"Such a strange feeling..." thought Hyun, his eyes fixed on the demon that had chanted something in an incomprehensible language. "After that demon spoke the spell... could it be some kind of hidden translation ability?"

  Before any of his companions could react, Hyun vanished before their eyes, as if he had dissolved into thin air. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared among the shadows, crouched silently on a thick branch, concealed by the dense forest leaves. He was positioned directly above the back of one of the Rank D demons.

  Without hesitation, he leapt with lethal precision, brandishing his black dagger — Shadow — aiming a stealthy slash at the creature’s nape.

  CLANG!

  The metallic sound echoed through the forest as his blade was intercepted at the last second by a demonic sword. The creature’s red eyes turned to him, then it spoke with disdain:

  — “Tch... you're fast, I’ll give you that. But let’s see how long you can last!”

  With a violent motion, the demon thrust its sword forward, conjuring demonic magic. A dense blast of purple energy formed along the blade and shot directly at Hyun.

  In the blink of an eye, the hunter was no longer there. He had vanished into the shadows, retreating into the darkness of the forest with a serious expression.

  Meanwhile, the rest of the group launched themselves into battle against the other demons — three of Rank D and one clearly stronger, a Rank C.

  The clash of swords, spells ripping through the air, and war cries echoed among the trees. The battle had begun — and there was no more room for mistakes.

  As the demons charged in with fury, Seok-Jin — the group’s leader — quickly analyzed the battlefield. The Rank C demon was already moving with superior speed, clearly more experienced in combat.

  — “Minho, now!” — Seok-Jin shouted, barely dodging a demonic claw that aimed to pierce his side. — “I need a defense buff, quick!”

  Minho already had his staff in hand, firmly planted on the ground as he channeled his mana. His eyes glowed with a bluish light, and magic circles began forming beneath his feet.

  — “Ethereal Shield!” — he cried, pointing the staff toward Seok-Jin.

  A wave of light burst from the staff, enveloping Seok-Jin in a protective glow that shimmered like tempered glass. The defensive spell had been activated at the perfect moment — one of the demon’s claws struck the shield, causing an explosion of sparks and energy.

  Minho didn’t stop after casting the shield. He raised his staff once more, his eyes now sharper, the mana around him pulsing with a purple hue. Smaller magic circles formed around the enemy, catching its attention for a brief instant.

  — “Chains of the Shadow Mist!” — he chanted, and a dark aura wrapped around the Rank C demon’s body.

  The creature staggered, its movements visibly slower. A debuff spell had landed successfully — its speed had been reduced by 15% for a limited time.

  — “Now, Hyun!” — Minho shouted with authority.

  From the shadows between the trees, Hyun emerged like a specter, his presence nearly undetectable until the very last second. In a swift leap, he appeared behind the demon, the dagger Shadow gripped in a lethal arc.

  SHLACK!

  The strike landed true — slicing into the exposed side of the demon’s neck, piercing deep into flesh. A roar of pain echoed as dark blood gushed from the wound. It was a critical hit, empowered by the passive stealth-attack buff of the Shadow Assassin class.

  Staggering back in fury, the demon lifted its sword to the sky with both hands, channeling a dense, shadowy aura around its body.

  — “Zkhar’mel Zuuntrak!” — it roared in its demonic tongue.

  The ground quaked. A burst of black energy exploded outward in all directions like a wave, devastating the surrounding vegetation and forcing everyone to retreat swiftly to avoid being caught in the area-of-effect spell.

  The wave of dark energy unleashed by the Rank C demon left a trail of destruction across the forest clearing. Nearby trees were charred, the ground blackened and fractured. The hunters had managed to dodge in time, but the impact had forced them to reposition.

  — “Damn you…” — Kwon-seok growled, rising to his feet with eyes blazing in fury. His focus was already locked onto the enemies.

  He raised his right hand, his staff radiating heat around him. Flames danced at the tip of the artifact as he channeled his mana with precision.

