SSS-Ranked Demon Hunter: The Prodigy
Chapter 32: The Dawn of Humanity

Chapter 32: The Dawn of Humanity

As the entire personnel of Operation Nightwatch gathered at the port, General Vincent Hwan stepped forward and addressed the crowd:

"Brave soldiers, all of you who took part and contributed to the success of this operation — I speak to you now to explain the reason you were all summoned to Seongwan-gu. Umbra’s goal was simple — to sow as much chaos as possible among our forces, and to capture the Prodigy alive."

Inwardly, the general was counting the remaining troops. Out of five hundred, only a hundred had survived.

Everyone standing in formation, from commanders to officers, was weighed down by the loss of their comrades.

"These sacrifices... they were necessary. This night marked the turning point in our war. Its outcome shaped the future of all mankind. And you, soldiers — you passed this trial! I congratulate each of you on this victory! Seongwan-gu is finally under human control!"

The general placed a hand over his heart and cried, "Hurrah! Hurrah!"

The troops echoed him with explosive cheer. Their joy could not be contained.

The two-week-long operation had finally come to an end.

"Rejoice! Your families and loved ones will embrace you once more! You are the heroes of Seongwan-gu!"

"Hurrah! Hurrah!"

"For now, we must compile all data and prepare. Soon, we’ll launch a grand operation to reclaim the entire Orange Zone — returning it to its rightful owners. Dismissed!"

After the general’s rousing speech, the personnel began preparing for departure. While soldiers gathered their belongings and restored order to the base, S-rank Hunter Sora stepped into the general’s office — her father’s office.

"Dad!" she exclaimed, embracing him tightly.

"My daughter. I’m glad you’re alive."

"Yeah... it was a nightmare."

"Your squad encountered Silverhead, didn’t you? Why didn’t he attack? Did he have other targets?"

"I don’t know..." Sora sat down, visibly shaken. "I don’t even understand how the demon reached us. He was terrifyingly fast."

Her hands trembled slightly as the memory of Seojun’s silver hair and suffocating presence came back to her.

"Tell me in detail. What exactly did you see?"

She clenched her hands and forced herself to recall the confrontation.

He was swift — so much so that he appeared and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"That’s Silverhead!" one of her squad members shouted.

"Group up now!" barked Ha Yushin, another S-rank Hunter. "Don’t let them surround us — tighten the circle!"

But it was already too late — they were surrounded from above by demons perched on rooftops.

"How foolish," Seojun said with disdain. "You Hunters cling to archaic tactics. What a waste — your powers deserve a better purpose."

"Shut it, scum!" barked Chanwook. "Don’t die babbling. Kenketsu, Hell’s Atom!"

The Hunter summoned a twin-bladed weapon from his palms.

Yushin and Sora held back, not revealing their Kenketsu just yet — a tactical decision to keep their actual strength hidden.

"Hmph," Seojun sneered. "I don’t smell him among you. You’re not worth my time. I’ll visit the others instead. Demons — kill them."

He took a single slow step — then vanished from their sight entirely.

"So fast..." Chanwook murmured in disbelief.

The demons attacked, and while the Hunters managed to kill them, they suffered several losses.

This was Sora’s account.

"I see..." General Hwan reflected. "That demon could distinguish the Prodigy by scent... interesting. Thank you for the report, daughter. Go join the others — we need to prepare."

"Yes, Dad. You and the officers are planning to summon Lee Ki-hyun, right?"

"Oh? Yes, it was the officers’ suggestion. I simply agreed."

"He’s a Hunter, like me. I saw him when the demon carried him away. Mister Lee looked like a true hero."

"Hm. Noted."

Meanwhile, I was gathering my things. I slung Harin’s sniper rifle over my shoulder.

She walked beside me, eyes wide at the crimson sunrise breaking over the horizon.

That’s when our squadmate, Salez — a sniper Hunter — approached us. His distant, guilty look immediately put us on edge.

"Hawk, Prodigy..." he whispered, bowing his head. "I was a terrible comrade. Always focused on myself, full of fear... I sincerely apologize! I never meant to die — I thought you were all reckless fools who didn’t value your lives. But I was wrong — I’ve been a fool this whole time."

Startled, Harin waved her hands in protest.

"No-no! It’s understandable — you’re new. My first raid was just like that. I wasn’t as brave as I am now."

