In the millennia after assuming the title bestowed upon him by his former King, Jin-Woo had continued to fight the Monarchs, always attempting various means and allying themself with different creatures to once again finally kill the Monarch of Shadows.
Likewise, Jin-Woo grew his army ever larger, uniting creatures of different races to form the most powerful army in the Chaos World.
During this period, centuries later, the portal events began to appear on Earth, so Jin-Woo didn't think it was a coincidence, knowing full well that this must be the work of the Monarchs.
Thus, the new Monarch of Shadows began to investigate all the Hunters who awakened, his attention particularly drawn to a young Hunter who had just awakened and held the highest rank in her country. The Hunter Cha Hae-In was perfect for his plan.
As a good collector of soldiers for his army, he had his eye on the best Hunter on Earth, intending for her to be part of his army. What was still unclear, it would depend on her, whether he preferred her alive or dead.
After all, he was a living knight of his former Liege, so the idea of having a living soldier in his army of dead wouldn't be unreasonable either.
And that was how the best hunter in Korea ended up in the castle of the King of the Dead, standing there in front of the great Monarch of Shadows, along with his two best subjects and most trusted soldiers.
Jin-Woo had already seen the blond woman through his shadows, which he had sent to Earth so he could investigate and better understand the higher-ranking hunter. But having her there in person, in front of him, was something very different. Her beautiful features were divine. Her gray eyes shone with determination, staring at him, waiting for any response. Her small, pert nose fit perfectly within the frame of her delicate face, along with short hair.
Her hair was short; ever since Jin-Woo started researching her, it had always been cut short, barely touching her shoulders. And now, her blond hair remained shining like a halo of an angelic apparition. Her full lips remained slightly parted as she inhaled air through her nostrils and expelled it through her perfectly pink lips. Her figure was like a goddess, and it was only natural that the Shadow Monarch would choose such a beauty, but it wasn't just her appearance that was expected, but her strength and her high combat prowess. She was the perfect match for the Monarch, any of his shadows would say so, but Jin-Woo was more cautious and patient, wanting to try and play with his new toy first.
He felt amused, he could easily sense the young woman's fear; her entire body remained tense, struggling not to faint right there. She maintained her composure like a well trained hunter.
Her determined gaze challenged him, and she calculated every move the three of them could make. To him, it was a mere game; with a single gesture, he could destroy her and leave her lifeless, but it was more fun to make her seem like she could be in control.
Besides, Jin-Woo had realized that luring her before him was as easy as manipulating the scent he emitted, knowing that he was unlike any creature or human influenced by mana.
She was like a moth flying toward the light, but little did she know that that light was shrouded in abysmal darkness.
And there she was, the beautiful Cha Hae-In, so innocent, unaware of all that lay ahead. Jin-Woo had to measure his words, knowing that the slightest erratic step could cause the young woman to reject any offer he was going to make.
"Welcome, Hunter, I've been waiting for you," he said in a deep, resonant voice, watching as the woman's pulse quickened and her pupils dilated. He made his scent emanate deeper into her nostrils, making her feel a pleasurable sensation. Manipulating her at his whim was the beginning of his game. A mischievous smile appeared on Jin-Woo's face.
His gaze scanned the young woman's slender body, observing her perfect curves, and trying to imagine what it would be like to feel that milky skin. It would be as fine as velvet. He let his thoughts wander to places that didn't require his time right now. He watched as Hae-In's expression changed from serious and attentive to surprised.
"Were you waiting for me? Do you know who I am?" she asked, bewildered, frowning as her gaze scanned the three figures present.
"You're Hunter Cha Hae-In, aren't you?" he replied, doing the same as before. He was playing with the stimuli she perceived from him, slowly making herhiswithout she even realizing it from the start.
"Y-yes," she replied hesitantly, unsure how that person or being could have any information about her. "But, how do you know me?" She tilted her head slightly in thought, unintentionally lowering her guard completely and letting herself be carried away by all the intoxicating sensations he was provoking in her.
"The details don't matter right now," Jin-Woo replied as he stood up and took several steps toward her.
Hae-In wasn't sure what to do; should she stay there halfway up the stairs? Or should she go over and talk to that man? But without realizing it, she took several steps until she reached the top of the stairs, and within seconds, she had that tall, imposing man standing in front of her.
His deep gaze stared at her intensely, causing Hae-In to part her lips in amazement at his imperious figure and beauty. That man was as chilling as he was handsome. Hae-In's first impulse was to take a step back, but something deep and primal inside her made her stay there, wanting to know more about him.
"I have an offer to make you," he finally declared.
.
.
.
The Hunters Guild tried, but to no avail, to stop Hae-In when she separated from them in the fight. They fought relentlessly against the creatures in that portal, unable to separate themselves from each other, and thus had to leave the hunter behind.
Once that battle was over, Choi Jong-In decided, without waiting for any complaints from his companions, that they should go in search of the Vice-Guild Master. No one present opposed the Guild Master's plan, so they all headed toward where she had wandered aimlessly.
Their journey to their destination was a little more arduous than Hae-In's; it seemed as if the creatures that appeared along the way were blocking their way, making it difficult for them to reach where the young hunter might be.
But luckily, they were a strong and experienced team, so the creatures, despite being B-rank, could be easily defeated.
Several hours passed until they reached a large, spacious castle. The hunters present looked at each other, their gazes screaming fear, and they all shared the same thought:should we go in?
They were high-ranking hunters, with many years of fighting in various hand-to-hand raids. They knew they weren't invincible, and what awaited them inside had a colossal power. And yet, they had to go in; if Hae-In was there, they couldn't leave her behind. Theyneverleft a comrade behind.
