The Grill-Wielding Saintess of the Dead

Chapter 122 No Friends of Yours Are Here 2

The fragment of the Demon King is a mass of malevolence and immense energy.

It chooses its host through the most primal and intense emotions.

The qualifications of the host vary with each fragment, and in some cases, forced unity is achieved, but they are commonly bound by desire.

I don’t want to die.

I want to have it.

I desire it.

Longing.

Pain.

Killing intent.

Anger.

Sadness.

The fragment spreads such primal and intense desires like bait.

And then…

“I want it.”

The one who catches the bait of emotion without knowing its true nature becomes a slave to the fragment.

[What do you want?]

“Power.”

[Why?]

“So that no one can take anything from me again.”

[Very well.]

There is no need for fancy rhetoric or complex contracts.

The fragment agreed because it resonated more with raw emotion than a hundred words.

Yes, this time, you are the host.

[I will give you what you desire.]

But, in return, you must give me what I want.

Your existence does not belong here.

However, your goal lies here.

So, I will give you a body.

In return, you too must offer me your body.

This is a trade, a contract.

A contract with the malevolence that engulfs the world, an absolute pact with you.

Now, come.

Thank you.

The door has opened.

You need not come to us.

We will go to you.

○○○○○○

Even after that, support trickled in.

“We’ve received food aid from the ‘One Bowl’ location!”

“Damn it. We don’t know how long this dungeon will last, and they sent stuff that will spoil by tomorrow!”

“First, we need to distribute it to the citizens in the shelter… Damn it! The doppelgangers haven’t even been identified yet…”

“It’s a mess.”

“That’s how it always is.”

Even though a state of emergency with an erosion dungeon occurred in the heart of Seoul, not many hunters could rush to the scene at once.

If they hastily sent low-ranked hunters just because the situation was urgent, it could end up feeding both the monsters and the dungeon, endangering not only those trapped inside but even those outside.

The government and the Hunter Association’s directives prioritize saving people, but if a situation arises where the lives of those inside the erosion dungeon and the lives of the citizens outside are weighed against each other, the basic policy is to prioritize the many lives outside, even if it means abandoning those trapped inside.

Because of this, even when the government issued an emergency summons to A-rank hunters whose skills were guaranteed, it would still take time for them to gather.

Additionally, it was difficult to assess the situation inside the erosion dungeon from outside, which posed challenges in sending support.

There was no certainty that time inside the dungeon passed the same way as outside.

Right now, although the Hunter support drones were still functioning, as the dungeon’s erosion level continued to rise, the smartwatch communication network was gradually being cut off.

At this rate, communication with the outside world would most likely be severed soon, which was why both the Association and the government were urgently summoning S-rank or A-rank hunters.

Therefore, the emergency agents of the Hunter Association decided to focus on evacuating the citizens rather than attempting to clear the dungeon.

With the presence of S-rank hunter Yeonhwa and returnee Shia, they believed that even if an unexpected situation arose, the two of them could handle it sufficiently.

After evacuating the citizens and setting up a temporary base camp, a group of hunters arrived from beyond the space.

“Are you agents of the Association?”

“Ah… Hello.”

The hunters, all dressed in suits, caused some of the emergency agents to frown slightly at the sight.

“Even hunters wear suits now?”

“They’re public service hunters directly under the Seoul mayor.”

At Yeonhwa’s words, Shia nodded.

Since it was the era of hunters, there were not only private hunters or guild-affiliated hunters but also those affiliated with the city hall, like government officials.

But Yeonhwa crossed her arms with a displeased expression.

“They’re called public service hunters, but they’re practically just awakened bodyguards under the mayor. They’re unranked awakened individuals. There’s even talk that one of them is the mayor’s nephew, placed there through nepotism.”

“Ah.”

“No, it’s not just a rumor—it’s confirmed. There’s even a spoiled young master who has no skills but wanted a guaranteed position.”

“I see what you mean.”

It’s like those business owners or political elites who create nominal roles or positions that do nothing and place their relatives and acquaintances in them so they can leech off those jobs.

Public service hunters are no different.

