BOOOOM!!!

The sound of an explosion itself wasn't all that surprising to hear. Such a thing could be heard every now and then while going about one's daily life, after all.

However, the sound of an explosion coming from a person's body would be considered quite bizarre. Even more so if that sound had come from one's own body.

The Fallen stared at his leg in a daze. His leg was not broken. It was... separated from the rest of his body. He couldn't see anything attached below his thigh. What an unrealistic sight this was.

Imagine seeing the leg you used to move around now discarded on the ground like some kind of chopped-up meat in a butcher's shop. Would anyone be able to maintain a sane mind? The Fallen knew the answer to that question. He was looking at his own severed leg right now, after all.

“Uwah...!”

The pain rushed in belatedly. One may assume that the unimaginable pain would instantly shock the brain just as the leg got severed, but that wasn't true. Rather unexpectedly, the pain took its time to slowly creep into the Fallen's senses before gaining momentum like a tsunami wave.

However, the sudden influx of pain began to lessen as if he had taken a whole bottle of painkillers. He couldn't tell if this was because of his adrenaline being pumped out like a waterfall or if he was too scared to even feel much pain right now.

He was sure about one thing; however, the devil currently tearing and ripping his body apart was still dissatisfied with his handiwork so far. As a matter of fact, this devil was still glaring at the Fallen as if he would resume the tearing-and-ripping any time now.

Just where did it go wrong? Running into this monster? Not refusing the Yeongnam Group's request? No... Maybe, the Fallen's mistake was letting himself get devoured by the demonic cultivation and start murdering people. Otherwise, then... Then, it had to be when he started cultivating the demonic arts.

However, none of that mattered right now. Thanks to this devil shattering the Fallen's dantian, his mind was getting clearer with every passing second. But that was such a horrifying fate because the clearer his mind became, the easier it was for him to recognize his current situation.

“I... I'm...” The Fallen tried to say something, but his broken teeth and severed tongue distorted his enunciation. He wanted to say “I am,” but it didn't sound like that in his own ears. However, he had to say it. Dying like this was just too unfair, after all.

‘Yes, it wasn’t my fault. I had never been that kind of a person! This... This was all the demonic arts' fault!’

“I... I’m!”

Slam!

Just as the Fallen tried to say something, Kang Jin-Ho's fist struck him in the mouth. The remaining teeth broke off before getting buried in the palate or shredding the already-torn tongue even further.

The pain from that was beyond the Fallen's ability to describe. Even his body getting impaled by steel skewers wouldn't be this painful.

Kang Jin-Ho pulled his fist out of the Fallen's mouth and whispered, “Were you thinking of making excuses?”

“Kkeuh-uuuh...”

“Yes, I'm sure you had your circumstances. Yes, I know. You probably lost your mind while cultivating the demonic arts. And you began thirsting for blood despite your best intentions. Am I right?”

The Fallen urgently nodded his head.

“Sure. I sympathize with you. Here's the thing, though...” Kang Jin-Ho whispered creepily into the Fallen's ear. “No one forced you to cultivate the demonic arts. It was solely your choice. Am I wrong?”

“Kkeuh...!”

Kang Jin-Ho grinned like the devil again. “You can think of this situation like this. I've also gone insane because of the demonic cultivation. And that's why I'm wrecking you like this. Wouldn't that make it less unfair for you? I mean, you and I are practically the same in that case, right? So…”

Kang Jin-Ho grabbed the weak and flailing cheek of the Fallen and yanked it closer to his own face. “...You should forgive me.”

Craaaack...!

Kang Jin-Ho stomped on the Fallen's remaining leg, causing the sound of bones getting crushed to echo in the hillside. The Fallen screamed, but not much noise came out of his mouth thanks to Kang Jin-Ho's firm grip on his throat.

The Fallen's eyes became even more bloodshot as Kang Jin-Ho continued to push down with his foot.

Crack, crunch, craaaack...

The Fallen had experienced hearing sounds similar to these from a person's body. Such noises would usually be produced when a human limb with blood still flowing in it was about to be ripped off by force. However, he would have preferred not to know about it. Because... those noises were coming from his own leg right now!

Craaack!

And then, his leg was ripped out.

The sense of loss from losing his leg was far greater than the pain itself. And the sheer terror from knowing that the cackling devil was still here was bigger than anything else.

The Fallen looked up, his face now a mess of tears, snot, and blood. Even though he could no longer speak properly, the desperation in his eyes was enough for anyone to guess what was on his mind right now. Unfortunately, Kang Jin-Ho wasn't one of them.

“Why don't you say it?” Kang Jin-Ho reached out and grabbed the Fallen's arm. “Yes, say it. Tell me to stop. Then, I'll stop.”

“Uwuuuuuh!” The Fallen fitfully cried out, but his throat failed to produce anything resembling a human voice. His teeth were all broken while his tongue was severed. The 'shrapnel' from his broken teeth even halfway destroyed his vocal cords, too. So, how could he form a coherent sentence in that case?

“What was that?” Kang Jin-Ho asked while ripping off the Fallen's already-tattered arm.

Riiiip!

Splaaaash!

Another fountain of blood spewed into the night sky. The Fallen's body shivered and trembled as if he was suffering from a seizure. That was because he knew where the devil's wicked hands would aim for next. And he also knew nothing could stop this monster.

He failed to calm his shaking body after realizing that he was helpless and unable to resist the encroaching fate. And that 'fate' reached out to grab the Fallen's remaining arm.

“Now, say it.”

The Fallen's fingers were breaking off, one by one.

“I can't hear you.”

The Fallen screamed and yelled. He knew it was useless. However, how could he not scream in this situation? Anyone else would have done the same.

