Chapter 4: Isolated Area

Chapter 4: Isolated Area Damian rushed down the stairs of his apartment building. That same man from the other day was taking out the trash and noticed how fast Damian was moving. "Hey, kid! Didn’t I tell you to stop messing around? Why the hell are you running like that?" the man shouted. Of course, Damian ignored him completely and kept going. He wanted to get to the crime scene, clean it up, and eventually gain more skills. That was his goal. But the man didn’t back off. He followed Damian all the way outside the building and grabbed his arm. "You little shit, I’m talking to you!" That’s when Damian’s driver stepped out of the black car and appeared by his side in an instant. He grabbed the man’s wrist with a calm, cold tone in his voice. "Let go of him. Please." Just a little bit of Troy’s strength was enough to make the man release Damian. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but when his eyes met Troy’s, he froze. Quietly, he turned around and went back inside the building. "Thanks for the help," Damian said. "But don’t worry, I can handle those idiots myself." Even though it was nice that Troy had stepped in, Damian didn’t want to rely on someone else for everything. He already felt useless enough not being able to fight demons—needing help with drunk neighbors just made it worse. Once they were in the car, the driver finally introduced himself properly. "My name’s Troy," he said. "Looks like you made it through your first day and got the green light to stay on the team. So, I figured it was time I gave you my name." "What? You thought I wouldn’t survive the first day?" Damian asked. Troy chuckled. "Most people don’t come back after their first crime scene. It’s disgusting. Grotesque. But you did... and it was a heavy one too. That says a lot about you." Damian wasn’t used to receiving compliments. Hearing that from Troy actually felt kind of nice. "Thanks... I guess." "No problem." Just like the other day, Damian stared out the window during the ride. The lights from the streetlamps, the cars, and especially the huge billboards gave the city a unique atmosphere. It really felt like he was living in a big city now—so different from where he used to live. As he watched the city pass by, he had the urge to activate his new ability—just to see what was hiding beneath the veil of normal sight. He wanted to look at the mana trails, maybe spot a demon lurking in the shadows. But he didn’t do it. Troy wasn’t someone ordinary. Damian didn’t want to risk exposing himself too soon. "Troy moved too fast earlier... and he’s strong. He’s definitely a Hunter." As time passed, Damian noticed the city getting less crowded. The surroundings were becoming quieter, emptier. "Where exactly is the crime scene?" he asked. "Just outside the city," Troy replied. "It’s a more isolated location—less people, more shadows. We have to be even more careful." "Even more careful? What do you mean?" Damian asked. He was still clueless about a lot of things when it came to demons, and he wanted to understand why Troy was implying that isolated places were more dangerous than the city. "Often, the stronger demons don’t hang around inside the city where they can easily be seen. They prefer isolated spots, where it’s harder for us to find their victims in time." That didn’t mean strong demons only lived outside the city. They were everywhere. But it was more common to encounter dangerous ones in remote areas. It made Damian a little uneasy. He had just gotten his system and a unique skill—maybe even a shot at becoming strong someday. No sane person would want to lose that. And how would he lose it? By dying. Troy noticed Damian had gone quiet. "Relax. Your job as a cleaner isn’t usually dangerous. The Hunters already checked the scene. You’re the last to show up—after the fighting’s done." At least, that was what they expected when the car turned off the main road and onto a muddy trail, entering the forest shortly after leaving the city behind. It was a bit rough driving a luxury car on that kind of road, but nothing that would compromise the mission. Eventually, they came upon a small wooden cabin near a lake. It looked like someone’s countryside home. Unlike the last time, the police weren’t there. Instead, Damian saw several people dressed in long black coats. They all looked strong. Nataly wasn’t among them. He stepped out of the car with Troy, and one of the people approached them. The man was tall, with blond hair and piercing blue eyes. He wore a black overcoat like the others and had a sword strapped to his back. "What’s he doing here?" the man asked, clearly referring to Damian. Troy answered before Damian could say anything. "He’s here to clean the crime scene. Why? Is there a problem?" "There is," the blond man said, serious. "We believe the creature might still be nearby. Or maybe it’s another demon entirely—not the one that killed the person in the cabin. What matters is that something is still out there. We can’t let someone weak like him stay here." The situation had changed completely. Usually, it was safe for Damian to clean up a crime scene. In fact, they only ever called him in when things were certainly safe. But this time... that wasn’t the case. Still, Damian didn’t want to leave. Maybe it was the false confidence from his new ability—or maybe he just wanted to do his job. Either way, he wanted to stay. "I’ll be quick," Damian said. "With all of you here, I doubt anything will happen. I won’t even leave the cabin." The blond man looked at him for a few seconds, then turned his eyes to the cabin. The place reeked. From the outside, it already looked filthy—and half of a body was still inside. "...Fine. You can clean. But don’t take long." Damian grabbed his cleaning gear from the trunk and headed toward the cabin. What he didn’t know... was that something in the forest had been watching him for a while already.