년 만에 귀환한 대마도사

낙하산

The moment he heard that, Lukas’ heart became cold. It was as

though someone had poured water on a raging bonfire.

At that moment, he felt like the thin thread that connected him to Neil
Prand snapped.
He looked at Neil.

He’d thought that Neil wasn’t evil. It was just that his beliefs were a
bit twisted and his devotion to humanity had deviated.

He’d thought that it wasn’t hopeless. That the twisted beliefs could
be corrected, that one day, he would treat every human in the world
like he did the Americans.

But now, he wasn’t so sure.

He’d thought that Neil hadn’t changed much, but he was wrong. Neil
had changed.

He’d become much more extreme and biased than Lukas could have
expected.

He wouldn’t just protect North America. He would only protect North

America. The difference between the two was beyond description.

It was only after letting go of his guilt when he was able to look at
Neil Prand objectively.

He had already grown rotten.

There were no longer any traces of the young, intelligent American

boy whom Lukas had saved.

“Do you even need me?”

“What are you talking about?”

“It seems that you’ve already found someone to replace me.”

As if on cue, the faint sound of laughter could be heard from the
office. The reception room seemed to be soundproofed, but the
laughter was still able to pierce through.

This was proof of just how loudly he was laughing.

“Where did you find that man?”

“I don’t know.”

“What is your connection to him?”

“I can’t say.”

Neil evaded all of his questions.

Lukas moved his head slightly and looked Neil in the eyes.

Neil didn’t avert his gaze, and they remained in that position for a
few seconds.

“You can’t control Letip.”

Neil’s expression didn’t change at those words. He remained as

unflappable as ever.

But he clenched his fists beneath the desk.

‘As expected.’

He created the Hunter Association. He took the seat as President of

the Association.

And now, he had become a person who would never have to look up
to anyone else.

Neil knew that his position was hundreds of times stronger now than
it was when he was younger.
He wasn’t the only one who thought so, either. The hundreds of
thousands of hunters in North America could bear witness.

And it wasn’t without results. North America had managed to create

a haven with perfect peace and security over the past few decades,
and Neil Prand had contributed the most to this.

Nevertheless.

Even though he stood at the pinnacle of humanity, the distance

between him and the being in front of him was still unfathomable.

It was as if to say no matter how high he climbed, he would never be

higher than the heavens.

“He can’t be called North America’s power. You met him by chance
and somehow managed to convince him to stay with you.”

“I’m curious as to why you would be so presumptuous.”

That statement was basically an acknowledgement of Lukas’ words.

Lukas had already known this, but it was better to get confirmation
instead of continuing under an assumption. And Neil’s attitude had
already given him the confidence to continue.

“If you could make Letip work with you, you wouldn’t have avoided
my question. In fact, you would have brought it up even before I
asked. To make your deal sound more convincing.”

Or to show off.

In all honesty, Lukas was certain that if Neil had been able to acquire
the assistance of a transcendent being as strong as he was, he
never would have made an offer in the first place.
“…”

So he was saying that his refusal to answer was admittance?

It was then when Neil realised how tense he was. After all, he would
never make such a mistake normally.

Neil nodded.

“We didn’t find him. Letip came to us. He showed up about a week
ago in California.

And as soon as he arrived, he destroyed the entire area.”

“The damage?”

“No one was hurt or injured because there was no one nearby. Only
a few surveillance towers and other buildings were burnt to ashes.
After receiving the report, I checked the videos and realised that he
was like you.”

Those words made Lukas a bit uncomfortable.

“So you persuaded him?”

“I don’t know. Maybe my persuasion worked. As you said, I can’t

control him.

However, Letip likes American culture. In all honesty, it’s a bit

strange. He seems to fundamentally be the same as you, but unlike
you, who’s emotionless, he seems to be true to his desires.”

Letip wandered around as he pleased, ate food he liked, and even

slept with women he liked.
This wasn’t a bad thing for Neil since he wanted Letip to have as
many connections with this land as possible.

“…”

Lukas had a different thought after hearing Neil’s explanation.

“I’d like to hear your answer now.”

Lukas looked at Neil once again.

Now that he thought about it, he had made a similar offer to him
before they separated in the past.

‘Master, become North America’s protector. If you and I work

together, we could create the most perfect Anti Demon Barrier. We
could make the strongest fortress in the world that would never
collapse.’

He had said this with an earnest voice and desperate expression.

And Lukas gave the same answer he’d given to a young Neil Prand.

“I refuse.”

“…”

There was a heavy silence.

Neil’s breath became hitched for a moment. He closed his eyes as if

to calm his fluctuating emotions.

Then, with his fists clenched once again, he spoke in a strained

voice.
“I see.”

When Neil opened his eyes again, he’d returned to the same
unflappable persona from before.

“In that case, our negotiations have come to an end. I will prepare
the portal for you, so please leave.”

“Are you really going to do nothing?”

“Yes. I don’t care what happens to Eurasia.”

This was spoken with blunt honesty.

All Neil wanted to do was protect North America and the people who
lived here.

“No.”

But Lukas didn’t accept his words.

“You will do everything you said.”

Neil paused and looked at Lukas when he heard that.

“And one more thing: I brought two disciples with me. They are
unpolished gemstones, so I’d like for them to experience the
curriculum here in America. I’m sure it will be a great help to them.”

Lukas said those words in a casual manner as though he expected

them to happen.

Neil’s expression turned cynical.

“I have no obligation to do that.”

“Neil Prand.”

Neil became speechless for a moment as Lukas called him by his full
name.

“You should be the human who knows me best in this world.”

“…that’s an unexpected statement.”

He forced himself to respond.

“It’s already been several decades since I traveled across North

America with you, and if you were intelligent, you wouldn’t have
forgotten.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Do you think I said those words thoughtlessly?”

The table creaked unpleasantly, and Neil shuddered slightly as a

strange pressure resonated from Lukas.

“I’m going to get angry.”

The topic changed once again.

Neil felt like he should say something, but his lips felt like they were
glued together.

“Maybe it’s because a lot of things happened recently.”

Lukas thought about the European hunters.

Those who fought on the fiercest front and had to risk their lives
every day. They knew how difficult their task was, and they knew that
it wouldn’t be strange if they were to die the next day.

And yet, they did not shirk away in fear. Instead, they accepted their
obligations without giving it.
Each and every one of them was a hero. The hunters in the other
regions could be safe because of the European hunters.

“North America might be safe now, but that might not necessarily be
the case if Europe disappears. You might be able to prevent the
Demon’s invasion now.

However, what about 20 or 30 years ago? If Europe had given up

fighting or got destroyed earlier, wouldn’t the Demons have crossed
the ocean to reach you?”

This wasn’t even an assumption. It was a guarantee.

Lukas knew the Demons’ tendencies.

If they had captured Europe, they would have immediately turned to

the humans in Asia and North America.

The other regions were able to recover from the initial attack and
build defense lines at the expense of Europe.

In other words, every human in the other regions owed Europe.

“And yet, the European Headquarters has become a mess. Not at

the hands of the Demons or Demon Beasts but their fellow humans.”

“Many people were injured or killed.”

Nina Rednikova.

Lukas had saved her when she was only a little girl.

He’d found the little girl in the ruins of a city, and she’d always looked
up to him like he was her saviour.
Lukas taught and told her many things. And many of the things he
taught her were legends of humanity.

He’d wanted her to be proud. He’d wanted her to know just how
amazing humans were. And to do that, he told her stories of the
many human heroes he encountered in his journeys around the
multiverse.

When Nina heard these stories about heroes, she always became
excited as one

would expect a child to be.

Then she would confidently say that she would be the same one day.

Every time she said this, little Nina’s eyes lit up like the stars in the
sky. She’d wanted to change the world, drive the Demons away, and
restore peace.

And now, Nina, who’d gotten her eyes gouged out by her own kind,
sobbed bitterly and said, ‘I hate humans more than the Demons’.

“Does it look like I have no emotions?”

Anger finally appeared in Lukas’ voice.

This was Neil’s biggest mistake.

Lukas’ emotions had been worn away over time, but they were still
there.

“You made a deal with the Demons. You committed an act that was
no different from selling your own people, and that’s not all. I’m
certain that you were the one who sent Vaches Bondarenko, one of
the bosses of the Red Mafia, after me. And I can guess why. You
probably heard that I killed the Demon Duke. And you wondered
whether I could kill not just the Demons but also humans.”

As Lukas continued to speak, Neil’s expression slowly grew paler.

He was a hunter who stood at the pinnacle of humanity, but he knew

he couldn’t afford to anger the being in front of him.

Moreover, Lukas was right.

Neil knew that Lukas couldn’t use his power recklessly.

That’s why he’d been confused. He’d heard of the great hunter
escape in Europe. And that the escape involved the death of a
Demon Duke.

It wasn’t hard for him to learn of the death of the Demon Duke.

Because the Demon who died was none other than Duke Sandro…
the one who had been doing business with North America in the
shadows.

But it was impossible for those hunters to kill Duke Sandro, even for
Lee Jong-hak, who was the strongest among them.

So Neil dug into the information of all of the hunters who escaped
and soon learned that Lukas had been a part of it.

If it was the Lukas Neil knew, then he could definitely kill a Duke.

That fact made his heart shake.

As far as Neil knew, Lukas’ strength was restricted. And he knew it

was true because he had personally seen Lukas sit on the sidelines
while countless humans died.
And yet, Lukas had killed a Demon Duke.

Anxiety surged in Neil’s heart.

Were his restrictions gone?

Was it possible that he could now use his incredible power as he

pleased?

After having this thought, Neil immediately used his connections in

Europe to hire Vaches Bondarenko.

He thought that the rough and powerful mafia would be able to

provoke Lukas. And by looking at how he dealt with Vaches, he
would be able to get a clue.

Everything Lukas said was right.

Neil had wanted to know if this being in front of him could not only kill
Demons but humans as well.

“You have a biased perspective, but I still thought that you were a
necessary talent for humanity. In fact, you showed even more
potential than I initially anticipated. But if you were to turn your back
on your own kind, then those facts would no longer matter. Because
I would not see you as a human anymore.”

The anger in Lukas’ voice was clear.

“And I don’t hesitate to kill such people.”

“…I…”
The moment Neil was about to respond, someone knocked on the
door before opening it. It was a handsome young man.

He bowed his head politely to Neil.

“Pardon my intrusion, President.”

“What is it? I’m sure I said that I had important business this
evening.”

Neil’s cold voice made the young man’s expression stiffen a bit.

“I’m deeply sorry. It’s an urgent matter…”

“An urgent matter?”

“Yes, sir.”

The young man nodded before glancing at Lukas. It seemed it was

something that couldn’t be discussed in front of outsiders.

Neil pondered silently for a moment before standing up and saying.

“Can I put this on hold for a moment?”

Lukas nodded.

He might have been delaying giving him an answer, but it didn’t

matter. In fact, it might even be better to take a break for a while.

Neil left the room immediately, and the young man turned to observe
Lukas for a moment.

His expression wasn’t very good. Perhaps he thought Lukas’ attitude

to the President
was too impolite. Or maybe he was suspicious of his identity.

It could have been both. But Lukas didn’t care since it didn’t matter
to him anyway.

Ignoring his gaze, Lukas fiddled with the kettle on the table in front of
him. There was coffee mix there, too.

The young man kept staring at him with an incredulous expression

for a moment before following Neil.

Lukas plugged in the cord for the kettle and turned it on. When the
water began to boil, Lukas poured the coffee mix into a cup on the
table before pouring the water into it.

The sweet scent soon filled the entire room.

At almost the same time that Lukas lifted the cup to his lips, the door
opened once again. There was no knock this time.

It shouldn’t have been Neil. After all, he didn’t think the important
matter could have been dealt with so quickly.

And as expected, the person who opened the door was a middle-
aged man wearing a biker jacket and jeans. It was Letip.

He opened the door, but he didn’t enter the room. Instead, he just
leaned against the doorframe and looked down at Lukas.

Unlike the time in the elevator, there was faint interest in his eyes.

It seemed he had heard his conversation with Neil.

“What is your goal?”

“Salvation.”

It was an unexpected question, but Lukas responded naturally after

taking a sip of his coffee.
Letip’s expression became a bit strange.

“And after that?”

“After? There is no such thing. My goal has no end.”

There were many more universes than he even dared to count. Even
at that very moment, countless universes were created or destroyed.
And there were even more humans.

Lukas’ journey would never end.

Even if he won the ‘Great Game’ and became a Ruler, he would

continue to save humans. And even if he returned to his home world,
he would eventually leave.

“Hmm. That won’t last very long.”

“What?”

Letip shook his head.

The small spark of interest in his eyes disappeared. Before he turned

around and left, he left a seemingly meaningful message.

“Too bad. Too bad.”

***

As they stepped onto the elevator, the young man spoke to Neil.

“We received a message from our agent monitoring the Top Three.”

Top Three.
Neil’s expression hardened slightly because of the weight of that
title.

“What did it say?”

“It is top secret… So you’ll have to read it personally in the

Intelligence Agency’s Office.”

While it was unlikely, there was still a chance that someone could
have been

eavesdropping on the two of them in the elevator.

Neil nodded once before looking at the elevator indicator as his

thoughts drifted off.

He couldn’t help but think about Lukas’ proposal.

‘Maybe I’ll accept his offer.’

He wasn’t giving in to Lukas’ threats because he was afraid. While it

was true that he’d been overwhelmed by Lukas’ aura before, he
would not have been able to sit firmly in the position of President for
so long if he could be moved just because of threats.

‘He has no intention of killing me.’

Lukas was facing Neil as the European Hunter ‘Frey Blake’.

This was something that almost everyone in the headquarters,

including Joanna, was aware of.

If Neil died or went missing, the ‘Frey’ would be the most likely
suspect. This would cause not just Asia but also America to become
hostile with Europe.
That’s why he didn’t think that Lukas, who came here to save
Europe, would do something so reckless.

Of course, there was the possibility that he would retreat now and
make his move later. As far as Neil knew, the security of Pilsky
Tower meant nothing to Lukas.

However, if he had room to maneuver, Neil was certain that he could

come up with some kind of countermeasure.

When the opponent was someone like Lukas, you couldn’t face them
with force.

Luckily, Neil already knew what his principles and goals were.

Nevertheless, he felt it would be best to accept his offer because he

didn’t want to completely fall out with Lukas.

As for the other reason.

‘There are people in North America who support Lukas.’

He was talking about people like the President of the European

Branch, Nina Rednikova. As far as he knew, the President of the
Venezuela Branch and the Canada Branch were the same.

If more than two Branch President-level figures chose to rebel…

‘There might be a civil war in America.’

While it was unlikely, Neil would not ignore the possibility.

Ding-
The elevator stopped. When the doors opened, Neil was
immediately hit by a stale smell.

Dozens of gigantic screens filled a dimly lit room. And dozens of

people were busy processing information from all over the world.

This was the Intelligence Agency’s Office.

“I apologise for disturbing you during your meeting, Mr. President.”

A man in a white suit bowed to him as he entered. This was the

Intelligence Chief, Martin.

“How much were you told?”

Neil shook his head.

“Just that there is a report about the Top Three. Which of the three is
the report about?”

“The Strongest.”

Beep-

As he said this, Martin gestured to a monitor.

On the screen, someone’s blurry appearance could be seen.

It was a man with grey hair and a gloomy aura.

The place in which he was standing looked as if a storm had swept

through the area.

It was probably a city that had been captured by the Demons. But
now, the man was the only one in the image who was still moving.
Around him were at least a few hundred corpses that appeared to be
Demons and Demon Beasts.

“That many demons… Don’t tell me…”

Martin nodded and confirmed Neil’s thoughts.

“He hunted them alone.”

“At this point, I truly wonder if we really are the same kind.”

“If we weren’t, then he’d have no reason to hunt the Demons so

fervently. But that’s not all.”

The image on the screen moved as it zoomed in to show a specific

spot.

It was the corpse of a Demon, or, at least, what was left of it. The
only remaining part of the Demon was its head, which was still larger
than an adult male.

The Demon’s six, blood-red eyes bulged like they were about to pop
out of its head.

“This Demon…”

“This is Duke Krodis.”

“Duke…!”

Shock spread across Neil’s face.

Humanity had only managed to defeat Dukes twice in history. So it

was natural that Neil was surprised.
“Exactly, Mr. President. I don’t think I need to explain whom he killed.
Now, I can say without any shadow of doubt. That this man is the
strongest human being in existence.”

Martin said these words with great emotion as he stared at the man
on the screen.

Awe and fear were clear in his gaze.

“Because he hunted a Demon Duke on his own.”

After saying those words, Letip left the room. No, he left the Pilsky
Tower entirely.

Lukas didn’t try to stop Letip, but he couldn’t help but feel bothered
by his words for some reason.

Just as he lowered his cup and sank into deep thought, something
mysterious happened.

The shadows in the room began clumping together before rising to

form the shape of a person.

It was the mysterious black-robed man.

It was the old spirit who roamed this planet, the God of Heaven and
Earth who had lost his authority. He looked at Lukas for a moment
before opening his mouth.

[It’s been a while.]

“Right.”
Lukas agreed with him. It truly had been a while since they last met.

The figure’s black robe fluttered despite there being no breeze.

[I heard a rough explanation of the general situation.]

“From whom?”

[God.]

It seemed God had approached him as well.

“What did he tell you?”

[Sorry. But I can’t tell you that.]

“…”

[I probably won’t appear in front of you for personal business in the

future.]

“Is that what God wants?”

[Yes. I have become a witness for the upcoming Great Game.]

Lukas’ brows furrowed at those words.

[And before that, I came to give you a last hint. That is all I was
allowed to do.]

“A hint?”

[…you should be aware that it is possible for mortals to become

transcendent beings.
There are people in this universe who have that potential. Potential
to become an Absolute like you.]

It was an unexpected statement, but Lukas nodded after thinking

about it.

In fact, it was natural.

The more chaotic the world, the more likely it was for heroes to be
born in it. And this world had already reached a stage where calling it
chaotic was not enough.

However, ‘having the potential’ and ‘actually doing it’ were

completely different things.

Lukas, who was a mortal who transcended and became an Absolute,

was well aware of this.

‘However… ’

Since coming to this world, he had not met any being with this
potential. Even Neil, the greatest transformer he knew, was not good
enough to pass the threshold to become an Absolute.

As if noticing Lukas’ thoughts, the mysterious man opened his

mouth.

[I interfered.]

“…you interfered?”

[I deliberately made some adjustments in order to prevent you from

meeting them. I didn’t want you to interfere with their growth. No
hero is born without suffering.
And they didn’t fail to meet my expectations.]

The mysterious man paused for a moment before continuing in a

clear tone.

[Keep an eye on the Top Three. They are a clue. If you are vigilant,
you might be able to trick the laws of the world and use the
Absolutes’ External Force without restriction.]

“…”

[This is all I can tell you. I sincerely wish for your victory, Saviour of
Humanity…]

After saying those words, the figure of the mysterious man dispersed
into shadows once again.

At the same time, the door to the room was opened without a knock.
This time, it wasn’t Letip.

“Sorry for being late.”

Neil, who was unable to completely suppress his emotions, said

those words as he sat at the table.

Lukas could easily tell that he was feeling troubled. He couldn’t help
but wonder what happened.

“I’ve decided to accept your proposal, Lukas.” (TL: It should be noted

that Neil is speaking formally now, but I felt it would be strange for
him to say ‘Mr. Lukas’ so just keep it in mind)

Lukas wasn’t surprised because he’d expected Neil to make this

choice from the start. But from the way things were looking, that
wasn’t the main point Neil wanted to talk about.

He took a moment to calm his ragged breath before speaking in a

slightly urgent tone.
“I will listen to everything you said. All I ask is for you to accept one
request.”

“Request?”

Lukas couldn’t help but make a strange expression when he heard

Neil’s next words.

“Please investigate the Top Three.”

Top Three.

This name was now mentioned by Neil mere moments after he

heard it from the mysterious black-robed man.

In fact, Lukas knew a bit about them. He knew that they were better
than anyone else when it came to hunting Demons and that they all
had legendary achievements that most hunters could never even
dream of.

However, Lukas had never met them before, nor did he know what
they looked like or what abilities they had. He didn’t even know
which, or how many Demons, they killed or what their legendary
achievements were.

This was because Lukas didn’t attach much importance to public

information. He only made judgements based on what he saw with
his own eyes.

It was possible that Neil realised this fact as well because he

continued in a much calmer tone than before.

“The Top Three… is a shadowy group whom we rarely talk about.

The low-ranked hunters know basically nothing about them, and
there are even a few higher-ups in the association who believe they
are fake heroes created by the association.”
Fake Heroes.

Lukas understood what he meant.

Some of the heroes who made names for themselves during war
actually had the ability, but there were countless other ‘so-called’
heroes who were created simply through false rumours and support
from the government.

There were numerous reasons for creating such figures, but the
biggest reason was

to stop the population from losing morale. Soldiers felt greatly

comforted knowing that such a hero was on their side.

The list of achievements made by the Top Three was incredibly

absurd. And because of this, realists regarded them as heroes
created by the association.

“But the Top Three is real.”

“…what do you mean by asking me to investigate them? Since

they’re hunters, they should be under your influence.”

“They are not hunters from the association. All three of them either
have their own independent forces or prefer to move alone. So
naturally, I have no control over them.”

As he said this, Neil frowned. It seemed that he didn’t like the fact
that the cards known as the Top Three weren’t in his hands.

After a moment, he took out a bunch of documents that he’d brought

with him and handed them to Lukas.
“This is all the information we have about them. Would you like to
read it?”

Lukas received the stack of papers and browsed through them

slowly.

The names, ages, nationalities, abilities, main areas of activity, and

supporting forces of the Top Three were described in detail.

But it was their titles that drew Lukas’ attention.

The Strongest Hunter.

The Saint of Salvation.

And the last one.

[The Black Witch.]

Lukas froze for a moment.

***

Purple hair that stood out especially at night and an ever-present

mysterious smile.

She’d always looked at him with that mysterious smile.

…There were other characteristics that he could list, but his other
memories were blurred.

Her eyes were as beautiful as her hair, her soft voice, and her gentle
movements.
Only these words remained in his mind, not the memories that
accompanied them.

That fact made Lukas feel depressed.

‘In this world, there is a being from your homeworld.’

Then he remembered God’s words.

There was only one being from his home world.

Lukas looked back at the documents again.

He couldn’t help but think of the woman who had given up everything
for him and who was still waiting for him even now.

But he soon shook his head.

It couldn’t be her.

She’d said that she would make amends for her crimes.

She’d said that she would create a world so beautiful that Lukas
would come to love humans again, even if he lost his humanity or
came to hate humans.

That promise was her conviction. And he didn’t think she would
break it.

Of course, there were other possibilities.

For a moment, Lukas couldn’t help but think that it wasn’t her who’d
broken the

promise but himself.

“…”

Lukas slowly read the information about the Black Witch.

<Shroud of Night.>

That was the name of the group led by the Black Witch.

In fact, this organisation, which was nothing short of a clandestine

society, seemed to be the most secretive and mysterious of all the
humanmade groups.

Its size, the location of its main base, and the key figures in the
organisation were all a mystery.

“Among the hunters, there are many talented individuals who are
supposedly part of

‘Shroud of Night’. But they are all incredibly good at hiding their
tracks, and we have never been able to catch their trail.”

“Does the association recognise the existence of Shroud of Night?”

“As I said, there are many of them. And… we fundamentally shared

the same goal.”

Although Neil said these words carefully, displeasure still spread

across Lukas’ face.

Now that he thought about it, Lukas felt like there was something he
had to make clear.

“Do you intend to continue dealing with the Demons?”

“…”

“Don’t tell me you think you can coexist. They are called Demons for
a reason.”
At the end of the day, nature preceded reason.

The race of Demons was fundamentally incompatible with humans.

Neil must have known that, for he nodded.

“Yes. I know.”

Then, he seemed to think about something for a moment before he

finally lifted his head and spoke.

“We will stop dealing with the Demons. After all, Duke Sandro is
already dead, so there is no longer a reason to. On the other
hand…”

Neil’s tone became serious.”

“What do you think about my request?”

Psh.

Lukas splashed tap water on his face, the coldness of the water
sending tingles through his skin.

But his mind was still unfocused as if he was sleepwalking.

He’d accepted Neil’s offer. After all, Lukas also needed to gather
information about the Top Three.
If he had the support of North America, including Neil himself, then it
would make that task much easier.

In other words, it could be said their interests coincided for this

matter.

‘Three.’

This was one of the hints God had given.

It was clear now that it was referring to the Top Three. The
mysterious man had basically said so.

If he kept his eyes on the Top Three, he’d get a clue as to how to
trick the laws of the world.

Were the Top Three humans?

And what did they have to do with ‘Hybrid’?

It seemed he’d only be able to answer these questions after meeting

them in person.

Creak-

He turned off the faucet before looking at the mirror.

He saw a young man with grey hair and cold, sunken eyes. ‘Frey
Blake’, a man created from a vague memory.

Unlike other appearances, it was one he was attached to.

It was also his favorite appearance when he had to be someone

other than ‘Lukas’.
Suddenly, a strange thought appeared in his head.

“…”

Was this what this face looked like originally? He couldn’t tell.

His memories were hazy. As if they were covered in dust.

It was at that moment when Letip’s words resounded in his head.

‘That won’t last long.’

Was that referring to Lukas’ mental state? And if it was, what did he
know about him?

And for what purpose did he enter this universe?

He didn’t know. Lukas couldn’t help but feel that there were many
things he didn’t know.

But there was one thing that Lukas knew.

He didn’t want to turn Letip into an enemy, much less Sedi or

Nodiesop.

Lukas left the bathroom and returned to the 125th floor.

It wasn’t hard to find Leo and Min Ha-rin. They were both sitting in a
spacious lounge not far from the elevator, perhaps in an effort to help
Lukas locate them more easily.

Joanna, on the other hand, was nowhere in sight.

“…”
Lukas looked on as his disciples whispered amongst themselves,
completely oblivious to his presence.

They were stuck together, squirming and giggling like a real brother
and sister.

“…”

It was strange.

Looking at them made him feel like the dark clouds in his mind were
dissipating.

‘Disciple.’

Children who would continue to carry on his legacy. They were

Lukas’ future.

This fact somehow filled him with relief.

Right.

Even if Lukas were to disappear, his cause would continue.

It was decided that Min Ha-rin and Leo would stay in North America.
At least until Lukas finished investigating the Top Three.

They seemed to have a bit of interest in North America’s curriculum,

but they expressed faint dissatisfaction at Lukas’ orders.

They whined that they would rather go with their Master.

“At your current level, you would only be a hindrance.”

So Lukas bluntly pointed out the problem.

Min Ha-rin had barely reached 3 stars, and Leo was still
incorporating the Warrior King Fist into his own martial art.
It was hard to say if either one of them would be useful at this point.

As for their training, Neil had promised to give them his full support,
so there was no need to worry. There were many outstanding
hunters in North America. Perhaps

their rate of growth would be even faster than Lukas expected.

After thinking this, Lukas couldn’t help but look forward to their next
meeting.

Currently, he was heading towards the portal in a limousine. He

leaned against the soft red seats, lost in thought.

He would probably have to meet all three of the Top Three.

The first person he would meet had already been decided.

It was the man referred to as the Strongest Hunter. His name was
Kran.

It was probably an alias as his real name, last name, and nationality
were all unknown.

There was no special reason for choosing him. It was simply that it
wasn’t difficult to meet him, unlike the Black Witch, whose true
location was always a mystery, and the Saint of Salvation, who even
Neil, the President of the Hunter Association, would have difficulty
meeting.

Except for the fact that he was in a rather dangerous area.

Kran was, at the same time, the most exposed and the most
mysterious of the Top Three.
The association said that of the three, they knew the most about his
power, abilities, hunting techniques, and location. But on the flip side,
they knew nothing about his past.

The document stated that he was obsessed with hunting Demons

and that his mindset was so extreme that he wouldn’t hesitate to kill
whoever stood in the way of his goal, even if they were a fellow
human.

‘He’s currently active in Africa.’

It was a place that was often called hell, or the Land of Death.

Naturally, the Demons there were stronger than in other places.

And it was there where Kran had single-handedly hunted a Demon

Duke.

He had made an achievement that was unprecedented in human

history.

“…Africa. Hah.”

In front of Lukas, a woman let out a sorrowful sigh as though the sky
was falling. It was said in a soft whisper that might not have been
heard usually, but they were currently in the relatively small interior
of the limousine, so her voice easily reached Lukas’ ears.

This woman was none other than Joanna.

Lukas had also been surprised to see her. He wouldn’t have

expected her to be the one to accompany him. This woman was the
guide Neil prepared for him.
Of course, she was one of the few 7 star Wizards in North America.
So she wasn’t lacking either as a guide or as a combatant.

What was important was that she felt extremely uncomfortable

around Lukas. Even now, her brows were furrowed and her lips were
slightly pursed.

‘…this is so awkward I’m gonna die.’

Joanna grumbled inwardly while stealing glances at Lukas. She’d

realised that he was an extraordinary person, but she never thought
he’d personally go to meet the Top Three.

Moreover, he was going to Africa of all places.

If it weren’t Neil’s orders, she would never, ever have accepted it!

Unfortunately, Neil was not swayed by her beauty, whining, or

discontent. No, above all, she didn’t want to make Neil feel she was
incompetent.

Joanna forcibly pulled herself together. Since she had already been
given this task, she would perform it perfectly and win Neil’s trust.

After clearing her throat, she opened her mouth.

“When we go to Africa, there are some humans you should be as

wary of as the Demons and Demon Beasts.”

“Who?”

“Gray Sun.”

When Lukas stared at her blankly, Joanna couldn’t help but cry out in
shock.
“You don’t know them?!”

“This is my first time hearing about them.”

“Oh, my God.”

She didn’t expect him to be clueless about something like this. She
couldn’t help but feel a wave of anxiety flood her entire body.

This might have been a bigger crisis than she initially expected.

“…it’s a criminal organisation active in Africa. Originally, it was just a

relatively large organisation, but after the advent of the Demons, it
grew explosively just like the other mafia organisations.”

“…”

“You’re a European Hunter, so… hmm. You know the Red Mafia,
right?”

“Yes.”

Joanna breathed a sigh of relief. It was like she had finally seen light
in a dark world.

“The size of Gray Sun is estimated to be about five times that of the
Red Mafia. It is an incredibly large organisation. It wouldn’t be much
of an exaggeration to say one in every ten people you meet in Africa
are a part of Grey Sun.”

There were countless criminal organisations in Africa, but most of

them were affiliated under the influence of the Gray Sun.

Ironically, in order to survive in Africa, where the influence of the

association is
limited, one has to go under a criminal organisation, whether they
like it or not.

When Lukas nodded, Joanna continued.

“Most of the members are just cannon fodder, but you should be
careful of those who have sun tattoos on their forearms. They are
the Gray Sun’s officers, who have combat capabilities comparable to
that of Titled Hunters.”

Depending on how many suns overlapped on their arms, the

rankings of the officers differed.

Those who had three overlapping suns had strength comparable to

top-ranked Titled Hunters. Joanna could not guarantee whether
she’d be able to win against two or three of them.

After hearing her words, Lukas nodded.

“Understood.”

…Did he really?

Looking at Lukas, who didn’t seem bothered at all, Joanna couldn’t

help but feel doubt.

‘But… he is stronger than me.’

Looking at his unconcerned attitude, she couldn’t help but think back
to the experience she had with him last time. It felt like it was all a
dream.
The Lukas now, who was currently staring blankly out the window,
didn’t exude any of the pressure she’d felt at that time.

…But that thought in itself was a bit terrifying.

“In any case, I look forward to working with you.”

“Yes. I also look forward to our cooperation.”

At that moment, the limousine smoothly came to a stop. They had

arrived at the portal.

As she stepped out of the car, Joanna made a silent prayer.

She hoped their mission would end soon.

***

On the African continent, which had become a lawless zone, the only
place where some manner of security was maintained was West
Africa.

This wasn’t because the hunters were successfully defending it or

that they had managed to suppress the Demons.

It was simply because the Demons weren’t interested in that area.

The place that Lukas and Joanna headed to was the country which
had formerly been the Republic of Congo.

The Congo Branch of the Hunter Association left a very dirty

impression. The building, which could barely be called a hideout,
was on the brink of collapsing, and it was so dirty that it was clear
that it was not being properly managed.
The surrounding area that could be seen from the dusty windows
was even worse. It felt like it was a city where zombies lived.

Only depression and resignation could be seen on the faces of the

people walking down the streets.

Maybe it was because they had just come from North America, but
the atmosphere was so gloomy that they could feel it on their skin. It
felt like they had gone to an entirely different dimension.

“…”

Joanna stared out the window with a blank expression on her face.
She looked as if her soul had left her body.

While Lukas wondered about her reaction, someone approached

them.

“Are you the hunters from America?”

It was a black man with a red tattoo on his face, and from his
physique, it was easy to guess that he was either a Martial Artist or a
Swordsman.

Joanna, who came back to her senses, let out a soft cough.

“I’m Joanna Goldberg, a hunter from America.”

“And who is the man beside you?”

“Frey Blake.”

“Hmmm…?”

Judging from his attitude, it was clear that he had never heard of
Lukas before.

The man turned to look at Joanna again, and after observing her
face for a moment, he nodded.
“Welcome to the Congo Branch. I’m Destin, the Branch President.
I’ve already heard the details. Although it might not be much, I will
give you my full support.”

“Thanks.”

Seeming to have escaped her previous daze, Joanna replied with

her distinctive, haughty expression.

“Let’s not stand and talk. Follow me.”

After saying that, Destin turned around and started walking with
large strides. From his actions, it was clear that his personality was
just as blunt as his appearance.

While following him, Joanna glanced around.

‘…I didn’t expect it to be this bad.’

This wasn’t the first time she’d been assigned a mission in another
region. However, she’d only ever been to relatively safe, clean cities.
She’d never been to Europe or Africa, where the Demons were most
active.

So this was her first time seeing a city that was on the frontlines.

And although she’d heard the rumors and read the reports, it was
different from seeing it with her own two eyes.

As they followed behind Destin, they encountered several Congolese

hunters.

When they passed Destin, they all nodded their heads a few times.
But for Lukas and Joanna, the outsiders, they didn’t seem to be the
least bit interested.
During their short walk, they encountered two types of hunters.
Those who had sharp auras like unsheathed blades that could cut at
any moment, and those who looked incredibly depressed and
hopeless or were struggling with conflicting emotions.

When they finally arrived at the President’s office, she was surprised
once again.

It was dirtier than any bathroom in the North American Branch, and
smaller than any room in Joanna’s house.

“Sit wherever you like. I’m sorry, but I don’t have any refreshments to
give you.”

“Th-, that’s fine.”

“That’s good then.”

Destin sat down on a couch that had bits of cotton sticking out. The
dim light in the room highlighted his tired face.

“…I heard you guys are planning to go to Egypt.”

The place where Kran was staying was near Egypt. And it seemed
that he would be staying there for a while.

This was because he had to recover from the damage he’d taken
during his fight with the Demon Duke.

In other words, after that period, he would leave for another region
without hesitation. From the patterns that he’d displayed so far, he
would go looking for new prey.

So they had no time to lose.

“I was given a rough explanation of the situation. And I think it will be
a fight against time. Have you thought about a means of
transportation?”

“No.”

Egypt was about 3,000km from the Republic of Congo, their current
location.

To go on foot would be absurd.

‘I could greatly reduce the time taken if I used magic, but… ’

It would inevitably attract attention.

There were countless Demons and Demon Beasts in Africa, and

Lukas could not kill them because of his deal with Sedi.

If he used high ranked magic and drew in powerful Demon Nobles,

things would become annoying.

That was why he planned to go to Egypt without the assistance of

magic.

Sometimes, using mundane methods was the best solution. Of

course, it would still take some time. After all, there wasn’t much
public transportation in Africa currently.

Destin pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it before saying.

“If you went on foot, it would probably take a year. Personally, I

would recommend using an army truck, since it’s good at traversing
unpaved roads as well as flat lands.
And it has enough space to store gas as well as food. You would
even have enough space to sleep in.”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

“Mi- army truck…”

When Lukas nodded as though that was reasonable, Joanna’s

expression became a bit bleak. For her, who was only used to using
limousines or other luxury cars, the thought of traveling in an army
truck was an unknown world.

“Of course, that won’t solve all of your problems.”

Destin let out a mouthful of smoke.

“You would rarely encounter high ranking Demon Nobles unless you
enter North Africa, but there are still countless Demons Beasts. Well,
their combat power isn’t much of a threat. It wouldn’t be much of a
problem unless they came in a swarm. The problem is the other
guys.”

“The Gray Sun.”

Lukas said the name he’d heard from Joanna.

Destin nodded.

“Exactly. This area is still fine, but as soon as you leave, you’ll be
entering their territory.”

And they would just watch an army truck pass through their territory.

Destin’s gaze turned to Joanna.

“Besides, with how good looking you are, they might jump out with
shining eyes when they see you.”

“Mmm…”

Joanna narrowed her eyes.

She normally liked being praised for her good looks. But if the other
side was the Gray Sun, then it became a different story.

It was obvious that if she was ever captured, she would experience
something indescribable.

“I can help you find the safest route, but it would be impossible to
avoid them completely all the way to Egypt. So you should think of a
contingency beforehand.”

“…”

“The army truck will be ready in the morning. We’ll also provide you
with as much food, water and gas as we can. As well as sleeping
bags, cooking utensils and daily necessities. If you need anything
else, please feel free to tell me.”

***

The territory of the Republic of Congo was once covered in red soil,
but now, the soil had mostly turned black, or in other words, the land
had died.

Even though it was midnight, the weather remained grim. Dark

clouds filled the sky and a nasty scent drifted in the air.

“Aren’t you gonna get some sleep?”

He heard a voice from behind him.

Without looking back, he knew that it was Joanna.

She pursed her lips slightly when Lukas didn’t respond, but
continued anyway.

“What are you doing here? I don’t think getting hit by dusty winds is a
hobby of yours.”

“I’m just standing.”

“Hmm. You didn’t even eat, did you?”

“Yeah.”

“…well. That’s smart. The rice here is the worst.”

It seemed she had eaten. And judging from her expression and tone,
it was worse than not eating at all.

Joanna glanced at him and seemed to shrink into herself a little.

Lukas knew that she didn’t have a very good opinion of him. So she
must have a reason for coming to him and talking about such trivial
things.

And just as he expected, Joanna finally broached the main topic with
a cautious voice. However, her words took Lukas by surprise.

“Hey. Is President Nina okay?”

Lukas turned to look at Joanna. She was looking into the distance
with a faint glimmer in her eyes,

“Do you know her?”

“A bit.”
“…she’s not dead.”

“Can’t you give me more details?”

Joanna spoke in an exasperated tone. Nevertheless, when Lukas

didn’t respond, she let out a sigh.

“I’m not asking with any bad intentions. I was just asking because I
was worried.”

“Why are you worried about her?”

“Can’t I be worried about a fellow hunter?”

“…”

“…dammit. Seriously.”

Joanna straightened up before turning to look at him.

“It’s because I adore President Nina… She is my hero.”

“You know her?”

“I don’t really know her. Well, we met a few times, but I doubt she
remembers me. It’s just that I have a lot of respect for her.”

“…”

“She’s one of the most famous female hunters. She’s amazing. Nina
Rednikova, Leader of the Iron Blood Division. There are even fan
clubs and those who go to the frontlines just to be her shield.”

‘I’m a member of the largest fan club.’

Joanna added in her head.

Fan clubs.

Lukas made an expression as though he wasn’t sure whether to

laugh at that remark, but when he looked at Joanna, he realised she
was serious.

She was telling the truth.

“Her condition is serious.”

“Ah…”

“But I believe that she can overcome it. That’s what everyone who
knows her, including me, thinks.”

Nina was probably in the worst situation she’d ever been in in her
life. It wasn’t just her physical injuries.

It was no exaggeration to say that her will had shattered. And the
vast majority of humans became useless or even ended their own
lives when their will was broken.

But Nina wouldn’t do that.

She would take advantage of the pain and become even stronger
than before. Lukas believed in her.

‘However, it will be hard on her own.’

Lukas had been seriously contemplating Nina’s rehabilitation, and he

was willing to do whatever it took to help her get better.
Right now, finding the clue from the Top Three was his main priority,
but he intended to return as soon as he was finished.

Joanna nodded once before turning to look into the distance again.

“Have you ever been to Africa before?”

“Yes.”

“Are the other places like this too?”

Was that all she wanted?

Lukas frowned slightly.

Joanna’s attitude was different from when they first met. Perhaps
she felt more familiar with him since they came to such a dangerous
place together.

Lukas looked around. He could understand what she meant just by

looking at their surroundings.

Despair, darkness, poverty, hunger.

This city seemed to embody every facet of the dark side of humanity.

“No.”

“Then…”

“It will be worse than here.”

“Ah…”
Not just Africa, but in Europe as well. Especially in France, where the
Demon King resided. The environment had become so toxic that no
other creature could withstand it.

And North Africa, where Kran was, was filled with high ranking
Demons.

Unlike here, where the association and hunters were active, it wasn’t
strange for survivors to suddenly die the next day.

Perhaps Joanna had never been on a mission to the frontlines.

“They could go to America.”

Lukas turned to look at her at those words.

“America does not reject those who come to us. I don’t understand
why people continue to live in such dangerous places.”

“You don’t know anything.”

Lukas didn’t answer.

Instead, it was Destin, who was standing behind her.

“What did you say?”

“They are not fools. If they could’ve moved to America, they would
have done so already.”

“They can.”

“America only accepts hunters.”

“Huh?”
“North America does not accept citizens without power or skill.”

Joanna’s pupil’s shook violently at those words.

“Th-, that’s not true. We accept at least a few thousands civilians

every year…”

“That is limited to hunters’ families and close friends.”

Destin sneered as he continued.

“The people you see are the ones who don’t have any connections.
So we can’t even get out of this cursed place and set foot on
American soil.”

If they left, then all the civilians in this place would die. Either at the
hands of the Demons, or their own kind.

Early in the morning on the next day, Lukas walked down the main
street in the city.

Beneath the slowly brightening sky, there was barely anyone walking
around the dirt-covered city, causing it to feel like it was an
abandoned city.

It was a stark contrast from Manhattan, America, where he’d been

just a day before.

That city and this city. There shouldn’t have been such a large
distance between them. They were both places humans lived in.

“You’re up early.”
It was Destin.

Lukas didn’t sleep a wink, but he nodded instead of telling the truth.

“I woke up earlier than expected.”

“Hmm. You weren’t in your room, so I came to look for you. And I
couldn’t knock on the door of a lady sleeping.”

Destin didn’t seem like such a polite person, so Lukas was a bit
surprised.

Upon closer inspection, he realised that Destin’s eyes were red. His
hair was a mess, and his body was covered with the scent of
cigarette smoke. He’d probably stayed up all night.

He spoke in a tired voice.

“All the preparations are complete, so you can leave when the sun is
up. I also got a map for you. It’s old, so it might not be completely
accurate, but it’s better than nothing.”

When Lukas opened the map that Destin gave him, he found that
there was a detailed route to Egypt, and it included the danger zones
and places they could rest.

It looked like he had filled out the additional information on the map
himself.

Lukas was surprised.

Unlike what he’d initially thought, Destin was a man who did not
neglect his duties.
“It would be better to move only when the sun is up. I’m sure it’s the
same all over the world, but it’s particularly dangerous to travel in
Africa at night.”

This advice was given with the Demons and Demon Beasts in mind,
so Lukas nodded in thanks.

Then, Destin looked at him with a slightly suspicious gaze.

“Are you the attendant of that woman named Joanna?”

“Huh?”

“Or maybe you’re her manager…”

When Lukas only stared at him blankly, Destin shook his head.

“It seems I was wrong. My apologies. I’ve heard that American

hunters have them because of their busy schedules.”

When he heard that, Lukas couldn’t help but think about the suit-
wearing man who he’d seen beside Joanna the first time they met.
Of course, he wouldn’t be there now.

“But you don’t seem to be an American hunter.”

“I’m a European Hunter.”

“Hmm. I see. No wonder you’re so calm while looking at this city.”

Destin’s tone softened slightly. Relations between Africa and Europe

had always been strong.

This was because a feeling of camaraderie had developed between

the two regions who had suffered the most damage due to the
Demons’ invasion.
In fact, the two regions would not hesitate to assist each other in
emergency situations.

“Then I don’t need to worry as much, and I don’t need to warn you
about the Demons. I hope you get good results.”

Lukas nodded.

“Thank you.”

***

By the time it had truly reached dawn, Joanna appeared.

She had a blank face, dark circles around her eyes, and her hair was
a mess. She also trudged around like a zombie. It seemed that she
had been tossing and turning all night.

Lukas felt that she had probably been thinking a lot about what
Destin had said the night before. And in the end, she probably
couldn’t reach a conclusion. After all, it wasn’t something that could
have been thought over in one night.

Even her voice was cracked as she spoke.

“All the preparations are complete?”

“Yeah. Are you ready?”

“I am. Hum.”

Joanna suppressed a yawn as she responded.

The distance to Egypt was about 3,000km, but that was only when
measured in a straight line.

It didn’t take into account the mountainous or dangerous regions,

rivers, or the weather.
Assuming that there were no unforeseen circumstances, it would
probably take them a few weeks of consistent travel.

The military truck that they were going to use was larger and
seemed to be more performant than they expected.

The tires were durable enough to pass through the rough wilderness
terrain and the bed of the truck, which appeared to have been
modified, and had plenty of space even after storing food, gas, and
daily necessities. A small sleeping area, which took up most of the
extra area, had been added.

These modifications made the vehicle feel like a camper instead of a

military truck.

“It’s mainly used by hunters going on long-term missions. It’s much

heavier and more durable than normal trucks, and it won’t roll over
easily.”

“Thank you.”

Joanna nodded. It seemed that she was very satisfied with the
truck’s specifications.

With a slightly haughty expression on her face, she climbed into the
passenger seat.

“I’ll have to ask you to drive.”

“I don’t know how to drive.”

Joanna, who was buckling her seatbelt, froze.

“…what did you just say?”

“I have never driven a vehicle before.”

“…you’re lying.”

“I’m serious.”

“That… that doesn’t make sense…”

“Do you not know how to drive?”

“I do, but…”

Joanna looked at the vehicle and suddenly felt like crying. It wasn’t a
ridiculously

large vehicle, but it was still bigger than a 1-ton truck. Nevertheless,
it was by no means something for a common 2nd-class license
holder like her.

“Can you really not drive? Or is it just that you don’t want to drive?”

“Vehicles are rarely used in Europe. In the first place, there are only
a few vehicles still in working condition. It’s the same here.”

It was Destin who answered for Lukas. Then he looked at Joanna

with a slightly sympathetic gaze.

“This truck is one of only three vehicles in our branch. Perhaps you
were dispatched to fill the role of driver from the start?”

Joanna suddenly closed her mouth at Destin’s words.

It was possible.
It was almost impossible for them to travel from Congo to Egypt
using magic, which meant that they would have to travel using other
means.

Considering Neil’s personality, he certainly would have taken that

into account. And if he knew that this guy couldn’t drive…

‘Did the President really send me here to be a driver?’

When this thought appeared in her mind, she couldn’t help but make
a pitiful expression.

But that only lasted for a while. In the end, she resigned herself and
trudged over to the driver’s side with drooping shoulders.

This was the fate of a subordinate.

Just as Lukas was about to step into the passenger seat, Destin
spoke.

“I think you’re stronger than that woman.”

Lukas turned to look at Destin. At that moment, he wasn’t displaying

any of his power. And very few people who saw him in this state
would say those words.

Perhaps Destin had come to this conclusion because he was unable

to feel any power from him. This showed that either his perception
had reached the level of a master or that his sixth sense was dozens
of times better than wild animals’.

“Watch out for Gray Sun. I don’t know how strong you are, but in a
sense, they are more dangerous than a Demon Duke.”
This advice contained decades of experience that had been
engraved into the bones of a hunter. Naturally, it shouldn’t be taken
lightly.

Lukas nodded.

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Please be careful. And I wish you all the best.”

***

The truck sped through desolate lands.

To put it bluntly, the ride was terrible. This was especially true for
Joanna, who was used to traveling in luxury vehicles.

It was fortunate that the roads that had been built decades ago were
still maintained, but even that would disappear once they left Congo.
Then they would encounter truly rugged terrain.

‘I have to adapt to this as much as possible before then.’

As she thought this, Joanna sighed.

The vehicle’s interior was stiflingly quiet. She didn’t know what to
say, but Lukas didn’t seem to have any intention of breaking the
silence.

Complex emotions created by dissatisfaction at being made to drive,

the pressure of driving such a large truck, and her own insecurities
made it impossible for her to open her mouth first.

Perhaps, over time, Lukas would eventually say something first.

Or, at least, that’s what she thought, but that man didn’t say anything
even as sunset approached.

‘…even a statue would have been better company.’

Joanna shot an irritated look at Lukas, who was beside her.

She was very famous amongst the American hunters. Her natural
appearance, the way she spoke, her excellent magical skills… And
above all, Joanna knew how to make all of those virtues stand out.
That last part was the key point.

In order for American hunters to gain recognition, they had to have

some skill in the entertainment industry. In America, hunters weren’t
just Demon hunters; they were also celebrities and stars. They were
obligated to meet the expectations of the people.

And among the hunters, Joanna’s popularity was particularly high.

Even the most snobbish hunters would become docile in front of her.
But Lukas didn’t change his attitude for her at all.

‘Say something!’

She shot Lukas a fierce glare. This time, she didn’t do it from the
corner of her eye.

Instead, she glared at him openly.

Joanna made a solemn vow to not say a single word until Lukas
opened his mouth.

Perhaps her earnest desire(?) reached the heavens, for the sun
finally went down and Lukas spoke.

“Let’s stop here for today.”

“…”
Of course, it wasn’t what she wanted to hear.

Lukas was looking at the map he’d received from Destin.

Seeing that he didn’t pay any mind to her at all, Joanna sighed and
looked around.

The place they stopped at appeared to be an abandoned city. And

from the looks of it, this place had been abandoned for at least 10
years.

Nevertheless, she felt it was better than just the open wilderness.

Creak-

When she stopped the car and turned off the engine, a heavy silence
seemed to fill their surroundings.

The air was cold, and the atmosphere was so eerie that it wouldn’t
surprise her if a ghost were to suddenly pop out.

“Did you choose this place for any particular reason?”

“This city is like a stopping point for the hunters. There are very few
Demons or Demon Beasts in the area. And there are bunkers at
each stopping point equipped with food and daily necessities. There
are even some weapons.”

“So it’s a resting point.”

Hmm. But it didn’t look that way.

She couldn’t see any signs that this city was used for such a
purpose.

By that time, the sun had set completely and the city was engulfed in
complete darkness.

Joanna, who had thought that she had already adapted to some
extent, felt stifled once again. The atmosphere in the city was much
scarier than Demons or Demon Beasts.

“Then let’s eat first.”

“…all right.”

She simply nodded and spoke briefly because she didn’t want to
give in to Lukas’

casual words.

Most of the food that they had received was combat rations that
were easy to store and cook. In addition to those, there were high-
calorie chocolate bars and beef jerky.

Crack-

She opened a can and ate the chicken that was inside. It was
surprisingly good.

Even Joanna, who was a picky eater, managed to finish her share.

A while after, only the sound of utensils being washed could be

heard.

After their meal, Lukas got up. Then he began walking and looking
around, and he used his hands to measure the distance between
broken street lights, broken benches, and collapsed buildings.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m looking for places to plant the alarm spell.”

“Alarm spell?”

Joanna couldn’t help but ask in a curious voice.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a spell that warns you when someone is nearby.”

Was it something like a sensor that was implemented using magical

science?

“Was there such a spell? This is my first time hearing about it.”

Lukas didn’t answer. Instead, his hair fluttered slightly as though it

had been hit by wind,

It seemed that he really was a Wizard, considering that she could

faintly feel his mana resonate.

“That… can you teach it to me?”

It was an unexpected request.

