Demon and the Eve of the Storm
A spacious office on the eve of the storm with a demon.
People lined the walls on both sides, all in black suits, hands clasped in front, eyes fixed straight ahead. At the end of the line stood a wall entirely of windows, fronted by a hefty solid-wood desk. On it gleamed ornate nameplates and trophies. And seated there was a man.
Impeccably pressed gray suit. Hair neatly combed back. At a glance, he could pass for a corporate executive—but his face told a different story. A massive scar over one eye. Huge hands riddled with wounds. It was like a scene straight out of a noir film.
Iron Claw Guild. An A-rank guild by Korea Hunter Association standards, wielding both capital and brute force. Born in the back alleys, rumors swirled endlessly about its shady dealings, yet no one dared touch it openly.
Its master, Jeonghyeon, toyed with a fountain pen, quietly awaiting something. The office was deathly silent, not even a breath to be heard.
Then the door opened.
Vice Guild Master Kim Minseong entered. He walked between the lined-up guild members to the desk.
"Here it is, hyungnim."
He set a black plastic bag on the desk—heavy, like a small urn.
The fountain pen stopped.
"Open it."
Minseong opened the bag.
"……."
A faint stir rippled through the guild members. It was a head. A human head. The A-rank hunter who'd led the six he'd dispatched himself—a veteran of over ten years in the guild. Eyes bulging in outrage.
Jeonghyeon said nothing for a moment. Instead, his fingers drummed the desk a few times.
"The rest?"
"Everyone but one didn't come back. That one's in rough shape…."
"How rough."
"Mind's not all there. Wants to quit the guild."
"……."
Jeonghyeon's fingers halted.
"Six A-ranks."
"Yes."
"And only one came back."
"……Yes."
Jeonghyeon glanced into the bag once more. He rose slowly from his seat. Tension thickened among the guild members.
"…How dare you."
Low voice.
"Make a fool."
His fist rose slowly.
"Of me!!"
BAM!!
The thick desk split in two.
"……."
Wood shards flew, but Minseong didn't flinch. Jeonghyeon huffed, reining in his rage.
"Prepare. I'm going myself."
Minseong's face hardened.
"Hyungnim."
"What."
"If I may— an S-rank hunter moving personally doesn't paint a good picture. It'll draw eyes from all sides. Better to put out a villain warrant…."
Jeonghyeon stared him down coldly.
"Kim Minseong."
"……Yes."
"Ten guild members dead, one turned into a fucking vegetable."
"……."
"And the guild master does nothing but beg state agencies for help? Even as an S-rank?"
"……."
"What do you think the others will say?"
"…My apologies. I was short-sighted."
Minseong bowed his head. Jeonghyeon turned to gaze out the window.
"Don't care where the bitch crawled out from. But after this stunt, no letting it slide. She ends up the same way, or we lose face."
"Understood."
Hunter Association Beast Management Division. Seoul Branch.
A flickering fluorescent-lit office. The air hung heavy and drab—likely thanks to the mountains of paperwork piled on every desk.
The desk with the tallest stack. In its midst sat a woman. Hair roughly tied up. Jacket slung over her chair. She could've been called a beauty, but exhaustion dulled her eyes, sapping the appeal.
Kang Seoyeun. The team leader here—and one of the few S-rank hunters in the division. Dark circles plunged under her eyes as she scratched her temple furiously with a pen. Another woman approached.
"……Again."
Seoyeun muttered at the footsteps.
"Team leader, this week's additions."
"How many now."
"Seventeen."
"……."
Seoyeun leaned back, squeezing her eyes shut.
"Was the division always this understaffed?"
"Budget cuts last year."
"Right."
"And the unmeasurable summoned beast case got dumped on us from HQ. Said it matches your skills perfectly."
"……Aren't they overworking me?"
"S-rank perks."
"I think S-ranks deserve better treatment. Hell, I could quit and join any guild tomorrow and it'd beat this."
"Ahaha…."
Seoyeun sighed, taking the new files. A report from the academy.
Unmeasurable Summoned Beast
Summoner: Seha
Summon Appearance: White hair, red eyes, horns, female form. Highly human-like aside from horns. Suspected low-rank demon.
Mana Supply: 0
Combat Eval: Unilaterally crushed Salamander (91 mana).
"Hmm."
Seoyeun propped her chin.
"Zero reading?"
"First I've seen."
"Measurer broken…? Nah."
"Two devices, both fine."
"Haa, another headache…!"
Seoyeun stretched, about to set the file down—then paused.
"Wait."
Seha? She'd seen that name before. She scanned her desk, fishing a file from the pile. Today's Hellhound escape report.
