Lee Hyeon-Ju's complexion went deathly pale. She couldn't even speak properly. “Ah, aaaaah...!”

Kang Jin-Ho was literally trampling on Lee Seong-Hwi. This was like witnessing the scene of a powerful predator systematically wounding a prey that dared to intrude on its territory. Instead of killing the prey right away, the predator was taking its time, enjoying its handiwork. That was the best way to describe how Lee Seong-Hwi's body was being slowly but surely destroyed.

Cruuunch...!

“Kkuhhhhh...!”

Another sound of bones breaking echoed in the air. Lee Seong-Hwi tried to resist one more time, but his movements were feeble. His weakly flailing arm was grabbed by Kang Jin-Ho, and then...

Craaak.

Yet another vivid sound of bone breaking accompanied the sight of Lee Seong-Hwi's wrist bending the wrong way.

“Wuoouhhh...!” Lee Seong-Hwi's eyes bulged; his irises quaked powerfully from pain and pure terror. “S-stop!”

“Stop?” Kang Jin-Ho grinned weirdly while looking into Lee Seong-Hwi's eyes, then slowly reached out to grab the terrified man's face. “Who are you to decide that?”

Kang Jin-Ho sounded genuinely curious as he asked that. It was as if a young child was asking about a subject he didn't quite understand.

“Hmm. Did you seek my permission when showing up at the cafe?”

“I, I was...”

“No, you didn't. Did you?” Kang Jin-Ho continued to smile. That smile didn't seem all that different from his 'normal' smile, but it came across as so cruel and sinister in Lee Seong-Hwi's eyes.

“So, it's fine.”

Craaaack!

Kang Jin-Ho stomped on Lee Seong-Hwi's ankle, breaking it.

“Aaaaaaahk!”

This pain...! Lee Seong-Hwi wouldn't normally scream so pathetically, no matter how torturous the pain was. However, things were different right now. The fear buzzing around in his mind proved to be so much worse than the physical pain.

This Kang Jin-Ho bastard didn't want anything in particular from Lee Seong-Hwi. Even worse, no one could predict just how far he was willing to go.

This fear of getting hurt endlessly by a man who simply wanted to rip him apart like a little insect but wanted nothing in return and had no preset conditions to stop... That fear was what had been causing the biggest damage to Lee Seong-Hwi's mind and body.

Lee Seong-Hwi whimpered pathetically, “P-please don't kill me!”

“Looks like you didn't hear me earlier,” Kang Jin-Ho whispered into the ear of the shivering Lee Seong-Hwi. “I told you, I'm not going to kill you.”

That whisper still managed to rock Lee Seong-Hwi's heart and soul.

“However, there's nothing I can do if you decide to die midway on your own accord. So, do your best to endure, okay? Do you understand me?” Kang Jin-Ho smirked, his grip on Lee Seong-Hwi's face getting stronger.

“Kkuuuuuhk!” Lee Seong-Hwi gasped as the far-worse terror from Kang Jin-Ho tightly squeezing his face filled him up. Unless Kang Jin-Ho weakened his grip, Lee Seong-Hwi's head would be crushed into bits. And that would turn the human named Lee Seong-Hwi into a slab of meat instead.

He wanted to grab Kang Jin-Ho's hand, but that was not possible in his current state. One of Lee Seong-Hwi's arms was twisted toward his back, while the other was broken below the wrist and could only hang limply.

Soon, Lee Seong-Hwi lost half his rational mind to the flood of pain and terror and began sobbing away pathetically. “Sniff, sob... P-please, don't hurt me…”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head as if he couldn't understand. “Why are you like this so soon? Even though it's merely the beginning?”

“I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I'm...”

Kang Jin-Ho frowned deeply. Even those two bastards he had dealt with in the military were tougher than this big guy. He held some expectations since his opponent was a martial artist, but this guy... Kang Jin-Ho evaluated him to be nothing more than trash wearing the facade of a martial artist.

However, he could already figure out the reason for this pathetic sight. He didn't hold a good opinion of the modern-era martial artists simply because they wouldn't have much chance to fight in life-or-death situations.

A martial artist, a cultivator, who never got the chance to be deployed to a battlefield would be like a 'transcended' human boasting a superior physique compared to regular people and using their internal energy cultivation to enjoy a cushier lifestyle. In that case, where would people like that acquire the proper mindset of a real cultivator?