When Lukas turned to look at her, Joanna looked away and

muttered.

“…if the two of us set it up together, it would be much easier.”

“Sure.”
“Really?”

Lukas nodded when he saw the brief sparkle in her eyes. This sight
made him smile subconsciously.

Indeed, contrary to his expectations, Joanna might actually have

been the kind of person he liked.

After having this thought, he was about to tell her the formula.
However, Lukas fell silent again.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s an old map, so I shouldn’t have trusted it blindly.”

“Huh?”

“It wasn’t written on the map.”

Krrk, krrk…

From the darkness, numerous figures began appearing. It was

impossible to tell where they had all been hiding.

Dozens of Demon Beasts, who seemed to have been birthed from

the darkness, were looking at them with shining red eyes.

Only then did Joanna’s expression change.

“It hasn’t even been that long since we left the city.”

She sighed.

“There are a lot of them, but they all seem to be fairly weak. You take
the left side. I’ll take care of the right.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t kill Demons or Demon Beasts.”

“This isn’t the time for jokes.”

“I’m serious.”

“What the hell are you…”

Lukas turned around and looked into the darkness.

He could feel the traces there. His expression became strange.

“Please stay here and protect the truck.”

“H-, huh? Hey! Where are you going?!”

Lukas rushed forward without answering, avoiding the Demon

Beasts as he went.

His subtle movements were something that a Wizard shouldn’t have

been capable of, but Joanna was so agitated that she didn’t notice.

“Don’t tell me you want to leave me alone and run away! Hey!
Answer… Ah, seriously.”

Dozens of Demon Beasts charged towards her at the same time.

They weren’t strong, but there were a lot of them.

Demon Beasts were known for being tenacious, persistent, and

extremely troublesome when in large groups.

And now, he wanted her to protect the truck against so many of

them? All on her

own?!
Channeling her mana, Joanna shouted with a red face.

“You, you, you bastard!”

***

He chased after his target while avoiding the Demon Beasts.

Lukas’ body flickered like a ghost, drifting past the Demon Beast as if
they weren’t moving. It was easy for him to trick them as they didn’t
have any intelligence. They never even noticed him passing.

Boom!

He heard an explosion behind him. It seemed Joanna had begun to

use her magic in earnest.

There were only about 100 Demon Beasts charging towards her. A 7
star Wizard could have easily defeated them.

‘She doesn’t have much real-life experience.’

Lukas had never seen her fight. Nevertheless, it wasn’t hard for him
to realise that with just a glance.

She lacked the necessary experience. Perhaps she wasn’t aware of

it, or maybe she didn’t think she needed it, but that didn’t matter.

It wasn’t good. In general, one of the things Wizards lacked the most
was adaptability.

The majority of Wizards preferred to plan everything in advance.

However, if something unexpected happened, their thoughts would
be shaken and their reactions would be delayed.

This was especially the case for Wizards like Joanna, who were
basically raised in a greenhouse. She was a Wizard who was
created by the elite education and full support of North America.
That was why Lukas couldn’t help but wonder.

‘If she was in my homeworld, Joanna would never have reached 7

stars.’

A 7 star Wizard. An Archmage. In other words, a state at which one

could be called Great Mage.

When one reached this level, 9one’s mana capacity increased

explosively and the power, casting speed, and execution of one’s
spells would be completely incomparable from a 6 star Wizard’s.

It was also natural that their mental power would also increase
significantly.

No. If their mental power didn’t increase in the first place, then it was
impossible for them to reach the rank of Great Mage. (TL: Author is
really throwing around Lukas’

old title now)

Magical science was closely related to the human mind.

But Joanna was different. Her mind had been given the chance to
grow. It would have been impossible for her to reach 6 stars, let
alone 7 stars.

And yet, she could still use spells that did not shame the title of
Archmage.

‘…this world.’

It felt like the conditions or qualifications to gain ‘power’ were very

lax.

That wasn’t all. The rate of growth was also ridiculous.

No. Could it even be called growth rate?

Perhaps every human in this world gained too much strength for
their efforts. And if that was true, then what was the reason?

This question remained in his head.

Nina always said that the reason humanity hadn’t gone extinct was
because of Lukas’

teaching and support. But these days, Lukas couldn’t help but think
that they would have been able to survive even without his help.

As he was lost in thought, his surroundings became quiet. The

sounds of explosions and the roaring of Demon Beasts had faded
until they were almost inaudible.

“…”

The man Lukas was following was ‘dressed’ like a hunter.

In other words, he was supposed to look like one, but he wasn’t.

He was an incredibly cautious individual. He made a number of

unnecessary detours and checked his surroundings a number of
times. And finally, after using every evasive method he knew, he
moved through several alleys.

An inexperienced pursuer might have already lost him countless

times over.

‘He didn’t notice my pursuit.’

Naturally, Lukas didn’t have to worry about it. He simply needed to

maintain a certain distance while ensuring he didn’t make any noise.
And sure enough, after about ten minutes of constant movement, the
man finally headed to an abandoned building.

Lukas continued to follow him calmly.

The man headed to the basement of the building, and just as Lukas
was about to follow suit, he paused.

A camera sat in a shadowy corner of the hallway. It appeared to be

broken, but he knew that it was working perfectly.

This meant that there was power circulating in this building.

Click-

In the meantime, the man opened a metal door in the basement and
headed in.

It was trickier to fool machines than living beings. At least for Lukas,
the small camera was much more annoying than a Master with great
perception who was wary of his surroundings.

It was possible to completely remove any traces from his body.

Those who didn’t have strong mental power wouldn’t notice Lukas
even if he was standing in front of them.

But that was only tricking their senses; he didn’t actually conceal
himself.

Of course, he still had solutions for problems like this.

“Ghost.”

At Lukas’ soft chant, his body became a spirit body. It was a soul-like
state that allowed the user to ignore the laws of physics and most
physical attacks.

In the past, using Ghost would have made his body defenseless, but
now, it was different.

Lukas’ body had transformed into a spirit body. This was something
that should have been physically impossible, but such restrictions
didn’t apply to Absolutes.

The problem was something else.

[…]

Lukas clenched his fists a few times.

He couldn’t remain in this state for too long. For Absolutes like him,
their bodies were vessels as well as seals. It could be called the dam
that stopped their power from overflowing.

And this ghostly state temporarily lifted that seal.

In the first place, an Absolute’s essence was contained in their soul

instead of their flesh. To put it bluntly, this whitish state was closer to
Lukas’ true essence. If he remained in this state for a long time, his
external force would begin to leak and Nodiesop, Letip, and Sedi
would all be able to sense it.

Shuk—

Lukas’ body floated through a wall before going down into the
basement. The man had disappeared, and the only exit seemed to
be the same door the man had entered

through.
At least, that was how it appeared on the surface. Lukas turned to
look at a shabby locker in the corner of the room.

Then he walked into it.

“No one tailed you, did they?”

“Are you looking down on me?”

He heard a whispered conversation.

Contrary to what one might expect, the locker led to a large room.
This hidden room was probably the core of this building.

It was dark, but it was well organised and larger than he expected.
And inside this room were two men.

One was the man Lukas had followed. He took off his shirt, grabbed
a can of beer, and sat down on the couch with a groan.

“Did you deal with the intruders?”

“I released the Demon Beasts. But I’m not sure if that will be
enough.”

“Hmm. They must be stronger than you expected.”

“I’m not sure about the man, but the woman is pretty powerful.”

Lukas looked at them.

They looked like humans. They had human physiques and normal
faces. But they couldn’t hide their demonic energy. These two were
Demons.

Lukas’ expression crumpled a bit. It would have been better if they

were humans.
“Let’s just watch the situation for now cause we can see that the
Demon Beasts are dying pretty quickly.”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

Lukas decided to leave the room and search the entire building. Only
after confirming that there was no one else there did he return.

And it wouldn’t be difficult to subdue these two.

He released the Ghost spell.

“…huk?!”

The Demons only realised Lukas was there after they felt the ripples
of mana. They turned around with the same gasping sound, but that
was the last thing he allowed them to do.

Kiing-

“U-, urk…!”

“What the…”

The Demons’ entire bodies had been bound. It was still possible for
them to speak, but they couldn’t even lift a finger.

Lukas turned his head, allowing them to see his face.

“Th-, this guy…”

The eyes of the Demon he’d followed widened in shock. He’d

probably seen Lukas from a distance before.

He would never have imagined that this man would ignore the
hundred or so Demon Beasts and chase after him instead.

“I’ll ask you a few questions, but I don’t really care if you answer.”

“Who are you?”

“What are you doing here?”

“…ha…”

They didn’t answer. But this was to be expected.

Lukas reached out to the topless Demon who was sitting on the
couch.

“What the hell are you… urk!”

His fingers gripped the Demon’s head like a vice and slowly began to
crush his skull.

The Demon cried out in pain as he felt his skull slowly break. And
soon, he began making a bizarre sound as if he was struggling to
breathe.

“Uk, uk, kuk, kuk…!”

“H-, Hyles! Dammit! What the hell are you doing?!”

Lukas was touching the Demon’s brain, refining the information
stored there to make it easier to say.

It was so painful that he would feel like he was dying, and it was
possible that he would even lose his mind, but he didn’t care about
that.

It wouldn’t kill him.

He doubted Sedi would have been able to notice him killing these
two mutts, but since he was currently in an agreement with the
Demon God’s subordinate, he decided it was better to be safe.

Because he didn’t know much about Sedi, just like Sedi didn’t know
much about him.

At some point, the eyes of the Demon, which had been shut tightly,
slowly opened.

And drool dripped out of his mouth.

Lukas asked again.

“What are you doing here?”

“We… we received… a mission.”

“Hyles!”

When he saw his teammate suddenly answer the question in a

languid manner, shock appeared in the other Demon’s eyes. He
didn’t understand how he had changed so quickly.

“What mission?”

“Capture or kill the humans who pass through this city.”

“Where would the captured humans be sent?”

“To our superiors’ territories in Somalia or Algeria…”

“What would happen to the humans who were sent there?”

“S-, s-, s-, s…”

Hyles struggled to say the word.

“Slaves…”

After saying those words, Hyles’ expression became twisted.

“Hi-, hik. Uh, uh, uk, kuk. Th-, this is weird. Hee, hahahaha!”

“Uh, uhh…”

“H-, help me. My, my brain. Hi, hihihi!”

Gurk!

Hyles coughed up a mouthful of sticky blood before falling

unconscious. It seemed the mental pressure from the mind control
had been too much for him. His eyes remained open, and he shook
like a convulsing frog.

Lukas’ gaze then turned to the other Demon. If he could have moved
his body, he would have flinched back harshly.

“His mind has broken. It will be difficult for him to return to the way
he once was. Do you want to be the same?”

“I, I, I…”

“Tell me everything you know.”

“I-, if I tell you everything… will you spare my life?”

His attitude and tone had become polite.

He’d realised what was happening and accepted it. That he could do
nothing about Lukas.

When they were made aware of this fact, any Demon would lower
their head willingly. A Demon who was deprived of the right to
choose their own life or death was more harmless than an
earthworm who crawled through the dirt and more

miserable than apex predators who had fallen down to the bottom of
the food chain.

All of the Demons whom Lukas had met were the same. After all, the
only thing that mattered to them was their own self-preservation.

Emotions like friendship, kinship, or love were not things Demons

had.

“I will spare you.”

Those words caused the Demon’s face to brighten up considerably.

He could tell that Lukas wasn’t lying.

Unfortunately, he would not get the end he expected.

***

Sedi opened her eyes.

She hadn’t actually been sleeping. After all, an Absolute like her did
not possess such physiological needs.
If she really wanted to, she could go into a sleep-like state, but that
wasn’t what she’d been doing. If it had to be put into words, it would
be better to say that she’d been meditating.

That’s why she was a bit annoyed. Anyone would feel the same if
their concentration was interrupted.

When she finally decided to head outside, Katherine bowed her head
and greeted her with a smile.

“Hello!”

“…”

This was such a strange creature.

She didn’t know why she was greeting her with such a bright smile.

Sedi had never shown a good attitude to Katherine. Instead, she

used her as she

pleased or simply ignored her.

Nevertheless, Katherine didn’t show any displeasure, and she

instead did everything she could for Sedi. At first, she seemed a bit
scared of her, but now, that fear was nowhere to be seen.

Ignoring her, Sedi walked outside with an annoyed expression on her

face.

A man was standing there.

Sedi knew who this middle-aged man in a biker jacket was. Although
it was their first time meeting in person, she’d definitely felt his
presence when she entered this world
It was Letip.

“Why are you here?”

“You have an alliance with Lukas.”

“So what if I do? You’re not here to bitch about it, are you?”

Letip simply smiled at Sedi’s rude response.

“No way. But where is he?”

Those words made her frown.

How would she know where he was?

Her expression remained the same but she waved her hands
impatiently.

“I don’t have time for your bullshit. What do you want?”

“Do you want to die?”

“Huh?”

The sudden remark caused her to freeze slightly, speechless. Then,

her expression became cold. The shadows at her feet began to
bubble before a black scythe slowly

rose up.

“You didn’t have to say all of that nonsense. If you wanted to fight,
you should’ve said so from the start.”
She would never back down from a fight. A sadistic smile slowly
spread across Sedi’s face.

But Letip shook his head and raised his hands.

“You might have misunderstood. I’m not saying I want to kill you.”

Was this bastard messing with her?

Sedi looked at Letip’s face.

‘…he doesn’t look like he’s joking.’

Then was he telling the truth?

Sedi put away her scythe before speaking with an amused

expression.

“Then who? Nodiesop? Or Lukas?”

“No.”

Letip’s next word made Sedi’s expression become strange.

“You’re going to die from someone other than myself, Nodiesop, or

Lukas.”

“…”

If it wasn’t a fellow Absolute telling her those words, she would have
already cut his head off.

But it was strange.

Letip was smiling, but Sedi could hear the sincerity in his tone.

This Absolute was certain.

Certain that something Sedi didn’t expect would kill her.

“I’m sure you don’t want to be destroyed just yet, Sedi Glaston. If you
want to live, call Lukas and borrow his strength. That’s all I can tell
you.”

Letip disappeared immediately after saying those words.

Looking at the spot he’d been standing in, Sedi couldn’t help but
swear.

“Asshole.”

***

“I was originally told that this was a stopping point for hunters, a
resting point. To find Demons and Demon Beasts in this place… not
to mention such a sophisticated hideout.”

When Lukas looked at him, the Demon seemed to want to shrink in

on himself.

“It’s not possible in a short period of time. When did you first occupy
this place?”

“It’s been a few years. I don’t know the exact details.”

“Did you know we were going to be here?”

“That…”

The hesitation on the Demon’s face said it all.

Lukas didn’t shout or act intimidating. Instead, he simply glanced at

the other Demon.

The Demon was more scared by this than anything else.

“…we bought the information.”

“From whom? There is no one who could’ve known we’d be passing

through this a—

.”

No one…

Lukas suddenly stopped talking.

It had been less than a day since they left the Congo Branch. They
passed through the wilderness, where it was hard for Demons to
live, let alone humans.

And they only reached this city after the sun went down.

In other words, Lukas and Joanna’s route had not been exposed and
there was no one who could know where they would be going.

Except for one person.

Lukas recalled the map in his pocket. It pointed out the fastest and
safest route to Egypt as well as the location of the rest stops along
the way. On the ‘original map’, there was no route to Egypt and no
locations of rest stops.

Those were all added by one man.

It was clear now. They hadn’t been exposed during their travel. They
had been exposed from the very beginning.

These Demons knew that they would come to this city before they
even set out.
“Whom did you buy the information from?”

The Demon closed his eyes. If he revealed this information, then his
safety wouldn’t be guaranteed. Punishment that he could not bear
would certainly befall him.

Nevertheless, it was better than having his mind broken right now.

And from that Demon’s mouth, came the name Lukas expected.

“It was Destin, the President of the Congo Branch.”

Joanna was absorbed in a feeling of freeness that she had never

experienced in her life.

Her face was pale, and she felt like she would collapse at any
moment. Her mind felt fuzzy, and everything she saw appeared
blurred.

And yet, in this state, she was able to sense even the slightest
change that happened around her. From the slightest change in wind
direction to a grain of sand brushing against her hand.

Was this what it felt like when you took drugs?

She’d never tried them before, so she wasn’t sure.

‘How long have I been like this?’

Joanna could clearly remember everything from the beginning.

The Demon Beasts swarmed towards her. At first, she thought that
man was still around.
She didn’t think that he’d really left her. She was certain that he’d
help when things got truly dangerous. And she even thought about
how mad she would be at him afterwards.

But that thought disappeared when the first Demon Beast’s claws
scratched her thigh.

The pain wasn’t severe, but it was there. Her skin was torn more
than she expected, and her blood flowed freely.

It was this injury that woke her up like a splash of cold water.

From that moment, she fought off the Demon Beasts fiercely, but
they were persistent. They didn’t care if even their legs or arms were
blown off. Even if they

lost half of their bodies, they still charged towards Joanna without
hesitation.

Nevertheless, her spells were powerful enough to destroy them

completely.

“Hyper Bolt!”

Joanna shouted a spell.

A powerful sphere of energy shot into the crowd of Demon Beasts.

Following a small explosion of air, body parts were sent flying.

But Joanna had already turned her attention elsewhere. Half of the
Demon Beasts were still alive.

She drew upon her mana once again.

‘I still have enough mana, but… ’

Her head felt like it was on fire.

Was her mental strength reaching the limit?

It was possible. After all, this was the first time she’d even been in
such a desperate situation. She’d never fought so many enemies
before. More importantly, she was on her own.

A Wizard without a Warrior to block from the front couldn’t display

even a third of their true power.

Two… No, if she had even one person to block the front, all of these
weaklings would’ve died in an instant.

‘No. It might still be difficult.’

Her eyes turned to the truck. And it was just in time as she saw a
group of Demon Beasts crawling over to it.

“Fire Wall!”

Fwoosh!

Flames soared up from the ground and burned the bodies of the
Demon Beasts. At the same time, she’d adjusted the power of her
spell so that she didn’t damage the truck.

That was a problem as well. She’d never fought in a situation like

this before. All of these problems stacked in a subtle way that
lowered Joanna’s combat ability to its worst.

If there was even one other person there or if there were fewer
enemies, she could’ve used ranged spells to her heart’s content.

“…”
She was out of breath, and her entire body was covered in cold
sweat.

She couldn’t even afford to think.

There were only two thoughts looping infinitely in her head.

Get rid of the Demon Beasts and protect the truck.

What could she do?

There were dozens of opponents against her.

The most important thing in large battles was to have a firm grasp of
everything on the battlefield. Having two objectives or, if you could
afford it, three.

Move constantly. And always seek the most efficient path.

All of these were things she’d been taught, but it was only after being
put in such an extreme situation that she was able to put them into
practice.

Her resentment to that man had disappeared without a trace, and

the despair she felt when she realised the situation did, too. Now, her
mind was completely blank.

She cast spells as if entranced.

Larger.

Faster.

More efficient.
Something in her heart began to stir.

Just as an inexplicable pleasure began to fill her.

Crack!

“Aak…!”

A Demon Beast’s claws ripped into her shoulder, causing her flesh to
be torn to pieces.

Unlike the wound on her thigh, this wound was almost fatal. In an
instant, she’d almost lost her right arm.

‘It hurts.’

It hurt so much.

Her tears threatened to fall as she felt pain that she had never
experienced in her life.

In an instant, her mind began to waver.

The Demon Beasts’ claws and teeth could have poison. If she didn’t
act quickly, she might have to amputate her arm.

A sudden fear arose at that thought.

Her concentration was cracking, and her mana was about to scatter.

What was she doing right now?

She couldn’t remember. The pain had caused her thoughts to fall
into disarray.

A little more. She felt like she could have grasped something if she’d
gotten just a little more time.
Joanna collapsed helplessly to the ground. And in an instant, the
Demon Beasts charged towards her defenseless form.

She could only look at them approach her with despair-filled eyes.

She didn’t want to die in such a way…

[Finish the incantation.]

A voice rang out in her head.

Her mind, which had become blurred, suddenly cleared up.

The Demon Beasts also stopped moving. No, it wasn’t just the
Demon Beasts. It seemed that space itself had stopped.

In this strange world, Joanna could finally think clearly again.

‘Who… ’

[Why did you let down your guard? Why did you stop focusing your
mana? And you still dare to call yourself an Archmage?]

Joanna shuddered slightly at the reprimand.

‘But… It hurts so much… ’

[Pull yourself together. If you are an Archmage, then you should

never stop a spell you started casting. Finish the spell. Even if your
limbs are torn off, your ribs stab into your lungs, or your tongue is cut
off.]

‘I… I… ’

Archmage.

It was a word she both loved and hated.

She knew.

She knew that she wasn’t worthy of that title.

Joanna was just a finished product of North America’s Wizard

Institution.

She was proof that an Archmage could be created simply by using a

set training regimen and mechanical mana enhancement. Without
needing practical experience or independent research.

The implications were great.

Although it varied depending on the individual, it implied the

possibility that Archmages could be ‘mass produced’ in America. It
was something that would shock the entire world.

Joanna was also proud of that fact.

Of the hundreds of applicants, she was the only one who

successfully became an Archmage. The best ones after her could
only reach 5 stars at best.

She was the only special one. One of the few 7 star Archmages in
North America.

That was what she thought she was.

But on her first day in Asia, she realised she was just a frog in a well.

She met a ‘real Archmage’.

A Great Wizard who was on a completely different level from a

manufactured Wizard.
Weren’t they the same 7 stars?

Nevertheless, Joanna didn’t believe she could defeat him even if

there were five of her.

The Asian Hunters laughed at Joanna. And the other Archmages in

America also ignored her.

They never said it openly, but it was clear that they never treated her
like a peer.

Their thoughts were obvious.

‘What a disgrace to North America.’

Stupid girl.

But the thing that hurt the most was that she couldn’t refute their
criticism.

Those memories had become a trauma, and it stayed with her in the
form of nightmares.

Since then, Joanna had never gone on a mission. And if she did go,
it was only extremely safe missions with absolutely no risk at all.

Instead, she gained recognition by visiting events or meeting with

celebrities.

This allowed Joanna to become one of America’s most famous

hunters. Without actually fulfilling the duties of a hunter.

When she met Wizards below her level, she would bare her fangs
because she wasn’t proud of herself.
Seeing someone calling themselves a Wizard reminded her of
herself in the past.

A defective product.

A lucky loser who didn’t even qualify as 6 stars, not to mention 7

stars.

That was her identity.

[An Archmage isn’t something that’s created by luck.]

‘What do you know… ’

[I can guarantee that you deserve it.]

“…!”

Those words caused Joanna’s heart to shake violently.

Those were the words she wanted to hear most from someone.

[And I will give you a mission. It’s not your destiny to be torn to death
by these Demon Beasts. Overcome this ordeal.]

‘Wh-, who… are you…?’

[…]

She didn’t receive an answer. The presence in her mind was slowly
fading.

…The being had left.

Joanna felt that the owner of the voice was somewhere far away,
and it had only spoken to her in passing.

‘The owner of that voice… No way… ’

She’d heard of it.

It was a legendary tale that was often played off as baseless rumors.

That there was a voice that could only be heard by the chosen ones.

‘If it was… ’

If that was really ‘his’ voice…

If that being was truly talking to her…

Then it was a revelation!

Joanna wasn’t defective.

She raised her head, her expression changing completely.

‘I deserve it.’

She was someone who had the qualifications to be an Archmage, a

being worthy of the title of Great Wizard.

So she couldn’t die there. There was no way she was going to die.

This was only a trial at best.

An unknown courage erupted inside of Joanna. Clenching her teeth,

she slowly rose back up to her feet.
The pain in her shoulder and thigh seemed to have eased slightly.
She knew that it was just an illusion, but she didn’t care.

“Kiieek!”

“Kyak! Kyak!”

Dozens of Demon Beasts lunged simultaneously. The time, which

had stopped, had resumed once again.

Fwoosh!

Flames erupted around Joanna’s body.

(TL: Brief note before we start. The rank ‘Great Mage’ that was
mentioned in the last chapter in conjunction with the ‘Archmage’ rank
has been changed to ‘Great Wizard’.

At first I didn’t realise what the author meant by putting ‘great mage’
two different ways… but it finally clicked this chapter when they were
placed side by side. Sorry for once again misinterpreting something,
but these are basically words the author

‘created’, so it’s hard to figure out an english equivalent sometimes.)

“Huff, huff…”

Joanna flopped down to the ground.

She won. No. Instead, it would be better to say she ‘survived’.

In any case, she’d managed to defeat all of the Demon Beasts.

Her stamina was at its limit. She felt like if she relaxed her guard
even a little bit, she would fall unconscious in an instant.

Forcing herself to sit up, she looked at her shoulder.

The longer she took to take care of it, the more dangerous it could
get. If she didn’t get first aid immediately.

It was at that moment when she saw someone walking towards her
from the ruined city.

It was a man with gray hair and a black coat.

The very same man who’d abandoned her.

“You…!”

His carefree attitude made her rage rise up in an instant.

“Where the hell were you-?!”

She suddenly stopped talking.

The man was just looking at her with a blank expression on his face.
And somehow, seeing his stupid face made her calm down.

“Hah. Seriously…”

She sighed.

In all honesty, she didn’t even have the energy to be angry. It could
be said that her resentment had been sapped.

The man looked around without saying anything. His expression

didn’t change even when he saw the devastated surroundings and
piles of corpses.

Instead, he simply walked over to Joanna and inspected her injuries

before taking a potion out of his bag.

Judging from the color, she could tell that it was a potion that had
been made with high purity soul crystals.

Then, he poured it onto Joanna’s injuries.

Tsss.

“Ugh…”

Joanna couldn’t help but groan in pain for a moment. Nevertheless,

the fact that she could feel the pain was a good thing. At least it
meant that the nerves in her arm hadn’t been badly damaged. And it
also meant that she wouldn’t need to worry about amputation
anymore.

Only then did the man open his mouth.

“You’re pretty skilled.”

How ridiculous.

She couldn’t help but shake her head and wonder if that was all he
had to say.

“…hmph. I am an Archmage.”

As she said these words, Joanna’s expression was humbler than

usual. This was because she now felt assured of this fact.
When she recalled how she used to introduce herself like this in the
past, she felt a stinging sensation in her chest.

“Besides…”

But those feelings disappeared when she recalled what she just
experienced.

Joanna’s face became bright with excitement as she continued.

“I also heard the Great Mage’s voice.”

“Huh?”

She felt slightly smug when she saw the surprised expression on his
face. She had never seen him make such an expression before.

Mmm. It was definitely worth it.

“Haven’t you heard about it? The Founder of Magical Science, the
Master of Spells, the God of Magic!”

“…this is the first time I’m hearing about it.”

Joanna couldn’t help but look at him.

“Why are you so surprised? Don’t you go around saying you’re a

Wizard?”

Unlike sorcery and witchcraft, magic was not a supernatural power

that had existed in the world before.

Instead, this mysterious power with a solid system had suddenly

appeared in the world one day.

Therefore, unlike swordsmanship or martial arts that had thousands

of years’ worth of legacy, there were only few records about magic.
Naturally, this meant that it was only possible to get hints from the
grimoires that were randomly scattered across the various regions.

Eventually, after reaching a certain point, Wizards had no choice but

to start carving their own path.

Walking towards the next level, which no one had ever reached
before. Something that they weren’t even sure existed in the first
place.

It went without saying just how thorny that path was.

As time passed, more and more wizards became blocked by this

proverbial wall, causing them to become frustrated. Time and time
again, they gathered together to discuss a solution, but no
conclusion was ever reached.

They wondered if that was the limit.

Wondered whether they’d ever be able to take the next step.

Then, just as all the Wizards became filled with despair, something
strange happened.

All of the Wizards who had been stuck successfully jumped over the
wall simultaneously. It happened at the same time as if it had been
planned.

And all of the Wizards who stepped into the new stage said the
same thing one after the other.

They heard a ‘voice’ who gave them the hint of how to move forward.

From that moment, this voice was called the Great Mage, or the God
of Magic.
And suddenly, a rumour emerged that only a Wizard who had heard
this voice could reach the legendary 9 stars level.

It was one of the few legends in the Wizard community.

Joanna had also heard the tale. When she was younger, she often
fantasised about hearing the Great Mage’s voice. But as she grew
older, that thought gradually faded away.

Because she thought it was just a fairytale.

But today, she’d heard that voice. Clearly and indisputably.

Without a doubt. She’d heard the voice of the Great Mage.

Her heart beat violently in her chest.

Wasn’t she the first person in the world to have such a lengthy
conversation with the Great Mage?

“…”

Joanna smiled smugly when she saw the man’s blank expression.

“Ah, well. It’s not unreasonable for you not to know. After all, the God
of Magic only reveals himself to those who have the talent to reach 9
stars.”

“…is it so amazing? You just heard a voice.”

“Just a voice?! Ugh!”

Joanna shouted before feeling hot pain ripple through her shoulder.

Wiping tears from her eyes, she spoke bitingly.

“You’re so annoying. Don’t you understand how great this is? It’s
said that only the chosen Wizards can hear the voice! And I’m one of
them!”

Joanna’s voice became louder as she continued.

“I was chosen by the Great Mage!”

***

Destin.

He thought he was a reliable person.

At first glance, he hadn’t been able to see any dishonesty, and there
was even a glint

of determination in his eyes. So he hadn’t inspected him too deeply.

As a result, he realised that it was a hasty judgment. He wasn’t an

upright man but a man who thought what he was doing was upright.

There was no hesitation or unease in the eyes of such a person.

Because they wouldn’t feel guilty even if they did something morally
wrong.

It was either one of two things.

Either he was doing shady things in the shadows to survive or he

believed he was doing the right thing.

Lukas looked down at the map in his hand.

The map given by Destin was supposed to display the shortest route
to Egypt. And it seemed that Destin had drawn the route himself.
If they were to continue along this path, it was clear that they would
run into countless Demons and Demon Beasts.

Nevertheless, Lukas decided not to switch routes immediately.

He turned to look at Joanna.

She was humming happily while driving.

It was completely different from the day before when she grumbled
constantly.

‘…God of Magic.’

He hadn’t known that such a legend had circulated among the

Wizards.

About 20 years ago, some time after he’d first introduced magical
science to this world, some Wizards were frustrated by the huge wall
that they’d encountered for the first time.

The wall of 7 stars, called Archmage.

The Wizards who were at the forefront had no Masters. This meant
that they had no

one to consult when they were lost or unsure about something. The
best conclusion they could reach was to come together with those on
their level and discuss their different opinions.

In a way, this wasn’t a bad thing. In fact, it was actually better than
being taught by a Master.

However, such methods usually took a long time before revealing

their effectiveness.
If they were left alone, it might take them decades before they were
able to find even the slightest clue.

So Lukas stepped in.

He gave hints only to those who were blocked by the wall, especially
those extremely talented individuals.

And those Wizards were able to get a great realisation due to Lukas’
advice and take the step to the next level.

Lukas checked the effectiveness of his action before leaving them to

their own devices once again.

…But he hadn’t realised that his actions had developed into such a
legendary story over time.

‘The Great Mage’s Chosen Ones.’

Great Mage.

The strange feeling that this title gave him caused his heart to flutter
slightly.

Lukas had never mentioned the title ‘Great Mage’ to anyone.

The terms Great Wizard, Archmage, or Mage referred to the state,

but ‘Great Mage’

was different.

In his homeworld, everyone thought of only one person when they

heard the name Great Mage. That was a title that had only been held
by Lukas Trowman.
But in this world with no magical history whatsoever, he was once
again called the Great Mage. As if it was a logical conclusion from
his spreading and teaching magical science.

…Perhaps.

‘Is this related to my essence?’

“Hey!”

Lukas was shaken from his thoughts.

Joanna, who had been humming to herself all this while, was looking
at him.

“What are you daydreaming about? You didn’t answer even after I
called you ten times.”

“Did you really call me that many times?”

“Well, no. It was only two or three times.”

“…”

“Anyways, I think we should take a break. Aren’t there any safe

spots nearby?”

Joanna tapped her thigh.

She wasn’t whining. It was just that it had already been three hours
since she started driving.

The gas was running low, and she was a bit hungry, so she thought it
was a good idea to rest now.

Lukas opened the map. Then Joanna stretched her neck to look at it.

“Focus on driving.”
“Isn’t it fine to just step on the accelerator in this wilderness without
even the shadow of a person? I don’t even have to hold the steering
wheel.”

Her words might have been a bit exaggerated, but she wasn’t
exactly wrong.

Lukas hadn’t told Joanna about what he’d learned about Destin. This
was because there was nothing she could do about it and because,
with her personality, she might try to turn back and try to raze the
Congo Branch to the ground.

Or report it to Neil in North America.

Neil Prand. What would that man do if he learned about this?

‘He might not even care.’

Even if Africa became hell, or worse, Neil wouldn’t care as long as it

didn’t affect North America.

What about Joanna? How would she react?

“…let’s go here.”

Hiding his thoughts, Lukas pointed to a location on the map.

It wasn’t the location of a city. In fact, it was an uninhabited rocky

area that was completely out of the way of Destin’s recommended
route.

“Don’t you think it’ll be hard to move through such a rocky area with
the truck?”
“We’re not going across it. We’ll just rest at the entrance before
taking another route.”

“Huh? I think it would be better to stick with our current route… there
are many cities and well-paved roads.”

In all honesty, Lukas didn’t particularly care what route they took.
The reason he decided to go to the rocky area was purely out of
consideration for Joanna.

If they continued along the original route, it was highly likely that they
would encounter more Demons and Demon Beasts. And Lukas had
no intention of fighting Demons or Demon Beasts on this mission.

In other words, the burden of fighting would entirely be on Joanna.

Of course, the

injury to her thigh and shoulder that she’d received the previous
night had already been healed, but there were still some aftereffects.
More importantly, constantly pushing her limits in a fierce battle like
the one she just fought should have given her a lot of mental fatigue.

But Joanna didn’t show it.

Was it because she didn’t want to show any weakness?

Perhaps it was because of her pride.

“We can’t blindly trust the information on the map. Destin said that
the map was old.

It seems that there are large mountains in the rocky area, so it would
be better if we went there and got a good look at the surroundings
before making a decision.”
“Hmmm… All right.”

Seemingly convinced by Lukas’ words, Joanna turned her head once

again to look out the windshield.

After a while, they finally arrived at the rocky area.

Joanna got out of the car and started preparing the meal while Lukas
refilled the gas tank and took a look around.

“Hurry back. If you take too long, I’ll eat everything first.”

Joanna patted her stomach as she said this, indicating that she was
pretty hungry already. Lukas nodded before heading towards the
largest nearby mountain.

When he left Joanna’s field of view, he quickly flew up to the top of

the mountain using magic.

A cold wind blew over.

This wasn’t the winter season, and it certainly was strange,

considering this was Africa. After all, during winter, the temperatures
during midday could still reach 20

degrees celsius.

But it was different now. It was the middle of the year, and Lukas was
wearing a thick coat. Nevertheless, he didn’t feel hot at all.

This was probably because of the demonic energy.

“…”
He opened the map and looked around.

In Lukas’s mind, two new routes to Egypt were formed.

One on the left and one on the right.

Focusing his eyes, he looked around for the first city to pass through.

A white glow emanated from Lukas’ eyes.

Whoosh!

He instantly caught sight of a city, hundreds of kilometers away. As if

he had expanded his eyes hundreds of times, Lukas was able to see
every corner of the city.

Clairvoyance!

This was the power he’d gained from the Demigod, Milled, whom
he’d fought in the past. A power that he rarely used.

Vast amounts of information surged into his head in an instant. If he

were an ordinary person, he might have suffered a cerebral
hemorrhage from being unable to process all of the information.

With Lukas’ strength, he could easily perceive the entirety of the

African continent, but he didn’t have time for that.

Lukas ignored the information about the characteristics and size of

the city, and he instead focused on the living creatures in them.

Although he couldn’t grasp complete details, he was at least able to

determine the type and number of entities.

‘In the city to the left, there are only Demons. And…”
On the right.

There were both humans and Demons.

It was a strange sight. It felt like they were very close. Almost as
though they were living together.

That wasn’t all.

He was also able to sense a large amount of demonic energy.

The Demon was suppressing his power, so Lukas was unable to get
a clear view, but he was certain that it was at least a high-rank
Demon Noble.

Lukas narrowed his eyes.

If he could have used the full power of his Clairvoyance, he would

have easily been able to see just how powerful the Demon was.
Unfortunately, that power was beyond this universe’s tolerance. It
was a shame, but for now, he had no choice but to be satisfied with
using this level of power.

When he first came to this world, he couldn’t use his Demigod

powers at all.

‘If a little more time passes, it won’t just be a thousand miles—’ (TL:
About 1600km) Lukas had this thought for a moment before shaking
his head.

Then, he stopped using Clairvoyance and headed down the

mountain.

When he got back to where Joanna was, he saw her reading a small
book with a serious expression on her face.
The wear on the book showed just how many times she’d read it,
and now that he thought about it, he realised that she would take out
and read this book whenever she had time. He couldn’t tell what was
written in the book, though, as there was nothing on the cover.

Despite reading with great concentration, Joanna still lifted her head
and looked at Lukas, as though she felt his gaze.

“Why did you take so long?”

He thought she said she’d eat first.

Lukas thought about asking her this for a moment before deciding to
give a rough answer instead.

“The mountain was taller than I expected.”

“Hmph… here.”

Joanna snorted before handing him a cold can of food. Even the lid
was still on it.

When Lukas accepted the can, she began eating her chicken with a
disposable fork.

Lukas ate as well.

It was Lukas who placed down his utensils first.

He’d eaten half of the can of food and stopped there.

“Why do you eat so little?”

“It has become a habit.”

To be precise, Lukas no longer needed to eat. However, if he didn’t
eat anything at all, people would grow suspicious. Therefore, he just
pretended.

Of course, he was still able to taste, and eating delicious food was
an excellent pastime.

However, these combat rations would never be called ‘delicious

food’.

“Why don’t you eat some more? Men who are too skinny aren’t
popular with women.

Your face isn’t bad, so you’d look good if you gained more weight.”

“Is that so?”

Despite his rough reply, Joanna still responded enthusiastically.

“Of course. I have a good eye for unpolished gems.”

Then her eyes suddenly lit up.

“Come to think of it, that boy you brought with you is exceptional.”

“Boy? Ah.”

It was obvious that she was talking about his disciple, Leo Freeman.

Lukas nodded.

Even someone like him who had no interest in personal appearance

couldn’t help but admire Leo’s good looks.

“His appearance has a strong ambiguity now, but that will only last a
few more years.

Girls would probably lose their minds if he simply wore a v-necked t-

shirt. Seriously.”
Joanna spoke while eating chicken from her can. Lukas glanced at
her.

“You eat well.”

“Is it surprising?”

“I didn’t think you’d be able to stomach anything other than gourmet

food.”

“Hmph. That’s right. I have really picky tastes.”

Joanna snorted, but she didn’t seem upset.

“But I could still eat almost anything.”

“Anything?”

“Even steamed frogs or fried cockroaches.”

When Lukas froze, Joanna burst into laughter.

“I’m joking!”

***

For Lukas, the main priority was to meet Kran, one of the Top Three.

The most reasonable choice to achieve this goal would have been to
cut across the wilderness without going to either city.

But Lukas decided to head to the city on the right.

This was because he thought it would be better to figure out the

situation now while he still had time than allow it to become a
hindrance later on.

He didn’t feel comfortable leaving what was almost certainly a high-

ranking Demon Noble unchecked.

By the time the sun began setting, they arrived at the city.

“Huh?”

At the same time, they saw a convoy of vehicles leaving the city.

They were light, off-road vehicles that were perfect for traveling
across the wilderness. Buggies.

As they came closer, the buggies honked their horns aggressively.

“Ah. So noisy.”

While Joanna frowned at the racket, Lukas looked over at them

before speaking.

“It seems like they’re asking us to stop.”

“Are they humans?”

“Maybe.”

“Well. I’ve never heard about Demons driving buggies before.”

Joanna pulled over obediently.

One of the buggies swerved around and stopped in front of the truck,
creating a large cloud of dust.

Joanna coughed, covering her mouth as she glared at the car.

A man stepped out from the left side of the buggy.

It was a black young man with a gun in his hand.

He looked like a mercenary.

“Excuse me. You don’t seem to be from around here. Where are you
from?”

“Who are you?”

“Can’t you tell? I’m a hunter.”

Click.

The man answered while cocking his gun.

It was a blatant threat, but Joanna responded without shrinking back

at all.

“We’re hunters too. We came to this land on a special mission from

North America. I can’t tell you the details of our mission, but we
already received permission from the Congolese Branch President.”

“Do you have anything to prove that?”

Joanna pulled a document out of her pocket and held it out for the
man to see. The man looked at it for a moment before nodding and
smiling.

“If you already got permission, then I have no right to interfere. Well,
do you need anything? Food, water, a place to rest?”

“It’s late, so we’d appreciate it if you could give us a place to stay for
the night.”
“Hmmm, no problem. Follow me. I’ll take you to our leader first.”

The man turned around after saying those words.

“Who is your leader?”

“You might have heard of him, so I don’t mind telling you.”

The man laughed. Then he turned to look at them and spoke in a

slightly prideful voice.

“Our leader is a man called Dragul Phisfounder.”

“Are you okay?”

Lukas raised his head at the unexpected question.

“What do you mean?”

“If I had a mirror, I’d show you. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen you
make a face like that.”

“…”

“I always thought that you were emotionless because your

expression never changed. But I guess that’s not true.”

Was there something wrong with his expression?

Lukas couldn’t help but reach up a hand to touch his face.

It felt a bit stiffer than usual.

“Do you know him?”

“Huh?”

“The man he referred to as his leader. You lost control of your

expression after you heard his name.”

“No, I don’t know him.”

Joanna looked at him strangely when she heard this.

But it was the truth.

This was the first time Lukas had heard of this man called Dragul.
The reason his expression had become stiff was different.

“I want to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“Is the last name Phisfounder common?”

“Phisfounder?”

Joanna tilted her head to the side and tapped her finger against the
steering wheel as she thought.

For a while, the soft tapping sound was the only thing that could be
heard in the truck.

But after some thought, she shook her head.

“This is the first time I heard it. But it doesn’t really sound like a last
name. It sounds more like a car brand.”
“…”

It was as he expected.

Lukas had never encountered a familiar last name in this world. And
if he did, it would only be an extremely rare one.

That’s why he couldn’t help but wonder if the last name, Phisfounder,
of this man, Dragul, was a mere coincidence or not.

Lukas looked at the buggy that was driving ahead of them.

Then, at the three buggies that were located on either side and
behind the truck respectively.

“I feel like we’re being escorted.”

While Joanna spoke in a smug voice, Lukas could tell that the escort
was more to prevent them from fleeing.

Nevertheless, it wouldn’t be too hard to flee and erase their traces

now. It would be

much trickier once they got into the city.

And yet, Lukas was headed directly for the city.

‘Is Iris in this world?’

And if that really was the case, how did she accomplish it?

Did she become transcendent? Had she been following him? Did
she know that he was in this world?
After these thoughts filled his head, Lukas couldn’t help but smile
bitterly.

‘I don’t want to meet with Iris just yet.’

Those thoughts made him feel more sad than happy. In fact, they
filled him with guilt.

Because if she came to him first, it meant that she’d probably come
to blame him for not keeping his word.

***

They got off the truck.

Up close, the city looked much better than they expected.

Nevertheless, it didn’t look much better than ‘clean ruins’. It would be
more appropriate to call it a temporary base than a home.

Considering the size of the city, the area in which people could stay
was incredibly limited. And as a result, the area had high population
density.

Joanna looked around in surprise.

“How many people live here?”

“There are probably more than 10,000 people in this city.”

The black man, who introduced himself as Keegan, yawned as he

replied.

“Come to think of it, there are a lot of customers today. How

annoying…”
“…?”

“He will show you to your rooms, so please wait there. Our leader is
very busy at the moment.”

After saying this, Keegan turned around and walked off somewhere.

“Follow me. I’ll guide you to where you’ll be staying.”

Another hunter spoke in a stiff manner.

They followed him into a building.

It was a three-story building, and they could see artificial light coming
from the various windows. This showed that power was being
supplied to it.

Also, despite the rugged appearance of the city, there were also
working street lights.

When they entered the first floor of the building, the first thing they
noticed was the unique smell of food. Perhaps it was because it was
dinner time, but most of the people in the building seemed to be on
that floor.

“The first floor is the restaurant. You can order food any time you like
unless it’s too late, but if possible, please try to have your meals on
time. There is also a bathroom at the end of the floor. And hot water
is available around this time.”

“Hot water!”

Joanna’s eyes sparkled.

It seemed that she was excited at the thought of showering after so

long.

In all honesty, it hadn’t been that long. It hadn’t even been a week
since they left North America.
They were each given individual rooms on the second and third
floors respectively.

“Keegan will probably be back in an hour. So you can rest here first.”

After saying those words, the man turned around and went back
down to the first floor, leaving Lukas to inspect his assigned room.

The scent of old wood that filled the room calmed the mind and body.

Clack.

Lukas opened up the only window in the room and looked down at
the street below, which was softly lit by the streetlights.

He could not see any hunger on the faces of the people working
there. In fact, these people looked much better than those in the
Congo Branch.

This should have been a comforting sight to see, but instead, it made
Lukas uncomfortable.

There had to be a reason for this.

This city was not in a good geographical location.

It was clear that Demons or Demon Beasts could appear at any

moment. So how were they able to perfectly defend against the
Demon and Demon Beasts invasion?

And where did they get enough food and water to feed such a large
population? Not to mention the stable supply of electricity.

The questions that flowed through his head weren’t just these few.
Lukas closed the window before heading down to the first floor.

Many people, who appeared to be hunters, clinked their glasses

together as they drank beer like water, their cheers and laughter
filling the hall.

After looking around the room for a moment, Lukas was able to find
an empty table, and he sat down.

A middle-aged woman walked up to him with a smile on her face and

placed a glass of water in front of him. But Lukas shook his head
when she asked if he’d like to order anything to eat.

Joanna wasn’t there.

Judging by her reaction earlier, she was probably washing herself in

the bathroom.

Then, he saw a man come down the stairs.

When Lukas saw this man, he couldn’t help but narrow his eyes
slightly. This was because of two reasons.

The first was because he was Asian, the first he’d seen since coming
to this country.

And the second was because this man happened to be someone he

knew.

It was the Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak.

Lukas would never have expected that their next meeting would be
in this place.

That was why he couldn’t help but look at Lee Jong-hak with
surprise.

Fortunately, he was currently using ‘Frey’s face. So unless he

released the spell himself, Lee Jong-hak would never recognise him.

“…”

When Lee Jong-hak came down, the noisy hall immediately became
deathly quiet as though a bucket of cold water had been poured onto
it.

And even those who had been in the middle of laughing or cheering
stifled their voices when they noticed him.

Seemingly not noticing his effect on the people, Lee Jong-hak looked
around with his distinctively calm expression.

Perhaps he was looking for an empty table. But Lukas had picked
the last one.

After a brief moment, Lee Jong-hak finally turned to look at Lukas. It

seemed that he thought the table for four might be too big for just
Lukas alone.

After walking up to Lukas, Lee Jong-hak bowed his head and asked
politely.

“Can I sit with you?”

“Go ahead.”

When Lukas nodded and gave a brief response, Lee Jong-hak

pulled the chair across from him and sat down.
The middle-aged woman he saw earlier approached the table once
again.

Tak-

But this time, she placed the glass of water on the table in a cold
manner before walking away.

Her actions convinced Lukas of the thought he had. It seemed that

the residents here didn’t like Lee Jong-hak.

Lukas turned to look at Lee Jong-hak once again.

It had been months since they’d last met, but he didn’t seem to have
changed much in that time. The only difference was that he had a
more determined aura than before.

This was a sign that he’d made great progress in swordsmanship.

It was not easy to achieve so much progress in such a short amount

of time. This was also proof of frightening talent.

‘Did this man return to the Asia Headquarters?’

The last time he’d heard news of him, he was working in Germany.

Lukas became curious.

Had Lee Jong-hak heard about what happened in Russia? And if he

had, what were his thoughts about it?

“I don’t think you’re from around here.”

Lee Jong-hak’s soft voice came once again. It was so quiet that
Lukas would not have heard it if he hadn’t been sitting at the same
table.

Realising that he was talking to him, Lukas took a sip of cold water.

“Yes. I’m from Europe.”

“…”

Lee Jong-hak’s hand froze as he was about to pick up his own cup.

He looked up at Lukas, a complex emotion hidden within his eyes.

Lukas wondered how he would react.

Following the incident, Europe and Asia had become irreconcilable

enemies. So it wouldn’t be surprising if he were to suddenly attack
after meeting a European hunter in a foreign country.

“That…”

Just as he was about to say something, Lukas looked up, sensing

Joanna’s presence.

It was not an exaggeration to call her appearance striking. As soon

as she appeared, some of the hunters couldn’t help but stare at her
with their mouths wide open.

Joanna, who had changed into light clothes, seemed to be in a good

mood. She looked around the room for a moment before cheerfully
walking over to Lukas after spotting him.

Then she sat on a chair beside him and waved her hand.

“Ah, how refreshing. Huh? Didn’t you freshen up?”

“No.”

“Ugh, you’re filthy. Stay back.”

When she pulled her chair away from him, she bumped into Lee
Jong-hak. Naturally, she turned to look at the person she’d hit.

“I’m so-… rry? This gentleman, I feel like I’ve seen you before…”

Joanna pressed her hand against her forehead as she struggled to

think. Then, after a moment, she asked with a slightly hesitant voice.

“Are you the Human Dragon?”

“Yes, I’m Lee Jong-hak.”

Joanna smiled brightly.

“I’ve seen many pictures, but this is my first time seeing you in
person. Nice to meet

you. I’m Joanna Goldberg.”

Lee Jong-hak had a look of realisation at those words.

“Now, I recognise you. You’re that Archmage from North America.

Your reputation precedes you.”

“Oh, my.”

His polite attitude made Joanna unsure of how to react for a

moment.

Right. This was it. She had forgotten after spending so much time
with that block-headed guy, but this was the attitude people usually
had when talking to her.

She was at a level where even heroes from Asia had to be polite to
her, and more importantly, she was a woman who had been chosen
by the Great Mage.

Joanna shot a triumphant look at Lukas. As if to say ‘look at the type

of woman I am’.

But even when she looked at him smugly, Lukas’ gaze remained
locked on Lee Jong-hak, and he seemed to be thinking about
something else.

A bit embarrassed, Joanna let out a small cough.

“Hmhm. So, Mr. Lee, what brings you here?”

“I came here for a mission. But I can’t tell you the details.”

“I see.”

It was a rule that unless you were talking to a member of the same
branch, you should never reveal the mission you were doing.
Knowing that he was on a mission, Joanna didn’t try to question him
any further.

Lee Jong-hak’s gaze then turned to Lukas.

“Who is this?”

“I’m Frey Blake, from Europe. I’m on a mission with Joanna.”

“I see.”
Lee Jong-hak seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, and Lukas
observed him.

A joint mission between Europe and North America hinted at the

possibility that the relationship between the two regions was
becoming closer.

Depending on how he reacted to this knowledge, he might be able to

learn Lee Jong-hak’s thoughts, but…

They were interrupted once again as Keegan appeared.

He looked at the three of them sitting at the table before tilting his
head slightly.
“Well, would you look at that. The three of you are all sitting
together.Do you know each other?”

“We just met.”

“This is great.”

Well. It was nice because it meant he wouldn’t have to go looking for

them.

Keegan smiled.

“Our leader is ready to see you. Follow me.”

***

The hierarchy among Demons was determined by power. At the very

bottom were the normal Demons, and above them were the Demon
Nobles. And only those Demons who stood at the very peak among
Demon Nobles could be granted the title Duke.

However, this didn’t mean that every Duke had the same amount of
power or authority.

Of the Demon Dukes, there were only five who could be called the
Demon King’s closest aides. It was for this reason that they were
referred to as the Five Dukes.

And among the Five Dukes, there was one who could be considered
the Demon King’s right hand.