Hellhound Escape Incident
Witness Statements. On-Site Hunters: Isol, Seha.
Three felled by wooden swords, two killed by internal explosions….
Seoyeun's eyes narrowed. She spread both files side by side.
Seha. Seha. Same name.
"Um, team leader."
Her junior chimed in cautiously.
"These were filed around the same time."
"I know."
"And."
She pointed to the wall map.
"Super close to the five-death scene too."
Seoyeun looked up at the map. Red and blue dots clustered together.
"Five hundred meters."
"……."
Dismemberment murders. IDs traced to all Iron Claw Guild members. Seoyeun laid out all three files.
Iron Claw Guild Dismemberments
All five victims affiliated with Iron Claw Guild.
Location: Near academy.
Unmeasurable summoned beast. Hellhound incident. Iron Claw deaths. All converging on one point.
"……."
Seoyeun sipped her cold coffee.
Summoned beast. Academy student. Hellhounds. Academy-related. Deaths near academy too.
…….
She murmured.
"Can you look into an academy spot for me?"
Her junior blinked.
"Pardon?"
"Temporary instructor."
"Why so sudden…."
"Gotta see it myself."
Seoyeun grabbed her jacket, slipping the three files into a clear holder.
"Doesn't feel like pure coincidence."
Night. Seha had spread a mat on the living room floor and was prone, hands shoulder-width, back straight.
"One… two… three…."
Push-ups. Dahong's words echoed in his head.
If you're weak, build strength. Short on knowledge, stack it up. Think confidence comes from nothing?
Confidence doesn't sprout from nowhere. Want it? Make a reason. And if you make it, it'll come. Starting today.
"……Four… five…."
Thud.
A sound from the sofa.
"Whatcha doing."
"Exercising."
"Why."
"You said I need to build strength."
Seha kept going without pause, a smug satisfaction bubbling up. Pretty determined, right? He glanced up casually—and froze.
Dahong leaned on the sofa arm, looking down at him. Clothes from the department store. Short gray shorts, comfy short-sleeved tee. A far cry from her suit's formality. Her pale white thighs caught his eye unwittingly.
He whipped his gaze away. …Why's she dressed so casually.
Seha squeezed his eyes shut, trying to erase the image.
"Why'd you stop."
"N-nothing."
At her words, he hurriedly resumed.
"Six… seven…."
Then, as he lowered, Dahong's foot planted on his back.
Smooth.
"……?"
Her sole pressed down firmly.
"Eek!"
"Lower more."
"Y-you can't do this!"
"Boosts the workout."
Dahong said casually. Seha gritted his teeth, endured, pushed up. Lowered again.
"Eight… nine…!"
Press press.
"Ughhh…!!"
"Hit ten. You can, right?"
"I… can…!!"
His arms quivered as he reached ten.
"…Ten!"
Thud. Seha collapsed on the mat. Dahong lifted her foot, peering down.
"You're seriously weak."
"…Your fault, Dahong."
"Me? What'd I do."
"You pressed with your foot!"
"Helping, I said."
"You just wanted to mess with me…."
Dahong played innocent.
"Looking at you, guess we do this tomorrow too?"
"…Yeah."
Seha hauled himself up. Arms jelly—clearly out of shape. Dahong chided him.
"A guy's struggling at ten? Minimum a hundred."
"…Unlike other awakeners, my physical stats suck."
"Exactly why you train harder."
"…True."
Hoo. Seha sighed. She seemed all jokes, but dropped these bone-deep truths sometimes. He bit his lip.
"One more set."
"Go for it."
Seha prone again. Hands set, neck straight.
"Huuu… one…."
Suddenly, something soft and heavy settled on his back.
"……?"
Not a foot. Wider. Heavier.
"D-Dahong."
"Yeah."
"Where exactly are you sitting."
"Your back."
"……."
Seha glanced down slowly. A pale leg dangled by his side.
"……."
"Why stop."
"H-how?! Like this…!"
"Heavier load than before. Better gains."
"That's not the issue!!"
Seha's face burned to his ears. He tried ignoring it, but the soft, heavy pressure on his back drew every nerve.
…Blood rushing to one spot. Disaster if it did. He'd have to jump off the balcony for real.
He pleaded.
"Get up! Please!"
"Ten and I will."
"That's…!"
"One."
"……."
"Not doing it?"
Seha clenched his teeth. Arms shook. Face like it might explode.
"Ughhhh…!"
Shivering, his body lowered slowly. The floor quaked like an earthquake, but Dahong stayed serene atop him. No—her lips twitched upward.
"One."
She counted.
"Two."
"Ughh… raaah!!"
Seha roared. Dahong didn't budge till the end.