Chapter 289
Chapter 289
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 290
Chapter Title: Late Dawn
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Late into the night, under a thick veil of darkness, six S-Rank demons hurriedly gathered at the Ten Demons Association's hideout. A somber mood hung heavy inside.
It was because shocking news had arrived today.
"Jeong Tae-hyuk is dead."
Jeong Tae-hyuk.
An S-Rank demon who formed part of the Ten Demons Association.
Though considered the weakest in terms of combat prowess, the 'Taesang Finance' company he ran played a crucial role in expanding their forces by serving as a hideout for numerous demons.
But today, he was dead. Even if he was the weakest among them, he was still an S-Rank demon, so his death was incomprehensible to the Ten Demons Association's demons.
"What the hell happened?"
"We can't know because of the Association's security. At least if we knew how he died..."
That was the most frustrating part right now.
A long-time comrade had died, but they didn't know why or by what magic.
All they knew was that he had been ambushed and killed on the street by someone.
"The situation is more serious than we thought. They say the Association has already turned Taesang Finance upside down."
"......Tch. If we're not careful, I might get caught up in this too."
S-Rank demon Hyeon-gyo muttered in a dejected voice.
It was because the company he ran, AY Life, had close ties to Taesang Finance.
At that moment, one demon who had been quietly listening spoke up.
"The suspect in this incident is probably 'that guy,' right?"
One demon raised a question at the term "that guy."
"......That guy? Who do you mean?"
"Obviously, Kim Jin-woo."
Kim Jin-woo.
The name of the wizard known among demons as the 'Demon Hunter.'
Given the rumor that he could identify demons, it was possible he had uncovered Tae-hyuk's identity and struck first.
Then Hyeon-gyo interjected again.
"It's plenty possible. Han Se-jin recently warned Tae-hyuk and me to watch out for Kim Jin-woo."
Everyone showed surprised expressions at Hyeon-gyo's words.
"......Han Se-jin?"
"Yeah, apparently Kim Jin-woo said something to Han Se-yeon."
"But that guy doesn't seem to have the skill to take down an S-Rank demon. Isn't Kim Jin-woo just A-Rank to begin with?"
Right at that moment, the King, who had been sitting silently on his throne, finally spoke.
"It is suspicious, for sure."
All eyes turned to him at once.
"......Han Se-jin said that?"
"Your Majesty, do you know something?"
In response to one demon's question, the King answered.
"I've suspected the wizard who killed Jin-geon at the expo was Kim Jin-woo. No, I'm almost certain of it."
Everyone showed shocked expressions at the King's words.
"......That was Kim Jin-woo?"
"Come to think of it, there were too many odd things about him to dismiss as just a simple A-Rank."
Then Hyeon-gyo, who had been listening to the conversation with a hardened face, stepped forward.
"I'll take responsibility and eliminate Kim Jin-woo."
"Hyeon-gyo, Kim Jin-woo isn't an opponent to take lightly. He's extremely meticulous and leaves no gaps. Plus......"
The King stopped short of mentioning a possible connection to Chairman Kim Jin-cheol.
He planned to speak on that after further investigation confirmed it.
Hyeon-gyo felt puzzled when the King trailed off.
"......It's nothing. And listen up, everyone. Report any information related to Kim Jin-woo, no matter how trivial."
With that, the King surveyed the five demons standing before him.
Just last year, there had been ten, but now they were down to six.
Seong-jin, Won-hyuk, Jin-geon, Tae-hyuk.
Four S-Rank demons dead in the span of a year.
The King felt a bitter taste amid the worsening situation.
At the same time, the prophecy of the previous King before his death came to mind.
—You will die trembling in fear, never knowing when your end will come......
Not far from the site where Jeong Tae-hyuk had been subjugated was a development zone lined with buildings under construction.
I, who had subjugated Jeong Tae-hyuk, along with Yoon Ha-young, had slipped away from the Special Forces team's eyes and entered one of the buildings for a brief rest.
"......Hoo."
Leaning against the wall, I let out a deep breath. My body felt like it wasn't my own, refusing to move.
It was because I'd pushed myself too hard fighting Jeong Tae-hyuk, and the mana elixir's effect had brought on mana exhaustion.
—Weeeeng!
Outside, the Special Forces team's vehicle sirens blared incessantly without end.
They probably wouldn't come all the way here, but the situation made me unnecessarily anxious.
It felt just like being a bank robber on the run from the cops in a movie.
"Seon-woo, you okay?"
Then Yoon Ha-young, who had been checking my complexion, asked in a worried tone. I nodded slightly.