Azazel.
He was a Demon who had an appearance that was strikingly close
to that of a human, except for his gray hair, pale skin, and two large
horns growing from his temples.

Some of the Dukes often half-honestly and half-jokingly called him

the ‘Grand Duke’.

Because the title suited him in a way.

This was because he was the one who often took over whenever the
Demon King was absent.

Azazel was currently walking through a forest in France.

This was no ordinary forest as the demonic energy in this place was
many times thicker than even at the Versailles Palace. This demonic
energy caused the entire forest to look like it was covered in a thick
smog.

This was natural.

After all, this forest was basically the place that could be called the
Demon King’s true residence.

“…”

Azazel looked around.

The entire area was a mess, as though a typhoon had swept through
it. The ground was filled with large holes and trenches like a giant
worm had crawled through it, and the demonic energy in the air was
so thick it condensed into fog.

And in the middle of this devastated area was a single, large being.

Azazel immediately knelt down on one knee and politely bowed his
head.

“My King.”
At those words, the huge being opened his eyes. Black eyes, which
seemed to suck in

all the surrounding light, turned to look at Azazel.

[Azazel Trowman.]

“I humbly await your order.”

[The preparations are complete.]

“That means…”

Azazel shuddered for a moment. Unspeakable joy overflowed from

his gaze.

The Demon King’s lips twisted into a smile.

[I am now the strongest.]

“I’m sorry, but can’t we postpone the meeting with Dragul until
tomorrow?”

When Lee Jong-hak suddenly said this, Keegan, who was prepared
to leave the building, turned around with a strange expression.

“Didn’t you come here demanding to see our leader in the first
place?”
“I think it’s too late to have the meeting now… and there is
something I’d like to discuss with them.”

As he said this, Lee Jong-hak turned to look at Joanna, his eyes

hinting at her to play along.

She knew that, but…

Joanna withheld her judgment with a surprised look on her face.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think that would be okay.”

This was said in a strangely heavy voice.

Keegan looked down at Lee Jong-hak and folded his arms in a cold
manner.

“We have something called face here too. I’ve already reported to
our leader about you guys, and he expects to see you soon. Do you
think if I go to our leader and tell him that the guests are tired and
that they’ll meet him tomorrow, he’ll accept it with a nod and a smile?
My position would be in jeopardy.” (TL: Long story short, ‘face’ is
basically respect.)

Though this was said in a harsh tone, his words weren’t wrong.

“I can’t believe you’re staying in our city but won’t meet our leader. I
heard that Asians valued courtesy, but now, I’m wondering if I heard
correctly.”

“…”

“It won’t take long. You’ll be back before you know it.”
Lee Jong-hak looked down at his cup and seemed to be lost in
thought for a moment.

He didn’t know why, but he felt that the hunters, employees, and
even civilians in the restaurant were all focused on what was
happening at their table.

After a while, Lee Jong-hak finally opened his mouth.

“Understood.”

“Now, we’re on the same page.”

Keegan smiled brightly before turning around and leaving first, Lee
Jong-hak close behind.

Joanna stared at their backs for a moment before shaking her head.

“What’s going on? Am I the only one who feels this strange tension?”

“No.”

After giving this brief answer, Lukas got up and walked out as well.

With a strange expression on her face, Joanna could only follow him.

A jeep was already waiting for them outside the building. And there
were three others surrounding it. Inside these jeeps were men who
appeared to be hunters.

“…”

Joanna’s expression became even stranger.

Even an inexperienced hunter like her was able to realise that this
was way too much for a simple escort.

“Hop in. We’ll take you there quickly.”

“Where is Mr. Dragul?”

Keegan pointed towards the end of the road.

“See that mansion? It looks close, but it would be annoying to walk

to it.”

“Let’s walk.”

Keegan’s expression became one of irritation.

“I don’t know why you keep trying to annoy me.”

“I just want to move my body after my meal to help with digestion…

Is that a problem?”

As he said this, Lee Jong-hak turned to look Keegan in the eyes.

Keegan’s lips twitched for a few moments before he averted his gaze
and clicked his tongue.

“…tch. Sure. Guys.”

When he beckoned, the hunters who had been sitting in the other
vehicles piled out.

There were at least ten of them. They spread out around the four of
them with practiced ease.

The atmosphere became tense.

“…”

Lee Jong-hak carefully looked at all of them before turning around

and walking down the street.
The hunters surrounded him as though they were escorting him.

And like this, this large group of people slowly began walking
towards the mansion where Dragul lived.

After they walked for a while, the bustling streets gradually calmed
down. For some strange reason, the further they moved, the darker
their surroundings became. And by the time only their own footsteps
could be heard, they could no longer see buildings with lights in them
on the sides of the street.

The only things offering light were the few streetlights that lined the
street, causing

the walk to suddenly feel lonely and ominous.

It was at this time when Lukas heard a voice.

[Just listen.]

Sound Transmission.

It was a technique at a much higher level than the Telepathy spell.

It was Lee Jong-hak who had sent sound transmission to Lukas. No,
from the slight change in her expression, it seemed he’d sent it to
Joanna as well.

Just being able to use sound transmission was a feat that showed
incredible skill, but at the same time, he’d done it so perfectly that
the hunters around them didn’t notice anything.

[I don’t know what your mission is or why you are here. However, it
was a mistake to enter this city.]
A mistake?

[Do not move. Stay completely still. I swear that I won’t hurt you.]

Then, after sending that, Lee Jong-hak drew his sword in a quick,
smooth motion. His sword-drawing was so fast that even the word
‘fast’ was a bit lacking when used to describe it, and barely any
sound was released.

The drawn blade lightly reflected the light from the streetlights
around them.

It was a beautiful sight. However, contrary to the beauty of the

sword, the swordsmanship that was unleashed with it was incredibly
fierce.

Shuk-

“Kuk!”

“Gurk!”

The two hunters who were working in front of them let out soft cries
before

collapsing to the ground. Blood spurted from the backs of their

necks.

Only then did the others react, drawing their weapons.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

“This crazy bastard!”

Lee Jong-hak slid into a stance without responding, a fog of ki slowly
billowing from his body.

“Wh-, what’s going on…?”

Joanna turned to look at Lukas with a shocked expression.

But Lukas was looking elsewhere. Keegan, who had been walking in
front of them, clicked his tongue once before turning around
immediately and running away.

It seemed that Lee Jong-hak had expected such a response as he

threw his sword lightly.

The motion was light, but the force behind the throw was enormous.

The sword, which whistled through the air, cut Keegan in half. And
although he’d tried to dodge it just before it hit him, the speed and
force of the attack made him completely unable to block or dodge.

“Kuk…!”

Keegan’s body was sent flying in two different directions with fatal
injuries that probably caused instant death.

“You arrogant bastard!”

“He threw away his weapon!”

The remaining hunters all attacked Lee Jong-hak, who was now
unarmed. However, without any changes to his expression, Lee
Jong-hak simply kicked off from the ground. His body was propelled
backwards, allowing him to avoid the attacks directed at him.

Then, a hunter pulled out a submachine gun.

“Die!”

But Lee Jong-hak’s finger moved before he could pull the trigger.

With a single gesture, the sword that had cut Keegan in half
suddenly flew towards him as though it had a will of its own.

The hunters were all shocked by this sight.

“Th-, that!”

“Controlling the sword with ki…!!!”

The sword flew through the air like a swallow. Then, it dyed the
street with blood.

The level of these hunters wasn’t low. Every one of them was a
veteran, and if they were sufficiently equipped, it wouldn’t be difficult
for them to hunt low-rank Demon Nobles.

Nevertheless, they had met the wrong opponent.

Lee Jong-hak was already only a half-step away from the peak of
swordsmanship.

Shuk.

“Ku-, urk…”

The last hunter’s chest was split open, and his blood spurted out.

The sword stopped in the air, covered in dark red blood. Then, with a
‘brrr’ sound, it shook itself clean like a wet cat before flying towards
Lee Jong-hak.

Click.

And with a soft sound, Lee Jong-hak returned it to its sheath.

Joanna, who had been stiff for a while glanced at Lukas before
taking a step forward.

She was pretending to be calm, but she couldn’t stop her chin from
quivering slightly.

“Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak. I never took you for a murderer.”

“…”

“Are you going to kill us too?”

“Leave this city immediately. There is an exit on the west. Don’t go

anywhere else.”

Lee Jong-hak looked at the building at the end of the street coldly
before continuing.

“I don’t know what mission you’re here for, but now isn’t a good time.
Ask the people in the forest to the west for help. If you use my name,
they will even help you use Warp.”

“…you haven’t even explained the situation, yet you want us to do as

you say?”

Lukas looked around.

The Lee Jong-hak he knew wasn’t someone who would carry out
murder for no reason. Despite the hatred he had for him, Lukas still
admired this human called Lee Jong-hak.

“What is wrong with this city?”

Lee Jong-hak turned to look at Lukas when he heard this question

before giving a brief answer.
“…it is a breeding ground.”

“Huh?”

Just as Joanna blinked in surprise, a powerful wave of energy

rippled through the city. This energy caused the streetlights to buzz
and flicker. And a disturbing pressure seemed to cover their bodies.

Lee Jong-hak sighed.

“That guy has already sealed the entire city. It’s no longer possible to
escape.”

“That guy?”

“The Demon, Gullard, the owner of the mansion we were being

guided to.”

“Huhhh?!!”

Horrified, Joanna cried out in a trembling voice.

“B-, by Gullard…”

“Yes.”

Lee Jong-hak nodded.

“The true identity of Dragul Phisfounder, the leader of this city, is the
Vampire Duke, Gullard.”

(TL: So it seems only the demons so far have the names from Lukas’
old world. Is the person from his homeworld working with the
demons?)
Lee Jong-hak walked towards the west. He didn’t say anything, but
Joanna and Lukas had no choice but to follow him.

“Can we trust this person?”

Joanna whispered in a soft voice. Lukas looked at Lee Jong-hak’s

back for a moment before responding to her.

“The Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak, is a man of great character.”

“Have you met him before?”

“…no.”

“Then that’s just a rumor.”

“Yeah.”

Joanna seemed a bit apprehensive.

Not long afterwards, Lee Jong-hak stopped walking. He was

standing in front of an angel statue.

Maybe it was because of the angle or the ominous aura that

surrounded the entire city, but the angel, who was supposed to be a
holy being, seemed to make the atmosphere feel even more bizarre.

“Do you know ‘The Crying Angel’?”

“What’s that?”

“…it’s fine if you don’t know.”

Joanna rubbed her forearm and shook her head.

Lee Jong-hak pressed on a corner of the statue with his foot. Then,
something strange happened.

Grrrk-

The angel statue moved slightly, revealing a hidden space beneath

it.

Joanna flinched violently when the statue moved.

Without any hesitation, Lee Jong-hak entered the space below.

Lukas and Joanna followed suit.

In the underground space below the statue, there was a dimly lit
passage. After walking for a while, hearing only the sound of water
droplets softly hitting the ground, they saw a man standing in the
middle of the passage.

This man appeared to be in his mid 20s, and he didn’t seem to have
any characteristics that stood out. Except for the fact that he wore
dark sunglasses in this dark space.

The man looked at Lee Jong-hak and spoke.

“You came earlier than we expected.”

“Kaisa, so it was your turn today.”

Lee Jong-hak sighed before he said, “There’s work to do.”

“Hmmm…”

The man named Kaisa then turned to look at Lukas and Joanna with
surprise.
“Who are the people behind you?”

“They’re hunters from North America and Europe. They almost got
involved in all of this.”

“Looks like something happened… Let’s go to the hideout and talk.

It’s still dangerous here.”

After saying that, Kaisa turned around first. And it was at that
moment when Joanna was surprised to see a tattoo on his right arm.

“Gray Sun…?!”

When Joanna started drawing upon her mana with a suspicious

expression, Kaisa waved his hand.

“I know what you’re thinking, but it’s a misunderstanding.”

“What misunderstanding?! How could you say that…”

“Please trust us.”

It was Lee Jong-hak.

He looked into Joanna’s eyes and spoke with a calm voice.

“I know this isn’t really a good time to say something like this, but I
swear. I have no intention of hurting you.”

“Mm…”

When Joanna still didn’t let down her guard, Lukas had no choice but
to speak up.
“Let’s listen to them for now. If he wanted to kill us, he would have
made a move earlier when he was dealing with those hunters.”

“That’s… true.”

Joanna reluctantly released her mana. This sight caused Lee Jong-
hak’s eyes to shine slightly as he turned to look at Lukas.

Perhaps it was because of the fact that he had not lost his calm even
once despite the ever-changing situation.

Perhaps it was his ability to calm down Joanna, who seemed to be

quite stubborn.

Or perhaps it was both, but the latter had more traction.

Lukas was well aware that he was viewed either as Joanna’s

manager or subordinate.

Nevertheless, it wasn’t a good thing to attract Lee Jong-hak’s

attention. Though unlikely, it was still possible that he would realise
who he was.

Lukas decided to be more careful from now on.

Lee Jong-hak soon retracted his gaze and followed Kaisa.

This underground passage was probably a part of a sewer system.

But since it didn’t smell bad, it probably hadn’t been used yet.

It was hard to tell how long they’d been walking in the tunnel, but
after a while, they reached a large iron door.

Kaisa, who was at the front, knocked on the door.

Krrrr…

The door slowly opened with a loud noise, revealing a large space
within.

There were also quite a number of people within the room. About 20
or so.

They were either sitting on boxes and talking to each other or

exercising and training.

Then a man approached them.

“Lee Jong-hak, you’re early.”

It was a middle-aged man whose short white hair contrasted with his
dark skin.

Joanna looked up at him, and her mouth fell open subconsciously.

This man was three times larger than the average adult male. In
particular, the muscles on his upper body were so large they
appeared as though they would tear through his shirt at any moment.

He gave off a ferocious aura, like a mafia boss with thousands of

subordinates.

‘…no. This man is really… ’

Joanna’s eyes drifted down to look at the man’s right forearm. There,
she saw five suns overlapping on each other. As far as she knew,
there was only one person in the entire organisation who was
allowed to have five suns.

The big boss of the organisation, Elijah Kipatosh.

Lee Jong-hak bowed his head to him.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Elijah. Our plan failed.”

“No. I prefer to do it this way. I didn’t feel very comfortable sending

you in alone from the start.”

Elijah spoke with a strangely soothing voice. For a moment, Joanna

forgot that this man was the notorious boss of the Gray Sun.

“And the young people behind you?”

“They are hunters from North America and Europe. They said they
came to this land for a special mission.”

“Hmmm. Their timing is rather poor.”

Elijah chuckled before he turned to look at them.

“You must have come here using a Warp Portal. Which facility did
you use?”

“The Congo Branch.”

When Lukas responded, Joanna turned to look at him. It seemed

she was unsure whether it was wise to reveal that information or not.

“That’s Destin’s territory.”

Elijah took a large cigar from his pocket before lighting it.

“I know what you might think about the Gray Sun. But I’ll tell you now
that most of that information is false.”

“…false?”
“Right. We’re not a mafia or criminal organisation.”

“Then what are you?”

Elijah stroked his dark beard.

“The resistance.”

***

“I apologize for the lack of hospitality.”

“It’s fine.”

Joanna sat on a box and responded in a casual manner.

This group claimed that they bore no hostility, but she couldn’t trust
them so easily.

It wouldn’t be strange if their attitudes suddenly changed and they

threatened them.

Nevertheless, Joanna appeared indifferent despite this.

This attitude was very important in situations like this. There was no
rule that said because they were comrades now and they couldn’t be
enemies later. And in such an ambiguous relationship, it was best to
stand your ground.

The pressure exuded by Elijah Kipatosh’s entire body was incredible.

Lukas could tell he was no weaker than Lee Jong-hak.

As for the men and women who sat around them? Each of them had
a tattoo of three overlapping suns on their forearm. According to
Joanna, these were Gray Sun executives, and each of them was
equivalent to a Titled Hunter.

And there was also Lee Jong-hak, who led them there. No matter
how they looked at it, there weren’t many who could take on such a
group.

This group’s attention was mostly on Joanna. Not just because she
was from North America but because she was also a world famous
hunter.

This was a good thing for Lukas. Thanks to that, he was able to look
around and observe this group with ease.

“Did you come to Africa for a confidential mission?”

“Yes. So I can’t tell you.”

“Hmm… no matter what?”

Elijah had a solemn expression on his face.

Joanna clenched her fist, which was hidden beneath the table, as
she felt pressure in her stomach.

‘He’s such a tough old man.’

She wasn’t sure how strong he was, but she was sure that he was
very formidable.

Those huge muscles were definitely not for decoration.

That wasn’t all. He also had a piercing pair of eyes in conjunction

with his hideous size. As soon as she met his eyes, she felt that he
could see all of her secrets.

Nevertheless, Joanna didn’t look away. In fact, she steeled her

resolve under the pressure.

She could not back down.

Because she was the next Great Wizard who had been chosen by
the Great Mage.

“Hoh.”

Elijah looked at Joanna with interest before bursting into laughter.

“Joanna Goldberg. I heard you were a disgrace to North America,

but it seems the truth can only be revealed when seeing something
for yourself.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Elijah seemed even more pleased when Joanna responded in a

calm voice.

Then, when Kaisa, who was standing beside him, coughed lightly, he
finally stopped laughing.

“Fine. You must have some guts to step foot in this land. Apart from
that, I don’t think you are reinforcements since you don’t seem to
know anything about the situation.”

“North America ignored our request for assistance for 10 years.

There’s no way that psycho would send reinforcements now.”

This was said by a young woman sitting on the right. She spoke in a
cold voice that didn’t match her soft features. On top of that, her
hostility towards Joanna was obvious.

Joanna was never the type to take such things lightly.

“Psycho? You’re not talking about President Neil, are you?”

“What if I am?”
“I’d make you pay the price for running your mouth.”

“Ha.”

Just as the woman sneered and was about to say something, Elijah
lifted his hand.

“That’s enough, Camilla.”

“…sorry.”

The woman named Camilla bowed her head, her dissatisfaction

clear on her face.

Elijah chuckled.

“Will you forgive my subordinate’s rudeness?”

“There won’t be a second time.”

Camilla frowned at her attitude, but she didn’t open her mouth again.

“Thank you. Still, it might be better if you hid the fact that you’re from
North

America. Camilla isn’t the only one who would react in such a way.”

Joanna didn’t respond.

Elijah smiled and took a drag from his cigar.

Sssp-

In one breath, half of the cigar was burnt away, dense smoke then
flowing from his nostrils.
“Kaisa, those things you captured during your last mission, are they
still alive?”

“One should still be alive.”

“Good. Bring it here. They would understand it easier if we let them

see for themselves.”

Kaisa nodded and left the room.”

Noticing the unusual atmosphere, Joanna spoke.

“What are you going to show us?”

“The situation in Africa can’t be summed up with one word. So it

would be easier to understand if you were to see it with your own
eyes. Is there a Chinese proverb that’s suitable for this situation, Lee
Jong-hak?”

“Seeing something once is better than hearing about it a hundred

times. Doing something once is better than seeing it a hundred
times.” (TL: T~T)

“Right, that’s it.”

Kaisa returned almost at the same time.

He was pulling a cart, on top of which sat a steel cage. It was a large
and secure cage that would usually be used to transport fierce
animals.

However, Lukas’ expression became strange when he saw what was

inside.
What was trapped in the cage wasn’t some ferocious beast. Instead,
it was a small boy who looked like he would have a hard time
harming a single bug.

The boy was so motionless that he appeared to be a doll at first, and

he looked at the humans outside the cage with an expressionless
face.

Joanna’s expression became one of disgust and loathing.

“Is this what you wanted to show me?”

“Right. How is it?”

“…it’s disgusting. I’m not sure what your goal is. All I can see is you
treating a fellow human like an animal.”

The boy’s limbs were covered in large chains, and there was a collar
around his neck.

He was also covered in dirt. It was clear that he hadn’t been washed
in a long time.

This meant that they didn’t even give this boy basic human rights.

That wasn’t all.

Joanna could see the humans who had been enslaved by the
Demons in this little boy.

She’d heard that the Demons who enslaved humans would also put
collars on their necks.

A man on the left spoke up at that moment.

“This boy killed dozens of humans with his own hands.”

“Are you sure he’s the murderer?”

“Yes. However, if that was all, we would not have placed him in such
a special cage…

Kaisa.”

Kaisa nodded once before muttering in a soft voice.

“Punish.”

Crackle!

“Aaaak!”

The boy let out a scream of pain. The culprit was the collar. Blue
sparks of electricity could be seen bouncing from it.

It was electrical torture.

The current was so strong that it brightened the surroundings for a

moment.

“What the hell are you… Ah!”

Joanna’s expression became hard.

She realised that the current flowing from the collar was strong
enough to instantly burn any normal person to a crisp. Nevertheless,
the boy only seemed to be in pain.

Then, the boy’s face twisted in a hideous manner.

His skin also became red, and his eyes became yellow. Not only did
they become yellow, but his eyes also became elongated, similar to
the eyes of a reptile.
Joanna couldn’t help but open her mouth in shock at the sight.

“Is this boy a Demon?”

“Half of one.”

“Huh? What do you mean…?”

When Joanna asked this question in a confused voice, Elijah

finished his cigar.

“Did I not say it properly? I’m trying to say that this boy is a mixed
race.”

“Mi-, mixed?”

“Right.”

Elijah nodded while looking at the boy who was squirming in pain.

“They have the traits of both humans and Demons. So we call them
Hybrids.”

Kaisa disappeared with the boy again.

Joanna didn’t seem to be able to overcome her shock. Lukas, on the

other hand, was thinking about the last word Elijah said.

‘Hybrid.’

This word, which he heard in the place where the member of the Top
Three, Kran, was, perfectly matched the hint he’d been given by
God.
Lukas was confident that he’d grasped a faint clue. Of course, he
couldn’t do anything with that information yet.

“The African Branch of the Hunter Organisation is already rotten to

the core. They chose to live on their stomachs rather than stand and
die, and the proof of this is the Hybrid you just saw.”

All of the humor had disappeared from Elijah’s face.

After managing to finally calm herself down, Joanna spoke.

“What the hell is going on in this place?”

“You could say it’s a living matter experiment or a hybridisation

experiment.

Countless experiments were carried out on countless second-

generation humans and demons. The corpses could pile up to form a
mountain, and the blood could create a river.”

“Th-, that…”

Joanna shook her head with a pale complexion. The determined

attitude that she’d displayed earlier had completely disappeared.

“But… is that really possible? In the decades that the Demons have
been on Earth, this is my first time hearing about hybrids.”

She knew that some demons had the disgusting hobby of sleeping
with their human slaves. But there had never been cases of women
becoming pregnant with the demon’s child or of a demon becoming
pregnant with a human’s child.

The genes of humans and demons were so different that it was fair
to call it
‘impossible’. Common sense deemed it impossible for them to
conceive, so naturally, no second-generation would be born.

“As expected of an American hunter.”

It was Camilla who spoke up with a sarcastic tone. But this time,
Elijah didn’t restrain her.

“It’s not that bad. They were working on this project very discreetly.
In all honesty, it hasn’t been 10 years since we found out. And by
that time, the experiments were already almost complete. So even
we don’t know when this madness truly began.”

“…”

“It gives me goosebumps. It’s a hunter’s duty to protect the civilians

and stand up against the Demons, and yet they were kidnapping
people and delivering them to the Demons. What’s even worse is
that most people didn’t even know about it. It’s the same for the
Congo Branch that you passed through. The people there have
complete faith in the association. Even though hundreds of people
go missing every day.”

Joanna gulped slightly.

“You could tell them the truth…”

“We tried, but it didn’t do much. For most people, the Gray Sun is the
most dangerous thing after the Demons.”

“…”

Joanna had no choice but to remain silent at those words.

Until that day, she had also thought the same thing.

“After learning this, we sent requests to the leaders of each region.

Just holding their line was the only help that Europe, who is in a
similarly urgent situation, could give.
Asia and Oceania helped by sending key talents to us. And North
America…”

“Didn’t help at all.”

It was Lee Jong-hak who interrupted Elijah’s words. He continued in

his distinctively calm tone.

“In the past decade or so, Mr. Elijah must have sent at least a
hundred requests for assistance.”

With the support of North America, the misunderstanding and

distrust that the general population had towards the Gray Sun could
have been washed away. It might have even been possible to inform
everyone that it was the African Branch of the Hunter Association
that went astray instead of the Gray Sun.

Only North America, revered as the greatest government in the

world, could’ve fulfilled this role.

Knowing that, Elijah explained the situation dozens or even

hundreds of times, asking Neil for help.

The African Branch was working with the Demons and

experimenting with hybridisation, and those who refused to give in
had created an organisation called the ‘Gray Sun’. He explained that
the Gray Sun was being slandered as a criminal organisation in
order to discredit them. And he asked for help.

“However, Neil Prand, President of the Hunter Association, never

responded to our requests.”

“It wasn’t just that he didn’t respond. I’m not sure if it was because
he was afraid American Hunters would leave on their own, but he
completely hid the situation in Africa. I can tell, just by looking at you,
how well Neil kept the secret.”

Camilla looked at Joanna with a mocking expression.

An Archmage was someone with considerable authority and

qualification in North America. Naturally, this meant that they were
also aware of confidential information that ordinary hunters weren’t
privy to.

And yet even an Archmage wasn’t aware of the situation.

Camilla’s words were biting, but she wasn’t wrong.

Joanna remained silent because she couldn’t refute her despite her
harsh attitude.

“This is the situation in Africa right now. And this city, Zinga, is one of
the largest breeding grounds in Africa. Where Lee Jong-hak was
supposed to carry out an important mission, but…”

Elijah’s expression dropped a little. His face appeared solemn.

“…he failed.”

“…”

This failure was a result of the appearance of Joanna and Lukas.

Knowing this, Joanna couldn’t help but lower her head.

Elijah paused for a moment before continuing.

“So, what I’m trying to say is… Joanna Goldberg, will you help us?”
“Huh?”

“Africa is absolutely devoid of Wizards. In the first place, magical

science wasn’t widespread, and we rarely had the chance to interact
and exchange with other regions.”

“I…”

Joanna shook her head in confusion.

Lukas couldn’t help but sigh inwardly when he saw this.

In truth, he couldn’t blame Joanna for this. Because her response

was already not so bad. It was Elijah’s ability to speak that was too
great. He pressed Joanna slowly as the conversation progressed,
controlling the flow completely. Then, he induced guilt in her heart.

It was possible that he’d planned to do this from the moment he

learned who she was.

Elijah’s offensive had been delivered perfectly. Now, Joanna’s sharp

aura couldn’t be felt at all.

This wasn’t a good situation.

Of course, helping them in itself wasn’t bad. It seemed that Gray

Sun’s influence stretched across the entirety of Africa, so building a
close relationship with them would help him find Kran.

But the thing Lukas was scared about was the first step. If their
relationship was developed from this situation, then they might get
dragged around by Elijah and made to do more missions here. Being
his hands and feet and moving around busily until they eventually
forgot their original objective.
So they had to pursue an equal relationship. It wasn’t just about
helping them but also receiving help. But it was hard to expect such
a result from Joanna.

Reluctantly, Lukas opened his mouth.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think that is something we can agree to do so

easily.”

For the first time, the eyes of those in the room turned to Lukas.

Some of them had even forgotten his existence.

Camilla made an unpleasant expression, like someone was

interfering with their work.

Elijah, on the other hand, seemed interested.

“You… said you were Frey, a European hunter, right?”

“Yes.”

“But it’s Joanna Goldberg whom we’re asking for help, not you.”

“We are on a joint mission. If she accepts your request, I will have to
follow her. I think that gives me enough right to refuse.”

Elijah’s gaze grew deeper when he heard Lukas’ words.

He stared at him for a while before narrowing his eyes slightly.

“You…”

After a while, Elijah sighed and muttered.

“It seems I made a mistake. I didn’t choose the right target.”

Lukas said that they needed time to discuss.

Elijah accepted this without thinking too much about it, but he gave
Lukas a deep look of interest before leaving the room.

Lukas deliberately pretended not to notice his gaze.

Thud-

After the door closed, silence befell the room for a moment. Lukas
sat on a nearby wooden box, lost in thought.

Currently, there were two paths they could take.

The first was to go to Kran as they had originally intended.

To do that, they would have to say goodbye to the Gray Sun. In other
words, they would have to refuse their request for help. This might
cause the Gray Sun to feel discontented, and there was a chance
that they would do something drastic.

Of course, he wasn’t really worried about that.

The Gray Sun already had its hands full carrying out resistance
activities. It couldn’t afford to pay attention to Lukas and Joanna, and
if it did, it would only be a weak observation.

It was almost certain that they wouldn’t want their relationship to

devolve beyond that point.
So the first path wasn’t so bad. In fact, it might even be the best
choice.

After all, meeting the Top Three was the reason he came to this land
in the first place.

‘However… ’

Lukas recalled the halfblood boy he’d just seen.

Hybrid.

A being who had the traits of both the demons and the humans.

God had talked about being able to ‘fool the laws of this universe’.

So what if the hint wasn’t about Kran but about the half-bloods?

In fact, wasn’t it Lukas’ assumption that the hint, ‘three’, that God
had mentioned to Sedi referred to the Top Three?

Helping the Gray Sun might give him more clues on ‘hybrid’, which
he was still uncertain about.

That wasn’t the only advantage.

Lee Jong-hak had said that the true identity of Dragul Phisfounder,
the ruler of Zinga, was Gullard, the Vampire Duke.

One of the Five Dukes, who was the most powerful and influential
among the Demon Dukes.

Lukas had never met one of the five dukes before. That wasn’t all.
Unlike the other Dukes, whose information was easily attainable,
little was known about the Five Dukes.
And yet, such a mysterious being had Iris’ last name. At first, he
thought it might have been a mere coincidence, but now, he wasn’t
sure if that was the case.

The most obvious way to resolve his doubts was to capture Gullard
alive and ask him about the last name ‘Phisfounder’.

But that was hard for Lukas at the moment.

‘I can’t overpower one of the Five Dukes with just 9 star magic.’

It might be possible to kill him, but that would be going against his
agreement with Sedi. And it wasn’t the time to do so. He at least had
to maintain his alliance with her

until they got rid of Nodiesop and figured out Letip’s goal.

Then what could he do?

The only other power that Lukas could use at that moment was
Joanna, but even if she was an Archmage, she would only end up
dead if she ever had to fight against a Duke.

Furthermore, capturing a target was many times more difficult than

killing one.

“…”

Lukas turned to look at Joanna.

She still had her head bowed in a depressed manner.

“Joanna.”

“Yeah.”
Joanna looked up at Lukas. Her gaze seemed to be asking him what
he wanted.

“Are you feeling guilty? Or perhaps you’re disappointed by North

America’s policy.”

“…I.”

She bit her lip for a moment before finally opening her mouth.

“I never thought it would be like this.”

“…”

“I grew up thinking that America was the best. And I thought that
while being revered as the leader of the world, we were fulfilling the
duties and responsibilities that came with such a position. But we
weren’t.”

Joanna wasn’t really to blame for this. After all, the trust and
approval that Neil gained from the Americans were overwhelming.

Gaining such trust wasn’t particularly difficult for him. As Lukas

always said, he was

a transformer who only appears once every thousand years. For

him, securing public sentiment and manipulating public opinion was
as easy as flipping your hand over.

In a way, Neil had deceived the entirety of North America.

And Joanna was one of the many people who had been fooled by
this deception.

“Do you think America is wrong?”

“…that…”

Joanna opened her mouth, but the words wouldn’t come out. After a
while, she could only lower her head again.

Only then did Lukas notice Joanna’s biggest flaw. The reason why
she couldn’t become a true 7 star Archmage.

Joanna had become too reliant and entangled. And in this state, she
didn’t know how to move on her own.

North America had always supported her. It would be accurate to say

that she depended on them. She was afraid to stand on her own.
She was worried that the shield which protected her, would
disappear.

This wasn’t something to despise her over. After all, no one hated
the warmth of a shelter. The feeling of gently closing your eyes
without having to worry about anything.

However, to grow up, to be a better being, you had to have the

courage to step out of that warm room on your own.

Lukas had been lost once, too. There was a time when he hadn’t
been confident that he would be able to handle the storms of the
world alone. He lacked confidence in himself. He stayed up all day
and all night, drowning in his thoughts, but he still couldn’t find an
answer.

After all, the answer laid outside the warm shelter. In the harsh,
freezing winds which tore at his flesh and nibbled at his bones.

Only those who had managed to step into those cold winds deserved
to be called
Great Wizards.

“Are you America?”

“Huh?”

“If not, then there’s no need for you to feel guilty for the wrongs they
have committed. Because you’re not the one who committed them.”

Lukas looked at Joanna and saw a lost being who was in desperate
need of advice.

“Being a part of an organisation isn’t a bad thing. Especially if it’s

with people you like or care about. However, that doesn’t mean you
have to leave your thoughts and choices to the group.”

“…!”

“Maybe it’s the Association President or other executives who give

you orders. But it’s up to you to decide whether you want to accept
those orders or not. Because in the end, you will have to take
responsibility for your actions. So think carefully before making a
decision. So that in ten years, you wouldn’t look back and regret
something you did now.”

Maybe he was more determined to help Joanna after teaching Leo

and Min Ha-rin.

The people Lukas felt the most sorriest for, were those who were
born with outstanding talent and good personalities but fell onto the
wrong path.

Many of them walked along this path to the point where they could
no longer turn back.

But Joanna hadn’t. It was not too late for her.

“This place is outside of President Neil’s reach. So you have plenty

of time to think for yourself, no one will interrupt you. Take this time
to make your conclusions. And when you’ve found the answer, tell
me.”

“…”

After those words, silence fell once again.

Outside, people seemed to be moving around hurriedly, as their

bustling footsteps could be heard.

Then, the sound of breathing could be heard.

It was Joanna.

She took a few deep breaths before slowly raising her head again.

“Why should I tell you that?”

Her voice was still soft, but it seemed that she had regained some of
her energy.

Lukas smiled.

“Of course, it’s up to you whether you tell me or not.”

“…you’re a good talker. You’d be amazing if you were in sales or

something like that.”

After saying that, Joanna suddenly let out a soft cough before
glancing at Lukas and blushing slightly.

“A-, and. Thank you for comforting…”

It was at that moment that the door was suddenly opened and
someone walked in.
Joanna frowned as she turned to look at the door.

A man was standing there.

It was the man who had been sitting on Elijah’s left earlier. He had a
tattoo of three suns on his forearm.

Now that she thought about it, she realised she hadn’t heard his
name yet.

The man spoke in a blunt tone.

“Have you made a decision yet?”

“Haven’t you heard about knocking?”

The man folded his arms instead of answering. It seemed that he

didn’t like Joanna either.

If it had been before, she might have flinched at this action, but now,
she didn’t react in any way.

Joanna turned to glance at Lukas, who nodded to say that she could
decide on her own.

She felt greatly encouraged by his attitude.

This man was a strange person.

He was weak, his looks were only so-so, and he didn’t seem to have
any special abilities, but strangely, she couldn’t treat him lightly.

Joanna had a wide range of knowledge since, instead of hunting,

she frequently met with the famous hunters and leaders of various
regions.
Thanks to that, she was able to build a facade that allowed her to not
shrink back when faced with the various big names.

Nevertheless, she had been completely overwhelmed by Elijah

Kipatosh. The pressure that this man, the Big Boss of the Gray
Suns, gave her was beyond imagination.

At first, Joanna was able to pretend to be determined, but it didn’t

take long for him to peel her mask off, causing her to flounder.

But Lukas didn’t.

He had clearly expressed his opinion in his distinctively calm

demeanor. It was as though he couldn’t feel the heavy pressure
rolling off Elijah’s body.

It was only then that Joanna saw the true face of this man named
Frey.

‘This man is weak, but he’s not weak-willed.’

At the very least, Lukas had always displayed confidence in himself.

When he’d run away during the beast tide, she’d wanted to pull his
head off, but when he returned she couldn’t even be mad at him.
Because he acted like he’d done nothing wrong.

It was to the point that Joanna couldn’t help but wonder if maybe
something was wrong with him. Nevertheless, she couldn’t help but
envy him a little.

‘I want to live like that too.’

Though faint, it couldn’t be denied that she’d had that thought.

She had a thought that she’d never had even with Association
President Neil, whom she admired the most, for a man that she
hadn’t even known for a week.

“Joanna Goldberg.”

The man at the door called her name as if urging her to answer.

Joanna turned to learn him.

Lukas had already displayed the attitude of leaving the decision to

her. So Joanna had to make a choice that wouldn’t disappoint his
expectations.

But at the same time, she had to make a choice she wouldn’t regret.

Her lips slowly parted.

(TL: Changed mixed race to halfblood. I just felt it sounded nicer.)

“Hmmm.”

Elijah smoked a cigar as he looked at the man standing in front of

him. It was the man who had gone to receive an answer from
Joanna. His name was Joffrey.

“Right. So she said she would collaborate with us.”

“Yes. However, she asked for more information that would give her a
better picture of the situation and the right to withdraw at any time.
Also…”

“There’s more? She sure is demanding.”

It was Camilla who said these words with a displeased expression.

After pausing for a moment, Joffrey continued.

“She wants information about the member of the Top Three, Kran.”

“…”

Elijah’s eyebrows furrowed.

The Gray Sun was active all over Africa, so it was natural that they’d
have detailed information about Kran, including his ridiculous
achievements in Egypt.

Naturally, this included the feat of killing a Demon Duke on his own,
which he’d accomplished not so long ago.

“Ha. Those dirty bastards. Now, we can see their goal. They came
here to poach Kran.”

Camilla spoke with a mocking sneer.

It had already been three years since Kran first became active in
Africa. In that time, the number of Demon Beasts, Demons, and
high-ranking Demon Nobles who had

died by his hands had reached an astonishing number.

In total, the number of Demons Kran had killed on his own was
comparable to the number killed by the entire Gray Sun organisation.
And even the quality and rank of the Demons he’d killed was greater.

Thanks to this, the Demons had mostly focused their attention on

Kran, which in turn meant that their attention on the Gray Sun was
relatively small. Over these past three years, their territory and
forces had been greatly expanded.

Of course, this didn’t mean that Kran and the Gray Sun had a good
relationship.

Kran was a talent who was coveted by every organisation in the

world. If a price could be added to his value, it would easily surpass
billions of dollars.

And now that he had slain a Demon Duke on his own, he had proved
he was the strongest hunter in the world. A being who could not be
replaced.

Nevertheless, Kran wasn’t a team player. There was already a large

number of people who had to flee desperately after being struck by
his sword while trying to recruit him.

The Gray Sun was among the groups who had already been
rejected by him.

Because of this, they had no choice but to focus on his every move.
The moment he left Africa, the pressure from the Demons would
return to them in full.

‘Now is the best time.’

Elijah bit his cigar.

The position of the Vampire Duke, Gullard, had been secured, and
they’d been able to gain the reinforcement of the powerful Lee Jong-
hak to deal with their enemy. Just a moment ago, they had even
confirmed the assistance of a 7 star Wizard.

Gullard was the true ruler of the African Continent. If they killed him,
the Demons’

power in this land would drop by at least half.

Of course, the difficulty to slay a member of the Five Dukes went
without saying.

‘But it can’t be helped.’

The Gray Sun also had to bet its life on this subjugation battle. Even
if there was a high chance that they would end up irreparably
damaged after the confrontation, he didn’t intend to back down.

Suddenly.

The door was flung open, and a man ran in with an anxious
expression.

He was one of the Gray Sun’s intelligence officers. When he saw

Elijah, he hurriedly lowered his head.

“P-, pardon my intrusion, Big Boss.”

“What is it?”

“It’s an emergency report.”

Elijah’s eyebrows raised.

“Emergency report?”

“Yes. A-, about the Top Three, Kran…”

Elijah’s jaw quivered slightly when the man said this name in a soft
voice.

The man gulped slightly before continuing.

“Kran has started to move.”

“…started to move? Already? Shouldn’t he still be recuperating from
his injuries after the last battle?”

Elijah couldn’t help but be surprised.

Kran had managed to successfully hunt down a Demon Duke, but

he’d also suffered grievous injuries as a result. Many experts
concluded that his rehabilitation would take at most one month and
at least three weeks.

But he’d started moving before even a single week had passed.

This sort of recovery speed was truly inhuman.

“W-, we’re certain. We already know where he’s headed.”

“Where?”

“To Zinga.”

“…what did you say?”

When Elijah asked this question, the man responded with a slightly
feverish expression.

“The Top Three, Kran, is heading to this city, Zinga! Big Boss…! His
next target is the Vampire Duke, Gullard!”

***

Elijah decided to inform the two strangers of Kran’s imminent arrival.

This wasn’t an act done out of goodwill but was instead a calculated
one.
He wasn’t completely sure why Joanna and Lukas were there.
However, he did know that they wanted information on Kran and
seemed to want to meet him.

So by telling these people this information, he was able to gain some

advantages without needing to do anything extra.

The first was that although it seemed trivial, the fact that he’d given
the information to them without asking for anything in return gave
him the initiative.

And the second was that this information would keep them there.

Depending on how he said it, he would be able to persuade them to

stay there for much longer than they intended. It was a bit of a lowly
move, but it was worth it if it meant obtaining the assistance of an
Archmage.

It was Kaisa who went to deliver the news.

He looked at Joanna before speaking slowly.

“Kran is moving at a speed that defies common sense, but it will still
take some time for him to reach Zinga. You can stay here till then.”

“Thanks.”

Joanna expressed her gratitude with a small nod.

After delivering the message, Kaisa bowed his head and left the
room.

Then, Joanna’s expression brightened up.

“This is great news! We don’t have to go to Egypt anymore.”

“I see.”

“Ahh. I’m so glad~”

Joanna sank into the couch as she hummed contentedly.

…It definitely was good news.

The Top Three, Kran, their reason for coming to this land in the first
place, was on his way to this very city. What mattered now was the
chain reactions that would follow.

It could be seen just by looking at Kaisa, who had just left. His
attitude was much more polite than it was the first time they’d met.
So it was either that he’d gotten a change of heart or that Elijah had
told him to do so.

And it was most likely the latter.

‘Elijah Kipatosh.’

In simple terms, he was a cunning human.

Lukas hadn’t shown much, but Elijah had been able to grasp his
nature just from the little he’d shown. This meant that his insight far
exceeded that of a normal person.

‘Cooperation with the Gray Sun.’

He still needed to observe the situation a bit more, but at least it

wasn’t something that had to be blindly rejected.

After having this thought, Lukas rose from his seat. He could feel
Joanna’s gaze following him, but he ignored her and headed to the
door.
As expected, a man was standing outside.

The man spoke in a business-like manner.

“Where is Lee Jong-hak? I would like to ask him something.”

“He should be resting at this time. Should I call him?”

“Please do.”

When Lukas returned to his seat, Joanna tilted her head to the side.

“What do you want to ask him?”

“A lot of things.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to ask that guy named Kaisa instead? He’s a

member of the Gray Sun, so he would have a much better grasp of
the situation. Lee Jong-hak is an outsider like us.”

It was a valid opinion, but her thoughts were still too shallow.

Without revealing his inner thoughts, Lukas answered.

“Lee Jong-hak probably has the most objective view of anyone in

this base. And that’s what we need most at this moment.”

Joanna’s expression became strange when she heard this, but she
didn’t question him any further.

After a while, Lee Jong-hak came into the room. He had his usual,
calm expression on his face as he turned to Joanna.

“What would you like to ask?”

“It’s me, not her.”

At those words, Lee Jong-hak turned his head slightly and looked at
Lukas.

“What do you want to know?”

“I’d like to know what mission you were carrying out in the city.”

Lee Jong-hak answered without thinking much about it.

“I was trying to determine the exact location of the Vampire Duke.”

“…isn’t that too risky? No matter how strong you are, you can’t fight
a Duke alone.”

Lee Jong-hak had definitely become stronger, but he hadn’t reached

the stage of being able to fight a Duke on his own. In fact, there were
no humans capable of fighting a Demon Duke except for the man
named Kran.

And yet he was willing to enter the Vampire Duke’s lair to find his
exact location?

This sounded like an recklessly dangerous mission. It was no

different from walking into a predator’s territory naked.

“Besides, you should have already known the Vampire Duke’s

location.”

A large mansion sat at the end of the main road. And in this
mansion, which overflowed with demonic energy, was the Vampire
Duke who had created the persona, Dragul Phisfounder.

“You’re right. I have no intention of fighting the Vampire Duke on my

own. But even if I had gone into that mansion, I wouldn’t have died
or been in any danger.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because the being in the mansion isn’t real; it’s a double.”

Lukas’ expression became strange.

“A double?”

“It’s one of the secrets that the Gray Sun managed to uncover over
time. Dragul sometimes appears in the city, but he’s not real. The
real Vampire Duke has never revealed himself.”

“Then isn’t it possible that the Vampire Duke isn’t in this city at all??

Lukas was asking so much because he knew that the Vampire Duke
was hiding in this city. He just wanted to know Lee Jong-hak’s
thoughts.

“It’s unlikely but still possible that the Dragul double knows where the
Vampire Duke is. Besides, it would be much easier to take control of
this city if the Vampire Duke isn’t here, so that’s not bad either.”

It was only then when Lukas realised Lee Jong-hak’s true mission.

“You intended to capture the double in the mansion to get

information.”

“That was my goal.”

Lukas thought for a moment before opening his mouth again.

“Why did the residents dislike you so much?”

“I’ve killed countless Demons after arriving in this place. Zinga’s

hunters seemed to have formed some kind of relationship with the
Demons, so they didn’t like me from the start.”
Those words were a bit strange.

No matter how close they might have been, in the end, the hunters
had to hide the fact that they were collaborating with the Demons. So
even if they disliked him for that reason, they wouldn’t show it so
openly…

“I’ve killed a few. I never counted, but if you included the low-level
Demon Beasts, then it should be in the thousands.”

Joanna, who was beside him, couldn’t help but look at him like he
was a monster.

It was needless to say how impossible it was to imagine killing

thousands of enemies single-handedly. And he wasn’t even a Wizard
who could use large scale attacks. He

was a Warrior.

“However, the main reason why they hate me is because I’ve also
killed a few of the halfbloods.”

“…halfbloods?”

“Among the residents in the city, there are many who are the parents
of hybrids.”

A cold smile blossomed on Lee Jong-hak’s lips.

“They seem to regard the halfbloods they create with the Demons as
their children.

Disgusting.”

Joanna couldn’t help but feel a chill at those words.

However, the cold expression on Lee Jong-hak’s face disappeared
as quickly as it appeared.

After Lee Jong-hak left, Joanna turned to Lukas, who was organising
his thoughts.

“What are you going to do now?”

“…what would you like to do?”

Joanna made a sour expression before replying.

“You always do that.”

“Huh?”

“You like to answer questions with questions. It’s not very polite to do
that.”

“…”

Was that true?

He’d never realised it, but he didn’t think she was wrong.

While Lukas pondered about this, Joanna’s voice sounded again.

“First of all, I think we need to gather more information. Hmm. We’ll

be staying in the Gray Sun’s base for a while, so if these people ask
for help, we’ll have to assist them.”

After saying that, Joanna paused for a moment before suddenly

jumping up.
“But what about our truck?”

“Ah.”

It was only then when Lukas remembered the military truck that
they’d used to get there.

It was probably in the hands of the residents of Zinga now. They

wouldn’t have

destroyed it, but it probably wouldn’t be easy for them to get it back.

“Ugh. I can’t believe we forgot about it.”

Joanna held her head in despair.

She couldn’t believe that she’d completely forgotten their most

important means of transportation, regardless of how the situation
had changed. She was upset at her own absentmindedness.

Of course, she didn’t like the thought of continuing to use it because

it had been borrowed from Destin, but it couldn’t be helped.

…It was truly a stroke of luck that their target, Kran, who was
originally in Egypt, was coming to them on his own. That eliminated
the need to traverse the African continent.

In other words, even if they didn’t have a vehicle, it wouldn’t be a

major hindrance to their mission.

“…let’s get some sleep. I’m so tired I feel like I’m gonna die.”

Joanna, who had been agonising for a while, let out a sigh. She
couldn’t be certain because they were underground, but it was
probably close to dawn already.
It was no wonder she felt so tired. A lot had happened today, and
she hadn’t been able to disperse the fatigue that had accumulated
from the day before.

Lukas nodded, and they rested for the rest of the day.

—And so, three days passed.

Nothing special happened during this time. Joanna focused on

recovering to her peak condition, and she seemed to look better
compared to three days ago.

The sewer base was a boring place, but it was perfect for relaxation.

From time to time, Kaisa or Lee Jong-hak would come to deliver

some information before leaving again. Kaisa mainly updated them
on Kran’s location while Lee Jong-hak focused on the situation in
Zinga.

Lukas spent most of this time meditating.

At first, it was simply to stabilise his mind and body, but now, he was
doing it for a specific purpose. Of course, he couldn’t tell anyone
about it at this stage, but in a way, it was something that had higher
priority than any other situation.

It was only on the fourth morning when something changed.

On this day, Lee Jong-hak and Joffrey visited them at the same time.

“He will be on the road today.”

“He?”

“The Vampire Duke’s double.”

Lukas’ eyes brightened slightly.

“Are you sure?”

“It’s highly likely. A chaotic aura has enveloped the entire city, so we
think he will be going on an inspection.”

“That’s a great opportunity.”

If an inspection was his goal, it was inevitable that he would go to

some secluded places. If they were able to find a good location to
launch a surprise attack, they might be able to capture the double
more easily than they expected.

“Demons and Hybrids are currently roaming the city, looking for the
Gray Sun. So there is a high chance that we’d be discovered if we
move in large numbers. So we will move in a small group.”

Lee Jong-hak turned to look at Joanna.

“Archmage Joanna, we really need your help.”

“Of course I’ll help.”

“Thank you. So the group will consist of me, Archmage Joanna, Gray
Sun executive

Joffrey, and the last person…”

Lee Jong-hak spoke slowly.

“She’s not here, but it’s Ms. Camilla. She’s also an executive.”

Joanna’s heart jumped slightly at his words.

“Huh?”

“Is there something you don’t like about my selection?”

“Of course there is. Why didn’t you mention Frey?”

Lee Jong-hak turned to look at Lukas.

“Pardon my rudeness, but how strong are you?”

“Enough to play my part.”

Joanna almost burst into laughter at the words that were so similar to
what she’d heard in the past.

But in direct contrast to her, Lee Jong-hak spoke in an increasingly

serious tone.

“…this is a very important mission. Can you kill Demons if

necessary?”

Lukas answered this question without hesitation.

“No.”

“…”

A subtle hint of disappointment flashed in Lee Jong-hak’s eyes, and

Joanna turned to look at Lukas with a blank expression.

The same was true for Joffrey who was standing beside them.

He recalled the conversation he’d had with Elijah before he came.

‘Don’t provoke that man named Frey.’

‘Huh?’

‘He is dangerous.’

Joffrey had been unable to hide his astonishment at those words.

Elijah Kipatosh was the Big Boss of the Gray Sun.

Until now, there had only been one other person whom Elijah had
directly called

‘dangerous’.

And that was the Strongest Hunter, Kran, one of the Top Three.

Did this mean that Elijah thought that this guy was on the same level
as Kran?

‘I’m thinking too much.’

Joffrey shook his head.

It was advice from Elijah, whom he admired more than anyone else,
but he could only assume that he was trying to think too deeply.

He was confident in his own eyes, and according to what he could

see, this man was not dangerous at all.

Although he claimed to be a Wizard, compared to Joanna, who

constantly exuded mana, his body was like a desert.

While Joffrey was lost in his thoughts, Joanna awoke from her daze.

“We have to take Frey!”

“Why?”

“Th-… that… uh… Frey is very quick-witted and calm, and he knows
a lot of strange, useful spells like the Alarm spell. A-, and…”
While Joanna floundered for words with an embarrassed expression,
Lukas nodded

and said.

“I understand. I will defend this place.”

Joffrey burst into laughter at those words. What did he mean by

defend?

“H-, hey? Why would you agree to that?”

