SSS-Ranked Demon Hunter: The Prodigy
Chapter 64: The Green Zone Incident, Part 4

Chapter 64: The Green Zone Incident, Part 4

A Few Hours Before the Invasion

Hunter Association Hospital — Jisun’s Room

The door opened, and a man in black stepped in. His eyes were sapphire-blue, his hair dark and disheveled.

He paused at the sight of Jisun, unconscious on the hospital bed.

"Oh, my friend..."

He sat down on the chair beside him, heavy with sorrow. Jisun made no sound—his withered appearance said enough. The hunter clung to life like a dying leaf, desperate to hold onto the last branch of fate.

"They let me in the moment they saw my face," the man said. "I guess people here still remember me. I heard you lost and fell into a coma."

From his coat, the man pulled a worn wallet. He opened it and took out an old photo—Jisun and him, smiling.

"You probably remember this too," he said, smiling bitterly. "Twelve years ago, just after we joined the Association. Remember how they called us ’the youngest rising talents’? That feels like a lifetime ago. Now we’re in our thirties."

Standing, he walked to the window and opened it. A warm summer breeze drifted in, tousling his dark hair.

"Today is August 22nd. Happy birthday, Jisun. You’re thirty-one."

After a moment of silence, he returned to the chair, eyes drifting to the monitor. The pulse was slow. A fading heartbeat, like a lantern submerged in the dark ocean.

"Look at you now. Weren’t you the one who always said you’d never lose a fight? Back when I claimed I’d surpass Lee Yeon-ho, you laughed and told me to try beating you first. I always chased after your level... but now you’re here, motionless. Jisun, I know you can hear me. You’re not the kind of man to die like this."

He recalled Jisun’s old promise, one he made when they were still young:

"I won’t die like some nameless soldier. And I sure as hell won’t die at the hands of demons."

"And how would you know that?" his friend once growled. "Maybe fate has the worst kind of death planned for you."

"Nope. Only death by old age I will accept."

"You idiot, Jisun. We’re hunters. That kind of death isn’t for us."

"Well don’t look too far ahead either. You’ll see—I’m gonna become the strongest. Just don’t die before I do."

The memory brought a soft smile to the man’s face.

"How many years has it been..." he whispered, looking at the pale figure in the bed. "I’m Rin. Your old partner. We used to bicker so much the Association had to split us into separate squads. We always fought about who was stronger—but when we clashed for real, you always won."

Jisun remained silent. The monitor didn’t spike. But Rin didn’t give up—if anything, he spoke with more determination.

"I know you hate this state you’re in. Just lying there. That’s not like you. The Jisun I know never stayed down. You lifted your head, no matter how heavy the burden. So remember who you are."

A scene flashed in Rin’s mind—one from the past. A raid in the Red Zone. Their goal had been to reclaim a third of the territory from demon control.

In the midst of that chaos stood a pristine white temple. A strange structure, untouched amidst blood-red skies and the ruins of war.

Crimson clouds hung thick above, blotting out the sun and moon. No one knew why such weather only lingered over the Red Zone—perhaps it was the power of one of the Dukes.

Surrounded by elite demons, the white temple had been their main objective. And that raid... became the last for both Lee Yeon-ho and Rin. Their forces were overrun. All squads were ordered to retreat.

It was a bitter defeat. Nothing had been gained—only the lives of elite soldiers lost.

"Rin, are you serious?!" Jisun had shouted back then. "You’re abandoning us?"

They were back at base.

"I’ve already made up my mind, Jisun. I’ve seen enough to know better."

"You idiot! You told me yourself—being a hunter isn’t a job, it’s who we are! And now you’re taking that back?!"

"I don’t want to hear it," Rin growled. "Fighting is pointless. I’m not as strong as you."

"What are you saying?! Rin... we’re some of the strongest out there!"

"Which is why I’m quitting. I’m done. I’ve got a newborn son, Jisun. I hope you’ll understand."

