Riko walked out of the Black Scorpion Guild headquarters after receiving the reward for clearing the gate. The sky above the city of Seoul had begun turning orange with the sunset, while the first streetlights slowly started to turn on.
He walked quietly through the city streets toward his home. People passed by him without noticing him, but his mind was not in the present.
He was remembering the past.
He remembered an old conversation between him and his father when he was young.
Inside the house, Riko was sitting beside his father on the living room couch.
His father looked at him calmly.
"Riko… I want you to be the support of your family, because you are our eldest son."
The child Riko smiled enthusiastically.
"Yes, father."
At that moment, the house door opened.
Selena entered while carrying several bags in her hands.
As soon as Riko saw her, he jumped off the couch excitedly.
"Mom!"
He ran toward her immediately and hugged her.
His mother laughed while patting his head.
"You are a good boy, Riko."
The father smiled while watching his wife and son.
It was a warm and simple scene.
But…
Riko returned to reality.
He was now standing in front of the house door.
He looked at it for a moment before opening it and entering after a long and exhausting day.
As soon as he entered, he felt that calm feeling.
The feeling of returning home.
In the kitchen, his mother was standing in front of the sink washing the dishes.
Riko said calmly.
"I'm back."
She replied without turning around.
"Welcome back."
Riko stepped a little closer.
"Mom… I got money from clearing a gate."
Then he added with a slight smile.
"Now we can pay the rent."
His mother paused for a moment while holding a plate.
Then she smiled softly.
'Truly… just as his father said… he will become the support of the family.'
After that, Riko entered his room.
He sat on his bed while the dim lamp light filled the room.
Suddenly, a system window appeared in front of him.
[Name: Riko Kisaragi]
[Rank: C]
[Title: Unknown]
[Level: 40]
After a moment, Riko took something out of his storage.
It was a strange dark-colored key.
The key to the Demon World Gate.
He looked at it calmly.
'Now I can enter it…'
Then he narrowed his eyes slightly.
'But I feel that my current level is not enough.'
He sighed quietly.
'I must become stronger… and stronger.'
Suddenly he remembered Kang's last words before his death.
'Yes… he is right.'
'I must become stronger.'
But there was still one thing bothering him.
'But… what did he mean when he said death follows me and waits for me to make a mistake?'
He stayed silent for a moment.
Then he thought again.
'What did he see… when I killed him?'
Riko lay down on his bed while looking at the ceiling.
After a long day of fighting and exhaustion…
He slowly closed his eyes.
Then he fell asleep.
On a quiet morning in one of the upscale areas of the city of Seoul, where the most influential figures lived, there was a massive villa surrounded by wide gardens and tall walls.
Inside that luxurious villa, a man was standing in his large room.
He was wearing an elegant black suit.
He stood in front of a large window watching the sunrise carefully, while the morning light reflected on his calm face.
Suddenly the door of the room opened.
Another man entered quickly but with clear respect.
"Sir… I have bad news."
The man standing turned his face slowly away from the window.
Then he looked at the man in front of him.
He said in a cold voice.
"What is this news?"
The man replied with hesitation.
"Your brother… Joon… he has died, Mr. Min Ho."
At that moment the atmosphere inside the room froze.
Min Ho's expression immediately changed.
His calmness disappeared.
Clear anger appeared in his eyes.
The man lowered his head slightly.
"Please excuse me, sir."
He did not wait for a response.
He turned and left the room immediately.
As soon as the door closed—
Boom!
Min Ho struck the wall with his fist with tremendous force.
The wall cracked and part of it shattered from the strength of the blow.
His eyes were filled with anger.
"I will avenge you, my brother… I promise."
—
Inside Riko's house.
Riko was sitting on his bed in his room while the morning light slipped through the window.
In front of his eyes, the system window appeared.
[Information about the key]
Information: This key grants you permission to enter the Demon World Gate and the player's level must be at least 40
Riko looked at the message calmly.
"As expected."
Suddenly—
His phone rang.
Riko picked up the phone and answered the call.
The caller was the landlord.
The man's voice sounded slightly angry.
"Where is the rent, Riko? You are late."
Riko replied calmly.
"I will pay the rent."
Then he continued.
"Send me a message with the price and the payment method."
The man was silent for a moment.
Then he said in shock.
"Are you serious, Riko?"
After all, Riko was always late paying the rent.
That was why the man thought he was not serious.
Riko replied with a steady voice.
"Yes… I am completely serious."
The man sighed slightly.
"Alright… I will send you the information and the payment method."
After that the call ended.
Riko placed the phone beside him.
At that moment his eyes glowed with a faint red color.
'School in four days… I will return to it.'
He remembered what had happened.
'Yes… my school was being repaired because of the gate that appeared there.'
'After four days it will open.'
Then a faint smile appeared on his face.
'But this time… I will go while being different.'
'And also… I will leave school.'
'And I will continue in the hunter profession.'
Then he narrowed his eyes slightly.
'I must prepare for that day.'
Inside a C-rank gate, Riko was standing in a dark cave surrounded by damp rocky walls, while the echo of monsters' footsteps resonated through the wide tunnels.
This mission was not random.
