The demon had arrived...
The demons , A creature born of hell, its body resembled that of a human—only stronger, black and red, crowned with long, twisted horns. That was what Ji Kai saw before him now.
The being he had never wished to see, never wanted to meet. And yet, there it was, hovering in the air, directly in front of Ji Kai's frozen gaze.
He couldn't move. Not even a twitch.
« You wretched creature... What are you doing here? » the demon spoke in a deep, resonant voice that echoed like thunder.
From that voice alone, Ji Kai understood—this was a high-ranking demon.
My tongue... it's heavy. I can't speak!
Is this it? Is this how I die? So suddenly?
The demon waited. And waited longer still, expecting a reply. Ji Kai remained silent. Yet, contrary to expectation, the demon wasn't angered.
Instead, it turned its attention to Kim Nina—frozen in place, unable to move even if she wanted to.
« You humans... such weak, fragile bodies. Pale, sometimes. Truly pathetic » the demon muttered, approaching Nina and gently touching her face with his long, crimson fingers.
« I can't help but pity your useless kind. Despite possessing unique abilities that should elevate you... you remain beneath us. You haven't climbed far, » he continued, caressing Nina's terrified face, then her shoulders, until his hand paused on her right arm—lingering there.
« Killing you is what I desire now. I truly hate your kind. Nothing personal... you're simply repulsive. » His eyes were human-like, except for the pupils—white, living masses drifting calmly within the blood-red void of his gaze.
Then, without turning his head or shifting his eyes, the demon sensed Ji Kai's sudden attack. Ji Kai had lunged with a dagger.
The demon didn't raise a hand. Instead, something emerged—tentacle-like appendages, reminiscent of an octopus, but black and veined with fire.
They struck Ji Kai, shattering the dagger and sending him flying, pain exploding through his body as if every bone had been crushed.
« Leave her... Leave her alone! » Ji Kai growled through clenched teeth, struggling to stand again, even though his chances of winning were... zero.
The demon released Kim Nina and turned to Ji Kai. For a moment, he simply stared, silently observing Ji Kai's broken form.
« Human... Speak And say your name, » the demon commanded.
Ji Kai felt a chill crawl through his spine. Refusing wasn't an option.
« Kim... Kim Ji... Kai » he replied with difficulty, but loud enough to be heard.
« Kim Ji Kai... » the demon repeated the name several times, then fell into another silence.
« I'll let you live. I saw what you did—how you killed those humans. I liked how you did it... coldly. So I'll allow you to live a little longer. But... »
As he spoke, the demon grabbed Nina's arm—violently—and tore it from her body as if it were a toothpick lodged in butter.
« I will take this , Nothing is free in this world, as you know »
He devoured the severed limb in front of Ji Kai, who nearly lost his mind at the horror of the scene.
"I'll leave now . I wanted to devour you both... but you , kim ji kai , you seem entertaining. »
« I'll wait until you're stronger—so you'll taste better. As for the girl... what happened to her will serve as a permanent reminder. I know you. I remember you. »
Then, the demon opened something resembling a magical portal—black and crimson—and stepped into it calmly. But just before disappearing...
« And ... One more thing... You will lose ، and The Smiling One will win «
And with that, the demon vanished.
Kim Nina began to move again.
The first thing she did was scream—loudly—from the unbearable pain of losing her arm.
Ji Kai stood in stunned silence. He had survived... but now, he was marked. A direct target of a terrifying demon.
Damn it...
What the hell kind of luck do I have?
Agh ...