he grit his teeth so hard that his gums
bled. The voice that came from his throat didn’t sound human.

Half Demon(1) Otsuru.

He didn’t get this title because one of his parents was a Yokai.

Yokai energy.

Yokai energy was something that appeared only in Japan. And without sufficient
willpower, one wouldn’t be able to control this power.

Otsuru had probably accepted the yokai energy on his own. Perhaps he obtained the
cells of a great yokai and transplanted them into himself, or maybe he ate its heart.
(TL: Author didn’t explain what ‘yokai’ is in this sense. Or whether they are related to
the ‘demons’ or not.)

However, as a result of this, Otsuru had failed to truly make the yokai energy his own.

Crack.
“…kuk!”

Lukas stepped on Otsuru’s chest, destroying his heart.

Red blood spurted from Otsuru’s mouth, quickly forming a puddle on the floor.

His irritation didn’t subside.

He felt that if he was pushed further, he wouldn’t just end at killing Otsuru or the
intruders but every human in this world.

“Hoo…”

He couldn’t do that.

Lukas forced himself to calm down.

The images of Min Ha-rin and Leo Freeman came to his mind at that moment.

“…”

His raging emotions calmed down a little.

It was then.

Kiki-ki-

Otsuru got up from the ground.

This was impossible. His life had already ended.

His heart had been destroyed, and there was no living being who could have
survived without a heart.

However, his movements were unstable.

There was a strange, creepy feeling as if he was a broken doll that was forcibly being
made to rise.

Otsuru’s mouth then opened.

“It seems you didn’t like my greeting, madman.”

His voice came out stiffly. But it wasn’t the voice that Lukas paid attention to.

Madman.

There were very few beings in this universe who knew that title. And it was obvious
who among them was capable of controlling Otsuru.

“Nodiesop.”

“That’s right.”

He nodded before looking down at himself.

He could tell just by looking at the traces. Otsuru had been killed cleanly. There
wasn’t even the slightest trace of hesitation in Lukas’ actions.

“I’m surprised. I heard that you were an Absolute who loved humans. But you’re far
less merciful than I expected.”

“This universe has the law of reincarnation. Since I didn’t kill his soul, this can’t be
considered harsh.”

“I see. So that’s what you were thinking.”

Whether he would kill humans or not. And, if he did, whether he would hesitate.

Those were probably some of the things Nodiesop wanted to find out.

“Nevertheless, I thought you’d be more tolerant considering the fact that you
consider yourself the saviour of humanity.”

“Enough of your bullshit, Nodiesop. I’m not in a good mood right now. So tell me why
you dared to show your face.”

Nodiesop didn’t seem affected by Lukas’ harsh tone.

“Originally, I wasn’t going to show myself this soon either.”

It was true.

He never intended to reveal himself to Lukas until the right time came. He didn’t
even want to give him the slightest hint of his existence.

But the situation has changed.

“A meeting is being held.”

“…what?”

“A four… no, three-party discussion.”

Lukas’ brows furrowed at Nodiesop’s unexpected words.

“Who are these three parties?”

“You’ll naturally find out when you come.”

Shuk.

At that moment, a small rippled appeared in the air, which then split open to reveal a
portal.

No. It was a much more sophisticated power than a portal. It was much closer to the
space time movement that the Demigods used in the past.

An ability that only transcendent beings would be able to use.

“You want me to go in there?”

“Right.”

Ha. It was so kind of him to open a passage for him.

It was ridiculously beyond suspicious. Lukas almost let out a laugh.

Naturally, he thought it was a trap, but he couldn’t help but think that Nodiesop’s
attitude was a bit strange.
As if he’d read Lukas’ thoughts, Nodiesop spoke.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t come. No, in all honesty, I’d be happy if you didn’t
come. But if you miss this opportunity, you will probably regret it.”

“…says who?”

[Me.]

The answer came from behind him.

Lukas could not hide his shock.

The surge in his emotions was so sudden that he could not hide it.

This was natural.

‘This voice… ’

No. In a sense, it couldn’t be said that he’d heard the voice. Instead, it was as though
the speaker had imprinted the words directly into his head.

Lukas turned around.

Then, he became speechless.

Standing there was a being with a body that seemed to be made of light. Overall, the
shape was that of a human, but they had no features or hair on their body.

Moreover, the body was so perfect that it appeared to have been sculpted by a
master who poured his soul into his creation for numerous years.

Lukas looked at this being with a complicated expression on his face. He couldn’t
remember how long it had been since his emotions had fluctuated so much.

[Long time no see. How long has it been since we last met?]

“…it’s already been too long to count.”

[Huhu.]
God chuckled.

The being who was the one and only creator of the multiverse.

Lukas was surprised.

This was his third time meeting God. Or, to be more precise, after he had become an
Absolute and began saving humans in countless worlds, God never appeared before
him.

Of course, this wasn’t strange, but Lukas couldn’t help but feel a bit puzzled. He
thought they would at least meet again after he’d completed his first mission.

[I told you. I’m always busy.]

God spoke, reading Lukas’ thoughts.

It had been a long time since Lukas had this feeling. With his current strength, even
the Rulers were unable to read his mind.

God’s small performance proved that it was really him.

He was still a crafty guy.

God laughed for a moment as he read that thought as well.

[But I have been paying attention to your actions. It’s been very interesting. Few
Absolutes have risen as fast as you.]

“I don’t think you came here just to compliment me.”

[Of course not. Four Absolutes have entered this universe at this point. I’m here to
explain a small advantage that is applicable to you.”

“…advantage?”

[More importantly, Lukas Trowman, I have special advice for you.]

“…”
It wasn’t a trap.

He could be certain that God wouldn’t join hands with Nodiesop just to deal with
him.

And Lukas knew that if he missed this opportunity, he would never be able to know
about the small advantage he had or hear the advice.

“How long will it take?”

[Well…]

Could he not tell?

Lukas felt conflicted.

His biggest issue was the current situation in the base. And what was about to
happen.

If he went with them, all of the European hunters, including Nina, might be wiped
out by the time he returned.

“…”

After thinking for a moment, Lukas opened his mouth.

(Note:

1. This is referring to Yokai instead of the ‘Demons’, but ‘Half Yokai’ sounded strange,
so I put ‘half demon’ instead. I mistranslated this before because the author simply
put ‘half-yo’ so I took it as a name ‘Banyo’, ‘ban’ naturally being ‘half’. But this time
they added hanzi so I realised it was a title instead.)
A small white table floated in a completely black space.

Except for this small table, the only thing that could be seen in this space were the
two beings who sat at it, facing each other.

Sedi had her chin in her hands and looked bored.

Then the blue haired man who sat in front of her opened his mouth.

“You don’t look so good.”

“…”

“Is something wrong?”

“Shut up.”

Sedi responded in an annoyed voice, her bright red eyes standing out in the
darkness.

“By the way…”

“…by the way?”

The bored expression disappeared from Sedi’s face. That alone caused the
atmosphere to become cold.

“I dislike your arrogant attitude. Do you want me to kill you before I kill Lukas?”

“I don’t mind.”

It was a strangely confident response.

Sedi was surprised for a moment before she glared at Nodiesop with narrowed eyes.
“You don’t-”

Just as she was about to say something, the space fluttered briefly before a new
being emerged.

It was a pale, blonde-haired man.

This man expressionlessly looked around the table.

Then he made eye contact with Sedi.

“…”

The two’s eyes passed each other naturally, as if they were just observing a stranger.

Lukas then looked at Nodiesop.

He must have sensed his gaze, but there was no change to his expression, and he
didn’t look over.

“Is this everyone? There should be one more.”

There were four Absolutes in this world at the moment.

There were three people at the table. One was still missing.

[Ah. Letip refused. But considering that guy’s personality, it’s not strange.]

God, who was also sitting at the table, suddenly spoke.

The three Absolutes were startled at the same time. They hadn’t realised that God
was sitting there until he spoke.

He chuckled.

[Won’t you have a seat?]

“…”

Lukas sat at the table while thinking.

Letip.

That should have been the name of the other Absolute who entered.

He’d never heard the name before, but it would be foolish to conclude that he was
weak because of that. Because no one dared to count the number of Absolutes in
existence.

Lukas decided to remember the name Letip.

‘This space.’

This was not the universe in which they had been originally. He could tell that much.

However, it couldn’t be viewed as a completely new universe altogether.

This was probably a Personal Space.

It was a small universe that only special beings among the Absolutes could possess.
It wasn’t something that could be determined by power or position.

Among the Absolutes, only those who had a special aptitude for creation, or who
were given such rights by God, were allowed to own a Personal Space.

Of course, every Ruler had the power of creation.

‘The flow of time… is the same.’

He had to check the flow of time because he was no longer in the same universe. If
the flow of time was different, then decades might have passed by the time he
returned. Personal Spaces were no exception to this rule.

Of course, God wouldn’t make such a mistake.

“Then tell me about the advantage.”

When Lukas raised his head and said this, Sedi looked at him like he was crazy.

She couldn’t believe that he’d talk to God like that.

Naturally, this wasn’t to say that no Absolute did, but this was her first time seeing it.

Could he really talk to God like that when he wasn’t even a Ruler?

But what amazed her even more was God’s attitude.

[Aren’t you guys frustrated?]

He didn’t seem to care about Lukas’ attitude.

“What do you mean?”

It was Nodiesop who asked back in a calm voice.

[Exactly that. You must be anxious to fight each other, but all you can do is stare.]

“Ah. Then I’m not frustrated.”

He spoke in a relaxed manner.

“It’s a good thing to progress my plan slowly. Plus, my first move seems to have
worked quite well.”

After saying that, he turned to look at Lukas.

It was a blatant provocation. Something that was unexpected. After all, he didn’t
seem the type for such halfhearted tactics.

Lukas remained silent. There was no reason to respond.

[Nevertheless, you should still pay attention. A lot of things will change after this
discussion.]

“…because of the advantage that you mentioned earlier?”

[Including that. Hmm. I’ll only explain it once, so listen carefully.]

God nodded.

[As you know, the allowance of the universe you were staying in is extremely low.
Now that so many Absolutes have entered and ki has disappeared, it is in an even
worse situation. It’s saturated.]

They knew.

It was like being locked in a room with thin glass walls. These walls would shatter
instantly with only the slightest use of force.

Knowing that, the Absolutes had to pay attention to not make any large movements
or, in other words, use their power.

What would happen if they broke the glass by mistake?

Then, all the life inside would disappear without knowing how they died.

Every being in the world except the Absolutes would disappear.

“What are you trying to say?”

[What if there was a way to exercise your power without worrying about the
universe’s capacity?]

“Huh?”

“What did you say?”

Their voices overlapped. That was how surprised they were.

At that moment, Lukas felt as though God’s eyes were on him.

[You should know. A way to the laws of the universe or the world.]

No. He was definitely talking to him.

Lukas muttered softly.

“…illuminium.”

[Hmm. It was a long time ago, but I guess you still remember.]
A special metal that the Demigods had used in the past to bypass the restrictions of
the laws of the world.

By consuming it, the Demigods were able to temporarily avoid the restrictions for
their indiscriminate slaughter.

“Illuminium?”

“Trick the laws…?”

Sedi and Nodiesop seemed to have never heard of such a material.

They must have traveled through countless universes, so why did they not know
about it?

[Your home universe was unique. Maybe that’s why you became a singularity. Even
when you were just a mortal, you encountered situations that most Absolutes could
never imagine.]

God answered Lukas’ thoughts.

And now that he thought about it, he had never encountered any material that had
similar properties in his time as an Absolute.

“Are you saying that something like that exists in this world?”

[It’s a bit different from illuminium. It’s not tricking the laws of the world; it’s simply
transferring the burden for using your power to a world that was already destroyed.]

“…a world that was already destroyed?”

[Right.]

God nodded.

[I’m talking about a false world.]

False world.

Or a world that was worse than trash.

That was how the vast majority of Absolutes viewed such worlds.

They were empty worlds that had nothing on them. The existence of such a space
was a contradiction in itself, but it was true that false worlds existed.

It was said that even the Rulers did not understand the existence of these worlds and
that only God knew the truth about them.

Of course, that wasn’t very important at that moment.

‘Using our power wouldn’t affect the universe.’

This would mean that he could not only use his external force as an absolute but also
his own power, Endtongue.

If that was the case…

‘I could kill Nodiesop.’

“…”

Nodiesop’s expression hardened.

Even if they used their powers to the fullest, the universe wouldn’t collapse and the
damage would instead be sent to a false world. Frankly speaking, that wasn’t an
attractive proposition for Nodiesop.

He was also an Absolute, so naturally, he disliked the thought of causing a universe to

collapse. But he would still be able to bear it reluctantly.

Especially if he could get rid of the madman in the process.

But Lukas would never make such a choice.

His purpose was to save the humans. He wouldn’t do anything that broke his belief.

Lukas wouldn’t abandon the humans.

No, he couldn’t abandon them.

‘The madman is in a dangerous situation.’

He grew stronger at an unusually fast pace, but this caused his foundations to be
unstable in many ways. Because he gained power too quickly, he didn’t have the time
to properly digest it and make it his own.

A tower which was built in a hurry was prone to collapse. And that was exactly what
Lukas was like.

He only had to break his center.

In Lukas’ case, his belief was protecting humans, and if he caused that belief to crack,
he would self-destruct, which was exactly what Nodiesop wanted.

But if he was able to use his full strength, things would be different.

‘I don’t think I’d lose a head-to-head battle.’

If he fought, he would win.

Every Absolute thought like that. Power and rank were only secondary.

If they weren’t so confident in themselves, they would never have become Absolutes
in the first place.

That’s why the Rulers were so amazing. They were able to cause these noble
Absolutes to feel reverence and desire towards them.

‘Things would get annoying if Lukas could use his power without restriction.’

This wouldn’t affect his victory, but he didn’t want to take any risks.

In other words, Nodiesop was desperate to find the ‘thing’ God was talking about.

It was fine. This advantage would change nothing.

If it didn’t go as planned, he didn’t mind flipping the table.

Nodiesop’s eyes shined darkly.

[…]

Nodiesop didn’t notice that God was looking at him.

God smiled cheekily before saying.

[Now, then. I’ll give you a hint about ‘it’.]

Suddenly, a word appeared in Lukas’ mind.

‘Hybrid.’

“…”

Is that the hint?

Lukas pondered upon the meaning behind this word as God continued.

[Each of you received a different hint. It could mean the thing directly, refer to it
indirectly, or be a related clue. I hope you will rack your brains hard to figure it out.]

“Is that the only hint?”

Lukas couldn’t help but ask back in a strange voice,

Hybrid.

That alone was too little to be a clue.

[Right.]

“It’s not enough.”

[Haha. You have the biggest advantage here, Lukas.]

“What?”

God smiled and turned his head. It was clear that he didn’t intend to tell him any
more.
Lukas also couldn’t afford to reveal his advantage, whatever it might have been. He
decided to think about God’s words later.

[That’s the end of our discussion. You may leave.]

Hearing that the meeting was over, Nodiesop was the first one to rise to his feet. He
bowed to God and left without saying anything more.

Sedi was the same. However, just before she left, she made eye contact with Lukas
once again.

When Lukas was about to follow them, God spoke.

[Wait.]

When Lukas narrowed his eyes, God simply shrugged.

[Relax, I’m trying to give you some advice. Why are you making that face?]

“Then tell me quickly. I don’t have time.”

God laughed at that.

[Hey, Lukas, don’t you ever think of your home universe? It’s been a while since you
left. It wouldn’t be strange if you felt homesick or something like that. There are
always some sentimental guys like that. Well, most of them get used to it after a few
thousand years.]

