Chapter 211 – 『Ten Demons』

“Hmm?”

Inside the shelter, Su Ming—who had been contemplating how to compensate Young Miss Wang—suddenly changed expression.

His exceptional Spirit Sense had ultimately allowed him to detect the arrival of enemies.

There weren’t many of them—only three.

But aside from two familiar foes, one among them stimulated Su Ming’s Spirit Sense.

It was danger.

It was power.

It was also a darkness he had never encountered before.

This sensation instantly made Su Ming jerk his head up, scanning everyone present.

“Hurry!” Su Ming shouted without hesitation. “Everyone, get to the back!”

“Eh?” The crowd froze momentarily.

Clearly, Su Ming’s abrupt warning hadn’t allowed those present to react immediately.

By the time they tried to respond, it was already too late.

The enemies had arrived.

“Boom—!”

Amidst a violent explosion, the shelter’s entrance was shattered.

Two figures charged forth from the direction shrouded in explosive dust, landing before Su Ming and the others.

“It’s you…!?”

Bai Ruxiang, Xu Yanyan, and the others all paled.

The newcomers were naturally Scarface and Baldy.

“En… enemy attack…!”

“That’s… an Upper-Rank Professional…!?”

“And two of them!”

“Quick, hide!”

The injured in the shelter also showed terrified expressions, struggling to rise one by one, no longer daring to remain lying down.

But neither they nor the female Hunters were given any regard by the invading enemies.

“So you are here after all.”

Scarface glanced around, then fixed his gaze on Su Ming.

“You won’t escape this time!”

Baldy also immediately directed threats at Su Ming, completely ignoring everyone else.

However, by now, Su Ming no longer regarded these two as threats either.

His expression grave, even his heartbeat quickening, he stared intently behind Scarface and Baldy.

“Come out.”

Su Ming gazed into that shadowy area, speaking in a deep voice.

Scarface and Baldy, who had always looked down on others, were now being ignored in turn, but they showed no annoyance.

In their view, Su Ming was already an unequivocally dangerous individual.

Having easily dispatched an Upper-Rank Hunter, Su Ming was an opponent Scarface and Baldy would certainly avoid confronting, let alone having him target them.

This mysterious powerhouse’s opponent wasn’t the two of them, but rather…

“Oh? Noticed my presence, did you?”

A black-clad Underground Professional emerged as if belatedly, stepping out slowly from behind Scarface and Baldy.

Scarface and Baldy tactfully stepped aside, making way for the black-clad Underground Professional to walk between them and enter the view of everyone present.

Seeing this Underground Professional who, like Su Ming, had concealed his appearance, Wang Yihan—if no one else—gasped in shock and fear.

“It’s you…!?”

Wang Yihan’s reaction startled Bai Ruxiang and Xu Yanyan beside her.

“You know him?”

Xu Yanyan asked reflexively.And with that inquiry, an answer that struck fear into everyone present was uttered from Wang Yihan’s lips.

“He… he is the Lord Crow who suppressed my father during the attack on our family!”

These words silenced all who had learned of the Wang Family’s assault from Wang Yihan.

It wasn’t speechlessness—they, like Wang Yihan, were plunged into terror.

Even Su Ming felt his heart sink, knowing they had truly encountered grave danger.

After all, according to Wang Yihan’s account, this Lord Crow had once confronted Wang Xiao, the Family Head of the Wang Family, during Sin’s assault and gained an overwhelming advantage.

Although this was because Wang Xiao had been severely wounded during the Huaming Campaign and was in semi-retirement with greatly diminished strength, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse—the fact that the other party could suppress Wang Xiao proved he must originally have been a powerhouse on par with him.

And what level was Wang Xiao?

A Six-Star Professional!

In other words, this underground Professional known as Lord Crow before them might very well be a Six-Star Professional!

And so it was.

“Feel honored, you rats.”

Scarface sneered coldly and spoke.

“Before you stands one of Sin’s great cadres, one known as the Ten Demons.”

————Ten Demons.

This was a title.

Moreover, it was no minor reputation like Qilin Blade, which only circulated in one or two remote Base Cities.

This was a name known throughout the world, one that no one was ignorant of.

Ten Demons—this title referred to ten utterly vicious and immensely powerful existences belonging to the underground world’s giant organization, Sin.

They were the strongest in Sin, second only to the Commander and Vice Captain, notorious madmen who had spread terror across the globe.

All ten were Six-Star Professionals, serving as Sin’s great cadres, their status inferior only to the Commander and Vice Captain. Some had even been recruited or invited at great cost by the two leaders, possessing the right to speak with them as equals.

