Starting the next day, I was officially accepted for training and education. Every day, I practiced martial arts with my personal trainer — a former soldier and A-rank hunter. He taught me how to hold a proper grip and how to raise my fighting standards.
These people were emotionally resilient; every instructor had been through dozens of battles. Confidence — that's the best word I could use to describe their mindset.
At the same time, I attended lectures on demon anatomy and blood studies. The first time I sat among other rookie hunters in the same lecture hall, they were thrilled.
"Is that really the SSS-rank hunter in the same class as us?!"
"Wow, so even you need to pass the certification test to get a hunter card? We're all preparing for the theory part."
I just chuckled, brushing off their questions. Honestly, I was a bit shy — I didn't feel like a popular figure at all.
Our elderly teacher always began his lectures with the same line:
"Now then, let's start with the basics. As you know, demon categories can be identified by their external anatomy..."
To sum it up, demons are divided into four categories:
Category 1 – Quadrupeds. They pose a threat due to their speed and sharp claws. They make up the majority of the demon population and rarely mutate into intelligent beings. They lack skin entirely and have exposed skulls.
Category 2 – Intelligent demons that have evolved. They resemble humanoids, but their bodies are still partially deformed. Recently, some have been reported to be capable of transforming into humans.
Category 3 – Fully sentient, humanoid beings. It was long believed that only human-like demons could fall into this category — until a new evolutionary stage appeared: the so-called Death Icon. Their exact numbers remain unknown.
Category 4 – The Dukes. Officially, there are four of them, but one hasn't surfaced for more than five years. They are the strongest entities on Earth, only appearing during the rare phenomenon known as the Blood Moon. Even three S-rank hunters would barely stand a chance against one.
It used to be thought that reproduction between demons and humans was impossible due to biological incompatibility. But that theory is now being questioned.
Still, scientists are puzzled: if there's no bloodline connection between demons and humans, where does demonic blood in humans come from?
There's still so much humanity doesn't understand — and that's what worries me most. We know almost nothing about demons...
In the Demon Hunter Hospital located within the Association's headquarters, Park Ji-sun finally woke up. He had been unconscious for three days after his grueling fight with the Death Icon.
A nurse who came to check on him was so shocked she called for senior staff immediately. The entire hospital was thrown into chaos by the news.
"The King has awakened," was the message sent to the Association's director.
"Ji-sun is awake?!" All the S-rank hunters were shaken. The news spread instantly.
"Park Ji-sun, also known as the King of Humans, has awakened after a three-day coma!"
Even the news networks picked it up. To everyone, he was the symbol of Korea — a leader of thousands of hunters and soldiers. Thanks to his power, humanity still stood a chance against the demons.
Upon waking, he turned to the nurse.
"Call my comrades."
"Y-yes, sir!"
All four of the strongest hunters, except me and Yushin, came to visit him in casual clothes.
"You've been asleep for three whole years," Min-ho chuckled.
"Don't mess with me. I know I was out for three days."
Ji-sun sat up in bed, dressed in a blue hospital gown.
"How are you feeling?" Reina asked politely. "Nothing major has happened during your sleep."
"What happened to that demon?"
"He..."
"He escaped," Chan-wook replied. "He hasn't been seen since that day. They told us about the scar on your chest — four deep claw marks, right? The cleanup team recently found corpses in the Orange Zone with the same wounds."
"Then I failed to kill him..."
"Don't worry!" Sora jumped in. "Sir Lee managed to finish him off."
"Yeah, tell that to Ryuji and Gyeonho..."
Chan-wook's grim expression made it clear he was angry at the dark-haired girl.
"So they're dead..."
Bitterness crossed Ji-sun's face. They had never seen him show such sorrow before — and it stunned them.
"Don't be angry, Chan-wook. You all did your best. At least you're alive. I'll repay him in kind... the next time I see him."
"Not now," the big guy said. "You need to recover first."
"It's sad, but you'es right. I'm counting on you. How's the Nightwatch going?"
"It starts tonight."
"I see... Be careful. The Nightwatch holds many dangers."
Fifteen minutes later, all the hunters had left except Min-ho.
"They only ranked that thing as Category 3?!"
"Yeah, Ji-sun. I can't believe it either, but the Death Icon — that's what he called himself — is just as strong as any of the Dukes."
"That's an undeniable fact! Are the scientists insane with this power scaling?"
Min-ho scratched his head, looking thoughtful.
"Remember when you fought one of the Dukes alone, after the rest of us were injured? The one in the cloak with a bat-like head? You nearly beat him. But this time... we were completely outmatched. We've never seen a demon like that before."
"Death Icon, huh... During the fight, I had this strange feeling. Like he already knew me — like he had seen me fight before."
"Huh? You think he might have a human form?"
"Not just that... I think someone among us might be leaking information to the demons."
"But who? Who would stoop so low — to betray us to demons?"
Ji-sun pondered who the possible traitor could be — someone who had revealed operational details to the enemy.
That evening, the Nightwatch began. All S-rank hunters except for me were preparing for the raid to defend territory within the Orange Zone. Three districts under Nightwatch and Association control were set to be extended toward two more where demons were known to lurk.
The remaining three districts wouldn't be touched without Park Ji-sun. Too risky — they might be overrun by dangerous demons.
The Nightwatch was only the first step toward regaining control over the Orange Zone.
***
Meanwhile, as the sun sank beyond the horizon, a cleanup crew and several scientists were finishing up body recovery at a former Association warehouse — a once-secure facility abandoned after the Death Icon's attack.
Everyone wore gas masks and gloves.
"Don't grab him by the wound!" one cleaner barked at the other. "Lift him by the arms, rookie."
"Yes, sir! God, this smell... Is it poison?"
"Yeah. Their bodies rot fast, and the stench spreads everywhere. Humans get poisoned in seconds."
"Disgusting creatures..."
"Watch your step, rookie! We've got twenty more of these to haul."
They loaded demon corpses into trucks for research. After that, they would be incinerated. Near the truck, a scientist stood, staring worriedly at the pile of bodies.
"This is where Kihyun fought... At least he's not among these corpses."
It was Junho — my oldest and only real friend.
"He's a hunter now..."
Looking back at the others, he stepped toward his colleagues, report in hand.