Chapter 24: The Beginning of the Hunt
The flames of the destroyed prison still crackled in the distance, casting a red hue across the broken plains. Kim Ji-ho walked with his younger brother in his arms, every step driven by fury, every breath a promise.
They had escaped—but they were no longer fugitives.
They were executioners.
As dawn rose, Ji-ho found shelter in the ruins of an old bunker, hidden beneath the remains of a forgotten outpost. He laid Ye-jun down on a blanket and covered him gently, brushing the soot from his brother's cheek.
Ye-jun was unconscious. The long days of starvation, torture, and mental torment had pushed his body to the edge. But Ji-ho knew he'd recover.
He always did.
Ji-ho stood and faced the shadows. The pendant around his neck pulsed with strange rhythm—calm, like it too was waiting.
He sat cross-legged and opened his Status Window.
> Name: Kim Ji-ho
Rank: AA
Strength: AA
Agility: AA
Stamina: AA
Willpower: Unknown
Trait: Evolution (Locked)
Superpower: Destructive Ray (Target Lock, Poison Aura, Aura Shield)
Resistance: Poison – High
New Skill Unlocked: Telekinesis – Advanced
New Ability: Aura Form Manipulation – Sword/Whip/Spear Variants
New Eye Skill: Eye of Evil – Reveals X number of fatal routes to eliminate opponent based on their body condition, power, and surrounding.
His eyes narrowed as he absorbed the changes. The Destructive Ray now had a mind of its own, guided by thought, precision, and purpose. When he fought now, it wasn't like a man swinging a blade.
It was like a god issuing judgment.
And judgment was coming.
He pulled a small chip from his pocket—retrieved from the President's desk during his interrogation. It was encrypted, but Ji-ho had already broken through the security.
On it was a list.
A list of experiments. Locations. Operations. Names.
One name pulsed red.
> Subject Overseer #05 – Kang Min-joon
Location: Red Gate Industrial Ruins
Affiliation: Devil's Association Research Division
Power Rank: S-Class Mutant Awakener – Blood Puppeteer
Security: 300 Elite Guards, 10 A-rank Awakeners
Kang Min-joon.
The fifth name in the video.
The one who laughed as Seo-oh begged for her life.
Ji-ho's hand trembled with rage as his eyes burned crimson again. He didn't speak. He didn't scream.
He remembered.
And he planned.
---
Two days later, a red-marked van arrived outside the ruins. Kang Min-joon stepped out, his crimson coat fluttering in the wind, flanked by armored Awakeners.
He stared at the bunker, his eyes sharp and cruel.
"He's here," Min-joon said, smirking. "Bring me the pendant. Kill the boy if you must."
The men moved forward.
But Ji-ho was already in the air.
A wave of black and red rays surged from the sky, tearing through the clouds like divine judgment. Ten elite guards evaporated before they could scream. The rest barely had time to turn before the Aura Sword slammed through them, guided by Ji-ho's thoughts.
Blood rained like crimson petals.
Min-joon staggered back, stunned. "What the—?!"
Ji-ho landed, calm as a shadow.
"You don't remember me," he said quietly. "But I remember every scream."
The Eye of Evil activated. Dozens of lines overlapped on Min-joon's body—weaknesses, kill routes, break points. Ji-ho took one breath—
Then charged.
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