The Voice Villain #2
South Korea.
The Association, home to the most influential Hunters in the country.
The Hunters, who had grown increasingly busy in the wake of Doyun’s terrifying growth, had reached a point where they barely saw each other’s faces anymore.
"Phew...! I’m seriously so busy these days..!"
"It’s a good thing if Doyun is doing well."
"I mean, that’s true, but... hehe."
Jung Ah-hyun and Han Ji-hyuk had barely managed to meet up for a conversation.
"But honestly, it’s brutal. I’ve never been this busy before."
South Korean Hunters.
By the standards of ordinary people, there was no one with more transcendental abilities than them.
But if you widened your perspective to the global stage, they were stuck in a position where they could do neither one thing nor the other.
They were weak.
Both in level and in sphere of influence.
If a Gate Break were to occur in their country right now, they would inevitably have to ask for help from Hunters of other nations.
"Lately, don't you think the atmosphere has been getting a bit weird?"
"Because of the Gate Breaks?"
"That, too, but..."
Jung Ah-hyun continued, nervously fiddling with her hair.
"The number of people asking about Doyun-oppa from all over the place has increased so much. Like, a crazy amount..."
Jung Ah-hyun looked extremely displeased.
In truth, from her perspective, this phenomenon didn't feel good at all.
At a time when they should be busy building a bond between senior and junior, the fact that other Hunters were trying to exert such strong interference was infuriating.
For Jung Ah-hyun, there had never been a more desperate time than this.
'...If only I were stronger.'
If she were as strong as that Japanese shrine maiden, she would have marked him openly.
She would have told them that this Hunter was her Hunter, so they shouldn't dare lay a finger on him.
"It’s not like it’s Doyun-oppa’s fault, but he’s just too good at everything..."
"It’s definitely exceptional. He’s on the 12th floor right now, isn't he? And in only three months? That’s a timeline that would be considered strange even if you put any other top-tier Hunter there."
Of course, even if the clear time slows down as you go up the floors, Doyun was completely off the charts.
"It’s only like this because our handler is working so hard to keep them at bay. If he’d just left it alone, Hunters from other countries would have already come and set up base camp, wouldn't they?"
"...Ugh."
And they would have tried every trick in the book to make Doyun belong to their own country.
Because their greed was endless, no matter how much they took.
"Thinking about it that way, I’m really relieved..."
Jung Ah-hyun said, looking somewhat dejected.
"Yeah."
Han Ji-hyuk also felt a heavy heart at the reality that he couldn't look after his junior who had finally returned, but this was the best they could do.
For now, the best they could do was to provide the environment for Doyun to grow rapidly on his own.
"Do you think the Hunters from other worlds are the same?"
However, Hunters didn't just exist on Earth.
"Those high-and-mighty Hunters... do you think they’ll look at Doyun-oppa favorably?"
"They won't look at him favorably. From their perspective, we’re nothing but uninvited guests."
"Ha... the problems are doubled."
"That’s for sure. Even if you become a Hunter, it’s tough to survive."
They could only pray.
That he would somehow break through their interference and pave his own path thoroughly.
Please, let him spread his wings without the interference of other Hunters.
She hoped that before long, he would stand beside them and be reborn as a proud Hunter.
Jung Ah-hyun wished for it, and wished for it again in her heart.
..
....
"Ah, damn it."
"S-sorry."
And as if to mock that wish, Doyun was currently busy disciplining the otherworld Hunters who were getting in his way.
#
The reward offered by the Demon Hunter leader.
"Oh."
A cross-shaped pendant, embedded with beautiful ornaments, was handed to Doyun.
"It’s an artifact infused with divine power, something not even many of us possess."
"Are you sure it’s okay to just give me something like this?"
Doyun, already having hung it around his neck, pretended to be concerned.
"Haha. It doesn't protect against all mental corruption, though."
The Demon Hunter, who showed a surprisingly cheerful side, laughed and continued.
Laughter.
It had been a long time since he had felt such an unfamiliar emotion in his memories.
"And if we couldn't reward a benefactor like you, the dignity of the noble Demon Hunters would be in tatters."
"Then..."
He had no intention of returning the reward in the first place.
"If you possess that, you will be able to deal stronger blows to those influenced by demons. It is an artifact that I personally received from the Saintess in the capital."
"It’s amazing."
"I’m glad you like it."
In the meantime, he suddenly remembered what he had received through the previous reward proposal.
Demon Hunter’s Ominous Blood.
He took the item with the strange name, which he had received through the subjugation of Arcein, out of his inventory.
"...That is."
"I got this from a Demon Hunter named Arcein."
