Chapter 5

"Graaagh!"

A fountain of blood erupted into the air, and one of Goegeol's arms flew high into the sky.

The crouching demon finally revealed itself, and as its overwhelming aura—sharp enough to seem capable of carving through flesh—unveiled its true form, the young Dogwi finally realized that they had walked into a predator's hunting ground of their own accord.

It was no Child Ghost.

The demon before them was far more powerful—

"Run!"

Woljang was trembling uncontrollably under the crushing killing intent, while Goegeol clutched the stump of his severed arm, wailing as blood gushed endlessly from it.

The only one still holding himself together was Ilchwi.

Without hesitation, he grabbed Goegeol and tried to escape.

But after only a few steps—

Thud.

He slammed into something.

An invisible barrier, like a transparent curtain, had trapped them inside.

The demon that had lured them here slowly gnawed on Goegeol's severed arm, chewing it with loud crunches as though mocking their helplessness.

There was no way to fight.

No way to escape.

Only fear remained.

The elders' words came flooding back into their minds like scenes from a dream.

'The first unchanging rule of Demon Hunting.'

'Never approach an enemy you do not understand.'

***

'I've lost quite a bit of time, but those kids aren't searching with the demon's exact location in mind.'

Night was when demonic energy grew strongest.

Judging from the circumstances, the demon had likely not revealed itself very long ago.

Considering they didn't know its precise location, the children might not have encountered it long ago—

Or, if luck was on his side, perhaps they hadn't met it yet.

After making all the necessary preparations, Yise sprinted at full speed while organizing his thoughts.

Even if he made it in time, he probably wouldn't be of much help.

At best, he could buy them a little time.

The bigger problem was that he didn't know where the young Dogwi were either.

Still, he had narrowed down the direction.

The place where rumors of the crying-child demon had first begun.

Drawing an imaginary straight line between that point and Gwisu, he searched diagonally across the surrounding area as he ran.

His reasoning was solid.

First, this was Dogwi territory.

Ordinary demons instinctively avoided settling here because they could sense the aura of the Dogwi.

Which meant this demon possessed intelligence.

If it had deliberately come here, its goal was likely to hunt lone Dogwi traveling between the village and Gwisu.

At the very least, it possessed the ability to conceal its demonic energy.

It could hide from Mongryeon and the powerful experts of Gwisu.

A creature capable of manipulating demonic barriers.

Yise pulled a small portable village guardian pole adorned with bells and talismans from inside his robes.

The artifact was called the Tracking Talisman .

It was a treasure designed to trace spaces hidden behind demonic barriers.

And if it reacted...

Jingle.

Even while Yise was running at full speed using the Dokkaebi Steps, the bell, which had remained completely silent until now, rang.

At the same time, the talisman fluttered against the direction of the wind as though ignoring the laws of nature.

Yise immediately changed directions.

At the end of that path—

He felt a dense concentration of demonic energy.

A demonic barrier.

A domain that prevented entry without its master's permission.

Yise first fired a signal flare into the sky.

Then he drew the Rift-Severing Sword and tore open the barrier before looking inside.

The wavering scenery immediately brightened, revealing what lay within.

At the center—

A demon leisurely feasting on Goegeol's body.

It possessed the face of a human, the body of a horse, and the horns of a dragon, creating a grotesque and chaotic appearance.

Just as Yise had predicted.

One of the two possible demons.

A Grade 6 Mid-Level Demon.

Aseong Yongma.

'This is bad...'

Among Demon Hunters, it was infamous for its extreme aggression.

Though considered one of the weakest among demons of its rank, it had once reached a far higher realm before repeatedly being hunted down and forced to flee, causing its power to deteriorate over time.

Even so—

There was absolutely no way Yise could defeat it through raw strength.

The overwhelming demonic energy slicing across his body screamed that a single mistake would reduce him to the creature's next meal.

'Stay calm.'

Yise steadied himself.

Six years ago, when he hunted Wadu Seosaeng, it wasn't because he believed he could win.

He had simply acted with the resolve to pay the price using a life he had already abandoned once.

The Aseong Yongma merely glanced toward Yise before returning to its meal as though an additional prey had appeared or not made no difference.

Apparently, it didn't consider him much of a threat.

'Goegeol... is already too late.'

There was no saving Goegeol.

Half of his body was already inside the demon's mouth.

Rather than wasting time on him, it would be better to save the remaining two Dokkaebi while the creature was distracted by its meal.

Ilchwi lay collapsed on the ground, black blood pouring from his abdomen.

Woljang had wet himself and was completely incapable of fighting.

His eyes had turned blank white.

Carefully avoiding provoking the demon, Yise slowly approached Ilchwi and placed a Medicinal Pill into his mouth.

To humans, it was practically a divine medicine.

Even for Dogwi, however, it was an invaluable treasure that could stop bleeding and heal wounds.

"Get up. You have to run on your own."

As the effects of the Medicinal Pill spread through his body, focus gradually returned to Ilchwi's eyes.

"W-Why are... you here...?"

"Can you walk? Just nod."

"..."

Ilchwi slowly nodded his trembling head.

"Ilchwi. Do you see the tear in the barrier where I came in? Get out through there as fast as you can. Woljang. When I give the signal, take this and run in the opposite direction. After tearing through the barrier, escape. Then carry your brother back to Gwisu."

Yise grabbed Woljang firmly by the jaw and stared directly into his eyes.