In some rural areas with fewer hunter activities, there really were hunters who acted as something like neighborhood watch captains, protecting villages, but the public service hunters directly under the Seoul mayor were suspicious from the start.

Officially, the position was meant to provide opportunities to unregistered awakened individuals who passed the city hall’s strict standards, but people like Yeonhwa, who were well-informed, knew that the position was created just to place the mayor’s unemployed awakened nephew into a job.

Others in the position were just there to maintain a facade.

“Though they look all dressed up, what kind of hunter wears a suit and tries to clear a dungeon? It’s just an attempt by unregistered awakened individuals from the streets to look dignified, but they can’t erase that typical thug crudeness.”

“You seem to know a lot about this.”

“That nephew tried to pull something on me back when we were in the Academy, saying he wanted to marry me.”

“….Want me to punch him for you?”

“It’s fine, unnie. I appreciate the sentiment.”

Just say the word if you mean it.

“But why are they here if they don’t have the skills? Aren’t they just going to die in vain?”

“There’s an erosion dungeon in the heart of Seoul. The mayor must be pretty desperate since the elections are next year. It’s not his fault that a dungeon appeared, but just the fact that this happened during his term is a big blow, so he’s starting image-making early.”

By sending his public service hunters, he’s trying to build an image that he’s doing everything he can as mayor to manage the crisis.

“Ah, I know what that’s like. In the previous world, there were quite a few families who tried to place their sons into the knights’ order without them even taking the entrance exams, only to be found out by Menelapie and have their heads lopped off.”

While Yeonhwa and Shia were talking, a young man in a suit approached.

He was one of the group of public service hunters.

“Yeonhwa, hello! Do you remember me?”

“You’re Choi Joon-il, right?”

“Oh, you remember me!”

As he greeted Yeonhwa in a familiar manner, Shia tilted her head.

Ah, I get it.

That guy must be the one who proposed to Yeonhwa back during their Academy days, right?

It’s written all over his face.

“We were sent by the mayor to help with the erosion dungeon. Since we’ve met again like this, why don’t we patrol together…”

“Ah, yeah, yeah.”

It seemed Choi Joon-il knew he was being ignored by Yeonhwa, as his face slightly twisted.

“Yeonhwa, instead of doing that, why don’t we patrol the dungeon interior together? The basic terrain hasn’t changed much, and we could search for any citizens who haven’t evacuated. You’ve just been promoted to S-rank, right? With you around, patrolling would be much…”

“First, entering the dungeon before we understand the situation and secure a route is suicide.”

“What?”

“Second, there are no un-evacuated citizens. While you were taking your time sipping coffee and leisurely changing into your suit, Shia unnie and I guided everyone to the shelter.”

“But that’s not…”

“Third, if you’re not confident in your abilities, don’t drag me into it. We don’t know when the dungeon will be cleared, and if you didn’t bring proper equipment or supplies, just stay put at the shelter or camp and don’t get in the way.”

“Yeonhwa, isn’t that too harsh…”

“Fourth, I have a prior engagement with Shia unnie, so I’ll decline.”

With that, Yeonhwa clung to Shia’s arm and left the scene, leaving Choi Joon-il standing there, red-faced with anger and embarrassment, unable to say anything as he watched them walk away.

“…Hmph, that felt refreshing. It was so annoying how he still thinks I was shy and fell for him back at the Academy just because I didn’t say anything.”

“Wow, Bingu’s tougher than I thought…”

“I am an S-rank, after all. Though I might not be as strong as you, unnie.”

No, I wasn’t talking about physical strength…

○○○○

Doppelgangers.

The true form of a doppelganger was similar to that of a slime, with an average danger level of B-rank.

There were not only liquid-like doppelgangers with slime-like viscosity, but also ones made of earth, fire, or even ethereal types like undead or ghost-like monsters.

The types varied, but doppelgangers typically had the ability to mimic the human form.

Unless they were mutants or rare variant doppelgangers, most doppelgangers possessed physical capabilities and mana resistance consistent with a B-rank monster.

However, even a B-rank monster’s ability to perfectly mimic a human appearance was annoyingly tricky.

