Vengeance Amid Fallen Leaves
A clearing deep in the mountains, blanketed in countless fallen leaves. Blood poured endlessly from the mouth of a woman surrounded by men. A small dagger clutched in her hands—astonishingly, it was buried in her own abdomen. It was Kim Min-ah's final choice, on the brink of being raped by the men.
The men watching spat out their reactions one by one.
"What the hell? A crazy bitch like this."
"Poisonous wench."
With that, her lifeless body toppled forward. A tragedy that struck in the full bloom of her 23 years.
As she died, the men's gazes shifted to the remaining woman. Trembling in panic, she was the sole survivor here—Kim Hana.
"What do we do with that one?"
"Do whatever."
With the leader's permission, one man slowly approached her. Watching in despair, she squeezed her eyes shut in terror. She lacked the courage to end her own life.
Just as the dark cloud loomed...
A stranger's voice echoed from behind the men.
"Wh-what the hell is this?"
The sudden voice made their heads snap back. There stood a man in fairly high-end gear, right in front of the portal. It was Park Taemin.
Having left the Elf Forest without a second thought, he froze in horror at the sight of the corpses strewn across the blood-soaked ground. His subordinate staff, laughing and chatting with him just that morning, now lay mangled and rolling on the earth.
His trembling gaze swept the ground, locking onto one woman's body. Kim Min-ah of the escort team, eyes still open in unresolved injustice, her form coldly stiff.
"No... no way."
Taemin staggered toward her, dazed. Then, a voice with an unfamiliar accent reached his ears.
"What? There's another one?"
"Section Chief!"
The second voice snapped him back. He turned to see over a dozen armed, unidentified people standing there. And a bit apart from them, a woman he knew well.
'Hana.'
Taemin approached them silently, step by step. As he closed in, a few men blocked his path.
"You see us and don't run? Ballsy bastard, lost your mind."
The men barring his way flexed menacingly, but Taemin seemed deaf to them.
"Move."
"What? What'd this punk just say?"
"I said move."
One man, enraged by his boldness, drew his sword with a curse.
"This fucker... ugh!"
The man aiming to cleave Taemin in one stroke froze, screaming. His body wouldn't obey, and darkness swallowed his vision.
The onlookers suffered the same.
"What the—!?"
"Release it! What are you healers doing?"
They urgently called for healers, but those too were bound, unable to respond.
Taemin passed them, heading straight to Kim Hana.
As he neared, a man spun behind her, seizing her throat and yelling at him.
"Don't come closer. One more step, and I snap her neck."
Despite the threat, Kim Hana spoke calmly, neck gripped.
"Section Chief, I'm fine... ack!"
"Hurry up! Or this bitch... hurk!"
The man threatening her and Taemin widened his eyes like he'd seen a ghost, shaking his head side to side. The man who'd been right in front of him moments ago had vanished without a trace.
"What the fu... eurgh!"
Frantically scanning, he choked on sharp pain at his throat. In disbelief, he looked down at the dagger embedded in his neck.
Where had it come from? As consciousness faded, he witnessed the impossible again: a hazy figure gripping the dagger's hilt. It was Taemin, the one who'd vanished before his eyes.
'How... this...'
His thoughts ended there.
Thud.
Taemin retrieved the sword from the limp corpse and stood before Kim Hana. She burst into sobs, throwing herself into his arms.
He patted her back gently.
"What the hell happened? Who are these guys? Why the people?"
"Taemin... sob sob..."
"It's okay now. Stop crying and tell me."
Comforted, she pulled away, wiping tears, and pointed to the clustered men.
"They attacked out of nowhere."
"Why?"
"I don't know exactly. They just came and... the people..."
Her words aligned with Taemin's suspicions.
"Stay here a sec."
"What are you gonna do?"
"Pay... them back."
Saying that, he strode toward the men. The trap had lifted, freeing them, but none dared charge. Taemin's skill had instilled utter dread.
As he approached, they gripped weapons tightly, hastily conferring.
"Hit him with skills before he does. You two bind, the rest scatter and attack."
The apparent second-in-command issued orders. Two sorcerers fired bindings at Taemin, while the rest swarmed from all sides—a flawless tactic, inescapable for any normal hunter.
But they'd picked the wrong foe. No matter how many humans, could they take a tiger barehanded?
They'd surrounded him well, but couldn't stop him. Dodging the bindings effortlessly, Taemin carved through the charging hunters mercilessly.
"Keurgh!"
"Argh! My arm!"
"Ugh ack!"
Screams of agony echoed everywhere. Though he could kill instantly, he deliberately severed limbs one by one. The gushing blood sickened him, flying flesh chunks turned his stomach—but it was far from enough to appease the spirits of his unjustly slain staff.
Choked emotion erupted from him.
"Why'd you kill them? Why?"
Bathed in blood, dismembering the men, Taemin looked like a demon. Extreme rage—he was losing his reason.
The survivors regretted not fleeing earlier. Up close, he wasn't just strong; he was an untouchable monster. Brutal attacks piercing all defenses, speed beyond sight. This insane combat power transcended even their organization's records. Beyond common sense.
But escape was impossible now. Over half were dead, survivors crawling, limbs torn.
A rustle caught Taemin's ear—another hidden hunter exposed. Trembling behind a great tree, watching comrades die, he quaked at Taemin's gaze.
Backing away on shaking legs, he tripped on a root and fell. Taemin approached slowly.
"Sp-spare me. I got a two-year-old waitin' at home."
Knowing some Korean, he clasped hands, begging brokenly.
Taemin replied quietly.
"Escort leader Lee Sung-ho had a family too."
Shlick!
Squish—!
Chilling sounds as the man's right arm detached at the shoulder. A horrific scream followed.
"Arrrgh! My arm! Kraaagh!"
Taemin's expressionless voice continued.
"His team member Park Woo-sik had a family."
Squish—!
Left arm now. Losing both instantly, the man writhed.
Frantically kowtowing, he screamed.
"Kraaagh! Mercy! Please...!"
"Park Hye-mi... her little brother just started college. She bragged it was top-tier, image still fresh."
Squish!
Left leg.
"Aaaagh! No! No! Mercy... I was wrong. Please..."
"Kim Min-ah worked too much. Couldn't leave Seoul for two years. She was thrilled about going home next month's vacation."
Squish—!
Last leg gone, the man flopped like a fish on land. Blood loss blurred his mind.
Taemin's eerie voice whispered.
"And the border guards you trampled have families waiting too. But scum like you having a family?"
"Ughhh... spa... spare.."
Stab!
The final twitcher took a sword to the throat. His body convulsed once, then slumped.
Having slain them all, Taemin stared at the corpses, then regained his senses. Seeing blood on his hands, he shuddered.
'Me... killing people.'
Revenge or not, it shocked him. He'd only slain monsters—never imagined this.
Kim Hana approached.
"Section Chief."
He turned, meeting her eyes. After a moment, he spoke softly.
"No choice... with these bastards."
"I know. I get it."
"Sorry. If I'd come sooner..."
Taemin blamed himself. Before the elves, if he'd returned then—maybe they'd all live. Regret weighed heavy.
Averting eyes from her, he gazed at the cold staff corpses.
"We need to recover the bodies. I'll stay; you go to HQ and report."
She nodded instinctively, then startled, shouting.
"Ah! Section Chief, not now! HQ's under attack!"
His gaze snapped back.
"HQ attacked?"
"Not sure details. Was chatting with folks when the call came. HQ invaded—return immediately. Left one behind to head back, then these guys showed."
"Wait... then...?"
Her explanation conjured one face.
'Yoon Ji-young.'