Under Creature Chapter 3.2

The man didn’t rush in, acting leisurely. Did it mean he could handle him anytime? It wasn’t a bad situation for Yigeom either. He also had to stall for time until backup arrived. Therefore, he played along with the man’s conversation.

“A pistol, truly a rookie’s choice.”

“…What do you mean?”

‘How is he so sure I’m a rookie?’

As Yigeom frowned, the man replied.

“You probably lived your whole life thinking guns are invincible, huh? You don’t even know that Hunters can easily dodge bullets.”

Yigeom closed his mouth. So, that meant he chose the wrong weapon.

“There are abilities that bullets can’t penetrate, and there are plenty of hunters like me who can dodge them.”

Hunters’ weapons were special. Techies made them from byproducts derived from Creatures, but they couldn’t use the already scarce resources on single-use cartridges.

Therefore, even if it was a bullet used by a Hunter, unless it was a special case, it was usually a normal bullet. As the man explained, if he wasn’t careless and calmly used his abilities and superior physical prowess to dodge, it would be fine. Guns weren’t superior weapons to swords in the Creature world.

Yigeom asked a question to buy more time.

“…Then what’s your weapon? An ordinary sword?”

“Hardly. The Great One bestowed it upon me. Not like you guys, who kill and steal.”

“Anyone would think we’re the bad guys listening to you.”

The man clicked his tongue, pitying Yigeom.

“Truly pitiful. There’s nothing more pathetic than evil not knowing it’s evil.”

Introducing yourself, are you?

“What are you talking about? Who kidnapped my friend?”

“He saw something he shouldn’t have. The sacrifice of the few for the many is inevitable.”

“That changes if it’s my friend.”

The man clicked his tongue again.

“Oh dear. Even if you belong to that minority, you should humbly accept it; that’s the natural order.”

“I can’t. And neither can my friends.”

“You’re boldly declaring yourself evil.”

Yigeom glared at the man. His words didn’t make sense.

“If the sacrifice of the few for the many is justified, shouldn’t Creatures also deserve to die?”

“Creatures? How dare you call the Great One by such a wicked word! We’re talking about coexistence.”

“Coexistence?”

“Yes. Coexistence between the Great One and humans. You can make it work, yet you don’t. You can try, yet you make no effort. You don’t even attempt dialogue and resort to mindless slaughter. What is that if not barbaric?”

Yigeom suddenly burst into laughter.

Coexistence between Creatures and humans? The words coming out of the man in front of him were a mass of contradictions. Humans were Creatures’ main food source, weren’t they? And it was none other than the Blood Hunters who offered them as sacrifices.

In the end, the man interpreted everything in his favor, deluded himself into thinking they were acting as righteous figures in his own twisted world.

“It’s not coexistence, it’s surrendering to Creatures, isn’t it?”

Do you become comrades by sharing blood? I’ve heard of it. Creatures don’t attack those who drink their blood. But I also heard that it depends on the Creature.

Don’t humans kill their own kind? Some psychopaths killed people without hesitation, even those of the same species. And it was the same for Creatures. Even if a small number of Creatures recognized Blood Hunters as comrades, they could snap and kill them, and the more violent the Creature, the higher the possibility.

At Yigeom’s rebuttal, the man gave him a pitiful look.

“Surrender…. You barbarians might think that way. You’re no different from beasts.”

“The beasts are the Creatures.”

“If we share the blood bestowed by the Great One, we become comrades, and we coexist….”

“Hey. Are you almost done?”

Just then, a Blood Hunter’s voice came from the truck, and the moment the man looked up to answer,

“Almost fin….”

Bang—.

Yigeom didn’t miss that moment of vulnerability. He immediately fired his gun, and both timing and aim were perfect. It was a 10-point shot if it were darts. Aimed precisely at the opponent’s eyeball.

The fingertips that pulled the trigger trembled. It was definitely a first for Yigeom. He had always hunted Creatures, but this was the first time he had attacked with the intention to kill a person; a victory won by fighting for his life and death, and murder.

“See?”

He was that certain. This one shot was a decisive blow that would kill him.

“Guns can be pretty useful, huh?”

“Aaargh—! Y-You!!!”

The man clutched his eye with trembling hands and expressed his rage. Blood dripped from between his fingers.