Lukas knew the way God talked. He would always speak in a roundabout manner
without getting to the point easily.

He knew that, but… Lukas wasn’t in a very relaxed situation at the moment.

“Get to the point.”

[Answer my question first. It’s related to what I want to tell you.]

His tone was soft, but Lukas could tell that he definitely wouldn’t speak if he didn’t
give him an answer.
In the end, Lukas would be at a disadvantage as more time passed. Therefore,
holding back a sigh, he answered the question.

“My homeworld is always in my heart. There are people waiting there for me, and I
promised them that I’d return.”

If it was possible, he would have loved to return to his homeworld at that very
moment.

But he knew that it was impossible. At least for now.

Therefore, while he engraved it in his heart, he tried not to think about it. He
forcefully dulled the feelings he had and buried them deep within his heart.

But God had rudely dug them up.

“Is that answer enough?”

[It’s enough.]

“Then what’s your advice?”

[There might be someone you know in this universe.]

“What?”

Lukas frowned.

‘This universe’ that God mentioned wasn’t the personal space. Instead, he was
referring to the universe he had just come from, where Min Ha-rin and Leo were. The
universe where the Great Game would soon take place.

He knew that. He knew, but he didn’t understand.

God smiled.

[My hint was a bit vague. So I’ll make up for it with this…]

The words he said next were definitely the most shocking things that Lukas had
heard in nearly tens of thousands of years.
[In this universe is a being from your homeworld.]

***

The fight was supposed to end quickly. Or, at least, that’s what Gerard thought.

He didn’t look down on Leo Freeman. He fully acknowledged his combat capabilities
when facing other humans. In the first place, he wouldn’t have even looked at him
twice if he thought he was trash.

Leo was Gerard’s stress outlet. And this outlet naturally needed to have a certain
standard. That’s why, to some extent, he acknowledged Leo’s strength.

Nevertheless, he had never been worried about this confrontation. Because he

believed that his strength was beyond Leo’s.

‘However… ’

Gerard grit his teeth and swung his sword again.

Woosh.

Just like with his previous attacks, Leo avoided this one as well. The tip of the sword
only barely touched the lobe of his ear. Some blood spilled out, but it was a minor
injury.

‘What the hell is this martial art?’

The attack just then had been light. Nevertheless, considering the average range of a
sword, it wouldn’t have been strange if his entire right ear was sliced off.

But it wasn’t. It wasn’t even really cut by the sword. A small wound only appeared on
the spot where the sword grazed his ear.

How many times had this happened by now?

Meanwhile, Leo once again widened the distance between them.

He had many large and small injuries on his body, but anyone could tell that none of
them were serious.
“Huff, huff…”

Gerard panted. His eyes became cold.

At some point, his initial goal of cutting off his left arm had disappeared. Now, his
sword was just filled with bloodthirst.

‘I was wrong.’

He didn’t think that Leo would avoid head-on confrontations so thoroughly. It had to
be a strategy that he’d prepared from the start.

But now that he thought about it, Leo knew his combat style. He’d seen him hunt
Demons dozens of times, so this was natural.

On the other hand, Gerard didn’t know much about Leo. They had fought several
times, but he had easily won all of those fights.

He never had the time to observe Leo’s fighting style.

Gerard knew that he wouldn’t be so tired if he hadn’t fought with the thought of
easily cutting off one of Leo’s arms.

No, that wasn’t all.

Leo had also provoked Gerard from the start. He didn’t use facial expressions or
words. Instead, he ticked him with his actions and tactics.

But there were other problems as well.

Crunch!

Gerard grit his teeth as he quickly narrowed the distance between them once again.
This time, he stabbed forward. It was fast. The force behind his charge made it
impossible to ignore this lightning fast attack.

Woosh!

Leo ducked, avoiding the attack. There wasn’t even a moment of hesitation.
This admirable feat caused Gerard’s expression to crumple even further.

It wasn’t an illusion, after all. Leo was getting faster.

“Puh!”

He spat out a mouthful of blood.

The fact that he’d shown such a frivolous attitude despite the presence of the people
in the audience showed that Gerard’s self-control had disappeared.

At first, he thought that he’d simply slowed down. Since he was already tired, this
was a natural judgement. In fact, the constant attacks had truly worn him out.

But that wasn’t it.

Leo was growing faster quicker than he became slower.

‘How?’

Leo certainly had more stamina than he did, but the difference shouldn’t have been
that large. All of his injuries might only have been minor, but the constant dodging
should have sucked away his concentration and stamina like a swarm of leeches.

In addition, Leo had been on the defensive since the start of the fight.

Those defending would naturally consume less stamina than the attackers. As long
as they didn’t get severely hurt, the attacking side would definitely consume more
power.

However, those who focused on defense would naturally lose focus faster. It was
much harder to withstand the pressure of continuous attacks than most expected.

Especially if it was a life and death battle against a superior opponent.

Anxiety and a sense of crisis would inevitably rise. They would increase their
breathing and heart rate, exhaust their concentration, and sap their stamina.

But at that moment, it was Gerard, not Leo, who was growing tired.
‘If it continues like this.’

He might lose.

The moment he realised that, Gerard closed his eyes.

“…hooo.”

He calmed his mind and organised his thoughts.

And finally, after stabilising his breathing, he opened his mouth.

“I know what you’re thinking.”

“…”

“After my attack just now, I revealed an opening. It wasn’t fatal, but it would have
been enough for you to deliver a fair amount of damage.”

The opening hadn’t been intentional, nor was it a trap. It was just an inevitable
opening that appeared after his attack.

And Gerard would have been injured if he chose to make use of it.

“However, you didn’t attack.”

He’d thought about the reason.

And he could only think of one conclusion.

“You intend to finish the fight with one blow.”

A single blow.

Leo was intentionally holding himself back in order to land a blow that would decide
the outcome of the fight.

At that moment, his mind should have been as dry as a desert. It might have even
been worse than he imagined. And for Leo, that opening must have been like a sip of
water.
That opening must have been extremely tempting to him as it was the first true
opening Gerard had displayed.

Nevertheless, he endured it. He starved himself to the limit.

He was waiting for that one opening that he could use to win.

In a way, it was pretty terrifying.

A hungry wolf was more dangerous than a full tiger.

Leo had compressed his desperation into extreme concentration.

Gerard gulped slightly.

Realising this fact didn’t mean that he could reverse the situation. Instead, it only
made the pressure greater.

‘…from what I can see… ’

The fight was already over.

Gerard turned to look at the stands.

At the start of the duel, there had been numerous people cheering for him and
jeering at Leo, but as the fight progressed, they gradually became quieter. And now,
they were completely silent.

He didn’t know it, but Min Ha-rin was the only one whose eyes were sparkling.

When such an atmosphere formed, Gerard knew that he had as good as lost.

So he took a stance. His aura rose as he held his sword with both hands.

At first, he didn’t intend to kill Leo. At most, he would cut off an arm or even just a
tendon.

But he’d changed his mind.

‘I’m prepared to kill you.’

Not ‘I’m going to kill you’ but ‘I’m prepared to kill you’. The words were similar, but
the meanings were different.

The latter meant that Gerard was prepared to risk his life for his goal.

If Leo died, then disciplinary actions would definitely follow, even if they’d both
agreed to the fight clauses. The image that he’d worked so hard to construct would
also be severely damaged.

But that didn’t matter.

‘This resolution is a tribute to you, Leo Freeman.’

Cut off an arm? Cut a tendon?

He was no longer an enemy who could be confronted with such a halfhearted

resolve.

He was a man who he had to use all of his might and determination to kill.

At that moment, the image of the Supporter Leo Freeman disappeared from Gerard’s
mind.
Leo immediately noticed when Gerard’s aura changed.

“Hoo.”

He let out a small breath.

Contrary to his appearance, he was exhausted at that moment.

He had conserved his stamina, but he had used up a lot of his mental strength.

‘Rock Shield.’

It was one of the four forms he’d learned from Lukas. It was a technique that raised
his defense to the extreme by surrounding the entire body with ki.

It was a self-defense technique that only first class experts could use.

The self-defense technique would only be complete when the entire body was
covered without any gaps. And naturally, this meant that the ki consumption of this
technique was severe.

However, if the technique was only used to cover parts of the body, the defensive
capabilities would still be amazing while the energy consumption would be reduced
significantly.

By utilising this technique, Leo was able to avoid any major injuries while making
Gerard greatly consume his stamina.

‘Gerard intends to finish it with a single blow.’

In other words, if Leo could dodge or block this attack, it would be his victory.

Ssss-

Ki raged around Gerard’s entire body.

Then, he charged forward.

Like the last time, he intended to stab.

His charge was neither fast nor slow. In fact, it could have been said that he was
moving at an easily avoidable speed.

However, as he faced this blade, Leo’s expression became stiffer and stiffer.

Kung!

He felt pressured.

It was as though a thousand pounds of iron was resting upon his shoulders.

Leo grit his teeth.

The ki coming from Gerard’s body was binding him.

‘Force Bind?’

This was a technique that could only be used by Swordsmen who were on the verge
of reaching the Master rank.

Leo knew Gerard was a genius, but he never would have imagined that he was able
to use Force Bind.

This was probably Gerard’s last hidden card, and it was likely that not even the
members of Gerard’s team knew he was capable of this.

“Kuk!”

Malice erupted in Leo’s eyes.

The option to avoid it had disappeared. So he would have no choice but to block it.

However, Gerard’s attack contained a terrifying murderous intent.

Gerard really intended to kill him. If he faltered, he would die.

‘He’s aiming for my heart.’

The reason for not aiming at his skull was simple. He could avoid by simply forcefully
twisting his head to the side.

Perhaps Gerard thought so as well. His force bind wasn’t perfect. This was proven by
the fact that Leo could still move his head and arms.

It was just his torso and feet that were frozen.

‘If I use all of my ki and use Rock Shield… ’

…No.

That wouldn’t work.

To block this attack, he would have to use all of his ki. And if he were to try to launch
his attack in such a condition, he wouldn’t be able to do much damage.

This meant that he only had one option.

“…!”

Gerard was surprised.

Leo was definitely preparing to block his attack. Then, at the last moment, he
suddenly stretched out his fist.

This sudden offensive was not a planned move. It was a reckless and foolish decision.

No matter how tired Gerard was, he had put all of his remaining ki into this sword
attack. The Sword Ki around his sword was clearer than ever.

It would be a confrontation between a sword and a fist.

‘You fool…!’

Clang!

The area around them was suddenly filled with bright light. When the sword and fist
clashed, it created a flash that blinded the spectators for a moment.

Bang!

The clash didn’t last very long. And in the end, Leo was the one who was pushed
back.

His face was pale.

“…”

The two made eye contact for a moment.

Crack-

Then, a cracking sound was heard from the sword. At the same time, Gerard dropped
his sword to the ground.

Clang!

When the sword landed on the ground, it shattered and the pieces scattered.

Gerard could no longer hold his sword because of the pain in his wrist. It was either
broken or sprained.

Holding back the pain, he glared at Leo.

Leo was swaying as though he would collapse at any moment. It was clear that he’d
put all his energy into that last attack.

“…”

If he went to punch Leo at that moment, he would definitely have fallen. After all, his
right wrist was damaged, but his left hand was still fine.

Leo was clearly past his limit.

But Gerard didn’t move.

‘I lost.’
A Swordsman’s sword had broken. Nothing more needed to be said.

If the opponent was a Demon, then it would have been a different story, but Leo was
a human. And although the fight clauses had been applied, this also counted as a
conclusion.

Gerard opened his mouth.

“…I’m stronger than you.”

“Right.”

“My strength, speed, experience, and ki are all superior to yours.”

“That’s right.”

Leo agreed with him in a cool voice before spitting out a mouthful of blood.

This was natural.

Unlike Gerard, who had absorbed most of the shock with his sword, he had
withstood it with his body.

Gerard continued looking at Leo’s whole face, which had become pale.

“But you have more patience than I do. And that martial art… It’s not the martial art
you used before. Is it a new martial art?”

“Right.”

“What’s the name?”

“Warrior King Fist.”

Leo answered his question before continuing after feeling that his explanation was a
bit lacking.

“I was told that the stronger the opponent is, the more the true value of the martial
art is displayed.”
“…that is truly a unique martial art.”

After saying these honest feelings, Gerard lifted his hand.

Then he turned his head to the referee.

“I lost.”

[Leo Freeman wins.]

The referee declared the result of the duel with a surprised voice.

‘…ah.’

A brief small flashed across Leo’s otherwise emotionless face. After hearing those
words, his body relaxed and his vision darkened.

Slowly, Leo’s body fell to the ground.

***

The atmosphere in the stands was frozen.

“What the hell…?”

“Gerard lost?”

“Unbelievable.”

Most of them didn’t doubt that Gerard would win with ease. But as the fight
progressed, this thought slowly changed.

Nevertheless, they still didn’t think he would lose…

“But Gerard is the one standing at the end.”

“Right, Leo passed out.”

“…but Gerard admitted defeat.”

Most of the hunters were agitated. They all looked down at the duel ground with
confusion.

‘Well done, Junior Brother!’

Only Min Ha-rin clenched her fists and cheered for Leo’s victory.

What was so good about remaining standing?

As a former Swordsman, she understood perfectly. The moment Gerard’s sword

broke, it meant that he had lost this duel and Leo had won.

Nevertheless, Gerard’s attitude at the end was a bit surprising.

‘I can’t let this continue.’

It seemed that she was the only one who cared about Leo.

Just as Min Ha-rin got up from her seat to go get him, the door opened and a ground
of people entered the room.

“Huh…?”

Confusion filled Min Ha-rin’s eyes.

These were people that she was familiar with, which made it even stranger.

They weren’t supposed to be here.

“What’s going on? There’s a lot of people here too.”

“I see.”

These people all seemed to be hunters, and they were all fully equipped. What was
stranger was the fact that they had never seen any of their faces before.

At least not in this branch.

Realising this, one of the hunters spoke.

“Who are you guys?”

“Huh? I guess they haven’t realized yet.”

The man at the front of the group looked around before nodding.

“Aha, this is the duel room. Maybe they didn’t hear the noise outside because of the
sound barrier.”

Then they wouldn’t have known what’s going on.

After thinking this, the man laughed.

“We asked you who you were.”

The attitude of the hunters in the room grew cold. One of them stepped forward as
he spoke.

The man at the front then smiled playfully.

“The President of the European Branch.”

“What?”

“Quit your bullshit.”

Saying such words couldn’t even be considered a joke.

Instead, those words ignited the atmosphere in the room. Some of the hunters even
rose to their feet.

Taking their angry gazes calmly, the man, Kim Go-hyuk, added.

“The man who killed-”

That was something past a joke.

“…”

With a stiff expression on his face, one of the hunters approached Kim Go-hyuk. His
entire body was exuding a tremendous amount of murderous intent.

Paht-

The figure of this hunter, who was walking, slowly disappeared.

He reappeared behind Kim Go-hyuk, and in his hand, a kukri(1) covered in ki

appeared.

The man swung his kukri at Kim Go-hyuk’s waist.

Paak!

But soon after, the hunter felt a great shock to the back of his head. He didn’t even
notice the attack. He simply fell to the ground like a broken doll without even getting
the chance to scream.

“What the hell?”

“Just now…”

Most of the hunters there didn’t even see Kim Go-hyuk move.

Noticing this, Kim Go-hyuk couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.

“I heard that the quality of European hunters was really poor, but I didn’t expect it to
be this bad.”

