Chapter 5

[ Hunter Gallery. ]

Community for the Association, Union Department, Government, and all wandering Hunters.

May you return safely today.

< 1 > Revisiting ‘That Person’ during the massacre period ㄷㄷ

Author: Gonikchunggaesirum

[ Photo ]

The Association Building half-destroyed, rampaging.

[ Photo ]

Smiling even with dozens of knives stuck in the body.

[ Photo ]

Mom! What is that?

Yes~ That’s…

The place where ‘That Person’ passed by.

Recommended 459 Disliked 112

[ Comments ]

[1] The last one only shows flesh, right? Shouldn’t a murder scene be covered in blood? Haha

ㄴ A vampire ㄷㄷ

ㄴ It’s definitely a vampire.

ㄴ ?

ㄴ Rankers, go study again~

[2] ‘Who’ did it ㄷㄷ

ㄴ You don’t know Orlly? Are you a rookie?

ㄴ If you really don’t know this, haha, don’t you watch Association notices, news, etc.?

ㄴ Amengtuhkkeeyukso capture haha

ㄴ I know it’s just a joke, damn it.

ㄴ Don’t you think it’s obvious? Only a wide-range spellcaster tech tree among Rankers can do that much…

ㄴ You should just turn off your phone and sleep, even now~

ㄴ hahaha you’re getting wrecked.

ㄴ I know, damn it.

[3] Are the dislikes from those with PTSD from a year ago? Haha

ㄴ Haha, the Hunters are too nice to dislike, but whenever Orlly is mentioned, it’s like this.

ㄴ I mean, the Association, Union Department, and Government all would act in emergencies.

[4] The third photo is really a sight; an interview with an Awakened One witnessing it live is like a horror movie.

ㄴ His pupils looked out of control while gasping for air during the interview.

ㄴ Just looking at it was terrifying, haha. It was a hostage situation with Association Hunters facing criminals, and then Orlly suddenly barged in—just like a movie haha.

ㄴ When he opened his eyes, he was seen pulling out knives from a boy hanging onto corpses one by one and licking them.

ㄴ (pointing a knife) Do you want some? No? It’s delicious.

ㄴ Please don’t call him a boy, specify “Rank 1, Orlly.”

ㄴ What does that mean? Did Orlly let that Awakened One go? Isn’t that crazy guy someone who kills everyone he looks at?

ㄴ I don’t know;

ㄴ He has had moments of insane slaughter, but strangely enough, there were times he let someone go.

[5] Pyromancers must be crying…

ㄴ Before you burn them, please get out of your country.

ㄴ The pyro users who only use an easy build need to be wrecked; they get to the 3rd tier in no time with just high stats.

ㄴ But that’s the limit, haha.

ㄴ For real haha.

ㄴ The 3rd tier can blow up buildings, so wow, haha, how large is a 1st tier wide-range build?

ㄴ There are all sorts of speculations; some say it’s on a planetary scale.

ㄴ That’s exactly why Orlly is called a monster—1st tier wide builds can’t be achieved by talent alone.

#

Yeah, it must be because I didn’t manage the aftermath well.

The thought that I could cut off the nightmarish revelry filled with hellish moments, while drifting off to sleep without cleaning up the book stained with my blood and flesh and the puddles scattered across the floor.

Being caught by this vividly red spirit was something I could confidently say became one of my biggest regrets lately.

Perhaps, it was in the moment when Bloody, presumed to be royalty among the spirit race, set her noble and elegant gaze on me, collapsed on the floor, and the gruesome sight—a scene that would make ordinary people clutch their chests and retch—came alive as it entered my home from the void.

With a mix of fury, the doubts I had held for months quickly transformed into certainty.

I was embracing my vampire instincts without being able to overcome the difference in species and had been living with the side effects.

She, a singular existence, without saying a word to me.

[ Kneel. ]

Her tone was truly merciless.

Without a moment of hesitation, I pressed both knees to the cold floor and sat submissively.

[ I believe you know what you did wrong. ]

“……”

It was a story I couldn’t possibly say to you. You know that, right?

[ Hah····. ]

I involuntarily flinched at Bloody’s sigh.

I cautiously looked up at her with a gaze that asked for one more chance.

In my memory, I reflected that I was still relatively handsome, but as a spirit also has eyes, I couldn’t allow myself to be too confident.

[ Even so, this incident will not be overlooked, so remember that. ]

Not a word was heeded.

“I was wrong.”

[ Why did you hide it in the first place? No, before that, you knew I had some idea, didn’t you? ]

I sealed my lips tightly and averted my gaze from her, who was looking at me intently.

A silence fell.

“……”

I didn’t want to answer.

But the coldness of the floor was seeping into my body, whispering into my ear.

There is no escape from this stage.

“····What can you do?”

After saying that, I was briefly engulfed by regret. It carried emotions entirely different from those of our usual conversations.

But Bloody didn’t seem to mind. Maybe it was because she had reached an understanding that went beyond mere concession.

[ There are plenty of medicines and devices that can alleviate the side effects. If necessary, we could step into the Spirit World to create one. Although it might be difficult for now due to the current chaos. ]

Her cloak fluttered and emitted light, not particularly bright.

[ Nonetheless, shouldn’t we devise a method and move forward? As royalty of the Spirit World and as Awakened Ones of humanity, you and I together. It would be much better than just groaning alone and enduring it in silence, wouldn’t it? ]

That was quite a splendid statement.

