Chapter 26: The Blood Red Seal

The Cataclysm.

The once peaceful and comfortable daily life crumbled in an instant,

and monsters began to overrun the cities.

Monsters of unknown origin instilled endless fear in people.

Neither schools, workplaces, nor homes were safe anymore.

People were torn apart in moments by the claws and fangs of these creatures,

and the world turned into a living hell.

Amidst despair and chaos, those who brought salvation were the awakened ones called “Hunters.”

They seemed like heroes, almost like saviors.

Chosen by the system and awakened as Hunters, they ranged in ranks from F-grade to S-grade.

While countless Hunters emerged, they were all ordinary humans just a while ago.

And therein lay the problem.

The uncontrollable and immense power they wielded.

Power, by its very nature, could lead to corruption.

Some Hunters began to abuse their strength.

“I’ll kill him what are you going to do about it?”

They no longer fell under the jurisdiction of the law,

and even the police and military were powerless against them.

They could kill anyone they held a grudge against, brush it off as a “mistake,” and walk away.

Not only monsters appeared but also “villains.”

Association Head.

Lee Yooshin.

Back when he was active on the field, he faced such challenges.

“Hahaha! I’ve awakened! Screw this crappy company I’ll wreck it!”
“Finally, I can mate with the lizards! Roarrr!”
“Red tissue or blue tissue? Pick one.”
“Kekeke. I am the black-and-white chaos! And now, I sprinkle in some dark flames…”

After awakening, some Hunters abused their power instead of fulfilling their duty to subjugate gates.

Lee Yooshin often had to restrict such Hunters and, at times, punish them.

Dealing with these individuals weighed just as heavily on him as fighting monsters in the gates.

He realized the need for a new system.

This is why South Korea manages its Hunter organizations through an association, not guilds.

“Damn it, that bastard Moomyeong.”

Even as the country faced crises, Moomyeong worked across the globe.

Minor incidents and gates were beneath his concern.

What Korea needed was a righteous Hunter to fill the void he left behind.

However, compared to other countries, Korea’s Hunters were embarrassingly subpar.

It reached a point where Lee Yooshin, as the president, had to step in himself.

By day, he was the president.

By night, he transformed into a magical girl to carry out Hunter duties.

He was busy.

Yet, Lee Yooshin possessed an extraordinary ability.

As if the world was urging him to do good deeds.

He could hear the voices of those in distress.

“I was in the bathroom when suddenly, the Toilet Paper Villain appeared.”

” My house has a bidet! Help!”

“Someone’s shaking their hips at my leopard gecko! Save my lizard!”

“This country is hopeless. Maybe leaving it is the best choice. Japan seems safer. “

“If I hand over state secrets, they’ll even protect my family… Staying here seems pointless.”

“Hell Joseon truly became real. North Korea fell on the first day of the Cataclysm, right?”

” It’s only a matter of time before the monsters wipe out the South. “

“How do I immigrate to a Hunter superpower?”

“Moomyeong doesn’t care about this place. Leaving before it’s too late is the only option. What a mess.”

The bad guys kept coming, endlessly.

Balancing the role of a nation’s president with secretly saving lives wasn’t enough.

Now, he also had to imprison traitors conspiring to betray the country.

Lee Yooshin was stretched thin.

“Thank goodness for the Merit Shop.”

His S-grade skill, Magical Girl, rewarded him with merit points for doing good deeds.

These points could be used to purchase abilities from the shop,

improving physical stats like strength and agility or acquiring exclusive magical powers and equipment.

It was akin to a high-growth profession like a necromancer,

but with one major catch good deeds were mandatory.

“Stop! In the name of love and justice, I will not forgive you!”

“Ah, you’re…!”
“S-grade Hunter, Magical Girl?!”
“Thank you for saving me!”

Although age had shortened the duration of his transformation and weakened him compared to his prime,

back in the day, Lee Yooshin could tear monsters apart with his bare hands and save countless people with his magic.

And now, this very Lee Yooshin found himself in an odd situation.

A young girl was gently patting his head.

“What…?”

Her eyes were lifeless.

Half-lidded as if she were perpetually sleepy,

her gaze rendered any attempt to peer into her thoughts meaningless.

‘Nothing… I can’t read anything. Everyone has at least one thing troubling them, but… not her.’

It reminded him of the masters of Cheon Wae Cheon in China,

whose extreme mental training left their minds unreadable. But this girl was… different.

‘No, it’s not the same. It’s like… she doesn’t think at all.’

How could someone be so devoid of vitality that even their thoughts were inaccessible?

“Ogu Ogu.”

Lee Yooshin’s mind was in turmoil.

A former president and now the head of the Hunter Association,

submitting to the touch of a young girl’s hand what an absurd scene.

As an active Hunter, he had fought countless monsters and villains, never bowing to any form of evil.

He could simply brush her hand away.

But strangely enough, the sensation wasn’t unpleasant.

