Chapter 153
Chapter 153
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: The Demon-Slaying Sword
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If gods existed, then to Yong-un's subordinates, Yong-un was precisely that.
An omniscient, omnipotent deity who always turned the impossible into the possible.
That was why the Ghost Soul Annihilators—unwilling to let Cheon-il, the hunter who had contracted with a demon, be devoured and vanish—had turned to Yong-un for aid.
They simply couldn't bear to lose Cheon-il, who was like family to them.
But...
They had misjudged their lord.
No matter how much Yong-un might seem like an omnipotent god who made the impossible possible to his subordinates, he was still just a man—like any other person or hunter.
He ordered the Ghost Souls of the Ghost Soul Annihilation to stay by Cheon-il's side, so the man could feel some comfort once more.
Then, he quietly summoned Barum and stepped outside.
"Barum."
"Yes, Supreme One."
"Do you know anything about contracts with demons?"
Barum bowed his head, his expression filled with guilt.
"I'm sorry. I was tricked by Jackal into the contract myself, so I don't know much either."
Yong-un lamented how humans were creatures of forgetfulness.
He had once used soul-subjugation arts on Jackal.
It hadn't been a complete subjugation, but he had still delved into the man's memories and seen much.
There must have been details about demon-hunter contracts among them.
'But what good does that do now? In the end, it all fades away...'
That incident had happened over a year ago.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall it.
What use was ascending to the Transcendent Realm and possessing a mind far superior to others?
He still couldn't escape the innate human trait of forgetting.
"What little I know, you must already be aware of, Supreme One. I'm sorry I can't be of more help."
At this moment, no one regretted it more than Barum did.
He had always cared for Cheon-il like a younger brother.
To be unable to help him in this state as his elder brother figure— it had to feel utterly frustrating for Barum.
"Is there truly no way...?"
Yong-un's face twisted in frustration.
Seeing this, Barum added, unable to contain his own regret.
"If it had been any other demoncrier, we could have captured one and interrogated them..."
He considered it an impossible notion, born purely of wishful thinking.
Yet those words sparked an idea in Yong-un.
"Another demoncrier..."
Yong-un's expression gradually relaxed.
Barum spoke up at the sight of his lord's dawning realization.
"I only said it out of frustration. Even if we caught a demoncrier and interrogated them, they wouldn't talk. Violating contract secrecy means facing horrific execution from the entire Demon Realm. They'd sooner die than speak."
Come to think of it, Yong-un had never been curious about demon contracts, so when he'd slain the demoncriers and Jackal, he hadn't questioned them about it or paid special attention to those memories.
Indeed, if the Demon Realm hadn't imposed such measures—as Barum said—everyone would have known all about demon contracts long ago.
There would have been no need for groups like the demoncriers, nor for arrogant demons to band together.
Demons feared the Demon Realm's brutal punishments that much.
Death in the real world was preferable, even.
But that was common sense for demons like Barum or hunters.
Yong-un had another way.
"Don't worry. I can just extract the memories directly—no interrogation needed."
Extract a demon's memories?
Doubt flickered deeply in Barum's eyes.
"Forgive my narrow understanding. But extracting memories from demons with ordinary skills is impossible. Even rankless demons receive mental blessings from the Demon Realm, making it infeasible."
Demons were different from humans.
Unlike humans, born naked and living as such, demons received blessings from the Demon Realm at birth.
True, it only applied to proper demons, not monsters—but those were absolute blessings from the Demon Realm itself, impossible to dispel with any skill.
"No need to worry about that either."
But Barum didn't know.
"Pardon...?"
"I've done it once before."
That even Jackal had already fallen to Yong-un's soul-subjugation arts.
Barum's eyes widened in shock.
Then quickly returned to normal.
'I'd forgotten...'
What kind of being the Supreme One was.
What monstrous abilities the man called Supreme One possessed.
Barum, who had been watching Yong-un intently, silently bowed his head.
'Please.' ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A heavyweight had appeared at the GHO Korea Branch.