Joanna said that, but Lukas didn’t think this was a bad situation.

He just needed the time to move alone—

“…”

Lukas’ expression suddenly hardened.

With a startled expression, he looked up at the ceiling. Of course, all

that could be seen on the ceiling of the sewer base were a few water
spots. The outside wasn’t visible at all.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Lukas shook his head at Joanna’s expression, but his expression

didn’t relax.

A ‘special aura’ that could never be mistaken had suddenly entered

the range of his senses.

Lukas thought of someone with a complex expression on his face.

‘Sedi.’

She should have been in Northern Ireland, so why was she here?

Joffrey couldn’t help but stare at the man in front of him.

“What did you just say?”

“I said I want to move on my own.”

Was this man crazy? No, maybe he meant something else.

Joffrey couldn’t help but massage his temples as he asked.

“Do you mean you want to move around Zinga on your own?”

“Yes.”

“You can’t.”

He didn’t even have to think too deeply about it.

Joffrey’s expression became cold as he said this. Then, he

continued before Lukas could argue.

“You know the location of this hideout. What if the enemy captures
you and the information is leaked? Can you bear the burden and
responsibility for that?”

“This is just a temporary hideout that can be discarded at any

moment. Is it necessary to take it so far?”

“…”
Joffrey’s pupils shook slightly.

“…what are you talking about?”

“You don’t have to pretend.”

There wasn’t even the slightest quiver in the voice that rang in his
ear. This wasn’t just the sound of confidence. It was one of absolute
certainty.

Joffrey sighed.

“…how did you know?”

“It was Lee Jong-hak, not a member of the Gray Sun, who brought
us here. In the end, an outsider is still an outsider. There is no way
that Lee Jong-hak would be introduced to the group’s main hideout,
one that probably contains many secrets.”

Kaisa had not shown any disapproval at Lee Jong-hak’s act of

bringing strangers into their hideout unannounced. This proved that
this hideout wasn’t very important.

There was also another reason.

Since the very first day, they had not seen Elijah again. And Lukas
had sensed him leave the hideout before the first day had even
ended.

Zinga was a relatively large city. So it was almost guaranteed that

the Gray Sun had numerous hideouts hidden throughout the city.
And Elijah was likely wandering from hideout to hideout while
relaying his commands.
“…you’re right. This hideout is temporary at best, so it wouldn’t be
much of a loss if it was discovered or destroyed. However, it still isn’t
a good idea for a Wizard to go out alone. I can’t allow you to. Even if
you were an Archmage, it would be dangerous to move around this
city on your own.”

Lukas looked at Joffrey for a moment before opening his mouth.

“Did Elijah Kipatosh say anything about me?”

“…!”

Joffrey couldn’t hide his shock.

Things about him.

…He did.

Elijah had said that whatever Lukas said, he should respect his
opinion and listen to him as much as possible.

“…hoo.”

Joffrey sighed heavily.

His boss had given him orders that he hadn’t been able to
understand at the time. Of course, regardless of whether he could
understand or not, there had never been a time when Joffrey had
disobeyed his orders.

And this time was no exception.

***

Lukas had earned the right to move on his own.

But he couldn’t leave immediately. This was because there was the
condition that he should match the time when Lee Jong-hak and the
others left to carry out their operation.

They had already finished searching for the best spot to carry out
their attack, and they were likely to move at sunset.

Fighting when the sun was up was incredibly advantageous when

fighting against Demons, but the Vampire Duke’s double only moved
after the sun had set.

This was obviously to avoid the sun. In fact, it was possible that the
double was also a fairly high-ranked Demon.

At first, Lukas hadn’t intended to go out on his own. He’d thought it

would be better to travel through the city using Ghost as he had in
the previous city.

But Sedi had come to this city all of a sudden. And there was a high
chance that it was because she wanted to meet him.

‘Why did she come here?’

He hadn’t killed any Demons. Lukas had thoroughly kept his word to
Sedi.

Or… had she noticed that he’d destroyed the minds of the two
Demons in the previous city?

The chances were low, but he decided to be prepared if it was true.

“Ugh…”

Then Lukas heard a soft groan.

He turned to the side and saw Joanna. She was looking at a
notebook while pulling at her hair. Her fair forehead was also
wrinkled.

It was the same notebook that she took out whenever she had the
time.

Of course, Lukas still wasn’t sure exactly what was written in it.

Then their eyes met.

Joanna instantly got rid of her agitated expression and instead

replaced it with her usual, nonchalant look. It was as though she was
managing her image.

“What is it?”

“I’d like to see it.”

“…”

He didn’t know why, but the answer didn’t come for a while.

Joanna was silent for a long time before she finally answered in a
slightly snappy manner.

“It’s just some spells and magical formulas.”

“Formulas?”

“Wanna see it?”

After saying that, she threw the book without warning.

Lukas easily plucked it out of the air and skimmed through it. The
entire book was tattered and stained from how many times it had
been read.

Compared to the shabby exterior, however, the contents were still

legible.

It was obvious that Joanna had read this book countless times. But it
didn’t appear to be something she cherished.

This could be seen from her act of throwing it just a moment ago or
the fact that the cover of the book was in such poor condition.

Lukas looked at the first page.

Then the interest on his face became more and more prominent the
more pages he turned.

“It gets progressively harder.”

“Yes.”

Lukas looked through the notebook, unable to hide his admiration.

The spells and magic formulas in it were quite sophisticated.

Many of them were things that were difficult to calculate when

considering the current level of magical science in this universe.

“Where did you get this book?”

“…I got it from somebody I know.”

These words were said in a very hesitant voice. So Lukas didn’t

press her any further as he could tell that she didn’t want to talk
about it.

Lukas looked through the entire book to the end before nodding
once with a pleased expression on his face.
Then he turned to a page that he’d noticed before handing the book
back to Joanna.

“This spell, if you use it, I’m sure it would be of great help during your
mission.”

Joanna smiled bitterly.

“Well, I guess so.”

“Can’t you use it?”

“Of course I can.”

At Joanna’s level, she would be able to use any of the spells in the
book. This particular spell didn’t require much mana either.

Lukas looked down at the book for a moment before realising the
problem.

“You can’t read the magic formula.”

“Yeah.”

Joanna nodded without being embarrassed. She spoke as if it was

natural and instead looked at Lukas strangely.

Lukas kept looking at the book, seemingly lost in thought.

“Do you have a pen?”

“I do. Why?”

“I was thinking of giving you some advice.”

“Ahahaha.”

Joanna let out a rare laugh, but she still handed her pen to him
without hesitation.

“There are empty pages in the book, so feel free to use those.”

Lukas nodded before he began to move the pen with ease.

His eyes and hands were focused on the book while his thoughts
bounced around.

Lukas then asked.

“What type of magic do you mainly use?”

“Fire magic.”

“Then what? Tell me your proficiencies in order.”

“Healing, Wind, and Water.”

This was clear proof of some form of development.

He was sure that Joanna would not have answered this question
when they first met.

In fact, he couldn’t help but feel that she was a little obedient now.

Lukas occasionally asked Joanna more questions, but throughout

this time, the pen never stopped moving.

He asked things like the number of spells she could cast at once and
how many she could have active at the same time.
They were key questions that could allow someone to accurately
pinpoint just what level a Wizard was at, so Joanna was a little
surprised.

‘He’s pretty meticulous.’

While she had this thought, Lukas handed the book back to her.

“I’ve written down some interpretations and comments. Read it first

and tell me if there’s anything you don’t understand. There’s still
some time before the mission.”

“…hey. This book is about…”

“…?”

When she saw Lukas’ puzzled expression, she didn’t have the heart
to mock him. So she simply shook her head with a sigh.

“Hoo. No, it’s nothing.”

After saying that, she looked down at the notebook.

Then she read through it slowly.

At first, there was nothing but indifference and annoyance on her

face, but after a while, curiosity and interest blossomed in her eyes.

“…huh?”

Then came the surprise.

Joanna’s eyes shook slightly and appeared shocked.

But soon, she fell completely silent.

“…ah.”

Joanna muttered dumbly.

She looked up at Lukas for a moment before burying her nose in the
notebook once again. Her expression was strange.

Joanna started reading the notebook with a much more serious

attitude than before.

Her expression also changed constantly.

At first, she had an expression of doubt and suspicion, which then

switched to one of denial before finally settling on disbelief.

“This, this, this…”

“…this?”

“This isn’t possible!!”

Joanna let out a scream. She leaped up from out of her seat and
pointed a trembling finger at Lukas.

“Wh-, wha-, what the hell are you?! Who the hell are you?!”

“Why are you asking that so suddenly?”

He’d never seen Joanna so shocked.

She usually tried to maintain a dignified image with everything she

did. But now, it seemed like she’d forgotten all about that.

“What the hell do you mean so suddenly?! You, do you know what
the magical formulas written in this book are?!”
“No. What are they?”

Joanna swayed slightly and stumbled, looking as if her soul had

been sucked out. It took her a few moments before she could regain
her balance.

Then she walked over to Lukas and tapped him on the chest with the
notebook.

“The biggest conundrums in Magical Science…!”

“Huh?”

Joanna shouted with a voice filled with frustration.

“All of the spells and formulas in this book are the biggest
conundrums of modern magical science that no Wizard has been
able to decipher!!”

“…ah.”

No wonder she was so shocked…

The sun finally set.

Lukas couldn’t help but recall how fiercely Joanna had protested in
the room.

‘We have to take Frey with us! If you don’t take him, you’ll regret it!
Seriously!’

Despite her strong claims, Joanna was still practically dragged away
by Lee Jong-hak without getting her way.
They seemed to have left through another exit, but Lukas used the
same angel statue that they’d used the last time.

Click—

After the statue opened, Lukas poked his head out of the hole. As
expected, there wasn’t a single person nearby.

“Hoo.”

He took a deep breath.

The air wasn’t fresh because the area had been corrupted, but it was
still better than the air in the sewer.

Lukas climbed out of the entrance. He could feel Sedi’s aura not so
far away. And it seemed that she still had no intention of hiding her
presence.

He headed towards her.

After a brief walk, he entered a dark back alley. In it, he saw Sedi
standing between a dumpster and a pile of corpses.

Her pitch black hair cascaded down her back like an ebony curtain,
and she was uniquely beautiful in a distinctly inhuman way.

Lukas couldn’t help but think about his old companion as he looked
at Sedi, but he soon shook his head slightly.

His gaze turned from Sedi to the corpses lying on the ground.

Before he could even identify to whom they belonged, he heard a

cold voice.
“They’re Demons. I killed them.”

“Why?”

“As I said before, fools who don’t know their place deserve to die.”

“…you came here to meet me, didn’t you?”

“That’s right.”

Sedi looked at Lukas’ face for a moment.

It was only after a few minutes passed when Lukas realised she was
hesitating.

“Letip said… that in this universe…”

Suddenly.

Hundreds of bats flew down from the sky. These bats all had
ominous, blood-colored fur, wings that were several times larger than
their bodies, and, above all, frighteningly long fangs.

These bats circled around while letting out terrifying cries for a
moment before they clumped together between Lukas and Sedi.

Their bodies melted and merged together before eventually taking

on a form similar to a human.

After the transformation, the figure that now stood between them
was a middle-aged man with extremely pale skin. He wore a posh
suit, a fedora, and a monocle. But the red horns that pierced through
his fedora gave away this man’s identity.

Lukas could easily tell who this man was.

The Vampire Duke.

“I felt a strange presence… but it suddenly disappeared. Hmmm.”

After muttering to himself, Gullard looked down at the Demon

corpses around him.

“Who did this?”

Neither Lukas nor Sedi answered him.

“So you won’t answer me. How fun. You’ll do everything I tell you
after I suck all the blood out of your bod-”

“Hey.”

Gullard turned to look at Sedi with a confused expression.

“Are you calling me like that, Girl?”

“Can’t you see the grown-ups are talking right now?”

Annoyance was clear in Sedi’s voice.

“I’m not in a very good mood right now, so get out of here if you don’t
want to die.”

Gullard’s expression hardened instantly, and his gaze became cold.

At the same time, it felt like the surrounding air had become colder.

A simple change in his mood had created such a profound change in

his surroundings. This went to show just how powerful the Vampire
Duke was.

Even Lee Jong-hak, who was currently carrying out an operation in

another part of the city, would have had difficulty displaying his true
ability under this pressure.
It could be said that the Vampire Duke had reached a realm of ‘half-
transcendence’ in which his soul was able to interact with the
physical world. From the perspective of a Mortal, he was a being that
was comparable to an absolute being.

To put it in a way that only Lukas would understand, Gullard was a

being that was on par with a Demigod.

Unfortunately for him, his opponent was several levels higher than a
Demigod.

A being who stood among the ranks of Absolutes.

Sedi.

“…”

Lukas quietly contemplated while he looked at the two from a short

distance away.

The situation continued to devolve rapidly, and there were many

things he hadn’t figured out yet, but the sight before him seemed to
be a good thing for him.

The Vampire Duke used the pseudonym Dragul Phisfounder. There

were many things that Lukas wanted to ask him, but it would be
extremely difficult to capture him alive with the power he currently
had at his disposal.

The moment he met him in person, this speculation became a

certainty.

But what if Sedi incapacitated Dragul?

No, he didn’t even need that. His goal would be easily achievable as
long as she just reduced Dragul’s power to a certain extent.

A hot wind blew across the dirty alley.

There was a brief standoff.

But it was Gullard who made the first move.

Flutter-

His body broke apart like fog before once again becoming bats that
scattered in every direction.

Lukas narrowed his eyes.

Every single one of these bats was as strong as a low-ranked

Demon Noble. As soon as their sharp fangs pierced its flesh, even a
creature the size of an elephant would be sucked dry in an instant.

Hundreds, no, thousands of bats rushed forward like a wave that had
gone past terrifying and now felt more like a disaster.

But Sedi calmly looked at this impending disaster as she summoned

her soul weapon.

Paht.

A scythe that was longer than she was tall gently landed in her small
white hand. At the same time, black smoke exploded from beneath
her feet.

Boom!
The smoke shot out in all directions, swirling to create a large vortex.
Sedi hadn’t even swung her scythe yet, but a fierce gale had
appeared out of nowhere.

Seeing this, the wave of bats, which had been rushing forward with
fierce momentum, trembled subconsciously.

Crack crack!

Splatter!

In an instant, thousands of bats were torn apart like paper planes.

Like insects that had been sprayed with insecticide, the bats collapse
to the ground one after the other.

And in the downpour of flesh and blood, Sedi muttered in a grim

tone.

“Did you think such a paltry trick would work on me?”

Flutter-

As if to answer her question, the bats, who had collapsed in pools of

blood on the ground, merged once again.

Gullard stared at Sedi with wide eyes.

“This…”

What the hell just happened?”

Gullard was unable to process the series of events that had just
transpired. Or perhaps his brain refused to process it.

One attack, one response, one stalemate.

That alone clearly showed the difference in power between the two
sides. This was a conclusion that came from their previous
engagement. Their only engagement.

And it seemed that Gullard was the weaker of the two.

“Who the hell… are you…?”

“See for yourself.”

Sedi hugged her scythe in an alluring manner as a sadistic smile

slowly spread across her face.

“Feel what kind of being I am with your body. Mortal.”

“…!!”

“Please don’t die.”

The fight, if it could be called that, didn’t last long.

Lukas looked at the terrible sight before him.

Gullard was lying on the ground, covered in blood, and Sedi was
stepping on his face with her muddy feet.

Lick~

Sedi licked the blood that covered her fingers.

Her entire body was covered in blood, her own blood. But the injuries
on her body were nothing but a scratch when compared to Gullard.
Nevertheless, she felt dirty.

After all, this was only a mortal.

Crunch.

“Kuk…!”

Gullard groaned as she applied more pressure to his face.

He’d been completely overpowered. Nevertheless, there weren’t any

signs of surrender on his face.

This caused a slight stir in Lukas’ heart.

A relationship built upon power. That was the best way to describe
the relationships between Demons. There were no other beings who
were more loyal to a forced relationship than the Demons.

One of the reasons that these beings were the most disgusting in
this universe was because they submitted to the strong and
oppressed the weak.

But now, even after being defeated by Sedi, who was clearly
stronger than him, Dragul’s fighting spirit had not been suppressed.
He hadn’t given up at all, and it was clear that he was looking for an
opportunity to counterattack.

Just like… just like a human.

“Hey, Lukas.”

“…!!”
The moment Sedi called Lukas’ name, Dragul raised his head. Then,
he looked at Lukas in shock.

“Lu… kas?”

Ignoring his reaction, Sedi continued.

“This guy is probably one of the strongest beings in this universe,

right?”

“Right.”

Her question bothered him a bit, but Lukas still nodded.

In the end, it was probably right.

There was probably no human capable of dealing with Gullard on

their own. The fact that there was even a title like the Five Dukes
meant that these Demons were much more powerful than their
peers.

Of all the beings in this world, Dragul was definitely one of the
strongest.

“Hah.”

Sedi’s expression became cold at his answer. She stared down at

Dragul, whose face she’d been trampling beneath her foot for a while
before lifting her foot away. Then, she kicked him in the stomach.

Dragul rolled across the ground a few times before getting up and
staring at Sedi, who simply smiled at his fierce glare.

“I really want to kill you, but I’ve decided to let you off the hook this
once. But if you keep giving me attitude, you will die.”
“…who the hell are you people?”

“How strange.”

Sedi tilted her head to the side and muttered in a soft voice.

“You, can’t you feel what kind of ‘level of existence’ I am?”

With Gullard’s strength, he should have felt it from the first

engagement.

The gap between his opponent and himself.

He could never win.

And yet, this Demon continued to display hostility toward Sedi. Even
though he could die if she decided to change her mind.

“…right. That’s right.”

Gullard spoke in a harsh voice, as if he was chewing the words

before saying them.

“I can feel some kind of irresistible aura coming from you. And it’s
likely that any Demon weaker than me would have no choice but to
obey you.”

Unless they were too weak to recognise the difference in levels like
those whom she had killed before.

Sedi couldn’t help but make a puzzled expression.

“Then why?”

“The only being I will ever obey is the Demon King.”

“So you would follow only the Demon King, even if it meant that you
would die here?”
“That’s right.”

Lukas was speechless.

There wasn’t even the slightest waver in Dragul’s voice, This wasn’t
fear or brainwashing. It was true obedience that came from the
heart.

No, it was devotion(1).

He never expected to see this in a Demon.

“…”

Sedi’s expression became strange.

In the entire multiverse, the race known as Demons only had one
truly ruler. The Black Horned Demon God.

This was natural. After all, the Black Horned Demon God was the
first Demon. An embodiment of the purest hatred. And regardless of
where they were born, all demonic beings were bound to him in a
similar manner to the way one would be bound to their parents or
ancestors. It was an inherent relationship that could not be ignored
or rejected.

For example, if Sedi were to encounter a demonic being who was a

higher level of existence than she was while exploring the
multiverse, she would have no choice but to obey them.

There was only one reason for this.

Because that was what the Black Horned Demon God wanted.

And so was this.

It was the will of the Black Horned Demon God that caused these
Demons to invade this universe.

She wasn’t certain if he had predicted that the Great Game would
begin soon and planned this invasion, but it was clear that these
Demons were the Demon God’s creation, his children.

And yet, this being did not obey Sedi. There was only hatred and
hostility in his gaze.

What was the reason?

Was it the presence of the Demon King who made them submit to
him?

Was it an unexpected change caused by a random probability?

Or perhaps… it had a connection to the upcoming Great Game.

Sedi wasn’t sure. And she also had the feeling that she wouldn’t be
able to think of the answer regardless of how hard she tried.

“Ha.”

She snorted.

Deep thinking had never been her specialty. And she wasn’t
interested in it.

In any case, she understood one thing.

‘Capable of killing me?’

It was nonsense.
Look at Gullard. He was one of the strongest beings in this universe,
and yet, he was barely able to scratch her.

If Sedi had fought with her full strength instead of being so careful,
the stupid fight would have been even more ridiculous.

It wouldn’t have even been a fight.

‘Letip was wrong.’

There was no threat to her life in this world. It simply didn’t exist.

She turned her head to look at Lukas. He seemed to be using some

kind of magic to hide his rough appearance, but it wasn’t difficult for
her to see his true self beneath it.

“My business is over.”

“…what?’

“I said my business with you is over.”

Her pride had been bruised.

Sedi clicked her tongue.

She should never have taken that bastard Letip’s words seriously.
She couldn’t believe that she’d become apprehensive and worriedly
sought out this man.

It was the first time that she’d thought about relying on someone
other than the Demon God she followed.

That fact made her feel even more humiliated.

She didn’t want to stay there any longer. Just looking at Lukas’ face
made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

“I’m leaving. Don’t forget our promise. You can’t kill this guy.”

After saying those words, Sedi turned around and left without
hesitation. It seemed that she was planning to directly return to
Northern Ireland.

“…”

After she left, silence fell upon the alley.

Lukas looked at the still panting Gullard, and Gullard looked right
back at him.

“…are you the same as that woman?”

“…”

When he didn’t receive an answer, a strange light shone in Gullard’s

eyes.

“I’d felt a strange presence. It was strange, but at the same time, it
felt familiar…

That’s why I came here. I thought that I wouldn’t know what it was
unless I checked for myself.”

He was probably talking about Sedi.

She and Gullard were both beings created by the Demon God, so it
was not strange that he’d find her aura familiar.
But Gullard’s next words proved that Lukas’ speculation might not
have been correct.

“At first, I thought it was that woman. And even after fighting her, I
didn’t think I was wrong.”

The fact that he spoke in past tense made Lukas feel strange.

It was as though he was saying that the familiar feeling didn’t just
come from Sedi alone.

Gullard stared deeply at Lukas.

Then, he said something that even Lukas had trouble responding to.

“But after she left, I finally realised. The familiar presence that I felt
wasn’t from that woman. It was from you.”

(Note:

1. Just a slight explanation, because this sentence was a bit hard to

properly rewrite in english. The words the author used that I
translated as ‘obedience’ and ‘devotion’, in a sense, actually mean
the same thing. They can both be translated as ‘obedience’.

The difference is their usage. The first, translated as ‘obedience’,

means obedience to a master(like from a slave)… or like a soldier to
their superior. The second, translated as ‘devotion’, is more like
obedience to God. So basically, what it’s saying, is that Gullard, and
possibly the other Five Dukes, basically view the Demon King as
their God.

I felt that it was a really impactful sentence that lost some of its true
meaning in translation, so I decided to just explain a bit.)
“This is the double’s patrol route.”

Lee Jong-hak pulled out a map of Zinga and pointed at a red line
that was drawn on it. Then, he pointed at a spot on the map.

“And this is where we are right now. As you can see, there are a lot
of abandoned buildings in this area, and there aren’t any people
here.”

“It’s really eerie.”

Joanna looked around while saying this.

When she’d first entered Zinga, she saw many people walking along
the various streets. But this place was desolate. It looked like it had
been left unattended for decades.

“As I said earlier, there is a high chance that this is a trap.”

Despite his chilling words, Lee Jong-hak’s voice was calm.

This was quite strange.

His words should have brought some amount of tension, but his tone
was calm, so those listening to him were also able to remain calm.

Moreover, everyone knew that he was right.

This was a trap.

It had already been about four days since Lee Jong-hak had killed
Keegan and the other hunters.

It was likely that the Demons in the city had thoroughly searched the
entire city in search of Lee Jong-hak but had been unable to find a
single trace.
Nevertheless, they must have realised one thing.

That Lee Jong-hak was in the city for the Vampire Duke.

Therefore, they decided to have the Vampire Duke double patrol the
city, making sure to visit abandoned and deserted locations. These
locations were definitely the best for anyone who intended to launch
an attack.

Since the Vampire Duke had locked down the city, they knew that
Lee Jong-hak and the Gray Sun were still here.

Nevertheless, they still allowed the double to patrol the city and head
to such places where there was a high likelihood of being attacked.
This meant that it was a trap.

Despite realising this, Lee Jong-hak and Elijah didn’t back down.

One of the reasons for this was Joanna’s cooperation. After all, she
was a 7 star Wizard, someone the Gray Sun had never been able to
work with. With her there, they would be able to cope with the
situation even if something unexpected happened.

“They’re here.”

Before long, a middle-aged man wearing an impressive suit and

fedora appeared. On both sides of him were men with very large
physiques who appeared to be bodyguards.

A fire lit within Lee Jong-hak’s eyes.

They had already run simulations of this operation countless times

before making their move. It would be Lee Jong-hak who made the
first move.

He estimated the distance to the double. He was still tens of meters

away. It was not yet in Lee Jong-hak’s range.
So first of all, he had to wait. Wait for them to come a bit closer.

“…”

The first sense of strangeness came from his palms. Lee Jong-hak
suddenly realised

that his hand, which was gripping his sword, was covered in sweat.

Then, he felt a bead of cold sweat drip from his chin.

It was pressure.

A ridiculous pressure was pressing down on his entire body.

And this terrifying pressure came from none other than the ‘double’.

‘What’s… going on…?’

Just looking at him made it hard for him to breathe. And with every
step closer that he took, his heart thumped heavily in his chest like it
was about to explode.

Lee Jong-hak had faced Duke-level Demons before. After all, he’d
been defeated at the hands of a Duke in Shanghai not so long ago.

The fear and pressure that he felt now was comparable to then.

No. In fact.

‘…it’s stronger than back then.’

It wasn’t just Lee Jong-hak who was shocked. The other hunters
around him were also shaking and panting.
“Huff… Huff…”

“What’s going on? What the hell…”

Lee Jong-hak couldn’t help but gulp slightly as he looked at the

double in front of him.

Double… A double?

This man walking towards them.

‘Is he really a double?’

***

“Huff… Huff…”

The 67th floor of the North America Headquarters, Pilsky Tower.

Min Ha-rin, who was drenched in sweat, panted heavily. She didn’t
even have the energy to brush the hair that was sticking to her face
away.

While swaying as though she would collapse at any moment, she

stared at the man standing in front of her.

American Hunter Vincent J. Heider.

The personal tutor whom Neil Prand had assigned to Min Ha-rin and
one of the few Magic Swordsmen in the region.

Of course, being a Magic Swordsman didn’t mean that he could use

both magic and swordsmanship at the same time. After all, the
danjeon and mana room were incompatible. One could only have
one or the other.
Instead, Vincent could be classified as a ‘Wizard who trained his
body’.

In truth, when they first met, Min Ha-rin had been very skeptical
about his skills.

There was only one reason for this. When he was introducing him,
Neil’s attitude had been quite lackluster.

Shortly after Lukas left, Neil came to visit her. And after asking her a
few trivial questions, he brought Vincent to her without any real
consideration.

And all he said was a short sentence.

“Take care of this woman.”

Vincent had simply glanced at Min Ha-rin and nodded without any
complaints.

“Understood.”

“I already have a Master.”

Displeased, Min Ha-rin had said these words in a cold voice. What
she wanted was just the renowned North American curriculum. She
didn’t need someone to teach or guide her.

Vincent had responded in a blunt voice.

“I don’t consider you my disciple either. I don’t want to teach you.

You simply have to fight me.”

“Huh?”
“What and how much you get from our spars will depend entirely on
your own capabilities.”

The sparring had begun that very afternoon, and it widened Min Ha-
rin’s knowledge exponentially.

A being who used both magic and their own body.

A versatile profession with the perfect balance.

It was a very exhausting fighting style, but Vincent was able to

perfectly bring out his full capabilities.

Showing 100% of your power was something that was easier said
than done.

Especially if you were focused on two areas at the same time

instead of one.

With that in mind, the concentration that Vincent displayed in battle

was amazing.

‘Maybe I should walk on a similar path.’

It was just a vague thought at the moment, but it still appeared in her
mind.

“That’ll be all for today.”

Vincent looked down at his watch before speaking.

Their spars usually lasted from 30 minutes to an hour. This might

have been short, but for Min Ha-rin, it felt even longer than the
remaining 23 hours. It was a hellish time in which she felt intense
pain that made her want to constantly give up.
But she wouldn’t just quit because of the pain she felt every time
they fought.

Just as Min Ha-rin was going over the day’s spar in her head, the
door to the hall opened and a man walked in.

It was a man with short, blonde hair, a large, muscular body, and a
cold aura.

This was none other than Neil Prand, President of the Hunter
Association.

When she first met this powerful man, Min Ha-rin couldn’t help but
feel a bit intimidated, but after meeting him numerous times in a row,
most of the initial surprise and intimidation faded.

‘It’s still pretty uncomfortable, though.’

Neil looked at Vincent and Min Ha-rin with his distinctive cold stare.

“It seems your spar has ended. Both of you, follow me.”

“…now?”

Min Ha-rin couldn’t help but look down at her body, which was
covered in sweat, but Neil nodded coldly.

“Right. It’s especially important for you.”

“…”

Since he said it like that, it meant that she probably didn’t have a
choice.

Discarding her plan to take a shower before eating and resting, Min
Ha-rin rose from her seat.

After they all climbed onto the elevator, Neil pressed the button for
the 180th floor.
When this happened, Vincent’s expression briefly became strange.
His eyes turned to glance at Min Ha-rin for a moment, but that was
all. In the end, he kept his mouth closed.

Ding-

The elevator opened, and Min Ha-rin was immediately made

speechless.

What was revealed was a large, dark room that was filled with
countless monitors.

Each of the monitors was different, and so were the things displayed
on them.

“…!”

Min Ha-rin couldn’t hide her surprise.

The screens vividly displayed images of numerous cities. Not just

those in North America but even those that were thousands of
kilometers away.

Among them was Min Ha-rin’s hometown, Busan.

‘I thought most of humanity’s science and technology was lost… ’

She couldn’t believe such high-tech equipment still existed.

Min Ha-rin gulped subconsciously.

She could hardly imagine how much power, technology, and

information North America probably had.
“The floors from the 180th floor and up are called the Royal Floors.
They are normally places to which only executives in North America
are given access.”

That was probably why Vincent showed signs of discomfort. From

his perspective, Min Ha-rin was an outsider.

It wasn’t just Vincent either.

While they moved around busily, many people looked at Min Ha-rin
with curious or suspicious gazes. But they didn’t say anything
because Neil was standing beside her.

After a short while, Neil led her to a monitor.

Click-

Only ominous sounds were being output from the monitor. Neil
looked at this noisy monitor for a moment before speaking.

“When was the last time you saw Leo Freeman?”

“Huh?”

Min Ha-rin tilted her head to the side at the sudden question.
Moreover, the question was a bit strange.

But Neil’s gaze remained locked onto the screen. Vincent twitched
slightly behind them as if to indicate that she should answer.

“…maybe about a week or so ago? He left around that time.”

Leo Freeman wasn’t in Manhattan at the moment.

At Neil’s judgement, her junior brother had left the city.

She didn’t know where exactly he went, but he had most likely gone
to Canada.

There was only one reason for that.

Unlike Min Ha-rin, he hadn’t been able to get a good tutor who was
staying in the North America Headquarters.

But why was Neil bringing up Leo’s name now?

“Have you ever heard of the Five Dukes?”

“I have.”

Dukes were called inescapable catastrophes and natural disasters

by humans.

And among them, there was a group who was particularly strong.

It had been less than five years since the Hunter Association had
learned of its existence.

Of course, this information was still confidential for ordinary hunters

and civilians, but Min Ha-rin, who had once been a Titled Hunter,
knew about them.

“I see. Then I’ll just say it bluntly. Leo Freeman is missing. And it’s
likely that he is

either captured or dead.”

“…huh?”

“To be precise, most of the hunters from the Canada branch are in
the same situation.”
“What are you talking about…?”

“…you will better understand after seeing it for yourself.”

At that moment, an image finally appeared on the monitor that had

only been giving off strange sounds.

And when she saw what it displayed, Min Ha-rin’s eyes widened.

Their eyes met.

In that instant, Lee Jong-hak got goosebumps all over his body.

The distance between them was 20 meters. At this distance, Lee

Jong-hak was confident in avoiding any attacks even if he was shot
at with a machine gun.

However, the double’s attack was completely unexpected.

A tongue.

A bright red tongue shot out of the double’s mouth.

It was a bizarre attack that might have seemed ridiculous at first, but
it was too fast.

Even Lee Jong-hak was unable to respond to the attack before it

reached them, and the results were catastrophic.

Puk!

“K-, uk…”
Camilla looked down at her chest with wide eyes. The blood red
tongue had pierced through her heart.

“Gurk!”

After vomiting a mouthful of blood, she reached out a trembling hand

to Joffrey.

“Jo-, frey…”

“Camilla!”

Joffrey let out a thunderous shout, drew his machete, and cleaved
down upon the tongue.

Clang!

But the sound he heard was similar to when two metal objects struck
each other.

Joffrey looked down at the tongue in astonishment.

There wasn’t even the slightest scratch on this thin, red tongue.

“Th-, this doesn’t make sense…”

His wrist throbbed painfully. It felt like he’d struck a hard metal rod,
not a tongue.

Joffrey couldn’t help but shudder inwardly.

He felt like this tongue had the strength to cut an entire house in
half…

Spit.
The tongue then slithered back to where it came from.

Slurp.

The double then licked his lips with the tongue that should have
been too long to fit in his mouth.

“Wh-, what the hell…”

Joanna couldn’t help but step back with a pale face.

A tongue? Killing people with nothing but a tongue? Was it only

because Camilla wasn’t skilled enough to avoid it?

‘I, I couldn’t even react.’

A moment ago, if the tongue had aimed for her instead of Camilla…

It would be Joanna’s body that was cooling down at that moment.

‘It’s different.’

This was a being who was fundamentally ‘different’.

Her body felt like it was suppressed by an irrational fear that she’d
never experienced with any Demon before.

At that moment, she could only think of one word, ‘death’.

“Ca-, Camilla!”

Joffrey still hadn’t come back to his senses. He held Camilla’s bloody
body with despair etched on his face.

Lee Jong-hak shouted.

“You have to get your act together!”

“W-, we need to treat Camilla first! Jo-, Joanna! Is there anything you
can do?”

“I, I’m a Wizard…”

“Dammit! Let’s stop the blood first! If it’s like this, she’ll…!”

“She’s already dead!”

Joffrey shivered uncontrollably at Lee Jong-hak’s words.

“Don’t turn a blind eye to the truth and try to deceive yourself! She
died instantly!

Her heart has been destroyed!”

“A-, ahh…”

Joffrey slowly lowered his head and muttered.

“It was… It was too simple… She died for nothing…”

“…it is something that we were all prepared for.”

There is something that every hunter had to do before stepping onto

the battlefield.

And that was to prepare themselves to accept the deaths of their

comrades.

They didn’t have to be prepared for their own deaths since they
usually wouldn’t realise it anyway. But the death of a comrade was
impossible to ignore.
The death of someone with whom you had laughed and talked to
about life and the future, and to whom you had gradually grown
closer, was something that would engrave itself in your mind.

It was something that could shatter even the firmest of wills, and it
broke minds.

Lee Jong-hak bit his lip.

Nevertheless, how many people could get used to the deaths of their
comrades?

‘No, you should never get used to it.’

The moment they got used to it was the moment their minds broke
completely.

Then, they would be no different from puppets dancing on the

battlefield.

He could see the double looking at them calmly. His hands were
resting relaxedly at his sides, and there was even a soft smile on his
lips.

‘…double?’

No.

This guy was no double.

“Are you the real Vampire Duke?”

“Hahaha…”

The Vampire Duke, Gullard, laughed happily. He didn’t answer the

question. Instead, he looked at Lee Jong-hak with unbridled interest.
“Lee Jong-hak. Do you know how happy I was when I learned that
you’d come to this city? It felt as though a large fish had finally swam
into my carefully woven net.”

‘Well, just when I thought I’d gotten my hands on you, you slipped
away.’

Gullard added this part inwardly as he continued to observe Lee

Jong-hak.

“Did you want to meet me?”

“Of course.”

“Why?”

“There are some things I’d like to ask you. That’s the only reason
you’re still alive.”

“…”

Lee Jong-hak kept his eyes trained on Gullard as he sent a sound

transmission to both Joanna and Joffrey, who were standing beside
him.

[I’ll make an opening somehow. So when you get the chance, don’t
hesitate to run away.]

An opening? Against that monster?”

It wasn’t possible.

Joanna didn’t even dare to look at Gullard. Just being near him
made her tremble with fear and feel like she would collapse to the
ground.
Joffrey was the same. He’d only been able to act in such a way
because of the anger that came with Camilla’s death. But under the
overwhelming pressure that Gullard released, anger soon became
terror.

For them, even Lee Jong-hak, who was still able to speak to such a
being, was also a monster.

“The Chester Company had organised an event in Italy not so long

ago. It was quite large. and many nobles participated in it. From what
I heard, some pretty good products were supposed to be put on
display.”

“…”

“You were one of those products, Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak.

However, you escaped… together with a group of slaves. And
somehow, in that mess, Duke Sandro went missing.”

Gullard’s mouth twisted into a sneer.

“No. Sandro didn’t go missing. Sandro didn’t respond to the King’s

summons, so it’s better to assume that he died. Do you understand
what that means? A Duke died.

And he disappeared without a trace, as though he’d simply

evaporated.”

Lee Jong-hak couldn’t help but clench his fist at those words. The
image of a blonde man flashed in his mind.

Gullard chuckled happily when he saw this.

“The expression on your face shows that you must have an idea of
what happened.
That’s good. I won’t kill you just yet, so—”

It was then.

Gullard’s expression became hard, and he stopped talking for a

moment. With a fierce expression on his face, he jerked his head in
another direction, and he seemed to be looking into the distance.

“What… is this…”

‘An opportunity!’

An opening that might have been the first and the last.

Lee Jong-hak shot towards Gullard.

***

Lukas disappeared from the sight of ‘Gullard’, who was looking his
way.

Just a moment ago, he’d been looking down at the dirty alley where
‘Gullard’ was.

…’Gullard’ was fighting against Lee Jong-hak and the others in the
distance.

And the ‘Gullard’ who had been defeated by Sedi fled after saying
those questionable words to Lukas.

‘I see.’

He now understood why the ‘double’ existed.

And it should have been the same reason why the ‘Gullard’ on this
side had been defeated by Sedi so easily.

The Demon titled the Vampire Duke. He had managed to see his
essence to an extent.

He couldn’t deal with the Vampire Duke at that moment. At best, he

would only be able to stall him. And in that time, it was likely that not
just Camilla but Lee Jong-hak, Joffrey and Joanna would also die.

He needed more power.

Nevertheless, he now knew how to deal with Gullard.

Fwoosh.

For a moment, Lukas’ eyes became white and his vision stretched to
the middle of the desert, about a thousand kilometers away from
Zinga.

After all, it was best to leave the Demon hunting to the professionals.

Joanna stared at Lee Jong-hak’s back.

He’d shot down towards Gullard with explosive speed. The force of
his charge was so powerful that it felt like he could use his sword to
cut through even steel like it was tofu.

She couldn’t help but feel that having this man on their side was
more reliable than having a thousand hunters.

Or at least that would have been the case if they were in a different
situation.
Now, Joanna couldn’t help but think that Lee Jong-hak was in a very
precarious situation.

He’d just spoken confidently, saying that he would give them a

chance to run away.

And not long afterwards, Gullard revealed an ‘opening’.

Joanna had noticed it too. Nevertheless, she failed to respond to it

as quickly as Lee Jong-hak did.

This was because she was unsure. There was a chance that Gullard
had revealed this opening on purpose.

However… what if it really was the first and last chance?

‘I don’t know.’

Her brain wasn’t working properly. If Joanna had been in Lee Jong-
hak’s position, she definitely would’ve missed the opportunity.

But Lee Jong-hak didn’t hesitate. As soon as he saw the opening, he

immediately drew his sword and swiftly closed the distance to his
opponent.

In a way, it was no different from a moth leaping into flames.

“Kuk!”

She felt Joffrey’s presence fade. He’d turned and began running
away without any hesitation. He’d obediently listened to Lee Jong-
hak’s words.

Joanna was about to join him before she paused.

‘Really?’

Was this really the best option?

Leave everything to Lee Jong-hak and run away?

…No. Technically speaking, it wasn’t running away. This could be

considered a strategic retreat.

She could guess what Joffrey was thinking. It was possible that he
intended to reach all of the Gray Sun members in the city and ask for
reinforcements. Maybe Elijah Kipatosh would also come to help.

But would their presence change the situation?

Would the Vampire Duke be put at a disadvantage if the dozens of

Gray Sun members, including Elijah, joined the battle?

Joanna shook her head inwardly. She was certain that it was
absolutely impossible.

‘Shit.’

Joanna bit her lip as she finally realised.

There was no ‘best answer’ for the current situation. The moment
during which it was possible to find the best answer had already
elapsed. To put it simply, the ‘best answer’ would have been to not
partake in this operation in the first place.

“Kuaack!”

At that moment, she heard a scream from behind. It was Joffrey’s

voice.

Joanna turned around in a hurry.

Joffrey lay on the ground, his body crushed by two large men.

‘Those are… ’

The men who had been standing on either side of Gullard. No, they
were Demons.

She’d obviously seen them walking beside Gullard before the

confrontation began, so why were they so far away now?

‘It has to be…!’

It was because of Gullard’s presence. Despite being the size of a

normal human, it felt like he was so large that he filled the entire
street. And because of this, she hadn’t noticed when they had
disappeared.

Joanna’s back was instantly covered with cold sweat.

It was clear that these two Demons had been monitoring the area.
They must have been tasked with finding any other hunters that
might be hiding or killing anyone who tried to run away.

She got goosebumps.

If she’d tried to flee with Joffrey, she would have died similarly.

Clang!

In the meantime, it seemed Lee Jong-hak had begun to fight. He

was squeezing all the energy out of his body to the point where it
seemed he even wanted to use his soul as fuel.

Even Joanna, who didn’t know anything about swordsmanship, could

tell how desperately he was fighting.

Nevertheless, Gullard simply smiled as he avoided all of the attacks

with ghost-like movements. It didn’t seem like he had any intention of
attacking.

Maybe he intended to capture him.

The stronger the Demon, the more obsessed they were with
enslaving strong

humans.

Joanna looked back once again.

The Demons just stood where they were with their arms crossed,
showing no signs of approaching her.

Right. So they really were only ordered to kill any escapees.

Crunch.

Joanna grit her teeth.

‘They’re looking down on me… ’

If she were her old self, she might be trembling in fear at that
moment. But now, the emotion that Joanna felt most was humiliation.

Because.

She had been chosen by the God of Magic.

Ignoring her was no different from ignoring him.

“I’ll do it even if I die.”

Even if she lost her life, she would wipe away that disgusting smile.
It was possible that she would die. And it scared her greatly.

But after reaching this point, she couldn’t help but throw away the
thought of surviving.

Since she was going to die anyway, she might as well do it on her
own terms.

‘…I wonder what he’s doing right now… ’

When she thought about that aloof, gray-haired man, she couldn’t
stop herself from smiling slightly.

They were just beginning to grow closer, but it was a pity. It seemed
that their journey together was about to come to an end.

Nevertheless, she couldn’t help but feel relieved.

That man didn’t come here, so it meant that at least one of them
would survive.

‘I’ll use a spell he deciphered for me.’

It was a spell that was written in her notebook. The magic formula
had been discovered a long time ago, but no one had been able to
decipher it.

It was a spell that had never appeared in this world.

Naturally, this also meant that she’d never practiced it. It could be
considered fortunate that she’d even managed to force herself to
remember the formula.

‘Still.’
She had no choice but to attempt it.

Recalling the formula, Joanna began to cast the spell.

“The vine coiled in the darkness.”

Her loud voice rang out.

Casting spells was a type of self-hypnosis, so there was no fixed

chant. Instead, it depended on the mind of the caster.

The important thing was to have the ability to properly decipher the
formula and how to direct your mana.

“Wriggling like the tongue of a serpent.”

That was why bluffing was a major part of Joanna’s chant. For her,
chanting spells was also a type of performance.

“Trap my enemies in thorns sharper than poisonous fangs.”

Her mana was raging.

This spell wasn’t for offensive purposes. It wasn’t for defense either.

It was a spell that limited the opponent’s movements. It was a

trapping or binding spell.

Joanna finally revealed the name of the spell she was casting.

“Restrain, Medusa!”

***
About a decade ago, there was a topic that was the most frequently
mentioned in conversations between hunters.

No, it was a topic that interested everyone involved in Demon

hunting.

‘Who is the strongest hunter?’

It was a discussion that usually began as a light conversation, but it

often ended with a conversation of fists.

Numerous names were listed, and new ones were added every day.

Cha Gung-hwan, who was retired but led the Asian hunters with
outstanding skills.

The Three Dragons of East Asia who had just started making a
name for themselves.

Neil Prand, the President of the Hunter Association and the Wizard’s
Association.

Oceania’s Champion, Captain.

Nina Rednikova, who raged as the Head of the Iron Blood Division in
Europe…

There were dozens of people who were well-known outside of their

own countries.

But if those who were relatively less well-known or who weren’t

famous at all were included, then the list would be so long that it
would take days to read.

Nevertheless, they weren’t able to reach an answer. In the first

place, it was a topic
that was difficult to determine in the first place.

Due to the nature of hunters, they rarely fought against their fellow
humans or compared their strengths. Sometimes, duels of life-and-
death battles were held, but they were extremely rare, and there
were cases where people died.

In addition, because of the different characteristics of each

profession, fighting in a limited space would not allow for fair
competition.

It was at that time when a columnist from Brooklyn, Jack Brewbaker,

approached the issue in a one directional manner.

He discussed the role of a hunter.

Their essence was hunting, and their enemies were the Demons, not
their fellow human beings.

So why not compare their performances instead?

Ignoring status, honour, rumors, and even their true strength. Only
looking at their hunting performances.

The results from this approach came much sooner than anyone
would have expected.

It turned out that there wasn’t much of a difference in the hunting

performances of the various top-class hunters.

And for a long time, the seat of ‘Strongest Hunter’ remained empty.

Unless all of the top class hunters came together and fought to the
death, the strongest hunter would never be revealed.

That was the conclusion that was reached.

—Then, a few years later, the Top Three appeared.

Three hunters whose unbelievable achievements and unparalleled
feats that no other hunter could compare to.

Among them was Kran, who was given the title ‘Strongest’.

But the sources from each group never considered him to be the
‘Strongest Hunter’.

After all, his performance was still comparable to the Black Witch’s
and the Saint of Salvation’s.

Some people said that Kran’s achievements were exaggerated

because he only worked alone.

But those voices had disappeared not long ago.

Because Kran had accomplished a feat that should have been

impossible for humans.

Shortly after Lukas, who had flown to the desert, landed, the first
thing that greeted him was a dagger.

Clang!

It was an attack that had probably been aimed at his eye. Luckily, the
dagger bounced off the barrier that constantly surrounded him.

The man who threw the dagger jumped lightly and caught the dagger
that had been sent flying through the air. Then, he drew a sword that
hung at his waist and swung in a lightning-fast motion.

“…!”

Lukas couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

This attack was also blocked by the barrier, but the weight of this
attack was very different from that of the dagger he threw.

‘This… ’

It couldn’t handle it.

The moment he had this thought, his barrier shattered like a piece of
glass. The man twirled the dagger in his hand before swinging it.

Woosh.

Lukas avoided the attack by a hair’s breadth. He’d aimed for his
carotid artery without hesitation. He didn’t show any restraint in his
attacks.

Immediately after missing his attack, the man kicked upwards. This
time, he was aiming for his chin.

Lukas blocked the attack with his palms.

Paak!

Even though he blocked the attack perfectly, heavy shock still flowed
through his hands. Unable to overcome it, Lukas’ body was sent
flying into the air.

If he had been hit in the chin where the man was aiming, Lukas’
head would have been ripped from his body and sent flying like a
soccer ball.

While Lukas was sent flying, the man drew another weapon. Upon
seeing this weapon, Lukas was surprised for the first time.

It was a gun. But it wasn’t a small-sized gun like a pistol. Lukas didn’t
know a lot about guns, but he realised that the gun this man was
holding was a shotgun that had incredibly lethal power.

Boom!

Has it been modified? The sound that came from the gun was closer
to an explosion than the sound of a shotgun.

Lukas dodged the bullets in the air. If he hadn’t been good at using
the flight spell, his body would have already become a sieve.

Even the best Wizards, like Joanna, would have died at least five
times in that short exchange. This showed how lethal, varied, and
strange this man’s attacks were.

More importantly, Lukas didn’t believe he was even using his full
strength yet.

“…”

The man narrowed his eyes slightly. This was because Lukas, who
had avoided all of the bullets with strange movements in the air,
suddenly disappeared.

Snap-

At the same time, an invisible force broke his shotgun in half.

Clicking his tongue, the man threw the gun to the side. Then, he
slowly turned around. Lukas was standing behind him.
“I’ve never seen a Demon who could use magic.”

This man, one of the Top Three, Kran, finally opened his mouth and
spoke with a blunt tone.

He only spoke after his barrage of attacks.

‘Besides… ’

Lukas’ expression became strange as he looked at Kran.

Now that he could see him up close, he realised that this was a
much more bizarre and chaotic being than he expected.

“Do I look like a Demon?”

Kran didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he looked down at his

sword. The blade’s edge had been completely destroyed. This was
the consequence of smashing Lukas’

barrier.

This sword was a magic sword that was once used by a Baron, and
it was at least five times stronger than steel. And yet, it had become
like this just from hitting a barrier.

“As I said, I’ve never seen a Demon who could use magic.”

“Then…”

“However, that doesn’t mean that it’s not possible. After all, you feel
different from any Wizard I’ve ever encountered before.”

Lukas shook his head.

“I’m not a Demon.”

“Then you must be something that’s even more suspicious than a
Demon.”

His cold voice contained clear hostility.

Lukas couldn’t help but sigh. He didn’t have the time to convince
Kran or explain the situation right now.

“You’re heading to Zinga right now. To kill the Vampire Duke, right?”

“And if I am?”

“I will help you get there right away.”

“Who are you?”

“I am…”

Lukas closed his half-opened mouth. He didn’t know what he could

say to assuage his suspicions.

…It was possible that Kran wouldn’t trust him, regardless of what he
said. In the first place, if he was a man who was easy to
communicate within the first place, he would have had a better
relationship with the other forces.

“…”

He tried to think of an answer, but he kept drawing blanks.

There was nothing he could do.

Lukas decided to make an uncharacteristic decision.

“Just go first.”
“What?”

Paht.

Shortly after those words, a bright light erupted under Kran.

There was no hostility in the eruption of mana. It was too fast, and it
appeared without warning. That’s why it was too late by the time
Kran noticed.

Just before being swallowed by the light, Kran glared fiercely at

Lukas and opened his mouth.

“You crazy bas-”

Paht.

Kran disappeared before he could finish his curse.

Using the Long Distance Warp spell, Lukas had sent him directly to
Zinga. Without any warning or explanation.

It was a bit of a low move, but to put it simply, he’d decided to ‘act
first and think about it later’.

***

It was a simple punch without any tricks.

Lee Jong-hak blocked it with his sword. Even if an elephant were to

charge at him, his body was strong enough to stop it without moving
back a single step.

But the force behind the fist was like a natural disaster.
Clang!

Unable to disperse the force properly, Lee Jong-hak was sent sliding
backward. He could have been proud of the fact that he hadn’t fallen
to the ground or that his stance hadn’t been broken.

Ignoring the pain in his knees, Lee Jong-hak kicked off from the
ground once again.

Like a cannonball, his body shot towards Gullard.

He’d learned them.

One by one, he’d learned the various sword methods that he had
access to.

The Plum Blossom Sword Method, Demon Slaying Sword Method,

Nine Palaces Sword Method, Tempest Sword Method, Taiqing Sword
Method, Seventy Two Waves Sword Method, Thirty Six Worlds
Sword Method. (TL: My brain… it hurts T~T) He learned not only the
famous sword methods but also any sword method that he thought
would be useful. And he didn’t stop there. Instead, he practiced
every single one of them constantly until the memory of their moves
was embedded into his body. He swung his sword until his palms
were torn and bloody.

He slept for no more than three hours a day and even skipped
meals, putting his very life on the line to swing his sword.

And after familiarising himself with each one, he made them his own.