The warmth of her touch tempted him to stay still, to allow this moment to stretch on forever.

Once more. Just a little longer.

Lee Yooshin closed his eyes, surrendering himself to the faint but soothing sensation.

‘What’s this? My heart feels at peace… and my body feels younger.’

How old am I again…?

His body stirred.

As if he had been blessed.

Life seemed to return to his body.

“Child, you shouldn’t go around touching others like that. That’s improper. Tsk!”

“Ah, my apologies. I didn’t mean to act so rudely.”

“It’s good you understand. Now, young lady, go and finish your meal with your sibling.”

“Understood. My lord, you must finish your sushi. Let us return to our seat immediately.”

“Yes!”

“Wait, is that supposed to be respectful speech? Hey! Miss? Where are you going? Unbelievable. “

“Young people these days, so inconsiderate. Is this what they call the MZ Generation?”

Of course, one of the subordinates couldn’t just let the girl’s actions slide and took it upon himself to scold her.

Deep down, though, Lee Yooshin felt a pang of regret.

‘Would it have been so bad to let her pat my head just a little longer?’

He clicked his tongue in disappointment before slowly turning his attention elsewhere.

There was still much to discuss.

Hunter nickname: [Swift and Nimble]
Rank: A-grade, 10th place.
Name: Seo Junhoo.

Seo Junhoo was wandering around with a selfie stick in hand.

“Zz is God!”

Decked out in bear-themed merchandise bear headband,

bear T-shirt, bear phone case his whole body was a tribute to Zz’s symbol.

After all, divine intervention had descended upon his house.

Thanks to that intervention, both he and his father had survived.

[HealthyStrong has donated 1,000 KRW.]
(A gif of a glowing teddy bear defeating a darkened Shaolin in one hit)

“Junhoo, tell us the story from that time.”

•  “Aren’t you the only person who’s seen Zz up close?”
• “When Zz held you up and faced off against Shaolin, my heart was racing just watching.”
• “The man raised by the light.”
• “What does Zz look like? Super handsome?”
• “I heard he’s bald.”
• “The shine from his head is what makes him glow, isn’t it?”
• “He’d be perfect if he just got a hair transplant.”

“Zz? Honestly, I couldn’t see their face. “

“They were too radiant all I could see was the teddy bear. “

“But… how do I put it? They were incredibly warm and soft.”

• “How can you be that close and not see anything, you idiot?”
•  “This guy needs a reality check.”
• “Naragna-ragna, na~!”

“Hey, stop with the downfall jokes! I almost died back then I was too panicked to notice anything!”

But that was a lie.

While others speculated that Zz was a bald man in his thirties, Seo Junhoo knew the truth.

“They’re actually a goddess.”

The proof?

“The light will heal you.”

With those words alone, both his father and he were fully healed.

Someone with a voice so angelic, so beautiful, couldn’t possibly be a man.

‘There must be a deeper reason why Zz hides their identity. Surely, it’s for an important cause.’

And if it was Zz’s will, Seo Junhoo would respect it unconditionally.

• “Hey, isn’t that Heavenly Demon?”
• “Looks like her!”
• “Wow, even seeing her on the street, she’s stunning.”
• “Who’s that next to her? A girl?”
• “Probably her lover? Heavenly Demon Love?”

Seo Junhoo turned toward the chat, noticing its barrage of frantic messages.

At that precise moment, a deafening explosion ripped through the air, shaking the city to its core.

BOOM!!!

The ground quaked, and the sky trembled.

The explosion was like the roar of a colossal beast devouring the city’s peace.

Screams overlapped in a cacophony, filling the air with chaos and terror.

“Aaaaah!”

“W-what’s going on? Is this a gate break?”

“How could a Hunter mess up a gate raid in this day and age?”

“But there weren’t any reports of a gate appearing near here…”

“It’s a villain! A villain has appeared!”

“Run for your lives!”

Panic spread like wildfire.

Junhoo’s heart pounded in sync with the chaos. Trembling, he scanned his surroundings.

The oppressive atmosphere weighed down on him.

• “Junhoo, what’s happening?!”
• “Dude, are you okay?!”
• “Shouldn’t you be deploying?”

The city was descending into mayhem.

A red mist began to spread, creeping out from somewhere unknown.

The metallic tang of blood filled Junhoo’s mouth,

and his face felt damp whether it was tears, snot, or blood, he couldn’t tell.

The discomfort of something wet trickling down his skin was undeniable,

but Junhoo wasn’t in the state to wipe it away.

Meanwhile, the Heavenly Demon groaned faintly.

“Urgh…”

In battles between masters, space held no meaning.

Distance could be bridged in an instant, dictated by thought and will.

For such fighters, the one who controlled time could dominate the battlefield,

and that control often determined victory.

But compared to their perfected techniques,

the Heavenly Demon was an underdog.

After exchanging hundreds of blows in mere moments, she was already at a disadvantage.

