Ch.259. The Main Headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Sect (2)

In that moment, Soso felt an electric sensation throughout her body.

Of course, Minsu wasn’t an awakened one with electric powers. It was probably just her imagination. She never thought simply holding hands could feel like this.

“B-Blood Demon! Answer me! Why… why does this feel this way…”

Soso instinctively called out to the Blood Demon in her confusion, but the usually noisy Blood Demon was silent at this crucial moment.

So, the sensation of Minsu’s hand touching hers and the heart-pounding feeling were Soso’s alone to bear.

‘Minsu… isn’t pulling away?’

And Soso was surprised. Just as the Blood Demon had said, Minsu truly wasn’t letting go of her hand.

During their time at Eins, there had been occasional casual touches between them.

But this was clearly different. She was the one who first felt the warmth of his hand.

She had never directly told him that she liked him. This was the first time Soso had gathered her courage.

‘Minsu’s hand… it really is warm.’

Though countless thoughts and emotions raced through her mind, Soso couldn’t calm her heart, which fluttered like that of a teenage girl.

From their second year at Eins when they first got to know each other and grew close, she had been looking at him alone for five years.

For nearly three and a half years of pure time, she had liked him.

‘I wonder how Minsu feels right now.’

But Soso kept her head down, quickly averting her gaze from Minsu. Whether his response was positive or negative, she felt she couldn’t control her emotions if she looked at his face now.

For the moment, she simply didn’t want to let go of his hand. And her heart, which she could no longer hide, grew a little bolder.

Though she was a swordswoman, naturally Minsu’s hand was larger than hers, him being a man.

She wanted to feel the warmth of that large hand more. Soso began to move her palm slightly.

If she were rejected now, it might leave a deep wound in her heart, but Soso couldn’t stop.

As if embracing Minsu, she caressed his palm, feeling its texture. Her already racing heart beat even faster, warming her body.

‘Yes, Minsu is… the person I truly like.’

No, beyond just liking him, there was only him in her mind. Even now.

During the past two years when Minsu was in the hospital, she had wanted to see him so badly but couldn’t.

But now he was close to her like this. And since Minsu had chosen Flame, she knew he would need her strength as well.

‘I’m the raid team leader at Flame. I must be someone Minsu needs…’

She had read Minsu’s self-introduction. It showed clear hostility toward villains, especially the Red Lake.

Since Minsu had lost his power now, he would surely need Soso for revenge against those villains.

The moment she held his hand, Soso was certain. Her feelings could no longer be satisfied with just watching him from afar.

‘I want Minsu…’

Even if it was selfish and wrong, she wanted to have him.

The memory she had consciously tried to forget—that first day when Minsu came to Flame. The feeling of his lips touching hers seemed to come alive again.

‘That sensation was… so… good.’

She now knew how thrilling and fulfilling it was to have the person you like—no, love.

Even if she had to give everything she had, she wanted to win his heart and make him hers. Soso interlocked her fingers tightly with Minsu’s.

And for a long time, she didn’t let go of his hand.

***

The plane arrived in Hong Kong.

Finding the headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Sect wasn’t difficult. It was a place revered as sacred by many martial arts hunters.

The city of Hong Kong itself had created excellent transportation routes to the headquarters.

It was incomparably more accessible than the original headquarters in the Tian Shan mountains before the dimensional merger, which had been in a remote, rugged mountainous area.

‘Hong Kong is a metropolis after all.’

We didn’t even need to find the headquarters ourselves.

As soon as we got off the plane, a group of men came to meet us.

A large limousine with a black glossy finish, along with several escort vehicles, lined up around the airport.

They looked like Hong Kong mafia—which they actually were. The Heavenly Demon Sect was a massive hunter clan after all.

Men in black suits got out of the vehicles and bowed deeply toward Soso.

“Ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand…”

“That’s enough. This isn’t an official visit to the sect. There’s no need for such noisy formalities.”

While most young women might have been intimidated, Soso gave them light instructions with a flick of her finger.

The men in black, all of whom seemed to be awakened ones and powerful, also directed their attention toward me, showing me the same respectful courtesy.

‘I hope they’re not misunderstanding.’

If they mistook me for Soso’s man…

Considering the status the young mistress of the Heavenly Demon Sect held among her followers, it wasn’t strange that they showed me such respect.

Of course, that was a misunderstanding. Soso and I were friends. No, we were just people from the same company. That’s how I had to think of it.

“Please come this way.”

Without showing any particular reaction, I got into the limousine with Soso. The back seat was very spacious, but our privacy from the driver’s seat was thoroughly maintained.

‘This is even more than on the plane…’

A confined space with just Soso and me, without other passengers.

If the Blood Demon inside Soso took over her body, it could be a precarious situation that might cause panic.

But it was clearly Soso now. Unlike her confident demeanor when facing the intimidating disciples earlier.

Soso kept her head down, avoiding eye contact with me. She kept twirling her black hair with her fingers.

That habit of Soso’s when she was very flustered hadn’t changed since our Eins days.

‘She was like that on the plane too.’

The limousine departed, but silence continued between the two of us. Soso seemed unable to calm down, constantly recrossing her legs.

‘I see. So on the plane, Soso…’

Just a little while ago, when Soso took my hand on the plane, I was momentarily taken aback. I instinctively checked her expression, wondering if the Blood Demon inside her had awakened.