—Gyeom-ah, it’s almost been 5 minutes. Should we reset?

“No. Solidify it.”

—Okay. I’ll solidify it and start right away.

Solidify and then 5 more minutes. The simulation started again.

Yigeom put down his empty pistol and grabbed his dagger.

“To think he got hurt by someone like that.”

The other man only assessed his comrade’s injury with contempt and didn’t step forward. Fortunately for Yigeom. He decided to continue his attack while the man was still reeling from the pain.

Just as he was about to rush in and finish him off, the man staggered to his feet. The wound on his left eye, where the bullet had lodged, was already healing. However, that didn’t mean he was completely healed.

Hideously crimson flesh protruded from around his left eye, writhing as if trying to cover the wound. It seemed like he was trying to Creature-ize his face to utilize a Creature’s regenerative abilities, but it didn’t seem to be working as fast as he’d hoped. So it was an effective attack after all.

“I’ve changed my mind.”

“…What?”

“I’m going to kill you.”

What does that…?

Yigeom tried to say something, but the space around him suddenly tore apart. And from that torn space, the dark, empty void, the man’s hand suddenly appeared.

He was startled and dodged, but a scratch appeared on his cheek.

‘What kind of ability is that?’

Could he manipulate space freely?

As swords continued to fly from the void, he became busy dodging. If he could manipulate space, he had to watch his back as well. He couldn’t afford to be distracted.

‘If only there was water.’

If there was water, he could have dodged easily.

Yigeom felt frustrated. Some used simulations, others manipulated space, while his own ability, useless without water, felt pathetic. There was a pack of bottled water in Namgung Sanha’s trunk, too…. He couldn’t get it in this situation, though.

If only it would rain.

Unfortunately, it was a perfectly clear day.

Meanwhile, he allowed several attacks, and thin cuts started to appear on his arms, legs, and side. And as he got injured, his movements became sluggish. He allowed consecutive attacks and finally, a sword pierced below his sternum.

“Ugh.”

It hurt like hell. Like he was dying.

But the man didn’t stop there. Instead of simply stabbing a vital point with his sword and ending things quickly, he knew where and how to inflict the most pain on Yigeom. He attacked, avoiding vital points, and twisted the sword as he pulled it out of the wound, as if digging into it.

“Aaargh!”

The pain made it hard to breathe. The sky was clearly blue, but everything looked yellow.

—Are you okay?

Dohyun asked after hearing his scream, but he wasn’t in any condition to answer. Just holding on to consciousness was all he could do.

“I’ll make you die in the most agonizing way.”

“Hey. Don’t kill him. You know.”

Don’t kill him? You know? Know what? Question marks filled Yigeom’s mind at his comrade’s shout from the truck.

What did he mean? Wasn’t he planning to kill him from the beginning? Then why…?

“I don’t care about that.”

However, the opponent in front of him, seemingly lost in rage, didn’t even acknowledge his comrade’s words.

Yigeom was busy dodging attacks, racking his brain, enduring the pain, and gasping for breath.

As blood continued to flow from the large wound below his sternum, he collapsed, overwhelmed by a dizzying headache.

The sword approached his eyes.

‘Ah, this is it.’

But it’s alright. He had memorized all the attack routes, and once it reset, he would counterattack….

“This isn’t part of the plan! Stop! Kill him after it’s over, but for now….”

“I said I don’t care!”

The comrade hurriedly stopped the man, who had drawn his sword as if to kill Yigeom.

Yigeom looked at them with blurred vision, suffering in pain. A tear in space appeared before his eyes. He could vaguely see the man’s hand holding a sword in that space.

Even though he was in agonizing pain, about to lose consciousness, Yigeom managed to maintain his composure. He assessed the situation with surprising calmness. If he stopped, his friend would die.

It hurts. Of course, it hurts like hell, like he’s about to die. But it’s nothing. A wound that will disappear if he endures it a little longer. It was right to endure and grasp the opponent’s abilities and techniques.

He had to do it now.

Taking advantage of the temporary reprieve from the sudden infighting, Yigeom, clutching his wound, managed to stand up on trembling legs.

“He’s got spirit.”

The man coldly assessed him and put his hand into the torn space. The man’s hand emerged from the empty, torn space and tightly gripped Yigeom’s wound. It was a clear indication of his intent to inflict hellish pain, not a peaceful death.

