SSS-Ranked Demon Hunter: The Prodigy
Chapter 39: Death Icon

Chapter 39: Death Icon

Seojun’s subconscious stirred, bringing forth a distant memory. A time not so long ago, when he and his younger brother had gone on a trip into nature.

Just the two of them. Back then, Seojun had said:

"Today, we’re going camping."

"Really?! Brother, you remembered what I wanted? I’ve never been out in nature before!"

"Yes," he replied with a warm smile. "I want to show you this place. It’s amazing."

The sun hovered in the sky above, lighting their way along a winding path surrounded by trees.

"This is... the Forest of Hidden Trees, isn’t it, brother?"

"Yes. But even here, demons lurk. Even animals suffer from them."

Haebin, watching the ground, nearly stepped on a cricket.

"Oh, what’s that?"

"A cricket. They’re common around here. They chirp and hop."

A few steps later, the boy spotted a fawn watching them curiously from between the trees. It was young, cautious, but clearly intrigued, following them with timid steps.

"Brother... something’s following us?"

"Hm?" Seojun turned and spotted the fawn. "Ah. It’s just a deer. No man ever comes here anymore—it’s too dangerous. So animals get curious when they see people."

"Hmm... So this place has long been forgotten by humans..."

"Exactly. This forest marks the border between the Orange and Red Zones. People don’t dare to touch it. That’s probably why it’s stayed so beautiful."

The fawn grew bolder, stepping fully into view, quietly trailing behind them. Haebin’s heart swelled with awe—he wanted to befriend the creature. But then—

From the shadows, a four-legged demon lunged. In a blink, it snapped the fawn’s neck.

Haebin gasped in horror as the creature clamped the fawn’s limp head in its jaws. The animal’s eyes welling with tears, silently begging the brothers for help.

"Let’s go," Seojun muttered, but he noticed Haebin’s small fists trembling in anger.

The boy didn’t say a word. He couldn’t. It simply hurt too much to watch something so young die—a child in another flesh.

The demon chewed off the fawn’s head, then turned its blood-stained gaze toward the brothers.

"Hu-man...? Nooo... Not hu-man..."

It could speak. That terrified Haebin more than anything.

"But... it’s a quadruped... one of the unintelligent ones. How... how can it talk?"

"Why do you describe it like in the books?" Seojun asked calmly. "It’s of your blood, even if it evolved differently. Come on."

The boy looked away, pained. They continued along the trail, climbing higher and higher up the mountain.

By the time they reached their destination, darkness had fallen.

Seojun had no trouble with the ascent, but Haebin was breathless from the effort.

"We’re here. This is the place I wanted to show you."

As Haebin opened his eyes, a cool breeze swept through his gray hair. Before him lay a new world—an entire city aglow beneath the mountains, bathed in lights, while above, the sky was sprinkled with countless stars.

"It’s so beautiful..."

The boy couldn’t begin to count the lights shining in the heavens. Some of them moved slowly across the sky, leaving glowing trails behind them.

"Shooting stars?"

"Yes. You saw them too?"

"How amazing, brother!"

Seojun’s heart swelled with joy at his brother’s awe. As Haebin gazed up at the galaxies above, Seojun realized—his little brother was the only universe he ever truly saw.

"My feelings are indescribable," Haebin whispered melancholically. "Instead of living, laughing, and exploring... we kill each other. And yet, there’s still so much beauty in this world we can’t even begin to imagine..."

"Haebin..."

These memories had long since faded from Seojun’s mind. But now, he asked himself—why had they returned? Why now, when there was no way back?

He awoke with a monstrous glare, his devilish eyes locked on the hunter—Jisun—his foe in a battle of life and death.

But now, he stood before them not as Seojun, but as Death Icon.

His furious roar during the transformation echoed like an omen—the arrival of more demons was inevitable, even if no human could sense it.

The other hunters stood frozen.

"So it’s him...!"

The dark-haired hunter barely concealed his astonishment. Smirking, he said:

"You’ve finally revealed your true face, Death Icon. Honestly, that human disguise never suited you."

Death Icon said nothing. His crimson eyes flicked toward the bulky hunter carrying Haebin—and he lunged.

The man barely had time to react. By instinct alone, he dodged as the demon came crashing down.

The monster tore through the building, reducing part of it to rubble.

Screams erupted. People crushed beneath collapsing ceilings died without even realizing what had happened.

From the rising dust, the demon emerged again, his red eyes targeting the hunters.

With a single sweep of his arms, he flattened two of them in mid-air. They didn’t even blink before their guts were flung in all directions.

"Everyone retreat!" Jisun’s commanding voice rang out. "You can’t beat him! Right here, we face is the worst-case scenario!"

"What do we do with the kid?!" the muscular hunter cried.

At the mention of the child, the demon’s gaze snapped to him.

"He’s focused on only one thing—protecting his younger brother. Scatter and run!"

"As you command!" the hunters replied, just as the demon charged again.

They pushed their bodies to the limit, desperate to escape the monster’s claws.

Jisun thought to himself:

"If the boy means this much to him... then he’s hiding something. I’m sure of it—it’s not just brotherly love."

Opening his palms, Jisun transformed his two spears into a twin-bladed pike and gave chase.

His acrobatic skills made it easy to scale rooftops and chase the demon from above, where he had a clearer view.

"What do we do?! Aside from Sir Park, only five of us remain out of nine!"

Three other hunters leapt across rooftops in a crowded district, while Death Icon pursued Ryu Sang-ho relentlessly.

"Damn it—he’s cutting through A-ranks like toys!"

"This is insane! We knew Death Icon might appear and understood the risks... So why did it spiral out of control?!"

"Even stranger—why are we being chased by quadrupeds?!"

Looking back, they saw class-1 demons closing in from afar.

"Not this... How did they appear in such a populated place?"

The third hunter spoke:

"Whatever happens, I won’t just watch Ryu die. We have to stop the demon from catching him! That was the commander’s order!"

Before the female hunter could respond, he dashed toward the monster. His bravery stunned the others.

Death Icon continued his pursuit. Every time he got close, Sang-ho slipped away—through gaps between buildings, into apartments via balconies.

Though his adrenaline kept him moving, Sang-ho was exhausted. He could feel the demon’s footsteps getting closer every second.

"Damn it, we’re already in the center of the district! What the hell do I do?! Stupid little brat, you ruined everything...!"

His legs moved on their own, vaulting over rooftops in fear. He hadn’t expected things to spiral against him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his teammate catch up—now flanking the demon.

Summoning Kenketsu midair, the hunter launched himself straight at Death Icon, aiming for the torso.

But the demon reacted with inhuman speed—within less than a quarter of a second, he grabbed the man’s mutated arms.

Swinging him like a toy, Death Icon smashed his head through rooftops and walls.

Within moments, all that was left was a shredded corpse.

Then he reached Sang-ho and kicked him with brutal force into a building. The hunter’s body shattered walls as it flew through apartments and out the other side.

Even so, he managed to shield Haebin with his back.

They crashed into a pile of garbage bins pushed by an old scavenger, who screamed and ran in terror like everyone else on the street—fleeing the demon’s silhouette atop the roof.

Death Icon landed in the middle of the road. He no longer cared for his own safety. All he wanted was to reclaim his brother.

Jisun slammed into him from the side, catching up.

"Sorry, but I’m not letting you take the boy. I’m not leaving empty-handed—not after what you did to my comrades."

The monster rose again, towering.

"You never learn, do you? Fool. Our battle... has only just begun."