The system itself had given him the mission to clear this gate.
[Death poison has been injected into the daggers]
In front of Riko stood twenty goblins carrying primitive weapons, their red eyes glowing in the darkness.
But Riko showed no hesitation.
He suddenly dashed toward five of them at tremendous speed.
He disappeared from in front of them for a moment—
Then appeared behind them.
Only a few seconds passed.
Suddenly blood began flowing from their eyes and mouths.
The death poison had begun working inside their bodies.
The five fell to the ground at the same time.
'15 goblins remain.'
In the next moment Riko rushed toward ten of them.
He moved like a shadow passing between them.
The daggers in his hands moved at terrifying speed.
He passed beside each one of them—
And cut off his head.
One…
After another.
In just a few seconds the heads fell to the ground.
The ten were killed easily.
Only five goblins remained.
Riko looked at them with a cold and terrifying gaze.
His gaze alone was enough.
Their hands trembled.
The weapons fell from their hands.
But Riko gave them no chance.
His body moved for only a single moment.
And suddenly—
Their heads were severed.
Riko stood in place calmly as if nothing had happened.
He showed no sign of fatigue.
'Why am I not increasing in level quickly?'
The system window appeared in front of him.
[Name: Riko Kisaragi]
[Rank: C]
[Title: Unknown]
[Level: 40]
Riko narrowed his eyes slightly.
'Why can't I obtain a title?'
Suddenly a new window appeared.
[Once you reach the required level you will enter a gate called the Final Trial and obtain your title]
'Trial gate?'
Then he thought for a moment.
'It seems difficult.'
Riko continued walking inside one of the wide tunnels in the cave.
He walked calmly while holding his daggers in his hands.
'The trial gate… I wonder what type of gate it will be.'
Another message appeared.
[Once you obtain your title your main technique, Devour, will be upgraded to the second level]
Riko's eyes widened slightly.
'It will really be upgraded?'
Suddenly five wolves appeared in front of him.
They were standing at the end of the tunnel showing their fangs.
Two of them rushed toward him immediately.
But Riko dodged them easily.
At the same moment the other three jumped from behind him.
But Riko twisted his body and avoided them as well.
He looked at them coldly.
"Are you a group of traitors?"
Then he smiled slightly.
"And I hate betrayal."
In a single moment his daggers moved.
Then—
The five wolves fell apart.
Riko stood in place without moving.
"A group of fools."
He continued his path inside the tunnel.
But suddenly he felt something at the end of the cave.
It was the boss.
Riko rushed at great speed toward the end of the tunnel.
At the end of the passage a massive monster appeared.
A gigantic black wolf.
[Pack Leader - Rank C]
Riko looked at the wolf for a moment.
"Why is the boss in cave gates always black… or is it just coincidence?"
Suddenly the boss rushed toward him with its massive claw.
But Riko dodged the attack with complete ease.
In the next moment Riko rushed toward it with the daggers.
He moved quickly—
Then appeared directly behind the boss.
Riko had grown used to these things.
A monster of the same rank had become nothing more than an insect to him.
In a single moment—
The boss's head was severed.
[Pack Leader defeated]
[Level up]
[Level up]
Riko sighed slightly.
'Finally.'
He approached the boss's body.
The system window appeared.
[You can now devour the soul and technique of the target]
Riko raised his hand toward the body.
A red aura surrounded the boss's body.
Messages appeared.
[Your body has been upgraded and became slightly tougher]
[You cannot devour the technique because you have devoured it before "Iron Body"]
[Therefore the player's body has been upgraded]
Riko raised his eyebrow slightly.
'What… the Forest King and the Pack Leader have the same technique?'
Then he understood.
'So… this is how the system works.'
Suddenly he remembered something.
After killing the boss…
The gate would close.
'Yes… I must leave now.'
Riko rushed quickly through the cave.
He ran through the tunnels trying to exit before the gate closed.
Behind him the boss's body remained lying on the ground.
—
Inside Hana's villa.
Hana was sitting in the large villa garden.
She was quietly looking at the trees while their leaves moved with a gentle breeze.
Suddenly her mother appeared behind her.
"What are you doing here, Hana?"
Hana looked at her.
"Nothing… just sitting and watching the trees."
Her mother smiled and sat beside her.
"You know, Hana… recently you have started behaving more rationally."
Then she continued.
"You became more logical after Riko saved you from Sato at your birthday party."
Then she looked at her with a warm smile.
"You realized that love is not about money or influence."
Then she said in a sincere calm voice.
"Love, Hana, is not a balance in a bank or a status that dazzles the eyes."
"Love is finding a man who becomes your fortress when the strongholds collapse."
"Who protects you with sincerity that does not fade."
"And loves you with a heart that knows no deception."
Hana looked at her mother with wide eyes.
Then suddenly her face turned red.
She hid her face with her hands.
"Did you know, Mom, that I went on a date with Riko?!"
Her mother smiled.
"Yes… I knew."
Then she laughed slightly.
"His mother told me."
Then she added calmly.
"And that is normal… after all he is your fiancé."
Suddenly Hana shouted loudly.
"Aunt Selena whyyyyy!?"
End of Chapter (17)