Published at 8th of May 2026 7:11 am

Chapter 201: K.O.!

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Chapter 201: K.O.!

"Where the hell do you get off?!"

Dodging a rock whipped at his head, Seo-jin watched everyone nearby suddenly find the dirt beneath their boots fascinating as Yu-na tore into him. She had practically chased him out of the sky the second she arrived, hurling curses, stones, and a couple spells. Nothing lethal, but his arm still felt numb where one had clipped him.

Luckily he'd retracted the Twinback Serpents before she saw them, or things could have been alot worse.

"You know how long it takes to raise one of those?! I'd had him since he was an egg! An egg!"

Another rock flew. It missed him, but Lynn clearly didnt appreciate being caught in the crossfire.

"Owhey!"

Yu-na snapped toward her so fast it made her stiffen.

"Hey, what?!"

Backing off, Lynn shut her mouth before she said what she really wanted to and went right back to studying the ground. More for herself than to avoid the awkward situation like everyone else. To her, knowing of Yu-na and Seo-jin's relationship, she couldn't grip her fists tight enough to calm herself.

Raising both hands, Seo-jin took a careful step forward.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know. If I could take it back, I would, but yelling at me isn't helping anything."

"It's helping me!"

Black smoke curled tighter around her shoulders, twisting with her temper while tiny wails of the dead cried inside it. Taking that chance, Ash leaned out from behind her with an awkward little wave.

"Hey, boss. She was really worried about you. So was I."

"Quiet you!"

The heat rising into Yu-nas cheeks confirmed Ashs point whether she liked it or not. Ignoring her fit for the moment, the boy stepped around her and started explaining, his tone flattening as he walked them through everythingfrom the angels attack to waking underground, boxed in by damp earth and the stink of corpses.

How he had mangled himself to free his leg, how he had crawled bleeding through broken stone, blacked out, and eventually been found by Yu-na.

The group stood in cold silence and listened. When Ash reached the part about using a rock to crush and sever his own foot to escape, two sharp gasps slipped from Lynn and Widow, while the others looked at him differently after that. Harder. With more respect.

For some reason, the story hit the broodlings hardest. Snare especially looked like he might burst, his burning eyes flicking between Ash and Seo-jin until, finally, Seo-jin gave him a single nod.

Stepping out from the group, Snares staff tapped the dirt as he exchanged brief looks with each of his siblings. Through the broodlink, Seo-jin caught the rapid exchange and felt his brow lift. Even he hadnt expected what came next.

Snare cleared his throat, bloodlight beginning to leak off him in thin waves.

"Ash. What you have just told us has affected us broodlings deeply."

A sharp slam of Snares staff into the ground sent a jolt through the group and had Ash standing so straight his shoulders locked. The boy clearly had no clue what was happening, but he was smart enough to know it mattered.

"You were willing to sacrifice everything just to warn the Broodfather. From now on, you are officially one of us. You are the first human to be welcomed into the Brood. Do not take this honor lightly."

Howls, screeches, and guttural cries burst from the brood. Panic immediately looked ready to tackle the boy and start what was probably meant to be celebratory chewing, but Pain caught him, locking him down before things got out of hand.

In the back of the group, Lynn looked more than a little deflated until Widow jabbed her in the ribs.

"Don't worry, you'll get your chance."

She didnt answer, but her jaw tightened as she lifted his head to keep watching.

Feeling entirely too much pressure, and especially not liking the way Panic kept staring at him while openly drooling, Ash quickly bowed to Snare, then rushed to change the subject. He indeed felt proud of himself to a degree, but the thought of joining the Brood was a bit too intense for him to think about.

"What about Gregor? Yu-na said he was still alive."

Stepping forward, Seo-jin lowered himself to one knee in front of the boy, dirt pressing beneath him.

"Don't worry. The angel won't do anything until I get back. And Gregor will be fine, he's stronger than you think. But you surprise me, Ash. It takes a level of will most don't possess to have done what you did. When this is over, I'll make sure your reward matches your resolve."

Something in the way he said Gregor clearly didnt sit right with Yu-na. Before Ash could respond, she shoved past him hard enough to force him sideways.

