Chapter 166: THE DEMON INVASION
Raito watched as his undead army fought across the city.
"...They’re still too weak."
"They can slow the monsters down, but they aren’t strong enough."
He looked across the battlefield as several undead were torn apart by higher-ranked monsters.
"At least..."
"I have more than enough LP."
He looked toward the system.
[(System)]
[(Status Adjustment)]
"Show me the undead army’s information."
System windows appeared before him.
His eyes scanned through the stats of his undead soldiers.
"...According to their current attributes..."
"To raise every one of them to the level of a D-rank hunter..."
"I’ll have to sacrifice at least 100,000 LP."
He nodded.
"...That’s nothing."
Another notification appeared.
[(Would you like to sacrifice 100,000 LP to strengthen hundreds of undead soldiers?)]
[(YES / NO)]
Without hesitation—
Raito selected YES.
Another notification immediately appeared.
[(100,000 LP has been sacrificed.)]
[(Current LP: 9,900,000)]
A surge of energy erupted from Raito’s body.
Green light spread across the sky before splitting into countless streams, each one flying toward an undead soldier.
The moment the light entered their bodies—
Their skeletal frames became sturdier.
Their movements became faster.
Their strength increased dramatically.
Across Japan, the undead army suddenly became powerful enough to fight on equal footing with D-rank monsters, giving the overwhelmed hunters much-needed support.
Instantly—
Across Japan, every undead soldier began glowing.
A deep purple aura erupted from their bodies.
Mana surged through every bone, reinforcing their skeletal frames.
Their bones became denser.
Their muscles of dark mana condensed.
Their eyes burned brighter.
The transformation was complete in an instant.
Then—
They moved.
Boom!
Their speed increased drastically.
The undead charged across the battlefield like a black tide.
They were no longer struggling against ordinary monsters.
One undead swung its sword.
Slash!
A C-rank wolf was split cleanly in half.
Another lifted a civilian onto its shoulder before leaping over collapsing buildings to carry them to safety.
Others intercepted monsters before they could reach fleeing families.
Some formed defensive lines around injured hunters.
Others carried the wounded away while the remaining undead continued fighting.
The momentum of the battle immediately shifted.
The monsters that had been pushing the hunters back were now being forced into retreat.
An A-rank hunter stared in disbelief.
"They..."
"They’re stronger!"
"They’ve all become stronger at the same time!"
Another hunter widened his eyes.
"How is that possible?"
"They were struggling just a moment ago!"
A D-rank hunter watched an undead crush a monster with a single punch.
"What..."
"That’s the strength of a D-rank hunter!"
Across the battlefield, hunters gradually stopped fighting for a brief moment.
They simply stood there...
Watching.
Watching the undead army fight in perfect coordination.
Without fear.
Without hesitation.
Without a single complaint.
Every movement was efficient.
Every strike was precise.
Every undead fought only to protect civilians and eliminate monsters.
"...They’re doing our job for us..."
one exhausted hunter muttered.
Another tightened his grip on his weapon before smiling.
"Then let’s not waste this opportunity!"
"Everyone!"
"Fight alongside them!"
The hunters roared in response and charged back into battle, now supported by Raito’s rapidly advancing undead army.
Then—
Something changed.
The undead were no longer fighting as individuals.
It was as if they had suddenly become... smarter.
They began coordinating with one another.
Groups of undead formed defensive formations.
Others escorted civilians through the safest routes.
Some created protective lines while others held back monsters.
Several undead abandoned combat entirely to prioritize rescuing the wounded.
One by one, civilians were safely escorted to the massive underground emergency shelters built beneath the cities.
High above, drones continued broadcasting the battle live across Japan.
Inside the Hunter Organization’s central command room, giant screens displayed every battlefield.
Guild Masters.
Military commanders.
Government officials.
Everyone watched in stunned silence.
"...Impossible."
"They’re coordinating."
"Undead aren’t supposed to fight like this."
"They’re supposed to be mindless."
"They’re protecting civilians..."
"They’re making tactical decisions."
One Guild Master slowly stood.
"...This is because of one man."
"Raito."
Before anyone could say another word—
VROOOOM!
Every portal across Japan suddenly trembled.
Their green glow rapidly faded.
Then—
They turned...
Orange.
The atmosphere instantly became several times heavier.
"...The portal changed!"
"What is happening?!"
A moment later—
BOOM!!
An enormous wave of monsters burst out simultaneously.
Leading the charge were gigantic skeletal creatures.
Each stood over four meters tall.
Their enormous jaws were lined with razor-sharp teeth capable of crushing steel.
Heavy bone armor covered their bodies.
Their crimson eyes glowed with murderous intent.
B-Rank Monster
Skeletal Chopper.
Alongside them came another terrifying species.
Towering humanoid monsters with massive bodies and brutal physical strength.
Their appearance alone sent fear through nearby hunters.
B-Rank Monster
Mourner.
The battlefield instantly changed.
The newly arrived B-rank monsters tore through the front lines.
Several undead were smashed apart.
Hunters who had finally begun pushing back were forced into retreat once again.
The same thing happened...
In Tokyo.
In Osaka.
In Kyoto.
In Chiba.
In Fukuoka.
In Hokkaido.
Across every part of Japan.
Meanwhile—
Raito remained perfectly still.
His eyes stayed closed.
Through his connection to every undead soldier, he watched every battlefield simultaneously.
His consciousness shifted from one undead to another in an instant.
Countless perspectives flowed into his mind.
"...At the same time..."
"...Every portal..."
"...Every city..."
"...How?"
"This shouldn’t be possible."
"How are they all synchronized?"
He frowned.
"I don’t understand..."
Then—
A blue system window appeared before him.
[(Quest Notification)]
[(Main Quest will begin in: 30 Minutes)]
Another notification appeared.
[(Main Quest: Phase One)]
[(The Demon Plan to Conquer the Human Realm)]
Raito’s eyes slowly opened.
"...Demons?"
"So that’s what this is..."
"...No wonder."
Another notification appeared.
[(For centuries, the Demon Race has secretly accumulated mana and performed countless blood sacrifices in preparation for this day.)]
[(The invasion of the Human Realm has begun.)]
Raito’s expression became serious.
"So this wasn’t random..."
"It was planned."
One final notification appeared before him.
[(In 30 minutes, the user will be presented with a Quest Choice.)]
The blue windows slowly disappeared.
Silence filled the air.
Raito slowly tightened his grip on his dagger.