Yong-un, an S-rank hunter in the top ranks, strode boldly through the center of the massive building's first floor, summons warrant in hand.
He marched straight toward Daisy, the GHO Korea Branch Director.
"You've arrived."
He handed the summons to her with unflinching confidence.
"I heard you called for me. Mind telling me why?"
Daisy's eyes drifted to Yong-un's side.
A single sword, visible to her eyes that knew him as a martial artist.
An item she had never seen on him before—and the very reason she had summoned him—made her eyebrows twitch.
'So confident, is he.'
The man the War God himself had warned about.
The name that had come up countless times as the GHO Korea Branch took root in this land.
A hero of Korea.
He couldn't possibly be unaware of why she had summoned him.
Yet he had come wearing the Demon-Slaying Sword openly...
'A warning.'
Unconsciously, Daisy scanned her surroundings, assessing her current forces.
Dozens of hunters filled the first floor alone.
Combined with the second, third, and fourth floors, it would be hundreds.
'Hmm...'
Yet why was it that, despite their overwhelming numbers, watching Yong-un's unflappable demeanor made her feel like they were the ones at a disadvantage?
"Planning to keep me standing?"
Yong-un's voice turned toward Daisy.
She frowned slightly, then quickly flashed a bright smile.
"I'll guide you to the director's office myself."
Turning swiftly to hide her emotions, Daisy's expression completely changed.
The smile vanished, replaced by the cold, steely face of a director who commanded hunters.
A sense of responsibility—not to be swayed by a single hunter—ignited considerable anger within her.
As the director led the way, GHO hunter staff followed closely behind.
And behind them strode Yong-un.
With the Demon-Slaying Sword at his side. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Will you comply with the summons?"
At first, he hadn't planned to.
Hunters couldn't defy GHO.
Its scale was beyond what a single hunter or guild could handle.
But Yong-un was no mere hunter or guild.
He was an army unto himself.
A formidable legion that wouldn't yield even against GHO.
That was Yong-un.
'I'll comply.'
But after the incident with Cheon-il, he changed his mind.
He would answer the GHO summons.
And in exchange, he would take something from them.
Offering a price even GHO couldn't refuse.
"Tea or coffee?"
Daisy, seated on the sofa, tried to seize control of the conversation.
Before becoming a warrior, Yong-un was a demon forged in the Heavenly Demon Cult, surrounded by schemers for decades.
He could tell exactly what they intended from the movements of Daisy and the GHO staff.
"Tea."
"Hot or cold...?"
"Hot."
He cut her off.
Daisy's eyebrow twitched momentarily, but she soon instructed a nearby staff member.
"Hot tea, please."
"Yes, right away."
The staff member bowed with a darkened expression.
As he left, another took his place.
'Showing off their power, are they.'
He had thought this was for talk.
But dozens of hunters filled the director's office—enough to pack it full.
Yong-un couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.
And unwittingly muttered to himself.
"Ostentatious displays are mere veils for weakness."
The hypocritical Murim Alliance, the Blood Alliance with their offers of appeasement.
It had always been that way.
Those facing Yong-un, Demon Commander of the Heavenly Demon Cult, all acted like Daisy.
They packaged their full might to hide their frailty.
And Yong-un always stripped it bare.
While severing arms and dragging heads across the floor to force conversation.
'But I can't do that now.'
Back then, it was the life of the Ghost Demon Sword Demon, with nothing to lose.
Now, Yong-un had a life called family.
One he couldn't lose... absolutely couldn't lose...
A life he had to protect, even at the cost of his own.
'The Ghost Soul Annihilators, Demon Dragon Corps, Demon Shadow Ghost Killer Corps—they're the same.'
They were his family too.
"Pardon?"
Daisy shot him a glance, having overheard part of his mutter.
Normally, he would have risen and wrecked the room right then.
Instead, Yong-un shook his head.
"Nothing."
"Is that so."
Daisy shrugged.
Now, unlike before, she openly stared at the Demon-Slaying Sword at his side.
"Headquarters sent an official notice. The Demon-Slaying Sword..."