"You're still going back?! Don't you get it? First my father and now this?! If you go back, you're as sure as dead, you idiot!"

Low growls immediately rolled from the brood, hot and sharp, but Seo-jin raised a hand and the sound died just as fast.

"Word of advicetreat me with more respect when you're in front of them. They're very protective."

Something shifted then. Up until now, her head had been jammed full of anger, relief, worry, frustration, and the steady urge to hit him again, but standing there with the cold night air brushing her skin, she finally slowed enough to fully process where she was.

She was surrounded by demons.

And every single one of them seemed willing to bow to the man standing in front of her.

Her eyes couldnt hide the realization trying to force its way through her head, and Seo-jin caught it immediately. Seeing where her thoughts might go if given too much room, he moved fast.

"Now that everythings been resolved, its time to part ways."

Yu-na blinked, pulled from her spiraling thoughts by the sharp shift.

"Part ways? What do you"

"Min, you know what to do. Keep them alive. Make sure they all level as much as they can."

Mins answer came in the form of smashing fists and a burst of yellow aura that cracked through the air. She clearly wasnt thrilled about the plan, but killing things usually improved her mood.

"Ash, youre going with Min, but before you leave, I need you to try something for me."

Carefully avoiding eye contact with the increasingly irritated Yu-na, Ash nodded fast.

"What cha need, boss?"

"I need you to do something about him."

Seo-jin motioned Grimm over with a flick of his hand.

Ash frowned, confused.

"What's wrong with Grimm? He looks fine."

"Ish not me, ist him."

Grimm opened his mouth wide, revealing the glowing grey orb of Split-jaws resting ghost. Ashs eyes widened so fast it almost looked painful, tears already gathering.

"Is that Split-jaw?!"

Knowing Ashs strange affinity for ghosts, and deeply annoyed that she couldnt see what he and Seo-jin clearly could, Yu-na activated a skill. Her eyes flashed black for a moment, and then she nearly stumbled backward as Grimms massive spectral body suddenly materialized in full around them.

"Is that yours?"

Somber now, Ash slowly shook his head.

"Grimm belongs to the boss. The small one was one of us. A Dead Hand."

Then he looked back at Seo-jin, his voice smaller.

"When did he die?"

"A few hours ago."

"Good."

Seo-jins brows drew tight as Ash sniffed hard and wiped his nose on his sleeve.

"Whys that good?"

Turning toward Split-jaw, Ashs eyes began to glw a soft blue.

"It makes capturing him easier. The older the ghost, the more their resentments grow. Even after a couple days, the difficulty increases a lot."

Drifting closer, Grimm carefully eased Split-jaw from his mouth with surprising care.

"What are you gonna do to him?"

Grimm hovered over the smaller ghost almost protectively, his massive form tense.

Ash just smiled.

"I'm gonna capture him and make him part of my team. If I don't, his mind will keep degrading until hes nothing but a violent wraith. Wraiths are what my shard calls human ghosts whove lost their personality."

Not entirely sure what hed expected, Seo-jin found himself genuinely relieved Ash knew exactly what to do. Watching the boy move without hesitation pushed his evaluation of him even higher.

Reaching out, Ash placed his hand over Split-jaws ghostly form.

"You're mine...ghost capture initialized!"

Soft blue system light burst from Ashs palm, spilling over Split-jaw completely.

The light held steady as Ashs face tightened with concentration. Wrapped in that glow, the orb of ectoplasm began to shudder violently. Then came the soundsSplit-jaws voice tearing through the night, full of anger, regret, and something raw enough to make the air feel colder.

Holding herself back, fingers trembling, Lynn fought every urge to lunge forward. Split-jaw's voice sounded like it was being ripped apart, agony twisting hard enough to make her stomach turn. The cries were brutal at first, but thankfully, they began to change.

The torment softened.

No longer pure anguish, it slowly became whispers...quiet...fading. Whispers of hope. Whispers of the Dead Hands.

Just as the blue light swelled to its peak, a sudden burst exploded from Split-jaws ghost. Hovering above them, his full spectral image took shape, clearer now, his old eyes settling on Ash.

Then two words echoed in everyones ears, despite his mouth never moving.

"Thank you."

Finally, all the light snapped back into Ashs palm, taking Split-jaw with it.

