Suddenly, his heart pounded.

Jeong Taeui couldn’t be sure who those footsteps belonged to. If it wasn’t one of the hostages who had been with him last night, then the moment that person was discovered by those light footsteps – it would be the end for them.

But if it was Ilay who was pursuing them, then it had to be one of the kidnappers.

Jeong Taeui lay down behind the rock, trying not to make any noise. He positioned himself just enough to see through the stacked wooden pillars around the rocks. Jeong Taeui closed his eyes tightly.

“Damn it” – He muttered inwardly.

It was the man who had hit him earlier, and the one chasing after him was that crazy Ilay. Neither of them would be pleasant to encounter.

Facing Ilay, the kidnapper might resort to suicide or take Jeong Taeui hostage again to threaten Ilay… Hopefully, he wasn’t that desperate.

And when he faced Ilay… Taeui had no idea what to do…

The man was injured, his shoulder covered in blood, with it dripping down to his fingertips. He seemed severely wounded. It wasn’t just his shoulder, his leg was soaked in blood as if he had just stepped out of a pool of it. His face was twisted in fear and horror. His breathing grew louder as he got closer. He was gasping as if he might collapse at any moment. And he was heading straight for the rock where Jeong Taeui was hiding.

What should he do now? If he encountered the man here, he’d have to fight for his life somehow. But he wasn’t sure he could manage anything in his current state.

Conversely, the blood-soaked man approaching him could still move, while Jeong Taeui couldn’t even move a finger anymore.

All he could do now was accept the distant reality of lying still, waiting for death.

His vision blurred. He tried to think of a way to get through this harsh reality.

Ilay had arrived.

He wasn’t far behind the man, only a few dozen steps away.

For a moment, Jeong Taeui felt his soul leave his body. The sight of Ilay sent shivers down his spine.

He was drenched in blood.

As usual. His black gloves were soaked in blood. In one hand, he held a large leather bag that looked like a sandbag, and in the other, a military knife. The knife gleamed but was also stained with blood.

( Ilay’s equipment: An anti-tank gun and a combat knife. That’s enough to obliterate an entire Mafia gang – Armed group 😎)

From head to toe, he was covered in blood. The only part untouched by red was his black eyes.

He calmly followed the man as if nothing had happened, despite his terrifying appearance. No, it looked as if he wasn’t even really chasing the man.

Jeong Taeui couldn’t make sense of it. Ilay’s steps were light as if he were on a stroll. Though his expression showed no malice, the smile on his face sent chills down one’s spine.

Ilay’s pace wasn’t slow; he kept up right behind the man, leisurely glancing around as if on a casual walk. He then faced the man, looked at him for a moment, and smiled faintly, as if just now noticing the terrified man who had been running from him.

“Ah ha, found the last one.”

It was as if that smile was directed at him, causing Jeong Taeui’s skin to crawl.

The man had reached the rock where Jeong Taeui was hiding. Sweat dripped from his clenched fists. The man hurriedly braced himself against the tree beside the rock.

Damn it. He’d been found…!

Jeong Taeui tensed up and gritted his teeth.

At that moment.

—— *Slash*

A brief, strange sound pierced the stillness. But that was it, followed by silence. As if quiet could engulf everything, the footsteps, the bird songs, and the breaths.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, a heavy body fell into the grass and collapsed. For a moment, Jeong Taeui screamed inwardly. His tongue and body went rigid. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move.

The man’s face landed wedged between the exposed roots.

His face was directed at Jeong Taeui. His eyes stared wide open at him. His once blue eyes were now turning red. He must have recognized Jeong Taeui, but in an instant, life drained from his eyes. The whites of his eyes were smeared with blood. Between his chin and neck was a deep, clean cut, like it was nearly severed, and blood spurted from it like a fountain, soaking both his body and Jeong Taeui.

Hot blood covered his face, but Jeong Taeui couldn’t avoid it.

He had no strength left to escape, and even if he did, his paralyzed body wouldn’t move.

“……Well, then…”

A cold, gentle voice reached his ears like a whisper.

Ilay stood there, just a rock and a tree away.

Taeui closed his eyes. His eyelids were heavy, too weak to open. He couldn’t stand up. He didn’t want to face the reality that his final distance from Ilay was only a few steps.

If there was a god in this world, please save him right now… Or at least let this moment hold onto his remaining breath…

Jeong Taeui closed his eyes and prayed, and Ilay’s voice echoed in his ears.

