In the middle of the Cheonggyesan Mountain forest, the wind blew cold, rustling the branches of trees that had started to blacken from the dark aura. The tension grew as Jang Soo and Seol Min faced off against the cultists of the Black Crescent Cult. Three cultists stood before them, including a tall man with a sly grin on his face a Dark Mage who had set traps throughout the mountain.
"You won't leave here alive, Golden Lion." The Dark Mage stepped forward, his staff glowing dimly with a black aura swirling around its tip. Jang Soo clenched his fists, his muscular body ready to strike, while Seol Min stood beside him, poised with a silver dagger ready to slash.
"I told you, your traps won't work. I'm not afraid of you," Jang Soo said loudly, glaring at his opponent.
"So arrogant..." the Mage chuckled and quickly raised his staff to the sky. From the tip of the staff, waves of dark energy spread in all directions, creeping through the trees and darkening the forest atmosphere even more. The air became heavy, as though the darkness was absorbing all life around it.
Jang Soo didn't waste any time. He lunged at the Mage, his fist aiming for the enemy's head. However, the Dark Mage was fast enough; he spun his staff, creating a black shield that blocked Jang Soo's attack. "You'll need to do more than that if you want to defeat me."
Seeing an opening, Seol Min dashed at lightning speed toward the Mage, attempting to slash his stomach with her silver dagger. But the Mage quickly turned his body, dodging Seol Min's attack with agile movements, then throwing a ball of dark energy straight at her. Seol Min managed to dodge with an acrobatic leap backward, but the energy ball struck a tree behind her, shattering it into splinters that flew through the air.
"Not bad... But the two of you are still far too weak to face the dark power I possess," the Dark Mage taunted, his eyes glowing red as his magical power grew stronger.
Jang Soo wasn't intimidated. With a growl, he surged forward, his fists wrapped in energy, ready to smash through the Mage's shield. Each of his punches hit the dark energy barrier with brutal force, causing the air to vibrate. "Hah, I'll crush you, coward!"
The Mage's shield began to crack, a sign that his defense was starting to falter. Meanwhile, Seol Min moved swiftly, attacking with speed and precision, trying to find a gap in the enemy's defenses. Blow after blow from her dagger struck the weakened side of the shield.
The Dark Mage was beginning to feel overwhelmed by the combined assault from Jang Soo and Seol Min. Sweat started to bead on his forehead. "Damn... you two are persistent. But I'm not playing alone." A wicked grin spread across his face once more.
Suddenly, from behind the trees, the sound of heavy footsteps accompanied by the snapping of branches filled the air. "Time to start the party." The voice was deep and menacing.
Another member of the Black Crescent Cult, a Summoner, emerged from the shadows of the forest. His hands moved quickly, forming seals in the air, and soon, a large magic circle appeared on the ground. From within the circle, a terrifying roar echoed, and slowly, the earth began to crack.
"Summon: Dark Legion!" The Summoner chanted the spell with triumphant glee.
From within the magic circle, terrifying monsters appeared undead beings with exposed bones,
zombie-like creatures with hollow eyes, and dark silhouettes resembling cursed spirits. They growled with horrifying sounds, ready to attack.
Jang Soo and Seol Min were shocked by the sudden appearance of so many monsters. They were cornered. "Damn, they have a Summoner too!" Jang Soo growled.
The Dark Mage chuckled at the confusion on his opponents' faces. "See? We're not just a group of ordinary mages. We bring an army of the dead with us!"
The undead began to move, attacking Jang Soo and Seol Min with uncontrolled ferocity. Jang Soo tried to destroy them one by one, his energy-imbued fists smashing their bones, but their numbers were too great. Meanwhile, Seol Min dashed around, avoiding the monsters, slashing with quick movements, but the creatures kept coming without end.
"They're too many, Jang Soo!" Seol Min shouted as she slashed at a zombie approaching her.
"We can't back down now, Min! We have to finish this!" Jang Soo shouted back, trying to boost morale, though he knew in his heart that the situation was spiraling out of control.
The battle raged on fiercely. Every time they managed to destroy one undead, two more appeared to take its place. The Dark Mage and Summoner simply stood back, laughing with satisfaction as they watched the futile efforts of the Golden Lion hunters.
But in his relentless effort, Jang Soo managed to get close to the Mage again. With a shout full of anger, he unleashed a final attack, shattering the dark energy shield that protected the Dark Mage. "This is for all the hunters you trapped!" His fist slammed into the Mage's body, breaking ribs and sending him flying backward, collapsing onto the ground.