The crushing grip nearly shattered his jaw, dragging the boy's mind back to reality.

Slowly—

Woljang nodded.

"W-Wait...Then what about you...?"

"If you don't run immediately, I'll die too. Don't look back. Run with everything you've got. Understood?"

Perhaps sensing something unusual, the Aseong Yongma suddenly stopped chewing Goegeol's body.

"Now!"

Yise immediately pulled Ilchwi to his feet and shoved him toward the opening he had cut in the barrier.

Woljang instinctively broke into a sprint as well.

The Aseong Yongma, which had ignored them until now, suddenly kicked off the ground in fury.

Its target—

The comparatively unharmed Woljang.

Its movement was so fast that it was nearly impossible to follow with the naked eye.

Like a bolt of lightning.

But—

Bang!

A shield suddenly intercepted the charge, smashing into one of its horns.

Yise had stepped directly into the demon's charging path and struck its horn at an angle with his shield.

He had predicted that while the demon would tolerate prey entering its territory, it would never allow them to leave—

And that it would naturally attack the healthier target first.

His prediction had been correct.

Although the collision sent Yise flying backward without any chance of resisting, he had at least prevented the dragon-like horn from reaching Woljang.

'I could barely even see it.'

Keeping his shield raised tightly, Yise remained on full alert.

Dodging or counterattacking by sight alone against an opponent like this was impossible.

Fortunately, both his shield and talismans were relics that Mongryeon had painstakingly prepared for him.

They had been crafted from precious materials favored by Cultivators.

Their durability truly lived up to their reputation.

'The best I can do is rely on my Dokkaebi Senses, follow its movements as much as possible, absorb the impact, and endure using the artifact's power.'

Peeking cautiously over the top of his shield, he examined the Aseong Yongma.

Just before the collision, he had secretly scattered Tiger-Slaying Poison.

Apparently—

It hadn't worked.

'They said it could kill a tiger instantly...'

He had specifically brought the poison in case he encountered another Mid-Level Demon.

As expected, it was useless against an Aseong Yongma.

Flash!

The demon's body vanished—

Only to reappear directly before him.

Its body surged upward.

Then its horse hoof, overflowing with demonic energy, crashed toward the shield.

Yise gripped the shield handle with every ounce of strength he possessed.

He flew backward for what felt like an eternity before smashing into the barrier.

His vision flashed white.

The impact shook his entire body.

Blood trickled from his ears, running down his cheeks before dripping from his chin.

It felt as though a gigantic bull were slowly crushing every bone in his body.

'Stay conscious.'

He had deliberately positioned himself so that every attack would send him toward the opening he had cut in the barrier.

Lowering himself again, he crawled backward out through the opening.

His body trembled violently from the impact.

The internal injuries forced bitter blood to spill continuously from his mouth.

'At least...I made it outside the barrier.'

The demonic energy surrounding the pair of horns on the Aseong Yongma's head glowed ominously.

It let out a beastly growl, as though eager to gore the annoying insect before it, crush every bone in its body, and chew apart its organs.

The next instant—

Flash!

Its body disappeared again.

Yise braced himself for another impact.

But nothing struck his shield.

His Dokkaebi Senses suddenly screamed a warning from behind him.

Feeling the danger instantly, he rolled sideways.

Boom!

With a deafening crash, the Aseong Yongma appeared behind him and slammed into the spot where he had been standing moments earlier.

A massive crater exploded into existence.

Dust billowed upward like thick storm clouds.

Its tail immediately curved forward and lashed Yise's airborne body like a whip.

"Urgh!"

Somewhere inside him, bones snapped.

A fountain of blood burst from his mouth.

He had nearly reached his limit.

Blood soaked the ground beneath him, while his vision shimmered as though distorted by heat.

At most—

He could withstand one more attack.

Maybe two.

'It should be about time...'

Just as he began thinking any further delay would be fatal—

An adult Dogwi suddenly leaped into view and smashed the Aseong Yongma across the head with the Golden Iron Staff.

Clang!

The collision rang out like steel crashing against steel.

Yise's body was lifted into the air.

"Damn it. Sorry we're late."

Goecheon, who was on patrol duty for Gwisu, had arrived almost simultaneously with two other Dogwi after seeing the signal flare.

Carried on Goecheon's back, Yise quietly reported,

"Goegeol had already been eaten. I sent the other two back to Gwisu."

"..."

Even while struggling to maintain his composure, Goecheon could only click his tongue in disbelief upon hearing Yise's first concern was confirming the safety of the others.

Just what kind of resolve does this kid have...?

"Do we stand any chance?"

That was the only thing Yise cared about now.

The two Dogwi had launched a surprise attack on the Aseong Yongma—

Yet they hadn't managed to inflict even a single wound.

Comparing the strength of the Dogwi he knew with the Mid-Level Demon before them—

The balance of power was overwhelmingly tilted toward despair.

"Hold on tight."

Knowing that better than anyone, Goecheon seemed focused solely on getting Yise away from the Aseong Yongma.

He immediately kicked off the ground.

As they retreated, the sounds of the fierce battle gradually faded behind them.

Not long afterward—

The demonic energy approaching from behind surged closer with terrifying speed.

The Aseong Yongma was charging after them—

Holding the heads of the two Dogwi in its mouth as it rapidly closed the distance like an arrow streaking through the air.