As the sun sets and night descends,
Amidst the bushes, numerous figures swiftly move.
“Run fast!”
“Form a line! Don’t scatter!”
Despite their different appearances, their expressions all shared one thing.
Tension.
Their faces were filled with tension.
Thud-!
Their speed gradually increased.
It was evident that they were all skilled and agile.
The fluttering black robes, and the visible insignias even in the darkness.
There was only one meaning behind that sentence.
The Wu Lin Alliance.
The individuals rushing through the night were members of the Wu Lin Alliance.
Among them, at the forefront, stood a man.
The leader of the Bi Long Branch of the Wu Lin Alliance, Seo Dong, rolled his eyes.
“For heaven’s sake.”
One hand gripped the hilt of his sword.
With a burst of energy, he utilized all kinds of martial arts techniques.
Power surged, enveloping the forest surroundings.
There was power in that strike.
To express such a level of technique, one had to surpass the boundary of a martial artist.
Seo Dong’s level was beyond its peak.
In other words,
That meant such a formidable individual was on edge.
“Of all times, when there are so few of us…!”
Currently, there were only seven members.
They were all top-notch martial artists, surpassing the first-class realm, but it was still a problem.
Their current numbers were simply inadequate.
“A second-class level…!”
Capturing a crimson demon would be no small feat.
At one point, a few years ago, their combined power would have been enough to hunt down demons.
Seo Dong alone could slay a blue demon at the pinnacle level.
However, the appearance of demons was not as dangerous as it used to be.
But that was no longer the case.
Merely three years ago,
Starting with Sacheon, the new level of the “Red Demon Gate” began to open.
No, calling it new wouldn’t be accurate.
It was merely the return of a level that had already existed.
One.
To put it simply, the changes that occurred in the world were not at all trivial.
“Prepare yourselves in advance! Don’t let your guard down!”
At the shout, the martial artists behind him raised their spirits.
Their aura mixed with the air, creating an intense heat.
The appearance of the new class, the Red Demon Gate.
From some years ago, reports of its appearances had been increasing.
Even during its first discovery, there were only around twenty instances in a year.
Now, it had already surpassed twenty cases in the short period since the beginning of the new year.
It was increasing.
This feeling was shared not only by Seo Dong but by most members of the Wu Lin Alliance.
They couldn’t help but feel fear.
At that moment,
Kwooooong-!
“…!”
The thunderous noise from the opposite direction widened Seo Dong’s eyes.
In an instant, he bit his lips.
That sound was undoubtedly…
“The demon has appeared.”
The sound of a red-class demon emerging, making the noise.
Below that light, a red demon appeared.
Thud.
Seo Dong swiftly drew his sword.
Chwaak-!
As soon as Seo Dong unsheathed his sword, the martial artists behind him followed suit without hesitation.
They all must have felt it.
If they made a mistake, they could die this time.
“Why did it have to be when the leaders are absent…!”
Even if there had been at least one leader-class martial artist, things wouldn’t have turned out like this. Currently, all those capable individuals were away on a mission to investigate the death of Gukwon-jeokma. It was an assignment related to Samaoje, so naturally, top-tier martial artists were dispatched.
However, that decision had become a problem.
Even having at least two seasoned pinnacle-level martial artists should have sufficed, but instead, they were left with such a small group.
“There’s no way to avoid disaster.”
If he knew he was going to retire, he should have done it earlier. Was it a crime not to?
Seo Dong struggled to suppress his disappointment. Leaving things as they were would undoubtedly turn the surroundings into chaos, so he couldn’t stand by idly.
“We’re almost there.”
Until a moment ago, Seo Dong’s voice had been clear, but now, it sounded somewhat uneasy.
“I’ll take the lead. The rest of you cover the rear.”
“Commander…!”
One of the martial artists voiced concerns, but no one else said anything. They all knew there was no other option.
Tick-!
Finally, the group arrived at the source of the light.
Seo Dong tightened his grip on his sword, brimming with tension. He extended his senses through his ki, trying to assess the situation.
“Where is it?”
It was evident that the light source was there. Therefore, the demons should be somewhere nearby.