The so-called martial artist's fundamentals and mindset, as taught by one's teacher, would be like trying to grasp at the distant floating clouds. A real martial artist was cultivated on the battlefield. At least, that was what Kang Jin-Ho believed. Only the blood-soaked battlefield, where blades were constantly thrust into your face and the comrade you were talking to just a second ago could die in your arms with a knife stuck to his throat, would forge a true martial artist.

In that sense, Lee Seong-Hwi was no more than an overgrown child boasting superior physical strength, rather than a true martial artist. It was just that he had enjoyed a superior status over other people, and that led to the state of soft, untrained flesh under a haphazardly-formed outer shell.

“Even the Chinese martial artists I fought remained more or less dignified in the face of death, yet you're already like this? A piece of trash like you can strut around like a boss in this country? Doesn't that imply we only have utter garbage in this country, then?” Kang Jin-Ho insultingly patted Lee Seong-Hwi's cheek.

What a piece of trash this man was. Was there a reason to let such trash live? Maybe it would be better to...

“No, that's enough!” Lee Hyeon-Ju cried out hysterically. “I-is there a reason to go this far?! You might really kill him at this rate! I, I'll apologize to you! So, please... Please stop! I beg you!”

“You're mistaken about something,” said Kang Jin-Ho. His voice was so much colder than before. His eyes, withdrawn without a hint of emotion, were now fixed on Lee Hyeon-Ju. “Does your group humor any request as long as we bow our heads first?”

“...I, I'm sorry?”

Kang Jin-Ho's right hand grabbed Lee Seong-Hwi's shoulder next. The poor big guy instinctively understood what was about to come and began shivering like a lone leaf caught in the storm winds.

“What a soft, feeble world that is.”

Craaaaack!

“Uwaaaaaaah!” Lee Seong-Hwi's blood-curdling scream echoed loudly in the mountainside. Unfortunately for him, there were no settlements nearby. There was no one to rescue him from this torture.

Kang Jin-Ho's cold eyes shifted back to Lee Seong-Hwi. “You started all this. So, to make things fair, I should be given a chance to end it. Don't you agree?”

Lee Seong-Hwi couldn't respond. It was a miracle that he hadn't blacked out from this incredible pain torturing him from every corner of his body. Never mind verbally answering someone, he couldn't even think of anything right now. The only thing he could do was instinctively resist the flood of pain.

“Y-you think you'll be unscathed after doing this?!” Lee Hyeon-Ju cried out again.

Kang Jin-Ho's brow twitched ominously. “...Unscathed, you say?”

His head slowly turned toward Lee Hyeon-Ju, and when their eyes met, she lost all energy in her legs and plopped down on the ground. Those eyes—those eyes couldn't belong to a human being!

For a moment there, she thought she saw something dark writhe within Kang Jin-Ho's eyes. And she was beset with a powerful premonition that something wicked would erupt from that darkness, reach out to her, and start strangling her while sucking out all of her blood!

Even the word 'terror' was inadequate to describe this horrifying feeling washing over her right now!

Kang Jin-Ho noisily shoved Lee Seong-Hwi's face away. The big guy went sprawling on the ground and whimpered in pain. Kang Jin-Ho didn't even spare a second glance at him and began walking over to Lee Hyeon-Ju next.

“Do I need to repeat myself?” He growled menacingly as he approached her. “You people provoked me first. All I ever wanted was to lead an ordinary life.”

“...!”

“You intruded in my life uninvited, yapped on about whatever you wanted and then, what did you say to me? I won't be 'unscathed'? Is that what you said?”

His question was punctuated by his eerie, quiet chuckle. His words dug into Lee Hyeon-Ju's hearing, and listening to his chuckle seemed to make her soul shiver.

“In that case, tell me what you think.” Kang Jin-Ho reached Lee Hyeon-Ju's plopped figure. He squatted down and looked into her eyes. “Do you think I'll be unscathed? Mm?”

“...P-please don't kill me.” Lee Hyeon-Ju pleaded pathetically.

She wasn't sure why she said that. Why did she mutter something so inane even though Kang Jin-Ho had repeatedly said he wouldn’t kill her and Lee Seong-Hwi?