“Aaaargh!”

It was like torture.

“Hey! He’ll really die! If you kill him now…!”

“Yoon Yigeom!!!”

Yigeom heard someone call his name.

‘Is it Sanha hyung?’

The voice was a bit higher-pitched. Who was it? He had definitely heard the voice before….

“Run!!!”

His hazy eyes flew open.

“…Joo, cough. Jooseungtae.”

It was definitely Jooseungtae. He hoped he’d be safely hiding in the truck or running away. But he had squeezed his way out and yelled.

“Yoon Yigeom! Run away now!!”

“What the…? When did he get out? He should have stayed put in the warehouse.”

The Blood Hunter rebuked Jooseungtae. Despite this, Jooseungtae continued to shout without a care.

“Idiot!! Run if you don’t want to die!!!”

Sorry, but I don’t even have the strength to yell. And the idiot wasn’t me, it was Jooseungtae. You’re the one who should run if you don’t want to die.

‘What were you doing all this time instead of running away?’

Ah, even if I run, it’ll reset anyway.

Come to think of it, how many minutes has it been?

Time is relative. When I’m sleeping or lying in my favorite bed, 5 minutes pass like 1 minute, but in this situation, enduring this death-like pain and exchanging blows every few seconds, 5 minutes feel like an hour.

“Haah.”

A ragged breath escaped his lips. Amidst the dizziness, Yigeom suddenly stretched out his finger. Even that small act of extending his hand was difficult, so he moved very slowly, like a sloth.

A sudden thought occurred to him. If the man’s ability was to tear space, then the distance between Yigeom and him should be connected. If he could use this well, wouldn’t he have a chance?

Yigeom tentatively reached his arm into the torn space. Something touched his fingertips, and he felt it recoil.

He checked on the man with blurry vision. He was wiping his cheek. Red blood smeared on his hand. It was Yigeom’s blood.

A clear hope blossomed there.

—5, 4, 3….

Dohyun’s voice, counting down the 5-minute limit, rang in his ears.

—2, 1.

Reset.

🦅࿐

“To think he got hurt by someone like that.”

As the other man assessed his comrade’s injury with contempt, Yigeom felt his body, perfectly intact, return.

He intentionally grabbed his dagger and charged at the man.

The man staggered to his feet and muttered.

“I’ve changed my mind.”

“…What?”

“I’m going to kill you.”

He stopped running for a moment.

So far, the situation was the same.

As expected, the space around Yigeom tore apart chaotically.

And the man’s hand appeared.

After dodging by pulling his head back, he utilized the route he had memorized from the previous round and evaded the attack.

“You dodge well, like a rat.”

First, he threw a sword through the space. The man easily dodged the sword that flew at him through the space.

That confirmed it. If the spaces were connected, it wasn’t just the man with the ability who could use them.

The opponent could use it too.

One more thing.

Dodging the blade, Yigeom bent down and grabbed a handful of weeds growing thickly on the ground, quickly stuffing them into the gap in space. At the same time, a blade pierced his back, but confirmation was important. He memorized the moment the ripped weeds entered the space like a photograph. As if not allowing Yigeom to utilize the space like before, the man quickly erased the connected space.

Then what about the weeds thrown into the space?

They scattered into the air as if nothing had happened. The scene matched the number of weeds Yigeom had memorized.

So, they don’t get trapped in the space.

Hope grew stronger. He felt like he could see a chance of winning the fight.

After that, Yigeom repeatedly confirmed this in several different ways. It took five tries before he was certain.

The space connected by the man could be used by others, and even if the space suddenly disappeared or there were other variables, he wouldn’t get hurt. The space connecting this place and that place simply disappeared, and anything inside the space seemed to be canceled out, leaving only the action of doing something in the air.

Once he was sure that using the space was safe, Yigeom figured out how to finish the man off in one fell swoop.

—Is it a reset again?

“Yeah. Please.”

—So I’ve been going for over 30 minutes.

Seo Dohyun chuckled playfully and muttered.

The world, based on the point Seo Dohyun set, returned to 5 minutes prior. Because of this, when the reset was executed, he was constantly at that location 5 minutes ago.

He must be watching the same scenery for several minutes. It must feel like being on a treadmill. It was bound to be boring.

