SSS-Ranked Demon Hunter: The Prodigy
Chapter 36: The Evening Before the Sneak Attack

Chapter 36: The Evening Before the Sneak Attack

That evening, all the S-rank hunters of Seoul gathered at a cozy little café. The occasion? A celebration in my honor.

But truth be told, most of them just came to drink.

There were six hunters besides me — the last of us still alive after Death Icon’s bloody onslaught.

As I arrived at the café, Minho greeted me warmly at the entrance.

"Finally, you’re here. Come on, the others have been waiting."

A cigarette dangled between his fingers. As we stepped inside, he stubbed it out and tossed it into the trash.

My eyes fell on a long table, filled with plates of meat, steaming dishes, and tall mugs of beer. It was the first time all the S-ranks had gathered in weeks.

"Oh, look who it is — Kihyun!" a black-haired woman called out cheerfully. "Come on, sit down and dig in."

"Miss Hwan. Glad to see you safe and sound."

"No need for the formalities."

"We’ve been waiting just for you," added a broad-shouldered man, no less imposing than Minho. "Grab a seat."

That was Ha Yushin — a military hunter unaffiliated with the Association. Tough as nails, he’d competed in several bodybuilding championships.

Next to him, a bold male voice chimed in:

"Yeah, let’s get this thing started already."

"Chanwook, in a rush to get drunk?" someone teased.

"Hell yeah! Why else do you think we came?"

Minho chuckled awkwardly at Chanwook’s outburst.

At the edge of the table sat Reina, quietly staring at her glass of juice, lost in thought.

Once we’d all sat down and started filling our plates, Ji-sun, seated across from me, stood to speak.

"Well, I suppose I’ll kick things off. Big thanks to Minho for organizing this. It’s good to see us all here, dressed like normal people, sharing a meal together. If you’re going to drink — pace yourselves. Don’t cause any trouble, alright?"

We all raised our beer mugs in unison and shouted:

"Cheers!"

Ji-sun smirked and muttered, "Idiots."

Everyone launched into casual chatter. It was hard to follow any one conversation.

I quietly enjoyed my grilled meat, dipping it in sauce, and listened from the sidelines.

Minho leaned over and asked me:

"So, what do you think of the get-together, Kihyun?"

"It’s strange, seeing you all like this. I thought Mr. Park was a lot more serious — like in his interviews."

"Ji-sun? He’s the complete opposite of how he looks on TV. To the public, he’s a savior — Korea’s protector."

I see... So he carries a burden similar to mine.

Suddenly, Yushin slammed his empty mug onto the table with a scowl.

"Bring a fourth round! This brat Chanwook challenged me — the god of beer — to a drinking contest!"

"Not again..." Minho muttered, facepalming. "Just don’t spill anything on the table, please."

As he refilled their mugs, the already drunk Chanwook yelled:

"You’re going down! I’ll prove I’m better than you at everything, you damn gorilla!"

"What was that, you worm?!"

Once their drinks were poured, the two resumed their loud drinking contest.

Reina looked at them with utter disgust. Sora, sitting beside her, handed her a mug of beer.

"Come on, Reina. Don’t just sit there like a statue — drink with us."

"No, Miss Sora... I can’t really handle alcohol..."

"You won’t stop looking so gloomy until you learn. Don’t worry, I’ll drink with you."

"But Miss..."

After a moment of hesitation, Reina gave in and clinked mugs with Sora.

But it was clear: she couldn’t hold her liquor at all.

After just one mug, her head was spinning like a helicopter, and her face turned the color of a spoiled fish.

Barely lifting her head from the table, she slurred drunkenly at Chanwook:

"Hey, you carrot-headed idiot. Why’re you slouched like that?"

"Huhhh?" Chanwook groaned. "What the hell’re you sayin’? You lost your damn mind?"

"You son of a bitch, get up! I’ll show you what’s what."

Meanwhile, Yushin, Chanwook’s rival in this chaotic display, looked barely fazed after his tenth mug.

"Ha-ha! You kids didn’t serve in the military — no wonder you can’t drink! You’re weak, Chanwook!"

"I’m not weak, bastard! I’ll end you right here!"

Reina shot back, her speech increasingly slurred:

"Shut that filthy mouth of yours, you damn scarecrow!"

As for me, I had only downed a couple of beers and was now desperately hoping no one would drag me into their drunken antics.

"That’s enough," Ji-sun sighed. "Not another drop of beer!"

"B-but Ji-sun!" Chanwook reached out toward him. "You haven’t even had a drink yourself!"

Stretching his arms lazily, Ji-sun replied:

"Yeah, I didn’t feel like drinking tonight."

He stood up and began heading for the exit.

"Ji-sun, are you leaving?"

"Yeah. It was nice talking with you all, but I’m dead tired."

Minho grinned.

"Tired from sitting on park benches all day, checking out pretty girls, huh?"

"That takes energy too, believe it or not. Oh, Kihyun — drop by sometime when you’re at the Association. There’s something I need to talk to you about."

"Oh... alright."

Park Ji-sun really does have that cool aura about him. Every movement, his sharp fashion sense, even his subtle gestures...

No wonder women are crazy about him.

At a table across from ours, there was a man with jet-black hair sitting alone. It looked like he’d been eavesdropping on us.

Ji-sun noticed him too before leaving but didn’t pay him any mind.

The man finally lowered the menu that had been covering his face.

His eyes — glowing emerald — stared blankly into space, calm and unfeeling, like those of a cold-blooded killer.

The next morning, a meeting was held at the Association headquarters. There, General Vincent Hwan officially announced the commencement of an operation to capture the demon in human disguise—Silverhead.

The leading figure of this operation was none other than Jisun. As he stepped out of his home, he was already dressed in his dark, functional uniform, custom-made by the organization. His stride was confident—he was ready for battle.

The suit was made of elastic cotton, easily reinforced with blood hardening technique, and embedded with iron plates at the shoulders and knees to cushion against falls.

When he reached the rooftop of the building, agents of the Association were already waiting by the helicopter. Its rotors were spinning, prepared to take off at a moment’s notice.

The wind stirred the black hair of the hunter.

"Please step in, Mr. Park."

"You’re as obedient as ever," Jisun replied, boarding the helicopter.

Moments later, the aircraft ascended into the sky and set course for the Orange Zone—where Seojun was located.