Chapter 212
Hanyaseong was now trying to follow American law. Korean law demanded capture alive no matter what, and it was truly fucking bullshit. Forcing them to take someone wielding a deadly weapon alive—who the hell was that law even for?
He waited there for a while until Yadong returned.
"You see her? That bitch?"
Yadong let out a low growl and scratched a rough picture into the dirt with its paw. It was crude, but Hanyaseong could make out the general position.
"So the bitch made it all the way to the Forest 2 boundary."
Judging it too dangerous, she'd gone straight to her own base. That made pursuit tricky. She might even slip fully into Forest 2. What to do? Hanyaseong pondered, but no good ideas came. The shotgun made things risky—if he got spotted, he was fucked. So he decided to wait for nightfall.
"Yadong, you keep watch near her. We'll take her out when night hits. Go slow for now."
Yadong growled again and loped off slowly. Hanyaseong followed at a distance. With Yadong scouting ahead, he kept about 30 meters back, safe and steady. After around 30 minutes, they neared the Forest 2 boundary. No sign of her, so Hanyaseong hunkered down in the brush. He needed Yadong to pinpoint her. From here on, no reckless moves.
Hanyaseong covered himself completely with snow for camouflage. Just let that bitch get caught. If she was pretty, he'd rape her raw before killing her. If not, straight to death. Either way, she was dying. Letting a gun-toting bitch live was suicide.
He lay prone in the brush for ages, scanning for her position. Then Yadong returned. Even with his perfect hide, the beast sniffed him out instantly.
"What?"
Yadong growled and scratched another picture in the dirt—this one of Forest 2. The bitch had gone inside.
"Ah, fuck!"
Hanyaseong surged up in frustration. All that time buried in snow for nothing. Spooked, she'd bolted straight back to her base. Pissed off, he asked,
"Yadong, can you go into Forest 2?"
Growl—meaning no. Forest 2 was as dangerous as ever. Hanyaseong had no intention of pushing that far either. He might end up detected and dead while hunting her base. Only one option left.
"We ambush. She'll come back this way. But we don't know when..."
It was fucking infuriating. If she portaled out, it could be months—or years—before she returned. Her portal would spawn in Forest 2, no doubt. Coming and going from there meant no way to track if she was in this world or not. He might starve out waiting.
"This is such bullshit."
Hanyaseong gave up the chase. But not on killing her. First, precautions. He gathered wild animals from Forest 1 with chocolate bars.
"If that bitch shows up again, you tell me. Got it? Big chunk of chocolate as reward."
They screeched happily, scarfing it down. Yadong growled explanations too. The beasts seemed to get it, clamoring for more chocolate. They might all get diabetes later, but for now, more bribes.
"Got it? Tell me for sure if she comes back. No more chocolate otherwise."
He hammered it home, drilling them repeatedly. Some would understand and snitch for treats when she appeared. Satisfied after endless nagging, Hanyaseong headed back to camp with Yadong.
He washed the gash on his calf at the stream, then brewed instant hangover soup with hippo meat and microwave rice packs. The hole in his calf had already healed. Maybe the red fruit's awakening effect—his mind felt sharp. But combined with the yellow fruit's stabilizer, it lacked the explosive mana surge from before. Awakening agent and stabilizer together had halved the potency.
"Damn, that bitch is a headache."
Munching the hippo-and-rice hangover soup, Hanyaseong sighed. Should've nabbed her earlier—missed chance. A seasoned special forces vet would've had her, but he was still green. No military service yet, no firearms training. He needed to hit a survival game arena back home. Or better, get pro training. Become a movie-style killing machine. Then nothing could touch him.
A real ex-military killer mercenary? He'd be dead. No beating pros who'd murdered with rebar or wire. General folks or athletes, maybe. But those kill experts? No shot. Pro training was essential.
"Hell, maybe enlist instead."
Special forces or airborne might teach it. But nah, insufficient. Military was group drills, not solo killer school. Years there wouldn't make him a pro assassin.
Lost in thoughts, he finished eating and nearly stepped out for a walk—then froze. Going outside felt scary now. She might be sighting him from somewhere. One scare had him paranoid. He doused the campfire too. She might spot it and come.
Yadong growled irritably as darkness fell mid-meal.
"She might show. Can't light fires freely anymore."
That bitch was calmer than expected. Normal girls would've panicked and flailed. Not her. Even swarmed by beasts, she'd stayed cool and fled. Unsure of his position, she'd bailed. Average bitches would've moved to draw him out. She knew her shit. Made sense—training here to explore. Forest 2 to Forest 1 to Forest 0 boundary. Lucky he'd spotted her today. If he'd portaled home, she'd have raided his camp clean.
Guns were game-changers. If he had one and she didn't, invincible. But she had the god-tier weapon. Regret city. Flip side: take her down, claim the gun as loot. Everything hers becomes his. Rape, gear, two birds. Had to crush her.
Staring into the darkening wilds, Hanyaseong glared. Night brought cold. No fire unbearable. Reluctantly, he thickened the entrance barrier to dim any glow and lit up. Unless she came right here, no spotting it. If she snuck this close undetected? Game over. No point dreaming of winning.
He warmed by the fire; Yadong curled nearby. Stuck inside, nothing to do. One thieving bitch turned him into a shut-in—mentally exhausting. Not thief, robber. With a gun.
"Fuck this..."
Hanyaseong flopped onto his blanket, arms pillowed under head. Bored. Portal open, just go home? But her—house empty, she'd rob it blind. Stuck unable to return. Best hope: she hits Forest 1 soon, beasts alert. Ambush the path, done. No other way.
Tossing in boredom and frustration, he grilled more hippo tongue with Yadong and finally crashed late.
Screech screech. Screech.
Sudden noise at the camp door jolted Hanyaseong awake. He bolted up, eyes gritty from shallow, restless sleep—but mind razor-sharp. Grabbing his machete, he cracked the door. A few Forest 1 beasts stood outside.
"What's up?"
Still pre-dawn, maybe 4 or 5 AM. First time beasts came this early. They usually slept till sunrise, never roamed at dawn in Forest 0 or 1. Their presence here screamed trouble.
Screech screech, screech. Gesturing wildly.
Her! The bitch was back!
That dog of a whore, striking at dawn! Sneak attack from Forest 2, no doubt. Fucking cunt! Rage boiled over. Night raid to kill him? Unforgivable. No rape now—just smash her skull dead!