CHAPTER 64: DEMON FROM HELL

Yeri’s breath hitched as she saw a figure approaching the car—but it wasn’t Shin Keir.

Thankfully, she had trusted her instincts earlier. A growing sense of unease had crawled under her skin, pushing her to leave the car just minutes ago.

She didn’t dare go too far, worried Shin might return and not find her. As she glanced around for a place to hide, her eyes landed on a tree not far from the roadside. Without thinking, she scrambled up.

Back at home, when her health allowed it, she often climbed the fruit trees in their manor garden, especially the one with a treehouse. She’d always liked the feeling of being up high, above everything.

Now, perched between the branches, clutching the rough bark, she held her breath.

From her hiding spot, she saw the man moving closer, his posture tense, searching for something. Or someone.

Yeri bit her lip to stop herself from making even the slightest sound.

The man walked past the tree, and she almost sighed in relief.

Then—

Crack.

Her foot slipped.

Thud.

The sound was small but sharp in the silence. The man stopped.

He turned back instantly, his eyes scanning the tall grass.

A flash of color caught his attention—a pink sports shoe.

His eyes snapped upward. His mouth curled into a sinister smile.

It was dark, but not enough to hide her completely. He could see the outline of someone clinging to the branches above.

So Shin Keir had hidden her up there. Clever.

"Come down if you don’t want to die," the man said, voice low and threatening, his gun aimed at the tree.

There was a rustle of leaves, but nothing else.

"Bitch, I know you’re up there," he snapped, his tone turning cruel. "Don’t think I can’t see you."

Still no movement.

He clenched his teeth, growing more frustrated by the second.

Yeri was frozen against the tree trunk, holding on as tightly as she could. Her heart pounded against her chest like a drum. Her mind spun.

What should she do? What could she do?

Then—

"Meow~"

The man blinked.

What?

"Meow~" came the soft sound again.

He stared up, stunned.

What kind of—

F*ck this bitch!

In all his years as an assassin, he had never encountered something so absurd.

Who the hell meowed when a gun was aimed at them? Did she really think she could fool him?

There were no stray cats living up trees in the middle of nowhere. Maybe a bird call would’ve been more believable!

He lost his patience.

He raised his gun, ready to shoot—not to kill, just to wound her enough to drag her down.

But before he could pull the trigger—

BAM.

A heavy kick slammed into his back, sending him flying across the grass and crashing into a tree with a sickening crack.

"Guhk—!"

Blood sprayed from his mouth as pain exploded in his ribs. Bones cracked.

He staggered, barely catching himself.

Standing before him was Shin Keir—cold, silent, eyes burning with fury. Like a demon freshly risen from hell.

Gunshots exploded as the two men fought.

From the branches above, Yeri watched wide-eyed, gripping the tree as her knuckles turned white. She didn’t even dare blink.

The man was fast—trained, skilled. He dodged Shin’s bullets by mere inches, darting in and out of the trees with sharp movements.

But as he ran out of ammo, his breathing grew heavier. Slower.

Shin Keir hadn’t changed at all. No signs of fatigue. Not even a scuff in his steps.

He discarded his empty gun, and to the man’s shock, so did Shin.

Now was his chance.

With a snarl, the man charged forward, drawing a military-grade knife.

They clashed.

For a moment, the sound of fists and metal echoed under the night sky. But the man quickly realized...it was pointless.

Every time Shin’s fist landed, it felt like being hit by a truck. One punch nearly knocked the breath out of him.

He was done.

But if he had to die—he wouldn’t die alone.

With a twisted grin, he hurled his knife, not at Shin, but up toward the tree.

Straight toward Yeri.

Shin’s eyes sharpened.

In a split second, he spun, kicked up a small stone from the ground, caught it mid-air, and launched it with inhuman precision.

Clink—

The rock collided with the flying knife, knocking it off-course.

The blade fell harmlessly to the ground.

"Impossible..." the man whispered, his face pale with horror.

What kind of human could see the angle of a flying knife in the dark and counter it mid-air with a rock?

This level of skill wasn’t something a person could train for.

Shin Keir... he wasn’t normal. He was truly a monster.

The knife dropped by Shin’s foot.

The man’s strength faded. He was done, exhausted and badly injured. He turned to run.

But he only took two steps before he froze.

A sharp pain bloomed in his neck.

His hand reached up instinctively, warm blood poured through his fingers.

He looked down, confused...

The very knife he had thrown earlier—now buried deep in his throat.

Thud.

He collapsed onto the ground. Motionless.

