Chapter 54
Chapter 54
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: The Stolen Contract
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Haa... Aren't you tired?"
The morning sun had risen.
Myung-su, sprawled out on the grass, was drenched in sweat as he dropped the sword from his hand.
But Yong-un merely gazed at him with a faint smile.
"Today's training is over. Go get some rest."
"Ugh... Yes, got it."
His wrist ached from gripping the sword.
It had been ages since he'd undergone such intense training, and he savored the muscle soreness rippling through his entire body.
Pulling himself up, Myung-su glanced at the heavily chipped blade and asked,
"How far along do you think I've gotten with the One Kill technique?"
"Not even halfway."
"I see."
That meant he'd have to repeat this grueling regimen at least three or four more times.
Despite the lingering pain, Myung-su broke into a pleased smile.
"You Sword Tigers are something else. You've overcome all this, haven't you?"
"I have. And you'll master it too. The Sword Tiger has already reached the final stage of One Kill."
Myung-su clenched his fist tight.
Competition, huh?
Yong-un chuckled softly at Myung-su, who seemed to be silently steeling his resolve.
There was nothing better for honing skills than a bit of friendly rivalry.
With that, Yong-un left Myung-su behind and headed out of the house, calling over his shoulder,
"Stay the night here today."
"Yes, got it."
Myung-su stared down at the sword clutched in his hand.
Knowing exactly what was on his mind, Yong-un paused on his way out and tossed a sharp warning his way.
"Don't move a muscle and rest. Resting is part of training too."
"Ah... Got it."
Caught red-handed in his intent to keep practicing, Myung-su scratched the back of his head with an awkward grin.
Yong-un flashed him a smile and vanished from the spot.
All while feeling satisfied with the Ghost Demon Soul Annihilation ghost souls, who were growing ever more complete.
He'd given Myung-su a stern warning before leaving, but Yong-un knew full well the man wouldn't set the sword down.
Through extreme training overnight, Myung-su had gained profound insights.
His burning desire to make those insights his own was something even Yong-un, from the Heavenly Demon Cult, could relate to—so he decided not to stop him.
He'd just let him have his fun.
"What's this?"
He'd flown from Seongbuk-dong, where the Ghost Demon Soul Annihilation house was located, all the way to Mok-dong.
Arriving at the Unwoo Guild office, Yong-un sensed something off in their frantic movements.
"You moving out today?"
He asked Jin-cheol, who wore a grave expression.
Jin-cheol paused while sorting through the scattered papers and bowed to Yong-un.
"You've arrived, Supreme One. No. Looks like we had a break-in. Came in this morning to this mess."
"Anything important stolen?"
"No, we wouldn't have anything that valuable. Heck, nothing even seems missing—we can't tell what they took."
Nothing missing?
"But as you can see, the steel door we just repaired got smashed again."
Yong-un rarely used the entrance, so he hadn't noticed the wrecked door.
Now spotting it, he approached the dented steel and placed a hand on it.
He ran his fingers lightly over the surface.
"Feel anything?"
Jin-cheol watched Yong-un's casual gesture with great anticipation.
But the truly remarkable part?
That simple touch revealed everything.
"I know who did it."
"As expected of the Supreme One."
There was good reason Yong-un's subordinates, Jin-cheol included, held him in such high regard.
He turned the impossible into reality as naturally as breathing.
Standing up, Yong-un said to Jin-cheol,
"Train on your own today. Tomorrow, I'll dictate the Demon-Slaying Arts for you to transcribe, so learn it among yourselves."
"Supreme One, what if thieves break in again like today and it leaks? Better to just teach us verbally like always..."
"Doesn't matter if it leaks. If they could learn it just by looking, the Heavenly Brain would have devoured the entire martial world by now. You think the Heavenly Demon Cult would stash something like that in a cave?"
"Pardon?"
Jin-cheol, unfamiliar with the Heavenly Brain or Heavenly Demon Cult, tilted his head in confusion.
