Forced Liberation (1)
Nam Gi-tae. He had once been a key figure in one of South Korea's major crime syndicates. As a member of the Chilseong faction, the largest organization in the country, he leveraged his unique charisma, ruthless brutality without a shred of mercy, and quick cunning to rise to an executive position at the tender age of 29—an elite in the underworld.
His innate strength and reflexes were extraordinary, making him a formidable fighter. But he had one fatal flaw: an insatiable lust for women.
Touching the prostitutes under his organization's control was something even other members did occasionally, so that could be overlooked. But he was never satisfied with that. He craved fresh conquests—women who were hard to obtain. His obsessive fixation went beyond limits, extending even to ordinary civilians. He kidnapped women who caught his eye to sate his desires. Naturally, the police caught him, and he lost everything he'd built in an instant.
In Korea, where violent crime clearance rates ranked among the world's highest, even an influential syndicate executive like him couldn't get away with such blatant madness. In the end, he became a stark lesson: swing your dick recklessly, and you'll ruin your life. Gradually, he faded from people's memories.
But fate offered a chance to a man doomed to rot in prison for life. A rift tore open before him, pulling him into a world governed by entirely new rules.
'As if I'd go down that easily.'
Nam Gi-tae smirked, playfully swinging the sword in his hand. It was a weapon he'd claimed after killing a monster called an orc. This world was practically paradise for him. The people around him looked soft and ripe for exploitation, and the authorities couldn't touch him here.
He'd gathered survivors fleeing from monsters and formed a simple gang. It wasn't hard. Terrified people wanted to band together for strength and craved a leader to guide them. All Nam Gi-tae had done was step into that role for the weaklings.
Thud!
"Guh! Ack!"
A dull impact echoed through the forest, followed by agonized screams. Nam Gi-tae licked his lips and glanced toward his men. They were brutally stomping a young man curled up on the ground.
After forming the group, Nam Gi-tae had encouraged them to "hunt" fellow humans like this, pushing them to embrace violence. It was to shatter their moral compasses and mold them into people who wouldn't hesitate to wield brutality.
His plan worked. His followers had devolved into murderers without remorse.
"S-stop, you bastards!"
The man bound with rope made from tree roots thrashed wildly. He was a companion of the one being lynched. Nam Gi-tae kicked him hard in the head.
Thud!
"Don't make so much noise. You wanna draw the orc bastards here?"
He flashed a sinister grin. Tears welled in the bound man's eyes as he begged.
"Please! Stop this! I'll do anything you ask!"
"Then shut that noisy mouth first."
Nam Gi-tae dismissed the plea and took a deep breath. Over ten of his men surrounded one guy, kicking him savagely in a frenzy. Satisfaction curved his lips.
'At this rate, three orcs would be no problem.'
A mob drunk on madness was powerful. Even against monsters, they could tear them apart.
When he'd first seen orcs, he'd doubted humans could fight them. But once they started hunting in earnest, he realized the beasts weren't so fearsome. Strong, yes—but slow and stupid. Swarm them, distract their attention, and they could be handled.
After killing orcs and looting their weapons, groups of three or four could take them down reliably. Orcs rarely traveled alone—usually one, at most three—so his crew could manage fine.
As survival desperation eased, their twisted frenzy turned on other humans. They looted, killed, raped. Under Nam Gi-tae's guidance, they'd lost all humanity.
"Hic... Why... why are you doing this? We're all human... Huuuh..."
The bound man sobbed bitterly. Nam Gi-tae twisted his lips into a smirk and shoved his sword tip into the man's mouth. The blade's sharpness made him tremble, face paling.
"Because we're all human."
With that, Nam Gi-tae thrust the sword forward. It pierced the man's throat, blood spraying everywhere.
"Gahk."
The man let out a final death rattle and went still. Nam Gi-tae wiped the bloodied blade on the ground and turned to his men.
"Alright, that's enough. Time to head back."
Even with numbers, night in the forest was dangerous. Humans relied heavily on sight, and the pitch-black woods were a nightmare.
"Yes, boss!"
His men snapped to attention with crisp replies—hard to believe these were the same frenzied killers from moments ago. They gazed at Nam Gi-tae with blind loyalty. He'd freed them from monster threats and taught them the thrill of crushing others.
"B-boss!"
Just then, a scout came running back, panting.
Nam Gi-tae frowned. "What? Orcs?"
"No!"
The man's face mixed ecstasy and urgency. "Why hasn't that model chick shown up here?"
"Ah, Seo A-ra?"
Nam Gi-tae's eyes lit up, picturing her: breathtaking beauty, slender figure, icy and aloof aura. Perfect for his tastes. Few men wouldn't crave a woman like her.
"We spotted her down by the stream!"
"What?"
Nam Gi-tae shot to his feet, eyes gleaming with mad hunger. He couldn't resist women, and Seo A-ra was prime prey. He'd seen her shoved down by the crowd while fleeing orcs, so he'd assumed her dead—but luck had spared her.
"How many with her?"
His voice brimmed with anticipation. No civilian could survive over two weeks alone in this hellish forest.
"Two. One's a dumb-looking middle-aged guy, the other's some dude in his mid-to-late twenties."
"Just two... She must've shaken her ass real good for that."
Nam Gi-tae figured those two were after her body too. Why else drag a non-fighter like her along?
"Heh heh. How about tasting her this time, boss?"
The scout grinned lewdly. Nam Gi-tae always shared his conquests.
"Kekeke. Sounds good."
No reason to refuse. He stood, vile smirk in place.
Two escorts? No need for stealth. He addressed his men slyly.
"Any eunuchs wanna head back now?"
"Hahaha! Let's go, boss!"
They roared with laughter and cheers, eyes thick with greed. Nam Gi-tae drew his crude sword and headed for the stream.
?
?
"Ugh, come to think of it, I haven't bathed once since we got here."
Kim Gil-su grumbled as they returned to their cave hideout with stream water. Yeong-sik gave a wry smile.
"No time for that."
They could've forced it, but Yeong-sik saw no point. Bathing meant stripping, wading in, soaking, then redressing—vulnerable to ambush. They struck first with scouts and bait; getting hit preemptively could be fatal. Simple face-washing would have to do.
Ara's face soured at Yeong-sik's firm tone. As a model used to pristine grooming, over two weeks without a proper wash was torture. Especially with the hops Yeong-sik made her rub on for scent-masking—indescribably sticky.
"Sigh..."
She exhaled deeply. But no room for vanity now. Nothing outweighed survival.
Rustle.
Yeong-sik's ears caught bushes stirring. Not from one spot—encircling them.
His face hardened.
"People nearby."
The rustling intensified.
"Whoa, it's really Seo A-ra? Talk about luck."
A rough-looking man emerged from the brush. It was Nam Gi-tae, come to "hunt" them. He whistled, ogling her up and down.
Prettier than any woman he'd known.
"...Gil-su. Get ready to fight."
Gil-su stiffened, eyeing the newcomers' murderous intent. One word from Nam Gi-tae made it clear.
"Whoa, easy there, fellow humans. Let's talk this out nice and friendly."
"Put down the sword first."
Yeong-sik snapped, glaring at the blade. Nam Gi-tae burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! You read the room fine. How about joining me? Don't worry—I'm generous. I'll even let you have a taste of her."
Yeong-sik ignored the crude offer, scanning the encirclement. At least ten. The worst scenario since he'd awakened.