“To think he got hurt by someone like that.”

As the other man assessed his comrade’s injury with contempt, Yigeom, his body unscathed, quietly muttered to himself.

“Yeah. This time, I’ll finish it.”

The man, injured with a bullet in his eye, shuddered in rage and took a step closer.

He was no longer a threat.

Yigeom ignored him and looked at the remaining man near the truck. He still showed no sign of moving. If he took care of the man in front of him, he’d have to fight that one next. He had a long way to go.

“What’s that guy’s ability?”

“You’re worried about another guy while I’m right here? Are you out of your mind because you’re about to die?”

“Yeah. I think I’m out of my mind because I almost died so much. Oh, I mean I was hurt enough to die, not that I actually died.”

Yigeom muttered, exhaling a short breath. I’m definitely not resetting this time. I’ll take care of the one in front of me and solidify it. To do that, he was curious about the ability of the one he presumed to be his next opponent.

“So, can you tell me?”

It wouldn’t hurt to know in advance.

“You should be worrying about your own life, which is about to end at my hands.”

“I’m fine with that. This time, for sure….”

Yigeom swallowed the rest of his sentence. And he waited for the man’s attack. The best timing was when he was sure his attack had landed, when he was, in other words, off guard.

That was his chance.

He waited calmly, very calmly, for the space to tear. The first time, it was on the right. And after a failed attack, the man had a habit of swinging his sword from the front as if to pierce his abdomen, then immediately changing direction and stabbing him in the back.

He had learned this after facing him multiple times. He could be sure because he had been injured many times because of it.

Then, the man would think that the best timing to finish him off was when he stabbed him in the back; that was the moment of carelessness, the moment of greatest certainty of victory.

So Yigeom deliberately led him to attack his back. After the repetitive pattern occurred, he quickly turned around and thrust his arm into the gap in space.

“……!”

The man, momentarily flustered as Yigeom used the space created for a surprise attack faster than him, flinched and stepped back.

Yigeom quickly moved his hand before the space disappeared.

If this was the man’s arm, above it would be his shoulder, neck, face.

He had shot a bullet into his eye, but since he was still moving fine, the heart, which would be a surer way to kill, was better. Yigeom pierced the man’s heart with his dagger at once, and as he had experienced and learned earlier, he deliberately twisted the dagger as he pulled it out.

“Kugh…!”

He dug into the wound, leaving a deeper mark.

Whether the man’s strength had given out or the space automatically canceled itself, his body returned.

“…You!”

“…….”

Yigeom silently looked down at the man, coughing up blood. He collapsed without being able to properly Creature-ize. He knew the man would die soon.

“You…killed a person….”

He had killed a person. Fear? Confusion? Anxiety? Chaos? He suddenly remembered his first meeting with Seo Dohyun, when he had killed him countless times.

He remembered asking casually once, “Don’t you feel any guilt?” Seo Dohyun had replied, “I don’t know.” He had cursed him, calling him a psycho. He had expected to feel guilt or fear after killing someone, to relive that day in nightmares every night.

But now?

I don’t know.

Currently, Yigeom was surprisingly calm and serene.

Did this person harm me? Would I have died if I hadn’t killed him? Or what happened to me? I don’t know.

It was just that this emotion wasn’t a simple, one-dimensional feeling like happiness, sadness, or surprise. It was such a complex emotion that Yigeom couldn’t easily define how he felt.

“I don’t know.”

That’s how his first murder felt.

🦅࿐

He walked towards Yigeom.

“How did you do that?”

Up close, the man had a long scar that ran from his chin to his mouth.

“How did I do what? I just did it.”

“No, I mean, you seemed to know his ability….”

“I don’t know. It was a coincidence.”

“Do we have a spy…?”

The man’s gaze shifted to the truck.

“Or…”

“…….”

“Who are you connected to with that earpiece?”

Yigeom answered, feigning composure.

“I’m listening to music.”

—1 minute left. Are you okay so far?

“Yeah, solidify it.”

—Okay. If we solidify it and move on to the next, I’ll arrive in 3 minutes. Just hold on for 3 minutes.

He had to face this man alone for three minutes. He seemed stronger than the previous opponent. Both externally and internally. Or maybe it was because he was exhausted.

