The Sewer Rat King woke up in the middle of the Everland military camp, his body radiating a deadly aura distinct from other spirits. His bloodshot eyes darted around at the hundreds of Death Rats encircling him like he was a dangerous anomaly. Betrayal-fueled rage exploded from his throat in a roar.

  He lunged, attacking the Death Rat spirits.

  “Hey! Behave yourself!” Lumi sprinted in and delivered a high kick straight to the Rat King’s face. Her brow furrowed. Unlike other spirits sent to Everland, this one refused to submit. Under her foot, the Rat King shrieked and thrashed. The Hellhounds stared at the new arrival who dared cause a scene in Everland.

  We’ve been here longer than you, and even we don’t start trouble. Where’d you get the guts?

  “Someone get me a rope!” Lumi shouted. One Hellhound ran into the castle and returned with a cord. Lumi pulled it taut, ordering the other Death Rats to pin the King down for easier restraint. Tied at the limbs like a wriggling green worm, the Rat King could only scream curses and inch around pathetically.

  Fethan entered the scene just in time to witness the chaos. Lumi ran over to explain.

  “Looks like cursed spirits don’t obey me.”

  “The Reaper said cursed spirits have to be purified with holy power to submit. That takes time… and holy energy.” Lumi’s face tightened. Fethan frowned. Holy Power was by far his weakest attribute. He shook his head, already giving up on purifying the Rat King.

  The Rat King wept in frustration. He couldn’t fathom how Fethan had found him. Only Fethan, Lumi, the Werewolf, Death Rat B, and Hellhounds A and B knew the truth.

  The Reaper had asked the simplest question: Did the Hellhounds in the operation hear the flute?

  All the Hellhounds involved said they heard a faint sound. That alone was enough for Fethan to locate and capture the Rat King. The Death Rats weren’t smart enough to pinpoint the source, but cursed spirits had distinct auras—according to the Reaper.

  So, the job fell to Everland’s top bloodhound—the Werewolf.

  The Werewolf’s senses outclassed Fethan’s a hundredfold. Its hearing and smell were unparalleled. Once the target’s location was known, eliminating it was as easy as slicing fruit. It was all about using the right people the right way.

  Fethan took time to rest. He doubled down on antibiotics, two vials a day, paranoid about infections from his sewer dive. The next day, he returned to the sewer, even though no new quests had appeared. His goal: collect spirits and expand Everland.

  Fethan barely returned home anymore—Everland had become his second home. It was comfortable, complete with a soft bed and clean air. Sadly, supplies were limited. By day five, he planned a supply run.

  He entered Everland’s shop. The shelves were empty—no items in sight. Upstairs was a special store accessible only to the Lord. Ten slots were displayed on a whiteboard, each with a white or green paper slip and item details.

  He bought spirit energy potions here. Inventory reset once a day. What irked him was the price—he only had 10 Soul Coins, and most items cost far more, some even in the hundreds.

  Still, the spirit energy potions were too useful to ignore. That’s why he checked the list daily. Today, one item caught his eye:

  [Talisman of the Dead (Green): 5 Soul Coins. Allows one spirit to travel in the human world. Spirit cannot stray far from the talisman and won’t be targeted by Reapers.]

  “This is it,” Fethan muttered. He paid without hesitation. Lumi loved fun and exploration. Keeping her trapped in barren Everland was torture. He laid the paper on the counter. A silver pendant with a mysterious aura materialized in a gift box.

  Fethan returned to the castle and found Lumi sulking in the library. She was studying how to regain power from scratch. Having lost almost everything, she was deeply frustrated. With no entertainment—no phone, no TV, no internet—she was bored out of her mind.

  “Lumi.”

  “Hm? What’s up?” she looked over.

  “I got this. Wanna go on a trip with me?”

  “Why would I say no?!” Lumi’s heart raced as she read the talisman’s description. She threw herself into Fethan’s arms, her body pressing against his. Tears welled up—she couldn’t wait to return to the human world. Everland was fine, but its entertainment value was zero.

  “Wooooowww!” Lumi’s eyes sparkled as they stepped through the white portal.

  “Blue skies! Skyscrapers! Even the awful air—I love it!”

  “You don’t have to love the smog,” Fethan rolled his eyes. Lumi flew through the air in her spirit form like a kid seeing the world for the first time. Her red eyes lit up at every detail, from pedestrians to buildings. If he hadn’t bought the talisman, she’d have probably lost her mind from boredom in under a month.