As Rin left with his head down, Jisun scoffed after him.

"I hate you. You’re weak. Good riddance."

But that wasn’t the last time they met.

Years later, Jisun came to visit, to apologize. Seeing Rin holding a baby daughter, his toddler son nearby... Jisun understood.

He finally understood why his friend walked away.

Later, the two of them sat alone on a bench.

"You know, Rin... I was wrong. Back then, when you left the team, I was furious. But now... I get it. Deep down, I wanted that life for you. Peace. Family. I’m glad you made it happen."

"You only say that because you’ll never have kids yourself?"

"Not at all. Funny, huh? After all these years, I’m still alive. Maybe I’ll break your idol’s record and make it to forty-five."

"Among all of us, I think you’re the one who deserves to grow old."

"Oh? Why?"

"Because you’re the one who has to witness the end. Jisun... in this cursed world, you’ll be the last one standing."

That memory left a mark. One neither of them ever forgot.

"So don’t you dare die, my friend."

Rin whispered those same words now.

Suddenly, the earth shook. A rumble echoed outside—the sky filled with smoke and fire.

Rin turned to the window, horrified.

"N-no... no way."

Demons had invaded the Green Zone.

The hospital trembled as crowds of people rushed toward shelter. Sirens, screams, explosions—harbingers of apocalypse battered the windows. Flashes of flame lit Rin’s stunned eyes.

"You hear that, Jisun? They need you now—more than ever! Without you, they won’t make it. Wake up!"

But Jisun didn’t stir. His pulse remained low.

Somewhere deep in his mind, he could faintly hear Rin’s voice. But he couldn’t respond—trapped in a void within himself. In that darkness, there was no pain... only comfort.

"Don’t pretend you don’t care!" Rin shouted. "This world we built will fall if you keep sleeping. Everyone you love, everyone who trusted you—they need you now! You’re the strongest!"

What could wake Jisun?

Was this just a coma? Or had he chosen not to return?

Jisun didn’t know. He felt at peace here, in the darkness.

"Remember how you dreamed of dying of old age? You think this counts? Lying here while everything burns? All your effort—wasted?!"

Then something sparked in his subconscious.

All that effort... wasted?

"You’re the last person who would accept this kind of ending. Everything you gave—your life, your soul—it wasn’t for nothing. You deserve a better death!"

Deep down, Jisun knew it. Once, he had fought for glory. But after meeting Rin, that changed.

He didn’t want honor—he wanted peace.

And the world devoid of it, he wanted to change.

"Future generations are counting on you. Through them, our dream lives on. So don’t you dare die, my friend!"

Rin shouted, desperate to break through. Did his voice reach Jisun?

He didn’t know. Jisun didn’t respond.

Rin lowered his shoulders. It was over. His friend was gone.

"You damn idiot... what was the point of all this?"

He stood up and turned for the door.

Then—

A faint sound behind him. A shift. Rin spun around, eyes wide.

Jisun’s fingers twitched, reaching for something. Rin rushed to his side, grabbing his hand.

"My friend..!"

The monitor spiked wildly—his heartbeat surged, desperate to breathe.

Jisun’s mind hadn’t returned. But something inside him... fought to break free. To tear away the chains.

Doctors had long declared him a lost cause. Brain trauma. Organ failure. Only a miracle could save him.

That miracle—was willpower. The one force capable of making demonic blood defy reality.

For some, it summoned weapons. For others—armor.

But none had ever fused so deeply with blood... that they reached what only demons could achieve.

Regeneration.

A demon’s evolutionary peak. Bones that mended themselves. Wounds that vanished.

It seemed incomprehensible to humans.

But anyone with demonic blood in them was able to use it as they wished, despite the standards that normal techniques put in place.

And also—Jisun was no ordinary human.

His arms and legs began to twitch. His pulse exploded off the charts.

And at that moment, Rin understood—

He was standing beside the strongest warrior the world had ever known.

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