Choi led them into the immense castle, knowing that whatever happened to his comrades would be his responsibility. Fearing the possibility of finding her dead, knowing that, in that case, he had sentenced all of them to death. And yet, they had to go in search of the hunter because every muscle and bone in his body screamed at him to go after her, leaving no comradebehind.
Each room they entered was like a small dungeon, filled with nearly invincible creatures, leaving them exhausted and nearly drained of mana. It felt like a game, as each time the team members reached their limits, the creatures vanished and allowed them to continue.
Until finally, they reached an imposing gateway of beautiful colors: gold and maroon. Every guild member's body shivered as they felt the immense power behind that door.
Choi, who was leading the team, took a step forward with the intention of opening the doors, but before reaching them, both doors opened on their own, revealing a brighter, lighter-colored room.
All the guild members went into combat mode, waiting for other creatures, like in the previous rooms, to appear and fight them fiercely. But that didn't happen, and instead, they realized they weren't alone. At the end of that immense room, there were several people, including Hae-In.
They ran to the stairs where those people were, stopping in their tracks when they saw the two imposing figures, one resembling a winged monster and a knight. The other figure was a young man standing next to Hae-In. Seeing the young Hunter's surprised expression, all her companions were relieved to see her safe and sound.
"Hae-In, are you okay?" Choi Jong-In shouted from several feet away.
But the young woman could only nod, fearing for the lives of her companions. She would rather die, sacrificing herself for them all, leaving them free and alive. She was terrified to see her companions there; she would have preferred to be abandoned to her fate.
"It seems your little friends have come to rescue you," he said in a low voice so only she could hear him as he walked past her, lightly touching elbows and turning his back to everyone, heading toward his throne to sit down. She looked at him in horror, wanting to beg him for mercy for her companions.
"Hunter Cha Hae-In is safe with me, you can leave. Don't worry, when you leave the portal, the gate will close," he said in an imperious voice, making sure who was in charge, sitting quietly showing them indifference.
"We're not leaving without our Vice-Guild Master," Choi Jong-In replied, frowning. "If you don't let her go, we'll have to fight you."
An amused chuckle escaped Jin-Woo's chest, finding the words hilarious. How could those inferior beings possibly hope to kill him? It was true that the man speaking to him was almost as powerful as Hae-In; he might even consider him a new member of his army of dead. But he glanced at Hae-In, observing her fearful expression, knowing full well that she wanted all her companions to get out of there alive, no matter what might happen to her.
"Please don't hurt them. You only want me, I'll stay," she walked toward him, keeping a safe distance, begging him in a faint, broken voice, holding back tears.
Jin-Woo had to hold back a grin, knowing he had won. The fact that the woman had finally accepted his offer to stay with him, be part of his army, and fight for him had apparently been easier than he'd expected.
Without knowing how, Hae-In felt a force pulling her towards him, forcing her to sit on his lap, holding her tense at the touch of his body. One of his arms wrapped around her small waist, keeping her firmly on top of him, his thumb lightly caressing her abdomen, greedily claiming her.
"Hae-In ismine, she belongs here now. She no longer belongs to your world, you can leave," he replied to Choi Jong-In, noticing how Hae-In's body tensed at his touch. He emanated his scent again to calm her, feeling her body relax into his, reacting immediately to its essence, feeling a warm sensation in her belly that came from her core.Could it be?she wondered shocked, curling her hands on her lap.
He was tempted to smell her, wanting to taste her warm skin, the yearning was bigger now that he was closer to her. It was tempting but first he had to take care of those beings that bothered him.
"We won't leave without her," said again with anger in his eyes, and all the other members bravely stepped forward.
Irritated, he clenched his jaw and took several seconds to breathe deeply. He was showing them mercy, yet they persisted and resisted his demands. So he would have to prove to them that they were no match for him.
"Beru," he said in a calm but authoritative voice.
"Yes, my liege?" said the giant ant, taking several steps forward and standing beside him.
"Fight them, but don't kill them." At his words, Hae-In gasped, fearing for the lives of her companions.
Six of Korea's best hunters were no match for Beru, so with great speed and agility, the Monarch of Shadows' minion struck down the six hunters, leaving them with low mana levels, but without endangering their lives.
They all were dejected, some on the ground, others helping each other stay up. That creature was clearly stronger than them, realizing that even though they were the best guild in their country, there were creatures more powerful than them, fearing what might come to them in other portals without the opportunity to pull out.
Choi was an intelligent man, and he knew when to retreat, so observing the situation they were in and the state of his companions, he had no choice but to surrender.
The S-rank hunter knew that if that creature was that powerful, he preferred not to know how strong the man who was so calm and indifferent to them could be.
"You are no match for me, nor for any member of my army. If you insist on fighting me, I will turn you all six into my shadows," he said as hundreds and hundreds of shadows appeared around the hunters, surrounding them, leaving them with no alternative. "So, I'm asking you one last time, you must leave." His eyes glowed with a faint blue light, demonstrating the immense power he possessed and making it clear that they were no longer welcome.
"Hae-In," Choi shouted, almost breathless from the fight he'd just endured, "We'll come back for you." It was a promise, but one he didn't know if he could keep.
Hae-In couldn't utter a word for fear of what the man holding her in his strong grip might do. She simply glanced at him, fearful of what he might do to her comrader of so many years fighting together. All she could see was a cynical smile, knowing full well that it was all in vain and he had already won.
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