At that moment, one of the hunters in the stands looked at Kim Go-hyuk and
stuttered.
“Hea-, Heavenly Dragon Kim Go-hyuk…?”

“Ah. It seems one of you punks managed to recognise me.”

Kim Go-hyuk said those words with a proud voice. Then he looked around with a
satisfied expression on his face before it suddenly changed.

“Huh. There’s a familiar face.”

He was looking at Min Ha-rin.

Her expression hardened as she met his gaze.

“I heard that the White Flower had been freed from slavery, but she didn’t go back to
her country and instead stayed to wallow in this pit. Lee Jong-hak was the same. Are
there lumps of gold buried in this place or something?”

“…”

Min Ha-rin tried to hide the tension she felt.

This wasn’t her first time meeting this man. They were from the same country, and
they were both most active in the East Asia region. She was a Titled Hunter who’d
made a name for herself, and Kim Go-hyuk was one of Asia’s greatest heroes. So it
was natural for them to be acquainted with each other.

‘However… ’

The same branch, the same country.

None of that mattered to this man in front of her. Although there were only a few
people who cared about their nationalities nowadays, Kim Go-hyuk had always made
Min Ha-rin feel uncomfortable.

She’d felt that way from the first time she’d met him, and she felt the same now.

On the other hand, she liked the Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak, and the Earthly
Dragon, Kano Aya, much more.

“Is what you just said true?”

Min Ha-rin asked in a slightly strange tone.

She was asking whether Nina was dead or alive.

If Nina was really dead, then this matter would no longer be so simple. There might
be a war between humans for the first time in decades.

“Kiki.”

Just as Kim Go-hyuk smiled, a middle-aged man beside him stepped forward.

“…let me continue from here. You step back.”

Min Ha-rin also knew who this man was.

Sword Saint of Mount Hua.

He was one of the top hunters in Asia and was a Swordsman who was said to be
approaching the peak of the Master rank.

When Kim Go-hyuk shrugged his shoulders and stepped back, the Sword Saint
continued in a calm voice.

“I’m sorry to come to my European comrades for such an unpleasant matter. I’m Jong
Ho, a Swordsman from Mount Hua.”

“B-, by Mount Hua, he means…”

“It’s the Sword Saint.”

Those who heard this prestigious title couldn’t help but falter a little.

“I will tell you straightforwardly. Nina Rednikova, the President you were following,
is a traitor who colluded with the Demons. We’re here to purge that witch and any
who followed her to do evil.”

The atmosphere in the room became even colder.

Everyone had disbelieving expressions on their faces, but someone stepped forward.
“Don’t be ridiculous.”

This man with a cold expression was Matthew Costa, who had officiated the duel
today.

He was one of the few European Titled Hunters and had the highest status among
the hunters in the room.

When he made his appearance, everyone naturally stepped back and let him take the
lead.

“Our President is a witch? She colluded with Demons? Stop using such a clumsy
incitement tactic.”

“It’s not incitement. It’s a fact.”

Kim Go-hyuk spoke in a cold voice.

“Do you have any evidence?”

“There should be a man named Lukas here.”

Min Ha-rin’s eyes shook when she heard that name, and Kim Go-hyuk’s eyes curved
slightly when he noticed it.

“By Lukas…”

“Are you referring to the man who often goes in and out of the President’s office?”

“Why are you talking about that man?”

Jong Ho sighed.

“He is a Demon.”

“Who told you that?”

“Our new President… I don’t have any more time to explain. Please trust me. We have
seen enough blood today.”
“What did you say?”

No way.

Matthew’s expression distorted when he belatedly realised what Jong Ho’s words
meant.

“You guys… no way…”

“Stop, Sword Saint. You already told them enough. Step back.”

Kim Go-hyuk waved his hand.

Jong Ho seemed hesitant, but he slowly stepped back.

“Now. The best conclusion I can come to is that you didn’t believe us. And now, you
should accept the consequences for that, shouldn’t you?”

“…Kim Go-hyuk, please show mercy.”

Kim Go-hyuk ignored Jong Ho’s words.

“I honestly don’t care what happens to you weaklings. So let’s sort this out quickly.”

Then he looked around before nodding.

“There are some good ones here. That one, that one, and that one.”

Kim Go-hyuk pointed his finger three times and nodded in satisfaction.

He’d pointed to Min Ha-rin, Matthew Costa, and Gerard, who was still in the duel
ground.

Crack!

“…!”

Matthew’s eyes widened.

This was because Kim Go-hyuk had just crushed the head of the hunter, who lay
stunned at his feet, like a watermelon. It was the hunter who had attacked him with a
kukri.

His blood splattered.

Kim Go-hyuk licked some of the blood that splattered on his lips before saying.

“Kill everyone except those three.”

***

Gerard was watching the situation from the duel grounds. When the Asian hunters
appeared, he recognised the man standing at the front of the group.

It was the Heavenly Dragon, Kim Go-hyuk. But why was he at the European
Headquarters?

“…”

He couldn’t hear their conversation very well. It might’ve been different if he was in
his peak condition, but at the moment, he was exhausted.

However, a cold shiver soon ran down his spine.

Crack!

Blood splashed.

He wasn’t sure who it was, but he knew that someone had just died.

Just as Gerard’s expression hardened.

Paht.

An Asian person leapt into the duel ground in an instant. It was a woman who had a
cold expression on her face, and there were throwing knives between her fingers.

Pupuk.

“…kuk.”
Gerard was puzzled inwardly. He didn’t understand what he was doing.

He felt warm blood roll down his skin. He felt pain. Even without looking, he could
tell that there were throwing knives stuck in his body.

Three knives had been stuck in his shoulder, left arm, and thigh.

‘Why did I…?’

He’d protected Leo.

Was it guilt? Was he trying to atone?

No, such human emotions didn’t exist in Gerard. From his perspective, he would even
throw a newborn baby off a cliff if he had a good enough excuse.

But before he could think about it, his body had moved. He didn’t know why.

He just didn’t want this woman to kill Leo. So first, he decided to focus on that fact.

Gerard looked at the woman while checking his condition.

His left arm couldn’t move. It seemed that the knife had struck a tendon. His right
wrist was also sore because of the previous clash.

This meant that he couldn’t use either of his hands. Well, he didn’t have any weapons
anyway. Leo had smashed his sword to pieces.

Most of his ki had been used up, and his stamina was almost completely exhausted.

And to make matters worse, Gerard was sure that he’d been pointed at just a
moment ago.

‘I don’t think I’ve been in such a bad situation even when fighting against Demons.’

The woman pulled out more knives.

Gerard looked at her and smiled.

He felt that he might die today.

 ***

God disappeared after saying what he wanted.

And Lukas knew he had no way to pursue him. He didn’t have the time.

‘A being from the same universe?’

They were in this world? Who the hell could he be talking about?

No, more importantly, how could such a thing even happen?

In order to leave one’s universe of birth, one had to break free from the yoke of
mortality.

One had to become an Absolute.

Lukas’ past struggles showed just how close to impossible accomplishing such a feat
was.

It wasn’t something that was possible merely with talent and hard work.

You had to be born at the right time, carry destiny on your back, and survive dozens
of life-or-death situations before you had even the faintest possibility of becoming an
Absolute.

‘Lord or Lucifer… ’

Lukas couldn’t help but think about the two beings who’d had a high chance of
becoming Absolutes.

But they were already dead.

The possibility that they’d come back to life?

None.

Their cores had become one with Lukas.

Apart from them… he didn’t think there were any other possibilities.
His head was a mess. It would take time to unravel the tangled threads. Time he
didn’t have.

Lukas had something to deal with first.

Just as Lukas left the Personal Space, the dark space suddenly brightened. If it was
said that the space he stepped out from had no light, then this space was entirely
made up of light.

It was a space that was so bright that it blinded him for a moment.

This was a Dimensional Gap.

And standing there was Sedi.

When Lukas appeared, she opened her eyes slightly and said.

“Three.”

“…”

“That’s the hint I got from God.”

A light flashed in Lukas’ eyes at the unexpected word.

It was true that he wanted to hear it, but he never thought that she’d be naive
enough to tell him.

Sedi looked at Lukas with a slightly strange expression. In her mind, she was still
remembering the way he talked to God.

He was indeed a madman. That name was perfect for him.

“Don’t be mistaken. I just thought that telling you this would be a good balance.”

“Balance?”

Sedi snorted.

Although she had entered a temporary alliance with Lukas, she wasn’t willing to let
him know more. She had already given him this much, so he would have to rely on
himself for the rest.

As soon as she turned around, Sedi’s figure disappeared.

Lukas looked at the spot where Sedi had been standing for a moment before looking
away, thinking that it was time to return.

Three and Hybrid.

There was only one more clue remaining, but the mystery seemed to deepen instead.
Right now, those two words didn’t seem to have much of a connection.

[Haha. Of you three, you have the greatest advantage, Lukas.]

“…”

God’s words once again reappeared in his mind. He didn’t know what he meant
when he first heard it, but now, he thought he might have an idea.

Lukas couldn’t help but think about the mysterious black-robed man.

He was a soul who lived on this plan and could even be called a Balance. However,
after the appearance of the Demons, he lost his authority and became a simple
spectre.

This being, who existed before the birth of this world, and who could even be called
the God of Heaven and Earth of this world, might know something.

Woosh.

Lukas returned to the European headquarters.

Otsuru’s body was still on the floor, his mouth agape.

He was dead. And Nodiesop’s influence had already left his body.

But it still seemed like he had something to say.

With that thought, Lukas left the room.

Pchk-

He stepped on something unfamiliar.

When he looked down, he realised that it was a piece of flesh. He could feel an
unpleasant warmth coming from his shoes, so he knew it hadn’t been long since
they’d died.

The corridor, which had been clean before he and Otsuru entered the room, was now
covered in red.

The disgusting smell of blood filled his nose, and there were so many corpses that it
seemed like a terrible battlefield.

“Huh?

“Hey.”

Suddenly a group of hunters appeared.

The group consisted only of Asians, and when they saw Lukas, they tilted their heads
to the side.

“What’s going on? There’s still one left.”

“Where was he? I checked this area before.”

“It doesn’t matter. We’ve found him now.”

The man in front of the group smiled.

“You must be stiff because you haven’t realised what’s going on. When you’re done
coming to terms with the situation, raise your hands and kneel down. Then we’ll se-,
sen…”

The man’s tongue suddenly felt stiff.

“Se-, sen-, send…”

What was going on?

He suddenly felt cold sweat over his entire body.

His pupils and body shook like a thin three in heavy winds.

He couldn’t calm down.

Instead, the shaking became worse.

‘Uh… uh… ’

This was wrong.

This thought suddenly came to him.

If you asked him what was wrong, he wouldn’t be able to answer.

But it was wrong.

Something about this situation was wrong.

(Note:

1. The kukri or khukuri is a type of machete originating from the Indian

subcontinent, and is traditionally associated with the Nepali-speaking Gurkhas of
Nepal and India.)
Bang!

There was a sound similar to a balloon bursting.

When the man turned around to see what it was, he froze in horror.

The heads of all the hunters who were standing behind him were missing. It was as
though they’d been rubbed out by an eraser. The fact that their bodies still stood
there without any blood spilling made the scene even more terrifying.

“Hi-, hiiik…!”

The man collapsed. His head subconsciously turned to look at Lukas.

Lukas looked down at the man whose eyes were filled with fear and horror.

He wasn’t sure how this action appeared to the man, but it caused him to
immediately kowtow on the ground.

“P-, please… s-, spare me…”

“…”

He didn’t have any pride in the face of death.

He was a human who wouldn’t even live 100 years. Was it unreasonable to expect
such a weak creature to hold onto their pride?

No.

It wasn’t. Despite being human, there were those who would carry their pride to
their graves.

Did they not fear death? Did they have no fear?

That wasn’t the case.

Lukas was certain.

There was no human who wasn’t afraid of death. There may have been large or small
differences between them, but in the end, everyone was afraid of death.

There were only people who revealed this fear and people who concealed it.

This man was the former.

Lukas felt disgust well up inside him.

This man had killed people here. He had ended their lives. It didn’t matter how many
he had killed personally.

In the end, he had committed murder.

But now, when he realised his death was imminent, he bowed his head without
hesitation and begged to be spared.

How disgusting could one human be?

Bang!

He wouldn’t accept such sickening begging.

The man’s head burst open.

Even before his blood and brain matter gushed out, Lukas had already turned away
from him. Just as he was about to walk away.

Kijik, kik.

Making a strange sound, a corpse rose to its feet. The body had only one eye
remaining. With this one eye, it looked at Lukas.

“Let’s… make… a deal… Lukas.”

Even the corpse’s vocal cords seemed to have been damaged.

Lukas had seen this phenomenon once. The same thing had happened to Otsuru
earlier.

This meant that Nodiesop’s consciousness had entered the corpse.

Lukas didn’t answer as he swung his finger slightly.

***

Kim Go-hyuk wasn’t fighting. After all, the only ones here were a bunch of weaklings.

The few strong hunters who guarded the base had either been subdued or killed.

‘Nicholas, that man wasn’t bad.’

10 years… No. If he had been 15 years younger, it would have been a much better
fight.

As he thought this, Kim Go-hyuk yawned.

Fwoosh!

A Fireball flew towards Kim Go-hyuk. He swung his dagger lazily as if it wasn’t worth
paying attention to.

Again, Kim Go-hyuk wasn’t fighting.

He was simply accepting his junior’s whining.

“You, what the hell are you doing?”

He asked in a genuinely puzzled voice.

He looked at Min Ha-rin. He could see her calm temperament while objectively
noticing her pretty face and well balanced body.

‘That doesn’t matter.’

White Flower.
A First class Swordsman whose sword unleashed streaks of white light reminiscent
of flower petals which matched her title.

That was the Min Ha-rin he remembered.

He could still remember watching her fight. Her talent for swordsmanship was
remarkable. So he’d kept an eye on her.

In three or so years, another Dragon might have appeared in Asia.

Or so he’d thought.

But now.

“Why did you learn magic?”

His voice became filled with irritation.

Min Ha-rin didn’t respond as she began casting another spell.

For the first time in a while, Kim Go-hyuk became angry.

Crack!

He closed the distance between them quickly before lifting Min Ha-rin by her neck.

“Kuk…”

Min Ha-rin struggled, but Kim Go-hyuk’s hand was like a clamp around her neck that
did not let go.

She’d seen Kim Go-hyuk move. After all, her eyes were well trained.

Nevertheless, she couldn’t respond. She had barely trained her body during the last
month. No, even if she had, it would be the same.

Suddenly, Kim Go-hyuk lifted Min Ha-rin’s shirt.

“…!”
A white stomach with no blemishes was revealed.

Min Ha-rin’s face flushed with shame, but Kim Go-hyuk didn’t pay any attention to
her as he kept looking at her stomach. There wasn’t a speck of lust in his eyes.

Instead, there was curiosity then anger.

“Ha.”

This anger then morphed into contempt.

With a sneer, he threw Min Ha-rin at a wall. Unable to do anything, Min Ha-rin’s body
struck the wall heavily.

“Urk…”

Her back felt like it had broken. She didn’t think it had, but the pain was immense.

She looked up at Kim Go-hyuk, who seemed to be simmering with rage as he gripped
his dagger tightly.

“You don’t have a danjeon?”

“Cough, cough…”

Min Ha-rin struggled to catch her breath.

Kim Go-hyuk continued in a disbelieving voice.

“And you have a mana room now. I don’t know how that’s possible, but… Haha. I’m
not sure what to say about this.”

He laughed loudly, but anyone could see that it wasn’t out of happiness. Kim Go-hyuk
was visibly annoyed.