"Is that so. I see. I told him to be careful, but it seems he pushed himself too hard in the end."
The Demon Hunter leader accepted it with a bitter tone.
Black-tinted blood in a small glass tube.
"This was a sample needed for research on demons. It seems he ended up in that state trying to obtain this."
"Ah."
"Thank you for bringing it to me. If you don't mind, may I take possession of it?"
"Wasn't it yours to begin with?"
"When the original owner dies, the ownership naturally becomes yours."
Is that so?
Doyun didn't particularly want to carry around someone else's blood, so he nodded immediately.
"If it helps, please take it."
"I owe you another debt."
'Please, owe me plenty.'
That was the only way the rewards would keep flowing.
Doyun, hiding his true intentions, looked at the Demon Hunter with a good-natured smile.
"Then, if fate allows, let’s meet again."
"Yep."
With those words, the Demon Hunter disappeared from the spot in an instant.
He couldn't even track the movement with his eyes.
It meant that the gap between him and Doyun was significant.
Linked Quest Completed!
And.
The quest window, which had always been silent, popped up.
It seemed the main purpose of the quest was to deliver the Demon Hunter’s blood.
"Nice, right?"
"Nice, nice!"
He felt a sense of joy at Aira, who was empathizing with his emotions from the side.
◈ Restored Village Map x1
◈ Investigation Data on Demons x1
◈ 15th Floor Theme Stage Entry Ticket x1
"Whoa."
It finally appeared.
The entry ticket he had been waiting and waiting for, to enter the theme stage.
Now he would be able to fully enter the theme stage.
"Wh, what."
"....?"
However, Doyun turned his head at the presence heard from behind.
A familiar sight.
It was the Hunters he had chased away a while ago.
'They followed me here, too.'
It might be unavoidable since the boss room was here, but he thought they would at least have the decency to read the room.
Am I asking for too much?
A sudden sense of sadness welled up.
"You came again?"
"Y-you. Did you just talk to the Demon Hunter? And, what exactly did you just receive..."
-Clink.
"This."
Doyun showed them the pendant hanging around his neck.
It was a relic artifact personally passed down by the Demon Hunter.
"The Demon Hunter gave you something like that...?"
"Why. Am I not allowed to receive it?"
"That’s ridiculous. Then, why on earth did we..."
Doyun said to the Hunters, who were still looking frustrated.
"I got it for clearing the quest on the previous floor. Did you guys not get anything?"
"We didn't have anything like that..! It’s unfair. It’s unfair!"
"Damn it, the world is unfair after all...!"
"Are you guys crazy? Then what have you been doing until now?"
"We, just. We barely cleared the boss room and..."
"You didn't run the stages separately?"
"...."
No words.
It meant they had defeated the boss room in peak condition because they didn't want to take any other risks.
'These bastards.'
That made it even more absurd.
Unlike himself, who had figured out the objects while dealing with monsters as if his life depended on it, they hadn't done anything.
And on top of that, their attitude of daring to discuss unfairness in front of him was quite irritating.
"Fuck. Then it’s your fault. Why is that my fault?"
"Wh, what?"
The Hunters were stunned by Doyun’s suddenly changed attitude.
"It’s your fault for not putting in the effort. I got the quest by rolling and rolling on the floors, didn't I?"
"...There was a quest?"
"Yeah. So stop spouting nonsense and confusing things, and just go into the boss room quietly."
Doyun pointed to the boss room portal, which was glowing faintly.
Once he said that much, there was nothing they could say to Doyun.
Because it was the natural result for those who didn't want to take any risks.
"....."
However, Doyun, who had read something glistening in their eyes, realized instinctively that they wouldn't just back down here.
"Then. Hand over the equipment you have."
"Are you out of your mind?"
"We all know that you can't clear the boss room even if you come this far."
-Shing.
The five Hunters drew their respective weapons.
It seemed they never had any intention of resolving this with words from the start.
"So we’re going to take your equipment here, gain some experience, and then challenge the boss room."
It was a very despicable idea, but it wasn't wrong.
If you lack experience, you can just target stronger opponents to get it.
Filling up your level that way and then safely challenging the boss room was also logical in its own way.
'They’re really going to come at me like this.'
But Doyun was dumbfounded.
If it were him, he would have just tried to gain experience or quests by running the stages somehow.
[Never trust a Hunter.]
[If they cross you, just attack first.]
The advice from the boss mobs he had heard once seemed to be stinging him with a reprimand.
"You’re really doing this."
"F, fuck! We have no choice either. Everyone, attack!"
In the end, the Hunters, having lost their minds, began to rush at Doyun all at once.