Especially, since most red-class demons were enormous, they should be easy to spot.
“Why is it so quiet?”
The oppressive silence overwhelmed him. A red-class demon would normally be roaring and tearing everything apart. Yet, the surroundings remained eerily quiet.
Therein lay the problem – they couldn’t detect the ki either.
“…”
Seo Dong raised his hand and made a low gesture.
It meant to advance.
He erased his presence, and the martial artists followed suit, stealthily moving forward.
They continued for a few minutes.
Then…
“…” A low sound reached their ears from a distance.
Thud-thud, thud-thud…!
It sounded as if something was breaking and shattering.
Hearing it sent shivers down their spines.
Seo Dong’s entire body tingled with unease. It felt like the source of the sound was right in front of them.
Thud, thud…!
The sound grew louder with every step they took. It seemed to be right in front of them.
Thud-!
It was unmistakable.
It was coming from somewhere close beyond the darkness.
Their tension heightened, their heartbeats accelerated, and cold sweat trickled down their foreheads.
Is it a red-class demon? Is a demon doing something?
With that thought, Seo Dong cautiously took another step forward.
“Ugh…!”
As soon as he saw what was in front of him, Seo Dong unintentionally gasped.
The sight beyond the dimness stunned him.
Something could be seen amidst the dark.
Thud-thud.
What he first saw was a pair of blue eyes.
Followed by a massive figure.
A flexible yet gigantic body was munching on a demon covered in red hide.
Crack-!
Accompanied by the sound of bones shattering, the demon’s head seemed to explode.
A pool of blood formed on the ground.
Seeing this, Seo Dong’s eyes widened like a torch.
He couldn’t make out the creature’s true form due to its severely disfigured state, but it appeared to resemble a tiger.
“…It’s definitely…”
Much stronger than a lower-class blue-class demon, requiring a top-notch pinnacle martial artist to handle such a monster.
And yet, it was being devoured right before his eyes.
There seemed to be no significant damage in the vicinity, indicating that the demon had barely resisted.
“What on earth is that?”
The creature, which somewhat resembled a demon, but not quite, continued to eat the demon.
It appeared demonic at first glance, but its grade was unclear.
At a glance, it seemed to have a bluish hue, but on closer inspection, it leaned more toward black.
“Is it a blue-class demon?”
That couldn’t be possible. A blue-class demon couldn’t have been like that.
Then what is it…?
Crunch…
“Damn…!”
As the creature finished its meal, its blue eyes turned towards Seo Dong.
He tried to infuse his sword with ki, but…
Thunk-!
“Ugh…!”
The moment the creature’s gaze met his, Seo Dong’s body stiffened like a stone.
This was bad.
He couldn’t…!
“Excuse me.”
“!!”
As the frozen figure of Seodong heard a voice in his ear, he felt someone’s arm around his shoulder. A voice, both high-pitched and soothing, spoke to him – a voice he had never heard before.
He managed to turn his stiff neck to look at the newcomer. What he saw was intriguing – a pair of eyes that seemed to emit a mysterious blue light, even in the darkness. Though the face remained obscure, the voice suggested a relatively young age.
Amidst the uncertainty, one thing was clear to Seodong: he couldn’t win against this person. He could sense it just by looking into their eyes – this individual possessed an overwhelming presence that left him trembling.
The stranger chuckled and said, “I’m just a person who enjoys traveling, you know. Is that too hard to believe?”
Struggling to find his voice, Seodong managed to ask, “…Who are you?”
With a faint smile, the person replied, “It doesn’t matter who I am. I’m looking for someone, and I thought you might know.”
Seodong’s body froze again, as he realized that the person before him might be the one they were talking about.
The stranger continued, “The name escapes me, but it was probably two characters. He’s a man, roughly my age, and he wields a sword. Oh, and his eyes have an unusual yellowish hue.”
As the description hit him, Seodong’s body stiffened even more. He was well aware of the person they were referring to – someone who had gained notoriety recently for all the wrong reasons.
![Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]](https://cpunovel.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/arcane-sniper.jpg "Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]")