Yong-un waved it off.
"Doesn't matter. Train on your own today, and starting tomorrow, follow the manual I'll provide."
"Understood."
"Then I'm off to deal with the culprit."
"Yes, Supreme One. Safe travels."
They no longer fretted over him chasing down thieves.
Yong-un smirked at Jin-cheol's changed demeanor—quite different from before—before vanishing from the spot.
"Yaaawn."
As Yong-un disappeared, a staff member approached Jin-cheol and whispered,
"Guild master, by any chance?"
"What, more stuff missing?"
"No, it's..."
The flushed staff member leaned in closer and murmured,
"Does Mr. Yong-un have a girlfriend?"
Jin-cheol froze mid-yawn, staring at the employee with wide eyes.
An unexpected question.
"I mean, he's strong as a hunter, gonna make bank going forward, and no girlfriend...?"
"You serious?"
"Just saying."
Embarrassed by Jin-cheol's look, the staffer mumbled excuses and scurried back to their spot.
But the question sparked Jin-cheol's curiosity too.
"Does he really not?"
He chuckled, grabbing his clothes from nearby.
"Time flies. I'm off for morning training."
"Sure, go ahead. We'll handle cleanup here."
Dashing outside, Jin-cheol grinned and shouted,
"Gotta ask Myung-un!"
'Unrefined demonic energy courses along the back meridian. The black jade clustered on his back acts like a dantian, unleashing compressed demonic qi in an instant.'
That's how Cheon-il transforms into a demon.
I thought he'd draw power from another being, but apparently not.
The source of all that power lay within Cheon-il's own body.
Did that mean everyone with a contract was the same?
Questions piled up.
"This the place?"
Lost in thought, Yong-un arrived at a spot not far from the Unwoo Guild office.
Unlike the crumbling officetel cluster housing the Unwoo Guild, this was a sleek, modern building on the second floor.
A plot three times wider than the Unwoo office, pristine stairs, and a massive sign right at the entrance to the second floor.
[Hanbit Guild]
"Came to the right spot."
Did they think he wouldn't figure it out?
He'd given them a little scare, thinking they might cause trouble someday, but as expected, these scum couldn't be reformed with mere warnings.
Ignorant trash who needed to taste their own shit to learn.
To judge these vermin, Yong-un channeled the trace of inner energy left by Kang Tae-jong at his fingertips and pushed open the door to the Hanbit Guild office.
He didn't stay long.
Before much time passed, Yong-un emerged from the Hanbit Guild without touching a thing.
'Kang Tae-jong? Oh, that guy? He was raiding gates late last night, so he told the team he'd come in late today.'
The staffer's expression rang true—no need for soul-searching spells.
So Kang Tae-jong had acted alone, unknown to the guild?
Still, he'd gleaned plenty here.
At least the staffer's final words revealed what the guy was after.
'He might not show up at all today if things go well.'
'What's that about?'
'Something like, he got robbed of something important and went to retrieve it. So you'll have to come back tomorrow to see Hunter Tae-jong.'
Cheon-il was the target.
Now knowing what Kang Tae-jong wanted, Yong-un pulled out his phone and called Jin-cheol.
"It's me."
[Yes, Supreme One. Was just about to call you.]
Was about to call?
Yong-un's eyebrow twitched.
[We figured out what's missing from the office.]
Yong-un's gaze turned icy.
[That kid you brought in, Cheon-il? His hunter contract is gone.]
"Hunter contract?"
[Yes. No idea who, but seems Cheon-il's the target.]
"I know. But a hunter contract won't get them anything."
Cheon-il had no home or family, so they'd left the address and family fields blank.
And when submitting to the hunter management agency, they'd sent it with those spots empty too.
Even if they targeted Cheon-il,
Without his location, it was useless.
"Wasted trip, then."
But Jin-cheol's next words darkened Yong-un's expression.
[Well... Just in case you asked for his location, we changed the address field.]
"...!?"
[To that new house you set up for him.]