  Fethan parked his motorcycle at the Demon Slayer Guild office. On the back: a canvas sack full of things no sane person wanted to see. He hefted it with both arms and entered the building.

  He dumped the contents onto a tray—Death Rat heart cores. Each one proof of a clean kill.

  “You’re telling me an E-rank mage went solo into the sewers, killed over a hundred Death Rats, and came back without a scratch? You didn’t… buy these, did you?” the clerk stared in disbelief.

  “Hehehe~ Fethan’s amazing, right? As his mommy, I’m so proud~” Lumi wiped away fake tears. She’d wanted the clerk to faint in shock at seeing hundreds of cores—but even a hundred was suspicious. Fethan didn’t want to expose too much of his strength yet.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  ‘You’re my girlfriend, not my mom…’ Fethan glared, but said nothing. Only he could see her.

  “Ma’am, isn’t your question a bit rude? If I could buy these, I would. But no one sells them.” He replied with a smirk. The clerk blushed and adjusted her glasses. Heart cores weren’t sold—not because they were expensive, but because no one wanted to go near sewers.

  “Understood. Funds will be deposited within 24 hours. On behalf of the public, thank you for your service.” She bowed. A standard line—but did she mean it? Sewer missions were unpopular, even with government bonuses. Fethan’s efforts made the city safer than most elite Slayers combined.

  He left the office. His phone pinged—payment received. The clerk had worked fast.

  “Where to next?”

  “How about an aquarium?” Lumi suggested.

  “Sure thing, my lady. Today, Daddy’s buying.” He flashed his balance.

  “Daaaaddy~” Lumi giggled, clinging to his arm. They spent the whole day dating—though sadly, she couldn’t enjoy food.

  Fethan realized something great about dating a ghost—no second ticket, no meal costs, no extras. The cheapest date of his life. They returned home past midnight.

  Ding-dong.

  “Mmm…” The doorbell woke him. He’d gotten real rest—not even Everland’s luxury compared to his cramped old room in the Bloodstar house.

  Ding-dong. Again. He headed down to open it.

  At the door: a man in Demon Slayer uniform, much like Shiel’s. White right eye. Long claw scars. Left eye black as obsidian—sharp as a hawk’s. Dressed in a thick coat that made him look bear-sized. Beside him, a little girl shifted nervously.

  Black hair. Silver eyes. Clutching her pink dress, trembling—but her eyes locked eagerly on Fethan.

  “Hello. Who are you?”

  “I’m Jonathan, Demon Slayer Unit. You’re Fethan, son of Lupus?”

  “…Yes.” Fethan’s brow furrowed. A name he hadn’t heard in years. Did they find out he had Gamo’s dark magic notes?

  Then Jonathan said something that hit harder than any revelation:

  “This girl is Stella—your half-sister.”

  Fethan invited them in, though his mind reeled. He poured cheap coffee for Jonathan and warm milk for the girl, who examined the old house with sparkling curiosity.

  “Eh? This cutie’s your sister? She’s adorable!” Lumi floated in, inspecting Stella from head to toe. Doll-like, fragile—adorable enough to spark maternal instincts. Their eyes met—Stella looked away.

  “Fethan! She looked away! She hates me already!” Lumi pouted.

  “She can’t see you.” Fethan sighed.

  “Mr. Jonathan, I’d like details. How does my dad, missing for 14 years, have an 8-year-old daughter?” Fethan asked flatly. If not for Jonathan’s government ID, he’d assume it was a scam. He hadn’t seen Lupus since his mother died when he was ten.

  ‘So Dad wasn’t missing. He was just out making secret kids. What a joke.’

  Fethan clenched his fists. Part of him was angry. Part of him was… relieved?

  He looked at Stella. She flinched every time he glanced at her.

  “First, you should know who your father really was. He was a Demon Slayer—like me. A top agent. Lupus was a strong operative.”

  “What…” Fethan couldn’t believe it. The useless man who abandoned them was a Slayer?

  Demon Slayers differed from standard Slayers—they handled high-risk missions, targeting dark magic. Fethan had tried to join them, and failed many times. Shiel and Lumi were both part of that unit.

  ‘If even Colonel Jonathan respects him, he must’ve been something else.’

  “Didn’t believe me? Look at this.” Jonathan handed him a classified file stamped [Confidential].

  Major Lupus Bloodstar – Special Ops, Demon Slayer Unit Lead agent in the capture of Gamo J.K. Hedison.

  “He arrested the King of Dark Magic?!”

