Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Family Time
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After the Jang-an-dong incident, the Night Slaughter Society had gone into hiding.
The Death God Guild, having lost both its guild master and casting director, erupted into an internal war to select a new leader, true to its roots as a gang of thugs.
Their self-destruction had reached a point where they no longer qualified as one of the four great guilds. Yong-un figured they were hitting rock bottom on their own—no need for him to lift a finger.
And the group behind the scenes that had used the Poison Witch to produce and sell poison...
They too seemed to have sensed something and had stopped approaching her.
"It's been a while since I've had nothing to do."
Having gathered all the information from his subordinates, Yong-un finished his habitual morning meal, stepped out of the house, and smiled at the unfamiliar idleness.
Those in hiding weren't the type you could find just by trying.
In the martial world, he could have tracked them down somehow, but this was reality.
Even after adapting to reality in many ways, there were still too many unknowns.
For now, he judged it wiser to wait for them to show themselves rather than fruitlessly searching.
"Shall I go check if they're doing well?"
With nothing on his plate, he considered dropping by the Ghost Killer Annihilation Squad, the Demon Dragon Squad, or the Unwoo Guild to see how they were faring.
But as he thought of them, Yong-un shook his head.
"Right now, it's more important for them to figure things out on their own than for me to intervene."
Staying away from the Ghost Killer Annihilation Squad for a while was the best thing for them.
They were a force thrown together from strangers, after all.
He decided it was better to let them bond through gates and training.
'If the Demon Dragon Squad hits a wall or has questions, Sword Tiger will come to me.'
Leaving the Demon Dragon Squad entirely to Sword Tiger was the right call.
"The real issue is the Unwoo Guild."
That left the Unwoo Guild, the final group that needed the most guidance.
The guild showdown was just two days away.
Given how seriously they took it, they were likely pushing their training hard.
He had no doubt they were following the Demon Subduing Arts manual he'd given them to the letter, but as their Supreme One, he felt he should check if they were on the right path.
"Good thing I've got something to do after all."
Yong-un grinned and turned on his heel.
"I hope there's something I can tweak for them."
With a light push off the ground, his figure vanished cleanly from the spot. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Unlike the martial world, where martial arts were everything...
Reality had a peculiar breed of hunter: the mage.
That was why, while teaching the Demon Subduing Arts, Yong-un had worried about how Jin-cheol—the guild master and a mage—would benefit from it.
But his concerns proved unfounded. The Ghost Hands were making full use of the Demon Subduing Arts.
Clang! Clang!
Myung-un's sword, infused with crimson demon energy, clashed against Jang-han's shield, also wrapped in crimson demon energy, scattering fragments of the power.
"Not bad."
Myung-un's movements grew lighter.
Following the swordsmanship outlined in the Demon Subduing Arts manual, his strikes were domineering and powerful, each one resounding loudly against Jang-han's shield.
But the tanker Jang-han wasn't just taking it lying down.
He thrust his shield forward, repelling Myung-un's sword with force.
As the shield swung aside, Jang-han's fist shot out toward Myung-un's chest.
Thud!
Caught off guard, Myung-un lost his balance, but he didn't panic. He used the rebound from the shield to flip backward in the air.
Then, stepping off Jang-han's swinging fist, he leaped back far.
What satisfied Yong-un wasn't their movements or judgment.
It was from Jang-han's fist to Myung-un's foot using it as a springboard—
The natural infusion of crimson demon energy in every action.
That made Yong-un reevaluate the Ghost Hands.
"No need to intervene here. But they're not the problem anyway."
His biggest worry wasn't them.
As long as they followed the manual, their growth was a given.
Swords, shields, and fisticuffs had been the mainstay of the Demon Shadow Ghost Hands back in the Demon Infantry Squad.
The issue was the martial artist—no, the unique existence absent from the Demon Shadow Ghost Hands: the mage Jin-cheol.
Yong-un's gaze shifted past them to Jin-cheol in the back.