Lee Hyeon-Ju's hair was turning white from sheer terror, and her messy mind was desperately searching for the right words to say at this very moment. This was the result, which was, unfortunately, somewhat off the mark.

Kang Jin-Ho reached out and lightly patted Lee Hyeon-Ju's cheek. She shuddered at the sensation akin to a snake's cold tongue wrapping around her bare skin.

“Do you know why I'm angry?” Kang Jin-Ho quietly asked.

“...?”

“I know already that it's not possible to keep avoiding the truth. I know that sooner or later, I must come face-to-face with you people. And I also know that I'll eventually have to give up on my previous peaceful life and jump into your world. I'm not an idiot, after all.”

Questions filled up Lee Hyeon-Ju's expression. She couldn't quite understand what Kang Jin-Ho was saying to her. However, he had never expected her to understand, anyway.

“Even if that's the case, I still don't like the idea of that abnormal world trying to get in my face against my wishes. You people have this tendency to not give a damn about the lives of others. You think nothing about pulling people in, and you think that's how it's supposed to be…” Kang Jin-Ho muttered, the corners of his lips gradually curling up. “Since that's the case, I'll act the same as you. I don't really care about your stance. I'm simply doing what I want to do. So, what do you think? Now that you're on the receiving end, are you having fun? Like I am?”

Kang Jin-Ho's hand patting Lee Hyeon-Ju's cheek slowly lowered toward her throat. Even though she could feel this downward movement, she couldn't do anything to resist. The only thing she could do right now was to ardently pray for this hellish time to quickly pass her by. Or, at the very least, let her black out and not go through this nightmare.

“I warned you, didn't I?” Kang Jin-Ho's hand tightened around her throat.

Lee Hyeon-Ju's tears trickled down her face unchecked. She had finally realized what her mistake was. This man, he... He should have never been provoked.

“Do you really think you can deal with the consequences?” Kang Jin-Ho slowly squeezed, and Lee Hyeon-Ju closed her eyes shut. “The consequences of ignoring my warning, that is. Well, do you?”

Her lungs were being set on fire. And she couldn't really tell whether her body was shivering or not. The merciless fear constricting her whole being left her utterly defenseless, and she was getting blown apart every which way from it.

'I was wrong.'

Lee Hyeon-Ju thought that a switch inside Kang Jin-Ho had flipped.

For some reason, Kang Jin-Ho had been suppressing himself to fit in with the modern era's rules and regulations. The 'himself' in this case turned out to be a monster—a monster far more vicious and cruel than anything or anyone Lee Hyeon-Ju knew. And it was impulsive, too.

The 'normal' Kang Jin-Ho seemed like a totally different person from the version responsible for wrecking Lee Seong-Hwi. But then, that violent Kang Jin-Ho was also different from the one currently strangling Lee Hyeon-Ju. This version was undoubtedly arrogant, just as vicious, and also determined.

Lee Hyeon-Ju's only mistake was failing to predict Kang Jin-Ho's nature being like this. If she had known the truth ahead of time, Lee Hyeon-Ju would have never approached Kang Jin-Ho so carelessly.

“Don't you worry,” Kang Jin-Ho bared his fangs in a cruel grin. “As I said, I won't kill you.”

He then slowly picked Lee Hyeon-Ju up from the ground. But then—

“...Aren't you feeling cold, Mister Jin-Ho?” A casual-sounding voice interrupted the proceedings.

The slightly puzzled Kang Jin-Ho turned around to look behind him. Jo Gyu-Min was standing there while rubbing his shoulders and muttering away, “Argh, it's getting too cold to stand around doing nothing, you know? Since the situation is not resolved yet, going back to the car now is a bit... So, how about…”

Jo Gyu-Min rummaged through his pocket, then pulled out a packet of cigarettes. He took out one cigarette and offered it to Kang Jin-Ho while grinning confidently. “How about a smoke break? To warm our bodies and all.”

Kang Jin-Ho's withdrawn eyes stared at the offered cigarette. A bout of weird silence ensued. Soon, though, he slowly reached out and accepted Jo Gyu-Min's cigarette. He mouthed it and replied with a chuckle, “That's not a bad idea.”

Cosy: Well, mad respects for Gyu-Min who actually dared to voice out. A gutsy aide indeed.