I was plagued by nightmares for a while.
These dreams would tell me how a sinister fairy from the Sui Dynasty had been wreaking havoc for a thousand years before finally choosing me as her son.
She had taken me as her half-eaten snack and was attempting to train me with sweet milk. I found myself deeply entranced, yearning for that sweetness. It was so delicious that I wanted to drink again, but wait, is that a good thing?
No way, hell no.
Get it together.
The Four Fairies had given me an order.
Specifically, to raise my level. She said I should grow stronger by defeating powerful demons and absorbing their essence.
Being the leader of a faction, I thought heading out to hunt demons would raise some issues, but with our Madunachal Society undergoing a complete makeover, those worries vanished.
Now, one of our main tasks is demon hunting.
Plus, since the local government has dedicated requests for us to exterminate demons, the opportunities to hunt strong demons are overflowing.
“Madunachal! A high-rank request has arrived!”
My frantic friend Galbijong rushed to me.
“Oh, what’s the request?”
“They say a pack of Yaguja has appeared nearby!”
“Yaguja?”
Yaguja (野狗子).
A cannibal demon with a grotesquely twisted human body and a dog’s head. They crave human flesh, but what they love most is, of course, a brain feast. So when a corpse is found with a smashed skull and the brain devoured, Yaguja’s appearance is the first suspect.
They’re quite strong for a demon, but it’s still at the level of a minor nuisance.
I know it’s not something to fret over.
“Yaguja is nothing too serious. Ah, could it be due to the corpses they’ve been munching on?”
“Exactly. With corpses piling up, they have plenty of brains to feast on, so they banded together. If their numbers are that large, a leader is likely to show up.”
“Definitely.”
If the leader of such a cannibalistic demon appears, it’d be at least a Central Plains-level villain.
The Four Fairies told me to catch it, and if I’m a peak expert, it’s a level of demon I can handle without trouble. I think I can take it!
“Got it. We need to eliminate them before their numbers increase. I’ll take care of this.”
“Hahaha! Another victory is on the horizon! You’re still the Madunachal! Here, all the details are written in this letter!”
Galbijong handed over a letter.
It’s a request from the government. They want us to swiftly eliminate the large pack of Yaguja infesting the area, as it’s causing issues.
Alright.
Let’s get moving quickly.
“Hey, Jaemi Son. We have a request from the government.”
I immediately found Jaemi Son.
“What’s the request?”
While he was practicing his martial arts with a wooden doll, he looked at me and asked.
“A pack of Yaguja has appeared. Looks like they’ve been challenging the nearby neighborhood.”
“Ha ha, with that, the leader must be lurking around too.”
“Exactly.”
“If the Yaguja leader appears, they’d be at least on the level of Madunachal. In terms of classification, they’d be on par with you.”
“But I don’t think it’s quite that simple.”
At that time, Madunachal had just been summoned from hell and was fighting with a type of buff inside the barrier, completely overwhelming the peak expert Serin.
The Yaguja aren’t coming straight from hell or even settling inside a barrier. I should be able to handle this.
“Anyway, we need to form a hunting party. They say the pack is quite large. Jaemi Son, gather some capable folks. Let’s go hunt together.”
“So, I’ll lead the team against the Yaguja?”
“Right. I’ll take the left assistance, Hayoung, and the right assistance, Serin, to deal with the Yaguja leader.”
Left assistance is Hayoung, and right assistance is Serin.
“Good idea. Let’s get the team together… Ha ha, I’m finally going demon hunting again! My martial arts training has awakened!”
In truth, Jaemi Son will also shine this time and achieve something significant. Look at the spirit within his training. Any rogue who happens to cross him would have a hole blasted through their head.
“Be sure to prepare. The Yaguja pack is quite sizeable.”
“Don’t get my hopes up… tsk.”
“Ha ha ha, you crazy man.”
After asking Jaemi Son to arrange the team, I went to find my assistants.
“Serin, Hayoung. The government has issued an order. A pack of Yaguja has appeared! Let’s prepare right away.”
“Understood. Time to stretch these muscles again.”
“I hope we can find some essence too. I’ve been busy with my research lately, not paying enough attention. If we grab some essence, I’ll eat it and report back.”
“You’re treating me like a test subject, huh? Feel free to observe!”
“What are you even saying?”
And thus, we headed out to exterminate the pack of Yaguja.
*
Our squad, consisting of the leader and assistants, set off.
The combination of me, Serin, and Hayoung is top-notch, no need to mention that. How about this combat team? Their skills are admittedly lacking compared to us, but seeing the members picked by Jaemi Son, I couldn’t help but nod.
“Moon-do! Give it your all!”
“I’ll do my best!”
“I’m confident!”
These are some solid picks.
All of them had fought hard during the previous demon attacks. They’ve shown determination and guts. While their skills might be lacking, they’re more than enough for hunting minor demons.
“Alright! I trust you all! Follow Jaemi Son’s orders! Just by fighting according to his directives, your abilities will grow!”