"I'm fine. Just hit with some mana exhaustion for a bit."
"Good, then...... You're not hurt anywhere, right?"
I lifted both arms slightly.
"You can see I'm perfectly fine. Don't worry—just check if the Special Forces team is heading this way."
"Mm. Got it."
Yoon Ha-young nodded and glanced out the window to survey the outside. Then she muttered to me as if talking to herself.
"But in the end, Jeong Tae-hyuk really was a demon, just like you said."
Her tone carried an inexplicable tension.
Yoon Ha-young stared out the window with a thoughtful gaze, then spoke again.
"Taesang Finance...... It's a hugely famous company. I never imagined there'd be a demon among big corporate chairmen."
"Like I said before, demons are hiding in way more places than you think. Situations like this will probably keep happening."
At my words, Yoon Ha-young's expression hardened further. Then she gave a small smile and nodded.
"I need to work even harder from now on."
As she muttered that, Yoon Ha-young suddenly remembered something and said to me.
"Oh, right. Seon-woo. When did you reach S-Rank?"
"......Huh?"
My mind blanked for a moment.
What was this out-of-the-blue question?
"Why S-Rank all of a sudden?"
"You took on an S-Rank demon by yourself. Doesn't that make you S-Rank?"
I did take on an S-Rank demon alone......
But it was mostly luck.
Or rather, the situation flowed in my favor.
Sure, I gained the upper hand during those three minutes of combat, but if the guy had noticed the Reverse Blade's existence, things would've gone differently afterward.
It was a stroke of immense luck that he mistook me for 'Kim Jin-woo.'
"It's not like that. I just got lucky in a bunch of ways."
"Aha. Seon-woo's humble-bragging again."
......Humble-bragging? What's that supposed to mean?
Ignoring her meaningful words, I leaned against the wall and activated Outsider's Benefit.
To check the rewards from taking down Jeong Tae-hyuk today.
[You have subjugated S-Rank villain 'Jeong Tae-hyuk.']
[A massive change in the future has been detected.]
[Karma increases by 1.5.]
[Victory achieved in battle with target!]
[Due to Victory Report effect, Mana Control proficiency increases by 5%, Light Attribute proficiency by 15%.]
[Major victory achieved through cooperation with summon.]
['Immortal Hell Demon Beast Gretel' bond increases by 12%.]
['Summon Control (A)' proficiency slightly increases.]
['Immortal Hell Demon Beast Gretel' all stats increase by 0.1.]
['Feigned Weakness Inducement' achievement unlocked.]
[Reward: 3,000 points acquired.]
['Counter' achievement unlocked.]
[Reward: 5,000 points acquired.]
[One condition for 'Rage 2nd Stage' has been met.]
[Reward: Conditions required for stage upgrade can now be viewed.]
"Wow-"
Messages flooded in endlessly.
As expected of an S-Rank demon, the rewards were substantial.
As I scrolled through them, the last part caught my eye.
[One condition for 'Rage 2nd Stage' has been met.]
[Reward: Conditions required for stage upgrade can now be viewed.]
......Rage 2nd Stage conditions?
Right, there was this trait too.
The 'Rage 1st Stage' trait I got from subjugating a demon at the expo.
It said it could advance to the next stage upon meeting certain conditions, and apparently one had been fulfilled in the fight with Jeong Tae-hyuk.
What were the remaining ones? I checked right away.
[2nd Stage Upgrade Conditions]
1. Subjugate a berserk S-Rank demon (1/1)
2. Activate Rage 1st Stage (0/1)
"Hmm......"
Activate Rage 1st Stage.
It sounds simple, but it's actually pretty tricky.
The reason is straightforward. Unlike higher demons' berserk states, mine only triggers in extreme situations.
It probably only activates during life-or-death battles, especially when I'm in danger. But does that kind of scenario happen easily?
Plus, I don't want to create a situation dangerous enough to trigger it.
Tch.
Too bad, but I'll have to wait for the next opportunity.
The news of Jeong Tae-hyuk's assassination in the early morning spread rapidly across the world.
The perpetrator remained unidentified, with only details that they used a method to disable electronic devices and employed golem-type magic, and nothing else was revealed.
It was certainly a mysterious incident that drew public attention, but people were more interested in something other than who assassinated Jeong Tae-hyuk.
Namely, that Jeong Tae-hyuk was an S-Rank demon, and the company he ran, Taesang Finance, was a demon front company.