Of course, they were all different, just like different herbivores ate
different plants.
Each sword method was something that had been refined over
hundreds of years by masters who controlled the continent in the
past.

‘Those sword methods are already complete.’

Taking them apart and putting them back together was something
that would be impossible even for a genius.

So Lee Jong-hak simply reinterpreted them instead of trying to put

them all together.

He found that there were rules common in each sword method

despite them having different paths. And by linking these common
rules, he would be able to create something even greater.

Of course, Lee Jong-hak wasn’t the first one to discover this.

In fact, it was something that the warriors of the past must have
known as well.

Nevertheless, there had never been anyone who attempted to do it.

This was because warriors of the past took great pride in their roots.

They could never incorporate martial arts that were fundamentally

different from the martial arts that they were taught. It would be an
insult to the martial arts their ancestors had used their lives to refine.

Now? That was no longer the case.

Times had changed.

There was now something more important than one’s pride in their
roots and the martial art that they’d honed.

Survival.
Lee Jong-hak agonised over how to refine the various sword
methods until his hair became white.

He thought of the origin of martial arts. Basically, martial arts were

created to be used against people.

For example, if the opponent was a four-legged animal, it might not

be possible to deal with them even if one had an excellent sword
technique.

Muscle density, organ position, skeletal structure, size, and habits

were all completely different depending on the creature.

And Lee Jong-hak’s enemies were such horrible creatures that even
the most ferocious animals looked cute in comparison.

Demons.

Beings that were naturally stronger than humans. Beings so

ferocious that the word

‘voracious’ was still not enough to describe them.

They were his targets. And in order to hunt them, he needed to find
the ultimate shortcut.

There was no way to defeat them in a head-on confrontation, so he

would need to use tools and sly, cowardly methods to restrict his
opponent’s strength while maximising his own.

He refined the sword methods to form a hunting method.

That was how his sword method was born.

Lee Jong-hak called this sword method the Evil Vanquishing Sword
Method. (TL: author-nim… no more technique names please…
they’re so hard T~T) After the creation of the Evil Vanquishing Sword
Method, he gained the title Human Dragon and became a hero in
East Asia.

His success story continued. His Evil Vanquishing Sword Method

continued to display overwhelming power even when used against
Demon Nobles. And he couldn’t help but feel that his efforts had
been rewarded.

That was until his first battle against a Duke in Shanghai.

Clang!

The Evil Vanquishing Sword Method, the creation of which he was

so proud, was blocked.

Using nothing more than a combination of the Imperial Sword

Method and Thirty Six Worlds Sword Method.

‘The Evil Vanquishing Sword Method… ’

Had it reached the limit of a manmade sword method? Had all the
efforts he’d made so far been meaningless? Had he only been
chasing an unattainable illusion?

‘There is a limit to a human’s power.’

Nodiesop’s voice rang out in his head.

The divine authority that he’d shown and his offers were extremely
alluring. So it was understandable why most Asian hunters chose to
follow him.

‘…however.’

Lee Jong-hak bit his lip.

He couldn’t help but wonder if there really was no price for such a
sweet fruit.

There was no logical explanation for why he felt this way. However,
the life that Lee Jong-hak had experienced up to that point spoke
strongly.

There was nothing in this world that could be obtained for free.

“…”

Although Lee Jong-hak was visibly struggling, Gullard was also

displeased with the current situation.

This was because he’d had enough of their fight.

He was tired of playing with the humans.

This was usually a form of entertainment for the Demons. Especially

when the opponent was someone who was considered special
among the humans. These people were usually tougher than other
toys, so it was more fun to play with them.

But it didn’t take long for this little game to become boring.

From that point, he’d been trying to end it.

But it was hard for him to do so. Because of the woman at the back.

‘A Wizard.’
This had to be the case. After all, he could feel the mana
fluctuations.

Gullard had some knowledge of magic. This was unlike the other
Demons, who looked down on human techniques as crude practices
that didn’t need to be cared about.

This was why he could tell that the spell this girl used to freeze his
body was extraordinary.

In short, if it wasn’t for her interference, he would have already

captured Lee Jong-hak alive.

“It can’t be helped.”

Gullard turned to look at the Demons who were standing behind

Joanna.

The two Demons who had slaughtered Joffrey.

Most humans thought that they were his subordinates. That was
intentional because this way, no one would be able to realise their
true nature.

He didn’t order them. He didn’t need to make any hand gestures.

With just a thought, they would be able to do what he wanted.

The two Demons quickly narrowed the distance to Joanna.

She was probably on high alert, but that didn’t matter. After all, she
was just a Wizard.

“Ah…!”
Just as Joanna turned around, someone fell from the sky.

Crack!

It was a young man who wore a thick cloak that was meant to protect
him from the desert winds.

Gullard saw everything clearly.

When the man suddenly appeared in the sky, shock was clear on his
face. In an instant, he seemed to observe his surroundings, and
upon realising he was in the air, he looked to see where he would
land.

The man’s next actions were astonishing. While still in the air, he
spun his body around and drew two swords, which he then used to
pierce the throats of the two Demons at the same time as he landed.

“Gurk…!”

“Kek!”

Pulling his swords out of the throats of the choking Demons, the man
then kicked the Demon on the left in the head.

Paak!

The Demon’s head was immediately ripped off and rolled across the
street. Blood spurted up from the severed neck. The force of the
eruption was so strong that some of the blood even managed to land
on Joanna’s face despite her being a short distance away from them.
Even though she was being covered in red blood, Joanna couldn’t
help but feel that she was dreaming at that moment.

What the hell was going on?

“Roar!”

The other Demon lunged forward with explosive ferocity, but the man
didn’t seem shocked or surprised by this. Instead, he also rushed
forward, narrowing the distance between them.

Then, in an incredible display of martial arts, he unleashed a brutal

uppercut, aimed at the Demon’s already injured throat.

This caused the Demon to scream and flinch.

When he saw this, the man narrowed his eyes slightly. He glanced
down at his fist for a moment before reaching down to his waist and
drawing a pistol that was holstered there.

Bang!

Just one shot.

The bullet hit the Demon’s forehead. Normally, it was impossible to

pierce a Demon’s flesh and bones with a bullet shot from a pistol. It
was like stabbing a rock with a toothpick.

Crack!

Nevertheless, this bullet pierced through the Demon’s forehead and

destroyed its brain before escaping through the back of its head.

The man spun the gun on his finger for a moment before returning it
to its holster at his waist. It was a move that would have made even
the gunslingers of the west jealous.

“…”

Silence filled the area.

Everyone was surprised by the man’s sudden appearance followed

by his actions.

The man looked around once more before turning to Joanna who
wasn’t too far away from him.

“Hey.”

“Ye-, yes?”

“Is this Zinga City?”

“Th-, that’s right.”

A look of disbelief flashed in the man’s eyes.

“I should have been at least 1000 kilometers away…”

As he murmured, his tone and expression reminded her of a beast

whose pride had been wounded.

Joanna couldn’t help but gulp slightly.

At first, she had been too surprised to notice, but she knew this man.

She had to have. She’d seen his pictures countless times before
going there. In fact, she even had a picture of him in her bag.
After all, this man was the reason she’d come to Africa in the first
place.

“The Strongest, Kran…”

Kran turned around without responding to her.

He was looking at the spot where Gullard and Lee Jong-hak were
standing.

“It seems a troublesome guy has appeared.”

Gullard turned to look at Lee Jong-hak as he muttered.

“It would be really annoying if you two were to work together.”

“…?!”

Bang!

At that moment, a huge shadow struck Lee Jong-hak in the side. The
attack was so fast and unexpected that Lee Jong-hak was unable to
react in time and was sent flying with a shower of blood.

His body only stopped after he’d completely destroyed two buildings.

“Guruk!”

Lee Jong-hak coughed up a mouthful of blood as he finally saw what

the large shadow that hit him was.

It was a giant bat-like wing that had sprouted from Gullard’s

shoulder.
“You guys are fighting a Duke?”

When Kran said those words in a slightly mocking tone, Joanna

couldn’t help but become a bit flustered.

“Th-, that…”

“You weren’t really fighting him with just the two of you, were you?”

“There were more of us, but they died.”

“But that would still only be four, wouldn’t it? You’re pretty brave.”

“We got caught. We didn’t plan on fighting him.”

“Didn’t you guys know that there was one of the Five Dukes in this
city?”

“That…”

Kran snorted.

“No one in that little association of yours can defeat the Five Dukes.
Otherwise, that bastard Neil would have already broadcasted the
news.”

“…you know the Association President?”

Kran didn’t answer her question. Instead, he looked at Gullard for a

moment before opening his mouth again.

“You guys are pretty lucky.”

“Huh?”
“He doesn’t even have half of his strength right now. I’m not sure if
it’s because he wanted to play with you or if he had some other
goal.”

“…!”

Joanna almost collapsed at those words.

He didn’t even have half of his strength? This being who had been
playing with the Human Dragon Lee Jong-hak and whom she could
only restrain for a few seconds with her spell?

Joanna took a deep breath and pulled herself together. Ever since
Kran had appeared, she’d shown nothing but a pathetic appearance.

She couldn’t let herself show any more of it.

“How do you know that?”

In response to her question, which was asked in a much calmer

tone, Kran pointed to the corpses of the Demons he’d just killed.

“Those guys are Gullard.”

“Huh?”

“He has the ability to divide himself. He can use this power as many
times as he likes, but the power in his body decreases every time he
splits.”

“Ah…!”

If that was the case, then it was highly likely that the Gullard double
that they were after was actually an alter ego of Gullard himself.

“Hahaha.”

Gullard burst into laughter, but his eyes remained cold. He stared at
Kran with a fierce glare.
“You seem to know a lot about my power. Whom did you hear it
from?”

“That coward in Egypt.”

Gullard could no longer smile when he heard those words. Like his
eyes, his expression became as cold as ice.

He’d also heard the reports that the Duke he’d stationed in Egypt
was dead.

“And now, it seems you have come to kill me without any fear. If you
hadn’t come to me, I would have had to scour the entire continent to
find you. So thanks for saving me the trouble.”

“I am a hunter.”

Although he said these words in a soft tone, Kran’s voice sounded

like the roars of a beast.

“I wouldn’t have come all the way here if I wasn’t confident in my

hunt. You will die here today.”

“Kuku. Right. Should I say, ‘As expected of the Top Three’…”

Fwoosh!

Gullard’s bat-like wings spread out. When they were fully extended,
they were larger than many of the buildings on the street.

“Return.”

Ohhhh-
At that moment, all of Gullard’s alter ego’s from across the city flew
to him. Gullard’s alter egos all took the shape of large bats, and
almost all of them had something dangling from their feet.

‘Corpses.’

They were still far away, but it was immediately clear whom those
corpses belonged to.

They were members of the Gray Sun.

Flutter…

Gullard accepted the alter egos one after the other. Like clay, the
alter egos stuck to his body before being absorbed. And with
everyone that he absorbed, the pressure that he released steadily
grew stronger.

Before long, Joanna’s face became pale.

“Urk…”

She’d just gotten her act together, but it seemed that her composure
was about to break again.

Biting her lip, Joanna forced herself to remain calm.

Gullard must have known the location of the Gray Sun members
from the start.

Nevertheless, he hadn’t made his move before he was certain that

he would catch every single one of them.

“Kuk…”
She bit her lip even harder.

Lee Jong-hak forced himself to stand up.

Multiple ribs had been broken, and the pain was so intense that he
found it hard to breathe, but he couldn’t remain on the ground at that
moment.

Paht.

Finally, the last alter ego was absorbed into Gullard’s body. Demonic
energy erupted from his body like an explosion. The enormous
pressure that this energy unleashed made it hard for them to
breathe.

“…”

However, Gullard’s expression was a bit strange. He looked as

though something outside of his expectations had occurred.

“What is it?”

When Kran asked this in a curious voice, Gullard looked up at him.

“Is this not your true power?”

“…”

Of course, it wasn’t.

One of his alter egos hadn’t returned. It was an alter ego that had
30% of his power.

‘…Elijah Kipatosh.’
The Big Boss of the Gray Sun.

The alter ego who had 30% had naturally gone to kill him. He never
thought that it wouldn’t be enough. Rather, it could even be called
overkill. After all, 30% of Gullard’s power was comparable to most
ordinary Dukes.

Suddenly.

Someone appeared in the sky.

“Huh…?”

When Joanna saw him, she couldn’t help but stare blankly for a few
moments.

“Frey?!”

Now, he had the power.

Lukas had this thought as he looked down from the air at the people
who were standing below him.

The Strongest, Kran, The Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak, and The
Archmage, Joanna.

And

Paht!

A large number of people poured out of a building on the side of the

street. There were dozens of them.
All of them looked like they had barely managed to walk off of a
battlefield alive, and the large man at the front of the group was
someone whom Joanna was familiar with.

“Elijah Kipatosh…?”

“Mm.”

Elijah looked around with a solemn expression. His eyes then settled
on the corpses of Camilla and Joffrey.

“We lost some of our precious people.”

“…at least you are safe.”

“Right. We might not look so good, but at least we’re alive.”

Elijah let out a deep sigh as he said those words. Originally, his
troops numbered more than two hundred, but now, only a few dozen,
including Elijah himself, were still alive.

Looking at the survivors who stood around him, he spoke in a bitter

tone.

“He knew the locations of most of our hideouts. The Vampire Duke’s
alter egos appeared at around the same time and launched a series
of attacks. The damage we suffered was devastating.”

“Ah…”

Joanna sighed for a moment before nodding slightly.

“Nevertheless… since you managed to come here, you must have

been able to defeat the alter ego.”
“We received help just in the nick of time.”

“Help? From whom?”

Taht.

It was at that moment when Lukas landed on the ground.

While keeping his eyes on Gullard, he spoke in his normal, calm

tone.

“I’ll be taking charge of this battle.”

Joanna couldn’t help but make a face when she heard this
unexpected declaration.

“What the hell are you talking about? Now isn’t the time to be
messing…”

“We should listen to him.”

“Elijah?”

Joanna turned around in surprise, but Elijah’s expression was as

serious as usual.

From the firm look on his face, she could tell that he wasn’t joking.
He was genuinely willing to devote his full power to Lukas.

Elijah looked at the silent Lukas for a moment before speaking.

“Joanna Goldberg, you’re on a mission with this man, but you don’t
know anything about him?”

“What do you mean?”

“He is the one who helped us.”

“Huh?”

Seeing Joanna’s blank stare, Elijah shook his head slightly before
speaking.

“He is the one who saved us from Gullard’s attack. Without his help,
we wouldn’t be here right now.”

“…!!”

Joanna stared at Lukas in shock, but his gaze was focused on

someone else. Someone who was staring at him with a heated gaze
as well.

Kran.

“Hmph.”

Kran snorted with a displeased expression, but he didn’t draw his

sword and attack like he had during their first meeting.

At that moment, Gullard was Kran’s greatest enemy.

“…”

Gullard couldn’t help but stare at Lukas.

He’d just received the ‘memory’ of this man after merging with his
alter ego.

He’d suddenly felt a strange aura in Zinga, so he’d sent an alter ego
over to investigate it. There, he’d seen two people standing in a dirty
alleyway.

Among them was a woman…

As he recalled the ‘fight’, Gullard couldn’t help but shudder inwardly.

What if he hadn’t sent an alter ego there and had gone there
himself?

Would he have been able to defeat her?

‘No.’

That much was easy to see. He would have lost even if he’d gone
there in person.

It might have been much more of a fight, but the outcome wouldn’t
have been very different.

And this man was someone who could talk to that unknown woman
as an equal.

‘Lukas.’

That was the name that woman had called this man by.

‘Lukas… Lukas [Trowman].’

No. It couldn’t be.

Gullard shook his head.

This man was not a Demon. So he couldn’t have set foot in the
Demon World. That much was clear.

‘Then why?’

Why did it feel like he had mana from a foreign world, like Azazel.

‘…he probably wouldn’t tell me the answer.’

That much was obvious.

Gullard couldn’t help but think that this man had something he
wanted to know as well.

‘How fun.’

Gullard smiled widely, revealing his sharp fangs.

This was simple. The winning side would hear what they wanted.

And Gullard didn’t think that he’d lose. Even if ‘he himself’ was
weaker than Lukas, Africa was his territory, and this city was his
home.

Woosh-

Gullard spread his wings before flying up into the sky. His large black
wings seemed to cover the night sky.

“I’ll make you regret ever setting foot in this place.’

Lukas looked up at the sky before slowly opening his mouth.

“He intends to one-sidedly attack from the air. He’s chosen a pretty
annoying tactic.”

He would be out of reach of most long range attacks.

Elijah frowned slightly at Lukas’ words.

“Then what should we do?”

“First-”
Suddenly.

Taaht!

Kran stomped on the ground before taking a big leap into the sky. He
kicked the ground so hard that the earth shook for a moment.

Kran’s body, which shot into the air like a bullet, quickly hit Gullard.

Everyone in the area couldn’t help but stare at this scene with their
mouths agape. It was a display of physical ability that far surpassed
human limits.

“H-, he jumped all the way there?”

“Is he really human…?”

Lukas clicked his tongue inwardly. As expected, Kran wasn’t willing

to work with him.

“I’ll have to assist Kran. While I do that, you guys will have to take
care of them.”

“Them?”

It was at that moment when they noticed strange shadows appearing

on the street.

Elijah frowned.

“Demons.”

Right.

Gullard wasn’t the only Demon in this city.

 ***

Bang!

He twisted his shoulder to avoid the bullet. It wasn’t a normal bullet

that he would usually ignore.

Gullard couldn’t help but glare at them while a thought ran through
his head.

The Top Three were undoubtedly the most threatening and annoying
beings to deal with among the humans.

Apart from that, he couldn’t help but rethink the thought that those
high-ranking Demon Nobles who died at their hands were fools. After
all, he’d always thought that no matter how strong they were, they
would never exceed human limits.

‘This guy is different.’

He was a man who seemed to be created for the purpose of ‘hunting

demons’.

He used almost ten different weapons, and the number of hidden

weapons that he used was innumerable.

‘He’s not someone who learned martial arts systematically.’

It didn’t seem like he’d learned to use mana or divine power either.

And yet, Kran was probably the most difficult opponent Gullard had
ever had to face.

He always found ways to attack in the most unexpected and

annoying places while they were locked in a tense brawl, creating a
situation in which Gullard always suffered whenever he tried to
launch an attack.

At the same time, his occasional surprise attacks caused Gullard’s

back to become covered in cold sweat.

His primitive fighting style seemed to be based on instincts and his

firsthand experience.

Nevertheless, it was a fighting style that seemed to work perfectly in

battles against Demons, battles that required fast reflexes and fast
judgements.

‘However.’

Kwaak!

Gullard managed to catch his fist for the first time. Then, he
increased the strength of his grip, threatening to crush the hand he
was holding.

Kran didn’t seem to be shocked by the pain of his fist being crushed
and instead tried to pierce Gullard’s throat with a dagger he held in
his left hand. This attack was stopped by Gullard’s bright red tongue.

Taht!

Nevertheless, Kran didn’t stop attacking. He leaped into the air,

twisted his waist to the limit and kicked.

It was like a scene from an action movie. Because he’d managed to

jump despite floating in the air.

The secret to this feat was his shoes. His shoes were a type of
magic item which helped him move relatively freely in the air.

Nevertheless, Kran’s actions would have been impossible without

tremendous flexibility and abdominal strength.
Crack!

However, it still wasn’t enough.

Gullard’s wing hit Kran in the side, and his body was sent flying to
the ground like a meteor.

“Hahaha.”

Gullard let out a deep laugh before slowly descending. Kran got up
from the crater his body had created, using his sword as a cane.

“If you were an ordinary human, that attack would have shattered all
the bones in your body.”

Then what about Kran?

He had only been slightly injured by the attack.

Gullard’s smile grew larger.

“I see why you were able to defeat a Duke. I know what you are
now.”

“…”

“But I have to ask. Why are you attacking me? Rather than me-”

Boom!

A lightning bolt from the sky penetrated Gullard’s body. It was literally
an attack that came without warning.

Even Kran, the strongest hunter in the world, couldn’t help but be
shocked by this attack.
Then, Lukas appeared behind him.

“This is your chance.”

“…”

Kran glared at him with clear displeasure, but he still lifted his sword
and charged

towards Gullard.

“Such… lightning…!”

Gullard exclaimed, white smoke escaping from his mouth.

Fwoosh!

His body once again became thousands of bats that covered the
entire street.

This was a smart idea. After all, in their brief skirmish just before,
he’d noticed that Kran lacked a way to launch wide-range attacks.

The vampire bats tried to bite Kran with their sharp fangs. But Kran
used his weapons to defeat them. He even took out grenades from
his pockets and threw them into the group.

But in the end, it still wasn’t enough. Modern weapons couldn’t do

much damage to Gullard. In the end, he would have to shoot him
with special anti-demon bullets or cut each one of them with his
sword. But there were too many of them.

It was at that moment when Lukas entered the battle once again.

“Eye of the Typhoon.”

Woosh!

A powerful gust of wind swept through the area.

Kran tensed his muscles, but the devastating winds did not affect
him at all.

Kieeek-

As if they were pulled by an invisible force, the bats began gathering

in one place.

The intense gale forced the bats to one location as though they had
a mind of their own.

Kran couldn’t help but turn to Lukas in surprise.

‘This guy… ’

What kind of sophisticated control was he displaying?

Such a Wizard was definitely more powerful than the head of the
WIzard Association who had come to meet him last time.

‘Who the hell is this guy?’

While forcibly suppressing his doubts about Lukas, Kran ran towards
Gullard.

It was at that moment when Lukas’ expression changed for the first
time.

“Wait-”

Kieek!
The bats, who had all been pushed together, let out a loud screech
before exploding.

Boom!

The sound of the explosion was so powerful that it deafened

everyone who heard it for a moment, and the force that followed was
even more fearsome. An explosion dozens of times stronger than
the grenades Kran had thrown before engulfed one of Zinga’s main
streets. (TL:… wasn’t it an abandoned area?) Blood from the bats’
bodies was sent flying in every direction, carried even further by the
wave of explosive force.

Even Lukas, who had been standing a distance away, could not
withstand the force and was sent flying into a building.

Kurk-

It seemed his head had been injured in the collision as blood trickled
down his forehead.

‘I should avoid taking damage with this body.’

Lukas wiped the blood away with an expressionless face.

If Lukas, who had been far away from the explosion, had ended up
in such a state…

Fwoosh!

The dust cleared, revealing Kran.

“…dammit.”

It was a strained voice.

Calling Kran’s current condition horrendous was an understatement.
The left side of his face had been completely destroyed, to the extent
that his skull was visible. His right arm had been completely ripped
off by the explosion, and both of his legs were twisted in bizarre
ways.

There wasn’t a single part of his body that was uninjured.

Kran stared at Lukas with his remaining eyeball.

“Don’t… look over here.”

Lukas ignored him, his eyes turning to the slowly dissipating dust
cloud.

Gullard walked out of the dust without hesitation.

As expected of one of the Five Dukes. He was only slightly injured at

that moment.

“Why are you fighting the Demons?”

“…why the hell… are you asking something like that.”

“Because I’m curious. And because you…”

Crunch…

Crunch…

At that moment, Kran’s face began to slowly return to its original

‘form’.

Flesh surged out of the bloodied stump of his torn arm and began
twisting and melting together to form a new ‘arm’.
As if they had minds of their own, his twisted legs began to unravel
and straighten themselves. His muscles and bones knitted back
together.

In less than a minute, Kran was completely healed.

Lukas continued to look at this shocking sight.

“Are not human.”

“Looks like there’s about a dozen or so nobles. The rest are either
Demonic Humans or Demon Beast.”

Elijah spoke with a heavy voice.

Ten Demon Nobles. It was fewer than he expected, but that didn’t
make it much better. There were only a few dozen fighters on their
side.

Everyone gulped subconsciously.

The ground began to shake as monsters larger than houses with

teeth larger than fists, forearms, and even larger than an adult’s
body began to advance in unison.

With the sole purpose of completely eradicating the group of humans

in front of them.

Everyone there was a veteran. Great warriors who had risked their
lives countless times before.

Nevertheless, they had never felt the threat of death more than at
that very moment.
Anxiety. And fear.

They could not picture a future that didn’t involve them dying there.

Seeing this, Elijah prepared to speak once again, but someone beat
him to it.

“That’s a good number.”

Elijah turned around.

There, he saw Lee Jong-hak walking forward with an unsteady gait.

‘It’s surprising that he’s even standing.’

Elijah could tell that Lee Jong-hak was in a serious condition that he
needed to receive medical treatment as soon as possible, but Lee
Jong-hak did not show any indication of this.

“Do you have any strength left?”

“As you can see.”

Lee Jong-hak spoke briefly before taking a deep breath. He forced

himself to swallow the blood that had climbed up his throat.

Maybe his condition was worse than Elijah thought. But he couldn’t
possibly tell him to rest and not overdo it.

Because as soon as Lee Jong-hak made his appearance, the tense

expressions of everyone around them eased a little.

That was the power of fame.

A man like the Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak, could boost the
morale of those around him with simply his presence.

Knowing that Lee Jong-hak must have suppressed his desire to

collapse and still came forward.

‘What an amazing man.’

While he had this thought, Elijah turned to look over at the fight
against the Vampire Duke.

The Strongest, Kran and the man Frey were there.

‘How strange.’

The Five Dukes.

He knew how monstrous their power was.

A Duke was a being who could sink an entire island without taking a
single scratch, and the Five Dukes were a step higher than other
Dukes.

And yet, it was only two humans that were holding back this walking
disaster.

‘Besides.’

He didn’t know why, but he didn’t think that the two of them would
lose easily.

After having this thought, Elijah couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh
as he wondered if he was just trying to make himself feel better.

“Kuaak!”
“Kieek! Kieek!”

By this time, the Demon Beasts had already come close to them.
The Demon Nobles were just watching the situation from a short
distance away. They probably wanted to test their side’s strength at
the expense of the Demonic Humans and Demon Beasts before
choosing the safest and surest moment to launch their attacks.

‘Disgusting bastards.’

Elijah slowly took off his shirt. It was one of the things he did when
he got serious in a fight.

Clothes? He didn’t need them.

He was a Warrior who had finely tuned his muscles until they were
stronger than armor.

The teeth of the Demon Beasts would only scratch him at most.

Kuuk-

“Today.”

Strange steam began to erupt from Elijah’s body.

“We’re going to have the fiercest fight of our lives.”

Even though he spoke in a soft tone, his voice still reached the ears
of everyone nearby.

“You should all be prepared to die, but that doesn’t mean you should
throw your lives away. All of you are the strongest shields on this
continent, and I hope you will continue to shine till the very end.”
Roar!

The steam exploded.

It was strange to say, but this was an explicable phenomenon.

The steam that had instantaneously surged to the sky had actually
been formed by his tense, wriggling muscles.

This cloud which had instantly appeared swirled around in the night
sky.

It was a state known as ‘Extreme’.

A level that most Warriors might not reach in their entire lives but that
every one of them wished for.

Elijah Kipatosh, the Big Boss of the Gray Sun, seemed to be

overlooking the entire world at that moment.

He took his stance, clenched his fist, and punched out in front of him.

Krrr…

The sound came slowly.

Then, a miraculous sight followed that simple punch.

Roar!

A wave of air that was released from Elijah’s fist rushed towards the
horde of Demon Beasts like a tsunami that covered the entire street.

“Kiieeek!”

Despite their shrieks, the Demon Beasts only watched this wave
approach them with casual curiosity. After all, they were beings that
were known for their impressive
defenses.

They knew better than anyone just how strong their armor was. Most
attacks couldn’t even leave a scratch on their bodies, so they
expected this attack to be the same.

Crack!

These expectations were brutally smashed.

And ‘smashed’ was the best word to describe it.

As soon as the wave hit them, the Demon Beasts’ bodies were
crushed like the walls of a sandcastle. The wave didn’t stop at just
breaking their armor. Instead, it pierced their skin and tore their
muscles before finally crushing their bones.

The Demon Beasts all became piles of flesh whose original

appearances were not visible at all.

The wave of air released from Elijah’s fist destroyed everything in its
path and continued forwards without losing momentum as if it
contained an unknown destructive energy.

“Kiieek!!”

“Kuk! Kok! Kok!”

The Demon Beasts, who had confidently stood in place at first to

take the attack, cried out as they scattered in every direction. The
Demonic Humans, who were much smarter than the Demon Beasts,
had cleverly hidden behind them like the Demon Nobles.

If anyone saw this scene, it was clear that their jaw would drop open
at that moment.
Just one human.

With a single punch, he’d managed to slow the advance of hundreds

of Demon Beasts.

“…”

The expressions of the Demons at the back hardened considerably.

This was natural. After all, what was this place?

This was the home of the Vampire Duke, Gullard. Naturally, the
Demon Beasts who protected this place were the most elite soldiers
who had been created through special biological experiments and
breeding. Even an experienced hunter would have trouble defeating
even a single Demon Beast in this place.

And yet, one-third of the entire group had been killed in that attack.
The remaining Demon Beasts had all suffered from large and small
injuries, so they were the only ones who had escaped from the
attack unscathed.

‘…this will be tough.’

Elijah suppressed the throbbing pain in his right arm. It felt like
thousands of small razors were tearing apart his muscles.

He wasn’t yet at the age to retire, but it was clear that his body was
much weaker than it was when he was in his prime.

‘Stop shaking.’

He could not show it.

Suppress it. He had to suppress it for now.

He could cry about it later. It wouldn’t matter if he screamed and
rolled around on the ground because of the pain.

However, he couldn’t do it right now. In this situation where

everyone’s eyes were trained on him, he couldn’t show any
weakness, even if he would die.

‘God, please let me endure this for a bit longer.’

It was possible that they would achieve the greatest victory in history
today.

He wasn’t afraid to give up his life for that.

“Wa… Waaaah!!”

“Big Boss! Big Boss!”

The voices chanting his name rang out in his ears like drums.

There were only a few dozen of them, but their voices rang out with
unprecedented momentum.

It was a strange feeling. But it felt amazing.

When he heard the roars, the pain in his right arm faded as if he’d
taken drugs. His brain felt like it was gushing endorphins.

“Let’s go, Warriors.”

Clenching his fist, Elijah let out a laugh.

“Justice is with us.”

(TL: If you guys can remember, Demonic Humans are those who are
above Demon Beasts but below Demon Nobles. Like Rutan, the
auctioneer that Lukas killed.)

Killing intent flashed in Kran’s eyes for a moment, but it disappeared

faster than it appeared. Then, he turned to look at the Vampire Duke,
who was standing in front of the cloud of dust again.

But Lukas realised that this guy had just thought about killing him
although it was only for a moment.

Perhaps he’d thought about killing the witness.

It seemed that he’d revealed something he didn’t want people to

know.

‘Nevertheless, the Vampire Duke takes priority.’

His hatred for the Demons. He’d thought that there might be some
special reason for it. But it might have had something to do with his
peculiar constitution.

“What about you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“From what you say and what he said, you can tell that I’m not
human. But you’re the same.”

Lukas shook his head.

“I only used a few spells.”

“Ha. Do you think I don’t know anything about magical science? Your
control over the spells that you just used surpasses human ability.”

As he retorted with a sneer, Kran checked his equipment. Because

of the explosion that had just occurred, most of his equipment was
either completely unusable or partly destroyed.

He then pulled new equipment from a fist-sized pouch on his waist

and re-equipped

himself.

Lukas’ eyes shined for a moment.

A Subspace Bag.

One of the rare magical items in the world.

Actually, now that he thought about it, this man seemed to be

covered in magical items. The cloak that was wrapped around his
body had considerable defense, and the shoes on his feet allowed
him to move about freely in the air.

Not to mention the weapons in his arsenal. Even Lukas was not
completely certain about the components of the bullets he used.

“I’ve killed hundreds of Demons.”

It felt more like he was muttering to himself than to Lukas.

“And those are just the ones I remember. Of course, I don’t

remember most of their faces, let alone their names. I only
remember the fact that I killed them.”
He didn’t even bother counting the lesser Demons like Demonic
Humans and Demon Beasts or the other wild beasts because the
number was too large.

Lukas listened to him in silence.

“Do you understand what I’m trying to say? I don’t need your help.
You’re better off helping those idiots over there.”

He gestured to where the members of the Gray Sun were fighting

against the Demons and Demon Beasts.

At the front of the group stood Elijah and Lee Jong-hak. They roared
loudly like wounded beasts as they took on wave after wave of
Demon Beasts.

Neither of them was in good shape. In particular, Lee Jong-hak

looked like he would collapse at any moment.

Just as Lukas was about to answer, Gullard leaped through the dust
cloud and into

the sky.

Now that his body was revealed, it could be seen that he wasn’t
completely unharmed. His entire body was covered in blood.

Looking up at the sky, Kran spoke slowly.

“The Vampire Duke, Gullard Phisfounder. Aside from his

transcendent physical ability and other abilities that are common
among high-ranking Demon Nobles… His best features are his
division ability and his ‘wings’.”

“Wings?”
“The reason why the Five Dukes are called the ‘Five Dukes’ is
because they each have a special body part that other Dukes don’t
have. In Gullard’s case, it’s his wings.”

Lukas was almost certain that even Neil Prand, President of the
Hunter Association, didn’t know this information. According to him,
almost everything about the Five Dukes was a mystery except for
their names.

Most people didn’t know what powers they had or how much power
they had, but they knew their characteristics.

“You, are you saying that you can take him on on your own?”

“Right.”

“It would be difficult.”

“I’ve never had an easy fight.”

Following Kran’s gaze, Lukas looked up at the sky before muttering.

“Did you say division and wings? Perhaps he has other abilities as
well.”

“What?”

Gullard looked down at the city from the sky.

He was incredibly frustrated at that moment.

The Strongest, Kran, and Lukas. These two who dared to face him
like they were equals and the other humans, who continued to fight
fiercely despite only being a few dozen.
He’d never imagined that something like this would happen on the
continent of which he was in charge, not to mention his home, Zinga.

What was going on?

Was it because he hadn’t destroyed the Gray Sun?

Was it because he’d let Kran do as he pleased in his territory?

Or was this Wizard with considerable power the real problem?

Crunch.

Gullard gritted his teeth.

He couldn’t think of a reason why all of this was happening.

There was only one thing that mattered at that moment. The
unpleasant garbage was still alive.

How dare they come to his land and do this?!

Gullard took a deep breath to calm himself before speaking.

“…Our King always told us, the Five Dukes, to be modest and to
keep our guards up.

He told us to constantly improve our strength, no matter how strong

we might be. To not be proud of our current power because anything
could happen at any moment.”

Kran’s expression became strange at those words.

Not to be conceited and constantly increase their strength?

That didn’t sound like the Demons he knew at all.

Lukas, on the other hand, paid close attention to Gullard’s words.

‘Something is about to happen… ’

Was he simply reacting because of the upcoming Great Game?

Paht!

Gullard spread his wings apart.

Kran tensed up immediately, but the stretching of his wings didn’t

seem to be an attack.

Instead, strange sounds could be heard from the giant wings.

Kiii— Kiii—

It was a very ominous sound. Something one would never expect to

hear from wings.

A sound similar to a cat scratching an old tree with its claws filled the
entire street.

Kran, who stared blankly at Gullard at first, slowly began looking

around the street, his guard fully raised.

Lukas also felt the sudden movement of hundreds of presences.

And it wasn’t long before these presences revealed themselves with

clumsy footsteps.

“…they are…”

Kran’s expression hardened.

This was the same for the Gray Sun members who were fighting the
horde of Demon Beasts.
Now, when the number of enemies had finally been reduced by a
considerable amount, they were being reinforced by a large number
of humanoid figures.

When he saw them, Elijah couldn’t help but speak in a solemn tone.

“…hybrids…”

“Hahaha!”

Gullard laughed in a faux, cheerful voice.

“I must commend you! I didn’t plan to make use of them at the start!
So you guys should be proud of pushing the Vampire Duke so far!”

“Kut…”

Joanna, who was chanting a spell, choked.

Hybrid.

These beings whose appearances were a mixture of the features of

Demons and humans were staring at their group with blank
expressions as though they weren’t conscious at that moment.

Nevertheless, the demonic energy erupting from their bodies was as

fearsome as those released by normal Demon Nobles.

Elijah slowly closed his eyes.

He knew the most about the combat power of hybrids than anyone
else there.

‘…hundreds of hybrids.’
It wasn’t a problem that he had to think too deeply about.

Regardless of how the situation changed, he didn’t have any

intention of giving up.

No matter what happened, and no matter how much despair he felt.

Because of this, this extremely large man was able to remain calm
without being shocked and scared like the others.

And in his calm state, he concluded that it was all over.

“Hahaha!”

Gullard’s laughter pierced the night sky.

He could see it. He could feel it. The despair was slowly consuming
them. And soon, they might show the ugly expressions that he
wanted to see the most.

What would they do then?

Would they abandon the others and try to save themselves? Would
they surrender to him and beg for their lives? Would they blame
each other and start infighting?

Gullard loved to predict human behaviour in situations like this.

As the King had taught him, he wanted to see their ugliest side.

“Huh?”

At that moment, a man had flown up to Gullard, who was happily

waiting to see how the situation would unfold.
“You…”

He hadn’t stopped at the same height as Gullard. Instead, he’d

stopped slightly higher than him.

How dare this man look down on him?

Gullard’s pride was hurt, but he still smiled without showing any of it.

Such childish provocations were proof that this man had lost his
composure.

Gullard looked at Lukas and spoke with a calm voice.

“I saw my alter ego’s ‘memories’. I know you are hiding a

considerable amount of power. However… you’re not as strong as
that mysterious woman.”

“…”

“If you were, you wouldn’t have brought Kran to help you.”

Kran had been about a thousand kilometers away from Zinga. He

knew that it was Lukas who brought him over. He also knew that the
spells he’d used in their previous skirmish were very powerful.

Nevertheless, he didn’t think that this man could reverse this

situation.

Lukas then looked down and said.

“Those are hybrids.”

“That’s right. Aren’t they amazing?”

Gullard’s voice had a hint of pride.

“They are the perfect hybrid. Created by combining the best

characteristics of humans and Demons as well as my own DNA.”

“Then.”

Lukas only paid attention to the most important part of that

statement.

“You’re saying they’re not Demons.”

“Fr-, Frey!! What the hell are you doing?!”

Joanna looked up at the sky with shock. Despite being rescued by

him earlier, Elijah’s expression was the same as hers this time.

Of course, he knew how strong this man who was facing the
Vampire Duke at that moment was.

He was very strong. No, calling him strong was still an

understatement.

Elijah pondered for a moment, but he couldn’t think of a better

expression than ‘on a completely different level’.

Nevertheless, he had seen the fighting style of Wizards numerous

times before.

The Gray Sun was hated by humans as well as the Demons, so they
had clashed with the hunters from the Hunter Association numerous
times.
Naturally, this meant that he had the experience of fighting a Wizard.

They were tricky, annoying, and dangerous beings.

Usually, the first one that they aimed for when a fight started was the
Wizard.

In Elijah’s opinion, they were much more annoying than Priests, who
were in charge of healing.

Nevertheless, they had one fatal weakness.

And that was that they had an inherent disadvantage when it came
to close-quarters combat.

Their skills could only be truly displayed when they had a front line to
stand in front of them.

But the fight that he’d seen between this man and the Vampire
Duke’s alter ego had caused this thought to shift slightly.

It was a fight that had unfolded in very close proximity.

This scene had caused his common sense to take a hit.

Wizards were weak in close combat?

No.

Elijah shook his head.

‘It’s just very, very difficult for them to fight close-ranged battles.’

An ordinary Wizard had to perform calculations at every moment, to

the point that their brain felt like it was on fire.
When performing simple actions like ‘retreating first’, a Warrior or a
Swordsman would simply have to kick off from the ground to propel
themselves backward.

But that wasn’t the case for Wizards. They had to decide whether
they would shoot an Energy Bullet to the ground and use the force
generated, use a movement spell like Fly or Blink, or create some
kind of opening with a feint or a restraining spell.

As a result, the amount of concentration they expended was much

more than simply moving one’s body.

The conclusion that was reached was ‘concentration’.

The ability to maintain one’s composure regardless of the

circumstances.

He wasn’t sure exactly how strong this man was, but he at least had
the ability to maintain his composure under any circumstances. Even
when the Vampire Duke was right in front of him, he didn’t seem to
be affected at all.

He had trained the skills required to be a good Wizard to the peak.

‘However… ’

In the end, his opponent was a Duke. He didn’t think that he could
win just with his composure.

After all, Gullard wasn’t the only enemy.

Jurk-

Lee Jong-hak wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead while
looking at the army of hybrids in front of him.
He’d fought many hybrids since coming to Africa.

The average strength of any one of them was comparable to a low-

ranked Demon Noble, but there were cases where they had power
comparable to Counts. Their powers were also extremely varied.

In any case, there was one reason why they were much more
dangerous than normal Demons.

‘Tenacity.’

The hybrids had a fierce tenacity that could not be found in the
Demons.

It didn’t need to be said just how terrible this one fact was.

As most hunters knew, the only reason humanity still existed was
because of the Demons’ arrogance.

They never kept their guards up. And they rarely cared about the
humans.

And when they met an opponent who was stronger than them, they
were willing to submit. Even Dukes were not an exception to this
rule.

However, hybrids didn’t have that arrogance. And even if they were
barely alive, they would still try their very best to take down their
opponent.

The danger that these beings posed was not small.

Lee Jong-hak was confident that he could defeat a Demon Baron on

his own. Without any major injuries, too.
But he would have to risk his life against a hybrid who had the power
of a Baron. The difference in mindset was extremely important.

‘There are hundreds of hybrids.’

Dealing with hundreds of enemies was not something that they could
do.

Lee Jong-hak could only think of one solution.

Nodiesop.

Could they overcome this desperate situation by praying to him as

Kim Go-hyuk had?

“Half.”

Elijah stepped forward as he said that word. He turned to look at Lee

Jong-hak and smiled.

“Let’s get rid of at least half of them. But I don’t think we’ll be able to
kill them all.”

Lee Jong-hak wasn’t sure what he was thinking. On the surface,

however, it seemed that he hadn’t given up despite this desperate
situation.

He couldn’t tell what Elijah was thinking, but this alone was enough
to let him know that he was a great man.

“Well, something like that. It’s like weight training. If you set a
ridiculous goal, then you’ll be exhausted before you even start. So
I’m just setting a realistic goal.”

“Pfft…”

Lee Jong-hak let out a light snort.

Killing half of the hybrids. They both knew that such a task was
impossible.

Nevertheless, Elijah was still able to joke in the situation.

Just to relieve the tension of the situation a little.

‘He’s a great man. Really.’

To boost the morale of the troops in response to the rapidly changing

situation.

This wasn’t something that could be taught or learned through

training. It was innate charisma and leadership ability. The fighting
ability that Elijah had displayed was incredible, but he might have
been even more talented when it came to commanding troops.

“Let’s pray to God. So that we can take down a few more.”

“…pray.”

Lee Jong-hak rolled this word over in his mouth a bit before slowly
speaking.

“Do you believe in God?”

“I do.”

“Then are you praying because you want God to solve this crisis?”

Elijah looked at Lee Jong-hak’s eyes for a moment before he burst

into laughter.

“Hahaha. Is the Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak, asking me about

theology?”
“It’s not like that.”

Lee Jong-hak shook his head as he said that. Right, that wasn’t the
case.

He couldn’t help but recall the past. The miserable death of his
mother and the fact that his young self was forced to witness it had
caused hatred to be etched directly into his brain.

And… Lukas and Nodiesop.

They were beings whose power surpassed Lee Jong-hak’s

imagination. They were probably the same kind of being. But their
values were completely different.

Lee Jong-hak had met both of them, and that had allowed him to
indirectly learn their thoughts.

And in all honesty, he didn’t like either of them. However, the one
whom he was most

uncomfortable with was… Nodiesop.

Unlike Lukas, who had chosen to save humanity and hid in the
shadows despite his overwhelming power.

Nodiesop revealed his power without hesitation, and a lot of humans

had been saved by him.

Or, at least, that was what he’d thought at first. But it didn’t take very
long for that image to become cracked.

‘Nodiesop pitted humans against each other.’

As a result, there was now a gaping void between Europe and Asia
that could never be filled. This was something that he had never
thought could happen.

In addition, the fact that Nodiesop used his power without restraint
filled him with a strange sense of unease.

It was a feeling that didn’t have a logical explanation, which, in turn,

made it even more pronounced.

“I’m not praying for our troubles to disappear.”

“Huh?”

“Because life can’t always go smoothly. It is natural for there to be

curves and bumps and for us to encounter large and small hardships
as we go. Sometimes, we will even be left with indelible scars. But
those are what make us who we are.”

“Do you have such scars?”

“I lost my son seven years ago.”

“…!!”

Elijah’s voice remained calm as he spoke.

“At first, I couldn’t accept it, and for a while, I was like a cripple. But
that changed nothing. So I decided to look for a reason. A reason
why my child died while I

survived.”

Those words created a strong stir in Lee Jong-hak’s heart.

Was there a reason why his mother died that day while he survived?

He’d never thought of it that way. He’d only taken out his negative
emotions on the Demons.

Hatred and anger was a good driving force, but in the end, all he was
left with was a pile of black ashes.

“I give a brief prayer before every crisis. I ask God to lend me the
strength to overcome whatever hardships I encounter.”

Joanna wasn’t paying attention to the conversation Lee Jong-hak

and Elijah were having.

Instead, her eyes were locked onto the figures of Frey and Gullard
high in the sky. It was faint, but she could feel something from the
palm that Frey was pointing downward.

He was gathering his mana.

What the hell was he going to do?

As Joanna looked up with a worried expression, she slowly became

filled with a different emotion.

Her eyes grew wider, and her mouth opened bigger.

“Tha-… Tha-…”

It was a storm of mana.

This wasn’t a spell of some kind. Rather, the mana that was simply
being released from his hand had created a storm.

How dense and powerful was this magic power?

And what kind of spell did he intend to cast with that much mana?

Bang!

The spell that appeared was something that Joanna was familiar
with. Nevertheless, it still took her a moment before she realised
what it was.

This was because the spell that appeared was on a completely

different level from what she knew.

‘Hyper bolt.’

A 6 star spell.

Although it was a spell that only required the condensing and firing of
a mass of energy formed from mana and had a relatively simple
formula, it required a large amount of power to cast.

But this Hyper Bolt was different from the ones Joanna knew.

If she had the authority to give this spell a new name, she would
have given it as many strong-sounding modifiers as she could, such
as ‘King’, God’, ‘Emperor’,

‘General’, ‘Majesty’, and so on.

Even a top-tier classification, like ‘Hyper’, felt like it wasn’t enough to

describe its strength.

“Huh…”

Only a soft sound managed to escape his open mouth.

Gullard looked down at the scene below him, his eyes wide open. It
was truly an unbelievable sight.

Dozens of hybrids had been swept away by a single spell.

The fruit of decades of hard work and research had amounted to

nothing, dying like weak worms.

Bang!

Lukas fired another Hyper Bolt, once again killing dozens of hybrids.
Then, he glanced over to Gullard.

As if he was mocking him…

With that nonchalant expression.

Crunch-

Gullard’s calm demeanour was broken for the first time.

“How… Dare… You!!!”

The hybrids.

The invincible army he’d created with great care and effort. It was
Gullard’s long-treasured dream and -desire to show their strength to
the Demon King one day.

But that dream had now been completely destroyed.

His great army had been injured or killed before he had even gotten
the chance to

show them to the Demon King.

Gullard’s rage at that moment reached a level that it had never
reached before.

His huge wings swung towards Lukas, but he wasn’t able to hit him.

Clang!

Just in the nick of time, Kran, who had jumped into the air, managed
to block Gullard’s attack.

He couldn’t withstand the full force of the attack, but he was still able
to block it.

‘So annoying.’

Ignoring the screams of his muscles and joints, he pushed the wings
to the side.

Then, he borrowed some of the remaining momentum to kick Gullard

in the face.

Paak!

“Roar!”

Gullard let out a loud roar as he was sent crashing to the ground.
The damage of the attack might have been minimal, but it was wise
to create distance from an opponent who had lost their rationality.

Kran looked down at where Gullard landed for a moment before he

turned to Lukas with an expression of disbelief.

“Who the hell are you?”

“What are you talking about?

“Why did you bring me to Zinga if you’re that powerful? Can’t you
just kill Gullard on your own?”
He’d just killed hundreds of hybrids.

Kran probably had the most knowledge about their true identities.

‘7th generation… No, they were probably at least 8th generation.’

8th generation hybrids.

The most perfect specimens were created after countless

experiments.

Of course, this wasn’t to say that they were more powerful than the
previous generations. In fact, the Demon blood would have been
much thinner at this point, so in terms of combat power, they would
be weaker.

However, this allowed for a balance between the human and Demon
parts, which made up for the loss of combat power.

Those were the hybrids whom Gullard was making use of now.

“Roar!”

“Roar!”

It was at that time when several of the hybrids who were capable of
flight started flying towards them, their enraged expressions
reminiscent of Gullard’s.

Lukas turned to look at Kran.

“Can you handle Gullard for a while?”

Kran looked a bit offended, but in the end, he had to admit that he
needed this man’s help.
“10 minutes. I don’t think I can give you more than that.”

“That’s enough.”

After saying those words, Lukas dropped down to where the Gray
Sun group was standing.

He would have to deal with the rushing hybrids with magic. There
were no signs of reason in their eyes, and it seemed the only things
left were their instincts.

They were artificial beings who had been created by experiments.

And at birth, they

were deprived of their right to think and reason.

This was done to create puppets who would only follow orders
faithfully.

Taht.

Lukas landed in front of the Gray Sun members, and immediately,

everyone’s eyes locked onto him. It was like they were looking at
their saviour.

He turned to the woman closest to him, Joanna Goldberg. She was

staring at him with disbelieving eyes.

“Have you used Medusa?”

“…uhhh… Huh?”

“The spell I deciphered. In your notebook.”

“Ah, yeah. Uh. I… I did. I used it.”

Joanna nodded and mumbled blankly for a moment, but Lukas felt it
wasn’t the time to mention it.

“You probably used it against the Vampire Duke. But it didn’t work
since you are not on the same level as Gullard.”

He was right.

When she used the spell, she was only able to stop Gullard for a
short time. Of course, even that was still enough to twist the battle in
their favor.

“Increase your mana. Don’t neglect your training just because you’re
an Archmage.

You need to have a mindset of meditation. To the point where you’ll

do it even in your sleep. Then, you will be able to display a sight like
this.”

“What are you…”

“This is what would happen if you had 10 times the mana you do
now.”

Lukas took a step forward.

The Hyper Bolts had reduced their numbers by a lot, but there were
still many of them left. And there weren’t many spells that he could
use to deal with all of them.

They were much too fast and durable.

So the most effective method was to suppress them with
overwhelming power.

“Medusa.”

Juk-

It was as if time stopped.

No, it was right to say it stopped. Or, at least, the hundreds of

hybrids had been stopped in time and would never move again.

Their entire bodies had been petrified, and they were unable to lift
even a single finger. The only thing they were allowed to do was look
around.

Their eyes rolled around in their sockets, their gazes containing only
fear and confusion at the unreal situation. (TL: So they regained
rationality?) Pshk-Then, the hundreds of frozen hybrids began to
crumble like old stone statues.

“The 7 star spell, Medusa.”

Lukas continued to explain in a quiet voice.

“As long as you have enough mana, the spell can become a large-
scale attack spell instead of a simple restraint.”

Although he said all of this…

No one really heard his voice at that moment.

Kran continued to fight Gullard.

Throughout the fight, Gullard gained a lot of injuries and bled
constantly. In fact, just from looking at his appearance, it wouldn’t be
strange if he collapsed at that very moment.

But Kran knew that that wasn’t the case.

As one of the Five Dukes, his regenerative ability must have been
beyond imagination.

As long as his brain wasn’t destroyed, he would survive even if he

lost the rest of his body and he would be able to regenerate.

‘It’s impossible to defeat him unless his energy is exhausted.’

Paht.

