Chapter 155
Chapter 155
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: Traces of the Demon Cry
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Near Sokcho Yangyang Beach.
Amid the crowds who had come to enjoy the beach, Yong-un stood tall and imposing.
He could feel the stares from many people, but Yong-un remained utterly unperturbed.
He simply and quietly gathered information on the demonic energy he had scattered in places ordinary folk wouldn't notice.
"There are quite a few hunters mixed in among the civilians."
Though their numbers were said to be low overall, resorts like this still had a fair share of hunters.
He figured it was because their life-risking profession came with salaries far higher than those of regular people.
"But no sign of it here."
On his way out of GHO, he had gotten information from Daisy Agency Head's secretary about the first sighting of the Demon Cry.
He had rushed straight here, but as expected, it seemed to have detected him and gone into deep hiding.
He hadn't expected to catch it easily anyway.
No matter how troublesome, Yong-un intended to comb every inch of the area.
It might take more time, but there was no surer method.
Tang.
Yong-un lightly kicked off the ground.
The sand on the beach exploded outward like a bomb blast.
The people nearby ended up covered in sand, but rather than complain, they gaped in awe at Yong-un shooting into the sky.
Soaring high into the sky, Yong-un fully unleashed his demonic energy.
The crimson-black Crimson Demonic Energy took tangible form, permeating his entire field of vision.
Like grains of sand, the thinned demonic energy seeped into the beach, the parking lot, surrounding buildings, even underground—without missing a spot.
And there, he found traces of the Demon Cry.
"Found you."
Yong-un's eyes sharpened as he plummeted from the sky like a falling meteor.
Thud.
He landed on a deserted rural road.
Following the trail of demonic energy, Yong-un headed toward a container deep in the countryside.
The moment he placed his hands on both door handles, he understood everything.
"Already gone, huh."
Crack. Boom!
The container doors tore off like paper and flew away.
As expected, the inside was completely empty.
Not a single small item left behind—they had taken everything and fled.
Sensing the faint demonic energy of the demon race lingering inside, Yong-un nodded slowly.
"The fact that demonic energy still lingers means..."
His eyes turned crimson-black as he swept his hand through the concentrated demonic energy in the center of the empty container.
Then he turned his head to look outside.
"...it hasn't been long since they left."
But the energy flow was odd.
The demon's demonic energy was clearly concentrated in the center.
They must have started from there together, yet oddly, the entrance of this single-door container showed no traces at all.
In other words, they had blasted demonic energy from the center, punched through the container, and vanished...
"But the doors were perfectly intact and locked."
This defied all common sense.
There was only one explanation.
"Did it use a space teleportation skill?"
It felt like letting a fish slip from his grasp at the last moment.
If it had flown off using demonic energy like ordinary demons, he could have followed the trail.
But if it had used a skill—a method of energy manipulation that even Yong-un hadn't mastered—then his tracking via traces was rendered useless.
Yong-un withdrew all the Crimson Demonic Energy he had spread around the area, having found nothing.
Then, into the empty air, he issued a quiet command.
"Mu-hee."
Shhrrk.
The shadow rippled, and Mu-hee emerged.
"Yes, my Lord."
If there was no way, he would simply create one.
These beings he had painstakingly crafted over long years were meant for times like this.
"Bring the Demon Shadow Execution Captain."
"Understood."
If he lacked knowledge of skills, he could use a subordinate who knew them well.
Mu-hee melted back into the shadows, and not even ten seconds later, she rose again with Jin-cheol.
"My Lord, I heard you called for me."
Jin-cheol bowed his head.
Then, sensing something himself, he twitched his eyebrows and subtly turned his head.
"Is that why you summoned me?"
Magic-type hunters were indeed different.
Jin-cheol immediately detected the traces of a skill performed with demonic energy—something even Mu-hee had missed.
Yong-un nodded and gave the order.
"It seems to have used a space teleportation skill. What do you think?"
Jin-cheol stood.
He strode to the center of the container, touching the lingering demon demonic energy in the air and closely examining the faint formation etched into the floor.
Less than a minute later, he gave his answer.
"It's a space teleportation skill, alright. From the feel of the energy... has a demon capable of spatial movement appeared?"
"More precisely, a Demon Cry."
At the words "Demon Cry," Jin-cheol's eyebrows twitched.
"Didn't we wipe out all the Demon Cries? Ah..."
Mid-sentence, Jin-cheol realized the flaw in his words.
What was a Demon Cry?
It was a group born from contracts between hunters or humans and demons.
Though they had exterminated them all, as long as humans and gates existed, Demon Cries could always reemerge.
Jin-cheol opened his mouth and admitted his error.
"My apologies. So they've reformed."
Yong-un nodded at Jin-cheol's words.
"That's not why I called you. Can you track it?"
Jin-cheol scrutinized the formation on the floor and the demon's demonic energy.
Then, drawing up his own demonic energy, he replied confidently.
"I can. If it's a hunter with the same space teleportation skill, I can reconstruct it before the traces fade."
As he fiercely drew up demonic energy, Jin-cheol's hair floated into the air.
The demonic energy filling the container gathered in his hands and seeped into the lingering demon demonic energy.
