First Event (3)

Rey was just seventeen when everything he knew was taken from him. His family—ordinary people with no powers, no special abilities—was wiped out by a hunter's careless mistake. With no influence or connections to help him, Rey was left to fight for justice in a world that didn't care about the powerless.

He filed a case against the hunter, hoping for some form of justice. But what he got was a slap in the face. The hunter walked away with only a light warning and a fake apology—words that meant nothing in the face of the lives lost. For Rey, it was an insult, a reminder that no one would ever care about his pain.

That day, something inside Rey broke. The grief, the anger, and the helplessness swallowed him whole. In his despair, he made a decision that would change him forever. He sold his soul to a demon, trading his humanity for power. Power not to protect himself, but to exact revenge.

With his new strength, Rey hunted down the hunter. He didn't just kill him—he tore apart everything the man had ever loved. Rey invaded the hunter's home, murdering his wife and children right in front of him. The hunter could do nothing but watch as his world crumbled. Only after everything was taken from him did Rey deliver the final blow.

From that moment on, Rey was lost. He joined the ranks of others like him—demonic humans.

Rey had completed many missions before, but this one felt different. His group had received a job—to obtain the legacy of the Mad Sage. They'd been told there would be no hunters guarding the treasure, just a few security guards.

But things didn't go as planned. Unexpectedly, students from Aegis Hunter Academy showed up, disrupting their operation. The plans had to change, but Rey and his group were quick to adapt.

After shrugging of the guards, Rey found himself standing before a glass container. Inside, the glass container, was the target: an old book. The glass was reinforced with a special material, tough enough to withstand attacks from a five-star hunter three times. That's why Rey's group had brought something special—a device designed to break through it.

Rey placed the small device on the container and activated it. Strange waves began to pulse from the device, and the glass slowly cracked. Moments later, it shattered into thousands of tiny pieces, clearing the way for the book inside.

Rey reached into the shattered container and carefully pulled out the book. He stared at it for a moment, his fingers brushing against the worn cover. "This must be it," he thought, his grip tightening around the ancient artifact.

But just as he allowed himself a brief moment of satisfaction, a sudden chill ran down his spine. Instinct took over, and he twisted his body, trying to move away from his spot. Before he could fully react, a sharp pain shot through him.

A voice broke the silence. "Tch, looks like I missed."

Rey's head snapped around, his gaze landing on a boy standing a few steps away. The boy couldn't have been older than a teenager, with jet-black hair and piercing purple eyes. Those cold, unfeeling eyes locked onto Rey like a predator sizing up its prey.

*********

Daemon's eyes lingered on the wound he had inflicted on Rey's abdomen, blood beginning to seep from the fresh stab. He had aimed for Rey's heart, but at the last second, Rey had managed to twist and dodge the blow.

Daemon couldn't hide his frustration. Stealth wasn't perfect, he thought to himself. It has its limits, and it drains too much mana to keep up for long. He clicked his tongue inwardly, realizing he had made a miscalculation.

Rey, still gripping the book tightly, looked at Daemon with rage in his eyes. "Y-you bastard!" he hissed, his voice trembling with anger.

Daemon paid him no mind. He was already in motion, charging forward with his sword raised. A blue energy surrounded the blade as he swung it at Rey.

But Rey was quick. He pulled out his twin daggers, each glowing with a red energy. The two blades met in a violent clash, the sound of metal striking metal echoing in the air. They locked in a deadlock, both combatants pushing with all their strength.

Yet, slowly but surely, Daemon started to feel the pressure. Rey's daggers, glowing with fierce red energy, were forcing him back.

With a swift motion, Daemon kicked Rey, pushing him right into the spot where his wound still throbbed.

"Keuk..." Rey gasped, stumbling back in pain, his body instinctively recoiling from the sharp pain in his side.

Before Rey could recover, Daemon leaped into the air, his sword slicing through the air in a series of fast, brutal attacks. Each swing left behind a trail of blue energy as he launched into a flurry of strikes.

Rey, despite the injury, fought to keep his ground. He was slower now, but his focus never wavered. As Daemon swung once more, Rey sidestepped just in time, his dagger darting toward Daemon's heart in a quick, deadly thrust.