Suddenly, Gullard split into four beings who then moved to surround
Kran from four directions. Four was the best number when one
needed to encircle a single person.

If he left them alone, the situation would become annoying.

Kran noticed this fact quickly and tried to break through the point
closest to him.

But Gullard was one step ahead of him.

Puruk-

The four Gullards spread their wings at the same time and wrapped
them around Kran. Then, as though thick curtains had completely
blocked all the light, a pitch-black space was created in an instant.

His night vision wasn’t bad. In fact, it was quite good. For example,
even if it was the middle of the night without a hint of moonlight, he
would still be able to distinguish
the features of someone standing a few kilometers away.

But this artificially created darkness was different.

It wasn’t that it was dark but that it was as if black walls had been
erected around him.

Shik!

Something flew forward. Gullard had finally started his attack.

Kran sensed it purely by using his hearing and feeling the flow of air.
He swung his sword.

He wasn’t sure what it was, so he couldn’t afford to hold back.

Shuk-

His sword easily cut through the thing that had been flying towards
him.

It was much softer than he expected it to be, and it fell to the ground
with a scream.

‘A vampire bat.’

It was just as Kran had guessed.

Dozens of bats shot towards him ferociously. Kran could feel all of
them, but his vision was limited, and he wasn’t able to defend
himself completely.

Soon afterward, a vampire bat clung to his thigh. Then, he felt its
sharp fangs pierce his flesh, followed by the unpleasant feeling of his
blood being sucked out.

‘This is dangerous.’
Kran grabbed the head of the bat with his left hand. Then, he popped
its head with a simple squeeze.

Crack!

Nevertheless, the blood that had been sucked out couldn’t return.

‘I can’t let this continue.’

In this space, just standing there and defending consumed a lot of

his stamina.

Kran hesitated for a moment.

There were a lot of humans around at the moment.

Would it be okay for him to go all out in this situation?

“…!”

It was at that moment when his instincts screamed at him. Such

warnings could not be ignored.

Kran forcibly twisted his body and spread his cloak out in front of him
as the bats rushed forward madly.

The fluttering cloak hardened in the air, becoming a solid shield in

front of him.

Boom!

Immediately afterward, a powerful force shook the cloak. If it had

been a normal cloak, it would’ve been torn to shreds in an instant.
However, this cloak was a special magic item that had defense and
shock absorption stronger than steel walls and even some magical
engineering techniques.

Nevertheless, this cloak, which could even withstand anti-tank

weapons, could not completely block the explosion. And Kran, who
was standing behind it, was forced back a few steps by the
shockwave.

‘Is this the explosion ability he used earlier?’

So it could be used at a distance.

The destructive power was only half as much as the previous time,
but even that was still tremendous.

It seemed that he did it by grouping the vampire bats together before

forcing them to explode by overstimulating the veins in their bodies,
turning them into biological

bombs.

Boom! Boom!

And seeing that the attacks continued without any signs of stopping,
the technique was less troublesome than he expected.

Kran’s cloak, on the other hand, was slowly being torn to shreds.

‘It won’t be able to last much longer.’

So he had to think of something before the cloak was completely

destroyed.

Kran took a deep breath before changing to the place where the
bombardment was the strongest.
Boom! Boom!

As he expected, the attacks from this area were the fiercest.

Running to the place with the strongest attack was something that no
rational person would dare to do. Nevertheless, there was a reason
for this seemingly suicidal behaviour.

The cloak could only truly defend attacks that came from the front.
So heading towards the area with the strongest attack allowed him to
pay less attention to it while increasing the attention he paid to his
sides and back.

In fact, as he forged ahead at full speed, he found that it was much

easier to withstand Gullard’s attacks than before.

Before long, he realised he’d reached the end of the space, Gullard’s
wing. As soon as he saw this black wall, Kran thrust his sword
forward without any hesitation.

Crack!

Naturally, that alone wouldn’t be enough. He couldn’t escape through

a hole this small.

Kran forcibly twisted the sword that was stuck in the wing.

The blade became twisted in an instant.

This was a barbaric move that Swordsmen, who treasured swords,

would never do.

However, for Kran, the most important thing was efficiency.

The blade was damaged? It lost its edge?

That was fine. It was better to rip through the wings this way.

Crack crack-!

The hole in the wing became larger, and he could finally see the
outside. Kran forced his body through the hole.

Blood gushing from the hole in the wing turned his entire body red.

“Roar!”

With a roar, Kran finally managed to escape.

Kran, who had finally emerged outside, looked like a demon from the
pits of hell.

Paht.

Gullard recalled his alter egos.

‘I didn’t think he could escape from the Black Wing Annihilation

World.’

Gullard had a record of annihilating thousands of humans with this

one technique.

Of course, this one was smaller than that time, but he never would
have thought that it wasn’t enough to deal with a single being.

Even if that being wasn’t a human.

Gullard, who was looking at Kran, finally opened his mouth.

“I don’t understand.”

“I don’t need your understanding.’

Looking at Kran, who answered coldly, Gullard asked with genuine
curiosity.

“Why are you baring your fangs at me? Why is your hatred directed
at me? If you think about it, in a way, I am your parent.”

As he said that, Gullard looked over Kran’s shoulder.

The hybrids had almost all been wiped out. There were only a few of
them remaining, but they were close to death.

In less than ten minutes, the invincible army that he’d dedicated
decades to create had been wiped out.

At that moment, the rage that filled Gullard’s head cooled down as if
cold water had been poured on him.

He looked at Kran with a cold expression.

“Those dead creatures are the perfect result of my hybrid

experiment. There could be no better soldiers. Because they would
never doubt an order that was given to them. However… I’m very
disappointed in their combat power.”

It was true.

His idea was similar to what Kran had thought when he first saw the
hybrids.

“The king always reminded us of the disadvantages we Demons

have. Our innate strength. He said that it was the innate strength we
received at birth that hindered our evolution. And he’s right. There is
hardly any precedent of Demonic Humans becoming Demon Nobles,
and even if they did, they never became more than a Count.”

In Gullard’s eyes, it didn’t matter if a high-ranking Demon Noble was

arrogant.
But the Demons below that level shouldn’t.

For example, he didn’t believe a Baron had the right to show off in
front of the Demonic Humans, or even the humans.

That’s why Gullard created beings like the hybrids.

Or to be precise, it was the King who had given him the order to do
so.

He’d said that they needed the fighting spirit that humans were
known for and the tenacity to fight against opponents who were
stronger than them without backing down.

When he’d heard it at that time, Gullard hadn’t paid much attention to
it.

If it hadn’t been for the Demon King’s orders, he wouldn’t have even
bothered to do it.

But it was his king who gave him the order. Even if he had been told
to murder his own kind, Gullard would have done it without
hesitation.

The experiments he did were difficult and time-consuming, but

Gullard didn’t give up. And eventually, he was finally able to achieve
weak results.

It was only then when the 1st-generation hybrids were born.

Unfortunately, they were out of control and almost indistinguishable
from Demon Beasts. In other words, they were more like beasts and
monsters than trainable soldiers.

So he continued to experiment.
As more and more generations were created, they gradually became
more stable.

With just a little more effort, he was certain that the result he wanted
could be reached.

But it was at that time the Demon King said to him.

‘There’s no need to experiment anymore.’

‘He must have been disappointed in me.’

He must have made a mistake.

Because of this thought, which plagued him day and night, Gullard
disobeyed the Demon King’s orders for the first time.

He continued to experiment in secret.

“Those guys were the 9th generation. Their stability was the highest,
and their Demon blood was the thinnest. But when it came to pure
combat power, the 3rd generation was stronger than any other
generation.”

Gullard’s gaze turned to Kran.

“Unfortunately, the 3rd generation hybrids… couldn’t suppress their

innate ferocity, and they escaped after destroying the lab. At that
time, I didn’t bother tracking them down. I felt that it wouldn’t be
worth the effort because I could always make stronger ones. But it
seems I was wrong.”

The 3rd generation were more unstable and dangerous than walking
time bombs. At that time, their intelligence was on par with beasts at
best.
But what about Kran now?

He could speak fluently. He had a good understanding of civilisation,

and he was skilled at using all manners of tools.

This meant that they had evolved.

Kran just snorted coldly.

“Don’t you feel anything from the death of your brothers?”

“Brothers? Enough of your shit.”

Anger was clear on Kran’s face. He pointed his sword at Gullard with
a fiery gaze.

“Where I came from doesn’t matter. There is only one thing that you
need to pay attention to right now. And that’s that you will die here
today.”

Gullard chuckled.

“By your hand? Or will you borrow that man’s power?”

“…”

It was obvious which man Gullard was talking about.

“He is strong, unreasonably strong. That’s why you also have your
doubts. Could a human really have such power?”

“…do you know who he is?”

“Huhu, are you curious?”

“Right. However, I don’t need to ask you.”

After saying that, Kran drew his gun and fired.

Bang!

Gullard avoided the magic bullet fired from the gun. There was a
fierce killing intent in his eyes.

“Because I can ask him directly after I kill you.”

“You speak really well. You must be trying to buy time.”

Did he notice?

Kran didn’t express his worry on his face.

There was no need for him to take risks and fight arbitrarily. After
witnessing Lukas’

power, he realised that the most efficient method would be to fight

with his support.

That was the only reason why he continued this meaningless

conversation.

“Well, it’s fine. Because I was able to make plans as well.”

“Plans?”

Gullard turned to look at Lukas.

“I can’t defeat that man. If I fight you, I’ll probably die.”

While it might not have been the case for other Demons, that wasn’t
something that one of the Five Dukes would say.
Realising this, Kran couldn’t help but feel a bit suspicious.

It was true that Lukas was strong. However… he still wouldn’t be

enough to completely overpower Gullard.

The scene of him annihilating the hundreds of hybrids in an instant

was truly frightening, but in truth, it was something that the Vampire
Duke, who was standing in front of him, was also capable of.

In his head, Kran also added.

‘If no one was around to see it, I could also do something similar,
even if it would take longer.’

Most importantly, Lukas hadn’t dealt with Gullard on his own.

Instead, he’d brought him from over a thousand kilometers away.

Of course, it might have just been because he wanted to defeat

Gullard perfectly, but Kran couldn’t help but have a strange feeling at
some of Lukas’ behaviour, which didn’t have a logical explanation.

He looked at Gullard and said.

”So? Since you think you will die, do you plan to run away?”

“Right.”

“What?”

At the same time as Kran said that, Gullard’s figure suddenly

appeared in front of him.

Even Kran was a bit too slow to react to the sudden move.

He swung his sword hurriedly, but he hadn’t had time to fix his
posture, and the sword’s edge had already been damaged.

Crack!
The blade stopped without being able to cut through even half of
Gullard’s arm.

Not caring about the blood that dripped from his forearm, Gullard
grinned.

“I’m running away, but I’m gonna take you with me. Let’s go
together.”

“You son of a bit-”

Shuk-

Before Kran could finish his curse, he and Gullard disappeared from
the spot as if they had evaporated.

Although he had been dealing with the hybrids, Lukas’ attention

remained on Kran and Gullard.

At first glance, it seemed that they were both fighting a fierce battle,
but Lukas could tell that they were both still hiding trump cards.

Kran was definitely strong.

Lukas had the vague impression that he might be a hybrid, but

something about him was different when compared to the other
hybrids he’d just exterminated.
Perhaps Kran was truly an important clue to how he could trick the
world’s laws.

As he had that thought, Kran disappeared.

‘His wings.’

At the last moment, Gullard’s wings had flapped with a strange

sound. Then, he moved at a speed that even Lukas had not been
able to react to before disappearing with Kran.

Lukas didn’t panic when this happened. Instead, he just looked for
any traces that Gullard left behind.

They were faint, but traces of his demonic energy were still there.

And Lukas concluded that it was enough to track him down.

***

“Kuk…”

Kran staggered to his feet. His entire body felt sore at that moment.

It was strange. His condition hadn’t been that bad just a moment
ago.

‘We traveled to a really distant place.’

He had been brought there by Gullard’s mysterious [teleportation].

It was a dark, humid room, which made it feel like a giant cave.

Suddenly, Kran felt someone behind him. Drawing his sword, he

quickly spun around.
“…huh?”

There were huge statues. If it wasn’t for his excellent night vision, the
low lighting would have caused him to mistake them for giants simply
because of the pressure that each of them exerted.

There were a total of five statues. However, despite their enormous

size, each of them was delicately and elaborately sculpted.

Every detail made him feel like the best artists of the century
collaborated to make these masterpieces.

Their clothing was unique. They looked like they came from the
middle ages or like they were heroes from a fantasy novel.

It was only then when Kran, who had been transfixed by the statues,
realised something strange.

“Worship them.”

Gullard emerged from the dark.

***

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, North America.

Canada’s largest city and economical hub was now in ruins. The
buildings had collapsed, acrid smoke polluting the air.

The streets were filled with overturned vehicles and corpses.

For the Canadians, who had been living peacefully for a long time,
this was a horrifying sight, but for the Rose Duke, this scene was as
familiar as the air she breathed. (TL: I wished to not call her the
Rose Duke, but I have no other alternatives…)
She sipped on scarlet whiskey while calmly looking down at the
ruined city.

With her glass in hand, she enjoyed the feast of slaughter that was
progressing beneath her. The more clearly she remembered the
original appearance of this place, the more stimulating this
destruction was.

Just thinking about it made a shiver of pleasure roll down her spine.

“You really are like cockroaches, aren’t you?”

She wasn’t talking to herself.

As she glanced back, her eyes fell upon a young boy who was
completely bound and shivering slightly.

Leo Freeman remained completely silent, showing no reaction to

Rose’s alluring voice.

Pursing her lips slightly, Rose walked over to Leo, her high heels
clicking softly on the ground.

“Is my analogy too outdated? I heard that humans described

persistent opponents as cockroaches.”

That wasn’t the case. The expression was very much still in use.

However, the ‘cockroaches’ whom this Demon was talking about

were the humans in the city who had been desperately trying to
survive.

Leo would never agree to those words.

“Why… Why won’t you kill me?”

Leo bit his lip as he said those words.

He cursed inwardly as he tried to stop his shivering. This was
because the massacre that she had unleashed was clearly inscribed
in his mind.

This woman, this Demon Duke who suddenly appeared in Toronto,

had wiped out almost everyone in the area as soon as she
appeared. Blood red vines erupted from the ground and quickly
drained the blood from anyone who had been unlucky enough to be
near them.

The victims also included the person who was meant to be Leo’s
teacher. He was an outstanding Master who would not have been at
a disadvantage when compared to those famed Warriors from the
East. Unfortunately, his opponent was a Duke.

With her transcendent powers, she simply wrapped a vine around

the man’s body before bursting him like a water balloon.

In less than a second, the strongest hunter in the entire city had
become a puddle of blood.

This woman was probably one of the Five Dukes.

Leo instinctively realised this fact. He’d only ever heard of them from
rumours.

Beings who could be called Grand Dukes. Beings who were a level
higher than Dukes.

He hadn’t thought they truly existed, but every cell in his body
screamed the moment he saw this woman.

This woman was one of the Five Dukes.

In a short period, she annihilated every hunter in the Canadian

Branch before subsequently wiping out every other person in the
city.

Except for one person.

Leo was the only one left.

‘Pathetic.’

He thought he’d changed.

After meeting his Master, meeting Min Ha-rin, and defeating Gerard.

But Leo knew what he’d done when Rose began her slaughter.

He’d frozen, just like every other time in the past, and had only
managed to move his body at the end.

Even now, Rose had not released any kind of intimidating aura or
pressure.

And yet, Leo knew that he would faint if he relaxed for even a
moment.

However, in a way, this was natural.

After all, this was Leo Freeman, someone who froze even if his
opponent was a Demon Beast. And the one who stood before him
now was someone who stood at the peak of the Demons in this
world.

He hadn’t fainted instantly. That was a great improvement.

Of course, this knowledge did nothing to comfort Leo.

“…why the hell are you doing this? Do you know just how many
people you killed?”

Leo’s voice shook slightly as he spoke.

Rose tilted her head to the side at his question, as though she was
unsure what he meant.

“What are you talking about? I didn’t kill that many. At best, I only
killed a few hunters here.”

Those words made Leo speechless for a moment.

What did she mean by not many?

Leo had personally witnessed hundreds of people dying to the vines.

And if he counted those he hadn’t seen, he knew there would be at
least a few thousand.

Toronto was a densely populated city whose residents were

unfamiliar with evacuation measures to take in case of emergencies.

This was a sad sight for Leo, who had spent most of his life in
Europe.

They had enjoyed peace for far too long.

When Rose appeared, fear was not the greatest emotion that
appeared in the eyes of the people in the city. Instead, the disbelief
in their eyes was greater.

Their expressions said the same thing, concurrently.

‘Why was a Demon here?’

“Then why haven’t you killed me yet?”

“Because there is something I want to ask you.”

“…what is it?”

“You.”

Rose’s eyes shined with a bloody light.

“Where did you learn the Warrior King Fist?”

“Cut the crap.”

Kran glared at Gullard.

“Why are we here? Is this the place you chose to be your grave?”

“Hahaha. As expected. Even when you’re in a situation like this one,

you won’t shut that mouth of yours. I wonder if you’ll go quiet if I pull
out your tongue.”

Gullard spoke in a cheerful voice. He even put his wings away.

“Is it a hobby of yours to stand here and admire these crappy

statues? You really are a pitiful man.”

It was a rough response, but this time, he got a response.

“Take that back.”

Gullard’s expression had become solemn.

There was no way that Kran would stop after seeing this. Instead, his
lips twisted into the most irritating smile he was able to form.

The statues. It seemed that he had some kind of connection to them.

‘And maybe they are the key to his anger… ’

Kran drew a pistol and twirled it around his finger for a moment.

Bang!

A Demon Slaying Bullet pierced one of the statues. The statue that
stood in the middle.

This was intentional. After all, it was this statue in the middle that
gave him the

strangest feeling.

“Uh-, ah-, ah…”

It was truly possible to get so angry that your mind went blank and
you forgot how to speak.

Gullard’s twisted face was proof of that.

“Y-, you…! Dare…! You trash who doesn’t know anything…! You
dare to damage the King’s statue!”

His twisted expression slowly morphed into something that was

distinctly inhuman.

The impression of a proper, middle-aged gentleman slowly

disappeared, turning into a terrible visage that was a mixture
between a human and a bat.
No, in the first place, he had never been human. This was his true
appearance.

“I will tear you to shreds…! I will kill you in the worst ways
imaginable…! I will rip you apart and feed you to my bats!”

“Are you saying you want to eat me, Batman?”(TL: I legitimately

snorted) Kran’s sarcastic and completely unapologetic voice raised
Gullard’s anger to even greater heights.

Gullard no longer tried to converse with him. Instead, he rushed

towards Kran with a roar.

And shortly after, his entire body collapsed to the ground.

Crack!

“…?!”

In an instant, Gullard was half buried into the ground with a

bewildered expression on his face. Then, he realised that he couldn’t
move.

“Don’t move a muscle.”

“…!”

Kran turned his head to this sudden voice.

On the shoulder of one of the statues, a man stood calmly.

Lukas.

At that moment, he had a strange feeling.

‘What the hell… ’

The gray-haired man and the statue had completely different

features and characteristics.

But somehow, they felt similar. No, they weren’t similar.

—It was like they were the same person.

“Roar!”

Gullard screamed and struggled. But he couldn’t shake the pressure

that held his entire body down.

Then Lukas came down.

Suspicion appeared in Kran’s eyes.

‘What’s going on?’

What the hell was the power that man was using now?

It was not magic.

“You… What the hell did you do to…”

Kran closed his mouth mid-sentence. This was because he felt

power from Lukas that he hadn’t felt before.

Ignoring Kran, Lukas walked up to Gullard and stepped on his back.

“Kuk!”

“I want to ask. That statue in the middle, is that your King?”

Lukas spoke in a cold voice.

Kran looked on from the side with a tense expression. He’d thought
that this man was someone who didn’t show his emotions easily. He
believed it. After all, in all the time that he’d known him, he’d never
seen his expression change even once.

And yet, it was the same man who was practically oozing with
emotion now.

He looked calm, but Kran could tell. This man was already on the
brink of exploding.

Then he pointed at a statue.

Was it because it was the statue that Kran had just put a bullet into?

‘There is only one [Demon Statue].’

It was true.

Of the five statues that stood there, only the one in the center was a
Demon while the other four were humans.

“Ku-, Kuh…!”

“Tell me.”

Lukas applied more strength to his foot.

Gullard screamed.

“Ahhh!”

“Tell me.”

Kran grabbed Lukas’ shoulder.

“Aren’t you trying to extract information from him?”

“…”

“He’s dying.”

Those words seemed to get through to him.

Lukas stopped applying pressure, and Gullard, who was in pain,

couldn’t help but look at him with a blank expression.

“This, this power… As expected… I couldn’t defeat you. Right. That

woman called you Lukas. You’re not really ‘Lukas Trowman’…Are
you?”

Trowman.

Lukas had never revealed his last name in this world.

In order to know that…

Lukas nodded silently.

“I am the Great Mage.”

“…!”

Gullard’s eyes widened, and Kran also stared deeply at Lukas’ back.

‘This guy is the Great Mage?’

He’d heard it from Ringo.

About the divine being, the God of Magic, or the Great Mage, or
whatever. He’d thought that it was just a rumour among the Wizards,
but not only was he apparently real; he was standing right in front of
him.
“How is that pos-”

“Tell me who that is.”

This time, Gullard doesn’t hesitate to answer. Instead, he does so in

a low voice.

“He is… our King.”

“Nonsense. That guy can’t be your king.”

“Ku, kuku… Are you trying to insult me before I die?”

Gullard chuckles, his vision beginning to fade.

“King. He is our King… The one and only ruler of the Demon
World… who will never stop training even when he runs out of
rivals…”

Those words reverberated in Lukas’ head, but they were followed by

someone’s name.

No. It couldn’t. It couldn’t be true.

He was dead.

However…

Lukas stumbled backward, unable to withstand the shock.

All the questions and suspicions he’d had in this universe seemed to
converge together in his head before the answer revealed himself.

Someone who never gave up on their training even when they no

longer had any rivals.
A man who liked the word King more than anyone else.

That’s why he called himself the Warrior King and claimed that his
martial art was the best amongst all martial arts.

‘There is someone from your homeworld in this universe.’

Just as Lukas remembered God’s words, Gullard spat out a mouthful

of blood.

“Long live… the Demon King Kasajin…”

***

At the same time.

Back in Northern Ireland, Sedi felt ill at ease.

“Come out.”

As soon as she spoke with a frown, a pale person appeared in front

of her.

Sedi immediately felt the obnoxiously strong demonic energy circling

his body.

“Who the hell are you?”

“You killed the Demons and Demon Beasts in this place.”

“So?”

“This is the end for you.”

“You want to kill me? Hmm. It would be impossible for you alone.”
The man laughed at those words.

“Of course, I’m no match for you. I can tell the difference between
us.”

Suddenly, the man bowed politely.

Then, another being appeared.

“…!”

No.

He had been standing there from the start. It was just that he’d only
‘revealed his presence’ now.

In other words, Sedi hadn’t realised he was there until he revealed

himself.

Despite her overwhelming fighting spirit, and unyielding personality,

Sedi was left speechless for a moment.

“You…”

[Sedi Glaston.]

“How do you know my name…?”

[You will die today.]

Paak!

“Kuh, huk?!”

Her heart was destroyed.

It was funny. This was the first thing that Sedi realised instead of the
fact that she was sent flying, her blood splattering in every direction.

She released her full power. This universe would not be able to
handle the strength contained within her body, but she didn’t care.

Her deal with Lukas? That wasn’t as important as her life.

Sedi gasped and raised her head.

‘You will die, Sedi Glaston.’

“Dammit.”

That annoying voice sounded in her head once again.

Did Letip predict this?

Sedi got to her feet, stumbling slightly. Then, she took out her soul
weapon and pointed it at the giant being, who was almost as tall as a
building.

“Demon King.”

Right. This being was probably the Demon King.

This was what her instincts were telling her.

…Demon King.

It had pretentiously taken on such a name.

She couldn’t understand.

Wiping the blood from her lips, Sedi murmured.

“I understand now that I’ve seen you for myself. You’re one of his
men.”

[…]

Him, The Black Horned Demon God.

Sedi was referring to the Ruler she followed.

Moreover, he was a higher rank than she was.

A Lord?

No… he felt different from any Lord she’d ever met. But he was
certainly not a Ruler.

Right. She could see now why Gullard hadn’t submitted to her
before. In the first place, he served someone who was a ‘higher rank’
than she was.

‘But is he really a Demon?’

She had many questions to which she could not find the answers.

But there was one that stood above all of the others.

“You… are also his subordinate… So why do you dare to claim the
title, Demon King?

You are too arrogant.”

[Are those your last words?]

“Hahaha…! Do you really think that you can kill Sedi Glaston this
easily?”

[Of course I do.]

Demon King Kasajin clenched his fist.

[Because I am currently the strongest being in this universe.]

***

“Hahaha!”

Letip let out a cheerful laugh.

He could feel the aura of transcendent beings releasing their power

all over the world at the same time. Nodiesop could probably feel it
too.

“Right. It was impossible from the start.”

Putting a large number of transcendent beings into a universe and

expecting them to not unleash their power?

That was impossible.

It was like putting several predators in a small cage.

Lukas and Sedi’s agreement was pointless from the start.

Well, poor, vulnerable Sedi would die tonight anyway.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

How would Lukas react when he learned the truth?

How would Nodiesop respond?

What would the Demon King do next?

Letip shivered in excitement.

“Finally… It finally begins…!”

The Great Game, the prelude to the final battle.

Jurk.

Blood spilled from every orifice on Gullard’s hideous face. The bright
red liquid poured from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth.

Covering his nose and mouth with his sleeve, Kran took several
steps backward.

There were many Demons whose blood was extremely toxic. But
Gullard’s seemed to be even stronger than the ones he’d
encountered before.

“…long live… the Demon King.”

Bang!

After muttering those words again, Gullard’s entire body exploded.

Kran retreated instinctively as he remembered the destructive force

Gullard had displayed earlier, but the strength of this explosion
wasn’t that large.

Moreover, Lukas erected a barrier around Gullard’s body, which

contained the explosion.

Realising that he wasn’t in danger, Kran emerged from his hasty

cover. Then, he looked over to where Gullarrd had been.
Now, all that was left of him was a pile of burnt, bloody flesh that
oozed a very disgusting smell.

“…is he dead?”

“Almost.”

“What?”

Kran turned to look at Lukas, not quite understanding what he

meant.

Lukas didn’t elaborate any further. Instead, he simply sat on the

ground with a complicated expression before covering his face with
both hands.

‘…I used Endtongue.’

And against a scapegoat.

This was, without a doubt, Lukas’ fault. He’d allowed his emotions to
take control. In all honesty, he still hadn’t calmed down. His head still
felt dizzy.

There were few events that could shock Lukas, who had become an
Absolute, to this extent.

As he tried to clear his thoughts, Kran, who had been observing him
for a while, asked again.

“What do you mean by ‘almost’?”

“Did you forget his ability?”

Kran’s eyebrows furrowed.

“…division. I see. Was that just a decoy?”

“A decoy that was stronger than his true body. He left 90% of his
power in an alter ego before escaping with the other 10%.”

“He assigned most of his power to an alter ego? I didn’t think he

would do something like that.”

“Generally, it is probably not something that he would do.”

Lukas had a rough idea of what Gullard was up to.

He’d avoided fighting him head-on.

When he saw Lukas annihilating the hybrids in quick succession,

he’d probably realised that he couldn’t defeat him on his own.

‘…no. Perhaps… ’

He might have heard about him from Kasajin.

Gullard knew about him. He didn’t know about Lukas, the God of
Magic of this world.

Instead, he knew about Lukas Trowman, the Great Mage, who

fought against the Demigods a long time ago.

Looking up at the statue of him, Lukas couldn’t help but wonder.

Now that he looked at it closely, he realised that the statue’s

appearance had a few minor differences from his true appearance.
This was probably because it was created based on Kasajin’s
memories. Or maybe there was another reason.
Once again, he looked down at what was left of Gullard’s body, or, to
be precise, the body of the alter ego.

In terms of efficiency, putting 90% of his power into a single alter ego
was the worst choice he could make. The alter ego, which received
more power than the main body, would be unable to fully utilise it,
which meant that it would be easier to defeat than if he were to use
the power himself.

The main body, which only had 10% of its power left, would also be
in danger. After all, losing most of his power meant that Gullard was
slowly dying.

He never would have expected a being like Gullard to try to escape

at the expense of his life. It was even clearer now that he had a
mentality that differed greatly from other demons.

Why was he so bent on self-preservation?

The answer was obvious.

He probably wanted to announce Lukas’ existence.

“…”

He still couldn’t believe it.

No, he wouldn’t believe it until he saw it with his own eyes.

Lukas looked up at the statues once again.

Five statues, each one with a familiar appearance. They were faces
that filled Lukas with nostalgia but also sorrow.
Standing between the Black Witch, the Great Sage, the Sword King,
and the Great Mage was a person who no longer had the
appearance of a human being.

The Magic Warrior King.

No, the Demon King.

A huge physique, gray skin, sharp, protruding fangs, and large red
horns on both temples.

Indeed, this was a being who suited the title Demon King, but there
was no denying that he looked like Kasajin.

‘Kasajin.’

Why did he create these statues?

Why did he give their last names to Demons?

Was he really the Demon King? And if he was, did that mean he was
willing to kill the humans in this universe? To treat them like bugs?

‘…what the hell are you doing?’

What could he possibly have been thinking?

Just as this question seemed to fill his entire mind, Lukas suddenly
raised his head.

He felt something.

Something that only an Absolute could feel.

The ‘universe’ was creaking.

He knew what this phenomenon meant. It was something that only

occurred when someone exerted more force than the universe was
able to withstand. In other words, when an Absolute decided to
release their true power.

At first, Lukas thought that it was because of him. After all, his
Endtongue was a power that far surpassed the limits of this world.

But it wasn’t him.

The start of the ‘wave’ hadn’t come from Africa.

Instead, it was from Northern Ireland.

The place that Sedi had claimed as her territory.

Lukas realised that a fight between Absolutes was happening there.

‘She broke the agreement.’

In the first place, it was only a weak agreement that had no penalties
even if it was broken immediately.

Nevertheless, it had to be noted that they had met each other only a
few hours ago.

And yet, within such a short time, she broke the agreement…

This meant that it was a truly dire situation. And in this case, it could
only mean that her life had been threatened.

‘Nodiesop or Letip.’

He could only think of two beings that could possibly threaten Sedi’s
life. The other Absolutes who had entered this universe.
However, Lukas’ eyes were unconsciously drawn to Kasajin’s
Demon statue.

Sss…

The universe, which had started to creak, suddenly calmed down

once again.

The meaning behind this was tremendous.

It meant that the match between the fighting Absolutes had already
been decided.

***

“I am Lukas.”

This is what he said to Kran, who asked about his identity.

But Kran frowned at those words.

“I wasn’t asking for your name.”

It seemed he hadn’t let down his guard around Lukas yet.

“You said you were the Great Mage. Is that true?”

“It is.”

Lukas didn’t have any reason to hide it, so he simply nodded.

After a moment of silence, Kran spoke in a conflicted voice.

“A being who advised Wizards stuck at a certain level and unable to

progress… I always thought it was a legend that the Wizards spread
to make themselves sound more impressive.”

The Top Three.

It was a bit strange for Kran, who was something of a legend for
most hunters, to say.

“Why have I never heard of you before?”

Kran was genuinely curious when he asked this question.

If this man had decided to act, the Top Three wouldn’t have been
called the Top Three. This guy was just as strong as himself, the
Black Witch, and the Saint of Salvation.

No, he was many times stronger than them.

At least for Kran, this man standing in front of him was stronger than
any Wizard he’d ever seen before.

“What was that power that you just used? Was it magic?”

He was talking about the power Lukas had used to force Gullard into
the ground.

Even if it had only been an alter ego, it was clear to Kran that it was
a power strong enough to overpower most Dukes.

And yet, such a being had been forced to the ground without a way
to resist.

He didn’t think that it was a powerful spell because the casting time
was much too short for something so powerful. More importantly, he
hadn’t felt any mana fluctuations, something that foreshadowed
every spell.
Gullard didn’t even have a chance to realise what was happening
before his body had been crushed to the ground.

Lukas turned to look at Kran.

‘3rd-generation hybrid.’

There was a high probability that this was the man’s true identity.

He supposedly had the clue to deceiving the laws of this world.

But Lukas could not see anything despite meeting him in person.

Kran was a being who had been artificially created through biological
experiments.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t be considered to have been created from

nothing like the Golems Lukas knew about.

This man had a soul.

He was a being who was created by mixing two different species,

Demons and humans, together.

In a way… he was similar to ‘Frey Blake’, whose body Lukas had

occupied in the past.

Just like his body had been able to hold both mana and divine power
at the same time, Kran’s body was able to contain ki and demonic
energy.

However, he couldn’t see more than that. This was the same even if
he used Clairvoyance.

Of course, Kran was strong. He’d managed to reach a level of

strength that was rare
for mortals to achieve. If he had to compare, Lukas would say that
he was as strong if not stronger than he was before he was
imprisoned in the Abyss.

However, what did that have to do with the ‘clue’?

“…”

Lukas couldn’t tell, and he felt that he couldn’t figure it out even if he
continued to mull over the problem in his head.

Lukas decided to put that aside for now.

At least, there was one thing that he could be certain of…

“The Strongest, Kran.”

“What is it?”

“Would you like to defeat the Demons with me?”

For the time being, he would have to work with this man.

Gullard traveled so fast that his wings tore.

This was also a power of his wings, but it was something that only
the Demon King and the Five Dukes knew about.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t use this power freely with only 10% of his
power.
Already, his entire body looked like a torn rag, his flesh and blood
falling like rain as he was unable to overcome the strong wind
pressure.

Nevertheless, Gullard didn’t stop nor did he slow down. At that point,
he could no longer feel anything but pain, and he knew that his death
was inevitable. But his sense of duty overpowered the fear of death.

Taht!

Then, finally, he arrived at his destination.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, Gullard felt an intense

demonic energy piercing into his skin. This demonic energy was so
powerful that even Demons would be overwhelmed with fear, but
that wasn’t the case for Gullard. Instead, he felt comfortable as if he
had returned home after a long time.

“…Gullard?”

He heard Azazel’s voice. By that point, Gullard could no longer see,

but luckily, his tongue could still move.

“Aza… zel.”

“What the hell is going on? Who did this to yo-…?”

“The King… is he in front of me?”

Gullard cut Azazel off. He couldn’t afford to waste any time. He could
feel his tongue

gradually stiffening. This meant that his time was running out.
Azazel seemed to realise this. His head lowered sorrowfully as he
said.

“Yes, he’s looking at you.”

Gullard knelt. No, it was more like he collapsed to his knees.

“…My… King.”

[Gullard Phisfounder.]

The King’s voice sounded.

When he heard it, Gullard felt the pain wracking his body gradually
begin to subside.

“Please forgive me for greeting you in such a shameful manner.”

[It seems you have something to tell me. Say it.]

The King spoke in a blunt tone.

A faint smile blossomed on Gullard’s lips. Right, this was the King.
The King was stronger and more straightforward than anyone else.
Even the death of one of his most favoured subjects wouldn’t faze
him much.

Gullard smiled brightly for a moment before speaking.

“…a man suddenly appeared. He called himself the Great Mage.”

“…!”

It was Azazel, not the Demon King Kasajin, who appeared stunned
at those words.

[…]
Kasajin just remained silent. He looked at Gullard with an
unfathomable emotion hidden in his eyes.

“He’s strong. He seemed to be holding back… but he was still too

much for me.”

[I see.]

“Yes. However…”

Gullard continued confidently.

“He’s weaker than the King.”

[…]

Kurk.

Gullard coughed slightly, followed by the sound of him swallowing his

blood back down.

Unfortunately, that was the deciding factor. After doing that, he knew
that he wouldn’t last much longer.

“P-… please forgive… this weak servant. I’m sorry I will not be able
to achieve the great cause together with you, my King…”

After saying that last word, Gullard fell silent. He died on his knees,
bowing before his king.

Azazel looked at his corpse with a solemn expression.

‘You did a great job. Rest well, comrade.”

Then he turned to Kasajin.

“I remember what you said… about Lukas Trowman…”

[Stop.]

The King interrupted him.

[That is a thing of the past. A very, very long time ago. Now, those
memories are nothing but a blur.]

There was a brief flash on Azazel Trowman’s face when he heard

those words, but

that was it. Azazel didn’t react more than that.

He didn’t dare show rudeness by refuting the King’s words to his

face. Even if he thought he was lying.

“Then, if I meet Lukas Trowman…”

[Tell me. You wouldn’t be able to take him on.]

Kasajin continued in a low voice.

[I will kill him myself.]

***

The spell that man had just displayed was amazing.

Because that single spell had completely wiped out the hybrid army,
which had caused everyone to feel the threat of death.

Joanna couldn’t help but recall the Medusa he’d just shown. Was
that the real Medusa? Compared to the spell she’d used, the range
and power were on completely different levels.
Why hadn’t he shown his power before if he was so strong?

Joanna couldn’t help but think about this.

There were still Demons and Demon Beasts in Zinga, and a few
hybrids had managed to survive.

Of course, they weren’t in good condition, and they wouldn’t be able

to display much of their strength in the fights to come. Nevertheless,
they were still a formidable force for Joanna and the rest of the Gray
Sun to face.

Ba-ba-bang!

Fire spells constantly exploded on the ground. However, the Demon

Beasts whom they were facing now were different from the Demon
Beasts they’d faced before.

Even when hit by 5 star spells, their skin was only slightly singed.

Joanna’s face became pale once again.

She was in a hyper-focused state.

At the same time, she felt free.

‘This… is a real battle.’

She could feel it.

The amount of experience she would gain in just a few seconds on

this battlefield was something she wouldn’t be able to learn in her
previous, sheltered environment even if she spent ten years.
She didn’t have the time to think. But that was exactly why she
couldn’t stop thinking and planning. She couldn’t give up thinking just
because she didn’t have the time to.

What she had to look at wasn’t one of them but the entire horde.

Instead of the single Demon Beast in front of her, she had to see the
movements of the enemies as a whole. Instead of just herself, she
had to pay attention to all of her allies.

In order words, she had to see the entire battlefield. She had to
constantly collect information and use the right spells in the right
place at the right time without making any mistakes.

Of course, if she was an ordinary Wizard, she wouldn’t have to go

that far.

‘However.’

She wasn’t an ordinary Wizard.

She was Joanna the Archmage.

No.

She was the Great Mage’s Chosen.

This meant that she had to endure such hardships.

“…”

A pair of red eyes stared at her.

It was a Demon, the second-in-command of Zinga.

Count Perado.

None of the humans there had noticed his presence yet, but it
couldn’t be helped.

Even now, Perado hadn’t released any demonic energy and, instead,
was calmly observing the situation from a distance.

He hadn’t revealed himself.

Perado was a Demon to the core. This meant that he valued his own
survival more than anything else.

There were only two moments when he would make his move.

Either when his safety was guaranteed or when he found the key to
victory.

Perado looked around the battlefield thoughtfully.

The humans were clearly at a disadvantage. Be it in terms of

individual strength, numbers, or geographical location, nothing was
in their favor.

And yet, it was the Demons who were dying one-sidedly.

Of course, this wasn’t too surprising. It was common knowledge that

humans on the verge of death were the most annoying.

But even when that was taken into account, this situation didn’t make
much sense.

After thinking about it for a while, Perado finally realised what the
problem was.

It was the presence of characters who played a key role in

maintaining the line of defense.

‘Three.’
Lee Jong-hak slaughtered Demon Beasts at the front.

Elijah commanded and encouraged their troops from the middle.

And, lastly, Joanna, who paid attention to the entire battlefield from
the rear and bombarded the enemy with spells.

All three of them were annoying, but it was clear who the most
annoying one among them was.

‘That woman.’

The Wizard.

Even Perado couldn’t help but admire her wide field of view. If that
woman didn’t constantly use the right spells at the right times to help
her allies while also providing them with vital information, the
humans would have already been wiped out by now.

‘In other words, if that woman dies, we’ll win.’

After coming to this conclusion, Perado’s gaze suddenly grew cold.

Suppressing his presence, he quickly closed the distance to Joanna.

Two guards stood on either side of Joanna, but they weren’t a
problem.

Shurk.

With a purple glow surrounding them, Perado’s nails became

abnormally long and sharp. As soon as he appeared, he tore the two
guards apart in an instant, his claws ripping them to pieces at the
slightest touch. The guards became scattered pieces of meat before
they were even able to scream.
It was only then when Joanna sensed Perado’s presence and
gasped in shock. She was already exhausted from her constant
stream of spells. She had very little mana left, and her mental
strength was as thin as a thread.

And just when she reached her limit, a high-ranking Demon Noble
made his appearance.

Clang!

The bright purple claws that were heading directly for her were
inexplicably blocked. Then, Joanna felt the presence of someone
standing behind her.

“Frey…?”

“Good job.”

“Ah…”

With just two words, all the tension in her body was relieved. Joanna
stumbled slightly, but Lukas caught her by the shoulders.

“It’s over. You can rest now.”

“…”

This was a lot to ask, but Joanna nodded and closed her eyes
without hesitation.

‘Great.’

Lukas had acknowledged her.

She could tell even without looking at him.

Up until she fell unconscious, Joanna was the one who had been in
control of the battlefield. She had faithfully performed her role far
beyond Lukas’ expectations.

The battle wasn’t over yet, but she had earned the right to rest.

“You…!”

Perado’s eyes widened.

He knew that this man in front of him was a powerful Wizard who
had driven even Duke Gullard away.

Should he run, or should he fight? More importantly, where was

Duke Gullard?

He was indecisive, and this indecision created a small opening.

Crack!

And Kran would never miss such an opening.

The tip of his sword pierced through Perado’s chin before slicing up
through his brain.

Perado died before he could even make a sound.

This was a futile death unbefitting of a Count, but it was a natural

result when his opponent was one of the Top Three.

“Hmph.”

Kran wiped the blood off of his sword with a snort. Then, he turned to
the battlefield and clicked his tongue.
“You all haven’t managed to get rid of this trash yet? How pathetic.”

Killing intent surged within his eyes.

Then, he jumped into the battle without hesitation.

“Kiieek!”

“Kuk!”

It was as though a huge gust of wind had appeared on the

battlefield. With nothing but his sword, Kran slaughtered Demon and
Demon Beast alike as he easily moved forward. Most of the Demon
Beasts could not handle even a single strike from his sword, and
even the stronger Demons did not last much longer in front of him.

When they noticed his presence, the members of the Gray Sun froze
almost subconsciously.

Kran looked over to them and shook his head.

“You’re all in the way. Fall back. I’ll take care of this on my own.”

After those short words, Kran resumed his slaughter.

Lee Jong-hak watched this scene unfold with a blank gaze.

Kran’s appearance quickly brought the confrontation to a close. He

once again proved why he was one of the Top Three.
It was hard to believe that a single human was able to reverse the
tide of the battle.

But Elijah was thankful that such a human existed.

“Thanks for the help.”

Elijah approached Lukas, his tone much more polite than when they
first met. This was natural. After all, he’d just seen Lukas single-
handedly annihilate hundreds of hybrids.

He continued in a cautious voice.

“What about… Gullard?”

“Dead.”

Lukas covered Joanna, who had fainted, with his coat as he

answered. The answer was short, but the effect that it had was by no
means small.

“De-, dead?”

“The Vampire Duke…?!”

The survivors of the Gray Sun were shocked speechless. Even

Elijah could not hide his surprise. The same went for Lee Jong-hak,
who was resting a short distance away.

“You killed him?”

“To be precise, I helped Kran kill him.”

It was around that time when Kran returned, covered in blood. He

shot Lukas a dissatisfied glare for a moment before turning away, not
bothering to correct him.
“No way. To defeat one of the Five Dukes…”

“T-, Top Three…!”

Slowly, the heat of enthusiasm began spreading through all the

people gathered there. It was so strong that they could practically
feel it in the air.

Elijah couldn’t help but look at Lukas differently.

“Who the hell are you?”

Lukas looked at him for a moment before giving the answer that he’d
thought of a while ago.

“I’m a member of Argento Spell.”

The value or fame of a name.

He knew just how important it was to humans.

So Lukas decided to increase his fame as well. It was a necessary

process in order to eliminate the differences between the humans
and unite the world into one.

The defeat of the Vampire Duke, Gullard Phisfounder, one of the

Five Dukes, was an achievement that would become a cornerstone
for this process.

Sooner or later, this achievement would spread throughout the world.

Not just to humans but to Demons as well.

And…

To the Demon King.

***
The Vampire Duke, one of the Five Dukes, the worst calamities for
mankind, and the de facto ruler of Africa, had died.

Nevertheless, no large or significant changes happened right away.

“There are still many problems to deal with. For one, there are still
countless Demons left on this continent.”

“What are you going to do now?”

“We’ll continue doing what we’ve been doing from the start. Only, it’ll
be a lot better than it was before. First, we will get rid of the Demons
and Demon Beasts still in Zinga and use this place as our base of
operations to confront those bastards from the association.”

“What about the humans here?”

Elijah couldn’t help but fall silent for a moment at Lukas’ words.

The humans living in Zinga were practically traitors who had colluded
and submitted to the Demons. And now, their masters had been
defeated by the Gray Sun.

“…we’ll try to persuade them. But if they won’t listen to us, then we’ll
have no choice.”

“…”

We’ll have no choice.

Lukas didn’t say anything for a moment because he understood the

weight behind those words.

“I will let the North American and European Branches know that the
Gray Sun isn’t a criminal organisation and that it is the African
Branch that has become rotten.”

“…is that possible?”

“I will make it possible.”

It wouldn’t be easy.

It was highly likely that Neil Prand already knew the situation in
Africa. And yet, he had done nothing about it.

Nevertheless, Lukas spoke in a clear voice.

Elijah couldn’t help but smile slightly at those words.

“Thank you. I owe… Argento Spell, as you said, a great deal. If you
ever need our assistance, just tell me. Even if we can’t afford to, we
will definitely come to your assistance.”

This created an allied force for the newly launched Argento Spell. Of
course, they would be busy dealing with their own situation, but it
wasn’t a bad thing to have this relationship.

Lukas nodded to Elijah before going to look for Kran.

He found him in the middle of the deserted street, scavenging

through the bodies of the Demons. Lukas could guess what he was
doing. He was looking for their soul crystals.

While carrying out his task with robotic efficiency, Kran raised his
eyes to meet Lukas’.

Then, he spoke in a blunt tone.

“Is Frey an alias?”

“It is.”

“Looks like you’ve got a lot to hide. It’s my opinion that guys with a
lot of secrets are the ones you should never trust.”

Kran looked down at the soul crystal that he’d just taken from a body.
The crystal glowed resplendently in the dark.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t share these with you. I used too much against
that guy, Gullard.

Even if I harvest all of these, I’ll still be in the red.”

“I don’t need it.”

“Ah, right.”

“You never answered the question I asked earlier.”

“The one about joining your Argento Spell or whatever and working
together to defeat the Demons?”

Kran said it as though it was not worth thinking about.

“I refuse.”

“Why?”

“Because I prefer to fight alone.”

“You’re lying.”

Lukas said these words in a low voice. Then, he continued before

Kran could say anything to refute him.
“Did you think so during the fight with Gullard?”

Kran froze for a moment.

He hadn’t.

“You are strong. There’s probably no human stronger than you. Only
Demons.”

Kran let out a soft chuckle.

“Did I say something funny?”

“You did. You just compared me to humans.”

Why was that funny?

When he saw this question in Lukas’ eyes, Kran shook his head.

“You saw me regenerate my limbs and destroyed skull in an instant.

Do you think humans could do something like that?”

“There’s nothing wrong with that. There are all kinds of unusual
abilities in the world.”

“Bullshit…”

Kran couldn’t help the swear word that escaped from his mouth. This
was because Lukas said those words with a straight face.

Lukas’ words came from experience. He had seen at least a few

thousand humans who had even stranger abilities than Kran.

“…”
Kran could also faintly sense that he was serious. Of course, he
couldn’t actually tell what Lukas was thinking. He just realised that
this being in front of him was not saying those words just to comfort
him.

He opened his mouth and spoke in a soft voice.

“Could you still say that if you saw my real appearance?”

“…”

“At first, I also thought of myself as a human. There wasn’t any real
reason for it. It was just that I had an innate disgust for Demons, so I
thought my essence was closer to that of humans. But it isn’t.”

Tuduk…

Kran’s face began to change.

Lukas silently looked on.

The small changes on Kran’s face slowly began spreading to the rest
of his body.

His skin turned black, and his eyes turned golden. Fangs protruded
from his lips, and large horns sprouted from his forehead.

After his transformation was complete, his appearance seemed

similar to a human’s, but it wasn’t human.

“Now, do you still think I’m a human?”

A soft wind blew through the street.

Lukas looked at those strangely colored eyes. Unlike his devilish
appearance, his golden eyes shined brilliantly in the darkness.

“You are.”

After a short moment, Lukas finally spoke in a calm voice.

“You’re human.”

When he heard that declaration, Kran became speechless for some

reason.

“Why do you hunt Demons? Where does your hatred for them come
from?”

Why?

Kran shook his head.

“I never thought about stuff like that. I just don’t like the thought of
Demons.”

It wasn’t for moral reasons or justice.

Kran never thought of himself as a good person. He was an

extremely selfish and self-centered man. The reason why he’d
started hunting the Demons was simple.

He didn’t like them.

To him, their thoughts and behaviour were disgusting.

So he killed them. He killed them because he didn’t like them. Even
a little child would probably be able to think of a better reason, but it
was the truth.

As he kept killing them, stronger and stronger opponents kept

appearing. And as a result, Kran’s life became more and more
hazardous. But every time he managed to overcome the struggle, he
grew stronger.

He faced bloody battles day after day after day, and before long, his
vision felt like it was constantly enshrouded by a red veil.

Then, when he finally awoke from his blood-fueled haze, Kran

realised that he was suddenly being called one of the ‘Top Three’ by
everyone. Humans and Demons alike.

“I suppose that’s why you always hid your true identity. So that you
would be able to use it as a trump card when faced off against strong
enemies.”

“Why did you bother saying it if you knew already?”

Kran spat those words in an irritated tone. The way this man spoke
as if he knew everything was really annoying.

Lukas looked at him for a moment before opening his mouth.

“Let me express my respect.”

“What?”

“I would like to express my respect and admiration to you for

becoming the master of your life, your actions, and your beliefs.”
“You… Did you not understand what I just told you? I just did as I
pleased without caring about anyone else. I’ve never done anything
to deserve anyone’s respect.”

“You said you didn’t like the Demons.”

“Right. So?”

“You were able to instinctually tell that their thoughts and actions
were wrong. This shows that you are a good person in nature.”

Kran had probably been ostracised by humans in the past.

No. Lukas was certain that was the case.

When he was more innocent than he was now when he thought that
he was more human than Demon.

He wasn’t sure how that memory affected Kran.

But the important thing was that despite having those memories, he
still chose to walk the path that he thought was right.

But the strong would always stand out from a crowd. Especially if
they didn’t have any discretion about standing above others like Neil
Prand.

Kran didn’t have the talent nor the charisma to be a leader.

Nevertheless, it couldn’t be denied that he could be living a much

better life than he

was right now. Gullard’s attitude was the best evidence of this. He
could have become the Demons’ subordinate, spending his days
slaughtering humans without fear.
In fact, it wasn’t even just the Demons.

For example, North America would gladly welcome Kran with both
arms wide open if he chose to join them.

There was no organisation in the world that would refuse The

Strongest, Kran.

But Kran didn’t join any of them.

He still stayed on the frontlines, the most dangerous place in the

world, on his own.

He still continued to fight for his life every day.

He did something so troublesome and dangerous simply because he

didn’t like them.

Or, in other words, because he couldn’t tolerate what they were

doing.

It was clear that Kran had lost a lot over the years, but one thing he
didn’t lose was his pride.