It felt like seeing someone uproot a steadily growing tree and fill the hole with dog
dung instead.

No, it was even dirtier than that.

“Ah… shit… that was really f**king stupid.”

Kim Go-hyuk walked up to Min Ha-rin before looking down at her.

Despite the pain, Min Ha-rin still glared fiercely at him.

If this were any other time, seeing such a gaze would have filled him with joy. He
might have even derived some pleasure from it.

But not anymore. Kim Go-hyuk wasn’t interested in broken toys.

Paak!

Min Ha-rin’s face suddenly turned to the side. He’d kicked her in the face.

He hadn’t put his full strength into it. Considering Kim Go-hyuk’s power, this could
have been considered a light slap.

If he had wanted to, Min Ha-rin’s head would have been torn off and sent flying like a
football.

This was simply to vent his anger.

However, the pain was so sharp that she lost consciousness for a moment. Min Ha-
rin’s lip was torn and bleeding.

Kim Go-hyuk clicked his tongue before grabbing her by the hair and slamming her
head to the ground.

Paak!

“Seriously. You just did what you wanted without even trying to hide it. Who the hell
do you think you are? What made you abandon the way of the sword? Huh?”

Min Ha-rin’s face looked terrible, but her voice was still firm when she spoke.

“It was… my choice.”

She spat out some blood before continuing.

“You have no right to intervene.”

This wasn’t what Kim Go-hyuk wanted to hear. But it seemed that no matter what
she said in this situation, he wouldn’t get what he wanted.

He smiled.

“You talk really well despite your appearance. If I had a mirror, I’d love to show you.”

He picked her up again.

Then he kicked her in the stomach.

“Kuk.”

“Where’s the White Flower I remember? It would have been better if you drank
nonstop for an entire month than do this. Look at this. You don’t even have abs
anymore…”

Paak!

He kicked her again. This time, he added more strength.

“Gah!”

Min Ha-rin’s eyes rolled upwards.

This was a natural reaction when getting kicked in the stomach with military boots.
Especially when considering the fact that Kim Go-hyuk was a superhuman being
with great experience when it came to violence.

For a moment, she couldn’t breathe. It felt like her guts were trying to climb through
her throat.

‘This is danger-… ous…”

She’d almost lost consciousness.

Min Ha-rin coughed up another mouthful of blood.

“That shock went directly to your intestines.”

Kim Go-hyuk was genuinely sad.

He couldn’t believe that his junior, who was growing up so well, had fallen so far.

His heart hurt so much that he could barely even look at her.

“Magic is garbage.”

Kim Go-hyuk spoke in a tone as though it was obvious.

Despite the pain, Min Ha-rin raised her head and glared at him.

“Statistically speaking, it’s the truth. Are there any Wizards in the Top Three Demon
Hunters? No. Has a Wizard ever succeeded in defeating a high-ranking Demon Noble
alone? No. The role of Wizards is just to stay at the back, as support. That’s all.”

That was all Wizards were.

Of course, you could only choose that path if you had the right aptitude.

But Min Ha-rin was talented. She had the potential to reach or even surpass him in
the future.

And yet, this stupid girl had torn that potential apart with her own hands.

How could he not be upset?

“In the end, I guess there are only two people in this room worth sparing.”

After saying that, Kim Go-hyuk turned his head to the duel grounds before clicking
his tongue.

“No. He’s dead too.”

A man was standing there. He was covered in blood, as if all the blood in his body
had been drained.

Gerard appeared to have died standing because of the sheer willpower in his body.
“Haa.”

He sighed deeply.

Sssng.

Kim Go-hyuk drew his dagger. Now that he was done venting his anger, he had no
reason to keep her alive.

Just as he was about to approach Min Ha-rin and end her life.

“…!!”

Kim Go-hyuk hastily retreated.

Fwoosh!!

An enormous Fireball passed through the spot he’d just been standing.

With a glance, he realised that it was a spell.

‘What the hell is this output?’

If he had remained in that spot, he would have been burnt to ashes. He turned to
where the fireball had come from.

But there was no one there.

Bang!

In the next moment, Kim Go-hyuk avoided ‘some kind of attack’ with a transfer
technique.

The reason he called it ‘some kind of attack’ was because he knew he was being
attacked, but he couldn’t tell exactly what the attack was.

But he knew one thing for certain.

If he’d remained in that spot, he would have been dead.

“…aigoo. When did you arrive?”
Kim Go-hyuk’s lips curled upwards.

A blonde-haired man was standing in front of Min Ha-rin.

It was the man he’d passed in the hallway before. It was Lukas.

“That man…”

“Hmm.”

The Asian hunters who had been fighting, no, slaughtering the European hunters
until now all gathered around Kim Go-hyuk when Lukas appeared.

They had all seen the spell just now. And they realised that Lukas was a formidable
being.

‘This guy.’

Sssk.

Kim Go-hyuk licked his lips as he looked at Lukas.

This was the first time he was getting a proper look at him.

He had light blonde hair and a skinny build. More importantly, he didn’t have any
special aura at all.

If he saw him on the street, he would walk right past him without giving him a
second glance.

That was why he felt slightly apprehensive.

The fire spell and the ‘unknown attack,’ which he had just narrowly escaped from,
had come from this seemingly ‘ordinary’ man.
“What about Otsuru?”

“Dead.”

“Hoh.”

Kim Go-hyuk let out a soft exclamation. It seemed that their prediction that he
wouldn’t kill humans was wrong.

However, this didn’t mean they didn’t stand a chance.

Nodiesop had told them that Lukas was strong, but he couldn’t use his full power.
And that he was a Wizard.

Only magic at 6 stars or above could truly threaten Kim Go-hyuk. However, 6 star
spells and above usually had a large range.

There were still a few living European Hunters, so he wouldn’t use such spells easily.

This was proven by the fact that Kim Go-hyuk had been able to avoid Lukas’ two
attacks.

“Mas-… ter…”

Gasping for breath, Min Ha-rin called out to Lukas, relief clear in her eyes.

Kim Go-hyuk sneered.

“Master? Aha. So you were the one who cut off the White Flower’s path. What the
hell were you thinking? Even if she didn’t receive any guidance, she wouldn’t have
any troubles reaching Lee Jong-hak’s level, but she was trampled on before she could
even bloom.”

“…”

“Well. As the President said, you are an amazing guy, but you make the wrong choi-”

Shuk.

Kim Go-hyuk twisted his body, but he was still unable to avoid it.
Crack.

He clenched his teeth tightly. He felt intense pain. But more than the pain, he felt
surprise.

Tuk.

His right arm fell to the ground, and blood spurted from the cross section of his
severed arm.

“What the-?!”

“What’s going on…?!”

The hunters behind him exclaimed in shock. None of them had been able to see
Lukas’ attack.

“Kim Go-hyuk. You’re an amazing human.”

“Haha. Why do you say that? Were you trying to kill me with that attack?”

Kim Go-hyuk forced himself to sneer and bluff. But contrary to his expression, his
back was covered in cold sweat.

“If I wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead.”

“What?”

“When I look at you, it makes me want to forget my original obligations and let
myself get carried away by childish emotions.”

Kim Go-hyuk’s expression hardened. He finally realised the meaning behind Lukas’
words.

“You bastard. Do you see me as some kind of rat?”

Lukas didn’t pay any attention to him as he looked down at Min Ha-rin. She had
injuries all over her body as well as signs of one-sided assault while she was
defenseless.
“I don’t think it’s time for you to care about your disciples. Don’t think you’ve won
just because you cut off an ar-.”

Shuk.

“Kuak…”

This time, the pain was too severe for him to suppress.

His right leg had been cut off neatly at the base of his thigh. Losing his balance, Kim
Go-hyuk was forced to fall onto the floor.

He glared up at Lukas with bloodshot eyes.

“You f**king bastard…! Who the hell do you think you are?”

Lukas looked down at him and spoke softly.

“I’m angry.”

***

Kim Go-hyuk was unable to fight. After losing an arm and a leg, even standing was
difficult.

Even humans with superhuman capabilities like them were no exception. Now, his
strength was less than a tenth of what it was.

Jong Ho’s judgement was quick. He gave a brief command to one of the hunters.

“Stop Kim Go-hyuk’s bleeding.”

“Yes.”

He drew his sword.

The Plum Blossom Sword Method was the representative sword technique of Mount
Hua. So naturally, Jong Ho had also learned the Plum Blossom Sword Method.

Twenty four, fourteen, seven. He had mastered three techniques in the method.
This was natural. After all, he’d devoted his entire life to learning the Plum Blossom
Sword Method. He didn’t think he would lose to anyone else.

Sss-

Jong Ho’s sword shook.

The first question was which method would be the most effective. But the answer to
this question came easily.

The Phantom Sword, one of the best techniques of the Plum Blossom Sword Method.

His sword flashed dangerously like a flickering candle flame.

The distance between Lukas and him was five steps.

In other words, he was within the range of the Phantom Sword.

Sss.

The flickering gradually became faster. It fluctuated as though it had been struck by a
fierce wind.

Following these movements, the sword began to appear as though it had multiplied.

It was meant to confuse Lukas’ eyes as though the blade was a flower in full bloom.

No.

He had to make it confusing.

Juk.

“…”

Cold sweat dripped down Jong Ho’s wrinkled face.

The sword shadow multiplied continuously. Dozens of afterimages were created by

the Phantom Sword, and each one appeared real and unreal at the same time.
And within these illusions, the real sword lay in wait.

But the sword didn’t move. No, it couldn’t move.

The reason for this was simple.

He couldn’t see any openings.

There was an easy way to tell if the Phantom Sword worked or not.

And that was by looking into your opponent’s eyes. If their eyes were a little hazy,
Jong Ho would know that they had been entrapped. And in the best case scenario,
they would even stumble as if they were hypnotised.

But Lukas was different.

‘It has no effect at all.’

He bit his lip.

Even though he was experiencing this scene for himself, he couldn’t help but feel
disbelief.

This was something that not even President Cha Gung-hwan or the Human Dragon
Lee Jong-hak were capable of.

Lukas’ gaze was locked onto the tip of his sword. This showed that this man didn’t
know how to deal with the Phantom Sword.

In truth, this was not surprising. It was natural for a Wizard to not know about
sword techniques.

And if they knew nothing about the Plum Blossom Sword Method, they would
naturally pay attention to the tip of his sword. It was usually the wisest choice when
going against a sword technique for the first time.

Therefore, those who experienced this technique for the first time would naturally
fall into the swamp of phantom swords.

And even if they belatedly realised that something was wrong, they would already
have trouble seeing through the illusion.

But Lukas was different.

He didn’t use any tricks, and it was clear that he was looking at the tip of the sword.

Nevertheless, his eyes remained cold enough to send chills down his spine. Anyone
could tell.

Lukas’ mind was still firm and stable.

‘It’s like… ’

It felt like his technique had been used on a rock or a lake instead of a human.

He was afraid of that.

Jong Ho retracted his sword. Since it was clear it didn’t work, there was no reason to
continue exhausting his ki to use the Phantom Sword.

He kicked off the ground as a flash of light flowed from his sword.

It was the 4th step of the Plum Blossom Sword Method’s Seventh technique.

Shadow of the Plum Blossom in a Chaotic Era.

Clang!

“Kuk!”

He wasn’t given a chance to execute it.

Jong Ho felt a burning pain in his side as he was sent flying. He seemed to see yellow
because of the impact that felt like being hit by a truck.

The power of Hyper Bolt was considered weak among 6 star spells, but it was a
different story if it hit a vital spot. Above all, Jong Ho had not taken any defensive
measures because he didn’t even notice the spell’s approach.

“Huk…!”
“Pro-, protect the Sword Saint!”

The hunters moved in unison to protect Jong Ho.

Some of them rushed towards Lukas. Jong Ho’s eyes darkened when he saw this.

‘Y-, you can’t… ’

You can’t defeat him.

Jong Ho wanted to shout these words, but he was still not able to control his body
due to the shock he felt.

Woosh!

A terribly cold air that brought a chill to one’s bones suddenly swept across the
room, and the five hunters who’d rushed towards Lukas froze in place.

Crack!

Then blades of wind shattered their bodies.

“Huh…?”

“Wh-, what just happened?”

They were all hunters who had at least 10 years of experience.

They were veterans who had experienced everything, and there were even a few
among them who had slain high-ranking nobles.

None of them would have thought that at that moment, they would die so vainly.
Without being able to do anything, they became powder without even knowing how
they died.

“This… doesn’t make sense…”

One of the hunters muttered in a terrified voice.

That was probably the reaction of everyone who saw that scene.
But there was one person who was different.

“You used some kind of strange sorcery.”

The Hwarang Leader, who had been silent before, spoke to Lukas while removing the
sword from his back.

“Did it look like sorcery?”

“That’s the only way you would have been able to defeat Kim Go-hyuk and Elder
Sword Saint so quickly. As expected. At first, I was still unconvinced, but now, you’ve
finally revealed the truth of your nature. You really are a Demon.”

The Hwarang Leader sneered.

“But that won’t work against me. Because sorcery won’t work in front of my
Hwandudaedo(1).”

(Note:

1. Hwandudaedo is the modern Korean term for one of earliest original types of
Korean sword, appearing in the Proto–Three Kingdoms of Korea. These swords were
at first symbols of a ruler’s power, but their availability increased in the 5th century,
and it became a more widespread symbol of military or political rank.)
Bang!

The Hwarang Leader shot towards Lukas like a cannonball, the force of his charge so
strong that it caused the floor of the Duel Room to shake heavily. Ki oozed from his
body.

He was the most domineering hunter.

People often referred to the Hwarang Leader as a human tank. This was because he
wielded a hwandudaedo the size of his body and left nothing but blood and meat
paste in the places he passed through.

His Hwandudaedo was engraved with special symbols that nullified magic, demonic
energy, and other supernatural forces and converted them into his own ki.

If a large amount of energy was converted, it was impossible to estimate just how
powerful he could become.

Clang!

“…!”

The Hwarang Leader’s expression hardened.

His hwandudaedo stopped a short distance away from Lukas, unable to move
further. It was as though an invisible wall was blocking his hwandudaedo. His wrist
also throbbed as though he’d struck a large piece of iron.

‘What strength… ’

With his power, even a lump of steel would be split in half. In other words, the
invisible wall in front of Lukas was harder than steel.

His eyes met Lukas’ indifferent gaze.

“Kuk.”

The Hwarang Leader had never felt so humiliated in his life.

His muscles swelled explosively.

“Hup!”

Then he swung his hwandudaedo again.

This time, he unleashed consecutive attacks.

Even if he couldn’t see it, he was sure that it would crack if he focused on the same
spot.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

…How many?

How many times had he hit it?

The Hwarang leader couldn’t help but ask himself this question. He’d probably hit
the wall more than a dozen times, but it was still blocking him.

There didn’t seem to be any change at all. So he couldn’t tell if it was working or not.

“This… Dammit!”

“Stand back, Hwarang Leader.”

Army Nun, Geum Ryeo-hwa*, murmured as she stepped forward. White light shone
from her eyes. (TL: I’ve never encountered a name like this before, so apologies if it
sounds strange. Also if you have any suggestions on what it might be, please do tell me
in the comments.)

God’s Eye. It was for this reason that she was called a Nun. She observed Lukas with
this innate, magical power.

‘…a Demon?’
Was this man really a Demon?

She wasn’t just judging by his appearance. She could also not find any traces of
demonic energy in his body.

What she did find was an immense amount of mana… and…

‘He’s the same as Nodiesop… ’

Her instincts caused Geum Ryeo-hwa to stop that line of thought.