The moment he saw Jin-cheol's training, his worries evaporated.
"Heh."
Whoosh.
"Fireball!"
A massive fireball hurtled toward Jang-han, who had lowered his shield.
Jang-han hastily raised it, and the fireball detonated.
Boom!
Sparks flew everywhere as Jang-han, fully shielded, was shoved back hard.
And that wasn't the end.
Infuriated, Jang-han pivoted from Myung-un toward Jin-cheol and charged.
The mages Yong-un had observed had one glaring weakness: close combat.
They needed to channel mana for skills, and up close, mages—whose physical stats didn't enhance like other hunters—were helpless against melee fighters.
'Let's see how you handle this.'
Jang-han closed in, shielding his body fully with his massive shield.
The melee nightmare for mages.
Jang-han's shield, brimming with crimson demon energy, swung at Jin-cheol.
Yong-un watched intently.
Then nodded.
"Just as I thought."
Jin-cheol, the mage, didn't dodge the shield attack.
Instead, as he prepared his skill, he concentrated crimson demon energy into his arm and thrust it toward the shield.
Thud!
Sizzle.
Jin-cheol's body was hurled back.
But in that instant, he extended his hand toward Jang-han and shouted.
"Energy Shock!"
A faint bolt of lightning shot from Jin-cheol's hand, enveloping Jang-han.
Jang-han, protected by his crimson demon energy, grimaced and released his own energy.
Crackle. Zap.
The lightning dispersed, and Jang-han charged again.
Myung-un didn't stand idle either, swinging his sword at Jin-cheol and Jang-han.
Jin-cheol weaved through their exchanges with un-mage-like agility and fisticuffs, peppering them with skills in between.
Their spar was worlds apart from a week ago.
Yong-un withdrew his gaze and turned away.
"Nothing to fix here."
It was perfect.
He wanted to applaud their admirable growth, especially Jin-cheol's, who had transformed the Demon Subduing Arts into something uniquely his.
"That was needless worry."
Jin-cheol, whom he'd thought would lag behind, had become the biggest beneficiary.
Yong-un smiled and quietly vanished from the spot. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "A free day for once."
Yong-un had only been running around since returning to reality.
This was his first leisurely day with nothing to do.
"Maybe swing by Sis's workplace."
As he pondered how to spend the day, yesterday's thought resurfaced.
He'd rushed back for his family's sake, yet he knew nothing about what his sister did or what his father had been up to. It felt contradictory.
What good was vowing to protect them if he didn't even know them?
So today, he decided to start showing interest. He collected all the pending mana stone payments from the Unwoo Guild office in cash.
With money in hand, he headed home to make up for lost time. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "I'm home."
"Huh? What brings you here this time of day?"
Mi-hwa, ready to head out, greeted Yong-un.
"Where are you off to?"
"To work."
"Ah..."
Only today did Yong-un learn his mother was working.
But what could he do?
After he vanished, even his father had sold everything to search, leaving her no choice but to work to keep the house afloat.
"I'll be late."
"Can't you skip work today?"
"What are you saying?"
Yong-un pulled out the thick wad of cash and placed it on the table.
Even a rough glance showed it was a huge sum. Mi-hwa's eyes widened.
"What's this money? Did they pay you big for ranking up?"
"No, it's what I've saved from gates before that."
"Oh my, my son is such a good boy~"
Mi-hwa patted Yong-un's butt.
Her eyes and mouth smiled at the cash, but her hands kept readying to leave.
"Then let's have beef for dinner. Mom's off. Rice is there—eat up."
Before Yong-un could speak, Mi-hwa grabbed her bag and dashed out.
Despite the large sum, she still went to work.
Wasn't the money supposed to let her stop?
Bewildered, he couldn't say a word as she left.
But Yong-un snapped out of it, pocketed half the cash, and followed her.
"I'll come with you." ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Seongbuk Nursing Hospital.