“…”

For a while, Kran didn’t say anything. Instead, he just quietly stared
at Lukas. Then, he looked away from him and turned around.

Seeing this, Lukas was also about to turn around. After all, there
were still a lot of things for him to do. But something suddenly flew
towards him.

Tak.

Lukas caught it and looked at it.

“That’s your cut. For helping me with Gullard.”

“…”

It was a soul crystal. Moreover, the energy within it was pretty dense.
This meant that it was at least a Count’s soul crystal.

Lukas turned around again. But Kran had already disappeared.

***

The process of occupying the city of Zinga took exactly half a day.
After all, Gullard had made use of all of his means in the previous
battle. The Demon Beasts, Demons, and Hybrids, or, in other words,
the troops who usually guarded the city, were already dead.

The Gray Sun was also not in the best condition, but they still had
the presence of strong individuals like Kran, Lee Jong-hak, and
Elijah.

Thanks to that, they were able to recapture the city rather quickly.

The residents of Zinga, who lived with the Demons, and the Africa
Branch’s hunters were unwilling at first and ran wild. But this uprising
quickly subsided when they were overpowered with brute force and
their leaders were made an example.

In the first place, that was the type of people they were. Leech-like
individuals who latched onto whichever side was stronger. This trait
of theirs was remarkably similar to the Demons.

This made Elijah even more disgusted with them, and he had the
urge to just kill all of them, but if he did that, he would be no better
than the Demons.

So instead, he suppressed his dark desires, pulled himself together,

and focused on organising the newly acquired Zinga.

The next day.

Lukas was told that Joanna had woken up. Now, they had to get
ready to return to North America. Of course, there was no reason to
rush since their mission hadn’t taken as long as they anticipated.

With an unhurried gait, Lukas headed towards the room that Joanna
had been placed in.
And in front of the door that he soon arrived at was a man with a
familiar face.

Lee Jong-hak.

“This is the second time we’re facing each other like this.”

His eyes were serious, and it seemed he had something important to

talk about.

Although Lukas had an idea of what he wanted, it was still hard to

ignore him.

He stopped and looked at him.

After hesitating for a while, Lee Jong-hak finally spoke with a

determined expression.

“Are you Lukas?”

“…”

“Please answer me. I don’t think the ability to use magic like that is
common.”

This was only an assumption based on a logical analysis at best.

However, as he said those words, Lee Jong-hak’s voice was filled
with conviction.

After thinking about it for a moment, Lukas nodded.

Lee Jong-hak let out a small breath.

“…as I thought.”

“You look like you have something to say to me.”

Something to say.
Of course, he did.

Lee Jong-hak was still stunned by that incredible scene.

He knew just how tricky and troublesome the hybrids were in battle.
And yet, hundreds of those beings were wiped out in the blink of an
eye. Without much effort.

The transcendent power of that scene reminded him of the man he’d
met not so long ago.

“…do you have any idea about what’s happening in the Asia
Headquarters right now?”

“No.”

“It has become a kingdom, in which one man decides everything.”

There was no need to ask who that man was.

“Nodiesop… revealed his power and took control of the Asia

Headquarters. And he also took the loyalty of the hunters in the
process.”

Lee Jong-hak couldn’t find a better word to use than ‘take’. From the
start, he showed off his overwhelming power without giving anyone a
chance to think. And anyone who disobeyed him was killed.

It was a reign that was built purely on fear.

“What kind of power did he reveal?”

“…his power can extend anywhere in the world. For example, in a

desperate situation like the one we were in yesterday, if I had said
his name and prayed for his help, he would have helped us. With his
miracle-like power.”

“…”

Lukas’s expression became serious with those words.

He wasn’t sure what power Nodiesop had, but Africa and China were
thousands of kilometers apart. If he wanted to use his power across
such a large distance, then he would have to use his powers as an
Absolute.

In other words, Nodiesop…

‘Doesn’t care what happens in this universe.’

It was irresponsible. Nodiesop alone had probably shortened the

lifespan of the

universe, pushing it closer to destruction.

However, this concept wasn’t something that mortals could

understand.

Lee Jong-hak continued.

“When I saw that, I couldn’t help but feel that something was wrong.”

Lukas’ eyes shined slightly when he heard this, but Lee Jong-hak
didn’t notice.

“I’m not saying that it’s wrong to kill the Demon Beasts, Demonic
Humans, or Demons. I just wonder whether he could use such great
power so freely.”
He might have been just overthinking.

However, Lee Jong-hak couldn’t help but feel as though Nodiesop’s

actions were breaking some fundamental rule of nature.

After all, he’d displayed the ability to kill thousands of Demons with a
single finger.

Lee Jong-hak looked at such power with awe. But at the same time,
he felt fear.

“Nodiesop wants you to search for me.”

“…I could go back to the Asia Headquarters and report your location.
Will you kill me here?”

“No.”

When Lukas answered with a firm tone, Lee Jong-hak couldn’t help
but ask.

“Why? Do you want a confrontation?”

“It’s not that either.”

He didn’t seek a confrontation.

It had been so in his days as a human, and it continued to be so

after he became an Absolute.

Lee Jong-hak bit his lip slightly before speaking.

“…then why did you kill all of the Asian hunters in Europe?”

This was probably the question he wanted to ask the most.

“They attacked me first. Many more lives were lost on the European
side.”

“But that caused the relationship between Europe and Asia to reach
a boiling point.”

(TL: isn’t this victim blaming?)

Among the Asian hunters, the hardliners who were adamant that
they raze the European Headquarters to the ground were gaining
support.

Asia’s distrust and hatred towards Europe was growing by the day.
But this was funny. After all, they were the ones who attacked first.

And yet, no one thought about that. Instead of reflecting on their

actions, they continued to declare their hatred as if they had all been
possessed.

All of this was a mark of Nodiesop’s demonic charisma.

Now, even Lee Jong-hak wasn’t able to stop their momentum.

“That might be the case if everyone died.”

“…what are you trying to say?”

“What if I told you they’re still alive?”

“…!”

Lee Jong-hak’s eyes widened.

“I knew that they had been incited to do what they did and that if I
killed them, the regional feud would only deepen.”

“…are they still alive?”

“Not all of them.”

Those like Kim Go-hyuk had to die.

However, those who questioned their actions and stopped

themselves from killing others despite their orders to do so were
spared.

This referred to people like the Sword Saint.

“Where are they now…?”

“I sent them to the Korean Peninsula in Asia. They should be

wandering around there somewhere.”

“…”

“I asked them about you.”

Lee Jong-hak’s eyebrows furrowed.

“What role do you want me to play?”

“I don’t want anything. Think for yourself, and act in whatever way
you think is right.

Just like you have done all your life.”

“…”

That was all Lukas had to say. After that, he walked past Lee Jong-
hak.

“…thank you.”

It was a soft whisper.

When Lukas turned around, he saw that Lee Jong-hak was bowing
deeply to him.

Then, he raised his head and met his eyes before straightening up,
turning around, and walking away.

As he left, Lee Jong-hak’s footsteps appeared more determined and

powerful.

Lukas turned around again and grabbed the doorknob to Joanna’s

room.

“…!!”

When Lukas started turning the doorknob, he suddenly heard

tumbling inside the room. He paused for a moment, the doorknob in
his hand, before opening the door slightly.

“A-, ah. Y-, yo-, you’re here.”

Joanna called out to him with an awkward expression. She was

sitting on the bed and seemed a bit nervous.

Lukas pretended not to notice.

“How are you feeling?”

“I, I’m fine. Uh. But, my mana room seems to have become a bit
larger.”

“Yesterday’s experience must have caused your mana room to

expand. That’s a good sign.”
It would probably pay off sooner or later. When he said that, Joanna
responded with a bright expression.

“Yeah!”

“…”

“Ah…”

Then, her expression became nervous once again.

She kept glancing at Lukas out of the corner of her eye before taking
a deep breath and turning to him with a determined expression.

“Hey, is there a chance- ”

“Frey, are you there?”

The door opened, and Elijah walked in.

If looks could kill, Elijah would be dead thousands of times over as

Joanna glared at him with a hand on her pounding heart. His timing
couldn’t have been worse.

But Elijah didn’t notice her reaction as he approached Frey with a

serious expression.

“There you are.”

“What’s the matter?”

“We finally restored the communications equipment here in Zinga.

Using the channels that you told us, we established communication
lines with Europe and North America.”
“I see.”

Elijah hadn’t come here just to report that. Lukas’ gaze told him to
continue.

“And we immediately received an emergency call from North

America.”

“…from North America?”

“From the Association President, Neil Prand.”

Elijah spoke with a serious expression.

“He’s urgently looking for you.”

***

“…”

After giving his explanation, Elijah didn’t say anything for a while.
Instead, he looked at Lukas before speaking in a cautious voice.

“There is warp equipment in Zinga as well. It’s an old and outdated

model, but it

should still be functional. If you want to leave now, we will start

maintenance right away… What do you intend to do?”

The North America Headquarters had already given their approval.

They hadn’t truly acknowledged the existence of the Gray Sun yet,
but under the orders of the Association President, they did not
express any resistance to opening a portal between the two sides.
In Elijah’s opinion, this could already be considered quite beneficial.
Even if it was only temporary, they had managed to form a
connection with North America.

He still didn’t like their attitude and behaviour, but he didn’t deny the
strength of the North America Headquarters.

He couldn’t. He had to put his reason in front of his emotions.

‘Use whatever is available.’

In order to bring peace to the African Continent, he was willing to

throw away his pride a thousand times.

Lukas bowed to him and spoke.

“I will have to ask for your help.”

“I will forever be indebted to you. This is nothing.”

Elijah chuckled softly before leaving the room.

“…”

After he left, a heavy silence befell the room. Lukas seemed to be

lost in serious thought.

Joanna looked at him for a moment before speaking cautiously.

“Leo is the boy who came with you, isn’t he?”

“Yeah.”

Lukas replied with a nod.

Joanna fell silent after that because she didn’t know what else to
say.

No. In truth, she was also quite shocked.

‘The Canadian Branch has fallen.’

Of course, it was just Toronto, Canada, and not the entirety of the
Canadian territory that had been occupied.

Nevertheless, that news was no less shocking. After all, Joanna

knew who the Branch Manager of the Toronto Branch was.

Marcel Morgan.

A Master rank Warrior and the President of the Canadian Branch. He

was also one of the most influential members of the council who
actually controlled North America.

She’d only ever met him once during a meeting at the North America
Headquarters.

At that time, he refuted Neil Prand’s words directly and shared his
thoughts without backing down. It also seemed that Neil was
reluctant to openly go against him. But it was clear that the
relationship between the two of them wasn’t good.

The fact that he could directly oppose the Association President

showed that he was not a weak man. He was not a man who would
die easily.

…Or, at least, that would have been the case if his opponent hadn’t
been one of the Five Dukes.

Joanna shuddered.

It had only been for a moment, but she had felt the power Gullard
released when he became serious.
The only expression she could think of to describe it was ‘natural
disaster’. To be honest, Joanna still couldn’t believe that monster
was dead.

After fainting, she had a terrible nightmare. She dreamt that she’d
become a shriveled corpse after all her blood had been sucked out
by Gullard.

‘That’s why I wanted to return to America as soon as possible.’

After having that thought, Joanna couldn’t help but feel a bit
depressed at how cowardly she was.

‘…the Five Dukes.’

The highest ranking Demons, who had been moving in the shadows
before their existence was finally revealed not so long ago.

Was it a good sign? Or was it bad?

She turned to look at Lukas once again.

“…”

Unlike Joanna, who was terrified, there were no changes in Lukas’

expression. Even though he’d heard everything that Elijah said.

His expression made her feel strange.

She couldn’t tell if he was shocked, upset, or if he didn’t care at all.

Lukas then turned his eyes to look at Joanna. But as soon as their
gazes met, Joanna looked away, her heart pounding. As she was
now, she didn’t dare to meet Lukas’
gaze.

After coughing slightly to regain her composure, she opened her

mouth.

“…first, we should head back to America.”

Lukas nodded.

***

“What?”

Rose, the Rose Duke, asked as she looked at the shadowy figure of
a man before her.

Her pupils had dilated because of the shocking news she’d just
heard.

Azazel, the blurry figure in front of her, repeated his words.

[Gullard is dead.]

“That…”

Was he serious?

Rose restrained herself before she could ask this question. Because
she knew the man in front of her would never lie or joke around.
Especially about something as serious as the death of one of the
Five Dukes.

Rose bit her lip before asking.

“Who the hell did it?”

[Lukas Trowman.]

Rose froze slightly when she heard that name. She stared at Azazel
with an incredulous expression.

“What did you say?”

[Lukas Trowman killed Gullard. Rose, if you find out that man’s
location, don’t try to face him alone. We are no match for him.]

“…”

[This is a direct order from the King himself. Killing that man is the
King’s job.]

Nevertheless, Rose’s expression didn’t change much. She bit her

nail and appeared lost in thought.

Lukas Trowman. That was a familiar name.

She knew who he was. Of course she would.

That man was someone who held a position that Rose greatly
desired.

‘But why does the King want to kill him?’

She couldn’t help but have a strange feeling at that, but it was swiftly
followed by a deep sense of pleasure.

What if…

What if she killed that man?

Not only would she be able to satisfy her own desire but even the
King’s favor…

She cut that thought off before it could go any further.

[…you’ve been with us for a long time.]

Rose shuddered slightly when she heard Azazel’s deep voice.

[And there have been many times when you didn’t follow the King’s
orders.]

When she lifted her head, his cold eyes made her freeze.

[In this case, such an attitude cannot be dismissed as individuality or

deviation. It will be considered as outright disobedience.
Understood? This matter is very sensitive for the King, so don’t do
anything stupid. This is my first and last warning to you.]

Rose gulped before forcing a small smile.

“You didn’t have to say all of that. I know.”

[I hope so.]

After saying those words, Azazel’s blurry figure began fading.

“Azazel, wait. Are you with His Majesty right now?”

[The King isn’t here right now.]

Again?

“Did he enter seclusion again…?”

“That’s not it. I don’t know the details. Just that he went to Asia.
What is it? Is there something you need to report to the King?”

“…that…”

Rose suddenly closed her mouth before shaking her head.

“No. It’s nothing.”

[…]

She grimaced slightly when Azazel gave her a silent look.

“I will tell him in person later. Is that a problem, Lord Grand Duke?”

[Of course not. You are also a Duke. You naturally have the right to
an audience.]

Azazel had probably realised that Rose was hiding something, but
he didn’t try to pressure her for it. He’d already told her. This was her
first and last warning. The consequences of whatever Rose did
would be hers to bear.

Sss…

It wasn’t until Azazel had completely left when Rose turned around.

There, she saw Leo, who was covered by vines.

“…”

This situation.

She might be able to make use of it.

A pleasant smile stretched across Rose’s lips.

***
In the underground facilities beneath the Pilsky Tower.

This was no ordinary underground space. It was a space that

extended several

kilometers below the surface.

Very few people knew about this place. Several of the builders who
constructed this place had been deliberately selected, and they even
had their memories altered afterwards.

Of course, Neil Prand, the President of the Association, knew about

this space as well as its purpose.

This underground facility even had a special elevator that connected

directly to the President’s quarters on the 177th floor.

And that elevator was currently in use.

Ding-

The elevator stopped, and the door opened.

A rough hallway with dim lighting was revealed. Neil’s destination

was the communication room, which was at the end of this hallway.

But he stopped walking before he got very far. This was because he
found someone standing in the middle of the hallway.

Unperturbed, Neil simply looked at him before finally opening his

mouth as the elevator doors closed.

“What do you want?”

“I’m just curious. Why are you here?”

After saying that, Letip stepped forward.

“You have a question? I thought you were all-knowing.”

“Omniscience is not a concept that mortals should talk about

carelessly.”

“…”

Letip smiled for a moment before pointing towards the

communication room.

“You haven’t been to this [Communications Room] where you

contact Demons for a while. What brings you here now?”

“Do you expect me to answer?”

“No. But from what I know, you told Lukas you wouldn’t contact the
Demons anymore.”

“…”

This wasn’t something that he’d spoken about in Letip’s presence.

But Neil wasn’t surprised. Instead, he spoke with a sour expression.

“You eavesdropped.”

“I didn’t mean to hear it. Your voices just leaked out and I happened
to be nearby.”

“In this world, that’s called eavesdropping.”

“I see.”
“And this isn’t something you have to worry about.”

Neil’s voice was cold.

“If you have nothing else to say, can you leave? I’m in a hurry.”

“Sure.”

Not caring about his attitude, Letip smiled before mockingly stepping
to the side and disappearing.

Neil couldn’t be sure if he had truly left or if he was still hanging

around.

If Letip wanted to conceal himself, then Neil Prand would have no

way of finding him.

So he decided to stop worrying about it.

Letip, as always, was someone who was driven only by his personal
interest. Trying to understand his intentions would only give him a
headache. It was better to just let him do what he wanted without
caring about it.

Fortunately, he never seemed to be too interested in what Neil was

doing.

After a fingerprint scan, iris scan, and password, the door opened.

Inside this room was a small computer. The monitor was a type of
CRT(1) monitor that had been phased out as science advanced.

Click.
When he clicked a button, the monitor lit up. As if they had been
waiting, the figure of a person appeared on the screen.

[It’s been a while since I last contacted you. You’re late.]

The quality of the video was very bad and the image was blurry.
Nevertheless, the figure’s features allowed him to immediately
recognise who they were. It was none other than Rose, the Rose
Duke, who appeared on the screen.

“Did you forget the situation?”

[I did kill a few but not that many.]

“…”

Neil’s gaze sank slightly. Then, he spoke curtly, getting to the point.

“Tell me what you want.”

[Do you see this boy?]

The image turned slightly and he saw Leo hanging from vines.

[I want you to find the person who taught him the Warrior King Fist
and send them here.]

Neil didn’t know what the Warrior King Fist was.

But he knew who Leo’s Master was.

“He’s not someone you can handle.”

[Did I ask you that?]

Rose’s voice became unpleasant.

[You just need to answer. Just like before. Will you do it or not?]

Neil thought for a moment.

“He’s not in America right now. It’ll be a bit hard, but I’ll send him as
soon as possible.”

[Good boy, Neil Prand.]

Rose smiled brightly at Neil.

[Our deal will continue for the time being.]

“…”

Neil didn’t answer, and the monitor went blank once again. He sat
there in the darkness for a while.

“Everything for America.”

After solidifying his resolve, Neil got up from his seat.

(Note:

1. CRT stands for “Cathode Ray Tube.” It’s a technology that was
used in traditional computer monitors and television.)

After a while, they received a call from Elijah, and Lukas and Joanna
headed over to the Warp equipment with their gear.
Coincidentally, the Warp equipment was located in the mansion
where Gullard had been staying in the past.

“Ugh…”

Joanna made a disgusted expression.

Gullard was no longer around, but the fact that this place had once
been his lair made her very uncomfortable. It was almost like
stepping into a haunted house.

But the moment she entered the mansion, her expression changed
immediately.

“Archmage Joanna.”

“We owe you a lot this time.”

“Thank you so much.”

This was because she found the members of the Gray Sun bowing
their heads towards her.

She could tell from their expressions that their words weren’t just to
be polite.

Instead, their faces were covered by genuine expressions of

gratitude and respect.

‘Ah… ’

It was different.

Joanna couldn’t help but think about the praise she received daily
back when she was in America.

The youngest Archmage.

The most brilliant female Wizard.

The young woman who would lead America to greater heights.

However, those words of praise were nothing but polite comments.

This didn’t mean that the words were false. However… they didn’t
even come close to touching her heart the way these simple words
of thanks had.

‘…I was such a fool.’

How had she not realised?

Why had she been so pleased by those perfunctory remarks in the

past?

Thinking back to herself at that time, Joanna felt ashamed.

“I… I just did what I had to.”

Joanna avoided their emotional gazes as she muttered those words.

She’d tried to answer calmly but failed spectacularly.

She didn’t know why she felt so shy all of a sudden. She hadn’t been
this embarrassed even when participating in shows that had
hundreds of thousands of viewers.

“Haha.”

“She’s completely different from what I’d thought at first.”

“It’s nice to see.”

The members couldn’t help but smile when they saw Joanna’s
human side.
Their attitude caused Joanna’s face to flush red.

“Y-, you’re looking down on me.”

“They’re not. They will never forget what you did for them.”

Joanna’s face went blank for a moment as she heard Lukas’ words.

“…never… forget…”

Those words caused a strange feeling to fill her heart. It was

different from any other emotion she’d ever felt in her life.

It was a warm and extremely overwhelming feeling that reminded her

of the pride or feeling of accomplishment that she got whenever she
progressed in magic or was commended by a superior.

“…it’s the same in America as well.”

“What do you mean?”

“People who leave for battlefields such as Europe, Africa, and Asia
to carry out missions. People who risk their lives day and night to
save others.”

“…”

“Of course, the America Association Branch didn’t like them very
much. I also thought that they were stupid.”

Despite their strength, those people were always neglected.

In fact, their positions in the America Association Branch could only

be described as poor.
And yet…

“…they always seemed devoted and proud.”

Lukas silently listened to Joanna’s voice.

After a short pause, she opened her mouth again.

“Now, I understand… how they felt.”

“That’s good.”

“Huh?”

“That smile that you just showed was very beautiful.”

Lukas spoke his honest opinion. After all, he felt truly happy at that
moment.

Joanna had found the sense of satisfaction that only came with
doing good deeds.

Her outlook on the world would certainly be different from now on.

She would definitely shine brighter. So even Lukas couldn’t help but
admire the beauty of this moment.

“…huh?”

But, unbeknownst to him, his statement had sent Joanna’s brain

flying hundreds of millions of light years away.

Joanna stood there with an absent-minded stare on her face for a

moment before instantly turning beet red.
“W-, w-. wh-, wha-, what did you just… -”

“Hey.”

A man appeared behind Joanna, whose lips were flapping up and

down like a fish.

It was Kran. He was still dressed as sloppily as usual. With his

ragged covering his lips, he spoke in his normal, blunt tone.

“I heard you’re going back to America.”

“Right. Will you come with me?”

“Ha. I already turned you down, didn’t I?”

“…”

Then why was he here? No matter how he looked at it, it seemed

that Kran had been waiting for them for a while.

Kran frowned when he saw Lukas’ questioning gaze.

“I got a place I have to go for now. I need to fix my broken tools,

replenish my equipment, and deal with the soul crystals.”

“Right.”

“…”

Kran crossed his arms and tapped his feet on the ground in a
strange rhythm for a moment. Then, he spoke in a voice that felt like
a mixture between nervousness and irritation.

“It’s called Argento Spell, right?”

“Right.”

“…I’ll remember that.”

After saying those words, Kran turned around and disappeared.

It was only then when Joanna came back to her senses and looked
at Lukas with a confused expression.

“What did he stop us for?”

“For the day we meet again.”

“Huh?”

“That was the best he could do. We have to respect that.”

“…I see.”

Joanna said this, but her expression said otherwise.

She couldn’t help but feel like Kran’s interaction with Lukas was
different from anyone else’s. But she wasn’t exactly sure where the
difference was yet.

It wasn’t long before they arrived at the Warp equipment.

There, they found Elijah waiting for them.

“Come quickly. All the preparations are complete.”

Joanna, who had been looking around for a while, finally tilted her
head to the side.

“By the way, where did Mr. Lee go?”

Naturally, she was talking about Lee Jong-hak.

Elijah shrugged.

“He already went back to Asia. He seemed to have urgent business.”

“Ah.”

Well.

When one considered the position of the Human Dragon, Lee Jong-
hak, it was understandable why he wouldn’t be able to stay for a long
time. His mission in Africa had already been completed, so it was
natural that he’d head home immediately afterward.

However, Joanna couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed in the fact
that he’d left without saying goodbye despite having fought for their
lives together.

After doing one final check of the equipment, Elijah turned to them.

“You’re heading to the North America Headquarters in Manhattan,

New York, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Confirmed.”

Woowoong-

The Warp Portal let out a hum as it came into existence. Elijah gazed
deeply at the portal before speaking in a solemn tone.

“…I will say it again. Thank you so much. Frey Blake, this is a favour
that I will do my
very best to repay. On my honour.”

His eyes then turned to Joanna.

“And you, Joanna Goldberg.”

“Ah… me?”

“Of course. You are also our benefactor.”

In fact, in the final battle against the Demons, the Gray Sun would
have been annihilated if it hadn’t been for Joanna. Elijah added with
a serious expression.

“When I first heard the nonsense about you being chosen by the
Great Mage, I honestly thought you’d hit your head…”

“Hey!”

No, how did this man know that?

After thinking that, Joanna realised that everything she’d said had
been heard by the Gray Sun.

Crazy. That was crazy.

However, Elijah’s next words caused her expression to change.

“…but now, I feel like it might be true.”

“…”

For a moment, Joanna felt grateful. The events that had happened
before then had allowed her to build up some resistance, so she was
able to better hide her embarrassment.

Elijah looked at her and let out a soft chuckle before schooling his
expression.
“Then, I wish you best of luck in America.”

Paht-

A bright light enveloped them.

It was time to return to America.

***

“…”

The Warp Portal in Manhattan Square.

They were immediately greeted by bright flashes of light and loud

noise.

“Ah…”

They were back.

Joanna felt her body relax when she saw the familiar scenery,
smelled the familiar scents, and heard the familiar sounds. It hadn’t
been that long since she’d left, but she felt like a soldier returning
home after a few years.

Lukas looked around before opening his mouth.

“There are fewer people than last time.”

“Oh, my God. What’s with the depressing comment? Can’t you see
I’m trying to enjoy the feeling of returning home?”

“…”
Home.

Lukas’ expression softened slightly.

“It’s because today is a weekday. Besides, at that time, there were

more people because of the press confere-…”

Joanna’s voice cut off before she finished her sentence.

This was because she remembered how rudely she’d treated Lukas
when they first met.

It was a strange feeling. It hadn’t been that long ago, but she felt
embarrassed like she was remembering the mistakes she made
during childhood.

“…in any case, we should probably hurry over to the headquarters.”

After saying that, Joanna pulled out the smartphone that she’d kept
deep in her bag.

Of course, it was a communication device that could only be used in

North America.

‘There’s a scratch on the screen.’

In the past, she would’ve immediately gotten a replacement, but

now, she only wondered where the scratch had come from.

After fiddling with the smartphone for a moment, she called one of
her contacts.

“It’s me. Yeah. I’m back. Right, I’m in the square right now.”

Then she hung up.

Soon after, a black limousine pulled into the square.

It was the man who had been stuck to Joanna’s side the first time
they met who opened the door and stepped out.

“You’re back. I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Have you been well, Frank?”

“Yes.”

His eyes then turned to Lukas, who was standing beside her.
Irritation flashed in his eyes for a brief moment.

Lukas and Joanna. He’d been very upset when he learned that the
two of them would be going on a mission alone. Of course, he knew
that it wouldn’t matter if Joanna’s personal assistant or manager was
to express dissatisfaction since the order came directly from the
Association President.

Venting his anger, he spoke in a harsh tone.

“You didn’t cause any trouble for Miss Joanna, did you?”

“Frank!”

The sudden shout surprised Frank.

It was none other than Joanna who’d shouted. She even looked at
him with a reproachful glare.

“Be polite.”

“B-, but…”
“Do I have to repeat myself?”

“N-, no, I’m sorry.”

“Am I the one you need to apologise to?”

“…ah… That…”

Frank bit his lip before bowing his head towards Lukas.

“…I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. We should hurry up.”

Joanna nodded before stepping onto the car, followed by Lukas.

Frank looked at their backs with a complicated gaze.

“As expected, America is still the best. I can’t wait to go home and
take a bath. With steaming hot water and rose petals. Huhu.”

“Is your house nearby?”

“I have a few, but the one here is the one I use most. Ah, it just so
happens that I can see it from here. It’s that high-rise building over
there. Although it’s a bit small, the night view is unbelievable, so it’s
worth the inconvenience.”

“I see.”

“When it comes to the night view, the food at the Cruise Ship
Restaurant is absolutely wonderful. I’ll invite you some time, so come
with me.”
“…”

What was this atmosphere?

Frank couldn’t help but wonder inwardly as he drove.

He didn’t know what Joanna’s mission was, but now, he was curious.

What the hell happened to cause them to become so friendly in such

a short time?

Frank knew just how noble Joanna was. His feelings towards her
were closer to those of worship, and even though he was only in
charge of chores, he took great pride in the fact that he could assist
her in any way.

And as far as Frank knew, the only person that Joanna showed such
a friendly attitude to was the Association President, Neil Prand.

No, it felt like her attitude now was even better than that.

Frank stopped thinking about it and slowly pulled over. This was
because they’d arrived at the North America Headquarters.

“Wait here, Frank.”

“…Yes.”

They got out of the car and walked into Pilsky Tower.

Like last time, a man who looked like a security guard handed her an
earpiece.

Joanna took it and hesitated for a moment. Then, she opened her
mouth.

“Thank you.”

“…huh? Ah, no problem.”

The security guard appeared bewildered for a moment before
bowing and walking away.

“It’s a security in-ear. It allows us to connect to the network inside the

tower. You can change channels according to your clearance level…
Wait a moment.”

Joanna tapped the in-ear as she said that, and Lukas nodded.

Then, Joanna heard something from the in-ear and her expression
changed slightly.

“They want us to go to the 58th floor.”

“Is something wrong?”

“Mm.”

Joanna spoke with a slightly cautious expression.

“…that’s the emergency room.”

It was the emergency room that only housed critically ill or fatally
injured patients.

The emergency room on the 58th floor was spacious and open. The
ceiling wasn’t just higher than other floors; it was several times
higher.
It was so large that it seemed to have been created from multiple
floors. At least five floors had to be combined to create such a large
space. This naturally meant that it looked incredibly spacious.

Nevertheless, there were so many people on this floor that the large
space still didn’t seem like enough. Doctors, nurses and those who
appeared to be Priests ran around busily to the extent that one
couldn’t help but pity them.

Lukas’ eyes turned to the far right side of the floor. There, a hazy
light that didn’t quite suit the modern atmosphere shined brightly.

This light was coming from what appeared to be small Warp Portals.
There seemed to be a dozen of them lined up along the wall.

“This place has the most state-of-the-art facilities and equipment as

well as the very best medical staff. Its services aren’t just limited to
North America. Depending on the circumstances, every Branch all
across the world can send their critically ill patients here.”

“I see.”

Lukas nodded.

In other words, it meant that each of these portals was linked to a

different Branch.

It was at that moment.

A portal hummed loudly before a large group of people stepped out

of it. There were perhaps ten of them. They all wore distinctive
costumes, which seemed to be a mix between robes and lab coats,
and each of them had a staff in hand. The reverberation of mana
could be felt from every part of their bodies.
Lukas immediately recognised them as Wizards.

And they were all quite talented.

Among them, it was the woman at the front of the group who truly
caught his attention. She had dark hair with a slight hint of blue, and
her eyes were deep and calm.

‘This woman… ’

Was a powerful Wizard.

At the very least, she was a Wizard who was much stronger than
Joanna. This was quite surprising considering Joanna’s
improvement during their trip to Africa.

In short, this woman was the strongest Wizard Lukas had met since
entering this world.

‘She’s approaching 9 stars.’

The woman then turned her head in their direction.

She hadn’t felt Lukas’ gaze. Instead, she was looking at Joanna.
Then, the woman’s lips slowly opened.

“Joanna.”

“Vice President.”

Joanna greeted her in a pleasant voice.

Vice President.

Lukas realised that this woman was the second-in-command of the

<Wizard’s Association>, an organisation comprised of only the most
outstanding Wizards in North America.

It seemed Joanna knew her well.

“I heard that you were sent on a top secret mission, but it seems
you’ve returned.”

“Yes. Fortunately, we were able to complete the mission quickly.”

“I see.”

The Vice President’s voice was clear and bright. Her voice alone was
enough for one to get a hint of just how much she’d accomplished.

Soon, her clear gaze turned to Lukas, who was standing beside
Joanna.

“…by the way, who is this beside you?”

“Ah. This person is…”

Joanna seemed to hesitate for some reason as she turned to look at

Lukas.

Lukas stepped forward and opened his mouth.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Frey Blake, from the Europe Branch.”

“…Frey Blake.”

The woman narrowed her eyes for a moment as if trying to recall the
name before she made an embarrassed expression.

“I’m sorry. It seems my knowledge is still limited as I haven’t heard

your name before.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m not well known.”

“…”
The woman’s expression became a bit strange when she heard that.

Lukas realised that she had noticed his status to an extent, or at

least she considered him a formidable opponent.

It was the same case as with Destin and Elijah in Africa.

Humans who had reached a certain level could not disregard Lukas
as a nonentity, and instead, they felt that there was something about
him that they ‘couldn’t ignore’.

Kran was probably the same. That must have been why he’d
attacked so fiercely the first time they met.

“Pardon my rudeness. My introduction is late. My name is Gloria

Piniya. It’s nothing special, but I am the Vice President of the
Wizard’s Association.” (TL: Should I change her last name to
‘Pinilla’?)

“I’ve heard many things about you.”

Joanna watched the meeting between Gloria and Lukas with

anticipation, but their conversation didn’t go any further.

So she turned to Gloria with a brief look of disappointment.

“By the way, Vice President, what brings you to the headquarters?”

The Wizard’s Association’s headquarters was located in Texas, and

it was extremely rare for one of the Wizards from the Association to
leave the area. The Wizard’s Association was a very sequestered
organisation. This was why Joanna had left in the past.

And yet, these reclusive people had come to the headquarters in a

group. Including Vice President Gloria, all of the Wizards behind
here were high-level executives in the Association.

It was not easy to see all of these Wizards in the same place like
this.

Instead of answering, Gloria tilted her head to the side.

“Of course, it’s… No. Wait. Joanna, didn’t you hear what happened?”

“Huh?”

Just as Joanna blinked in confusion, another portal activated. This

time, it was a group of men who appeared. The man standing at the
front had a rock-like body and a fierce gaze that seemed to be filled
with fighting intent.

‘Brazilian Fighter Squad…?’

More importantly, the man at the front of the was the legendary
Fighter Squad

leader, Anderson Hamus.

He took a crude but firm step forward and chuckled cynically when
he saw Gloria.

“What a rare sight, I didn’t expect the dear Vice President to lift her
heavy ass off her seat and come all the way here to the
headquarters.”

“Anderson. It seems your childish provocations haven’t improved at

all over the years.”

Gloria smiled similarly as she replied. Anderson let out a cheerful

laugh.
“Haha. A fighter doesn’t need to provoke. But it is fun to play with
you.”

“Hmph…”

“Well, take your time. I’ll be going ahead.”

After saying that, he walked past Gloria. Unlike the two leaders who
seemed to be exchanging playful banter, the groups behind them
exchanged fierce gazes as though they would jump on each other at
any moment.

Joanna subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva as the two

groups passed each other.

‘From the Vice President to the Fighter Squad leader. What the hell
happened?’

Joanna was shocked, but that seemed to just be the beginning.

As she stood there, the portals activated time and time again, with
powerful individuals or groups appearing each time. From influential
executives to famous hunters who represented each region to even
a group of Catholic Cardinals.

She’d been active in the North America Headquarters for a long

time, but this was the first time that she’d ever seen so many big
names gathered together.

“What the hell happened?”

“That…”

“Master!”
Then, someone called out to Lukas.

When he turned, he saw Min Ha-rin and a man he’d never seen
before.

“You’re here too, Master!”

Min Ha-rin ran over to Lukas with a face that could not hide her joy.
Lukas smiled faintly.

“It’s been a while.”

“Yes. I’m glad you returned safely.”

“Thanks.”

“…”

Min Ha-rin smiled brightly for a moment before she heard a soft
cough from the man standing behind her.

“This is Vincent J. Heider. He is the one who taught me while you

were away.”

“Vincent.”

As he said this, the man held out his hand to Lukas. Lukas took his
hand and he responded.

“Frey Blake.”

“…I heard about your mission.”

Vincent’s expression became a bit strange as he said this, not letting

go of his hand.

“I’d like to formally commend you for your achievement.”

“You’re flattering me.”

“No. Argento Spell… Soon, everyone in the world will have heard
this name.”

“…?”

Min Ha-rin tilted her head to the side, an expression that showed she
hadn’t heard the news yet.

Lukas wasn’t too surprised, though. They’d probably heard about it

from Elijah.

About him ‘slaying one of the Five Dukes’.

It was an achievement that would surely shake the world, but Lukas
didn’t intend to talk much about it. It was so absurd that the more he
talked about it, the more distrust and resistance he would get.

Instead, it was better to let it spread at its own pace. Of course, most
of those who heard it would only dismiss it as a bluff or hearsay.

They would ignore it and carry on their duties.

This would continue until the thought ‘maybe’ appeared in the minds
of the doubters.

This wasn’t a difficult task.

In the past, when Lukas and his team first defeated a Demigod, the
various tribes and kingdoms didn’t believe it. Some even criticised
Lukas, claiming that he’d shaken a beehive for no reason.

Back then, every day was hard, but he missed it.

A young man who was only able to survive because he had a like-
minded group of friends.
‘I was ignorant back then. I’m sure they knew that.’

Lukas suddenly remembered the voice of a man.

He’d spoken in an arrogant tone with his arms crossed.

‘You just have to think hard. And show me the way to go. In
exchange… ’

The man, Kasajin, smiled so brightly that even a man might have
fallen in love with him at that moment.

‘I’ll protect your back.’

“…”

Lukas awoke from his brief reminisce. This wasn’t the time to get
sentimental.

Joanna turned to Vincent.

“Vincent, what the hell happened? Are they holding an emergency

meeting because of what happened in Africa?”

“No, it’s more serious than that… It’d probably be better if you saw
for yourself.

Follow me.”

They followed Vincent without a word.

The place where they stopped was a special ward. But Joanna was
surprised by the huge crowd standing outside of the room.

Vincent approached the doctor who was standing at the door.

“Anthony, how is he doing?”

“…not good. He’s still on the fence.”

The doctor replied with a heavy expression. Then, his eyes turned to
Lukas, who was standing behind Vincent.

He spoke in a quiet tone.

“That’s them? Frey Blake and Joanna Goldberg?”

“Right.”

“I’ll allow you to enter. However, please do not stimulate the patient
too much.”

Vincent nodded before slowly opening the door and entering the
room. Joanna

followed him, filled with confusion.

When she first heard that they should go to the emergency room,
she thought that it was Leo Freeman who was in critical condition.
After all, as far as she knew, there were only two people in North
America who were related to Lukas, and one of them was Min Ha-
rin, who was beside them.

But it wasn’t.

The large group outside consisted mostly of hunters from various

regions, group leaders and high ranking officials.

There was no way these figures would gather just for Leo Freeman.
Most of them probably didn’t even know the boy existed.
More importantly, this room was a special hospital room. One that
could only be used by senior officials and higher ups of the
Association.

Dak.

The door opened and the inside of the room was revealed.

And Joanna finally received an answer to her questions.

“Ah…”

At first, she thought it was a corpse.

That was how miserable the man lying on the bed looked. Being
moved to this place meant that he’d already received the very best
treatment available. And yet, it didn’t seem that way at all. To be
precise, it felt like he hadn’t received any treatment whatsoever.

Joanna couldn’t help but call out with a stunned expression.

“A-, Association President…?”

Because lying on the bed in a state between life and death was none
other than the President of the Hunter Association, Neil Prand.

“He’s afflicted with <Rose Poison>.”

“Huh?”

Joanna’s eyes widened slightly when she heard Vincent’s words.

“It’s the poison that the Rose Duke uses. It’s so toxic and corrosive
that even a Warrior with a well trained body would become a puddle
of blood after a short while… If the President’s body hadn’t been so
powerful, he would not have lasted this long.”

“Wh-, why did this happen?”

Vincent let out a bitter chuckle at Joanna’s question.

“There’s only one case that would cause the Association President
to take such risks.”

He looked down at the bedridden Neil Prand before continuing.

“For America.”

“…”

Joanna remained silent, a complicated expression on her face. In

fact, Vincent’s expression was the same. He looked down at his
watch.

“He remains unconscious for most of the day, but there are times
when he regains his consciousness. That time is approaching… Frey
Blake, there is something he has to tell you.”

Lukas nodded at those words.

Vincent then turned towards the rest of the group and continued.

“The Association President would like to meet him in private. I’m

sorry, but the rest

of us will need to step outside.”

At those words, the rest of the group went outside, leaving Lukas
alone in the room.

Before she left, Joanna looked at Neil with an incomprehensible

expression.

Lukas stopped Min Ha-rin as she was about to step through the
door.

“Ha-rin.”

“Yeah?”

“Where is Leo now?”

“…in another room.”

Lukas fell silent at Min Ha-rin’s words.

So he wasn’t in Canada. Lukas had been told that Leo had been
captured by the Rose Duke, who had occupied that region.

In other words, Leo had escaped that monster’s clutches some way
or the other.

…If so…

“How is he?”

“He’s fine physically, but he’s not very stable mentally. It seems that
he’s still in shock. Nevertheless, he’s much better than he was when
he first got here. At least he can walk and talk to some extent now.”

After saying that, Min Ha-rin paused for a moment.

“…Leo…”

Then her eyes turned to Neil, who lay prone on the bed.
“The Association President rescued him.”

“…”

“He went to Canada on his own. No one knows what happened

there. However, when he returned to the headquarters with Leo, the
Association President was already on the brink of death.”

After saying that, Min Ha-rin nodded.

“That’s all I know, Master. I’ll be in Leo’s room.”

“I’ll be there soon.”

“Yes.”

Leo’s condition might improve if he met with their Master face to

face. With that expectation, Min Ha-rin left the room.

“Huff, huff…”

Lukas looked down at Neil.

He was breathing heavily and slowly as though he would stop at any

moment.

A white glow emanated from Lukas’ eyes.

Clairvoyance.

This power wasn’t limited only to clearly seeing distant objects.

Depending on the usage, it was possible to analyse an opponent’s
weaknesses as well.
And being able to analyze weaknesses meant being able to tell their
physical condition with a single glance.

The results didn’t surprise him.

Neil was slowly dying.

His entire body was covered in white bandages, but the skin beneath
the bandages was discolored, appearing to be the same shade of
red as a rose.

More than 80% of his intestines had been corroded by the poison,
for which the expression ‘deadly poison’ still wouldn’t be enough. In
fact, it was a miracle that he

was still alive. Somehow, he was still managing to stay alive despite
the fact that poison strong enough to melt steel was eroding his
insides.

Taht.

Lukas put his hand on Neil’s head.

The Demigod power which had previously belonged to Norn

appeared.

Woowoong-

Urd.

It was that Demigod’s ability to see the past.*

Originally, it would have been quite troublesome to view the past of

someone with strong mental power like Neil. But at that moment, he
was so weakened and fragile that it wouldn’t be surprising if he
suddenly died.

The strong barriers that once protected his mind were now nothing
more than feeble, crumbling fence posts.

This allowed Lukas to enter his mental world without difficulty.

Fwoosh-

Then, he gradually assimilated with Neil’s memories and his past.

***

Neil Prand slowly walked through the streets of a ruined city, his
eyes slowly taking in everything around him.

Toronto.

He couldn’t help but remember the splendour of the city that used to
be the economic capital of Canada.

He remembered the people who lived here. People who had no

sense of danger, who had now become corpses that filled the streets
of this city.

The shattered peace weighed on Neil’s heart.

“What are you doing here?”

Taht.

A figure fell from the sky.

It was a beautiful woman with a voluptuous body and blood red hair.
A woman who seemed to be in a pleasant mood despite their
gloomy surroundings.

Rose, the Rose Duke, tilted her head slightly.

“Why are you here? It doesn’t seem like you’ve brought that man
with you either.”

“Rose Duke.”

Neil spoke in a calm voice.

“Why did you break the agreement?”

“What agreement?”

“Did you agree not to touch America?”

“Ahhh.”

Rose shrugged nonchalantly.

“But I didn’t touch it. Isn’t this Canada?”

“Quit your wordplay. Our non-aggression agreement applied to the

entirety of North America and every territory under its jurisdiction.
You couldn’t have forgotten that.”

“I did forget. Honestly. I’ll pay more attention next time.”

Rose said this with a smile, making Neil speechless for a moment.

‘…I see.’
She forgot because she never cared about it in the first place.

The deal, promise, and decision that he’d made after careful
deliberation. That was how much it meant to this being.

“It wasn’t a bad deal.”

He meant it.

Neil didn’t regret making the deal with Rose. Because of their
agreement, he was able to save hundreds of thousands of lives. So
even if he was given the chance to return to the past, he would make
the same choice.

“What’s with your tone? Do you intend to end our pact?”

“That’s right.”

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“You don’t understand?”

For the first time, anger mixed into Neil’s voice.

“Look around. Look at what you’ve done. Rose Duke, do you know
just how many people you killed here?”

“A few hundred. It wasn’t that many. After all, this is only one out of
hundreds of cities. I killed most of the humans in this city, but that
shouldn’t be that much of a deal breaker.”

Rose looked at Neil with an incomprehensible expression.

“You’re going to break ties with me because of a few hundred

people? That doesn’t seem like a logical decision at all.”

She meant that he couldn’t control his anger at the moment and was
using his emotions to decide.
If they were to end their relationship now, America would no longer
be a safe haven from the Demon’s invasion. If that were to happen,
an even larger number of people

would end up dying.

Even Rose could not estimate just how high it would be. But one
thing was certain.

The bloodshed of the people in this city would be but a drop in the
ocean by comparison.

Rose narrowed her eyes as she observed the human standing in

front of her.

Neil Prand was a useful human with whom they could communicate.
Because of her deal with him, many things had become many times
more convenient.

Information on the locations of hunter hideouts, the distribution of

human slaves, and even advanced warnings on planned attacks on
Demon Nobles. All things that were difficult for the Demons to learn.

It was for this reason that she didn’t want to break ties with him just
yet. For the Demon King’s sake, her relationship with this man had to
continue.

After making her decision, Rose nodded her head.

“Fine. I’ll admit it. It was my mistake.”

She steeled her resolve and admitted to her mistake.

In retrospect, her attack on the Canada Branch was an impulsive

decision that had been made in the heat of the moment.
“Think about it carefully, Neil Prand. I heard that the humans called
America ‘The Utopia’. If you break ties with me, that would come to
an end. You shouldn’t take such a risk because of one small
mistake.”

“You don’t understand. The weight of that mistake.”

For her, it was just one mistake. But the cracks it had created could
not be reversed.

Even if they left them alone, the cracks would eventually become
bigger.

It would be foolish to try to touch them. Just as it would be to

continue this relationship.

Neil looked around.

Corpses of all genders, ages, and sizes littered the street.

Beings who thought they were absolutely safe.

Was it their fault that their city was in ruins? Was it their fault that
they had become so intoxicated by peace that their complacency
and inattentiveness had reached such a level?

No. Neil denied it.

They were innocent.

He was the one who was guilty. It was Neil who had given them an
excessive sense of security.

Neil had wanted to protect the lives of everyone living in America.

He’d wanted to recreate the peaceful nation from the 21st century
where the public was never exposed to such dangers.

He’d wanted to make it so that everyone living on this land could

take peace and security for granted. He’d hoped that they would be
indifferent even when hearing about war in a distant country,
watching the Demons and Demon Beasts causing havoc on the TV
from the safety of their homes.

He’d wanted to protect their lives, their homes, and their jobs.

But above everything else, Neil had wanted to protect their smiles.

Now, that duty has been shattered.

By the being in front of him.

And it was all because Neil had foolishly believed her.

“You.”

A spark of emotion briefly flashed in his eyes.

“Insulted my duty.”

Then, a bloody battle ensued.

Neil’s fighting prowess was amazing. He showed combat power that

did not shame his position as President of the Hunter Association.
From the strength he displayed, it was clear that he hadn’t neglected
his training for a single day. (TL: I thought Neil was a Wizard…)

His effort was proven by the fact that he was able to fight against
one of the Five Dukes on his own.

The bitter struggle continued.

However, it was Neil who became more and more disadvantaged as
time passed.

They were ill matched.

Neil’s entire body was gradually stained red with poison. He felt
terrible pain from every part of his body, and his vision was gradually
becoming blurry. He knew that it wouldn’t be long before he fell
unconscious.

On the other hand, Rose, who had only suffered a few minor injuries,
appeared fine.

“Foolish.”

Just as Rose snorted and prepared to swing a vine forward.

Boom!

A bolt of lightning fell from the sky.

***

Lukas silently looked down at Neil for a while.

Only to protect America.

It was only then when he got a glimpse into why Neil received such
support in North America.

‘I see.’

Lukas was able to realise something.

The reason why there was no sense of crisis in the faces of the
people living in North America. The reason why they didn’t seem to
have any awareness of the Demon threat.

It was all thanks to this man named Neil Prand. This man had
managed to successfully create peace, at least in the limited area of
North America.

‘Humans are weak beings. You can’t protect all of them.’

He heard Neil’s voice from when he was just a boy.

‘So I’ll just protect what I can grasp. Master, I’ll only protect America.’

In the end, he took responsibility for the choices he made.

Lukas still didn’t think that it was the right thing to do. But now, he no
longer felt ashamed of Neil.

“…”

Neil was looking up at Lukas with hazy eyes. With a shaky hand, he
took off his oxygen mask.

Then, he opened his mouth.

“…Rose… is still alive.”

He only said a few words, but he panted as though he would

collapse at any moment.

However, his next words were clear.

“Don’t kill her.”

Neil’s hazy eyes focused as he grabbed Lukas’ wrist.

“It is a challenge that we must face.”

“Many people will die.”

“…it is a necessary wound. There will be more bloodshed in the

future.”

It was then when Lukas realised that Neil had made some sort of
decision.

His resolution hadn’t changed, and he would still put America first,
but it seemed that he had finally realised it was impossible to coexist
with the Demons.

The man with the greatest transformation power out of anyone Lukas
had met in this world had finally recognised the Demons as enemies.

From now on, he would no longer take the safe road and would
instead fight the Demons with his full power.

Of course, all of this was dependent on whether he could survive this

ordeal or not.

“…”

Neil fell unconscious again.

Lukas looked down at him for a moment before placing the oxygen
mask over his mouth once again.

(TL: * – For those who might have forgotten, Norn was the Demigod
who split into three different Demigods. They had the power to see
the past, present, and future, respectively.)
A long, rectangular table filled a large room, at which a dozen or so
people sat.

As she took her seat, Joanna looked around the room. Those who
sat at this table were all great figures whom most hunters would
know by name.

Just from looking at the faces of these people, she found it hard to
breathe. Even though she was pretty well-known herself, she hadn’t
yet reached the stage where she would be known regardless of
where she went.

‘…don’t be intimidated.’

Joanna took a deep breath before straightening her shoulders.

Sitting at the head of this table was none other than Vincent. This
fact caused a few of the people there to feel a bit strange. After all,
while Vincent was a fairly well-known hunter, he still lagged behind
quite a few of them when it came to skill or fame.

But it couldn’t be helped.

Since he was attending the meeting as a proxy.

“First, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone for taking time

from their busy schedules to come here today.”

Aware of his position, Vincent’s tone was very polite as he spoke.

“Although not much, I am Vincent J. Heider, and I will be the host for
this meeting.”

There was no applause. There were more than a dozen people

gathered in the room, but no one could even hear the sound of
breathing.
This was unspoken pressure for him to quickly get to the main point.
Vincent tried to ignore the feeling that he was being crushed by the
weight of the atmosphere.

Then, an old man spoke.

“Cardinal Thomas, I’d like to hear from you about the Association
President’s condition.”

He was one of the board members. Although he lacked personal

power, his influence could be ranked within the top five among the
board members.

“It’s not good.”

Cardinal Thomas sighed as he answered.

“Have you heard of Rose Poison? It is very heinous. I managed to

use my holy power to slow down its diffusion rate. But that is only a
temporary measure instead of a true solution as I could only slow
down and not stop the spread.”

“In that case, will the President die at this rate?”

Thomas hesitated for a moment at the board member’s blunt

question before nodding.

“…that’s right.”

The atmosphere in the room became heavier as though a lump of

lead had been placed on it. This was natural.

