The head of the Association told me that before making an official statement to the world about me, they needed to be sure. They brought me to a woman from the Association who was sitting alone in the negotiation hall. Aside from us, there were two soldiers guarding the entrance.
"Well, well," she said with a playful smirk. "Who do we have here?"
"Lee Ki-hyun. And what's your name?"
The woman stood up from her chair with a sly smile and walked toward me. Her chestnut hair and tall stature radiated elegance. From this distance, I could clearly see her beautiful figure. She looked stunning.
"Hizumi. Hizumi Mikage."
She looked me up and down with her bright eyes and, as she approached, started sniffing me.
"W-what are you doing, Miss Mikage?"
"You know, I usually do my job in far more dreadful conditions. My task is to determine whether the suspect is a demon. They bring me hordes of humanoids—these demons are impossible to distinguish from humans."
"And you figure that out by sniffing?"
"Exactly," she said, inhaling my scent near my neck.
I could feel her breath. It tickled my neck, and I felt embarrassed by this weird woman. I placed my hands on her soft shoulders and pushed her back a few steps.
"That's enough! You're too close."
"Oh, look at you, getting all shy! Others in your place would be thrilled."
I couldn't stop thinking about her behavior... Was she teasing me, or was she testing my reaction?
"You don't look like you've seen demons in person. Are you really thinking of going into hunters?"
"Yeah, I had no choice..."
I averted my eyes, and she gave me a deep thought.
"Miss Mikage," a male voice called from beyond the door. "Are you finished?"
She lazily dragged out her words as if savoring the moment. Her sly smile made everyone in the room tense up.
"Yes. Lee Ki-hyun… he's definitely human."
The soldiers relaxed their shoulders, and I let out a deep breath, relieved. Because if it had turned out that I was a demon...
I would've been killed on the spot.
Alright, another ordeal is over... I shuddered at the thought.
"Come with us," a soldier said, opening the door. "I'll escort you out."
"Yes, thank you."
Just before I left, Hizumi called out to me:
"Mister Lee. It was a pleasure meeting you. We'll see each other again."
I nodded in response.
Tonight, the world would learn about me, and tomorrow morning, the initiation ceremony for the Hunters would take place. Right now, I felt incapable of thinking about any of it. So much had happened today that all I wanted was to collapse into bed and sleep for a whole day.
Strangely, I didn't feel any anxiety. If anything, I had prepared for this as little as I had for my university entrance exams.
I would be surrounded by Korea's greatest heroes…
Sitting in the back seat of a car, I watched the streets. Passersby, engrossed in their own lives, appeared before me. All of them were different, unconcerned with what was happening beyond the Green Zone. These were people who had never seen demons in real life.
As we passed an intersection, I noticed a hut full of homeless people under strict military supervision. Their expressions were the complete opposite—they hated their lives.
Hizumi Mikage… Judging by her looks, she was Japanese. It was rare to see migrants, especially in high-ranking positions. From the very first moment, I could tell she was a hardworking person. I even felt like she had some kind of attraction toward me…
When I finally got home, I started contemplating the future. The job of an SSS-rank Hunter… It felt like my life had turned 180 degrees, but I had yet to fully realize it.
If I had a family, would they be proud of my achievements?
…
That evening, the internet was flooded with official news about the first-ever SSS-rank Demon Hunter. The hunter's identity would be revealed the next morning, alongside the grand ceremony near the Association's headquarters.
This news dominated social media, and public opinions varied. The most popular comments were:
"This is a new miracle! Miracle child, he will save us from this apocalypse."
"Miracle child? How ridiculous. The government is just trying to profit off us by fabricating a fake hero. This is a lie—they've fooled you all!"
"Fifty percent demonic blood?! Are they seriously letting a half-demon into our army? This is the beginning of the end."
"A half-demon…"
"He's our savior!"
"Let's see what he looks like tomorrow. I hope this Miracle Child truly ends this war."
Each comment hit me like a hammer striking an anvil. 'Half-demon.' 'Savior.' People were arguing over my fate without even knowing who I was. It felt like I no longer belonged to myself.
I had been forcibly turned into a hero for these people, and now they distrusted me because of my powers. They called me a half-demon.
That evening, the Association called and informed me that they had prepared a new uniform for me. They were all hoping that I would save them. Even the Head of the Association had gone to great lengths to explain just how desperately they needed me—even though I didn't even know how to fight.
Was this truly fate? If so, I wasn't used to taking responsibility for other people's lives. I didn't know if I could become a hero…
That morning, the ceremony began. The curtain was lifted. Tens of thousands of eyes were fixed on the stage. And I, the one they called 'Miracle Child,' was about to take my first step into a new life.