“Come out, Taei.”

His heart skipped a beat.

Taeui had thought he’d never hear his name called by that voice again.

No, he shouldn’t have.

His fingertips trembled, his remaining willpower wasn’t even enough to lift a finger. His heart pounded. His fingers kept shaking.

“I saw you head this way, so I chased him here. Anyway, you must be in pain, so you can’t go any further.”

“Come out.”

It was a low, quiet voice. But in this deadly forest, the sound traveled far.

Ilay didn’t know where Jeong Taeui was. Though he knew Taeui had to be hiding somewhere nearby, within earshot, he didn’t know exactly where he was concealed.

Taeui lay still, not moving. He didn’t want to be a fool trying to escape now. Jeong Taeui was so terrified his entire body trembled, his strength sapped to its last drop. He didn’t even have the strength to respond. And above all, even if he had to die like this, he didn’t want to face that man.

How was he going to do this? Was he going to scour the entire area? But anywhere in this vast forest, the range was too wide, too vast to find someone hiding. If he brought others to search, it would be different, but if he was alone, it would be very difficult.

This was a battle, and it was unlike anything he could handle.

“Still not coming out…?”

Ilay’s voice remained calm. He spoke like a whisper, steady, not overly angry, and then he waited silently for a few seconds.

Although the chance was slim, Jeong Taeui hoped he would give up and go back. Or that his claim of seeing Taeui go this way and following him was just a ploy to draw him out, and he was just passing through by chance.

Jeong Taeui’s body went rigid, unable to breathe even as his consciousness faded, and he suddenly heard him sigh. A light sigh.

“If you don’t come out, this forest will burn.”

It seemed like casual banter, but his voice was very serious. As if he were simply talking about the weather. But when Jeong Taeui heard those words, his face drained of color.

No way.

Jeong Taeui looked around.

Even though it was midsummer and there were hardly any dry branches or fallen leaves, it didn’t mean the trees wouldn’t catch fire. Fresh wood didn’t burn well, but once it started, it would become uncontrollable.

And the entire area was surrounded by dense trees.

No, that wasn’t the issue. Even if he were a criminal, no one would be crazy enough to burn down a forest.

Jeong Taeui broke out in a cold sweat. Then his mind seemed to awaken, and he shook his head several times.

No, no way. No matter how crazy this man was, even if he was the one who used an anti-tank gun to shoot directly at a house with people inside, he wouldn’t be crazy enough to set a forest of this size on fire.

He couldn’t possibly know how severe the consequences of such an act would be.

While Jeong Taeui held his breath and kept shaking his head, Ilay waited for a moment, then opened his mouth and started counting.

“If you don’t want to get burned, come out. One… two… — …… three.”

That might have been his last bit of patience. Even though he was counting very slowly, the time he took to say – “…three” – was drawn out a bit longer.

These days, he had become very rough and was said to be quite ruthless at UNHRDO. But now, his voice was still very pleasant. Moreover, when thinking about the numbers he counted, after not seeing him for such a long time, Jeong Taeui felt like a mouse being toyed with by a cat.

However, after the final number three left his lips, Ilay didn’t wait any longer. He must have guessed that Jeong Taeui wouldn’t come out. Hearing a rustling sound, Jeong Taeui slowly opened his eyes to look through the gap between a tree trunk and a rock.

Ilay was removing the strap from the large leather bag he was carrying on his shoulder.

“…?”

Jeong Taeui tilted his head in curiosity. What was inside that big, sloshing leather bag? … But his thoughts were quickly cut off as he realized with a shock.

As soon as Ilay opened the bag, a strong smell hit his nose. —— It was gasoline.

Ilay loosened the strap of the bag and opened it. Without hesitation, without blinking an eye, he immediately started pouring out the gasoline. He poured a massive amount of gasoline from the leather bag all around the area.

The acrid smell of gasoline filled the air. The scent of gasoline rising from the forest made his head throb.

Jeong Taeui seemed to lose his mind as well. Was he really planning to set a fire? Even if he was crazy, he wouldn’t do something like that. This wasn’t just ‘burning a picture to catch a flea’, he intended to burn down the whole forest just to draw him out.

Jeong Taeui screams internally as the smell of gasoline seems to cling to his body. However, Ilay didn’t care about Jeong Taeui’s thoughts. Ilay lifted the empty leather bag and shook it out, then tore it into pieces with his bare hands. There was a thick piece of leather that required a bit more effort, and Ilay held the gasoline-soaked piece of leather in one hand and took out a lighter from his pocket.