Along with his relaxed demeanor, he also seemed to exude a sense of intimidation. He felt like he had already lost in terms of momentum.

But he just had to hold on for three minutes. Somehow.

Thud—.

Suddenly, a sword pierced his lower back.

‘Ah, I’m getting ambushed a lot today.’

To be able to think this indifferently while his body was wracked with pain, Yigeom suddenly felt that he was becoming similar to Seo Dohyun.

But that’s that.

Yigeom gritted his teeth and pulled out the sword stuck in his back. Blood gushed out, but he didn’t care.

Normally, he shouldn’t remove a weapon embedded in his body to prevent bleeding, but now it was just an obstacle hindering his movements.

3 minutes until arrival. All he had to do was endure without getting hurt as much as possible until Seo Dohyun arrived. After that, they could face him together.

“…Ah.”

Suddenly, Yigeom staggered. It wasn’t because he had lost a lot of blood. He was dizzy. He felt like everything around him was spinning.

What was this guy’s ability? Poison?

But the sword that suddenly flew from behind him bothered him. Or was he a multiple-ability user?

Or was it the doing of the man who tore and connected space at will? No. He was already lying dead behind Yigeom.

“Cough.”

He covered his mouth with his hand and coughed. There was blood in his cough. But he didn’t feel any warm liquid on his palm.

Yigeom shook his head unconsciously. Something was blocking his brain. He couldn’t think straight.

“Don’t worry too much; you won’t die. The poison on the sword, it’s Creature blood.”

“…Creature?”

Yigeom’s face turned pale. He knew well the symptoms that appeared when Creature blood was ingested.

First, one came to regard Creatures as divine, and even partial Creature-ization of the body became possible.

Yigeom checked his trembling hands. If Creature blood had entered his body….

“A rookie is a rookie after all.”

“What?”

“A small amount only causes hallucinations. Do you think it’s easy to receive grace? To serve the Great Ones, you have to regularly ingest a large amount of blood.”

The figure in front of him distorted. Two, then three, then they completely surrounded him.

—Yoon Yigeom, are you okay?

The figures soon overlapped into one, rushing towards him like a monster.

Hallucination? Or reality?

“Yigeom! Step back!”

Suddenly, he heard Namgoong Sanha’s voice. An auditory hallucination?

Yigeom stepped back without a moment’s hesitation. His vision blurred and fragmented. What was what?

He couldn’t trust any of his senses: sight, smell, taste, hearing.

“…L… left!”

He suddenly twisted his body to the left. A chilling sense of mortal danger and the relief of survival hit him at the same time. He didn’t know if this auditory hallucination was real, or if it was a voice that would lead him to his death.

But if it weren’t for this voice, he would probably have died several times already.

Then he assumed that he hadn’t reached the stage of auditory hallucinations yet.

“Right!”

He had no choice but to follow the voice!

Rustle. He heard a sound from the right. He was right to avoid it.

Now, despite it being broad daylight, he couldn’t see anything. Everything was dark, and it was unclear whether he had his eyes open or was even breathing.

His senses were dulled.

“I must eliminate you.”

The man’s eyes flashed towards the figure hiding behind the tree: Namgoong Sanha, who had saved Yoon Yigeom, who should have already been dead.

Although his physical abilities were lacking, he had learned a lot from observing and had an excellent ability to predict his opponent’s movements. He questioned every situation, so feigned moves didn’t work easily on him.

Even if he was only warming up, it was frustrating that he couldn’t do anything against someone who couldn’t even control his own body due to hallucinations.

“I’ve died a lot too.”

Yoon Yigeom was troublesome to kill, but Namgoong Sanha seemed easy to deal with.

“Uh… uhh!”

Namgoong Sanha, facing the man rushing towards him, hunched his large frame and blindly ducked.

Vroom— Vroom—!

“Aack!”

The sound of a motorcycle engine approached, and the man screamed. Feeling no pain, Namgoong Sanha cautiously opened his closed eyes.

“Are you okay?”

Seo Dohyun threw off his black helmet. He had used the motorcycle to crush the man’s head and discarded it.

Ignoring the man who had collapsed forward, clutching his head, he helped Yoon Yigeom up. Yigeom swayed like a drunkard, unable to steady himself.

“C-Creature poison, I think.”