Her shoulder had been pierced by a gaping wound,

and one of her arms was grotesquely twisted, the sight of it painful even to behold.

Dark blood dripped from her sword’s hilt, pooling on the ground below.

“Ah, the thrill of this keeps me hooked on BloodTube.”

“The more views we get, the stronger we become. As long as the world watches, we’re invincible.”

“I don’t know what kind of psycho this Blood Fiend is, but they’ve been a great help.”

” Made it so we can even take down an S-rank Hunter’s head.”

Despite the overwhelming odds, the fire in the Heavenly Demon’s eyes burned fiercely.

Her opponents were not just any villains they were the sadistic stars of BloodTube, reveling in cruelty.

From their bodies emanated a crimson aura, turning the surrounding area into a fog of blood.

The haze was toxic to ordinary people, causing them to collapse immediately upon inhalation.

S-rank, 5th place in Korea?

In front of these villains, rankings held no meaning.

Had they fought individually, none of them could have stood against the Heavenly Demon.

But with the aid of Blood Crystals, the three villains working together were overpowering her.

“This necromancer was trickier than expected.”

“Her face is pretty cute, don’t you think?”

“She’s got some entertainment value. Imagine how many views we’ll get if we make a video out of this!”

Baek Soul.

A bright, promising A-rank Hunter who had always followed her senior around, calling her senpai.

Despite her potential, she wasn’t equipped to handle battles of this caliber.

One of the villains roughly grabbed her by the hair, forcing her limp body to stand.

Dragged upright like a ragdoll, she showed no reaction.

The villain’s coarse hand roamed over her, leaving scratches on her skin.

When his hand moved to roughly grope her chest, Baek Soul didn’t even flinch.

“What a pity,” one villain sneered.

“Is she… small? What do you think?”

“That Heavenly Demon chick is bigger, huh? Isn’t she supposed to be an S-rank Hunter? “

“Show us what those S-rank assets look like.”

“Show us. Show us!”

“You bastards!”

Their mocking laughter rang out,

their jeers filled with disdain as they reveled in the Heavenly Demon’s apparent helplessness.

The crude remarks clawed at her ears, but her focus never wavered.

She stared them down, her gaze fixed on their throats, burning with murderous intent.

‘I’ll kill them. I’ll kill them all.’

That thought consumed her.

Clenching her teeth, she tightened her grip on her sword once more.

Her body was already pushed to its limits, but giving up was not an option.

She had made a vow, like the nameless warriors who fought for others without seeking glory.

To become a Hunter strong enough to protect those who could not protect themselves.

To kill the wicked.

The more she embraced this intent to kill,

the stronger the demonic energy surged through her.

Dark energy erupted from her sword’s tip,

filling the air with a sharp, ominous aura.

“I’ll cut you all down!”

Her voice carried conviction.

Her blazing eyes spoke her unyielding determination: to destroy her enemies and protect what must be protected, no matter the cost.

Heavenly Demon Arts 
Ultimate Secret : The Void Chapter
Sky-Sundering Void Slash

Her body, which had resisted the strain until now,

finally began to collapse under the immense toll of invoking this forbidden technique.

Black energy exploded outward, staining the heavens.

Her jet-black hair turned ashen white, and her eyes lost their light, leaving her blind.

Yet, even in the pitch darkness of her vision, a heightened awareness awoke within her.

Her Qi Sense sharpened to the extreme.

Though her eyes could no longer see, she could now feel the flow of everything in the world around her.

“Hey, hey. This is getting dangerous.”

“Shit, she’s pissed. What do we do?”

“We need her alive for the views! Why the hell is she pulling a self-destruct move now?”

The villains stood in her path, momentarily frozen by the sheer pressure of her strike.

But then, they reached into their pockets and pulled out several Blood Crystals, tossing them into their mouths.

“Letting her go berserk only lowers her market value. Haven’t seen this kind of desperation before.”

“You’re not the only one who can wield demonic arts, you know.”

“Time to teach this brat a lesson.”

As the Heavenly Demon unleashed her desperate slash, the air itself seemed to tremble.

The ominous red mist surrounding them thickened, suffocating the very space.

The villains responded in kind, channeling their Blood Demon Arts .

For an instant that felt like an eternity, the air was still.

Their combined technique, the Blood Seal, manifested.

Blood-infused hands whirled in the air, tracing countless afterimages.

Though their movements were impossibly fast,

they seemed unnervingly slow and deliberate almost elegant.

When the crimson handprints tore through the space, reality itself warped.

The world twisted and caved in under the crushing weight of the blood seal’s power,

creating an inescapable gravity that trapped everything within it.

Even the Heavenly Demon wasn’t spared.

“Gaaah!”

Her body, strained to its limits, crumpled under the force of the attack.

The villains loomed over the two unconscious female Hunters.

Grinning wickedly, they hoisted their limp bodies over their shoulders.

“Guess we’re taking them to go,” one said mockingly.

This was no mere battle.

It was abduction.