「In connection with the demon incident, the Association has begun raiding Taesang Finance. So far, it's confirmed that 8% of Taesang Finance's entire staff were demons. Half of them are currently on the run.」
「Additionally, documents detailing transactions with several companies and criminal organizations were found at Jeong Tae-hyuk's residence. Circumstances suggest these companies are also demon fronts.」
「Regarding the company list, the Association is maintaining security for detailed investigations. The public is watching closely to see if this unprecedented massive 'demon gate' will unfold.」
Bam!
A loud bang echoed as a desk was slammed in the room.
Han Se-jin, watching the news, couldn't hold back his rage and smashed the desk.
"What the hell is this?"
A horrific report had come in from early morning. This wasn't in his scenario.
"Team Leader Yang."
At Han Se-jin's call, the door to the vice president's office opened, and his personal secretary, Team Leader Yang, entered.
"Yes, Vice Chairman."
"Dispose of all documents between Taesang Finance, AY Life, and any other related companies right now."
"Understood."
Team Leader Yang bowed his head and left the room.
Han Se-jin swallowed his anger and sat in his chair.
A bolt-from-the-blue report had come in early morning.
Taesang Finance, with whom he had been secretly dealing, had been exposed as a demon company.
Since he had been trading with demons for a long time to become the head of the Han family, this incident might expose his own misdeeds to the world.
Han Se-jin bit his nails in anxiety.
"......Kim Jin-woo."
Han Se-jin naturally thought of Kim Jin-woo.
That guy must have pulled some scheme.
He was certain Kim Jin-woo was the one who tipped off Han Se-yeon about Jeong Tae-hyuk.
That bastard really is dangerous.
Especially since he was helping Han Se-yeon, the biggest obstacle to becoming head of the Han family, above all else.
He needed to make a move.
"......Ellin."
At Han Se-jin's call, Ellin, who had been behind him, turned her head toward him.
"What?"
"You've met Kim Jin-woo before, right?"
"Kim Jin-woo? Yeah, I have."
Ellin recalled Kim Jin-woo.
A man who strangely got under her skin every time she saw him. She had many suspicions about him.
Incredibly fast barrier release speed, combat style.
Build and aura......
He reminded her of 'that person' in various subtle ways.
Beyond that, she also questioned the relationship between Kim Jin-woo and Kim Seon-woo.
Of course, it was all just suspicion, so she had no way to act on it.
"But why Kim Jin-woo?"
"Between you and Kim Jin-woo, who is stronger?"
Ellin tilted her head at the sudden question.
"Hmm. Never fought him, so I don't know, but I'd say I'm stronger."
"Aren't you S-Rank? I thought Kim Jin-woo was A-Rank."
"That's right, but rank doesn't mean it's like a game where higher always wins."
"What do you mean?"
As Han Se-jin, unfamiliar with the wizard world, showed confusion, Ellin sighed.
"My specialty is support magic. As the name implies, it's specialized in aiding others. That's why I'm at a disadvantage in 1v1 fights. But in 2v2, I'd have a clear edge."
It was an easy-to-understand explanation, so Han Se-jin grasped it quickly.
"Then, if there's one more person, could you kill him? Another S-Rank like you?"
"......What are you getting at?"
"No, I was setting up a spot to kill Kim Jin-woo, but my assassin got himself killed this morning."
Ellin narrowed her eyes.
"Sorry, but I have zero intention of murdering anyone unless it's Ja-un or someone from another crime syndicate. I made that clear when we made our deal."
"How about this, then?"
Han Se-jin tapped his fingers on the desk rhythmically.
"If you succeed in killing Kim Jin-woo, I'll give you the Book of Runes."
Ellin blanked out for a moment at the unexpected offer.
The Book of Runes.
The secret tome of the Rune Clan, the reason she worked under Han Se-jin.
"......You'll return the Book of Runes?"
"Yes, and on top of that, all the treasures of the Rune Clan owned by the Han family."
Ellin hesitated for a moment.
To get the Book of Runes back, she had to work under Han Se-jin for a few more years. But she couldn't waste time like this.
She had much to do ahead.
Reviving the clan.
Avenging the clan.
And for that, the clan's secret tome was essential.
"......Just kill Kim Jin-woo?"
"Yes. Method is up to you. But nothing that brings harm to me or the Han family."
Ellin clamped her mouth shut and fell into thought.
Is it really okay for me to do something like that? Won't I just become a monster like Ja-un because of my selfish desires? Such fears.
Soon, Ellin steeled herself.
To catch a monster, I must be prepared to become one myself.
All this for the clan.
"......Fine. You set up the meeting."
Han Se-jin grinned at Ellin's answer.