  — “Ignis Serpentia!” — he shouted, unleashing a spiraling blaze that took the shape of a fiery serpent. The blazing creature hissed with rage as it slithered through the air toward the four gathered demons.

  The flames lit up the dark forest, roaring as they closed in on their targets.

  But before the spell could strike, one of the demons — a Rank D — stepped forward with a mocking grin.

  — “Weak humans…” — he muttered, scoffing at the offensive.

  He raised his rune-covered hands and made a precise motion in the air. A translucent purple barrier pulsed before him, emerging like an ethereal dome. The defensive magic completely blocked the fiery serpent’s impact. Kwon-seok’s attack burst into sparks and flames, but the demons behind the barrier emerged unscathed.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  On the other side of the enemy formation, another Rank D demon moved swiftly. He approached the wounded Rank C demon and extended his claws over the bloodied body. With rhythmic and magical gestures, he channeled a greenish aura that enveloped his ally.

  The deep wound on the Rank C demon’s neck began to close. Flesh knitted back together before the hunters' eyes, and within seconds, he was almost completely healed.

  Seok-jin clenched his teeth, frustration gleaming in his eyes as he analyzed the situation. The battlefield had turned into a strategic disadvantage, despite their numbers.

  — “This is bad…” — he muttered, panting. — “We outnumber them, but haven’t taken down a single one…”

  Beside him, Hyun silently wiped the blood from his dagger, Shadow, with a dark cloth, his gaze fixed on the demons ahead.

  — “Leave it to me,” — he said, breaking the silence with his usual cold composure. — “I’ll lure one of the demons into the forest. The four of you handle the other three.”

  — “What?” — Hoon exclaimed, clearly worried. — “That’s too dangerous, Hyun! If something goes wrong—”

  Hyun cast a calm glance at his teammate, the hint of a confident smile on his lips.

  — “Relax… He won’t be able to touch me with my speed.”

  Without waiting for a reply, Hyun once again vanished into the forest shadows, as if the darkness itself had swallowed him. His plan was in motion — divide the enemy forces, isolate, and eliminate.

  Amid the chaos of battle, a silhouette slowly emerged at the edge of the forest. It was Hyun — noticeably slower than usual, walking with a relaxed posture, his dagger Shadow lowered halfway. A decoy.

  One of the Rank D demons immediately noticed the movement and growled with disdain.

  — “Hmph… Leave that one to me!” — he declared, already moving toward the forest with a cruel grin on his lips. — “Tch, trying to run back into the woods?”

  The Rank C demon, more strategic in nature, extended his arm, holding a dark vial. Inside, a black liquid bubbled with malevolent energy.

  — “Take this with you,” — he said, tossing the potion to his comrade, who caught it mid-air. — “It’s a buff potion. You’ll be twice as strong for one minute. Use it… kill the assassin… and return as fast as you can.”

  — “Heh… This is going to be fun,” — the Rank D demon replied, quickly stashing the potion in a small pouch at his waist before dashing after Hyun, vanishing into the trees.

  In the thick shadows of the forest, Hyun was already watching closely. His plan was working — and now, he had his target isolated.

  After a few minutes of running through the dense forest, the Rank D demon finally reached the end of the trail Hyun had deliberately left behind. Light footprints on the soil, branches snapped at calculated angles, even subtle marks on tree trunks — it was as if Hyun had wanted to guide him there.

  The demon stopped, sniffing the air. His red eyes scanned the darkness between the trees.

  — “There’s no point hiding, human…” — he growled, his heavy steps sinking into the damp earth. — “You’re going to die here.”

  Letting out a malicious laugh that echoed through the underbrush, he spread his arms wide in mockery.

  — “Show yourself… so I can kill you and feed your flesh to the beasts of this forest!”

  Silence fell over the area for a moment.

  But Hyun was already watching him from afar, crouched in the shadows atop a tree, eyes narrowed, Shadow dagger in hand — ready for his next move.