Yong-un, carrying Mi-hwa, landed gently in front of the hospital after flying through the sky.
"I've only heard about this... So hunters can really do it."
Seeing a hunter's ability for the first time, Mi-hwa looked at Yong-un with wide-eyed wonder.
But only briefly. She smiled and patted his back.
His family, including Mi-hwa, knew he hadn't gained this power easily.
They were the only ones in reality who knew he'd been the Sword Demon of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
"You've worked hard, son. Mom's heading in now."
Arriving quickly left her with time to spare. With a relaxed expression, Mi-hwa entered the nursing home.
As she waved and went inside, Yong-un smiled faintly and pondered.
"What should I bring the colleagues? Something they'll like."
He'd decided to devote the day to his family, so why not contribute a bit to their lives?
He'd spotted shops on the way.
Decision made, Yong-un entered a nearby upscale restaurant.
"Whoa! Isn't that Hunter Yong-un?"
A staff member recognized him immediately and approached with disbelief.
Yong-un nodded with a small smile.
"Jackpot! It's Hunter Yong-un!"
"Wow..."
Not just the staff—diners also stared and buzzed.
Ignoring the gazes as best he could, Yong-un ordered food, then handled photo requests and autographs.
He had no signature, so he wrote his name in Hanja, but the staff and guests treasured them. Yong-un smiled softly.
Soon, the food arrived.
"All packed. Do you know someone nearby?"
The first staff member who spotted him asked while packing carefully.
Yong-un nodded.
"My mom's at Seongbuk Nursing Hospital."
"Really? No way... Awesome..."
Yong-un chuckled at the staff's exaggerated surprise over something trivial.
He grabbed the packed food and headed out.
"Come again! Next time, tons of service!"
The staff ran out to see him off.
Is this what celebrities feel?
Not hating the attention, Yong-un smiled and returned to the hospital.
Entering with the food, the scene inside mirrored the restaurant.
"H-Hunter Yong-un, right!?"
A nurse who recognized him approached, stunned.
Yong-un smiled and nodded.
"Uh...? But why here...?"
Her surprise faded to curiosity.
"I'm visiting my mom who works here."
"Wait... Your mom works here!?"
Like mother, like son.
She apparently hadn't told her colleagues he was her son.
'Good timing.'
Flashing a bright smile to score points with her colleagues, he nodded.
"Yes. Her name is Mi-hwa Choi. Where can I find her?"
"Ms. Mi-hwa is your mom!?"
"Yes."
"This is huge..."
Not just the nurse in front of him—the desk nurses on the first floor whispered excitedly.
'Fame and power are useful at times like this.'
Her colleagues' view of his mom would change now.
He could do more, but overdoing it might annoy her. He set the food at the desk.
"Brought this for Mom and her colleagues. Please pass it on."
"Oh! I already told her, and she's on her way down."
"I see."
Yong-un smiled and glanced right down the hall.
Mi-hwa came running, shocked, and smacked his back.
"Why are you here? I thought you'd gone!"
"No problem if your son drops by, haha."
Mi-hwa smacked him again, then frowned at the surrounding stares.
"You're making things awkward for Mom. Go on!"
"Got it. Where does Sis work?"
"Going to her too?!"
"Yeah, got time today."
Mi-hwa, who had been minding the stares, clapped delightedly.
"She's on an MT at her company in Sokcho right now. Hurry over. Oh, come here a sec."
Gesturing him close with something to say, Yong-un leaned in curiously.
Mi-hwa whispered, giving him solid reason to go to Sena.
"Seems some guy's been hitting on your sister lately. She's super stressed. Go chase him off."
Yong-un's brow twitched, his expression darkening.
"Hitting on... Sis?"
"Yeah. She's thinking of quitting a long-time job over it. If you're going, help her out."
Grip.
Yong-un clenched his fist at her words.
"Don't... worry."
A dark red glint flashed in Yong-un's eyes and faded.