"What do you plan to do now?" I asked calmly. Harin glanced at me, surprised by the serenity in my voice — something unfamiliar to me before.

"I plan to move forward. When I shot that demon in the head... something changed. I’ll prove to everyone that migrants like us deserve the same respect. We’re all human — and I’ll prove my worth to humanity!"

"Wow!" Harin’s eyes sparkled with admiration. "Keep that attitude, Glaz! With that mindset, you could move mountains!"

"I still have a lot of training to do," he said with a bitter smile.

I fixed him with a steady gaze.

"Raise your head, Glaz. Your cowardice cost the lives of many — from squadmates to commanders. Because of you, entire units lost hope. Your selfishness almost got me killed."

Salez became distant again. He couldn’t argue — I was right.

Harin lowered her head. She wanted to interrupt me, but couldn’t.

"But because of you," I continued, "we saw that war has a human side. The value of family praying for our return. You must understand that on the battlefield, we’re all in the same boat. Being a good soldier isn’t just about aim — it’s about holding your spirit and uplifting your comrades. That’s the true key to victory."

"Yes, sir. I let my comrades down when they needed me most. It hit me hard. Thank you for your guidance. You and Taehwan taught me so much... I’ll always remember you."

"Good."

Taehwan... what a loss. He was my drive — without him, I would’ve broken too.

He was firm, harsh, and yet fair. His unwavering resolve gave us a chance to defeat that monster.

I’ll remember you, Taehwan. Your life won’t be in vain — I’ll avenge every fallen comrade.

My fists clenched as I looked toward the rising sun, my gaze unyielding.

If I am the key to victory... then I will use that key to unlock this sealed door.

Later, I was summoned to the officers’ chamber. Six officers sat around a wooden table in a quiet, warmly lit room — General Hwan and Minho among them.

By the door stood a girl with short blonde hair.

As I passed her, I caught a fleeting look in her eyes — surprise at my presence.

It was Yeonghee. Seeing my gaze, she whispered:

"Just like him... His eyes are as dark as Lee Yeon-ho’s..."

When I stood before the officers, they turned their attention to me.

"Mr. Lee," General Hwan said, "please take a seat."

"Thank you, but I’m a soldier. It’s not my place to sit at a table with officers."

"Very well, then let us begin. We’ve received intel that the demon known as Silverhead may have identified you by scent. Is this true? There’s no solid proof, which is why we’re asking."

"I know nothing about that. But I believe I recognized his true identity. His combat style, his speed, his speech — it reminded me of the Death Icon. As you know, I fought him a few weeks ago."

"Interesting theory. We’ll take it into account."

Then the battalion commander, an old-school officer from the days of military-Hunter tensions, interjected.

"But there’s one thing. After returning, you claimed you couldn’t finish off the demon. No witnesses, no evidence. Why should we trust your word? For all we know, you could be in league with them."

I felt irritation rise within them.

Minho, seated beside him, was visibly angry, but stayed silent.

"Is this a report or an interrogation?" I shot them a sharp glare.

"We’re clarifying the situation. There are inconsistencies. You haven’t even mastered Kentketsu — let alone Kuroen. How could you have survived on your own?"

General Hwan quickly stepped in to ease the tension.

"My apologies — this conversation started poorly. Mr. Lee, we value your service, but there are questions weighing on us."

I sighed, stretched out my hand — and a blood-forged blade burst forth. My Kenketsu: the Godslayer Swordspear.

The officers froze. Minhi and Yeonghee exchanged astonished glances. They had never seen such a weapon.

While all Kenketsu resembled mythical godly tools, marked with ancient patterns, the Swordspear had never appeared in human history or legend.

"Now you see how I defeated Silverhead?"

"Then why didn’t you use your blood weapon before? How do we know you didn’t spare those monsters?"

That grumbling officer had worn through my patience. Even General Hwan looked uncomfortable.

"My mother was mercilessly slain by a demon. My father vanished on a mission. I became a Hunter not for glory... and after all that, you accuse me of betrayal? My comrades died by the hands of those who stole my happiness."

Truly... there was nothing left in me that wanted to show mercy. They didn’t even deserve to breathe the same air as me.

A cold fury unfamiliar to me stirred in my eyes. Minho realized — I had changed since the day we first met.

"If casting aside my very humanity helps me slaughter every last one of them, then I’ll do it, so they perish in the worst way any being has ever suffered."

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