  Hyun vanished in the next instant — as if he had dissolved into the air — and reappeared amidst the shadows, his dagger already in motion. He descended silently from a tree behind the enemy, aiming precisely for the demon’s heart.

  SHING!

  The attack was blocked at the last second. Hyun’s blade collided with the demon’s hardened claw, creating a metallic clang that echoed through the dark forest.

  — “Pathetic human…” — the demon growled, shoving Hyun back with force. — “Finally decided to show yourself!”

  Without giving him a moment to react, the demon extended his hand, conjuring a purple beam of dark energy. A magical blast shot straight toward Hyun.

  Hyun twisted midair, narrowly evading it. The blast flew past him, obliterating part of a tree just behind.

  — “You’re going to die here…” — Hyun muttered coldly. — “And your friends will meet the same fate.”

  The demon let out a dry, sarcastic laugh.

  — Foolish human. Do you really think we didn’t know this was a trap?

  His eyes gleamed with malice.

  — If you believe you have the numerical advantage… you can’t even imagine what’s coming. Did you really think a battle of this scale would go unnoticed by our watchtower?

  He stepped forward, his voice dripping with scorn.

  — We were just patrolling nearby when we stumbled upon you… But now, the reinforcements should already be on their way.

  And with a sinister laugh:

  — I just hope they leave at least one of you alive when I get back… so I can have some fun too.

  Hyun clenched his teeth, his expression hardening at the information. His eyes glinted with determination and fury.

  — Shut up! — he shouted.

  He raised his free hand, channeling focused mana, and fired a barrage of small daggers made of pure, sharp-edged dark energy.

  — Blades of the Shadow Void! — he shouted.

  The magical daggers shot forward at high speed, forcing the demon to recoil and raise his arms in defense.

  Meanwhile, Hyun thought to himself:

  "Damn it… I figured they knew it was a trap. But what he said makes sense... The battle hasn’t been going on for long, but reinforcements are probably already on their way. I need to end this fast… and get back to the group."

  The moment the Blades of the Shadow Void were released, Hyun vanished once again — like a phantom dissolving into the darkness itself.

  The demon looked around, growling:

  — Where are you hiding, you damned rat…?

  That’s when he felt it — a sharp, sudden pain.

  SHLASH!

  Hyun appeared behind him like a ghost, the Shadow dagger plunging deep into his back with a precise horizontal slash. A spray of dark blood splattered across the forest.

  — Deep Shadow Slash! — Hyun shouted, and a dark flash flared along the blade. The magic channeled directly into the dagger exploded at the point of impact, tearing even deeper into the demon’s flesh.

  — AAAAARGH!! — the demon roared, spinning to counterattack.

  With a swift motion, he unleashed his purple magic again in a powerful blast, forcing Hyun to retreat at high speed.

  Hyun braced himself against a tree trunk, panting, feeling the heat of the explosion pass far too close.

  "Tsk... I got careless. This worm is way more troublesome than I expected," Hyun thought, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. "Good thing I brought a little trick up my sleeve."

  On the other side, the demon hunched over slightly, breathing heavily — but then began to laugh. A dark, guttural cackle that echoed through the trees.

  — Human… you think you're winning just because you managed to wound me? — he sneered. — How na?ve.

  Then, he opened his palm, revealing the small vial filled with the bubbling black liquid — the same one the Rank C demon had given him earlier.

  — I came... prepared.

  Without hesitation, he drank the entire potion. His muscles tensed violently, his eyes widened, and the aura around him erupted in a burst of raw demonic energy.

  His physique grew slightly more muscular, his claws gleamed with an intense purple glow, and his fangs lengthened, sharper than before.

  — Now you're finished… YOU INSOLENT WORM!

  Roaring with fury, the demon raised both hands, summoning a sphere of purple magic that grew rapidly—far larger than anything he had cast before. The trees nearby began to tremble under the pressure of the energy being summoned.

  — DIE!! — he screamed, hurling the sphere straight at Hyun.

  The ball of energy tore through the air like a dark comet, obliterating everything in its path with a shriek of pure destruction.