---

Seeing the man collapse, Shin remained still for a moment. The suffocating, murderous aura that had clung to him seconds ago disappeared like it had never existed. It was as if he’d flipped a switch, like he was an entirely different person.

He looked up toward the tree, his voice calm, steady. "Are you alright?"

Yeri blinked, still clinging to the trunk. Everything that had just happened felt like a blur. The gunshots, the knife, the man’s twisted smile.

Did she actually almost get hit by a flying blade?

"I-Is he... dead?" she asked hesitantly.

Shin gave a slight nod. "Hmm. Jump down, I’ll catch you."

Carefully, Yeri inched her way down through the branches. It occurred to her that the adrenaline from earlier must’ve been what helped her climb so fast.

Now, the branches felt rough and sharp against her palms, and her skirt made movement awkward. With only one shoe left on, she tiptoed down, trying to be cautious, but her foot slipped.

"Ack—!" She shrieked, bracing for impact.

But the fall never came.

Strong arms caught her mid-air.

"Did you hurt yourself climbing up?" Shin asked, his brows furrowed in concern.

Yeri slowly opened her eyes, realizing she was safe. No pain. No bruises. Just his arms wrapped securely around her.

After gently placing her on the ground, Shin crouched and retrieved her other shoe, slipping it back onto her foot with quiet care.

"I didn’t know you could climb trees," he teased lightly, trying to ease the lingering tension.

Yeri was about to respond, but her eyes drifted toward the body lying a short distance away.

The sight sent a chill down her spine. Before she could focus on it, Shin reached out and covered her eyes.

"Don’t look," he murmured. "Don’t dirty your eyes. It’s my fault, I miscalculated and came back too late."

She was just about to speak when the bushes rustled, followed by approaching footsteps.

Shin’s posture shifted in an instant. His body turned rigid, eyes scanning the shadows, and he instinctively pulled Yeri behind him.

"Boss?"

More figures emerged from the dark.

Shin narrowed his eyes, cautious, until he finally recognized them.

"How did you know I was here?"

"Young Master, are you alright?" another voice called out.

Yeri peeked from behind Shin, her expression easing with recognition. "Is that... Butler Hong?"

The older man’s voice was steady and composed. "Young lady! It’s good to know you’re safe."

He turned to the others behind him, his tone suddenly sharp. "Scout the area!"

The men dispersed quickly and quietly.

Butler Hong then stepped closer and explained, "Young lady answered my call earlier and told me the situation. That’s how we found your location."

Shin’s expression darkened as he turned toward Yeri, she must have been very frightened.

Without a word, he wrapped an arm around her and held her close, guiding her away from the scene. His grip was firm, almost too tight but Yeri didn’t protest. She could feel the storm still lingering in him.

Was it over? Were they still in danger?

Once they reached the new car parked by the roadside, Shin nodded at Butler Hong.

"Don’t worry, Young Master," the butler replied. "I’ll take care of the rest."

As Yeri climbed into the backseat beside Shin, she glanced at the time. It was past 9 p.m.

After everything that had happened, her seafood craving was completely forgotten. She just wanted a quiet place to breathe.

"Can you drop me off at the dorm?" she asked quietly.

"No," Shin replied flatly. "I already called a doctor to check on you."

Yeri frowned. He was still holding her tightly. "Can you let go now? My waist hurts."

Only then did he loosen his grip slightly but he didn’t let go entirely.

She sighed. What’s with him tonight?

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

She was about to shake her head, but paused. Shin Keir not only owed her a seafood dinner but she nearly died tonight. A light snack felt like a reasonable celebration for surviving.

As if reading her silence, Shin added, "It’s not good to eat seafood late at night... but I’ll make it up to you."

Yeri gave a slow nod. "Right. You do still owe me a seafood buffet."

So what if she’s petty? It was a debt.

"And you also owe me another cup of coffee," Shin added with a chuckle.

Yeri shot him a look. "Why do I owe you? I wasn’t the one who caused the incident earlier."

Still, if he insisted, she’d make it again. This time, she’d make it strong enough to knock him out.

---

When they finally reached the familiar villa, Yeri couldn’t help but grumble, "I have school tomorrow."

"I know," Shin replied simply. "I’ll take you back early. But for now, stay here tonight."

At the villa, a house-call doctor was already waiting. He examined Yeri’s scrapes and bandaged her hands and arms carefully.

Climbing the tree had left shallow cuts from the branches, but nothing too serious. The doctor also checked her scalded leg, gently applying ointment and assuring her it wouldn’t leave a scar.