“Antidote?”

If it was a small amount, there was an antidote. And the antidote was one of the medicines all Hunters always carried.

“I-In my car trunk.”

“Can you get it?”

“Yes!”

As Sanha ran to retrieve the medicine from the overturned car trunk, Dohyun stared at the man.

‘Did he transform instantaneously?’

He had crushed his head with a motorcycle, but he was more intact than expected. A single stream of blood flowed down his forehead, but otherwise, he seemed uninjured. It seemed he had attempted a rapid Creature-ization after hearing the engine sound.

An ordinary person would have died instantly from having their head crushed by a wheel, a Hunter would have been knocked unconscious, but a Blood Hunter got up unharmed.

This was the difference.

Drinking Creature blood drastically increased physical abilities, even more so than ordinary Hunters. In addition, the ability of partial Creature-ization guaranteed their safety in emergencies.

If they drank low-grade Creature blood, it might be different, but even among them, they classified Creatures into high, middle, and low grades. And since they handled high-grade blood, they reaped the benefits.

However, right now… it seemed like a mid-grade.

High-grade blood was only shared among the executives of the Blood Hunters; a mere grunt couldn’t receive it. These guys were small fries with little standing within the Blood Hunters.

“…Seo Dohyun.”

The man, clutching his head, stood firm. It was Seo Dohyun, who had once been part of the vigilantes. He knew his reputation well. He was certain he wouldn’t be a match for him.

“What’s your affiliation?”

Dohyun asked, tilting his head as if stretching. It was time to make him pay for acting like a king on a hill without a lion.

Not all Blood Hunters shared the same collective consciousness. While they similarly worshipped Creatures, a closer look revealed various beliefs, resulting in different factions.

For example, some believed that all Creatures were great, while others only dealt with high-grade ones. Or some worshipped only a specific species, no matter how insignificant. The groups were diverse.

Since they drank Creature blood and gained their abilities, the characteristics of Blood Hunters’ Creature-ization also varied.

And among them, there were a few notorious groups.

Even the individual foot soldiers in those groups were so strong that the vigilantes couldn’t easily touch them.

There were rumors that A, the leader of the vigilantes, had tracked down and defeated a branch of one of these groups in recent years, but most people didn’t believe it.

That was understandable, since A’s whereabouts were always unknown, and he rarely showed himself.

So much so that even Seo Dohyun, who had been with the vigilantes from his second year of middle school until adulthood, had never encountered him once.

“As if you’d know even if I told you.”

“Ah, so it’s a no-name organization.”

“…I’m affiliated with Adrell.”

“Yeah. Never heard of it. Nothing special.”

Seo Dohyun quickly ducked. The hilt of a sword whizzed past his head.

“Your ability is nothing special either.”

Telekinesis.

It was the most common ability among Hunters. As such, it was relatively well-developed, and with diligent training, significant achievements were possible. Conversely, there were also various and numerous ways to counter it.

And Seo Dohyun had never struggled against telekinesis.

They were just cowards.

They only knew how to attack from afar by waving their hands; they were vulnerable in actual combat. Of course, there were exceptions, but Seo Dohyun didn’t think a nobody from an unheard-of group would possess such skills.

It wasn’t a guess; it was a conviction, and he was confident in his accurate assessment.

Sure enough, he was right.

“You’re weak.”

The sword’s trajectory was clear, and the range of the telekinesis was predictable.

To think Yoon Yigeom was hurt by someone like this. It seemed he was still unfamiliar with facing humans, not Creatures.

Still, taking down one of them was a decent achievement. The problem was that he foolishly got poisoned afterward, but he hadn’t been taught about that, so he could just teach him later.

It seemed like he had a wound on his back, so he decided to reset this round. He could neutralize the poison with the antidote Sanha brought, but it wouldn’t heal the wound.

‘About 1 minute left.’

He could kill the man in front of him anytime. Dohyun, who had decided to take it easy this round, leisurely looked around.

‘If I had taken a different route instead of that one, I would have been faster.’

If he had taken a different path than the one the navigation guided him to, he could have arrived in 2 minutes instead of 3.

Cold sweat trickled down the man’s temples.

Seo Dohyun.

There were few Blood Hunters who didn’t know that name.

This was because he was prominently listed on the candidate list of every Blood Hunter group.

