Chapter 01
PrefacePreface
"Hwarrl!"
The heat was intense.
The building was burning before my eyes.
Inside and out, the structure was engulfed in chaos.
"Savve me!"
The cries of people thrashing amidst the fiery blaze.
As I watched them, I held a scythe in my hand, drenched in something.
The sight of the scythe used to cut the herbs soaked in blood was truly horrifying.
"Aaargh!"
"H-help us!"
Those who escaped from the engulfed building rolled on the ground frantically, trying to extinguish the flames that clung to their bodies.
Yet, the flames that had already engulfed their entire bodies showed no signs of relenting.
They died in agony as their flesh burned.
Despite the horrifying sight, I felt no trace of guilt.
No, I didn't even know what guilt was.
[Cough... cough... Make a promise.]
[What are you talking about?]
[Never... reveal your true nature...]
[...Grandfather.]
{Did this old man teach you that!]
[...Understood.]
The promise I made with my grandfather before he died kept echoing in my head.
But the promise wasn't kept.
No, it was an impossible promise to keep.
"Sorry, Grandfather."
I can't stop until I find the one who made my grandfather suffer so horribly.
Even if it leads to the reality my grandfather feared.
The more blood I see, the harder it becomes to control myself.
What expression am I wearing now?
As I witnessed this horrifying scene of flesh burning and bloodshed, I could sense a smirk creeping onto my lips.
It was undeniably a feeling of pleasure.
'My nature...'
Is evil truly my nature?
At least it feels more satisfying than the person my grandfather taught me to be.
It's like breaking free from chains.
"Sigh."
Either way, it doesn't matter.
Thanks to the scent of blood, I was feeling invigorated, getting closer to clues about "him."
Now I just need to finish off the survivors.
With my scythe in hand, I approached the few people who had managed to stay alive.
With each step, they looked at me with eyes filled with fear.
Their terror was rather pleasing.
If anything, it tickled my killer instinct even more.
- Step back!
As I took another step, one of the frightened ones shouted at me.
"Demon, Scythe Killer Demon!"
Scythe Killer Demon...
It's a nickname I acquired while chasing after his traces.
I've been killing anyone even remotely associated with him, and before I knew it, people started calling me Scythe Killer Demon.
They say it's because of the scythe marks left on the bodies of the dead, but I seem to have gained notoriety without realizing it.
All within just a month.
It seems poking around slightly larger towns is different from rural villages.
But I've gained some valuable lessons from it.
'I need to burn everything.'
To avoid leaving unnecessary traces on the bodies.
No.
Wouldn't it be better not to use the scythe at all?
Ah, I don't know. I'll think about it later. For now, I'll just kill them all and see.
- Swish!
I raised my scythe towards the survivor crawling on the ground.
"Eek!"
At that moment, the survivor recoiled with a pallid face.
Whether they liked it or not, I swung my scythe—
- Thwack!
"Urgh!"
Something struck my abdomen with such force that my body was thrown backward.
Despite rolling on the ground several times, the force didn't subside.
It took a while to finally stop rolling, and I vomited violently due to the strange force that had turned my insides upside down.
"Ugh."
- Aaaargh!
Amidst my retching, I heard cheering.
It sounded like the terrified survivors were shouting.
Still feeling queasy and not fully recovered from the blow, I laboriously lifted my head.
'What the hell?'
As I wondered, I saw someone raising his hand.
He was responding to the cheers of the crowd as if he was some kind of hero.
Then, he boldly shouted.
"Indeed, it is Scythe Killer Demon. To withstand such a blow is truly remarkable."
"Samseong Gongryeok?"
What on earth is he babbling about?
The only thing I can understand from his words is the title Scythe Killer Demon.
"Cough... cough..."
I forced myself to hold back the urge to vomit.
I don't know who this person is in front of me, but one thing's for sure: he's dangerous.
I tried to get up, but there's no strength in my feet or legs.
"Now your evil deeds are over, little man!"
He approached me slowly.
'Its Dangerous.'
I gritted my teeth.
If I can't move my body, my life may be in danger....
- Swish!
"!?"
What the hell?
He seemed to be walking slowly, and before I knew it, he was standing in front of me.
'Fast."
How can someone move this fast?
It was unbelievable.
"Hmm."
The middle-aged man let out a groan.
He had a long scar over his left eyebrow that I hadn't noticed when we were apart.
In his right hand, there was a dark blade gleaming as if it were forged from shadow, its sharpness was unsettling.
'I need to escape.'
Every sense of mine was warning me.
No matter how much I struggled, I couldn't do anything against this man.
Then, the middle-aged man, with a now somewhat changed, chilly expression, spoke quietly.
"I thought someone more formidable was following me, but turns out it's just a teenage kid who hasn't even shaken off the scent of milk yet."
He felt completely different from before.
But more than that, something else caught my ear.
"Tailing?"
If that's the case, then this man...
- Swoosh!
"Argh!"
Before I could even think or react, the man grabbed my neck.
Even though I'm seventeen, my body is not lacking compared to an average adult male.
Yet, he held me with such ease.
I examined my hand and wrist, but there was no change in muscle structure.
But how did he lift me up so effortlessly?
As I pondered, the man furrowed his brow.
"You... haven't learned martial arts."
"Martial... arts?"
"You don't even know what martial arts are? Ha!"
The man was astonished.
Why would he react so strongly to the mention of martial arts?
"Fascinating. A fellow who hasn't even learned martial arts yet still survived a blow from me..."
"Hmph, what nonsense..."
- Thud!
"Ugh!"
My abdomen seared with pain.
The man's dark blade had pierced through my abdomen.
With a sinister grin, the man spoke in a chilling voice.
"It'd be better to kill you now."
- Swish! Thud!
"Gah!"
As soon as I pulled the sword out of my abdomen, he stabbed me in the left chest.
As the blade pierced through my chest, blood gushed out of my mouth along with immense pain.
"You should have lived quietly. Why did you provoke me and rush your death?"
"I... I..."
As I stuttered, the man shoved me to the ground.
Then, turning around and raising his dark blade, he shouted,
"This is the end of your evil deeds, everyone, rest assured!"
Once again, he acted like a hero.
The survivors, unaware of his true colors, shouted with joy.
Although the wound from the chest piercing was excruciating, witnessing his hypocritical display filled me with anger.
I had found the culprit, only to be defeated so easily.
I was no match for him.
'Grandfather...'
My vision began to blur little by little.
I couldn't even seek revenge. Should I just go to my grandfather's side?
Breaking the promise would surely not be taken lightly...