I almost clapped.

When I hear words about how we can overcome crises if we join hands together, it sometimes feels like I could do anything.

“Four whole years.”

But reality isn’t like that.

Sometimes, compromises must be made.

“I’ve lived like this for four years. Massacring countless races, hunting high-ranking demons, looking for materials. I’ve researched day and night, pursuing different beings. I’ve explored every kind of gate and even reached the peak.”

A fairytale-like story. I crossed mountains and waters.

“I ripped open cracks and stepped into the Spirit World. I’ve experienced the benefits of civilization and encountered new devices, but still, still, there was no perfect cure that could completely treat my illness.”

When I looked ahead, nearing the point of collapse, there was no happy ending of a fairy tale.

“The cores of high-ranking demons, rare magic power bars, and the rancid blood of Awakened Ones, at best, only gave me temporary pleasure and let me breathe, along with continued mental illness.”

Yes, that was the conclusion I had drawn that day.

Despite the years spent staining my hands with blood and tearing at my own hair, there was no light for me in this world.

And as that kind of daily life began to solidify, I met Bloody.

To me, who had rummaged through every corner of the world, this world was a dystopia devoid of any cure, and Bloody was a beautiful spirit who would never let anyone go.

At that time, as if we made a promise, my mental illness worsened. I had to ensure that this spirit wouldn’t find out about it.

Imagining how she would feel seeing a frail boy who had nothing to offer was unfathomable.

[ Orlly. ]

“I’m not blaming you. You must have wanted to do something for me just by looking at me. I sincerely appreciate that; I’m glad.”

I wasn’t used to having long conversations. Particularly, with the rich depth stemming from our relationship, I wanted to finish this story quickly. The past is the kind of story I hated the most.

“But almost all the medicines and devices you’re thinking about are probably things I have already experienced. Of course, they did have some effect. The demon known as dhampir is so rare that I wanted to kill it, so the efficacy of the medicine doesn’t work, serving merely as a painkiller.”

I didn’t want to talk about it anymore. I wanted to have ordinary conversations with her as much as possible. But I didn’t know why I was acting like this since morning. It should be something we could just gloss over.

If only I could just say I’m sorry and be honest with you from now on.

I felt like a stupid fool, on the verge of tears. So disgusting that I wanted to rip and tear.

[ I’m sorry, Orlly. ]

I didn’t know if Bloody had something she wanted to say or not. But she concluded the conversation submissively without revealing any emotion.

It might be that she penetrated even the deepening cracks of my deteriorating mental illness and cared for me.

“No, don’t apologize. I’m genuinely happy that you care about me.”

Yet, what came out of my mouth was a lie, devoid of consideration or understanding.

Having only seen cold scorn and lethal eyes, the care directed towards me felt overwhelmingly excessive.

“Anyway, I must gather every medicine that helps.”

[ …… ]

“Can I get up now? My knees are way too cold from kneeling.”

Bloody nodded slightly and said nothing more. I did the same. A tranquil silence fell over us.

[ So, is this what you wanted to show me earlier? ]

“Yes. Isn’t it cool?”

Thus, I directed my gaze towards a new place.

A small crown floating in the air, diminished in size, along with five glowing sentences and numbers next to it.

“So it’s okay. Even with a mental illness and a frail body, I have a goal.”

Bloody blinked.

Then she lightly smiled. No, she didn’t have a mouth.

But it felt like she did.

1. Corpse’s assimilation rate 70% blood.

The five sentences, and the first one.

An assimilation rate of 70%, upon reevaluation, truly tailored to me.

The fact that the blood flow that enveloped my entire body could assimilate at that rate meant, based on years of experience, that I should be at least a 2nd tier Awakened One.

After a moment of contemplation, I made a decision.

[ A pure vampire species. ]

That was my goal. The end that awaits.

[ Is that what you desire? ]

“Yes.”

[ Then I will support you, Orlly. ]

Her voice was gentle.

But I felt no particular thrill.

There was only the pounding of my heart.

I slightly smiled and raised the knife. With a bit of pain, I felt the bones in my back twist.

I glanced at the full-body mirror next to me. Enormous red wings sprang forth and fluttered. Numerous scars and holes, and torn skin were observable.

They glowed and stained the air red.

They were the scars and experiences earned from ransacking the battlefield.

Valuable decorations.

The scent of slaughter filled my nostrils.

Kicking off the ground, I soared into the sky.

It was the time for the hunt.

#

Gyeonggi Province Governor’s Office.

A red dot appeared on the screen shot by the beam.

“For nearly a week, that girl has made appearances. We can see she’s been gradually spreading from a certain area in Yongmun-myeon, committing crimes centered around stores. As you already know, the crime scenes are very monotonous and predictable, allowing us to appropriately station limited personnel.”

Erica felt a slight sense of bewilderment at the unexpectedly long time it took. Though to her eyes it seemed just a trivial incident, a full week had passed without any gains, and the feeling of restlessness grew.

“In accordance with your request, we have employed some Hunters from the Mage Director’s office to widen the search range, focusing on the late-night times suspected as the crime periods.”

Blue dots added to the beam, with letters appearing around them.

Erica stared intently at the screen before speaking.

“Let’s form a new team on-site. I’ll select the members myself.”

But that was all.

Up until now, she had no records of failures in her duties.

No matter how it appeared, the opponent was just a girl.

Starting from tomorrow, she would enter the scene.

Once she was on her radar, that girl’s life was as good as over.