Lord Crow was precisely one of these ten great cadres of Sin known as the Ten Demons.

Thus, with the Vice Captain having led the team away from here, the highest authority now lay with this Lord Crow.

Simultaneously, he was also the strongest here, the most fearsome enemy Su Ming and the others would have to face in this place.

His appearance not only emboldened Scarface, but even Baldy grinned fiercely and spoke.

“Lord Crow holds the third position among the Ten Demons. With trash like you, there’s no way you can continue to act recklessly.”

There indeed existed rankings among the great cadres of the Ten Demons.

These were determined purely by strength, unlike the Demon Hunter Academy’s rankings which also considered comprehensive achievements and other factors. Thus, there was no room for ambiguity or external influences—it was a complete hierarchy based on power.

Lord Crow was No.3 among the Ten Demons, a standout even among Six-Star Professionals, counted among the strongest of the strong.

This was the very foundation of his confidence to speak with Sin’s Vice Captain as an equal and face even a Seven-Star Hunter without backing down.

“————”Instantly, a heavy pressure descended upon everyone present, made palpable by Scarface and Baldy’s explanations.

All eyes were now fixed solely on Lord Crow, leaving no room for anyone else.

Some broke out in cold sweat.

Some felt fear creeping into their hearts.

Some turned and fled.

Some stifled their screams.

A genuine, formidable enemy had appeared here, bringing terror—even despair.

Under such circumstances, Lord Crow moved.

“————!?”

In that instant, Su Ming reacted as if electrified, spinning around abruptly.

But he only had time for that single motion—he couldn’t prevent what was unfolding before his eyes.

“Tap…”

With a soft yet distinct sound of a toe touching the ground, the black-clad Lord Crow suddenly appeared before someone.

That person was none other than Wang Yihan.

“Eek!”

Wang Yihan let out a panicked cry.

Lord Crow seized her by the neck and lifted her into the air.

“Wha…!?”

Bai Ruxiang and Xu Yanyan, who were closest to Wang Yihan, simultaneously gasped in shock, their faces paling.

They hadn’t seen Lord Crow’s movement at all—not his figure, not even the slightest disturbance in the air.

Ignoring the two horrified young women, a voice emerged from beneath the hood.

“You certainly know how to run, making me search all over,” Lord Crow remarked indifferently. “But now, the lost ‘Blood’ has finally been recovered.”

He spoke these words as if no one else were present.

“Let… let me go…!?”

Wang Yihan struggled desperately.

Unfortunately, the young miss’s neck was firmly gripped by Lord Crow, her entire body lifted so her feet dangled in the air. She could barely breathe, gasping in agony as her legs kicked wildly and her hands clutched at Lord Crow’s wrist. The more she struggled, the more she suffered.

Amid this chaos, a sharp whistling sound finally arrived.

A black shadow darted behind Lord Crow, its right hand clenched into a fist, all its power unleashed in that moment as it slammed toward Lord Crow’s back.

“Boom——!”

An explosive, muffled sound immediately reverberated, stirring up violent gusts.

Bai Ruxiang and Xu Yanyan were both sent flying by the shockwave.

The surrounding ground trembled abruptly, causing people nearby to retreat in panic.

Unparalleled force rampaged freely, creating quite a disturbance.

Only the two figures at the epicenter of the impact remained unmoved—aside from the slight rustle of black robes, neither retreated even a step.

Indeed.

Not only did the attacker not retreat, but the one who received the blow didn’t either.

“Not bad strength.”

Lord Crow offered this assessment, still holding Wang Yihan with one hand while his other hand stretched sideways to catch the cracked fist.

Su Ming felt as if he had punched a mountain of iron—even with all the strength in his right hand, he couldn’t budge his opponent in the slightest.

Lord Crow had effortlessly caught Su Ming’s right hand, which possessed ten times the power of his left, appearing completely at ease.

“It seems you haven’t brought out that power my two subordinates mentioned.”Lord Crow’s eyes beneath his hood glanced at Su Ming’s right hand, observing the arm that was clearly covered in cracks, and spoke.

“Is it the power of this right hand?”

As these words left Lord Crow’s mouth, Su Ming’s Spirit Sense delivered its most intense reaction ever.

An unprecedented warning surged like a tolling bell, making Su Ming retreat without a second thought.

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

“Rip!”

In the dimly lit Shelter, a tearing sound echoed with unmistakable clarity.

It was the sound of flesh being forcibly torn apart.

Su Ming’s right hand, which had struck Lord Crow’s palm, was tightly gripped by Lord Crow and violently ripped off.

Blood gushed out like a fountain, staining the ground red.

(End of Chapter)