July 9, 2023, The Day of the Demon King's arrival on Earth… "It has been an honor to fight you, Demon King. But I am afraid this is where your story ends," A young man looking around twenty-five said with his blade pressed against the neck of the Demon King, whose appearance was quite intimidating, especially because of his menacing fangs and dangerous dark red eyes that seemed to pierce through one's soul. On his head there was a dark crown with two large, sharp horns curving inwards. His skin was pale as expected of a vampire and was the strongest demon ever known to humanity. The young man was bleeding and bruised all over. He was still astonished at himself that he managed to bring the Demon King to his knees, the most powerful boss ever to appear. Entire countries were in lockdown, and people had gone into hiding just because of his presence. Most people were already thinking that the Demon King would uproot the entire world after killing all the Hunters. The Demon King was a Doomsday-level Threat, and yet this young man was still standing even though this battle was the toughest he had ever fought. And even though the Demon King was kneeling, his entire being still emanated an indomitable aura. "You are right, young Hunter. But your story is only getting started, Cedric," The Demon King said with a obscure smile as cracks formed across his body. Cedric had a confused look, but before he could say or do anything, the Demon King's body suddenly turned into a dark red light and shot into his body. "HUH?!" Cedric was shocked as he thought that the Demon King might be trying to take over his body or something. But moments passed, and to his relief, nothing happened, and the Demon King was gone. 'Did I just imagine that?' Cedric thought that maybe he saw things due to how injured and exhausted he was. However, when he looked at the spot where the Demon King was kneeling before, he furrowed his brows in bewilderment. He knew that sometimes the corpses of the bosses from the Shattered Dimension disappear into thin air while leaving behind rewards or treasures in the form of rare or exotic weapons, accessories, potions, and so on. But he was disappointed to see that even after taking down the most dangerous boss the world had ever seen, there was not even a single common grade drop or anything. What kind of sick joke was this? He almost died trying to kill such a powerful boss, and yet he gained nothing. 'At least the world will be safe, including my Aira,' Cedric mumbled inwardly as he softly smiled, thinking about the person he loved most. He no longer felt so disappointed, though he felt as if the Demon King never truly unleashed his strength. And for some reason, what the Demon King told him just before he died was still lingering in his mind. "Nevermind. I got to go back and tell everyone the good news. I am sure Aira would be proud and the world can finally feel relieved," Cedric mumbled to himself with a bright smile as he began to descend from the mountain peak. Hunters were considered as heroes by the people of the world since they were the only defense they had against the Demons who always tried to sabotage and sow chaos and death in their world. These Demons were coming from a different dimension with powers and abilities that far surpassed any ordinary human. The common people surely can't stand any chance against these evil creatures and could only put their faith in Hunters...the humans blessed by the angels, giving them the ability to use mana and used their powers to fight Demons to protect the world. Within just two minutes, Cedric was surprised to see his team, and even the members from other Hunter teams gathered in front of him. He wasn't surprised to see other Hunter teams since the World Hunter Association had sent their best teams to battle the Demon King due to how terrifying he was. However, all of them suddenly came down with some sickness, and Cedric had to proceed alone to fight the Demon King. He didn't mind it since he thought at least this way, he wouldn't have to worry about any of his team members dying. But now he was surprised to see them all here since he thought they were probably still resting in their camps. However, his gaze immediately got pulled towards the 5 8" tall radiant-eyed beauty with a slender curvy figure and picturesque face walking towards his direction with teary eyes. Even though her face was a bit pale, it couldn't diminish the radiance of her big hazel eyes. Her silky auburn hair was long and unfolded over her back like a river till her thighs; her luscious red lips, coupled with her delicate nose and her overall appearance, made her appear quite stunning. She wasn't wearing her hunter armor, but Cedric could understand why since she was already sick before he and his team even set out to battle the Demon King. It was already a surprise that she suddenly rushed here, but he knew it was because she was worried about him and made him once again realize how lucky he was to have her and be alive to continue to spend time with her. "Aira, I am so glad to see you here. Are you okay? Your face still looks a bit—" "Ced! I…I am fine, but I…" Aira's voice was breaking up as she buried her face against his chest, making Cedric feel a bit guilty, thinking that he must have made her really worried by going after the Demon King alone, and now she must have been overwhelmed by relief to see him alive. "Shh, Aira, don't cry. I am still alive and kicking. Don't get worried because of the blood. I will be alright right after drinking some potions. I exhausted my stock during my battle with the Demon King," Cedric chuckled as he hugged her and patted her head. He and Aira were childhood sweethearts and had almost spent most of their lives together to the point of even fighting together as Hunters, where she played the role of a Spelldancer in his team. The two were well renowned to people as their heroes. They had been practically inseparable for most of their lives. With her presence on the team, none of them have to worry about quickly running out of mana while knowing that she had their backs. She was the best among the best when it came to the role of playing a 'Spelldancer, known to be good at casting quick spells on the move to support her team. "B-But I—" "Cedric, you really came back, huh?" A tall man with a bulky build and carrying a huge hammer in his hand said with slightly furrowed brows. He played the role of a 'Bulwark' in Cedric's team and had been fighting alongside him for years. As a Bulwark, his part in any battle was indispensable since he helped reduce the pressure on the team by taking the brunt of the strongest attacks dealt by demons. "I know it's surprising, Derek. Even I thought I was a goner," Cedric said with a slight shake of his head while remembering his battle with the Demon King. "It is very surprising indeed. I mean, none of us had ever witnessed a Doomsday-level threat, and there was no telling if we could even win, especially when all of us came down with some sickness. You have been surely hiding your true strength, eh, Cedric?" A slim man of average height chuckled awkwardly as a bead of sweat trickled down his temple. He played the role of a 'Hound' in Cedric's team, and Cedric considered not only him but Derek as his very best friend, especially after fighting together for so long and having each other's backs. His role in the team couldn't be ignored as he was someone who dealt most of the critical attacks while catching the demons unawares and was quite good at gauging their strengths. "Nah. You know me, Lenny. I just got lucky," Cedric said with a wink. "But you should not have come back, Cedric," Derek said with a low sigh. Cedric blinked with a puzzled look as he asked, not noticing how Aira's fingers were clenching his armor even more firmly, "Eh? What was that, Derek?" Derek's expression became a bit cold as he said, "I said you should have died so that we could have avoided this unpleasant situation."