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Chapter 210

The power of the Full Moon Cross, without using the Shadow Arm and Moonlight Thousand, was remarkable.

It might not be comparable to what I used against the Gloomy Monster, but I was quite satisfied that I could exert a certain amount of power despite significantly reducing the physical burden.

Anyway, the Doppleganger was dead. Unlike half a year ago, I didn’t feel it being absorbed into Yeon-woo’s body. Did she already have enough? This implied, unlike Tae-oh, it was completely dead.

I didn’t feel sympathy. Yeon-woo was someone who was clear about connections and disconnections. I merely thought that since it had eaten someone, it would have to be prepared for death.

“Tae-oh, can you take care of this?”

“Hmm, understood.”

At Yeon-woo’s request, Tae-oh, who formed a mana body, placed his hand on the ground.

The dark shadows that had filled the room like a spider’s web flowed into Tae-oh’s palm as if a vacuum cleaner was sucking them up in an instant.

“Ugh!”

With all the shadows absorbed, Tae-oh patted his plump belly. Yeon-woo chuckled and picked him up, and Shar, who had been a distance away, came running.

“Dad, that was so cool! It was like a fighter jet!”

“It’s the first time I’ve heard that kind of praise.”

“It was so awesome how you turned and charged like that!!”

I affectionately ruffled Shar’s hair as he rambled excitedly, while Amir slowly approached from behind.

“I don’t think it was much help.”

“Well, it’s true in combat terms. I wouldn’t know if I was injured, but that wasn’t the case.”

“Yes, your skills are truly impressive. Honestly, I was in awe.”

“However, you can calm the souls of those who were eaten. I leave that to you, Priest Amir.”

“…That is indeed something I must do.”

With a gentle smile, Amir walked without hesitation towards the bed located in one corner of the room. On the bed, something lay piled up as if it had been tossed aside from sleeping.

As I approached, the identity of the pile began to reveal itself. A grayish thin rod clinked as it fell.

A pile of bones collapsed. Amir placed his hand over the skeletal mound with a look of sorrow.

While Amir soothed the souls drifting away, Yeon-woo opened the door and stepped outside. What greeted her eyes was Kai, who was sitting with his back against the wall.

“You’re not dead.”

“If I were to die from such a thing, I wouldn’t even be able to claim I’d killed a Demon King.”

“That’s true.”

“Hello, Shadow Uncle?”

“Grrr….”

“Oh, hello. I’m glad to see you’re safe.”

While Tae-oh greeted Kai, Shar remained wary. This kid seemed to get friendlier with Tae-oh.

Anyway, it was only a hundred or so Shadow Men. I doubted they could even scratch the Demon King if they were thrown together. It was understandable that Kai would say something like that.

Of course, he spoke confidently, but Kai wasn’t in normal condition either. Shadow oozed out from several large wounds and ripped skin, as if something oily was seeping out. He had numerous large wounds, and countless small cuts that couldn’t be counted.

Maybe sensing Yeon-woo’s gaze, Kai sighed in annoyance.

“My body isn’t moving the way I want.”

“Oh, that sounds like a typical old guy statement. But honestly, I don’t care about that. I’m not going to be friends with you. Just hurry up and spill the story, you jerk.”

In response to Yeon-woo’s combative remark, Kai reached out into the air. The space stretched as his arm wove through. After moving it for a moment, he pulled something out and tossed it towards Yeon-woo.

“Whoa. What’s this?”

“I mentioned that Zahak absorbed all the light, right? He has become a being that is virtually shadow and similar to light. This is a Fragment of Light. It may be the only remaining item in our world.”

“Uh… I get that it’s something significant.”

“It is indeed significant. It could be a weakness for Zahak. If it’s found that we’ve been hiding something like this, it’s game over, so we had to be as careful as possible.”

“Oh… that’s a very vague statement, saying it could be.”

Kai nodded at Yeon-woo’s incredulous remark. He had an air of it being obvious.