Suddenly, patterns matching the floor formation lit up in the empty air, drawing a circle.
"Shall I open it right away?"
Yong-un smiled.
A brilliant strategist with the ambition of a warrior seeking strength—what greater talent could there be?
Shing.
As the circle completed, the Demon-Slaying Sword unsheathed from Yong-un's waist.
His smile vanished, and his voice rang out.
"Open it."
"Yes, opening now."
Jin-cheol poured demonic energy to reconstruct the vanished magic circle.
With a final surge, the center of the pattern circle in the empty air began to darken.
And then—
Flash.
With a burst of light, Yong-un and his group vanished from the spot.
"Wh-what the—?!"
They clearly hadn't expected anyone to reconstruct and follow the teleport so quickly.
Slash.
The neck of a Demon Cry checking nearby weapons flew off.
Blood sprayed as Yong-un grabbed the severed head mid-air, his crimson eyes glaring at them all.
"A trap, is it?"
Every weapon set up around them was designed for anti-personnel killing.
As if anticipating a reconstruction, guns, bows, and magic circles covered the area centered on where Yong-un's group appeared.
But a trap only works with perfect timing.
A mistimed one like this became the perfect opportunity to turn the tables on the trappers.
'Even if it had been perfectly sprung, it wouldn't have fazed the Sovereign anyway.'
Jin-cheol shrugged and unleashed a barrage of magic skills.
Yong-un rolled his shoulders as if loosening up.
"Twenty-three."
It wasn't just warming up.
By instantly blasting and retracting demonic energy around him, he had counted the Demon Cries in a flash.
"D-demonize!"
One Demon Cry shouted the order loudly.
Demonic energy from demons rose from all directions.
The cave-like space filled with it.
Once demonization completed, the Demon Cries would form considerable combat power.
But Yong-un didn't move the Demon-Slaying Sword.
He simply issued a command with his crimson-black eyes, pushing his Crimson Demonic Energy to the extreme.
"Mu-hee."
"Yes."
"Assemble all Soul Ghost Assassins except Barum, who's guarding Cheon-il."
Whoosh.
As he finished speaking, the demonized Demon Cries roared in completion.
Kraaaang!
But Mu-hee, right in the middle, showed no fear—only a smile.
"Stay put, my Lord. This is our stage."
Mu-hee melted into the shadows.
Thinking one less fighter meant their chance, the fully demonized Demon Cries charged simultaneously.
"Can't just stand still, then."
At that speed, they'd arrive before Mu-hee could bring the Soul Ghost Assassins.
Yong-un raised the Demon-Slaying Sword, infusing it heavily with Crimson Demonic Energy.
Just as he swung—Jin-cheol blocked his path and detonated the demonic energy he had gathered for his skill.
"Dark Shield."
Whoosh.
A massive translucent black barrier formed around Yong-un and Jin-cheol, two meters in radius.
Thud. Thud-thud-thud.
The Demon Cries' claws laced with demonic energy pounded the Dark Shield.
But Jin-cheol's full-power Dark Shield showed no signs of breaking.
"I did well, right?"
Maintaining demonic energy in both hands, Jin-cheol turned and smiled at Yong-un.
Yong-un's power could end them in an instant.
But having overheard Mu-hee and Yong-un, Jin-cheol made this call.
"Well done."
It was the judgment of someone who had long served Yong-un.
That was the Yong-un he knew.
Even when settling things with his own power would be far easier, he chose the longer path for his subordinates' growth and experience.
Whoosh.
Sensing familiar demonic energy, Jin-cheol turned back to the Demon Cries.
"What the hell is this?"
"Smash it quick! Something's coming!"
"Magic user! What are you doing?!"
The Demon Cries grew frantic.
They felt it too.
The murder machines born from the Heavenly Demon Cult and carried into this world.
The dangerous ones were coming.
Gurgle.
The shadows writhed.
Whoosh.
Witnessing it, Jin-cheol retracted his demonic energy and dispelled the Dark Shield.
"Now!"
The barrier blocking them vanished.
The Demon Cries immediately blasted demonic energy and lunged to kill Yong-un and Jin-cheol.
"Kill them!"
Just as their claws aimed to shred Yong-un and Jin-cheol—
Five shadows burst from the writhing darkness at blinding speed.
And...
"Soul Ghost Assassins..."
Slash!
A low voice echoed as blood sprayed from all directions.
"We assemble at the Sovereign's command."
The leader of the Soul Ghost Assassins, One Ghost Soul Master.
Gripping daggers in both hands, he had led all Soul Ghost Assassins except Cheon-il and Barum, arraying themselves around Yong-un.
"Wh-what the hell are those?!"
The Demon Cries faltered at their comrades dying inexplicably.
"Awaiting your orders."
The leader before them sought Yong-un's command.
Yong-un turned and gave the long-awaited order.
"Kill every last one. Leave none alive."
Swish.
The leader gripped his daggers in reverse grip.
All the Soul Ghost Assassins followed suit.
Then, the voice of the reaper rang out.
"Command... received."
"They're human anyway! Kill them!"
The clash between Demon Cries and the reaper Soul Ghost Assassins.
"Kwaaaagh!"
Screams echoed endlessly from the Demon Cries' cave.