"We’re finished. Master, every life that will be lost from this point onward will be on your hands." The muscular man spoke as he slowly stepped back.

The woman did the same, her eyes fixed warily on the crimson creature that had just burst free from its stone prison.

Leon, however, remained where he was. His gaze never left the towering red monster.

’So it’s a demon. That assassin had called it a demon. These two are calling it a demon as well. Then there is no doubt about it. I don’t care what kind of wicked creature this thing is... But it has that, right?’

Without turning around, Leon spoke calmly.

"That thing you’re calling a demon... does it have a core? A demon core?" His heart began pounding as he waited for the answer.

The muscular man frowned in confusion. "Of course it does. But what are you doing? Get back here already, or you’re going to die!"

Leon only heard the words he wanted to hear. ’Of course it does.’ The sentence echoed repeatedly inside his mind.

"Mother..." He whispered softly. "I finally found one of the ingredients."

A light flashed in his eyes, determination solidifying.

"Ice Layer." The moment the words left his mouth, a layer of ice rapidly formed around both of his fists. Then, without the slightest warning...

Whoosh!

Leon shot forward like a cannonball.

"Wait! What are you doing?!" the woman shouted. But Leon didn’t even glance back. "Fool. Humans are always this foolish." The woman clicked her tongue in irritation before turning around. "We need to leave. Otherwise, we’re both going to die."

The man nodded and turned, ready to flee.

Meanwhile, Leon had already closed the distance. Drawing his arm back, he gathered every ounce of strength he possessed. Then, the moment he reached the demon...

Whoosh!

He threw a punch with everything he had.

Thud!

The ice-covered fist slammed into the creature’s massive belly. A dull sound echoed through the cavern. The flesh rippled slightly.

And then...

Nothing. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Silence.

Absolute silence.

The demon wasn’t pushed back. It didn’t stagger. It didn’t even react.

Leon’s eyes widened. That punch might not have been enough to defeat an S-Class hunter, but even an S-Class hunter would have wanted to block or dodge it.

Yet the creature standing before him hadn’t moved an inch. It was as if his attack had been nothing more than a child striking an adult.

Then, in the next moment...

Whoosh!

The demon’s palm sliced through the air with a sharp whistle. It moved so fast that Leon could barely see it.

Boom!

The palm struck Leon’s jaw.

Whoosh!

Leon was blasted away like a missile. And the next moment...

Bang!

His body crashed into a distant wall, carving a massive crater into the stone. The entire cavern trembled. The sudden impact caused both the man and woman to stop in their tracks. They exchanged glances before turning toward the crater.

"Should we help him?" the woman asked hesitantly.

The man stared at the dust cloud for a moment before shaking his head.

"Help him from what exactly?" he said. "Can’t you see? He’s trying to commit suicide."

The woman hesitated before finally nodding.

But just as they were about to move again...

Clatter!

A stone fell from the crater.

Then another.

And another.

Soon, countless fragments of rock tumbled to the ground. Under their stunned gazes, Leon stepped out of the crater and landed heavily on the cavern floor. Dust drifted around his battered figure. Yet there wasn’t the slightest trace of fear in his eyes.

Without pausing for even a second, he leaned forward and shot toward the demon again. Like a raging bull charging at a crimson flag. The distance between them vanished in an instant. Leon drew back his fist once more.

Every muscle in his body stretched to its limit as he poured all his strength into a single attack.

And then... His fist cut through the air.

But just before the ice-covered fist could reach its target...

The demon’s lips curved into a smile. A cruel, amused smile. "Desperate, aren’t you?" Its deep voice echoed throughout the cavern.

Before Leon could react to the demon’s words, the massive club resting on its shoulder moved. It was so fast that it felt like a blur.

Bam!

The weapon slammed into Leon’s arm.

Crack!

Crack!

Several bones shattered instantly. Leon’s body bent to the side like a bow from the impact before he was launched through the air like a ragdoll.

The demon watched him fly away with complete indifference.

"Food," it mused, its single eye gleaming. "Food wants to fight. How amusing."

Meanwhile, Leon crashed through a massive stone pillar, shattering it into countless fragments. The broken structure collapsed behind him. Yet the force carrying him forward remained.

Bang!

His body slammed into the cavern wall once more, carving another crater into the stone.

Cracks spread across the wall like a spiderweb as dust and rubble rained down around him.

Leon’s body slowly slid down the wall. Blood poured from multiple wounds, staining the ground beneath him. He tried to move his left arm but it didn’t even budge. Only an excruciating pain spread.

"Tough bastard," Leon cursed through gritted teeth. "But don’t think you’re going to keep winning."

Pain surged through every inch of his body.

Even breathing felt agonizing. Yet Leon refused to stay down. Grinding his teeth, he forced himself back to his feet.

His self-healing ability was already working frantically, mending shattered bones and torn flesh. Even so, the pain remained almost unbearable.

"Just how strong is this thing?" Leon muttered. His gaze locked onto the towering demon. "It looks like Ice Layer isn’t enough. In that case, you leave me with no choice."

’Frost Monarch’s Blade.’

The moment the thought crossed his mind, countless white particles appeared before him. They gathered together like drifting snowflakes.

Then...

Shing!

The pristine white blade materialized out of thin air. The hilt settled naturally into Leon’s hand.

But...

The instant it appeared...

The atmosphere changed. The entire cavern fell silent. The temperature plummeted. An invisible pressure swept across the surroundings. The demon froze. The man froze. The woman froze.

All three stared at the sword in Leon’s hand as though they had just witnessed something impossible.

Their eyes trembled. Their bodies shook uncontrollably.

Then, almost simultaneously...

"Master..."

The man whispered.

"Master..."

The woman echoed.

Tears instantly welled up in their eyes.

As for the demon...

Its reaction was even more dramatic.

The arrogance that had filled its face moments ago vanished completely. Its single crimson eye widened in horror.

The hand gripping the massive club trembled. For the first time since its awakening...

Fear appeared on the demon’s face. "Demon Reaper." Its voice trembled.