There was a convenient way to brainwash someone into serving Creatures, in other words, to make them their own, by regularly feeding them large amounts of Creature blood. Therefore, even within the Blood Hunters, there was a custom of capturing and force-feeding blood to those they wanted to recruit.

Usually, each group kept a separate candidate list of those who would be beneficial to have as allies. Seo Dohyun always had 100% attendance on that list.

And he had never been caught. In other words, he was the most formidable enemy of the Blood Hunters.

From the beginning of the operation’s planning, he had anticipated Seo Dohyun’s appearance. He expected it and accepted it.

But Yoon Yigeom was unexpected. He hadn’t imagined that he would finish off his comrade so quickly.

He even used his comrade’s space-connecting ability against him.

It was an absurd situation. It wasn’t something a newly recruited Hunter could do.

The operation, which seemed to be going smoothly, was taking a strange turn.

‘He knows everything.’

These were the words a certain Blood Hunter used to describe Seo Dohyun. He knows everything. Abilities, habits, attack patterns, even without being told, he grasps everything. That’s why he’s always victorious.

The man had a similar feeling while watching Yoon Yigeom earlier. It was pathetic and absurd that he had surprised him so much, only to be defeated by poison.

At that moment, he could momentarily understand what that certain someone had seen.

He didn’t know who or what rank or affiliation that certain someone was. He just heard the words he spoke, passed down and spread to everyone, but one thing was certain.

That certain someone didn’t fight Seo Dohyun directly. He watched from hiding.

Just like he had watched the battle between Yoon Yigeom and his comrade. Yes, just like himself.

He hid, survived, and spread those words.

The man suddenly chuckled.

Am I that certain someone here?

But could he survive here like that certain someone? It didn’t matter. He had joined this operation prepared to die.

Being here, he only had two choices: die or be captured by the vigilantes.

For the many, the few must be sacrificed. And they willingly volunteered to be the few.

If he could just hold on a little longer, just a little bit longer against him, he could confirm it. No, even if he died here, someone else would confirm it.

Then the operation would be a success.

Suddenly, the man’s eyes darted towards the forest. It was a very subtle movement.

At that moment, Seo Dohyun’s head snapped in the same direction.

The man’s breath hitched.

Somewhere in the dense forest. Dohyun thoroughly searched the area where the man’s gaze had been directed. But he couldn’t find anything. Nevertheless, he was certain.

“There’s something there.”

“…….”

The man didn’t bother to answer. If both affirmation and denial would give him away, silence was the right choice.

Dohyun didn’t stop there.

“If you value your life, come out.”

Bang, bang, bang, bang—!

He pulled out the gun from inside his jacket and fired randomly into the forest.

Startled birds flapped their wings and flew towards the sky.

5 minutes were almost up. Time was running out. It would be nice if he hit something by chance, but finding something hidden in a dense, vast forest was like finding a needle in a haystack.

It was a vague certainty, not knowing what was there in the first place. The target could be a person or an animal.

When he ran out of bullets, he reloaded and fired, and reloaded again. He was getting impatient as time ran out.

But it was the same for the man.

He had noticed something with a single glance, and now he was firing randomly into the forest without even looking at him. Was it as if to say, “I can kill you anytime, so just wait quietly”?

He couldn’t let that happen.

Stab, stab—.

The man manipulated his swords and stabbed Dohyun. Legs, stomach, waist, arms, it didn’t matter where.

The swords floating in the air darted around, stabbing and passing through Dohyun, but he didn’t even flinch.

The man was terrified.

With that much pain, he should have stopped, but the gun was still steadily pointed towards the forest. He only slightly twisted his body to avoid attacks aimed at vital points.

Unable to penetrate his defenses, the man changed his target.

If he didn’t care what happened to his own body, would his comrade react the same way?

Yoon Yigeom was still lost in the effects of the poison. He flew a sword towards him. He didn’t intend to kill him. He was still useful for the operation, so he intended to take him hostage.

That was when it happened.

Someone rushed towards Yigeom.

“Yoon Yigeom!!!”

Yigeom suddenly lifted his head towards the source of the sound. His vision was blurry, as if covered in fog. He couldn’t tell if the figure running towards him was a monster or a person.

The approaching figure stopped in front of Yigeom, shielding him.