His assumption of nothing gained shattered.
[Did I mess up?]
Jin-cheol's meticulous nature had become an unexpected variable.
It wasn't wrongdoing, so Yong-un reassured the worried man.
"No. Don't worry."
With that, he ended the call.
The energy trace was faint.
Meaning at least four hours had passed.
Did I miss them?
He'd been at the Ghost Demon Soul Annihilation house just an hour ago.
Even without demonic qi scattered about, he should've sensed them if nearby.
But he hadn't.
Like fates brushing past in the subtlest misalignment, or perhaps they'd come after he left.
"No time to dawdle."
With the situation urgent, Yong-un furrowed his brow, pocketed his phone, and vanished.
Leaving clear footprints on the ground and stirring the wind in his wake.
"Yaaawn... I'm back."
The morning sun woke Cheon-il from sleep.
As he sat up, the grassy lawn reflecting sunlight filled his view.
"Demon power. Can I really control it?"
His skin grayed, vision swaying lazily.
The overwhelming strength that made him feel invincible.
Recalling the moment he'd briefly held his mind together with demonic power, Cheon-il managed a heavy smile.
Facing this unfamiliar reality for the first time, fear outweighed his confidence.
But Cheon-il shook his head vigorously and balled his fists.
"No, I can do it. Big bro's with me."
Even for Cheon-il, accustomed to fear, this new terror was overwhelming.
Yet as dread surged, Yong-un's smile flashed in his mind, igniting courage.
It was miraculous.
Just picturing that smile erased all fear in an instant.
In its place, hot-blooded courage chased away the heavy smile, blooming into a bright grin.
"Yeah, let's do it! To help big bro! Hya!"
Cheon-il pumped his tiny fist to his side with a shout.
Creeeak.
"Huh? Big bro?"
They said desperate wishes come true.
Missing Yong-un and mustering his strength, he heard the front gate opening outside.
"Big bro!"
Only Yong-un ever came here, so Cheon-il bolted barefoot toward the door.
"Big bro!"
But as he flung open the door,
Cheon-il's feet froze.
"There you are, you cursed brat."
Fear turning to joy was instantaneous.
And joy shattering into fear was just as swift.
The terrifying men before him.
Kang Tae-jong and his team.
"Grab him!"
Madness gleamed in the weary eyes of Kang Tae-jong and his crew.
At his command, the team charged like slaves toward Cheon-il.
"Kyaaack!"
Cheon-il bolted back inside, scrambling toward his room.
But a child's speed was no match for grown adults.
As his hand stretched for the cozy sanctuary of his room, a team member's grip snagged his collar.
"You little rat bastard."
"Kyaaack!"
"Guess the cursed rat's fate now, huh?"
"Hahaha!"
"Big bro! Big bro!!!!"
Secure in their catch, the team members exchanged jokes with leisure.
"Come on out, punk."
Cheon-il thrashed and wept, but the hunters' strength overpowered him.
They dragged him by the collar across the entire house.
"Big bro!!! Big bro!!!!"
He flailed, reaching desperately for anything in sight.
But resistance was fleeting.
Thud!
"Ugh, already up all night, and now this hassle."
A team member's kick slammed into Cheon-il's gut as he struggled.
"Guh... guhh..."
His writhing ended there.
Curling in agony, Cheon-il was dragged outside as is.
"Hic... hic-sob..."
The home's interior blurred past as he was hauled.
This place of newfound comfort and peace was Cheon-il's heaven, pure bliss.
But knowing it was ending, despair at being forced away overwhelmed the pain, tears flooding out.
'Big bro... Big bro, help...'
Every familiar sight inside faded farther as he neared the front door.
Just as he was dragged onto the sunlit lawn,
Crack. Thud!
The iron grip on his collar snapped, followed by a dull impact.
"Guh, guhh!"
"Cough!"
Cheon-il looked up.
A stranger extended a hand toward him.
Someone who'd laid out the team trying to abduct him.
Myung-su.
```