No way.

But what was inevitable had to happen.

The pieces of leather ignited instantly. The smell of burning leather mixed with the smell of gasoline filled his nostrils. Jeong Taeui’s eyes widened as he watched Ilay only a few steps away. He calmly tossed the flames. The fire quickly consumed the grass and spread to the gasoline-soaked trees nearby that Ilay had doused earlier.

Then, a gentle breeze blew through.

The flames rapidly spread from tree to tree, from branch to branch. And in the midst of it all, Ilay stood there with a calm expression, taking out a cigarette from his pocket. Even though he was standing in an area where a few steps would lead to being engulfed by the fire, he casually lit the cigarette with a flame starting at his feet.

Ilay smoked the cigarette with a detached look.

This crazy, insane, lunatic!!!!!!!!

Jeong Taeui stood up in anger.

No, to be precise, he didn’t stand up immediately. He wanted to jump up, but his strength couldn’t keep up with his will, causing him to lift only about an inch off the ground before immediately collapsing again.

But even that small movement was enough for Ilay to notice.

He raised an eyebrow and glanced down at the rock beside him before stepping back. Then, when he saw Jeong Taeui, his eyes curved into a slender arc.

“Ah ha…..”

A low, deep laugh sounded. But that smile was something Jeong Taeui couldn’t respond to with a smile.

“You lunatic. What are you going to do with this… What are you going to do in this situation?!”

He wanted to scream and run out, but his body wouldn’t allow him to. Jeong Taeui clenched his fists and groaned, almost gritting his teeth with every word.

Ilay approached Jeong Taeui. He knelt and leaned forward to face him. His face got closer, but Jeong Taeui only focused on the cigarette close to his nose.

“You have something to say to me, Taei.”

Ilay whispered softly. His gentle and soft words made Jeong Taeui question for a moment if he had misunderstood him or their past.

But he quickly remembered how dangerous this man was, even when speaking politely.

“What does that matter in this situation? The issue now is what to do with this fire!”

“Ask me for help.”

“The guy who set the forest on fire…—…. what?”

Jeong Taeui used all his strength to shout in a weak voice. At first glance, he couldn’t understand what Ilay was saying. Seeing his bewildered state, Ilay tapped the ash from his long cigarette.

Meanwhile, the flames spread like mad.

“It’s getting hot here because of the fire, so I’ll be leaving soon. But it seems you can’t move on your own.”

“……”

“Ask me for help. Then I’ll help you.”

Once again, Ilay spoke calmly with the cigarette still in his mouth. His voice and expression seemed very serious.

Jeong Taeui looked at Ilay with confused eyes for a moment.

“If I don’t ask, will you leave me in this fire?”

“Yeah.”

Ilay responded without hesitation. Jeong Taeui was startled by his inhumane response and looked at Ilay. But soon, his memory returned. This man would nonchalantly continue on his path even if he had just pushed someone alive into the flames.

“It’s very hot here…––Don’t you have anything to say? Then I’ll go.”

“Hey, why did you tell me to come out if you were going to set the fire? If you planned to throw me into the flames, what was the point of telling me to come out?!”

Despite feeling the contradiction between his words and actions, Jeong Taeui shouted. But Ilay just stood next to him, looking down with a detached expression.

A moment of silence passed. In the stillness, their eyes locked onto each other.

But the stare didn’t last long. As the flames approached the rock where Jeong Taeui lay, he choked on the heat. Jeong Taeui couldn’t bear it any longer and spoke coldly.

“Help me.”

After staring at Ilay, Jeong Taeui spoke quickly.

Ilay tilted his head and looked down at him, then suddenly, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

“Alright.”

As soon as he gave his brief response, Ilay bent down then turned his back to Taeui, and lifted him onto his shoulder.

Ilay carried Jeong Taeui, who was still in shock and curled up on his shoulder like a piece of luggage, toward the area he hadn’t doused with gasoline.

He calmly carried him out of the sea of flames.

It was uncomfortable. But the moment he escaped the blaze, the tension in him seemed to dissipate.

The consciousness Taeui had been struggling to maintain was fading, and this time he didn’t dare open his eyes again.

He had been captured by a man he shouldn’t have been caught by. Now, even trying to stay awake was pointless.

As his consciousness faded, Jeong Taeui felt Ilay calling out to someone, but before he could speak, he had already slipped into unconsciousness.