Then, she bit her lip and said.

“He’s not using sorcery.”

“Then what is it?”

“A spell.”

“What?”

Geum Ryeo-hwa continued.

“It’s just a magic barrier.”

“Bullshit!”

The Hwarang Leader shouted in disbelief. Barrier was a 4 star spell at best.

He refused to believe that he and his hwandudaedo could not break through a simple
4 star spell.

“No, Geum Ryeo-hwa is right.”

Jong Ho muttered as he forced himself to sit up.

He didn’t know how, but he was certain that this man was a Wizard.

Kim Go-hyuk had a very cynical view towards Wizards, and while Jong Ho wasn’t
that extreme, he also didn’t think much of Wizards.
The stronger a warrior was, the more likely they would have his thought.

Wizards were rare talents whose power was indispensable for humanity. This was a
fact that couldn’t be denied.

However, they were extremely vulnerable to direct combat and could not play a
decisive role in battle against high-ranking nobles.

In the first place, the powers the Demons used were very similar to magic. But they
were able to use power much stronger than magic without much of a cost.

Statistics, history, and Jong Ho’s own experience told him that.

But Lukas’ appearance had shattered every concept he’d formed in his mind.

They weren’t fit for close combat? There was a limit to the things they could do?
Their power was worse than the power used by the Demons?

Was there anyone who dared to say those words while looking at Lukas?

Jong Ho couldn’t even begin to guess how powerful Lukas was. But he knew that the
threat of death he was sensing was heavy.

Even if a Duke was standing in front of him, he wouldn’t feel so helpless.

‘Kuk…!’

Jong Ho bit down on his tongue. He forcefully restrained his will, which was about to
be broken.

Suddenly.

“D-, don’t move!”

One of the Sword Saint’s disciples shouted in a frightened voice. He was also a
member of Mount Hua and had displayed tremendous talent from a young age.

However, Jong Ho’s expression became harder than stone when he turned to look at
his disciple.
The frightened disciple was holding an unconscious European hunter in his hand.

“If you move, I’ll kill him!”

Jong Ho clenched his fist so hard that blood seeped past his fingers.

He’d been restraining himself ever since they came to the European hunters.

When fighting Nina, when killing their own kind, and even when Kim Go-hyuk
wantonly slaughtered everyone he saw for pleasure.

But he could not hold himself back anymore.

This was simply the act of throwing away the last morals he had and truly becoming
trash.

“What the hell are you doing-?!”

Jong Ho’s voice cracked as he roared.

“Ma-, Master?”

He stumbled towards his disciple, who stared at him in surprise, and hit him on the
back of his head with the hilt of his sword, knocking him out. The disciple fainted to
the ground immediately, never expecting that his Master would strike him.

“Huk… huk…!”

He felt Lukas’ gaze turn to him.

Catching his breath, Jong Ho spoke desperately.

“…we can’t defeat you. But we also had our own circumstances. I hope you can
understand we didn’t have a choice.

As he said this, Jong Ho smiled defeatedly.

‘If you go… you’ll die… ’

Jong Ho remembered the words of one of his old friends, Bow God Na Jong-cheol.
Even when his mind and body had been severely weakened by continuous torture,
he said those words with sincerity.

At first, he hadn’t believed a word he’d said. He thought that Na Jong-cheol had
simply been tricked by the Demon.

So he decided to come and see for himself.

And now that he could see him face to face, he realised. Lukas wasn’t a Demon.

But he wasn’t a human either.

“Senior, it’s too early to give up. If we all work together, we still have a chance of
winning.”

Hearing the despair in Jong Ho’s voice, the Hwarang Leader hefted his sword and
spoke with determination. His attitude wasn’t wrong, but it simply made Jong Ho’s
mind feel heavier.

There were some opponents who could have been overcome by youthful vigor, and
there were some who couldn’t be overcome at all.

Lukas was the latter. And the reason for that was simple. The difference in power
was too severe.

That’s why he was confused.

‘Why is he still keeping us alive?’

If he wanted to, he could kill all of them within a heartbeat.

“I have no intention of killing you.”

Jong Ho flinched.

Although he knew it was unlikely, he couldn’t help but feel that Lukas had read his
thoughts.

“…what did you say?”

“Lay down swords and go back to where you came from.”

“Why are you letting us go?”

“Because I made a deal.”

“By deal…”

Jong Ho’s expression suddenly distorted.

“…you mean with our President?”

Lukas nodded.

“…”

Jong Ho’s head felt light at that moment. Only then did he realise what their role was.

They were simply bugs in a battle between unbelievably powerful existences. Simply
chess pieces on a board whose life and death depended on the movement of their
fingers.

That was all that they were.

He felt miserable.

Lukas looked at Jong Ho, who had lowered his head slowly in realisation.

“The reason I’m not killing you isn’t because of the deal.”

“…what are you talking about?”

Then, Jong Ho heard a voice in his head.

[I’m sparing you because you spared Nina. That is all.]

Jong Ho remained silent, but countless thoughts flowed through his head.

“He was sparing me? In return for sparing Nina?”

President Nina Rednikova.

It was correct that Jong Ho had spared her. However, he hadn’t done so with good
intentions in mind.

He just thought that Nina would be worth more as a hostage. So he persuaded Kim
Go-hyuk to not kill her.

If they used Nina’s life to threaten and subdue them, it would be easier to take over
the European Branch with fewer casualties.

Did this man not know that? Or was he saying that despite knowing that?

“…”

Jong Ho didn’t continue thinking about it. Instead, he suddenly looked around for
some reason.

Just a few moments ago, Lukas killed five hunters. He didn’t even leave them proper
corpses. Instead, their bodies shattered into pieces of ice, which were scattered
across the floor.

The sight had been so terrifying that he had subconsciously believed he would die in
a similar manner.

What about Kim Go-hyuk? The Heavenly Dragon had fallen from the sky and now
had to crawl on the ground.

He stared at Lukas with a crazed smile, but Jong Ho could tell that it was false
bravado.
He’d stopped bleeding, but he’d lost too much blood. His injuries were so serious
that it wouldn’t be strange if he fainted or died at any moment.

Jong Ho suddenly had a thought.

“…what about the rest of them?”

“You are the only human in your group.”

“What does that mean?”

Lukas spoke with a cold voice.

“It means you are the only one I will spare.”

“What did you say?!”

“Kuk…!”

The remaining hunters burst into an uproar at those words. Jong Ho, on the other
hand, bit his lip hard.

It appeared that they still hadn’t realised the difference between them. That man just
had to move a finger, and they would all die.

In a way, he envied their ignorance.

Jong Ho closed his eyes for a moment. It wasn’t something one should do when there
was an enemy standing in front of one, but it wouldn’t make a difference.

He already understood that he couldn’t avoid any attacks whether his eyes were
open or closed.

He didn’t have to think for long.

When he reopened his eyes, Jong Ho’s heart and mind had calmed down once again.

“I refuse.”

“I see.”
Lukas glanced at this man, who willingly threw away his only chance at survival.

In truth, he wasn’t surprised. To put it bluntly, he’d expected Jong Ho to make such a
choice. And in all honesty, it didn’t feel good to give him the choice despite knowing
that.

After all, it made Lukas appear no different from Nodiesop. From Jong Ho’s
perspective, he might even be considered a hypocrite.

Nevertheless, Lukas respected his choice.

“Farewell.”

With that word, everything ended.

All the chaos, fighting, and conflict that engulfed the underground base disappeared
in an instant.

Instead, pure white light covered the Duel Room, the floor they were on, and the
entire European Headquarters.

“…”

Min Ha-rin blinked, not understanding what was happening.

The light only lasted for a brief moment, and when it disappeared, the Asian Hunters
were gone.

“Ah…”

“What the hell is…”

The surviving European hunters naturally turned to look at each other with blank
expressions on their faces before gathering together.

Then, they looked at Lukas, their eyes filled with a mixture of awe and fear.

Ignoring their gazes, Lukas walked over to Min Ha-rin and examined her injuries.

“Can you stand?”

Min Ha-rin forced herself to stand up. Her body still throbbed from the pain, but she
had the energy to at least stand up.

“Yeah.”

“Good.”

Lukas nodded slightly before his gaze turned to Leo, who, in his unconsciousness,
didn’t know anything that was going on.

It seemed that the time had come for him to leave the European Branch
Headquarters.

But before that, there were still some things for him to do.

***

The damage to the European Headquarters was severe, but the worst of the damage
was to the humans.

The total number of casualties reached 2,000, and among them, more than 500
people were killed, with a similar number being seriously injured or completely
unable to recover. The rest of the population also suffered large or small injuries.

The key figures in the European Headquarters were the ones who suffered the most
severe damage.

They were all Titled Hunters. And their influence wasn’t limited to external force.
This was especially so after considering that there weren’t many Titled Hunters in
Europe in the first place.

The more famous a hunter was, the more followers they had. Because in this
hopeless world, people wanted something they could depend on. And strength was
the most effective method to attract them.

When Lee Jong-hak went missing in the past, thousands of people who followed him
wondered whether they should move to a different region or not.

Now, the famous hunters of the European Headquarters had been reduced to three.
Nina, the President, Ludwig, the Vice President, and Nicholas, the head of the
Knights.

Ludwig and Nicholas had received permanent injuries. Their danjeons had been
destroyed, meaning they could no longer hold ki, and their tendons in both arms
were severed.

Even if they recovered, they would never be able to fight as they once did.

But the one who suffered the most was the President, Nina Rednikova.

To put it simply, she was barely alive.

“…”

A Catholic Archbishop and multiple doctors came out of the hospital room with
solemn expressions on their faces.

The hunters who were waiting outside immediately surrounded them.

“Ho-, how is the President’s condition?”

“…”

The Archbishop sighed.

“Death was averted. She will have no problems surviving, but… I’m afraid the
aftereffects will remain.”

“Aftereffects?”

“Her eyeballs were directly cut out. And it seems that they used a cursed weapon
because my divine power can’t heal it.”

“Ah…”

“Oh, my God…”

The hunters collectively collapsed at those words. Some even began sobbing.
The Archbishop looked at them sorrowfully. To be honest, Nina’s injuries were much
more severe than he made them seem, but now wasn’t a good time to talk about that.

Nina Rednikova.

The influence that her charisma had across Europe was unimaginable. Because of
her, the Head of the Iron Blood Division, countless hunters decided to come to
Europe.

And yet, such a European treasure had been irreparably damaged. For a hunter,
losing their sight was the worst possible injury.

Nina would not be able to fight bravely or lead hunters on the frontline ever again.

And only they could understand the helplessness and despair this fact would cause
European hunters to feel.

“…”

Lukas went into the room with Nina.

Seeing this, the Archbishop hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should stop him.
But in the end, he shook his head.

He knew that this man had saved their headquarters using great magic.

When Lukas opened the door and stepped into the room, he saw Nina sitting on the
bed with bandages around her eyes.

“Nina.”

“…Master?”

Nina’s voice shook.

Lukas sat on a chair in front of her.

“Yeah. It’s me.”

As he responded, he inspected her body.

Most of her injuries had been healed thanks to the Archbishop’s divine power, but
there were some injuries that couldn’t be healed.

One of them was her eyesight.

‘However… ’

There were countless other wounds on her body.

Nina was silent for a moment before suddenly speaking in a bright voice.

“Kim Go-hyuk was definitely strong. I thought he was just strong for his age, but that
wasn’t the case. Aside from him were the Sword Saint, Army Nun, and Hwarang
Leader… none of them were easy to deal with.”

She chuckled.

“But I’m glad you saved us. Nicholas and Ludwig also seem to have survived, and the
damage to the European Branch is serious. But when I get out of bed, I’ll be right-”

“Do you really think that?”

Lukas asked, interrupting her.

Nina fell silent. Then her head slowly lowered.

“…why do we fight each other?”

When she finally spoke again, complex emotions could be heard in her voice.

“This isn’t the time. We’re in such a desperate situation that it’s hard to see the end
even when we put all our energy into it. So why are we still fighting ourselves?”

Since the advent of the Demons, humanity had united as one.

At least, that’s what most hunters thought.

However, those who held high positions, like Nina, could see the truth.

Even in such a situation, humanity failed to unite.

Humans still pressured or opposed each other. The fact that catastrophic beings like
the Demons had appeared hadn’t changed that fact.

Europe resented Asia for treating them like shields. Asia tried to think of a way to
escape North America’s influence. Oceania* was not interested in anything but their
own survival. Africa had become a land of death that suffered the most damage. And
North America watched the situation of the world from their safe haven. (TL: Oceania
is a geographic region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia)

Most of the large and small disputes had disappeared, but in their stead, other
disputes had become much larger than before.

“Master told me. Humans are the most beautiful beings in the universe. The only
ones capable of accepting or overcoming the poison of evil. That the more desperate
the situation became, the more strongly we would bond together and unite…”

Nina’s voice shook, and it felt like she was about to cry.

“…I thought so too… I believed you… But… But…”

Finally, it seemed that she was unable to contain herself as she began sobbing.

“I can’t now. I used to only see the good side, and I felt great pride to be human. But
I’ve finally seen the bad side that I was trying to ignore.”

A human like Kim Go-hyuk had appeared, as if testing Nina’s will.

His mindset and actions caused Nina to wonder if he was even a human like she was.

Of course, the underlying cause of all of this was Nodiesop. It was this man, who had
forcefully taken over the position as head of the East Asia Branch, who incited the
Asian hunters.

But Kim Go-hyuk didn’t need incitement.

Nodiesop gave them an option and an opportunity.

Die as humans. Or abandon the humans.

And Kim Go-hyuk laughed happily while choosing the latter. He showed his true
nature without hesitation, as though he was waiting for such a chance to come.

It was impossible for her to know just how much blood he’d shed.

No one had told Nina about how much damage the European Headquarters had
suffered. But she knew instinctively.

She knew that the damage was so severe that it was probably impossible to recover
from.

Hundreds of people had died and thousands were injured.

Not at the hand of Demons but their own kind…

“Master, I know I shouldn’t, but I… Right now…”

The bandages around Nina’s eyes had become wet. She shed tears of blood as she
poured out her true feelings to her Master.

“…I hate humans more than the Demons.”

Nina cried for a long time before falling asleep.

The Archbishop, who returned to see this, blamed Lukas. Because he had stimulated
the patient in a time when her mental stability was the top priority.

After apologising to the Archbishop, Lukas returned to his room.

“…”

He hadn’t comforted Nina.

He was the reason those hunters invaded the European Hunters. And as a result, he
was responsible for the tragedy that happened here.

…God had suddenly appeared at that time.

If he hadn’t followed him, he might have been able to minimise the damage. At least
he would have been able to prevent many of the casualties.

‘No.’

Nodiesop’s operation was also hampered by God’s appearance. He didn’t care about
the devastation caused or the deaths of thousands of humans.

All he cared about was Lukas.

Don’t be burdened by those you couldn’t save.

Such an argument burdened his mind and ate away at his belief. He knew that, but
he couldn’t stop his heart from feeling heavier.

Lukas forced himself to think about something else.

In any case, the European Headquarters was currently in a very precarious situation.
In its condition, it would not survive a second attack by the Asian Branch.
It might have been greatly damaged in their assault, but the Asian Branch was at
least ten times larger than Europe.

That wasn’t all.

Because of this attack, the European Headquarters had lost the deterrent factor to
control the Demons in the surrounding area.

‘The supplies from Asia will be cut off.’

That would be another fatal blow.

Europe was used to receiving a lot of support from Asia. If that support was suddenly
cut off, most of the resources in the branches across Europe would soon be
exhausted.