  “Correct. Lupus was our inside man. Without him, we’d never have caught Gamo. He couldn’t come home. His mission was critical.”

  “…Is he still alive?”

  “No. We lost contact ten years ago. Presumed dead during a raid on Gamo’s cult. Then, last month, we cracked a human trafficking case involving an orphanage. We found records showing Lupus had a daughter—seven years old. Despite being missing a decade.”

  Jonathan’s tone grew somber. He hadn’t touched his coffee.

  “That’s all I know. Stella’s your half-sister. As her only blood relative, you can take her in—or let the state handle it.”

  “If I refuse?”

  “She’ll go to foster care. I’ll try to find a good home. But it’s not the same as being with real family.”

  “I… I want to stay with you,” Stella said suddenly. Her silver eyes welled with tears. Fethan looked at her—she panicked, averting her gaze.

  “Fethan, I think she’s scared you’ll reject her. If money’s not a problem, maybe you should take her in?” Lumi offered. Fethan studied Stella—his sister.

  “Alright. Then you’ll stay here.”

  “R-really? I don’t need school! I can sleep in the dog house! I’m good at chores! I don’t eat much! One slice of bread is enough! I-I’m super easy to take care of!” she babbled.

  Fethan and Jonathan’s faces darkened.

  ‘What the hell? One slice of bread?’

  Fethan wasn’t mad at Stella—but at whatever made her think like this.

  “Jonathan, what the hell happened to her at that orphanage?”

  “As her guardian, you have a right to know. She was placed in multiple homes. All had problems. She kept getting sent back. Every home had issues.”

  ‘Sent back… over and over?’

  Stella trembled, then broke down crying. She feared rejection. She was used, discarded. A product with defects.

  “If you stay here, you’ll have your own room. School. Three meals. Pocket money. I’m not rich—but I’ll take care of you. Want to stay with me?”

  “…You don’t hate me?”

  “Why would I?”

  “I’m illegitimate. Cursed. I bring misfortune. You’ll suffer because of me…”

  “You want to stay, right? That’s enough. If anyone deserves my anger, it’s our deadbeat dad who left us to suffer. I had it rough without a father—but you probably had it worse. I’ll take care of you.”

  Fethan smiled. Stella was too thin. Too quiet. Too sad. But he wasn’t going to abandon his blood.

  He’d always wanted family.

  “Thank you…” she whispered, clutching her chest. Warmth spread through her heart like sunlight.

  “The government will provide support,” Jonathan added. “Tuition, living expenses. Perks for children of Demon Slayers.”

  “Wait. I never got a cent growing up. If my dad was a Slayer—even undercover—why was I ignored?”

  “That was the higher-ups’ fault. Someone buried Lupus’s identity and blocked support. But now that the truth’s out, we’ll compensate you—retroactively, with interest.”

  “Who did it? I deserve to know.”

  “Lupus was… difficult. He held grudges. If you go after the person responsible, I’ll regret telling you. Just take the money. Enjoy life with your sister.”

  ‘No. I’ll find out. Whoever screwed with my life—will answer for it.’

  “By the way, one last question. Answer honestly, and you’ll help me a lot.”

  “What is it?”

  “Did you receive power from a system?”

  The question struck like lightning. Fethan froze—but recovered quickly. He stared back, stone-faced.

  “No.”

  “I see.”

  “Why ask?”

  “Many people are chosen by systems. Your father was one. He only had an A-rank system, but it helped him infiltrate Gamo’s circle. I feared you’d gotten something similar. But if not, good.” Jonathan stood. Mission complete.

  “If a system does choose you, take this advice: Don’t accept it.”

  “Why? If I’m chosen, don’t I deserve the power?”

  “Systems never pick wrong. Whether F or S rank, the power always has a price. Like a deal with the devil. Your father’s power was… tragic. And you might inherit that fate. I don’t want that for you.”

  ‘So my SSS-rank system… wasn’t luck. It was fate.’

  Jonathan added one final warning:

  “Clean your house. Especially the storage room. If you find anything suspicious, report it to us immediately.”

  “You talk like you know I have something.”

  Fethan thought of Gamo’s book and the Map of the Dead. Was Jonathan aware?

  “No. Just a hunch. But sometimes, homes hide things no one expects. Take care, Fethan. Stella.”

  Jonathan left. A kind man, warm toward children. Fethan remained cautious—but respected him.

  Still, he couldn’t tell anyone about Everland—or Gamo’s notes.

  Not until he knew who he could trust.