“Yes!”
“Moon-do! Understood!”
As a leader, I gathered the combat team and delivered a speech, filling me with pride and happiness, realizing I had become someone important.
“Ha ha, quit flaunting. Let’s get going.”
“Right.”
The plan is simple.
If we find the Yaguja pack, we fight. Jaemi Son and the combat team will handle the minor ones, while I and my assistants strike the leader.
We moved to the area where the Yaguja pack was reported.
“Oh crap.”
Upon arrival, the smell of corpses assaulted us.
Even though we’d cleared out the corpses in the city, it’s impossible to clean up the ones in the forests. If it were a natural occurrence, nature would have decomposed them by now, but this is a man-made disaster.
The corpses of the demons are scattered everywhere, contaminating the very space itself.
“Split into pairs and search the area. Always stay within view of the other squad.”
“Yes! Captain!”
Jaemi Son had the members searching, and I moved alongside my friends. Moments later, Serin spoke up.
“Geunhyeop, there’s a corpse over there.”
“Let’s take a look.”
We approached to verify the state of the corpse.
“Oh damn.”
The skull was crushed.
It was empty inside.
“Nothing to see here. This is the work of a Yaguja. Only they devour brains like this.”
Hayoung rolled her eyes while lightly clasping her hands together.
“Any traces?”
“There are many footprints. Look at all these Yaguja tracks.”
The shape of the footprints was peculiar.
They resembled human footprints but had dog claws at the toes, a truly sinister sight.
These markings were everywhere.
“It definitely seems like there are many. They tend to grow braver as their numbers increase. I think they’ll likely catch our scent and come hunting if we wander around a bit.”
“Sounds accurate, especially after the sun sets. What should we do? Set up camp? Or pursue them?”
If the Yaguja are going to find us anyway, it might be advantageous to establish a stronghold.
“There’s no need to fight in a disadvantageous position. Let’s look for a suitable place. We’ll set up camp and prepare to defend against the Yaguja.”
“Solid judgment.”
Serin smiled and nodded warmly.
“I think that’s a good option too.”
“Then let’s go.”
I immediately sought out Jaemi Son.
“Jaemi Son, find anything?”
“I encountered corpses and traces. Should we continue tracking them?”
“No. The Yaguja are definitely close. Let’s set up camp in a favorable position. Once it gets dark, they’ll come to us.”
“Is that so?”
Jaemi Son responded while stroking his chin, then called back the squad.
We worked hard to establish a defensive position in a good spot.
“There! Dig properly!”
“Yes!”
“Moon-do! Digging!”
Jaemi Son commanded the members like a skilled squad leader, and we watched with satisfaction. Is this what it’s like to be a commander? Just a finger flick and everyone moves; this is why people crave power.
But then,
“Hayoung? What are you doing?”
“Now that we’ve built the camp, we need to reinforce it. Just wait. I’m preparing some barriers and traps.”
“Wow! You’re truly a specialist!”
Hayoung stuck various wooden stakes and talismans around our makeshift camp, making it incredibly well-fortified.
I couldn’t help but feel emotional seeing how reliable she was.
Indeed, the mage is a treasure.
“Alright. Preparations are complete. Let’s rest until the Yaguja come to attack. Jaemi Son, please make sure to assign some watchmen. We’ll take turns resting.”
“You’re truly meticulous in these matters…”
“What’s that?”
“Building defenses and assigning watchmen. Geunhyeop, I’ve always been curious—are you from a military background?”
“A military background?”
I did serve in the military briefly.
“What you described is more of a military tactic than a way of martial artists. I feel like you’ve served in the Daemyeong Empire’s army.”
“Ha ha ha, what Daemyeong Empire? I just made a rational judgment.”
“…Is that so.”
Jaemi Son looked at me sharply, but how could I possible admit that I was a soldier back in another world?
Anyway, the watchmen were assigned, and we rested until night fell.
*
“By the way, Geunhyeop. What’s the level of that legendary hero, Haeraagullae, from the West? I’m genuinely curious how the rankings work there based on what I’ve heard.”
“Ah, it’s hard to judge because it’s different from the Central Plains and it’s mythological. The period for myth is during the Shang Dynasty; how can we judge the skills of martial artists from that time?”
“That’s true, but…”
If we’re nitpicking, I’d say they’re likely of the highest caliber among Greek heroes.
“But how does he even know the Shang Dynasty? And why does he know so much about Western mythology?”
“Good question. Geunhyeop. Please reveal your true identity.”
“I’m just a man who knows random stuff!”
While I was stalling for time, sharing tales of Greek mythology with Serin and Hayoung, suddenly—
“Oh!”
Hayoung shot up.
“They’re here…! The Yaguja have arrived!”
“Situation arising! Demons are appearing! Everyone, light the torches!”
As I commanded, the squad lit torches all over the area.
And what appeared was—
“Holy crap!”
A horde of dog-headed demons charging out of the darkness!
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