Most of the land in Europe was already dead.

And there was a limit to how much one could sustain oneself on dead land. In less
than a year, most of the hunters in Europe would move to other regions.

Then the protection in Europe would naturally become lax, and soon afterwards, the
Demons would be able to easily take over the territory.

Humanity would once again lose a vast territory.

But now, there was only one region in the world that Europe could trust and ask for
support.

North America.

And in order to receive that support, he would have to persuade one man.

Neil Prand.

He was the President of the North American branch, which was the strongest force in
the world as well as the current President of the Hunters Association.

His influence spread beyond the Hunters Association and reached the entirety of the
human race.
He was also a man who was associated with Lukas. In fact, he was the first human
Lukas saved after coming to this world.

Neil’s transformation power was far greater than that of the Human Dragon Lee
Jong-hak, Bow God Na Jong-cheol, or Min Ha-rin.

It could be said that his power was one that appeared every hundred… No, every
thousand years.

He was a person who was destined to change the fate of mankind.

Lukas had tried to make him his first disciple, before Min Ha-rin, but he’d failed.

Because Neil had one big problem that he could never fix.

***

The blood hadn’t been completely cleaned from the hallways. But this was to be
expected as it had only been a day since the attack.

Lukas headed to the communication room.

The communication room, control room, and portal management room could be said
to be the three most important rooms in the entire base. So naturally, when the Asian
hunters launched their attack, they took control of these rooms first.

“You…”

Matthew Costa, who was organising the communication room, couldn’t help but
pause slightly when he saw Lukas enter.

He had been the referee in Leo and Gerard’s duel, and he had fought fiercely against
the Asian hunters who showed up afterward.

So naturally, he’d seen Lukas, who appeared just before he thought he would die,
easily take care of the situation.

Therefore, Matthew’s feelings towards Lukas were very complicated.

He’d heard many rumors about who this man might be. Some said he was a secret
executive of the Hunters Association, some said he was the President’s relative, and
some even said that he was the mysterious Vice President. There were many rumors.

Of course, even now that Lukas had showcased his strength, his true identity
remained a mystery.

They didn’t know how to treat him.

Many of the hunters in the European Headquarters blamed Lukas. The Asian hunters
had attacked their branch looking for a man named Lukas. And that’s how they came
to know that he was the reason for the attack.

Matthew was rational. He thought that Lukas might be the reason, but the real
instigator of this event was the Asia Branch’s new President.

But he didn’t reveal these thoughts to anyone.

The European hunters needed an outlet to vent their anger and frustration. So in a
sense, Lukas was a good scapegoat.

They hadn’t overstepped any boundaries yet, but it was clear that it would gradually
get worse even if they were only talking behind his back for now.

However, it was not possible to stop the flow of this tide. Because he couldn’t tell just
what the hunters would do.

In fact, some of the hunters in the communication room were looking at Lukas with
fierce gazes.

Matthew coughed.

Among those present, he held the highest position.

“What are you doing here?”

“I would like to communicate with North America.”

“…mm.”

Matthew couldn’t help but frown at those words.

This wasn’t to say that it was impossible. After all, the branches around the world
had naturally established communication lines between themselves.

The problem was that North America had never had a good relationship with
Europe. This was because during the conflict between Asia and North America in the
past, Europe chose Asia.

This was a choice that Europe couldn’t help but make. Because there was more
certainty of being protected by the neighbouring Asia than by North America, which
was across the ocean.

‘But there is a high chance that the request will be ignored… ’

Lukas had a close relationship with President Nina, so it was possible that he also
had connections in the North America branch. And if he did, it would be of
tremendous help in the current situation.

“They won’t refuse. As long as you send them the password I tell you.”

“By password…”

“Frey Blake.”

“…”

Frey… Blake?

Matthew tilted his head to the side in confusion, but Lukas’ expression remained
unchanged.

Seeing that he gave it out without hesitation, it might be a one-time use password.

After thinking about it for a while, Matthew finally decided to do as he wished.

Chichichi-

A noise sounded from the hologram desk which sat in the center of the
communication room. And for a while, it was the only sound that could be heard.

“Ha.”
“Pretending to be a bigshot…”

Some hunters laughed outright.

Matthew turned to look at Lukas with an embarrassed expression.

This was because their voices were clearly audible to everyone in the room. But
Lukas’ expression remained unchanged.

‘If they haven’t responded after so long, there is a high chance that they chose to
ignore it… ’

Just as Matthew was about to turn off the hologram desk.

Paht-

“…!”

The screen brightened.

And the face that appeared stunned Matthew as well as every other hunter in the
communication room.

“Hu-. huk.”

“Th-, that person…”

It was a man with an amazing physique. He was wearing a black suit that looked like
it would rip if he flexed his muscles even a little. He was a man who seemed to
contain unlimited power within his body.

His short blonde hair and cold blue eyes gave everyone who saw him a glimpse at his
personality.

It was Neil Prand, President of the Hunters Association.

The man who stood at the pinnacle of millions of hunters looked at Lukas for a
moment before speaking.

[Should I say it’s been a long time?]

“…”

He knew him?

Looking at President Neil’s expression made Matthew’s already complicated feelings

even more complex.

He thought that at best, it would be a Branch Head or even just the Head of
Communications at a random branch. He never would have expected it to be a direct
line to President Neil.

Matthew shuddered.

What kind of person was this man in the hologram?

He was the most powerful man in the world. The former President of the United
States wouldn’t have as much power as Neil currently possessed.

Even Cha Gung-hwan, the Asian President, and Nina, the European President, were
mere fireflies before the sun when compared to Neil’s power and influence.

Their position in the association might have only differed by two or three levels, but
the difference in their individual powers was unsurmountable.

Just as Matthew wondered if he should leave the room for a while, Lukas spoke.

“There is something I want to talk to you about.”

[…How surprising. I would have thought you never wanted to see my face ever
again.]

He muttered with an expression that looked anything but surprised before nodding.

[Fine. I will leave the portal open for two days.]

Tuk-

With those words, the communication ended.

‘Is he asking me to come over directly?’

Lukas frowned slightly.

The current situation was so critical that even a single day couldn’t be wasted. It
would have been better to talk and negotiate through the communications room, but
if he wanted to talk face to face, then he had no choice but to comply.

After all, this was urgent.

“Yo-, you…”

Meanwhile, Matthew couldn’t help but stutter as he looked at the man standing
beside him.

“…who the hell are you?”

(TL: My entire worldview was shifted because of this chapter. T~T. The author finally
put their english version of ‘Frey Blake’ and it’s ‘Pray Blake’. T~T I’m shook. I’ve been
wrong for almost 300 chapters now. Of course, I won’t change it, it’s much too late
for that, but still interesting.)
Leo lay on a hospital bed while staring blankly at the ceiling.

The last thing he remembered was his fight against Gerard. It had probably been the
most painful and desperate fight he’d ever had.

But in the end, he won. It was Leo who won in the end. The moment Gerard admitted
defeat, that fact became set in stone.

With the great joy and satisfaction that came with victory, Leo lost consciousness.

…And when he opened his eyes again, Gerard was dead.

“…”

When he first heard it, his entire face had become pale.

Did he kill him? No, that was impossible.

Unlike Leo, who fainted, only Gerard’s sword had been broken. His body was in a
much better condition.

In addition, Gerard looked different from how he had when he fell unconscious. His
entire body was covered in blood, and there were numerous knives embedded in his
body.

He had died from excessive blood loss, and he’d died standing. But what truly
confused Leo was where Gerard was standing.

He had his back towards him as though he was protecting him and died facing an
enemy who had probably stood in front of him.

Afterward, Min Ha-rin filled him in on what happened.

She told him that Asian hunters attacked the base. As a result, the key figures in the
European Headquarters were either killed or severely wounded, and the damage
done to the base was irreparable.

“…”

Too many things had happened. And in all honesty, he still wasn’t sure how to feel.

Just as Leo sighed for the umpteenth time, he heard a knock on the door.

“Yeah.”

After giving a brief response, the door opened and the first thing he saw was glossy
black hair.

It was Min Ha-rin.

When she entered the room and saw Leo, she smiled softly.

“Hey, Junior Brother.”

“Hey, Senior Sister.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Fine.”

“I’m glad.”

Min Ha-rin sat on a chair beside the bed and silence fell in the room for a while.

“How is the situation in the headquarters right now?”

“Should I be honest?”

“Yeah.”

“…not very good.”

She sighed.

“The President, Vice President, and even the Head of the Knights Division. The three
people who could be called the core of this base all suffered irrecoverable damage.”

“…I see.”

Min Ha-rin turned to look at Leo.

Unlike her, who had only been in Europe for a short period of time, Leo had grown
up here. So it was natural for him to feel great sorrow and confusion.

“Master is going to North America today.”

“North America?”

“Yeah. I think he’s going to meet the President of the Association and discuss a way
to deal with Asia.”

Leo nodded.

The attack by the Asian Branch was a treacherous action. And if North America was
informed of their actions and promised their support, it might be possible to reverse
this desperate situation.

“I will be going with him. I might not be in the best condition, but I think it would be
a good learning experience. That’s why… I came to ask what Junior Brother would
like to do.”

“If you allow me to, I’d like to join you.”

Leo expressed his opinion with a calm voice.

Then Min Ha-rin’s expression became serious.

“…you know why the Asian hunters attacked the European Headquarters, don’t you?”

“Yeah.”

They came looking for a man named Lukas.

According to them, Lukas was a high-ranking Demon Noble, Nina was a witch who
was colluding with him in the dark, and everyone who sheltered him was evil.
From Nina’s perspective, this argument was so far-fetched that it wasn’t even funny.

“A few hunters seem to believe that claim.”

When Min Ha-rin said those words with a solemn voice, Leo spoke out with disbelief.

“That’s impossible. That rumour is just ridiculous. Master doesn’t even have the
slightest hint of demonic energy in him. If they thought a bit more rationally, they’d
realise-…”

“The situation can no longer be considered rational.”

Leo had no choice but to fall silent at those words.

The European hunters always risked their lives when they went out on missions.
And because of its position on the frontline, the hunters in Europe tended to have a
closer relationship than those in other regions.

Their colleagues and teammates were annihilated overnight, so it was natural for
them to look for someone to blame.

However, the Asian hunters who attacked them were already dead.

So, naturally, their resentment fell to Lukas, who was thought to have attracted them
in the first place.

“I won’t hide the fact that I’m Master’s disciple.”

“…!”

“It’s going to get harder. It’s going to get dangerous. And I might even die.”

Min Ha-rin rubbed her stomach. She had already been healed, but the pain of Kim
Go-hyuk’s attack was seared in her mind.

“And there will probably be more misunderstandings like this one in the future. But
if we want to help Master, then we’ll have to deal with similar… no, we might have to
deal with even worse situations than this one. Leo, can you handle it?”

“Are you okay, Senior Sister?”

Min Ha-rin was surprised by Leo’s sudden question.

“Huh?”

“You might end up fighting the Asian hunters.”

“Haha.”

Min Ha-rin couldn’t help but laugh.

This is because Leo’s care for her really comforted her. She stroked Leo’s hair gently,
just like she did with her siblings.

“I’m fine.”

Min Ha-rin was probably the only person who’d seen Lukas’ power up close.

She’d seen him kill a Demon Duke. So she knew that Lukas wasn’t a Demon.

…No.

She didn’t believe in Lukas just because of such a logical reason.

Lukas had taught her for a month.

Being taught by someone meant getting to know them. Because the way a person
taught had a certain degree of subjectivity. And through his teaching, Min Ha-rin was
able to get a glimpse of the type of person Lukas was.

Lukas wanted to save the humans. He wanted to save the humans more than anyone
else.

And he was planning something huge in order to do that.

She didn’t know what the exact plan was. However, she was convinced that it would
benefit her, the hunters, and the entirety of the human race.

And Min Ha-rin wanted to help Lukas with his plan, even if it was just a little.

It was different from simply hunting the Demons or Demon Beasts. At that time, she
simply swung her sword like a machine.

She didn’t want to die. And in order to just see the sun rise on the next day, she killed
the Demons. But she knew that her actions didn’t have much of an effect on the
bigger picture.

Could she change anything by simply killing a Demon Noble, a few dozen Demons, or
Demon Beasts?

She couldn’t.

Another noble, another Demon, or another Demon Beast would simply take their
place.

Nevertheless, Min Ha-rin continued to do it.

Because she couldn’t see the way or find the answer, she simply did the only thing
she could think of.

But Lukas had shown her the way.

He was moving towards the ultimate goal not of driving out the Demons but of
freeing the entirety of humankind from their misery.

She was truly happy and honoured to be able to join such a great cause.

Unlike before, when she simply killed Demons and Demon Beasts, she felt different.
Her spirit was uplifted.

For Min Ha-rin, it was like she’d been reborn the moment she decided to step off the
path of swordsmanship and become a Wizard.

Since then, her body and mind were constantly under tremendous pressure, but the
heaviness in her heart had disappeared.

She felt free.

“I will continue following Master.”

“Me too.”
Leo looked up at Min Ha-rin as he spoke.

“I feel the same way as Senior Sister.”

“I know you can handle it.”

Min Ha-rin smiled as she stroked Leo’s hair once again. She was confident that Leo
would walk a similar path to her.

Then, after a moment, she asked a question that had been bouncing around in her
mind for a long while.

“By the way… What shampoo do you use?”

“I use soap.”

“Huk…”
Beijing, China.

There was a commotion in the city where the Asian Headquarters were located. And
standing at the center of this commotion was a handsome man with a stern
expression.

A man who had finally reappeared in this base after a few months.

“Le-, Lee Jong-hak!”

“The Human Dragon has returned…!”

The hunters grew excited as soon as they saw Lee Jong-hak. But Lee Jong-hak simply
walked past them coldly.

Before, he might have even stopped and said hello to them for a moment, but now, he
did not.

His expression was as hard as stone. He seemed so angry that he might explode at
the smallest provocation.

Maybe it’s because they noticed this, but those who went up to greet Lee Jong-hak
stepped back and cleared the way for him.

Like this, Lee Jong-hak entered the base.

His firm, determined steps were leading him to a specific place.

At that moment, he remembered Kim Go-hyuk’s words.

He’d asked him about Lukas, and Lee Jong-hak hadn’t answered. Nevertheless, Kim
Go-hyuk learned that Lukas was at the European Headquarters. And later, the Asian
Hunters attacked the European Headquarters.

They had only given one reason.

‘Lukas is a Demon?’

Lee Jong-hak clenched his fist.

He wasn’t. Nina had told him what he’d done, and Lee Jong-hak also had his own
ideas of what he might be.

He was neither human nor Demon.

His thoughts and hypocrisy were completely unacceptable to Lee Jong-hak, but it
was undeniable that he’d helped mankind tremendously over the years.

That’s why he couldn’t believe it.

The dozens of hunters who’d gone to attack the European Headquarters were all
dead.

Among them were the Sword Saint, Army Nun, Hwarang Leader, and. above all, the
Heavenly Dragon, Kim Go-hyuk. The European hunters would not have been able to
stop such a lineup.

It was obvious who killed them.

“…”

Lee Jong-hak stood in front of the President’s office.

He’d already heard about what the man behind this door was like. So after taking a
deep breath, he opened the door and stepped in.

“Nice to meet you.”

He didn’t even knock. In a way, he was showing his displeasure.

Nevertheless, the man responded to Lee Jong-hak’s appearance as though it was

natural and expected.

He had bright blue hair, which was a color that didn’t quite suit his western features,
but his appearance seemed to have a strange balance.
This was the man who’d overthrown Cha Gung-hwan to become the President of the
Asia Branch, Nodiesop.