Above all, doppelgangers had intelligence that was significantly higher than other monsters.

Some individuals possessed intelligence equal to or surpassing that of humans, and they didn’t just learn how to use the weapons and equipment soldiers and hunters wielded; they mastered languages, studied human relationships, society, and even culture to the point of imitation.

If a hunter entered a dungeon and encountered a doppelganger without worrying about anyone else, it wouldn’t necessarily result in a major incident.

Though their abilities were eerie, B-rank monsters weren’t beyond dealing with, and if a group of five well-coordinated C-rank hunters worked together, they could handle them.

However, this situation was the worst of the worst.

Doppelgangers frequently infiltrated hunter parties and caused confusion, and with several square kilometers of the Mapo district eroded and dungeonized, countless civilians were trapped inside.

If doppelgangers appeared in a dungeon like that, the repercussions could be unimaginable.

Doppelgangers could infiltrate human ranks, incite discord, deceive, and commit acts of terror.

For hunters, dungeons with doppelgangers might be the most horrifying form of dungeon.

“Upon further inspection, it turns out the doppelganger’s physical durability and mana resistance are both at A-rank.”

“That’s insane. I thought doppelgangers were generally B-rank.”

“This individual might be an exception, but we should treat them as A-rank when dealing with them. And considering that a dungeon has eroded such a significant part of Mapo, it’s not surprising that monsters of that level would appear.”

“The results from the physical check are in. The doppelganger mimicked the human form, including internal organs. The blood and the whites of the eyes are black, but unless they’re wounded, it’s nearly impossible to distinguish them visually.”

The emergency agents dispatched by the Association began to sweat nervously.

If there really were A-rank doppelgangers in large numbers, the hunters who accompanied them wouldn’t stand a chance.

At least fifty A-rank hunters who had gone through the rigorous selection process or three S-rank hunters would be required.

The commanding officer in charge of the site manipulated a drone to request additional support from headquarters.

“Damn it… Now even the drone signal’s cutting out.”

“Even the drone signal…?”

“Isn’t that a disaster?”

“Yeah, it’s a fucking disaster…”

And what do those damn city hall hunters think they’re going to do?

In the midst of a situation that could explode at any moment, the officer cursed the mayor for engaging in useless posturing that did nothing to help solve the crisis, all just for his approval rating.

“Alright, patrol time!”

Damn it. Fine, go ahead.

Despite repeated warnings about the danger, the sight of the public service hunters confidently patrolling the streets as if they were giving the monsters a free first strike made the agents feel a headache coming on.

Better to consider those unranked idiots as nonexistent.

Even though it was an erosion dungeon, ordinary signals and communications were still somewhat functional, but as time passed, the dungeon’s erosion rate increased, and the mana waves that disrupted the signals grew stronger.

Is it really mana waves?

Or is someone deliberately jamming the communication?

“Send the current intel to Yeonhwa and Shia’s drones. Tell them to forget about clearing the dungeon and switch to defense mode… and send it to those guys too, just in case. No idea if they’ll see it, but better safe than sorry.”

“Understood.”

However, they couldn’t recklessly reveal that there were doppelgangers among the civilians.

Even a B-rank monster could easily tear a person apart with its bare hands.

If a doppelganger hidden among the civilians realized it had been discovered by the hunters, it might lash out violently, causing countless casualties.

Moreover, how could anyone tell who was a doppelganger and who was human in a landscape that looked like the city they lived in?

Of course, if there were a hunter with a naturally heightened sense of mana or a skill specialized in detection, that might be a different story. But over 90% of awakened individuals worldwide were combat types, and most hunters…

“There it is.”

Of course, Shia found it effortlessly.

How?

By the delicious scent of malevolence.

“Where?”

“Nine o’clock from where Bingu is. Blonde hair. The kid with glasses. Wearing a hat with a V-neck logo. His sclera are pitch black. The scent’s unmistakable.”

“Confirmed.”

Snap!

At that moment, Yeonhwa clenched her fist as she spotted the person Shia had pointed out.

[Frozen Organs]

Crunch!

“Ugh…!”