Daemon saw the move coming and leaped backward, avoiding the strike. However, he was a bit slow as he still got injured.

Rey smirked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "It seems you lack experience."

Daemon didn't reply. Instead, he simply focused, his eyes narrowing, he clutched his wound. And, in a heartbeat, he activated his skill—[Sword Storm].

Daemon was suddenly surrounded by a violent storm of blue energy. The air crackled as his [Sword Storm] skill unleashed a whirlwind of slashes, cutting through everything around him. The energy lashed out wildly, cleaving, slashing, and shredding anything in its path—including Rey.

Rey was caught in the storm before he could react. Desperately, he tried to shield himself, summoning a red glow of mana to cover his body. But it wasn't enough. The storm tore through his mana shield like paper, ripping into him without mercy. In moments, Rey's defenses—and Rey himself—were utterly destroyed.

As the storm died down, the energy faded, and silence returned. Daemon dropped to his knees, breathing heavily. He didn't want to use this skill unless it was necessary. It drained too much mana, leaving him vulnerable.

But there wasn't time to rest. He knew the other demonic humans would be coming soon, and the security guards outside wouldn't be able to hold them back for long. Daemon clenched his fists, forcing himself to stand. 

Daemon went ahead and looked ahead. Rey was shredded to the point of not being unrecognizable, in fact he didn't even resemble a human anymore. Or not a demonic human anymore.

Daemon sat down, his breath still heavy from the battle. He reached into his subspace, quickly searching for the book he had come for. When his hand closed around it, he pulled it out, inspecting the ancient artifact carefully.

Got it, he thought, a small sense of satisfaction running through him as he examined the book.

Satisfied, Daemon slipped the book into his own subspace and stood up, ready to leave. But as he turned to go, something caught his eye—Rey's subspace. 

Without a second thought, Daemon walked over to where Rey had fallen, reached for his subspace and tucked it into his pocket..

Then, with a quick motion, Daemon pulled a white mask from his pocket, placing it over his face. The mask had a scar symbol etched into it, adding an eerie, cold touch to his appearance. Now, that he got what he wanted to get, it was time for him to get out of this place.

Daemon could feel his mana reserves dangerously low, just enough to activate stealth for a brief moment—no more than thirty seconds. He took a deep breath, bracing himself, and then pushed his body to run as fast as he could muster.

As he neared the stairs, he saw the two masked demonic humans and the guards waiting below. The moment they sensed his presence, both groups turned toward him, alert.

"Hey, who are you?" one of the masked demonic humans shouted, his voice sharp with suspicion.

Without giving anyone a chance to react, Daemon threw a smoke bomb into the air. The smoke billowed out in an instant, filling the space and obscuring everyone's vision. But this wasn't just any smoke bomb. It was a mana-engineered device, designed to disrupt the senses of every awakener nearby.

Even Daemon himself was caught in the haze, his vision blurring, his senses clouded. But he wasn't completely vulnerable. The white mask he wore, which he'd recently acquired, nullified the effects of the smoke. It was part of a set—both the mask and the smoke bomb had been carefully chosen to handle high-ranked awakeners. Daemon had made sure to buy the best gear for the job, knowing he couldn't afford to take any chances.

As the smoke cloud engulfed the area, everyone's vision was obscured. Daemon wasted no time. He sprinted forward, darting down the stairs and heading straight for the exit. His heart pounded in his chest, but he knew he had to move quickly.

The moment he reached the exit and stepped beyond the range of the smoke, Daemon activated [Stealth]. His body vanished from sight, blending into the surroundings. Now invisible, he could see everything clearly outside the smoke-filled zone.

Not pausing for even a moment, Daemon quickly activated [Dash], his body surging forward with incredible speed. The rush of energy pushed him faster, but it also drained his mana more quickly. Still, he didn't care. He had no time to waste. The faster he moved, the less time anyone would have to react.

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Hello guys!

It has been a while. Due to the exams, I couldn't publish any chapters. However, from today, there will be a chapter per day. 

Thank You