“How do you plan to kill a being that possesses all the light and darkness of a world? If you analyze that well, you might find a way to separate the light. That’s all it amounts to. Ultimately, it means everything comes down to you.”

“Isn’t that too irresponsible?”

“If I knew the weakness, would I be stuck here like this? It’s either I’ve killed it or it’s killed me.”

That was a fair point. This guy had a remarkable ability to point out facts.

“This is about all I can give you right now. Beyond this, your current skills can’t reach.”

“What?! Want to have a go?”

“From the fact that you easily killed the prince, I could tell you gained strength. However, unless you bring down at least the Order, I can’t say anything comfortably either.”

Tch. Yeon-woo clicked her tongue. Unfortunately, there was no inaccuracy in that statement. Among the seven Demon King Orders, including Leviathan’s Golden Desire, the Order of Gloom was one of the weakest.

Because Zahak, the Demon King they revered, had absolutely no interest in them.

In other words, the Order of Gloom only worshipped unilaterally, receiving no powers in return. The Gate Christopher used while escaping was an exceptionally special case.

“The traitors who turned their backs on our world and pledged loyalty to the Demon King received ‘light.’ Given your current abilities, I can’t say your chances of winning are high. So if you want to rampage, you better find out about the Order.”

“…Oh, what? Do you happen to know the location of the Order’s branches?”

“Even if the Demon King isn’t interested, I was. You never know, there could be someone among the Order who’s capable of stabbing the Demon King to death.”

“There wasn’t, was there?”

“…Why are you suddenly angry?”

“If there was, I’d be really mad.”

She sounded already mad. I could hear the whispering voice. As Yeon-woo glared at them, the two kids acted as if nothing happened. Kai merely scoffed at Yeon-woo’s reaction.

*

“Is this the right place…?”

“Did we come to the wrong one? It’s way too dark here.”

Bald and Red, self-proclaimed Double D, were fumbling through a dark alleyway upon returning to Transylvania. The shady back alleys of Transylvania Castle were places one wouldn’t normally approach while living as a Hunter.

All the illegal activities in this city were born and sprouted here, a hub of crime.

Ian had sent them off with one condition.

“Finding out what sells the most in the back alley auction, how bizarre is that…”

“Who’s complaining while going to check it out?”

“Damn, if I don’t, I might actually die the next time we meet. You may not know it, but that inactivity was no ordinary thing.”

“I was knocked out, but I understand well. It means they are at least several levels stronger than us, to knock someone out without leaving any aftereffects.”

As Bald mumbled and grumbled, a dim light from a lantern shone beneath their feet. They walked down the stairs indicating the alley had begun.

The auction was flashy enough to be identifiable from a distance, and the main thoroughfare was filled with scantily clad men and women soliciting passersby.

“…I never get used to this place, no matter how many times I come.”

Bald nodded in agreement at Red’s tired grumbling, covering his mouth with a cloth he had pulled from his pocket. They say you can become unrecognizable just by covering the lower half of your face.

“Let’s go. We will quickly find out what’s going on and leave this place.”

“Sounds good.”

The two fought their way through the clingy crowd and moved forward, heading toward the brilliantly shining auction, seemingly the center of this world. They thought, if they surveyed the items traded inside, they would leave as soon as possible.

As Double D stepped into the auction house named ‘Masquerade’, of course, an auction was already in full swing inside.

The most basic tier of auction, requiring no special entry ticket. Looking at the stage with curious anticipation about what kind of items were being sold.

“Now, this face is wonderful, and the body is great! You can use it for any purpose! Lot number 11, the starting bid is 10,000 euros!”

People were being sold. And shockingly, at a pitiful price.

*

The castle that hunts vampires, Transylvania Castle. An event occurred that completely collapsed such a fortress before the regression.

It was an incident called the Rebirth of the Count, where a tremendous number of vampires appeared from nowhere, attacked the Transylvania Castle, and occupied it.

Objectively speaking, this wasn’t incalculable. It’s common for villages to be invaded or cities to be turned into ruins by monsters.

Many Hunters run around to prevent such things, but not all of them can succeed.