Without even a scream, the doppelganger was instantly frozen from the inside and collapsed in place as if it had simply fallen asleep.

The population density in the shelter was high enough that no one noticed one doppelganger’s quiet death, and only Yeonhwa’s auxiliary drone silently registered another monster kill count.

“Your ability’s gotten much stronger since the first time we met.”

“Well, with the Saintess of the Dead and the strongest hunter grandma right next to me, I couldn’t slack off.”

“Not everyone who works hard becomes S-rank.”

Yeonhwa’s ability was ice.

However, she was on a completely different level from a mere ice wielder.

In the two months since she reached the point of being able to freely control thermal energy in the air, she had officially become the youngest S-rank hunter in history through her promotion battle.

She could freeze an entire city with a single gesture.

She could even kill a distant target by freezing them from the inside, a technique that was more like silent assassination.

Even Shia couldn’t pull off a silent assassination like that.

‘Miracles are flashy, after all.’

Whether it was an offensive miracle or a miracle to heal and protect people, Shia’s abilities were flashy and large-scale. If she used a miracle in a crowded shelter, it would definitely draw attention.

Even now, though she pulled her hat down and tried to hide her face, Shia’s reputation as an overwhelming powerhouse of holy power was famous enough that civilians waiting in the shelter glanced at her from time to time.

“Isn’t that Shia?”

“No way.”

“They say the Empress is here… Could it be true?”

This was already happening now. If Shia revealed her identity while trying to find monsters or doppelgangers among the citizens, it would throw the entire shelter into chaos.

If that happened, it wouldn’t just be Shia’s popularity or notoriety at stake—if the doppelgangers realized they were being hunted, they might take civilians hostage and start a standoff.

“That makes 11…”

But strangely, there were very few doppelgangers inside the shelter.

Shia and Yeonhwa had started from Hapjeong Station, then checked the shelters at Hongdae, Sinchon, and finally Hongik University, but there were only a handful of doppelgangers mixed in among the citizens.

Initially, Shia and Yeonhwa had expected at least dozens, if not thousands, of doppelgangers to be hidden among the citizens, ready to trigger a full-scale battle.

But it was a bit anticlimactic.

“The numbers are unusually low.”

“Bingu thought so too?”

Of course, it was a good thing that no one was hurt and that the doppelgangers hadn’t caused any havoc among the citizens.

But it was strange that with such a massive erosion dungeon, there wasn’t even a glimpse of the boss monster, and the few doppelgangers that existed weren’t engaging in any destructive acts but were just hiding among the citizens.

‘What is this… Aren’t monsters supposed to be hostile to humans?’

Doppelgangers are classified as monsters, despite their high intelligence, because they are unconditionally hostile to humans.

They deceive, confuse, incite discord, and ultimately kill and consume humans.

No matter how well doppelgangers imitated humans, they were notorious among hunters because their fundamental nature was that of a hostile entity to humanity.

“For now, I don’t smell any more malevolence in the shelter after taking down that last doppelganger.”

“I see… Honestly, I wanted to celebrate my S-rank promotion by going out with you, unnie, and exploring the city…”

“Well, there’s always tomorrow. Or should we go now? No one’s out, and we wouldn’t have to wait in line at any restaurants.”

“Unnie, there may be no lines, but the restaurants aren’t open right now…”

“Oh…”

Despite the sudden state of emergency caused by the erosion dungeon in the heart of Seoul, the situation was unfolding rather quietly without any major incidents.

The civilians cooperated well with Yeonhwa, Shia, and the emergency agents, securing their safety in the shelter.

And the doppelgangers, who were considered a potential threat, were swiftly detected by Shia and quietly eliminated by Yeonhwa’s silent assassinations, preventing any chaos.

“Unnie, just in case, could you stay and watch over the shelter?”

“You want me to?”

“Yes. Since this is an erosion dungeon, there will definitely be monster attacks. It doesn’t make sense that with so many people here, the monster wave hasn’t started yet.”

“And you don’t want me to go with you?”

“We don’t know which direction the wave will come from.”

“Hmm, you’ve got a point. Alright. Leave it to me. But don’t get hurt, okay?”