Clenching his fist tight, the kid threw it into the air.

"K.O.!"

[He really can't help himself.]

'As long as he wins, I don't care what he thinks. Hes earned his delusion.'

"Did you do it?! Is he okay?!"

Unable to hold herself back, tears running hot down her face, Lynn nearly grabbed Ash as she rushed forward.

"He's fine. Hes just on cooldown now. It'll be twenty-four hours before I can set his role and wake him up."

Lynn let out a shaky breath, relief hitting hard, though her head still tilted.

"His role?"

"Yeah, Triss is my dps, so Ill probably make him my"

"Thats enough. You can ask him about it later."

Seo-jins voice cut clean through the chatter, silencing the group as he turned toward Min.

"Go ahead and head out. Remember, Min. Keep them safe. And Slims won't be joining younono questions. Just do your part."

She hesitated, but finally agreed.

"Yes, boss."

After a quick bow, she spun on her heel to face the Dead Hands and brood, yellow aura flickering off her shoulders.

"Alright, move out fuckers! The freelands are waiting for some good dick, so lets make sure we leave her bloody!"

What started like a battle cry died fast as everyone stared at Min like something was deeply wrong with her.

Ignoring the idiots, Seo-jin sent a quick call to Tomb and motioned him aside. With a flash of system light, the [Giants Gallbladder] appeared in his palm, its dried surface rough as he handed it over.

"Eat this before your next level. This will be your path, Tomb. Dont disappoint me."

Taking the shriveled organ carefully, Tombs hand trembled as bloodlight began leaking from the corners of his mouth.

"Thank you, Broodfather. I wont disappoint you. Ever."

Keeping his face unreadable, Seo-jin gave a slight motion of dismissal and sent the broodling off to catch up with the others.

Watching them go, it didnt take long for the shadowed ruins of the old world to swallow them. His thoughts suddenly shifted to Lynn. He was honestly surprised shed managed to keep herself under control. Hed felt her pulse spike the second she spotted Yu-na. For now, whatever insecurities were clawing around inside her would have to be dealt with without him, and his plan to offer her a chance to become something more would have to wait.

Not a demon, but something almost as troublesome was already waiting to speak with him.

Alone.

In less than a minute, as the first edge of morning sun broke over the horizon and spilled weak warmth across the damp freelands, only Pain, Panic, Snare, and Seo-jin remained.

Besides Yu-na.

She had gone quiet, and that bothered him more than her yelling had. He could feel the steady unease coming off her as the breeze tugged lightly at her hair. When he finally turned to face her, the way she looked at him made his spine tighten. It felt like she was seeing him for the first time.

She hesitated, lips parting before shutting again, but then she shook her head once and forced the question out.

"Seo-jin...are you contracted with a demon?"

The broodlings reacted instantly. Pain rolled his eyes, Panic let out a sharp snicker, and Snare looked at her like shed asked if fire was wet. Heat rushed into Yu-nas chest, anger and embarrassment rising fast

"Leave us."

All three broodlings bowed without hesitation, then vanished out of earshot.

After a few quiet seconds, Seo-jin looked back into Yu-nas eyes.

"Ill be honest, if you hadnt shown up today to warn me, I mightve lied to you. But you did, so Ill respect that and tell you the complete truth."

Her shoulders tightened, and for a moment she looked like shed forgotten how to breathe.

He stepped closer, resting his hands on her shoulders.

"I am not contracted to a demon. I swear it. But my class is demonic."

Her brows pulled tight as she leaned in, searching his face.

"But how? I thought your class was weapons based."

"It was. But when I got trapped in the Fae Realm, things happened outside my control, and my class changed. So dont worry, Im not bound to some evil demon. Its still just me."

Slowly, she sighed from relief, resting her head against his chest as she listened. Beneath bone, muscle, and everything else hed become, his heartbeat still pounded steady and strong. The sound grounded her more than she wanted to admit. Too many nights, too many stolen moments, shed ended up there listening to it.

"Why wont you run away?"

He could tell the question wasnt really for him. Not fully. Still, his answer came easy.

"Would I be Wohan Seo-jin if I did?"

She said nothing.

They both already knew the answer.

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