All the staff's gazes locked onto Yong-un.
"We're retrieving the Demon-Slaying Sword."
The staff and Daisy alike seemed convinced the sword at his side was it.
Faced with their eyes full of certainty, Yong-un crossed his arms and spoke.
"The Demon-Slaying Sword... Do you know what it looks like?"
"Of course. The notice included a photo."
Daisy set the document down.
A single sheet fluttered onto the table.
And there, prominently centered, was a large photo.
[A pitch-black blade with 'Demon-Slaying Sword' engraved in the middle. The crossguard connecting blade and hilt is gold with holes spaced along it, and the hilt is wrapped in black cord.]
The detailed description underscored how seriously GHO viewed the Demon-Slaying Sword.
"Spot on. That's what the Demon-Slaying Sword looks like."
Daisy furrowed her brow at Yong-un's words.
What did he mean?
They were the ones providing the description of the Demon-Slaying Sword.
Why was Yong-un the one confirming it instead?
"Hold on."
Before the conversation sank deeper into a quagmire, Daisy raised a hand in disbelief.
"What we want to know is whether you know the Demon-Slaying Sword's whereabouts. According to GHO, it was found during the San Marino Demonus weakening operation. Eyewitnesses say it flew toward Korea's high-contribution zones and vanished. That's why we summoned you."
"Then let me ask you this."
As Daisy's fervent explanation ended, Yong-un countered.
"Who owns the Demon-Slaying Sword?"
Was that even a question?
"GHO, naturally..."
"Did GHO make it?"
Daisy's words halted.
It should have been a seamless response, but she couldn't answer immediately.
The Demon-Slaying Sword was identified as the magic sword of a marquis-level demon discovered in Korea.
Not even GHO, with its advanced research, could have forged it.
So was it right to claim GHO as its owner?
Pure curiosity left Daisy speechless.
"Let me ask again."
Yong-un pressed on.
"If the Demon-Slaying Sword's owner appeared, would GHO return it?"
"No! Absolutely not!"
This answer came swiftly.
Yong-un chuckled.
They believed it to be a marquis-level demon's weapon, and even branch directors like Daisy bought into it.
"One final question."
Yong-un's smile faded.
"What if the owner isn't a demon, but a person? Would GHO return it then?"
"......"
Daisy couldn't answer this time either.
From the moment it was found, the Demon-Slaying Sword had always been considered a demon's possession.
Never once a human's.
'But if it really belonged to a person... Would GHO return it?'
Daisy bit her lip.
The answer was no.
GHO would never surrender an item under research.
No matter the owner, they would seize it rather than return it—Daisy knew that well.
That was GHO, wielding absolute global power.
Sacrificing the few for the many.
And they had secretly sacrificed many in practice.
GHO was the king ruling over the world's hunters.
"Once research is complete..."
"Stop mumbling and answer straight. Would GHO return it?"
Under the continued pressure, Daisy finally scowled deeply.
And shouted.
"No! We wouldn't! It was discovered in Korea! GHO paid a fair price to acquire it from Korea. If there was an owner, they'd have shown up by now!"
After agonizing, Daisy had made her choice.
"So that's how it is."
Her response carried a venomous edge.
And she intended to stick to her chosen path to the end.
Judging that prolonging the talk was unwise, Daisy rose from her seat.
She extended her index finger sharply.
Then pointed at the Demon-Slaying Sword at Yong-un's side.
"We need to inspect the sword in Hunter Yong-un's possession."
At her shout, dozens of staff began drawing up mana, bracing for something.
Yong-un stood as well.
The surrounding mana thickened, its tendrils converging on him.
All eyes fixed on his mouth.
Gulp.
The sound of Daisy's dry swallow echoed.
She was tense.
But unlike Daisy and the staff...
"If that's what you want."
With much to lose now, Yong-un chose differently from his Ghost Demon Sword Demon days once more.
Yong-un gripped the hilt of the Demon-Slaying Sword at his side.
His other hand seized the scabbard.
And slowly drew the blade.
Shiiiing—