And it was his first time seeing him in person.

“Are you the new President?”

“That’s right.”

Nodiesop nodded without pointing out the blatant lack of respect in Lee Jong-hak’s
tone. Instead, he looked at him with a gaze filled with interest.

“The Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak. You truly are a human worthy of being called the
greatest hero.”

“…”

His words made Lee Jong-hak feel like a giant snake’s tongue was licking his body.
The man’s eyes also seemed to shine with a mysterious, magical light.

Just looking at him caused Lee jong-hak’s palms to become covered in sweat.

‘He’s different but similar to… ’

However, Lukas was more…

“I know what you want.”

Nodiesop’s voice interrupted Lee Jong-hak’s thoughts.

“Exterminating the Demons is not difficult for me. I have the power to completely
erase them from existence.”

This wasn’t a lie.

Lee Jong-hak recalled the miraculous scene he’d witnessed in Germany. A stream of
water that he’d sent from thousands of miles away had annihilated every Demon
without injuring a single human with incredible precision.

It was literally the power of God.

Nodiesop smiled as he continued.

“Unlike Lukas, I’m no hypocrite. I will not hesitate to save all of you. I will even swear
on my name. After I get rid of that man, I will destroy all of the Demons on this
continent.”

“…what do you want from me?”

Nodiesop’s answer was simple.

“Obey me.”

***

It was around 5pm when Min Ha-rin and Leo headed to the Portal Management
Room. By then, all of their preparations had been completed.

They were scheduled to leave at 6pm, but their Master always arrived ahead of the
scheduled time and waited.

This was not a very comfortable situation for disciples, so they hurried over this time
around.

Fortunately, Lukas wasn’t standing in front of the portal when they arrived. Instead,
they saw a man they’d never seen before.

It was a man with gray hair and a cold expression on his face. This was their first
time seeing him, but for some reason, he felt familiar.

“Ah…”

The man opened his mouth when Min Ha-rin’s mouth widened in realisation.

“It’s me.”

“…Master?”

Lukas nodded.

Only then did Min Ha-rin step closer to him before saying.
“Your appearance… did you change it with magic?”

“It’s the Illusion spell. When you reach 5 stars, you will be able to learn it.”

Min Ha-rin was amazed.

She knew that Illusion was a 5 star spell. But even if she reached that level, the
complexity of the magic formula and the extremely high mana consumption meant
that she would have to be at least 6 stars in order to use it so naturally.

Of course, she knew the being in front of her wasn’t a 6 star Wizard but someone
who could be called the creator and teacher of Magical Science in this world.

Then she realised that she couldn’t feel any mana from him.

“When I have this appearance, I use the pseudonym Frey, so you can call me that.”

He was using an identity he’d created before so that there wouldn’t be any problems
when he went to North America.

“Yes. Understood.”

Min Ha-rin nodded.

She could guess why he changed his appearance. The hunters in Asia would be
looking for him everywhere, so it would be best to hide his appearance whenever he
had to do any activities outside.

Lukas looked at his two disciples carefully before turning to look at Min Ha-rin.

“What did you tell Leo?”

“I told him everything.”

“Good.”

Then there was no need for him to say anything more.

Lukas simply tapped Leo on the shoulder.

“It will be a tough journey from now on.”

“I can handle it.”

“I believe you can.”

Leo smiled brightly at those words. And Min Ha-rin laughed slightly because she’d
been told the same thing.

***

The North American Headquarters was located in Manhattan, New York.

Standing in front of the portal, Min Ha-rin felt a little anxious like a child who was
about to go to an amusement park for the first time.

She’d heard a lot about North America, but this would be the first time she was going
there.

It was probably the same for most hunters.

Heaven, Utopia, Another World.

North America was called countless names, and none of them were negative.

And as soon as she stepped through the portal, a huge light covered her body.

She felt the strange, floating feeling that came with portal transportation, as if
heaven and earth had been overturned and all the directions had been jumbled.

‘Urk…!’

Maybe it was because the distance was quite far, but she felt more nauseous than she
usually did when travelling by portal.

Min Ha-rin forced herself to fight the urge to vomit.

Paht.

“…!”
Finally, the sense of weightlessness disappeared.

She felt herself land on solid ground, but her vision was still blurred.

Whispers- (TL: This was the best onomatopoeia I could find for the effect T~T)

The surroundings were quite noisy.

What’s going on?

When her vision cleared, Min Ha-rin looked around. And It was the first time she’d
seen such a sight in her life.

Dozens of people in suits were aiming cameras at them.

Then, above them, she saw the view of the city.

“Ah…!”

Min Ha-rin subconsciously let out a cry of admiration. Her eyes widened, and she
couldn’t help but wonder if she was dreaming.

The sun was high in the sky, unlike Russia, where it was already dark.

And the city that stood under the brilliant sun did not have smoke billowing out of it
nor the abandoned or dilapidated buildings that she was used to seeing her entire
life.

Instead, she saw a forest of skyscrapers that reached the sky and a sunlit river that
flowed beside the city. On this river floated a pure white yacht.

Sochi, in Russia, was a relatively well preserved and redeveloped city. But Manhattan
was so beautiful that it couldn’t even compare.

The portal was in the middle of a large square, which allowed her to take in all of
these sights at once.

This fact shocked her greatly. After all, hunter bases were usually constructed in
hidden locations, for example, underground.
Click – Click –

Then bursts of light began flashing from every direction. Leo shrank slightly.

It wasn’t magic. It was simply the flash of cameras.

“The European hunters are finally here!”

“Ah! There’s also the White Flower, a Titled Hunter from Asia! What is her
relationship with them?”

“Huh? There is such a handsome boy. Who is he?”

What the hell was going on?

Tense, Min Ha-rin turned to look at her teacher.

Lukas stood with the same expression he always had on his face. Even though the
appearance was different, it was easy for her to tell that it was the same person.

Her confused mind calmed down a little.

Suddenly.

“Please wait a moment. Let me through.”

A woman with a stern voice appeared.

She was an extremely beautiful woman dressed in fancy clothes. She wore a red
dress and high heels, with a luxurious-looking overcoat hung lightly on her
shoulders.

She reminded Min Ha-rin of the Hollywood stars who existed in the past.

The woman put her hand on her hip as she spoke to the reporters.

“You will get the chance to interview them in a moment, so please calm down for
now. Let me talk to them first.”

The reporters murmured under their breaths for a few moments, but they still
reluctantly stepped back in the end.

It was only then when the woman turned around and addressed Lukas.

“Are you Frey?”

“That’s right.”

When Lukas nodded, Min Ha-rin couldn’t help but look at him. It was the first time
she’d ever heard him speak so politely.

It seemed he truly intended to hide his identity.

“Hmm. Doesn’t seem like much, so why would the President want to see such a
man…”

The woman murmured this in a soft voice, but it was still clearly audible to all of
them.

Min Ha-rin and Leo glared fiercely at this woman for her rude remarks.

As if she noticed, the woman’s blue eyes turned to Min Ha-rin.

Then she smiled.

“What’s with that look in your eyes? Is this man your lover?”

“…”

When Min Ha-rin remained silent in shock, the woman laughed.

“Smile. It was a joke. Hmm. This is your first time in America. Am I right?”

When Lukas nodded, the woman spoke with a pitying expression.

“It must have been quite the surprise. Look at how tense you are. Relax your
shoulders. This is a place for humans. Well, considering that you came from Europe, I
suppose it’s natural.”

As she said that, the woman looked at Frey, Min Ha-rin, and Leo’s attire, one after the
other.

Min Ha-rin immediately realised what the feeling she felt at that moment was. It was
something she’d been feeling ever since this woman spoke to Lukas.

Min Ha-rin hated this woman.

“Ah, silly me. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Joanna. I’m an American hunter
who came to pick up our European guests on orders from our President.”

“Joanna…?”

When she subconsciously asked back the name she heard, Joanna giggled in a
satisfied manner.

“Oh, my. It seems I’m well known even in Europe.”

“…”

She wanted to deny it, but she couldn’t. Joanna was a hunter who was not only
famous in North America but in the entire world.

However… Min Ha-rin saw Lukas frown slightly.

“In any case, please adjust to the pace. It’s been a long time since we had hunters
from Europe here, so I called the reporters. You don’t have to do much. Just smile and
answer a few of their questions. Ah. You don’t have to answer anything you don’t
want to.”

Lukas couldn’t help but wonder if this was Neil’s scheme.

After saying what she had to, Joanna turned around again and headed to the
reporters with sparkling eyes.

“…”

Lukas finally looked around, taking in the scene that Min Ha-rin had been amazed by.

It was a beautiful city, but they didn’t overdo it.

They had enough economic power to pursue glamour while also remaining confident
in their safety.

‘I didn’t expect it would be this much.’

Although their presence was weaker than in other regions, North America wasn’t
completely free of the Demons. After all, at one point, North America was also facing
dark times.

However, the hunters in the region, under the command of Neil Prand, managed to
drive the Demons out of most of their territory.

It had been decades since then.

And the utopia built upon the ruins had become a true paradise.

Perhaps Min Ha-rin and Leo felt like they were in a completely different world.

Then Joanna returned. She glanced at the three of them for a moment before
speaking.

“By the way, I forgot to ask for your names. Could you give a brief introduction?”

Lukas opened his mouth first.

“I’m Frey.”

“Are you a hunter?”

“Right.”

“What job do you have?”

“I’m a Wizard.”

“Pfft.”

Joanna snorted at that.

When Lukas turned to look at her, she apologized without seeming the least bit
sorry.

“Ah. Sorry. It’s just that there are many ‘self-proclaimed Wizards’ running around
these days. I’ve seen far too many people who don’t even have a hint of skill.”

When Lukas remained silent, she added.

“Mm. Of course, I’m not referring to you. After all, you came from the frontlines in
Europe, so you couldn’t be completely useless…”

Joanna narrowed her eyes.

“It’s just that I can’t feel any mana fluctuations in your body. You wouldn’t happen to
be calling yourself a Wizard after reaching only 1 star or 2 stars, right?”

Her voice was soft, but the mocking tone in her voice was unmistakable.

Then a man in a suit standing beside Joanna bowed to her as he said.

“Wouldn’t any Wizard look like nothing in front of you, Miss Joanna? You are one of
the few Archmages in North America.”

“Hmph, you don’t need to flatter me.”

While Joanna waved her hand and said those words, it was clear from her expression
that she enjoyed the compliment.

Lukas simply looked at her without responding.

“…”

And Min Ha-rin and Leo simply stared at her with strange expressions.
Press conference.

This was something that Min Ha-rin had never experienced in her relatively short
life.

“Haa…”

She sighed.

She didn’t even realise when it had ended. The constant flashing of cameras and the
rapid spitfire of questions caused her mind to grow numb.

After a while, she couldn’t even remember the answers she gave. If it weren’t for
Lukas, she might have said something wrong.

‘I’m so tired.’

It was different from the fatigue that came with hunting Demons. It felt like her
energy had been sapped.

When she looked over at Leo, she noticed that he was also tired although he didn’t
show it.

‘I just want to rest for 5 minutes.’

And water. She wanted to drink water so cold that it would make her bones ache.

“What are you doing? There’s no time to relax.”

But the witch didn’t seem to have any intention of letting them rest.

Joanna gave her a look as if to ask if she was tired from just this much.

“We’ll be traveling by car, so you can take a rest on the move.”

“Car?”

Was she talking about a vehicle?

At that moment, a black limousine entered the square and gracefully pulled up in
front of them.

Min Ha-rin’s jaw dropped subconsciously.

Smiling, Joanna boarded the limousine with elegance and grace before saying.

“Get in.”

“Ah… yeah.”

Lukas, Min Ha-rin and Leo boarded the limousine.

The moment her butt touched the soft seat, she felt like she would sink into it
completely. It would only be a small exaggeration to say it felt like her body had
become one with the seat.

There were also vehicles in Asia, where she had been most active. However, those
had mostly been military vehicles or trucks used to transport personnel or supplies.

She’d seen damaged cars a few times in ruined cities during explorations, but she
had never seen such a clean-looking car like this limousine in her life.

‘It feels like I’m floating.’

There was almost no noise, and the ride was smooth. There was even a small
refrigerator in the car.

Joanna took some canned drinks from the refrigerator before handing them to them.

“Take it.”

“Ah… Thank you.”

“Thank you.”
She didn’t like this nasty woman, but her conscience didn’t allow her to refuse.

So she simply bowed her head slightly and accepted the can. It was a brand of cola
she’d never seen before.

When she took a small sip, the sweet taste and slight fizz of carbonation made her
taste buds tingle.

…It was delicious.

Leo’s attention seemed to be locked onto the scenery outside. For Leo, who was born
in Britain and never left Europe, the forest of skyscrapers that he could see outside
the window was literally a new world.

“Where are we going?”

It was Min Ha-rin who asked.

“To the Headquarters.”

“I thought the headquarters would be nearby since the portal was located in the
square. But I guess it’s not.”

“North America is different from the other regions.”

“…right.”

Min Ha-rin muttered softly before taking another sip from the can.

Joanna looked at her with a slightly solemn expression.

Hunters from Europe. Europe was supposed to be the frontlines where hunters
fought against Demons constantly. So because of that, she thought the European
hunters would be a skilled and powerful group.

Of course, she didn’t think they would be a match for American hunters who
continued to grow explosively due to having the best resources and support from the
association. But she at least hoped to meet a hero.

This expectation was even greater ever since she heard that this hunter was a guest
of Association President Neil Prand.

So why was it only this much?

A woman, a boy, and a self-proclaimed Wizard.

Min Ha-rin was a rookie hunter who’d made a name for herself in Asia. But there was
one thing she found strange.

‘I heard that the White Flower is a swordsman, so why can I feel mana fluctuations?’

Min Ha-rin had the scent of a Wizard. At first, she thought it was just an illusion, but
now, she didn’t think so.

This woman was at least a 3 star Wizard. She had done something to cover it up, but
it was impossible to trick the eyes of an Archmage like Joanna.

In the first place, she had put aside her busy schedule to come greet them. After all,
there was no way for her to refuse an order that came directly from the President.
Because of this, her expectations had been quite high before she came here.

She never would have expected these three to be the guests she sacrificed her
valuable time for.

‘Even though the President said to be polite to them… ’

She thought it was stupid.

There was no need to be polite to low-rank hunters.

Joanna’s eyes turned to the grey-haired man.

She could only think of one thing as she looked at this man.

Unlike the other two, who were excitedly taking in all the sights, this man had
remained calm from the start. However…

‘He’s obviously bluffing.’

Without a doubt, this man was the most pathetic of the three.
His identity was a mystery, but unlike Min Ha-rin, who had made a name for herself,
or Leo, who clearly had a good foundation, she couldn’t feel anything from this man.

It was unpleasant.

He didn’t seem to have any mana, yet he dared to call himself a Wizard.

It was as though he thought it was easy to be a Wizard. For people like this, she felt it
was best to destroy their mana rooms so that they wouldn’t be able to use spells for
the rest of their lives.

“…”

It was at that moment that an interesting idea popped into her mind.

“Hey. Frey, was it? What rank are you at?”

“You can take a guess.”

It was the same answer he’d given before.

Joanna sneered.

“Ah, is that so? Then I think you should be at least 5 stars.”

Although she usually felt that 3 stars was the limit of most average Wizards, Joanna
deliberately raised her guess.

In fact, it didn’t matter whether she said 3 stars or 5. In the first place, she couldn’t
feel any mana from this man.

