Within a Hollow Heart - Chapter 4: Volume 1, : "Shadows of the Severed"

“You might be my wife, but I shall not lay a hand on you.”

“Is that so? Then can I lay my hand on you?”

“……Pardon?”

***

Around 20 years in the future, the world is destroyed due to the invasion of demons. There’s only one way to prevent the destruction.

Marry the Duke known as the Monster and give birth to his child who will grow up to be the future warrior.

“Mielle, that marriage, I’ll do it instead.”

Yelena, who saw the future,
decided to get married to the Monster Duke and give birth to his child to save the world, however…

“Are we going to keep being idle like this?”

She thought she would be able to get it over and done with (?),
but her husband’s impregnable fortress-like defenses are beyond imagination!

“I told you to strip! Why aren’t you stripping?! Is it a part of your skin?”

Can Yelena safely give birth to the warrior and save the world in the end?

The narrative follows a gamer who, after selecting the “Awakened Cinder” class in the game Fractured Dawn, finds himself transported into the game's world. However, this version of the game is devoid of its usual interfaces—no UI, no tutorials, and no second chances. Each death strips away a part of his memories and identity, immersing him deeper into a perilous reality.The protagonist, now known as Riven, must navigate the treacherous Witherlands, confronting formidable foes like the Gravemare and Dreamborn Horrors, while uncovering the mysteries of Emberlight, Grace, and Cindershrines. His journey is one of survival, self-discovery, and challenging the very fabric of this fractured world.

The Shao and Cheng families have been sworn enemies for generations, though few outsiders know the exact details of their feud.

What is known to all is the Shao family’s three cardinal rules:

The Shao family must not cooperate with the Chengs, must not intermarry with the Chengs, and must never appear with the Chengs at any public event.

One day, an adorable little girl looking like a doll, wearing a puffy pink dress, pink hair clip, and pink backpack, walked into the lobby on the first floor of the Shao Group building.

The receptionist thought she was some child who had wandered away from home. But the little girl solemnly said, “I want to see your Shao Group CEO, Shao Chengze.”

Seeing the girl’s pink outfit, the receptionist knew she must be from a wealthy and noble family to dare to address their CEO by his full name. She couldn’t be the daughter of some high-ranking Shao Group executive?

Smiling warmly, she asked, “Little one, could you tell me your parents’ names?”

The girl tilted her head. “My mommy is Cheng Jinlan.”

Cheng…Jinlan?!

Second Miss Cheng Jinlan of the Cheng family?! She never thought she’d see the day a Cheng would set foot in the Shao Group building. What a miracle!

“As for my dad, I’ve come today to get some of Shao Chengze’s hair for a DNA test. Once I have his hair, I’ll know if he’s my dad or not.”

The girl’s crisp words rippled outwards from the front desk through the bustling first floor lobby. Everyone who heard froze in shock, jaws dropping.

Everyone except Shao Chengze, who had just stepped out of the elevator surrounded by a group.

He looked at the girl in pink through narrowed, fox-like eyes.

Cheng Liqi recognized Shao Chengze and covered her mouth in an “ah-oh”.

She decided that even if Shao Chengze wasn’t her dad, she’d have to help Cheng Jinlan get this man. She liked his eyes.

They were just like hers.

So pretty.

Forty years ago, demons invaded the eastern continent. Coming from another realm, they hunted the humans, and people soon began to wage war with them. Before long, there were those among the humans who inherited the demons' abilities.Demon hunters are currently the most in-demand profession. Although the chance of dying during a raid was high, the hunters were mostly popular among the common people. If you have some demon blood in your body, then the path to the Hunter's Association is open to you.Year 2066, Seoul. The territory of the former city is divided into three parts. Green Zone, Orange Zone and Red Dangerous Zone. Although mostly ordinary people and workers lived in the green zone, there was a chance for demons to get into it. That's why demon hunters patrol the whole area, sacrificing themselves for the lives of people.The main character, Lee Ki-hyun, inherited 50% demon blood and became the world's first SSS-ranked demon hunter. He will have to go through the path of a demon and learn the truth about his parents to save humanity.