Even though his destroyed mouth prevented him from forming coherent sentences, even though he knew he couldn't produce much noise no matter how hard he tried—he still had to scream.

Even though he knew it was useless, even though his struggles would only add to the devil's amusement... The Fallen continued to scream and yell as tears streamed down his face. However, his end remained unchanging.

Firstly, it was his wrist. It was broken into bits.

“I still can't hear you.”

Then, it was his forearm. The limb below his elbow was ripped off of the joint and was tossed away.

The devil cackled quietly. Despite that cackle being whisper-quiet, the Fallen could still vividly hear the madness swirling within.

Did... did his victims feel this way, too? All those people the Fallen had murdered, did they feel the same thing as him?

No! Definitely not! The Fallen murdered people, yes, but he had never, ever toyed with his victims by tearing them apart limb from limb like this insane devil!

To his victims, the Fallen had to have resembled a devil. However, the one captured in the Fallen's eyes was not an imitator but the real deal. The real devil! The devil that... laughed as he tore a living person's body apart!

Kang Jin-Ho whispered again, “Can I tell you something?”

By now, the Fallen's consciousness had abandoned him halfway. Perhaps due to the excessive bleeding, he could no longer feel any pain. All he could sense was this crippling coldness as if he was inside a fridge.

However, that coldness was still not enough to surpass the deathly chill of Kang Jin-Ho's voice. If a person's voice could control the temperature, the Fallen's body would have instantly frozen up.

“I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?”

More tears trickled down the Fallen's cheeks. He... He wanted this to stop. This was already way beyond merciless. It was far too cruel!

Unfortunately for him, the devil didn't seem all that eager to stop here. Indeed, Kang Jin-Ho could have reaped the Fallen's life at any time he wanted, yet he chose not to.

Even though both of his legs and one arm had already been ripped off of his body, the Fallen was still alive. Even though all that bleeding should have killed him by now...! He was still alive because the devil hadn't grown bored of him yet.

Just how much pain and terror were he supposed to suffer before he was allowed to escape from this hell?!

Kang Jin-Ho's quiet and eerie voice dug into the Fallen's ears, “The good news is simple enough. I won't kill you.”

The Fallen didn't want to hear it. Because he thought he knew what would be the bad news. The elation from the hope of not dying would be easily dwarfed by the despair of the looming bad news.

That was why he didn't want to hear it. However, a part of him wanted to know. Even after finding himself stuck inside this contradictory emotion, the Fallen continued to struggle, scream and howl in sorrow.

“As for the bad news...”

It felt like the devil's forked tongue was tickling the Fallen's ear. The fact that he could still feel goosebumps break out on his skin despite the state of his body was—an incredibly terrifying experience.

“...I won't kill you.”

The Fallen began to shudder even worse.

He understood what this meant. He also called himself a villain, after all. He oh-so clearly understood what Kang Jin-Ho was trying to tell him.

“Uwuh... Uwwuuuuuh... Uwhhuuuh!” The Fallen desperately and urgently cried out with his broken vocal cords. “Wuwuuuh! Uhuuuh!”

‘Kill me! Just kill me already! Pleaaase!’

However, the devil simply bared its pearly whites in a mocking grin while listening to the Fallen's despairing cry from his soul. The moonlight shone so coldly and clearly behind the devil.

“I can't hear you.”

Riiiip!

The last remaining arm was ripped off of the Fallen's torso.

‘Why! How come! Why am I not dead yet?! All my legs and arms are gone! I should be dead by now, so why am I not dead yeeeet!’

The Fallen sobbed pitifully. He wanted to lose his mind and escape from this cruel reality. If only his tongue were still intact, he would have bitten it off by now to kill himself and escape from this torture.

However, he had nothing left. All of his accumulated internal energy had long been scattered, while all four of his limbs had been ripped off of his body. Every single one of his teeth was broken, while his tongue was severed at the beginning of the 'fight'. The only thing he could do was writhe around like an insect.

“I want you to remember this.” Kang Jin-Ho looked deeply into the Fallen's eyes. “Remember the last thing you see in this world.”

Stab!

The light disappeared. Even then, Kang Jin-Ho's crimson eyes still remained vividly burned into his memories.

“Ah... Ah, aaaaah...!”

The Fallen's legs and arms were severed. He couldn't speak. And now, his eyes were taken away from him, too. Even though he was alive, he couldn't be described as living. Unfortunately, the Fallen knew something else. This... This wasn't over yet. The devil wouldn't be satisfied with merely this.

As if to answer the Fallen's suspicion, he felt Kang Jin-Ho's hand touching his ear.

“During the hardest times in my life…”

“...?”

“I thought many times that... it'd be wonderful to go to sleep and never wake up again.”

“Euh, euh...”

“Sometimes, death can be a luxury to a person. However, you don't have the right to welcome death and escape this punishment. You shall live out the remainder of your life in a world without light, sound... or, for that matter, where you can't do anything. I promise you, I won't let you die that easily.”

The Fallen's trembling became so, so much worse. He would rather...

He would rather have his eardrums exploded right now so that he wouldn't have to listen to the devil anymore!

“So, remember...”

Who could have guessed that not having hands to cover up one's ears would be this torturous and painful?! The Fallen was so scared of what Kang Jin-Ho would say next. So scared that—if he could—he would have ripped his own ears off.

However, he couldn't do anything. He could only sob and despair like a death row inmate staring at the guillotine ready to fall on top of his neck.

“This will not be the end. I'll come for you again. When that happens, pain so much worse than this will also come for you. Until then, I want you to remember all the pain your victims felt. Remember them for thousands, millions of times.”

At the end of those words... the Fallen's eardrums ruptured. And it meant he was now trapped in eternal darkness with neither light nor sound.