LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 541: Back in Business
Reign soared through the air . His hand stretched out, not to sprinkle chemicals for rain, but to release a deadly virus into the atmosphere.
No one could see it, so the virus spread quickly through every corner of the city, slipping into cracks and crevices, carried by the wind he subtly manipulated.
It wasn’t designed to kill right away. Instead, the virus was meant to wait, spreading undetected throughout the city for a while before it began showing its effect.
’Now I just need to wait,’
he chuckled to himself as he landed silently on the rooftop of a skyscraper. Kaelen’s ability was working like magic, blending him seamlessly into his surroundings.
Below him, people went about their day, completely unaware of the silent killer inside them.
They walked down the streets, chatting with friends, snapping pictures, and lost in their phones, completely oblivious to the danger creeping through the air.
At first, it was subtle—nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But then, without warning, the first victim dropped.
A man walking briskly on the sidewalk suddenly staggered, clutching his chest before collapsing to the ground
People rushed over, shocked and confused.
One man pulled out his phone, trying to call for help.
But just as he hit the dial button, there was a loud thud. Then another. And another.
People began to drop like dominoes. No screams. No time to react—just the sickening sound of bodies hitting the pavement, one after another, as if someone had suddenly flipped a switch and decided to turn off the lights.
The man with the phone froze, his hand trembling as he stared around him. He could already tell what would happen next.
"No..." he muttered, his voice barely a whisper as he looked around in panic. His eyes locked onto his wife, who was leaning against the wall, her face pale and scared.
He tried to push himself forward, wanting to reach her before it was too late.
Unfortunately, her face twisted in agony. Her body jerked, and with a final, painful gasp, she collapsed to the ground.
He wanted to scream in anger, watching his wife collapse before him.
But before he could, a sharp pain stabbed through his chest. His breath caught in his throat, and within seconds, he also died.
One by one, more people fell. Each death was quick and sudden.
For a moment, the city was silent.
But that silence was broken by the sound of cars crashing. Drivers, too weak to react, slammed into one another.
Inside an office, people who hadn’t yet inhaled the virus huddled near the windows, their eyes wide with horror.
They watched as the city outside burned, flames rising from buildings and thick smoke blotting out the sky.
"What is happening here?" one of the employees muttered, "Is this a virus outbreak?"
Other employees nodded, staring out the windows with wide eyes, unable to comprehend what was happening.
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Just as it seemed like things couldn’t get worse, they did. The virus entered the buildings. Soon, employees began to fall.
Panic spread like wildfire as more people dropped dead.
The pathogen was completely impartial—regardless of gender, race, or social status, it killed everyone the same, like it had a strict, no-exception policy for killing.
Still, a few people with immunity still managed to stay on their feet. But even they knew it wouldn’t be long before the virus caught up with them.
<Hunter Association Building >
More than a hundred surviving hunters gathered on the grounds of the Hunter Association, just in front of the street where dead bodies had piled up.
Some divergents joined them, relieved to see other survivors.
"How long do you think we can last?" a hunter muttered to a nearby comrade.
His voice was strained, each word clipped, and his breathing shallow and controlled, as if each inhale was a battle.
"I don’t know," a woman replied with an exhausted sigh. She scanned the streets, taking in the bodies scattered everywhere.
"We were supposed to be prepared for anything," she pause , shaking her head. "But this... this is worse than anything I’ve seen."
"I know," another hunter growled "This might be the work of a demon. I told you trusting them was a mistake!"
The hunters, who had opposed the demon-human alliance, quickly blamed it for everything
Tension hung in the air as they bickered about their distrust, but the argument was cut short when one of them pointed to something above. "What’s that?"
As they got closer, a group of demons emerged, most humanoid but with distinct features.
Some sported horns, others had tails, and a few possessed other strange traits that set them apart from ordinary humans.
They landed near the hunters, close enough to stir a wave of tension.
"STOP!"
The hunters immediately drew their katana, ready for a fight. They didn’t trust demons, especially with everything going wrong in the city.
"Get ready," one hunter whispered, gripping his weapon.
They assumed the demons had come to finish them off.
But just as they braced for the worst, a loud voice shattered the silence.
"Enough!."
The ground shook as a demon lord landed in front of them. He was tall, with dark wings folded behind him. His armor glimmered, covered in strange markings, and his eyes glowed with an eerie orange light.
On top of his head was a single horn that looked sharp and menacing.
The hunters hesitated, still gripping their katana, unsure of what to do.
They knew that, in their current state, a demon lord could slaughter them with ease.
Fortunately, he wasn’t in the mood to kill. Instead, he approached and introduced himself.
"I am Zaroth. I’ve been sent here to manage the portal and keep things under control. I’m not here to fight, so please lower your weapons,"
The hunters exchanged skeptical looks.
One of them shook his head. "A demon in charge of a portal? You expect us to buy that?"
Zaroth met their gaze without flinching. "Believe what you want. I’m here because it benefits both of us to stop this city from falling apart."
"Then let us through the portal!" a male hunters shouted. "We need medical help, now!"
The Demon lord shook his head.
"I can’t open the portal. If I do, the virus will spread to other cities. It’s too dangerous."
The hunter froze. "You... deactivated it?" His voice trembled with disbelief.
He had hoped they could still reach a Tier 1 city for help, knowing they had the technology to cure nearly anything.
Zaroth nodded. "Yes. This is to protect your cities. Do you really want more humans to die just because you’re trying to save yourselves?"
The hunters exchanged uncertain glances. The portal was their only chance, but his words made sense.
"Do you have a way to save us?" a woman hunter stepped forward. She didn’t want to die, and since they looked unaffected, she figured they must have some way to help them.
"I do," a voice echoed, but it didn’t come from Zaroth. Instead, another entity appeared out of nowhere.
The demon lord was quick to react. He summoned a dark red barrier, like a prison made of solid metal, that immediately trapped the newcomer in place.
"You honestly think this is enough?" Reign sneered, his eyes narrowing with contempt.
With a small twist of his fingers, the dark red barrier shattered, crumbling into nothing as if it were made of glass.
Realizing they were facing someone at the level of a demon king, Zaroth chose his words more carefully.
"My name is Zaroth—" He raised his hand, about to introduce himself, but before he could finish, a red beam shot through his forehead, silencing him forever.
Without missing a beat, Reign’s attack rained down on the demons.
They scrambled to dodge, to block, but the blows came too fast, too powerful—there was no escape or salvation for them.
It was a reminder of just how huge the gap between their powers was.
’Well, that was easy,’
he chuckled to himself, enjoying the satisfaction of treating a Demon Lord like mere mobs.
His gaze turned to the remaining survivors.
"You’re next," Reign said, his voice cold and threatening.
There were at least two hundred of them, but instead of feeling worried, he became excited.
Just the thought of eating them all thrilled him. The experience points he’d gain would be enormous.
The survivors stood their ground, raising their weapons in defense.
There was no escape, so they chose to face him head-on, knowing that fighting to the end would at least keep their dignity intact.
Reign’s grin widened as he sensed their defiance.
He had missed seeing expressions like these. He’d been so caught up in other matters that he’d forgotten what he enjoyed most—eating and killing humans.
"Come at me all at once," he gestured.
The strongest hunter in the city, marked by a scar on his forehead, stood at the front, his grip tightening around his weapon.
His stance was good, but his legs trembled slightly from the pressure.