“I didn’t become S-rank for nothing. Maybe I should take this chance to show you my skills, unnie.”

“Don’t get hurt. And call me if things get dangerous, got it?”

Shia gently patted Yeonhwa’s head, leaving a trace of her holy power.

It wasn’t a blessing or anything, just a simple gesture, but the faint touch of holy power made Yeonhwa feel much better.

“Then I’ll be going.”

“Okay! Hehe…”

As soon as Yeonhwa disappeared, Shia’s expression darkened.

“………”

The bright smile that had been on Shia’s face moments ago now felt chillingly cold.

“Where are you…”

○○○○

Bang!

“Dammit!”

Choi Joon-il, who was patrolling the Hongdae district, angrily kicked a signpost that had been replicated by the erosion dungeon.

Though far weaker than Yeonhwa, he was still an awakened individual, and with one kick, the sign crumbled.

“Just because you’ve got some strength, you think you’re all that? This isn’t some prehistoric era where strength is everything. You need family, power, and wealth to be perfect.”

“Um, young master… Isn’t Yeonhwa’s family much better than yours?”

“………”

Choi Joon-il fell silent at the words of the public service hunter assigned as his bodyguard.

Who was Yeonhwa?

The granddaughter of the living legend Yeonseo.

A woman adored by the government, the Hunter Association, and the Returnee Management Bureau.

The young lady of the Yeon family.

On top of that, Yeonhwa was loved by every lawmaker and politician touched by Yeonseo’s influence, as well as members of the judiciary.

Even someone like Choi Joon-il, who considered himself a rich kid, couldn’t compete with Yeonhwa in terms of family status.

“I mean, I’m just saying! Strength is something you make other people use for you, right? Isn’t that how it works?”

“Well, you’re not wrong…”

Though Choi Joon-il wanted to keep reaching for fruit beyond his grasp, the truth was that Yeonhwa was far superior.

“And who was that busty woman with her? Why was Yeonhwa clinging to her?”

“That’s Shia, a returnee and a hunter streamer who’s been making waves lately.”

“What? Does she do cam shows?”

“No, for some reason, she dropped out of her recent promotion exam, but it’s been pretty much confirmed in the Hunter Gallery that she’s an S-rank ability user.”

S-ranks stick together, huh?

Choi Joon-il became increasingly irritated as the gap between him and Yeonhwa seemed to grow wider. He vented his frustration by stomping the ground angrily.

“Ugh, whatever. We just have to patrol, right?”

“Yes, the mayor said not to take any risks and to handle things moderately…”

“Wait.”

Suddenly, Choi Joon-il stopped in his tracks as he turned a corner, sensing an unfamiliar chill.

The ground and alleyway were entirely frozen.

Whatever they had fought, the lingering cold was enough to suggest that a serious battle had taken place.

If it was ice, it had to be Yeonhwa.

As far as Choi Joon-il knew, Yeonhwa was the only ice ability user capable of producing such a powerful chill.

“Yeonhwa must have been here. That means this path is safe, right?”

With such an intense cold, the monster Yeonhwa fought had to be dead.

So if they followed this path, it should be a safe route.

“Make sure you’re filming this, okay? We need to send this to the mayor later, so film it properly.”

“…………..”

“Hey, are you listening?”

“Yeah, I’m listening.”

“Huh? What?”

Startled by the sudden short reply, Choi Joon-il turned around with a confused expression.

Sure, Yeonhwa might ignore him, but were these guys really willing to risk their jobs by speaking casually to him…?

[Sssssss.]

“Huh…?”

And then he saw it.

The sharp blade made of ice, the blue hair shimmering with cold energy.

And someone gazing down at him, their eyes dripping with ink-black liquid.

“…Ah…?”

Sensing something terribly wrong, Choi Joon-il instinctively tried to step back.

He wasn’t as powerful as Yeonhwa, but if he ran at full speed, he might be able to make it to the shelter.

However, his legs wouldn’t move.

Was it fear?

No.

They were frozen…

His legs and feet were frozen solid, unable to move at all.

Crunch!

[No friends of yours are here.]