So either this man didn’t have the talent at all or he was a measly 1 star and his mana
was so pitiful that she couldn’t sense it.

“You can think so.”

“…”

Joanna’s eyebrows raised at that.

This man had just admitted to being a 5 star Wizard.

She had to forcibly stop herself from laughing.

There was still some time till they arrived at the headquarters, so she decided to kill
time. She wondered just how far this man could bluff.

“…”

Then Lukas turned and looked Joanna in the eyes for the first time.

In that instant, Joanna felt like her entire body had become frozen for some reason,
and without realising it, she grabbed the hem of her dress.

“Don’t act recklessly.”

It was a murmur that was close to a whisper. It was so soft that it seemed one would
not be able to hear if one wasn’t paying attention. Nevertheless, Joanna heard Lukas’
voice as clearly as if he was shouting.

Lukas continued.

“There won’t be a second time.”

Hup.

She felt and indescribable pressure, like an invisible hand was gripping her heart.

For a moment, Joanna couldn’t breathe. Her pupils shook.

She stared at Lukas with wide eyes, but he had already looked away and was now
staring out the window once again.

And.

Not another word was spoken until they arrived at the North American
Headquarters.

***
The North American Headquarters was housed in an extremely tall skyscraper. Even
if they titled their heads 90 degrees, it was hard for them to see the top.

Joanna coughed slightly before opening her mouth.

“This is the headquarters of the North American branch. It’s also called the Pilsky
Tower.”

After saying that, she glanced at Lukas. Joanna’s attitude was different from before.

When they entered the building, Min Ha-rin looked around the first floor before
muttering.

“It’s so peaceful.”

It reminded her of a shopping mall. There were restaurants, coffee shops, clothing
stores, and even arcades.

People sat at tables that were scattered throughout the floor. Their expressions
showed no tension at all.

“…I don’t think they are hunters.”

“You have good eyes. These people are not hunters.”

Hearing Joanna’s words, Min Ha-rin tilted her head to the side.

“Ah. Then are they civilians who work with the association?”

“No. They’re just ordinary people.”

“The public can enter the North American Headquarters…?”

“Pilsky Tower is the North American Headquarters as well as one of the top tourist
attractions in Manhattan. Public access is permitted up to the 50th floor.”

“…”

Min Ha-rin’s jaw dropped at those words.

The Hunter Headquarters was a tourist attraction?

It felt like her common sense was being challenged. However, this was not
uncommon in North America, where attacks from Demons were rare.

Joanna led them to an elevator on the left, which had an ID scanner. It seemed that
this was an elevator that could only be used by hunters.

Then, a man who appeared to be a security guard approached them and gave Joanna
a wireless earpiece.

“Joanna, you’re here.”

Joanna didn’t respond, instead simply collecting the earpiece, and stepped into the
elevator.

Click.

A long finger pressed the button of the 125th floor. It was very high up.

Joanna suddenly became silent, and it seemed that she was listening to something
from the earpiece in her ear.

When they reached the 60th floor, she spoke again.

“Come to think of it, have you eaten?”

“No.”

“Good. I’m a bit hungry, so let’s eat first. We still have some time to spare.”

They didn’t have time to spare.

Min Ha-rin complained inwardly, but she didn’t say anything.

After a while, the elevator came to a stop, and Joanna stepped off first as she spoke.

“The 125th floor is the resting area for hunters. It has a restaurant, a lounge, a
library, a karaoke room, a game room… Oh. They’re a bit small, but there is also a golf
course and a movie theater.”
Huh. It seemed that there was no end to the surprises.

She didn’t expect the resting area to have so many facilities. Probably only North
America was like this in the entire world.

Looking at Min Ha-rin and Leo who were glancing around the floor, Joanna
continued.

“Each region hides information about American hunters as much as possible. Do you
know why?”

“…I don’t.”

“It’s because most people wouldn’t want to leave if they came here. Of course, we
would not stop hunters from coming. After all, this is a world where the land mass is
large but the people are scarce.”

People were also a resource. This was basically what Joanna was saying.

Then they saw the restaurants.

There were many different varieties.

Western, Chinese, Japanese. There were even Korean restaurants.

Just the slight smell that drifted from them caused their mouths to water. The chefs
in these restaurants were definitely top-class.

When they finally sat at a table, Min Ha-rin and Leo tried to decide what to eat. Then,
Joanna tapped Lukas on the shoulder.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“…”

Wondering what she was up to, Lukas turned to look at Joanna, but she avoided
making eye contact with him. It seemed what happened in the limousine was still
fresh in her mind.

Did she want to talk about that?

No. She didn’t have the guts to do that at the moment.

Did she set a trap for him?

That was even more unlikely.

Maybe she really just wanted to talk.

Lukas got up from his seat.

“You guys eat first.”

“…Yeah.”

Min Ha-rin and Leo looked curious, but they chose to listen to their Master.

Lukas and Joanna headed to a lounge a short distance away from the restaurant. The
glass walls in the lounge gave the customers a clear view of the city.

There were many chairs there, but Joanna didn’t take a seat. It seemed the
conversation would end soon.

“The President contacted me. He said to have you meet him alone.”

Joanna pointed to her ear as she said this.

“Alone?”

“Yeah.”

“…”

He knew Neil’s personality. So he wasn’t surprised that he wanted to meet him alone
without Min Ha-rin and Leo.

It seemed he wanted to have a private conversation.

“You can go to the 177th floor. Well, then. That’s all.”

Then, as if her task was complete, she turned around and tried to leave.
“You’re not going to accompany me?”

“The 177th floor is the President’s private room. Unauthorised personnel are not
permitted to enter. Myself included.”

“…”

“I’ll take care of your companions. So you can come back here when you’re done.”

Lukas followed her with his eyes for a moment, then he headed to the elevator and
pressed the button for the 177th floor.

Neil Prand’s private room.

As the elevator went up, it stopped on another floor.

A man entered from the 159th floor.

It was a middle-aged man wearing a biker jacket and jeans. He had long hair that
reached his shoulders, and his beard grew from his sideburns to his chin.

But as soon as Lukas saw this man, he became speechless.

—He was surprised.

You could even say that he was shocked.

“Ahn.”

The man yawned tiredly as he raised his hand to press the floor button before
lowering it again.

Seeing this, Lukas quickly regained his composure. His eyes narrowed slightly.

Only the button for the 177th floor was currently pressed.

In other words, this man was also going to the 177th floor.

To the private room of the Association President that unauthorised personnel

couldn’t enter.
…No. That wasn’t the problem.

Looking at this man’s back, Lukas spoke.

“Hey.”

“What?”

The man answered bluntly without looking back.

“What’s your name?”

Only then did the man turn to look at Lukas. His eyes appeared calm and
disinterested.

“Letip.”

Ding-

With the sound of arrival, the elevator came to a stop.

(TL: For those who don’t remember, Letip is the third absolute that came to the world)
When the elevator doors opened, the first thing he saw was a long, straight hallway.
Red carpet was laid along the hallway, and there were even luxurious artworks
displayed on both sides. It felt like an art museum.

Letip was the first to start walking down the hallway. He didn’t seem to have any
power in his body, but that in itself seemed a bit contradictory as he stepped forward
without hesitation.

Lukas looked at his back.

‘Letip.’

Lukas couldn’t help but mutter his name inwardly.

This man was the last of the three Absolutes who entered this world.

The moment he met him, he realised… but on the other hand, he wouldn’t have
realised if he hadn’t met him.

Letip gave him a strange feeling.

Unlike Sedi, who openly released her aura to attract Lukas, or Nodiesop, who had
shown his ambition by acquiring his own faction, this man didn’t show any such
behaviour.

Of course, this didn’t mean he would jump to any conclusions. After all, he could just
be acting more covertly than Nodiesop.

‘…’

But Lukas couldn’t help but feel that he was completely different.

When their eyes met, this man should have naturally realised who Lukas was.
Nevertheless, he didn’t seem interested at all.
What was the reason?

Wasn’t the goal of the Absolutes who came to this world to kill Lukas?

Concealing his doubts, Lukas followed Letip.

First, he would meet Neil Prand. It was clear that he had some kind of connection to
Letip.

Of course, he didn’t think Neil would be willing to tell him, but he might be able to
get a clue from their conversation.

When they opened the door at the end of the hallway and stepped inside, they found
themselves in what appeared to be an office.

The reason it ‘appeared to be’ was because this room seemed far too large to be
called an office.

It was as large as the lounge he’d briefly entered on the 125th floor.

And at the end of this large space sat Neil Prand.

He seemed to be filling out some documents, but he put his pen aside when he
noticed their arrival.

Letip walked forward before plopping down on a sofa on the left. Then, he picked up
a remote from the coffee table in front of him and turned on the TV.

The TV was so large that 100 people would be able to watch it comfortably.

“Pukuku.”

Letip chuckled as he found a show he liked. Without taking his eyes away from the
large display, he said.

“I’m hungry. Do you have anything to munch on?”

“I’ll call someone.”

“Beer, too.”
Neil picked up a phone to his right and ordered the food while Letip continued
laughing as he watched his show.

Click-

Only after hanging up the phone did Neil look at Lukas.

He nodded at a door to his right before walking towards it. Lukas followed him.

It appeared to be a reception room attached to the office. It was much smaller than
the office, but it was more suitable for a one-on-one conversation.

“I was rude last time.”

“…”

“There were a lot of eyes looking at us. And I’m in a position now where I have to be
careful about the things I do.”

Lukas ignored Neil’s apology. It didn’t matter when he spoke formally or informally.
He knew that this man in front of him had no respect for him.

“This city is pretty well developed.”

Neil’s eyes shined slightly.

“I can barely remember how it looked a few decades ago. You achieved your goal.”

He believed that Neil could do it. But he never thought that he would be able to
achieve his goal so perfectly in such a short amount of time.

Neil Prand was truly an amazing human.

He was a man who could change not just a city, country, or continent but the entire
world.

“This country is my everything. I will protect my homeland with my life.”

“I see your thoughts haven’t changed.”

“I’m only human. Unlike you.”

Whenever he heard those words, Lukas felt a stabbing pain in his chest.

This man in front of him couldn’t know, but Lukas had once been human.

Neil Prand continued in a calm voice.

“And humans have limits. So I only look after the humans I can save.”

“By that, you mean the Americans?”

There was a faint glimmer in Neil’s eyes.

“I’ve made numerous suggestions. Even at this moment. We don’t stop people from
coming. The economy of North America has grown large enough to support all the
hunters from Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania.”

Nevertheless, they didn’t accept his proposal. They might have had their reasons, but
Neil didn’t pay attention to that.

“It’s their own choice. Everyone must bear the burden of their own choices.”

“The Demons aren’t active in America.”

Neil paused for a moment at Lukas’ sudden remark before saying.

“…they don’t like to cross the ocean.”

“There are Demons who have the power to move through space. The higher the
nobility rank, the more common this power is. With their power, carrying a legion of
Demon Beasts across the ocean is not difficult.”

“That’s why we have barriers. Our barriers are stronger and have fewer flaws than
those of other regions. This is due to the collaboration between the many Wizards
and Sorcerers in this country.”

Lukas’ expression changed slightly.

“Don’t try to fool me with Magical Science, Neil Prand. Do you think I can’t tell it’s
just a 7 star barrier at best?”

“…”

“You greatly increased the strength of your defenses using soul crystals that you
bought from the other branches, but they would only work on Demon Marquises and
below.”

This also varied depending on the individual. Among the Marquises, there were a
few who could easily break through North America’s barriers.

“There’s no reason for them to come all the way over to America. There are many
humans closer to them already.”

His words sounded like the most plausible excuse, but it wasn’t something one
would expect to hear from a human.

Many humans closer to them?

That sounded as though he was talking about livestock instead of his own kind.

“The higher ranked the Demon, the more greedy they are. There are many Demon
Nobles who would love to get their hands on the hunters in North America.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Did you make a deal with the Demons?”

Neil fell silent for a moment. Maybe three seconds.

“Hoo.”

Then he let out a breath.

“…the topic of our conversation seems to have shifted. Aren’t you here as Frey Blake,
a Hunter from the European Branch who came to seek aid from North America?”

“…”

“I would like for us to move on to our negotiation now.”

He forcibly changed the topic.

This time, it was Lukas who sighed.

Neil Prand had not changed at all from the last time he saw him.

No. Instead, it seemed that he had become more extreme.

However, Lukas couldn’t recklessly call him evil.

He knew how strong his convictions were and how devoted he was to humans. It was
just that he needed to widen his view.

That should have been the role of his teacher. This was why Lukas felt responsible
for Neil’s deviation.

“How much do you know about the situation in Asia?”

“I know that a man named Nodiesop has become the new President of the Asia
Branch. He didn’t just stop there, however. He also took control of most of the forces
and facilities of the Hunters Association in that region…”

Neil looked at Lukas for a moment before adding.

“He even got in touch with North America, claiming that he wanted to have a good
relationship with us.”

“What did you say?”

“That’s confidential.”

“Do you know what kind of being Nodiesop is?”

“He should be something similar to you. A transcendent being with power

comparable to that wielded by God.”

Nevertheless, he didn’t appear to be wary of Nodiesop.

It was the same as when he’d first met him.

Neil did not shrink back even when he had an idea of how powerful Lukas was.

This was something that Lukas appreciated.

He believed he could become the symbol who led mankind.

“It’s not difficult for us to protect Europe in itself. After all, our association dislikes
Asia much more than Europe. But I can’t make that decision on my own.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’d have to bring it forward to the council of the American Association. Most of the
executives with great influence are part of the council, and most of them don’t have a
very favorable opinion of Europe.”

Lukas knew that the ‘most’ category also included Neil Prand.

Neil now divided the world into two parts.

Whether it was helpful to North America or not.

His logic could not have been more black and white.

Even now, Neil must have been making calculations in his head.

He was calculating how North America could benefit from the confrontation
between Europe and Asia.

He didn’t think about the hunters who would die. Because they weren’t American
hunters.

He was a man who already had such a twisted belief. And Lukas couldn’t do anything
to change it.

“I’m not asking you to openly put pressure on Asia. You don’t even have to be hostile
with them. After all, the true enemies of the hunters are the Demons, not their own
kind. All I want you to do is exercise your influence so that the conflict between
humans doesn’t escalate.”

“You make it sound so easy. Once we step in, we will no longer be able to hold a
neutral position. We’d be forced to take a side in the mud fight.”

“Then you want Europe and Asia to continue fighting like this? Don’t you understand
what the outcome would be?”

“At least one side would collapse. And it would most likely be Europe. If the
knowledge of this conflict reaches the ears of the Demons, perhaps all the
association branches in Eurasia would disappear. Well, that’s only the worst case
scenario.”

So he did know.

Lukas looked at Neil with cold eyes. He felt his heart sinking.

“Then the remaining survivors would flock to America. We wouldn’t reject them.”

“…Neil Prand, are you serious?”

Neil didn’t respond right away.

Instead he observed Lukas for a moment.

“And if I am?”

Suddenly, Neil spoke up.

“I’d like to make a proposal.”

“A proposal?”

“Yes. If you agree to it, then I will help Europe. No, I’d give them my full support. If
you like I’d even dispatch a number of troops to Asia.”

“…”

This was Neil’s usual manner of speaking.

He would draw attention by suddenly speaking in a completely different manner to

how he had been before. He would then list a number of things that he could offer
before bringing up his own conditions at the end.
Neil only spoke like this when he was sure.

Sure that the other person would be unable to turn down his offer.

“Lukas, please come to America.”

The emotion in his voice seemed to fill the entire room.

“If you become America’s protector, I will accept any condition.”