Chapter 8 - Hunted Becomes the Hunter
The footsteps drew closer, their owners unaware of the predator lurking in the darkness.
Jin-Ho remained still, his body perfectly blended into the shadows. He could hear their breathing, the clinking of their weapons.
"Are you sure this is the place?" one of them whispered.
"Positive," another replied. "That bastard has to be here somewhere."
Jin-Ho smirked. So, they were looking for him?
From his hiding place, he observed them—five men, all armed. They bore the insignia of the Black Viper Syndicate, a ruthless gang that controlled parts of the ruined city.
"The boss wants his head," one of them muttered. "After what he did to our men, we can't let him live."
Jin-Ho's eyes gleamed. So they were after revenge. How amusing.
He silently activated Abyssal Grasp. The shadows beneath the closest man slithered upward, wrapping around his ankle. Before he could react, the tendrils yanked him into the darkness.
A choked scream—then silence.
The others turned in panic. "What the—?!"
Jin-Ho struck.
Emerging from the shadows, he drove his fist into the second man's stomach. The sheer force shattered ribs, sending him flying into a crumbling wall.
The remaining three scrambled to attack, but they were too slow.
Jin-Ho moved like a phantom, weaving through their desperate swings. One man raised a gun—too late. Jin-Ho's shadow extended, piercing straight through his throat. Blood sprayed as he collapsed.
The last two men turned to flee, but Jin-Ho was already behind them. Abyssal Grasp surged forward, coiling around their necks.
"P-please—!" one choked out.
Jin-Ho's golden eyes glowed in the darkness. "You should have run before seeking me out."
With a flick of his wrist, the shadows tightened—and the two men fell lifeless to the ground.
Silence returned.
Jin-Ho exhaled, stepping over the bodies. This was no longer about survival.
He was becoming something else. Something far beyond human.
The world had tried to hunt him down.
Now, it was his turn to hunt.