However, what was crucial was the truth behind it. Isn’t it strange when you think about it? A place more proactive in hunting vampires than anywhere else, Transylvania Castle.

Then how could there be so many vampires still alive to the extent of besieging the castle?

Starting from that simple question, a multitude of inquiries concerning the collapse of Transylvania Castle arose.

How could only a select few high-ups survive, and how did a heavily armed castle meant to kill vampires get breached?

The revealed truth in that process was simple. It was the corruption and malpractice among the ruling class. Absurdly, they feared the complete disappearance of vampires. They were afraid that the massive support funding from the Hunter Guild would cease.

To worry about their means of survival disappearing is something that happens everywhere, but to prevent that situation, they resorted to ‘raising’ vampires.

The human trafficking secretly occurring behind the scenes of the castle was an extension of that raising. They needed blood to nurture the vampires, and they were unwilling to offer their own.

‘What a damn mess.’

If I could, I wanted to barge into the castle and take off the heads of all the high-ranking officials I knew.

Those who live consumed by their own greed aren’t likely to take security measures lightly.

If I told Yuri, she’d probably kill them all, but for now, I needed solid evidence, and it was questionable what would happen if the Sword Ghost from before the regression appeared in this world several years earlier.

“So what’s the scoop?”

Double D, sitting in front of Yeon-woo with a hard, stiff face after a simple breather in Sicily, finally spoke.

I realized he was an adult, so I decided to speak politely. Respecting each other is indeed important.

The place chosen for the meal was bustling, which did not suit the gloomy faces of the two.

Actually, Yeon-woo only knew events would unfold like this before the regression and couldn’t affirm that the weird phenomena overtaking Transylvania now were a precursor to the Rebirth of the Count. It might be possible, but that was only a possibility.

However, seeing the faces of the two, it was apparent Yeon-woo’s concerns had materialized into reality. It was an inappropriate topic to mention in front of others, so Yeon-woo lightly waved her hand to indicate silence. She allowed the two kids to continue their meal, resting her chin on her interlocked fingers.

“Were they human?”

“…Ugh.”

Bald gagged as if he couldn’t believe it. These guys appeared sinister, yet they seemed weaker than they looked.

“What in the world? Why is this happening….”

“I can’t say what it is. But you two, were you considering leaving this city?”

At Yeon-woo’s question, the two flinched. Were they trying to hide it? It didn’t seem like it. They had openly packed their bags, after all.

“Don’t leave. Instead of me, who can’t stay long in this city, please investigate the situation.”

“…What?”

“I will hire you. I want you to report on all the little incidences occurring in the castle.”

The astonished expressions of the two distorted at Yeon-woo’s bold statement. They looked utterly confused.

“Don’t you want to root out the scum trading people in your hometown?”

Silence fell. Just as Yeon-woo confidently stretched out her hand, feeling a touch embarrassed, Red lifted his glass, gulping down its contents like it was water, then placed it back down with a thud.

“…Damn, I really don’t understand what any of this means. I don’t even get why someone like us gets such an offer, and I’m lost on what’s going on.”

His voice trembled with frustration. When recognizing that Yeon-woo, with a level surpassing them, prompted them to speak up, it indeed required considerable courage.

“Still, I agree with that statement. Right, Bald!? It’s a filthy hometown, but people should never be traded in our hometown, right!? Isn’t that right?”

“…Ah, yeah. That’s definitely true. Now that you mention it…”

“We promised to become Hunters because we wanted to teach those bastards a lesson! But now, not only were we almost made into those bastards, but they want to take us in as hunting dogs! An offer like this, where else would we get it!?”

Amidst the rising warmth of alcohol, Red’s face flushed, and Bald’s nodding grew quicker. It seems these two had a backstory of their own.

After exchanging words for a while, a silent understanding built between Bald and Red, as if they had made their decision.

“Can you let us do it?”

“Of course.”

Looking at the two men, now with determined expressions that were hard to associate with the lethargy from moments ago, Yeon-woo nodded with satisfaction.

(Continued in the next episode)

 

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