But it wasn’t the Blood Demon. It was clearly Soso who held my hand.

The warmth, the embarrassment, and the shyness I felt from that hand couldn’t possibly be the Blood Demon. The Blood Demon wouldn’t show such a reaction just from holding hands.

‘So Soso still…’

And I’m not a fool. Soso’s actions weren’t just casual skinship between friends.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have held onto my hand so tightly until the moment we got off the plane.

The way she caressed my hand and eventually interlocked our fingers clearly contained her emotions. Her feelings for me, her romantic feelings.

‘I know that feeling too.’

Before graduation, when Yuri and I grew very close. Though we weren’t dating, we naturally held hands often.

Emotions transmitted through flesh and body can convey more than words. It must be the same for Soso.

That’s why I couldn’t push away Soso’s hand that was holding mine tightly. Soso is also very precious to me.

During our Eins days, I clearly liked Yuri, but Soso was the one I was closest to when I was possessed by the Aka Hunter and thrown into this world that no one knew about.

‘But Soso’s feelings are… more than mine.’

I had already heard it from the Blood Demon, but now I confirmed it again.

However, all I could do was hold her hand in return. Not just for Soso, but for Yuri and Arini too.

‘Nothing more than that.’

I had repeatedly steeled my resolve since regaining consciousness that I would never cross that emotional line until the moment I died.

‘All those tragedies at Eins happened because of my emotions.’

I regained my composure. Then I picked up some expensive-looking snacks placed in the limousine.

“Team Leader Yeon Soso. Would you like some?”

“Yes. I’ll have some.”

I opened the package and handed it to her, and Soso ate without saying much. The awkward atmosphere eased a little. I recalled the purpose of coming here in my mind.

‘The leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect, Heavenly Demon Yeon Sehwi. An equipment craftsman loyal to him knows how to unseal the Red Jade.’

I must meet him. That craftsman would know well about the S-class Ancient Gear, the Red Jade.

Before long, the limousine finally arrived at the headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

***

Extremely large and wide walls stretched endlessly. All that vast property belonged to the Heavenly Demon Sect.

After passing through several strictly guarded entrances with disciples standing guard, we finally arrived at the main building of the Heavenly Demon Sect headquarters.

‘Is that Soso’s home?’

True to Chinese-style architecture, it was an extremely magnificent and enormous traditional building. The limousine stopped in the courtyard in front. The two of us got out.

Once again, a group of people exuding extraordinary auras came to greet us. They bowed.

“We greet the young mistress.”

But unlike at the airport, there was no overly formal greeting. It was natural. Here, it wasn’t just the young mistress, but the master of the Heavenly Demon Sect, the leader himself who had come out to welcome us.

The group in suits parted to the left and right. And from the middle, one man walked forward.

“You’ve come, Soso.”

“Yes, I’m here. Dad… I mean, Father.”

It was a greeting that didn’t match at all with the fierce group filling the courtyard.

Just a normal greeting between a father and daughter.

‘So that’s Heavenly Demon Yeon Sehwi.’

I already knew his face, but seeing him in person was even more surprising. While he was surrounded by rough-looking men,

Soso’s father looked more like a frail scholar than a martial artist or hunter. And despite having a daughter over twenty years old, he looked quite young.

His attire was also different—while the others wore black suits, only he wore traditional Chinese clothing. It was simple rather than flashy, giving him an even more ordinary impression.

“Soso. Who is this person?”

“Huh? Yes… Father. As I mentioned before… he’s a new intern at our company. He came on this business trip with me…”

“I see. Nice to meet you. I’m Yeon Sehwi, Soso’s father.”

And he smiled lightly at me, extending his hand.

That simple gesture of offering a handshake—but I could feel the disciples around us becoming very tense.

I felt the same. Heavenly Demon Yeon Sehwi. An SS-class hunter. And a member of the Five Heavenly Stars, called the absolute rulers of the hunter world.

Behind that harmless-looking smile was the confidence of a Heavenly Demon. And that overwhelming pressure that can only be felt from an absolute powerhouse.

The moment he extended his hand, the air in the area changed.

‘It’s different from killing intent, but still, as expected of a Heavenly Demon.’

Just by his presence alone, he dominated the surroundings. Like a predator at the top of the food chain.

Muguk was a powerful nation on par with the alliance of the Slavic Kingdom and the Republic of Korea. And Yeon Sehwi stood at the pinnacle of Muguk.

At this moment, that seemingly frail scholar felt like a more enormous being than any hunter I had ever met.

“D-Dad! This person is my guest…”

Soso called out to Yeon Sehwi in panic, but he didn’t withdraw his extended hand.

“What’s wrong, Soso? I’m just greeting our guest.”

“B-But!”

I understood Soso’s reaction. The group around Yeon Sehwi, likely executives of the Heavenly Demon Sect, were barely withstanding the aura he was emitting.

An ordinary person would have already fainted like a weak animal before a tiger’s gaze.

And even for an awakened one, it was an overwhelming presence that would make them stagger and kneel immediately, emanating from this ordinary-looking man before me.

But I calmly took his extended hand.

“I’m also pleased to meet you. I’m Lee Minsu.”

At that, the gazes of all the Heavenly Demon Sect disciples turned toward me at once.