President of the Hunter Association, Neil Prand.

The symbolism, influence, and authority that he had were beyond
compare. It would not be as simple as one person dying.

His death would impact the hunters in every Association Branch in

North America and even humanity as a whole. They couldn’t even
begin to imagine how large the ripple effect would be.

“I don’t understand. Where and what the hell were the Manhattan
hunters doing?”

It was Anderson, Leader of the Fighter Squad, who opened his

mouth with a harsh tone. His hostile gaze turned to Vincent.

“This is none other than the President of the Association. The leader
of millions of hunters. A man like that goes to fight one of the Five
Dukes on his own and no one stops him. Are all the hunters here
stupid?”

“…”

Vincent just bowed his head. He couldn’t refute Anderson’s words.

After all, he was right.

It was true that Neil had gone on his own to confront one of the Five
Dukes, but the hunters in Manhattan were also at fault for not
stopping him.

“It has already happened. Is this really the time to point fingers?”

It was the Wizard Association’s Vice President who spoke with a cold
voice.

Anderson stared at her in displeasure for a moment before folding

his arms and leaning back in his chair with a snort.
“What we need to do now is discuss a way to save Neil. The
Association President cannot die.”

When most of those sitting at the table nodded to show their

agreement, her eyes turned to Vincent.

“Vincent, you called us here because you thought of a solution. Isn’t

that so?”

“…”

Vincent was silent.

Gloria was right. Regardless of if he was temporarily taking Neil’s

place or not, there was no way he could bring these people together
without a clear solution.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t open his mouth easily.

This was because he expected to receive a lot of resistance to the

words he was preparing to say.

However, he couldn’t stay silent forever. So, with reluctant

determination, Vincent opened his mouth.

“We intend to ask the Saint of Salvation for help.”

“…the Saint?”

“Mm…!”

The sounds of astonishment came from every part of the table.

There were a few who immediately made unpleasant expressions.
Most of them were the religious individuals.
This was natural.

The Saint of Salvation, one of the Top Three.

Despite his title as Saint, he had absolutely nothing to do with

Christianity. So for them, a normal man calling himself Saint was
sacrilege.

It was Cardinal Thomas who spoke on their behalf.

“…Vincent.”

Thomas was an extremely benevolent man who didn’t get upset at

most things, but now, he had a glimmer of displeasure on his face.

This couldn’t be helped.

Thomas, who was a very famous religious figure with great faith in
Catholicism, had been unable to drive the poison out of Neil’s body
with his holy power.

Under these circumstances, asking the Saint for help was no

different from propagating the Catholic Church’s incompetence.

And if the Saint managed to succeed in curing Neil of his ailment…

That would be a major blow to the faith of Christianity as a whole, not

just Catholicism.

Vincent knew that as well. He knew just how rude his actions were at
that moment.

However, time was running out.

If it had been another Cardinal and not Thomas who was sitting at
that table, then they might have burst out in anger or even left
directly.

“Is that really the only way?”

“Yes.”

Nevertheless, Vincent could only bite the bullet, not back down. He
wanted to show his determination to everyone at the table.

Even if there would be strong backlash from the Catholic Church,

saving Neil was the top priority.

Thomas sighed softly.

He could see the desperation of Vincent, no, of the entirety of

America.

“Do you know where the Saint is right now?”

Vincent nodded and answered.

“It’s said that he’s currently in Korea.”

“Hmmm.”

“It’s said that he’s currently spreading his eternal life religion.”

“…”

Thomas bit his lip at those words.

“…he’s selling faith. It’s unacceptable.”

“From a business perspective, it’s a pretty good market. The

religious business works well in Korea.”

It was Anderson who said these words with a chuckle.

“However, the fact that he’s in Asia… That will be a pain in the ass.”

Nodiesop.

The fact that an unidentified man had suddenly taken over the Asia
Branch of the Hunter Association was something that was known to
everyone capable of sitting at that table. It was highly likely that
Korea was also not free of his influence. After all, the Korean
Peninsula was not very far from the Asia Headquarters in Beijing.

“Have you come up with a solution to this, Vincent?”

“…”

Vincent was silent for a moment before he answered.

“…there is a Korean person with whom I recently became personally

acquainted. I’m thinking of asking for her help.”

“Can you tell us who it is?”

“Min Ha-rin.”

‘Where have I heard that name…?”

“Are you talking about the White Flower?”

The hall became noisy for a moment.

Min Ha-rin was a well-known rookie from Asia. Her fame hadn’t yet
crossed the ocean to North America, but there were a few people at
the table who’d heard of her before.

“She certainly should have some independent line of communication

to the Korean Branch.”
“Then let’s leave the case of the Association President there for
now.”

In truth, nothing had been resolved yet.

There was no way to know if the Korea Branch would accept Min
Ha-rin’s communication request or if they would help them find the
Saint in Korea.

More importantly, it was possible that after they’d found the Saint
after tremendous effort, he would refuse to assist.

Or even if he did agree to assist them, he might not be able to fix the
problem.

…And above all else.

It was possible that Neil wouldn’t survive until then.

“…”

There were a lot of things that they were unsure about, and anxieties
were mounting.

But Vincent decided to stop thinking negatively. Worrying like this

would only cause him to become sick.

Besides, there were still issues in North America that needed to be

addressed.

After the attack by one of the Five Dukes, the civilians were filled
with tension and fear at the thought that North America was no
longer a safe zone.
They had to come up with solutions for all of these problems within
the day.

This meeting, which would surely go on for a very long time, had
only just begun.

“You’re really kind.”

Lukas turned around at the sudden voice.

Letip was standing there. He sat at a small table in the corner of the
room, reading a book with his legs crossed as if he’d been there
from the beginning. There was also a packet of sweets opened in
front of him.

After looking at him for a moment before finally opening his mouth.

“Why did you save Neil?”

The lightning bolt at the end had seemingly appeared out of

nowhere. It was easy to guess who had intervened.

At that moment, when Neil was on the verge of death, it was Letip
who had interfered and saved him. And it was probably him who’d
saved Leo as well.

Letip replied with a smirk.

“First of all, I was simply protecting a friend. I couldn’t just watch him
die.”

It was only then when Lukas finally realised why Neil had gone to
face a Duke on his own. He seemed to have been driven by
emotion, but he still would have been able to make rational
decisions.

It turned out that Letip was Neil’s insurance. He had to have known
that Letip would save him if worse came to worst.

“Then why didn’t you kill Rose?”

“If I did that, I’d have to fight the Demon King.”

“So you want to stay neutral?”

Tak.

Letip closed the book.

Then, he took a sip of cold water from a glass in front of him before
getting up from his seat. Contrary to what he’d shown before, there
was now a serious look in his eyes.

“Sedi is dead.”

Lukas knew. Or to be precise, he’d gotten a vague feeling.

The influence, the death of an Absolute had on a universe, was by

no means small.

Especially for a small and fragile universe like this one.

And yet, the reason he hadn’t been entirely sure was because of
how sudden it was.

But now, Letip was telling him directly that Sedi was dead.

This meant that Sedi had truly died.

Perhaps within hours of their last meeting.

“She disregarded my advice, and now, she has disappeared from

this [Weak World].

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you who killed her.”

“The Demon King.”

He didn’t say that it was Kasajin. Lukas wasn’t sure if it was his own
stubbornness or for some other reason.

“The Demon King, Nodiesop, and me as well. We don’t care what

happens to this universe. It doesn’t matter to us if it collapses if we
use power that exceeds its capacity. You felt it, didn’t you? There are
already a few cracks in the universe after the fight between Sedi and
the Demon King.”

“You’re not usually this long-winded. What is it that you want to say?”

The corners of Letip’s mouth rose once again.

“Ruler.”

“…?”

“Lord, Manager, Assistant.”

From top to bottom, Letip listed the different levels of Absolutes.

Lukas remained silent because he didn’t know what he was trying to

say.

“Only an Absolute who ‘rules’ more than one ‘concept’ deserves to

be called a Lord.
The same goes for you, Lukas Trowman.”

“…”

“In other words, among Lords, there are some who rule over more
concepts than others. This is why there can be large power gaps
between Lords despite them being on the same level.”

Lukas had a feeling that Letip was about to say something very
important, and his hunch wasn’t wrong.

“The Demon King, for example, is the Black Horned Demon God’s
right-hand man.”

“…right hand?”

The right hand of a Ruler.

This was Lukas’ first time hearing such a concept.

Whether he read Lukas’ expression or not, Letip continued to

explain.

“It’s not surprising that you don’t know about it. Most don’t even
know they exist.

Personally, I call them Conquerors, but… Well, their title isn’t

important. Just know that each of them is within the top five of all
Lords.”

“…”

“The Demon King appeared like a gust of wind. One day, he

suddenly appeared and killed the Absolute who used to serve as the
Demon God’s right hand before taking
his place. He’s an Absolute with mysterious origins, but his power is
clear to all.”

This was the first time he’d heard any information about Kasajin
since he disappeared.

With a strange feeling in his chest, Lukas continued listening to

Letip.

“I am also a Conqueror.”

“…the Lightning God.”

“He’s my one and only Master.”

Letip nodded his head slowly.

“I received a call from God not too long ago. He probably wanted to
give me a hint on how to deceive the laws of this universe. Do you
know why I didn’t go?”

He answered his own question before Lukas could open his mouth.

“Because there’s no need to care about that at all. Lukas, stop

paying attention to trivial things. The Demon King has begun to
move.”

“You seem pretty wary. Are you afraid of him?”

Lukas asked, a hint of provocation in his voice.

However, Letip nodded with a scarily calm expression.

“Right. I’m afraid of him.”

“What?”

Then he said something that was even more shocking.

“Because at this moment, the Demon King is stronger than me.”

***

“Now, the Demon King has gone to Nodiesop. If my predictions are

correct, then the

two’s goals coincide and there is a high chance that they will work
together. I don’t have to tell you whom they want to kill, do I?”

As if opposed to Letip’s assertion, Lukas refuted him.

“The Demon King might not be hostile towards me.”

“Why? Because you know him and the two of you came from the
same world?”

“…”

Letip’s hoarse voice made Lukas’ head become cold.

Just a moment ago, he’d said that Kasajin’s origins were mysterious.
It couldn’t be said that he lied… He said Kasajin’s origins were
mysterious, but he didn’t say that he didn’t know them.

Letip had once again twisted his words to suit himself.

“Hahaha…”

Letip let out a hollow laugh. Then, he furrowed his eyebrows.

“That little friendship game you played back when you were both
humans. I don’t know for sure, but I’m certain that it didn’t last more
than a century. Human lifespans are the same regardless of the
universe… It has been a long time since he became an Absolute. Do
you think the memories of when he was a human, a period of only a
few decades, would still be important to him now?”

“Are you trying to say that you know more about Kasajin than I do?”

“I don’t know anything about the human Kasajin. But I know the
Absolute Kasajin better than you do. To become an Absolute is to
say ‘goodbye’. Goodbye to the world in which you were born and
lived. Goodbye to your fate as a mortal. Goodbye to anything you
might have created. In order to rise to new heights, it’s necessary to
empty your vessel.”

“…”

“I’m sure you’ve seen it before. Absolutes who have become

completely different

from their mortal days. Memories of the past are nothing more than
bits of data for Absolutes. They are driven only by their mission, their
responsibility, and their sense of duty.”

Letip’s eyes grew cold.

“You are the only exception.”

He spoke with certainty.

“Don’t try to generalise your case. You are the only special one.
There was never and will never be another Absolute like you who is
bound to their past, origin, and race.

Can’t you see why all Absolutes are so hostile towards you yet?”

Letip’s voice was like cold daggers.

There wasn’t a single wrong word. Even before Lukas began acting
as he pleased, there hadn’t been any Absolutes friendly towards
him.

Among the Absolutes, who were extraordinary beings from all over
the multiverse, he was the only exception. The only one who was
different.

“…you’re unusually talkative today, Letip. What exactly is it that you

want?”

“Help me kill the Demon King…”

That was a ridiculous request at this point.

Letip nodded expectantly when Lukas remained silent.

“…even if I say all of that, you will continue to trust him unless you
see it with your own eyes. That’s fine, too. Sooner or later, you’ll get
to meet the Demon King. Then you’ll be able to see for yourself and
make your own decision. About what kind of being Kasajin is now.”

Shaa-

An unusual downpour was raining down on Beijing, China.

The inside of the President’s office was completely dark without a

single shred of light.

In this darkness, which had a strange, fear-inducing depth, Nodiesop

sat comfortably in a large chair. He looked out the large glass wall
which served as a window and into the distance with a seemingly
lonely stare.
He found this universe to be extremely disgusting and annoying, but
he quite liked views like this one. It felt like the heavy rain would wipe
this world clean.

He closed his eyes gently.

He liked times like these. When he could listen to the sound of the
rain against the window or even just watching it fall.

He couldn’t believe that these large skyscrapers, the products of

science, and the rain, a product of nature, could create such perfect
harmony. This was probably one of those miracles called
coincidences.

It was a time he wished he could enjoy forever, but today, he had an

uninvited guest.

Flash!

A lightning bolt struck down, and before he knew it, a huge shadow
was standing above the headquarters.

The owner of the shadow appeared to be a Demon. He had a body

that was several times larger than a normal human. And within his
large, destructively powerful body, an immense amount of demonic
energy could be felt.

Nodiesop looked up at the shadow before muttering calmly.

“Have you chosen me next after Sedi, Demon King?”

Kasajin stood in the pouring rain with his back against the glass. The
occasional bolt of lightning revealed his terrifying frightening visage.
Even the bravest of men would scream in fear the moment they saw
those fearsome eyes in the darkness.

[And if I have?]

It was only a short phrase, but the pressure behind it was enough to
distort the space in the room.

“It won’t be easy.”

[Don’t be so sure.]

After saying that, Kasajin turned to face Nodiesop. In an instant, he

appeared in the office. It was fortunate that the President’s office was
quite large; otherwise, it might not have been able to contain his
large body.

He walked right up to Nodiesop, who remained seated in his chair,

before looking down.

[I came here because there’s something I want to talk about.]

“Talk…”

It was something that he never would have expected.

From the moment he sensed Kasajin’s presence, Nodiesop had

prepared to use his external force at any time. This was because he
thought he’d come here to fight him.

However, he couldn’t see any signs of treachery from Kasajin. Was

this a trick?

There was a chance that was the case, but he didn’t think that this
guy would go through all of the trouble of tricking him. After all, he
was someone who stood at the pinnacle of Lords.

[You must have heard of the way to deceive the ‘laws’ from God.
What hint did he
give you?]

“I didn’t expect you to be interested in it.”

Nodiesop murmured in a blunt voice.

“Do you expect me to tell you that?”

[It doesn’t matter if you want to tell me or not. After all, no one in this
world understands him better than I do.]

It was a strange thought. Unable to contain his curiosity, Nodiesop

asked.

“What do you mean?”

[Nodiesop, I’ll teach you. God told me about the laws and deceiving
the universe. I’ll tell you the results of the various experiments I’ve
done…]

Then, Kasajin began explaining in a low voice.

As a result, Nodiesop’s expression gradually began to change. This

change increased as Kasajin continued.

By the time Kasajin finished talking, Nodiesop’s expression was a

mixture of shock and disbelief.

He rose from his seat and walked towards the wall of glass that
overlooked the city.

For a while, the only sound in the room was the sound of the rain
pattering against the glass.

Then, Nodiesop sighed and opened his mouth.

“…why did you tell me all of that? Why didn’t you kill me like Sedi?”

[Sedi joined hands with Lukas. Although, it was only temporary.]

“So you’re saying that you’re targeting Lukas?”

[Right.]

At that confirmation, Nodiesop burst into laughter. He turned around

sharply.

Brilliant gold eyes shined ominously in the dark. They were the eyes
of a predator.

This was different from the pressure Kasajin was releasing.

Anyone who looked into his eyes at that moment would be frozen in
fear.

“You made a foolish decision, Demon King. I wouldn’t have any

problems killing him without your help. At best, he’s just a foolish kid
who doesn’t know the true power of a Lord… He can’t begin to
compare to the years of experience I, Nodiesop, have.”

[Did the eons wear away your judgment? Is the amount of time you
lived the only thing you’re relying on? Do you think you can defeat
Lukas Trowman with just that?

He is very accustomed to fighting beings stronger than him… You,

Nodiesop, who was promised the fate of an Absolute from birth,
would never understand. What it means to constantly struggle just to
survive.]

Rage flashed in Nodiesop’s eyes. His external force began to flow

from his body.
Shaaa!

Suddenly, the rain began to fall even harder. It was so heavy that it
felt like a hole had been ripped in the sky. It pounded against the
window to the point where the wall began to creak ominously.

“What are you trying to say?”

[Risk your life. Try to have the idea that you will lose. Learn that fear.
Otherwise…]

Kasajin closed his eyes for a moment, and he seemed to think about
something, but he then let out a long sigh and said.

[You will be defeated by Lukas’ tenacity.]

***

In an ominous forest.

The air felt sticky and clung to one’s skin as though it was alive, and
an unpleasant breeze tickled the ears.

With the faint stench and hazy fog that surrounded this forest, any
normal person would never dare to think about entering this forest.

Nevertheless, Kran walked in this swamp like he was used to it. With
every step he took, his feet sunk into the mud. The water that
entered his shoes made him uncomfortable, but he ignored it. (TL:
The author randomly transitioned from forest to swamp, so swamp it
is…)

Eventually, he arrived at a cabin that was hidden deep in this

swamp.
Creak-

Without hesitation, Kran opened the door and stepped inside. Inside,
he saw a dusty room in which sat nothing but a small table and a
crystal ball.

Kran put his hand on the ball, and a faint light began to leak out of it.

The light lit up the room for a moment before gradually taking the
shape of a woman.

[Your call was pretty late this time, Kran.]

The hazy figure of the woman spoke softly.

“It was a tough hunt.”

“Hmm. Well, I suppose one of the Five Dukes would certainly be

tough prey.”

“…where’d you hear that from? Ringo.”

[Huhu. Well…]

The woman, Ringo, chuckled softly at Kran.

Kran frowned at her for a moment before shaking his head.

“I met a guy called the Great Mage.”

“…”

Ringo’s image shook for a moment before finally stabilising. Because

it was a figure
made of light, no appearance or expression could be seen. Kran
could only see the curves that were unique to women.

It was a bit depressing.

[I see, so you were able to defeat one of the Five Dukes with his
help.]

Kran looked offended when he heard that, but he couldn’t deny it.
After all, she wasn’t wrong.

He was strong, but the Five Dukes were monsters.

If it wasn’t for Lukas’ help, he probably would have died.

[More importantly, all the equipment I prepared for you has been
ruined. It was really expensive, you know?]

“I’ll pay for it. I obtained a lot of soul crystals this time. Though, I
missed the Duke’s.”

Chuk-

As he said this, Kran upturned his bag and dumped all of the soul
crystals on the table.

Seeing this, Ringo grinned slightly.

[That’s unfortunate. Well, this should be enough to cover it. Take off
your coat and turn your back to me, Kran. I’ll help you recover.]

She then whispered in a voice that could barely be heard.

[The Black Witch and the <Shroud of Night> will always give you our
full support.]

***
Letip disappeared after saying what he had to, but Lukas couldn’t
help but remain frozen in his spot.

…Kill Kasajin. With his own hands.

That was something that he never could have imagined.

‘I should be happy instead.’

He should be happy that Kasajin was still alive, that he’d become an
Absolute like him, and that he’d finally found someone he shared a
past with.

It was lonely.

The Absolutes who wandered around the multiverse were essentially

strangers wherever they went. This was why most of them chose to
serve Rulers. Just by putting themselves in a large group, they were
able to suppress the inherent loneliness that came with their task.

Lukas didn’t do that. So his life as an Absolute was even more lonely
than the others.

He hadn’t felt this lonely even during the 4,000 years he’d spent
locked in the Abyss.

Then, he learned of Kasajin’s existence.

One of his oldest friends was in this universe and shared the same
goal as him.

A being who knew the Great Mage, Lukas Trowman, and not the
Absolute, Lukas.

Suddenly, a laugh escaped his lips.

He could feel something creak. It wasn’t just in his head.

Deep within, he felt something that helped form the foundation of his
existence shake.

‘Are you tired already, Lukas?’

It shouldn’t be.

The path he was currently walking on did not allow him to stop or
rest.

He’d decided that he wanted to become the God of Humanity.

Did he think it’d be easy? Had his resolution only amounted to this
much?

…If he had to think of a problem, then it would just be one thing.

And that was that this path was much longer and harder than he’d
initially expected.

He’d thought that he could endure it. But what if that wasn’t true?
What if he was just turning a blind eye to the fact that he’d already
reached his limit…?

The Thunder God, a Ruler, had told him. Lukas was an Absolute with
emotions and a very strong personality.

But Lukas couldn’t help but doubt those words now.

Was he really different from the other Absolutes?

Wasn’t he also only focused on his mission to save humanity?

…At this point, he knew that a clash with Kasajin was inevitable. As
long as he called himself the Demon King and worked against
humans.

There were also things that he could not tolerate. Things that Kasajin
had done.

“…”

Lukas still didn’t like Letip. Nevertheless, he had been helpful in the
end.

Because he had allowed Lukas to prepare himself to kill Kasajin in

the hospital room with only the electronic sound of the equipment to
accompany him.

“Junior brother, do you feel better now?”

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

“…”

Leo smiled softly as he answered. But it was clear that it was a weak
smile and that he was just doing it for her sake. This was natural, for
he’d gone several days without having anything to eat.

Nevertheless, Min Ha-rin simply nodded her head without revealing

any of her inner thoughts.

She couldn’t help but think about her two younger siblings in Korea.
Although their personalities were different, they were very similar in
stubbornly pretending to be strong even when they didn’t have to be.
In a situation like this one, arguing would just be counterproductive.

‘It’s understandable.’

He’d been held captive by one of the Five Dukes for several days.

He hadn’t even managed to fully overcome his trauma towards the

Demons before he was forced to face a being who stood at their
peak. His entire body must have frozen in front of her like a frog
before a snake.

In addition, almost every hunter in the Canada Branch had died.

Leo was the only survivor.

For Leo, who had lost his entire family in a similar event, this was a
disaster.

Min Ha-rin looked down at her one and only junior brother before
saying bitterly.

“Make sure you eat properly. How will people look at us if we’re all
skinny?”

“We?”

“Master is already very thin. Others might say that the skinny people
are uniting.”

“Haha.”

Leo let out a light laugh.

“You’re right.”
The most important thing for a Warrior was the maintenance of their
body. Although the significance of their mental state couldn’t be
ignored, martial arts were originally meant to hone and polish the
body.

Nevertheless, Leo was incredibly grateful for Min Ha-rin’s

consideration by giving joking advice instead of a harsh admonition.
If he had an older sister, he felt she would be just like this.

“You saw Master, right?”

“Yeah.”

“How is he? Did his mission go well?”

“I think so, but…”

When Min Ha-rin’s voice faded at the end of her words, Leo turned
to her with a serious expression.

“Did you notice something strange…?”

“…”

Min Ha-rin didn’t answer immediately and was silent for a moment.

She was thinking about Joanna Goldberg, the woman who had been
unforgettably disrespectful to them when they first met.

When she first heard that Lukas was going on a mission to Africa
alone with that woman, Min Ha-rin was shocked.

Of course, she hadn’t been worried about Lukas’ safety. Min Ha-rin
could not imagine her Master encountering any danger.
However, the thought that Joanna might be rude to him when she
wasn’t around made her shudder with displeasure.

But today, Min Ha-rin seemed to feel a different atmosphere from the
two of them.

She wasn’t entirely sure what it was, but she was certain that the
dynamic between them was very different from before they left as if
they had some kind of connection.

…Of course, these were all just simple guesses without any
confirmation.

In fact, it was possible that nothing had happened between the two
of them and that Min Ha-rin’s thoughts were only a
misunderstanding. If that were the case, then Min Ha-rin’s thoughts
would have been nothing but a delusion.

Nevertheless, she wouldn’t tell Leo this delusion.

“No. It’s nothing.”

Just as Min Ha-rin shook her head, they heard a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

Min Ha-rin and Leo thought that it was Lukas who’d arrived, and they
turned with large smiles on their faces.

But it wasn’t him who opened the door and revealed himself.

“…Mr. Vincent?”

“Do you have a second?”

When Vincent said this with a heavier expression than usual, Min
Ha-rin nodded with little hesitation.

Vincent then turned to Leo who was sitting on the bed and said.
“You look much better now.”

“Yeah… But, didn’t you have a meeting, Mr. Vincent? Is it over

already?”

“No. The meeting is still underway. I simply excused myself for a

moment.”

After saying that, Vincent didn’t say anything more and remained
silent for a while.

This was the attitude he was displaying despite coming here to them.
Was it a topic that he couldn’t broach easily?

With that thought, Min Ha-rin decided to open her mouth first.

“Um. How is President Neil doing?”

“To be honest, it’s not looking very good at the moment. It wouldn’t
be strange if he died right now.”

Leo’s expression darkened at those words. This was because he

knew it was Neil who’d saved him.

This fact caused Leo to feel a deep sense of gratitude and guilt.

Vincent’s eyes turned to Mn Ha-rin.

“…Min Ha-rin, I heard you were active in the Korea Branch for a
while.”

“Ah, yeah.”

To be precise, she had been active in the entire Asian region, apart
from Japan. Of course, she’d been more active in Korea. It was her
greatest wish to achieve peace in her homeland more than
anywhere else.

In truth, such patriotism was rare in this day and age. After all, it was
hard to feel patriotic when the distinction between countries was not
as clear as it had been in the past.

Now, the act of asking a hunter about their country was more to
identify which branch they belonged to rather than where they were
from.

“There is something urgent that needs to be done in Korea. Can you

help us?”

“In Korea? Why there…?”

Vincent roughly explained the situation to an astonished Min Ha-rin.

But as his explanation progressed, her expression became more and
more serious.

After hearing everything he had to say, she muttered with a serious

expression.

“Saint of Salvation…”

One of the Top Three.

She’d heard that he used holy power even more powerful than that
of the Cardinals’

and the Pope’s of the Catholic church.

There were several reasons why he was famous, but one of his
greatest achievements was his feat in Australia.
“There were rumours that he single-handedly killed five Marquises
and raised the dead…” (TL: Marquis is between Duke and Count)

“I’d like to dismiss those as false rumors, but the testimonies of the
eyewitnesses prevent that.”

In truth, the part that was the most shocking wasn’t the slaying of the
Marquises but bringing the dead back to life.

Resurrection.

That was why he was called the Saint.

Of course, Min Ha-rin and Vincent were very skeptical about the
rumors. It was different from other rumors.

For example, it sounded far less credible than Kran, another of the
Top Three, slaying a Duke alone.

“…since you want to find him, does that mean that America knows
the Saint’s true ability?”

“That’s not the case. Very little is known about the Top Three.”

Vincent muttered in a bitter tone. It was an honest statement.

Unlike Kran, who never hid himself, moved alone, and usually didn’t
care if people were monitoring him, the other paid close attention to
remaining hidden.

The Black Witch who had never exposed her real appearance to the
world or the Saint whose true appearance was still unknown
because of the inconsistencies given by various eyewitnesses.

The two of them also had their own supporting forces.

The Black Witch’s <Shroud of Night>.

The Saint’s <Eternal Life Church>.

Both forces had fanatical loyalty to the two members of the Top
Three, who were their founders and leaders.

“…”

Min Ha-rin could feel the slight desperation and resignation in

Vincent’s voice.

It was only then when she realised. Just how desperate this man in
front of her was.

Glancing down at Leo who was lying on his bed, Min Ha-rin slowly
opened her mouth.

“…I know the communication line that connects to Korea.”

“Really?”

Avoiding Vincent’s gaze, she continued in a heavy voice.

“Yeah. However… they wouldn’t let anyone other than me use the
Warp Portal. Even if I talk to them and ask to bring companions, they
wouldn’t let me bring more than two. No, three.”

“I see…”

Vincent, who’d appeared hopeful at first, deflated with a disappointed

expression.

He remained silent for a moment with his head lowered before finally
looking up at Min Ha-rin. The look in his eyes changed as though
he’d finally made up his mind about something.

Then, without saying anything else, Vincent kneeled on the floor.

“M-, Mr. Vincent?”

“I know this is a very shameless act. But this is the only option left.
Please. Please save the Association President.”

Thud.

Vincent’s forehead hit the floor with a dull sound.

“Please. I beg you to help us.”

Min Ha-rin looked down at Vincent, unable to say anything for a long
time.

(TL: Just a refresher of the Demon Noble rankings that have been
mentioned so far.

King

Five Dukes

Duke

Marquis

Count

Viscount

Baron)
When Lukas finally arrived at Leo’s hospital room, he immediately
noticed the heavy atmosphere.

“Ah, Master.”

“You’re here.”

Nevertheless, the expressions of the two in the room immediately

changed when they saw him, and they greeted him with bright
smiles.

Lukas nodded and turned to Leo.

“Leo, how are you feeling?”

“I’m a lot better now. Sorry for making you worry.”

Leo responded in a calm voice.

Lukas looked him in the eyes for a moment before speaking.

“Are you okay?”

“…yeah.”

“All right.”

Lukas didn’t ask him any more questions and instead turned to look
at Min Ha-rin.

“Your mana flow seems much more stable than before. It was that
guy I saw earlier, Vincent, who taught you, wasn’t it?”

“Ah, yeah. He’s a great teacher.”

As expected of her Master, he could tell that with a single glance.

Min Ha-rin couldn’t help but smile as she had that thought, but her
expression was a bit awkward.

“What’s wrong?”

Min Ha-rin blinked in surprise at the unexpected question before

smiling bitterly.

“…how did you know?”

“It’s written all over your face.”

When Min Ha-rin gently lifted a hand to her face, Lukas smiled softly.

“I’m joking.”

“…”

It was a little strange for Lukas to say something like that. It was only
then when Min Ha-rin noticed that there was something strange
about Lukas’ attitude.

‘…did something happen to you, Master?’

This was a question that she wanted to ask, but Min Ha-rin couldn’t
open her mouth.

There were many reasons for this, but the most important reason
was that she wasn’t brave enough.

Lukas stood on a level way above her. So she could only imagine
how great whatever was bothering her Master had to be. Because of
this, a thought pervaded Min Ha-rin’s mind.

What could she do even if she heard it?

“Tell me what happened.”

This was said in a much softer tone than usual, discomforting her
even more.

Suppressing the strange feeling, Min Ha-rin slowly summarised

everything she’d heard from Vincent.

“…”

After hearing what she had to say, Lukas remained silent for a while.

“So what did you say?”

“I told him that I needed time to think. I wanted to talk to Master

first…”

“What do you want to do?”

“I want to help.”

After saying that, Min ha-rin turned to look at Leo.

“Because he saved Junior Brother… and because I have this feeling

that it’s not the Association President’s time to die…”

That was an opinion Lukas could agree with.

It was not yet time for Neil to die. Of course, it could just be because
of his biased views, but he felt that humanity still needed a being like
Neil Prand.

“Then let’s do it. I happen to have business with the Saint, too.”

“Master too?”

“Right, I’m going to ask him to heal Nina.”

“Ah…”

Min Ha-rin felt a tiny shred of hope.

Nina Rednikova.

She’d been severely injured during the attack by the Asian hunters,
especially her eyes, which had been cursed. The diagnosis
determined that treatment would be impossible with the normal
methods, but if the rumours of the Saint were true, then it might be
possible.

“I can take up to four people to Korea with me! There’s me and

Master, and Mr.

Vincent will probably want to go too. As for the last person…”

Min Ha-rin’s eyes turned to Leo, and Lukas’ followed.

Leo must have felt their gazes. Nevertheless, his expression didn’t
change. Instead, he slowly lowered his head.

“I’m sorry.”

“Huh?”

“I…”

There was a deep sense of shame that squeezed out of Leo’s calm
face.

“…don’t think I will go with you this time…”

***
Min Ha-rin headed over to meet Vincent after her short conversation
with Lukas and Leo.

It seemed he’d returned to continue the meeting, but as soon as she

alerted the guard waiting outside the room, he came out.

When he showed up, Vincent’s face appeared to be much more

haggard than when he’d left Leo’s hospital room. It was as if the
meeting was sapping all of his energy.

“You came.”

There was a hint of tension that couldn’t be hidden by his tired voice.

Seeing that Min Ha-rin had come to him, it meant that she had made
a decision.

However, her expression was so calm that he could not predict what
choice she had made in the end.

Fortunately, Min Ha-rin didn’t intend to procrastinate with this matter.

She immediately got to the point.

“I’ll accept Mr. Vincent’s request. From now on, I will do my best to
save the

Association President.”

“Re-, really?”

“Yes. In return, I have a few conditions. I hope Mr. Vincent can

accept them.”

Vincent hurriedly schooled his expression.

“I’ll do whatever I can.”

Min Ha-rin nodded before mentioning the condition that she and
Lukas had discussed.

“First of all, I’d like North America to officially acknowledge the

establishment of Argento Spell.”

“…mm.”

Vincent couldn’t easily respond to this condition, and instead, he

made a soft sound.

There was a mixture of confusion and embarrassment on his face.

“Is it hard to agree to?”

“Personally, I would love to agree to it immediately. I would agree

even if you mentioned a more difficult condition than that. However…
this is not something that I’m able to decide on my own.”

“I see.”

Min Ha-rin nodded as though she’d expected it.

Authorising the establishment of an organisation was by no means

simple. After all, it would mean that the North America Headquarters,
which was the most powerful force in the world at the moment,
recognised the establishment of Argento Spell. In short, they would
be able to carry some of the prestige of North America.

This was a necessary process for Lukas to create a global

organisation that went beyond the reach of each region and branch.

Of course, Min Ha-rin didn’t understand the entire process and

framework. After all,
what she trusted wasn’t the feasibility or validity of the plan but
Lukas’ existence.

Even if he had decided upon a plan that seemed even less plausible,
she would still give him her unconditional trust.

In any case, this was a matter of utmost importance. Vincent didn’t

have a low position in the North America headquarters, but he was
not powerful enough to make such decisions on his own.

Vincent clenched and unclenched his fists nervously. He seemed

concerned that Min Ha-rin would take back what she said if they
couldn’t agree.

“There are a few council members in the meeting hall right now,
aren’t there?”

“Right.”

“Then wouldn’t you be able to accept my offer if you persuaded

them?”

“…that’s right.”

It was easy to say.

Vincent spoke with a heavy expression.

“It’s not that easy. Fortunately, most of the people in the meeting hall
had a good relationship with the Association President. It might take
some time, but I’m confident I could convince them to accept your
conditions. However…”

Vincent’s voice faded at the end, but Min Ha-rin understood what he
was trying to say.

“There are some people who are pleased with the fact that the
Association President is injured.”
“Hoo.”

Vincent let out a heavy sigh.

Min Ha-rin couldn’t help but feel surprised. It seemed that even in
North America, which she thought was perfectly united, some were
antagonistic towards each other.

The reason was unexpected, but the outcome was something that
Lukas had already anticipated.

“…of course, Argento Spell already has the extraordinary

achievement of taking down one of the Five Dukes. It’s not widely
known yet, but if they found out about this achievement, they would
certainly not oppose you blindly. Even if they have high positions.”

“In other words, it will take time.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Min Ha-rin nodded at Vincent’s apology.

“That means my condition will be put on hold for now.”

“Is that alright with you?”

“Yeah.”

“Thank you for your consideration. Is there anything else you need?”

“Including myself, only four people will be able to go to Korea. So far,

the list is myself, Mr. Vincent, and Master. As for the other person…”

Vincent shook his head before Min Ha-rin could finish talking.
“I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to go with you.”

“Huh?”

“I can’t leave the Association President’s side for now. He cannot be

left alone.

Someone has to watch over him.”

“…”

Vincent’s expression showed that he meant his words and that there
would be no changing his mind.

Was he preparing for a possible assassination attempt?

This would make sense, especially if there were people who wanted
Neil dead.

Min Ha-rin’s expression became a bit troubled.

“…then that means we’ll have to find two more… Mr. Vincent, would
it be possible for you to gather some of the strongest and most
reliable hunters in North America right now?”

Min Ha-rin’s request was quickly accepted.

Vincent vowed to use all of the connections available to him to

gather the very best hunters they had.
This was the selection of elite personnel who would be sent on a
mission to save Neil. This matter was much more important for
Vincent than it was for Min Ha-rin, so he would definitely find the
most skilled and trustworthy hunters that he could.

They would most likely be hunters who weren’t just renowned in

North America but in the entire world.

‘…I’ll probably be the weakest… ’

That thought made her feel depressed.

Min Ha-rin had managed to increase her combat power by a level

through her fights with Vincent, but she knew that she was still
lacking a lot.

She wanted to at least return to the level of the White Flower of the
past, but for now, she was at best a 4-star Wizard.

‘I have to reach 5 stars as soon as possible.’

Of course, she knew that reaching 5 stars wouldn’t help her Master
much.

Slaying one of the Five Dukes.

Her Master’s achievement in Africa was amazing.

Of course, she’d personally seen him easily get rid of Duke Sandro
with her own eyes, but she still found it hard to believe that he killed
one of the Five Dukes.

‘Why did Master take me as a disciple?’

All of sudden, this question appeared in her mind.

In her opinion, Lukas was close to perfect. Whether it was his skill,
personality, or spirit, she could not find any flaws.

No matter how she looked at it, she could not find how she could be
useful to such a master.

As she silently contemplated this question, the door to the meeting

hall opened and a group of people came out. The meeting wasn’t
over, but it seemed they were taking a short break.

Min Ha-rin looked at their faces with a hint of admiration in their

eyes.

‘Powerful.’

She could tell from a glance. Each of these people had an aura that
was as strong as if not stronger than Nina Rednikova’s, the head of
the Iron Blood Division, or Lee Jong-hak’s.

These were some of the most powerful people in the entire world.
Min Ha-rin couldn’t help but feel even smaller.

It was then that she saw a familiar face among the group of
unfamiliar faces.

She didn’t have her usual arrogant expression, but she still appeared
confident. Of course, she wasn’t someone that Min Ha-rin was
particularly close to or even fond of.

The woman also saw Min Ha-rin, which caused her expression to
become a bit strange. Then, with a slight cough, she began walking
towards her.

“Hello.”

Min Ha-rin didn’t expect her to greet her first.

She wanted to ignore her, but in order to not appear rude in front of
the group of important individuals, she could only respond in a dull
tone.

“…hello.”

Joanna coughed again.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m waiting for Mr. Vincent.”

“I see.”

“…”

Silence.

It was extremely awkward. Min Ha-rin felt frustrated because of the

uncomfortable atmosphere that had descended around them. The
fact that Joanna had come to talk to her meant that she wanted
something, but from the look on her face, it seemed that she
wouldn’t bring it up easily.

After being silent for a long time, Joanna finally opened her mouth.

“…how is that person?”

“That person?”

“Frey.”

Frey Blake.

That was the alias Lukas was currently using.

“He left a short while ago.”

“Where did he go?”

“I don’t know either… Is there something you need to say to

Master?”

Subconsciously, her voice became sharp at the end.

Had she been offended by the fact that she called her Master’s
name so recklessly?

Or was it because of the hint of familiarity in her voice when she

mentioned Lukas?

“Are you Frey’s disciple?”

“…”

She answered a question with a question. Min Ha-rin decided to nod

her head without mentioning it.

“Yeah.”

“Then you must also be a member of that group called ‘Argento

Spell’.”

“That’s right.”

“…”

Joanna’s expression became one of deep contemplation for a

moment.

‘Joanna Goldberg.’
While staying in America, she’d learned a bit about her. She hadn’t
even needed to go looking for information.

For example, it was easy to see broadcasts she’d appeared in while

watching TV. And since Joanna was also a fashion model, she would
see her image whenever she opened a magazine that she got from a
store down the street.

She was the youngest Archmage as well as a celebrity.

She was a big star who received enthusiastic support from the
American people to the extent that she even had her own fan club.

At the very least, it was safe to say that there was not a single young
person living in America who didn’t know who she was.

It was understandable.

After all, from an objective perspective, she could admit that Joanna
was extremely beautiful, and she was also quite skilled at talking. In
addition to that, she was also a talented hunter.

However, among all of her traits, the thing to which Min Ha-rin paid
the most attention was her skill in magic.

‘…there is not much of an age difference between us, but she’s

already an Archmage.’

Lukas had once told her the difference between a 6 star and a 7-star
Wizard.

Simply put, the difference between them was like heaven and earth.
It was a gap that could not be closed despite being only one level
apart.
“On your mission in Africa.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.”

Joanna, who seemed to have been lost in thought, regained her

senses with a shake of her head.

“Did something happen between you and Master?”

“…something?”

“I feel like your attitude has changed a lot.”

Min Ha-rin spoke in a direct tone.

Joanna’s expression became a bit sullen. For her, her first meeting
with Lukas had already become dark history.

“Now that I think of it, I never apologised for my attitude at that time.
I’m sorry. I was immature.”

“It’s fine.”

“…I’ll be sure to apologise to Frey later.”

After saying that, Joanna pointed to the seat beside Min Ha-rin.

“Can I sit there?”

“Yeah.”

“Thank you.”

Even after she sat down, Joanna remained silent for a long time.
Then, after their surroundings had become almost completely silent,
she opened her mouth again.

“Do you know Frey’s true identity? Er, I’m not trying to pick a fight or
anything. I’m just curious.”

Lukas’ identity…

In truth, Min Ha-rin didn’t know much about him. When she slowly
shook her head, Joanna spoke in a cautious voice.

“…I might.”

“…?”

“I might know Frey’s true identity.”

Min Ha-rin couldn’t help but blink slowly at those words.

“…huh?”

***

Taht.

He arrived at his destination.

As he landed, Lukas looked around.

A city in Northern Ireland.

To be precise, it was the city that Sedi had once used as her hideout.

Currently, the city had taken the appearance one would expect to
see from a city that wasn’t protected by the association. In other
words, it was in ruins.

Lukas slowly walked down the street where he could barely sense
any human presence before stopping at a certain place.
“…”

Even in the ruined city, this place could only be called the scene of a
disaster.

He could hardly imagine what had happened to give it such an

appearance. Even if the greatest natural disaster imaginable to man
had swept through this place, it wouldn’t have been this devastating.

However, for the site of a battle between Absolutes, it was still

lacking.

Lukas knelt down as he slowly inspected the deep hole that seemed
to stretch to the very core of the world.

It was as though a giant worm had drilled its way into the ground.

‘Warrior King Fist.’

Lukas could easily feel Kasajin’s traces.

Suddenly, he felt a faint presence. Lukas’ eyebrows furrowed slightly,

and a hint of disbelief appeared in his eyes.

No. It wasn’t possible.

Despite his denial, Lukas still spread his senses toward the
presence. He got up from his seat and gradually began walking
towards it. The closer he got, the clearer the presence became. At
that point, it became difficult for him to deny it.

After a while, Lukas stopped in front of a collapsed building. As soon

as he waved his hand, the rubble of the building split apart, and the
limp figure of a little girl was revealed.

She wasn’t dead. She was simply unconscious.

This was the first time Lukas was seeing this girl, but it wasn’t the
first time he’d met her. As strange as that sounded, it was true.

Lukas could easily tell the true identity of this being who had taken
the form of a young girl.

“…Sedi.”

The Absolute, Sedi.

She was still alive.

Only, she was different from before.

Kasajin was carving a statue.

He was holding a large piece of wood, but when it sat in Kasajin’s

huge hand, it looked like a wooden chopstick.

Shuk shuk-

He didn’t use any special tools. The nail of his index finger was
sharper than most famed swords, so they performed the task better
than any carving knife.

Over time, the piece of wood held in the large hand gradually began
to take shape, and before long, it turned into the figure of a man.

After he was done, Kasajin looked down at the finished sculpture.

Lukas Trowman.

[…]

He didn’t feel emotional. In fact, he didn’t feel anything.

What he sought now was practicality, efficiency, and balance.

“My King.”

Then, Azazel’s voice sounded. For a moment, his eyes locked onto
the wooden statue Kasajin had sculpted.

There was a brief flash of emotion in Azazel’s black eyes, but it

disappeared as suddenly as it appeared.

He spoke politely.

“Duke Rose has once again gone against your will.”

Deep anger was clear in Azazel’s voice. After all, Rose had ignored
his advice and instead continued doing as she pleased.

On the other hand, Kasajin’s voice was as calm as ever.

[I see.]

“It is time for her to be punished for her insolence. You don’t need to
act personally, my King. Just give me the order. I will ensure to
properly imprint the authority of the Demon King into her foolish
brain.”

[You don’t need to do that.]

Kasajin shook his head.

[There is something more important I’d like you to do.]

“A task…”

[Summon Ugkas and Sipakna.]

Azazel’s eyes flashed with surprise.

He could understand why he might have wanted Ugkas, but Sipakna

as well?

Did this mean that whatever he needed required the strength of two
of the Five Dukes?

“What orders should I give them?”

Kasajin stopped fiddling with the statue and placed it down.

[Capture Kran of the Top Three.]

***

From the moment she was born, she felt like there was a large hole
in her heart.

“…”

It just flowed.

All of the components that made up the concept of ‘I’ became thin
liquids that blended and mixed before becoming part of a calm river.
They began following a current that had a beginning but seemed to
have no end.
In some cases, some parts became more prominent while others
were lost entirely.

But Sedi Glaston’s thoughts were the same from the start.

‘I feel dirty.’

Her body had already disappeared, but she was still able to look
around. Up until now, her body had been floating in the river like
pieces of a broken star.

Each piece contained hundreds of years of memories. But most of

them were just trivial things.

A cynical smile stretched across Sedi’s lips.

‘Is this what they meant by ‘your life flashing before your eyes’?’

It was a funny thought.

Sedi never would have thought that she’d die like this.

Then, a broken star piece touched her.

Paht!

And Sedi saw her past unfold before her eyes.

***

Sedi found herself standing on a wasteland, where the sun blazed

down on the barren, cracked ground with never-ending sandstorms.

Sedi realised that this was a memory from when she was a mortal.

She calmly looked around at this nostalgic scene as though she’d

simply found an old
diary.

It was a planet of fighters who never stopped fighting. In this world,

where everything was fought for, Sedi was treated like a traitor. This
was because of her unique appearance.

On this planet, where night didn’t exist, no one else had pale skin
and black hair like she did. This was probably the reason why the
large hole had formed in her heart.

Sedi’s parents had abandoned her at birth. Nevertheless, she was

lucky enough to survive.

And when that luck ran out, that is, when she was able to stand on
her own two feet, Sedi took her life into her own hands and worked
to gain her own food and weapons.

Her story wasn’t grand or extravagant. In fact, it was quite simple.

On the planet of fighters, Sedi fought more than anyone else and lost
less than anyone else. And one day, the fighters began calling her
‘the Reaper’.

‘At that time, I felt the most alive.’

As she had this thought, the memory that Sedi was witnessing
quickly progressed.

When she turned 30, she had the final battle with the Lord of the
planet. He was a half step from becoming a transcendent, and Sedi
had nearly died no fewer than five times in their fight. But in the end,
she was the winner.

Sedi tore out his heart with her bare hands and ate it. The Lord had
laughed loudly one last time as he accepted his defeat.

And with that, Sedi was able to step past the shell of mortality.
What came after was a tale that anyone who’d become an Absolute
had experienced.

God came to her and offered her a chance to leave. And without
even the slightest shred of hesitation, she took his hand.

She thought that there was nothing more for her in that universe and
that by becoming an Absolute, she’d be able to fill the hole in her
heart.

But the work of an Absolute was more tedious than she’d initially
expected.

The pursuit of universal harmony. The words sounded grandiose, but

in truth, she was little more than God’s errand boy. In fact, she
couldn’t help but feel that it had been more rewarding to constantly
risk her life back on the planet of fighters.

After carrying out the same task over and over again for a long time,
her sense of self gradually began to fade.

Her individuality gradually disappeared and she became a rigid,

inflexible existence just like the other Absolutes.

Then, she found the Ruler.

The Black Horned Demon God.

When she met him, for the first time in her life, Sedi gave up the
thought of fighting.

She’d finally found someone whom she was afraid of. And, naturally,
she submitted to him.
From that day forth, Sedi was bestowed the name ‘Glaston’ by the
Demon God and was taken under his wing.

Sedi worshipped the Demon God with all her heart. She truly
believed that despite being a Ruler, he was a being greater than
God. She believed that if she served him, the hole in her heart would
be filled.

In fact, whenever she followed his orders, she never had to think
about the pain in her chest.

Feeling satisfied with that fact, she followed the Demon God
unconditionally. Sedi thought that the Demon God would also care
about her, in particular, to some extent.

After all, there were few Absolutes who carried out orders as
faithfully as she did.

And yet…

‘…it’s the Demon King, not me.’

The Demon King.

Sedi had realised it the moment she met him. Whom, between her
and the Demon King, the Demon God cared about more.

She couldn’t understand it. And she fought desperately and

resentfully. But she was defeated horribly.

A devastating defeat was worse than anything she’d experienced in

her long life.

The Demon King took everything from Sedi.

Not just the external force that made her an Absolute but even the
demonic energy that the Demon God had personally bestowed to
her.

Sedi didn’t have any complaints about it. Because the law of the
jungle, in which the strong preyed upon the weak and the defeated
lost everything, was already deeply entrenched in her mind.

Nevertheless, her misery didn’t disappear.

‘Did I live just for this moment?’

To give up everything she’d built to that Demon King?

As she had that thought, Sedi couldn’t help but let out a self-
deprecating laugh.

Why did she think that?

Was she trying to make her death seem more noble? Did she still
think of herself as an Absolute?

No. That wasn’t it.

Sedi was just upset that everything she’d achieved until now had
been in vain.

Of course, she had made several achievements as an Absolute.

After all, she’d saved at least a few hundred universes from
destruction.

But she didn’t feel any sense of accomplishment in that.

Sedi wasn’t satisfied.

‘I guess I’ll disappear into the post extinction world now… ’

The post extinction world.

It was the underworld to which Absolutes, whose bodies and souls

had separated, were sent. It was a place no Absolute had ever
returned from.

‘…ha.’

It was only then when Sedi finally understood her true feelings.

-I don’t want to die yet.

Suddenly.

“Ah…”

The calm flow of the river suddenly sped up as it began to be sucked

in a specific direction. Sedi, who was blankly drifting along the river,
was caught up in the flow and sucked in as well.

Then, a pure white light enveloped her body.

“…Ah.”

And a voice sounded.

Sensing the sudden change, Sedi opened her eyes. And after
blinking a few times, her blurry vision cleared up.

‘This is… ’

It was an abandoned building.

No. It was a half-destroyed building that could barely be called

abandoned. She could see the night sky from the completely broken
ceiling.
It was a familiar sight.

It took Sedi a few moments to realise that this was the half-destroyed
house she’d been staying in since she arrived.

She sat up.

“Ugh…”

Then, she collapsed again as a throbbing pain wracked her entire

body.

It was at that moment when she heard a voice.

“It would be best not to move.”

A familiar voice.

When Sedi turned her head, she saw Lukas leaning against a wall,
looking at her.

“…you…”

“I’m amazed you’re still alive.”

“I’m… alive…? I… Gurk!”

Sedi spat out a mouthful of blood.

Then she looked at the blood she’d just spat out with a startled
expression.

This feeling.

A feeling that she hadn’t felt in a very long time.

That of a body of flesh and blood instead of the body of a
transcendent.

She spoke up with a confused voice.

“M-, my… my body. What the hell happened to my body?”

“Do you really not know, Sedi Glaston? Or do you not want to
know?”

Sedi looked at Lukas with a blank expression. The voice that she
heard after carried

a slight hint of bitterness.

“You have been demoted from your position as an Absolute.”

“Wh-, what are you talking about?”

“You are now…”

Lukas paused for a moment before finishing his statement.

“…mortal.”
Document Outline
Cover
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Chapter 89
Chapter 90
Chapter 91
Chapter 92
Chapter 93
Chapter 94
Chapter 95
Chapter 96
Chapter 97
Chapter 98
Chapter 99
Chapter 100