The Dark Mage coughed up blood, yet still laughed softly. "You... may have gotten this far, but it's not over yet."
Before Jang Soo could respond, he felt something pierce his back. His eyes widened in shock, and slowly, he looked down. A dark spear had impaled his body from behind, lodged deep.
"J-Jang Soo!" Seol Min screamed, seeing the blood pouring from her teammate's body.
The Summoner stood behind Jang Soo with a sinister grin, the dark spear in his hand dripping with blood. "We won't lose to you. Now it's your turn."
Jang Soo staggered, blood flowing heavily from the wound in his back. He struggled to stay on his feet, even though his life was hanging by a thread. Seol Min rushed toward him, her eyes filled with worry.
"Run... Min... Now!" Jang Soo whispered in a fading voice, his body starting to weaken.
"I can't leave you!" Seol Min cried, tears streaming down her face.
"No... you have to survive... go now...!" Jang Soo forced his voice, feeling the last of his strength slipping away. With the last of his energy, he struck down the final undead that approached him, giving Seol Min a path to escape.
With a heavy heart, Seol Min turned and ran as fast as she could, leaving Jang Soo kneeling on the ground, his body covered in blood. Tears streamed down her face as she fled, the sound of maniacal laughter fading behind her.
The Dark Mage reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled out a small bottle containing a bright green liquid a healing potion. "I didn't expect to have to use this," he muttered softly, sipping the potion with a disgusted expression.
As the potion flowed down his throat, the wounds on his body began to close, and his strength gradually returned. Wiping his mouth, the Dark Mage let out a sigh of relief. "I'll catch up with Seol Min. Don't waste too much time here."
"Chase her," the Summoner said coldly without turning around, his gaze locked on Jang Soo, who was still sprawled on the ground. "I'll take care of this one. Once I'm done, I'll catch up with you."
The Dark Mage nodded and began moving faster, his energy restored after drinking the potion. With more determined steps, he darted in the direction where Seol Min was disappearing into the distance.
The sound of Seol Min's footsteps faded further away, and Jang Soo could barely hear them. His body seemed trapped between life and death, but he knew this wasn't over. His breathing was labored, and the blood pouring from his wounds seeped into the ground. However, Jang Soo's fighting spirit hadn't faded. "If I die... I'll die fighting."
The Summoner, standing a few meters away, laughed coldly. "Fighting?" he mocked, grinning as he slowly approached Jang Soo's helpless body. "You can't even stand, Jang Soo."
His hand moved slowly, creating a dark magic circle beneath Jang Soo's feet. A terrifying black aura began siphoning the energy from his body, like a spider's web slowly draining the life of its prey.
Jang Soo grimaced, his muscles tensing as his life energy was gradually being pulled away. Yet he kept struggling. He knew surrender would make his death meaningless. "I... won't... die like a dog!" With trembling hands, he grabbed a large rock nearby and hurled it at the Summoner.
The rock struck the Summoner's face hard, instantly breaking his nose. "ARGGHHH!" A scream of rage burst from his mouth as blood began pouring profusely from his nose. "You dare... YOU BASTARD!"
The Summoner wiped the blood away roughly and glared at Jang Soo with bloodshot eyes, filled with hatred. "I'll make you beg for death!"
With one swift movement, the Summoner called forth three undead that rose from the ground. They took the form of decayed humans, with flesh hanging loosely from their bones, the stench of death filling the air. Their sharp claws cracked as they prepared to tear into Jang Soo.
Jang Soo tried to stand, but his body refused to move properly. Before he could react, one of the undead attacked him from behind, grabbing his shoulder with its filthy claws. The flesh on his shoulder was ripped apart, and blood sprayed out like a fountain. "ARGGHHH!" A scream of agony escaped his lips.
But it didn't stop there. The other two undead immediately pounced on him, clawing and tearing into his body like a pack of wild animals. Every claw that struck his skin left gaping wounds, and blood continued to flow. One undead grabbed his neck while another began to tear at his stomach. Jang Soo's insides slowly spilled out, dripping onto the ground with the pungent smell of iron.
Jang Soo's vision began to blur, but he still refused to give up. With one final punch, he smashed the skull of the undead choking him, shattering it with his bloodied fist. "I... won't... die like this!" he hissed through ragged breaths.
However, his body was on the brink. The Summoner, standing nearby, watched the scene with a satisfied grin on his face. "You're only delaying the inevitable, Jang Soo. Die in peace... or perhaps, in more pain?"
The Summoner raised his hand into the air, conjuring a dark sword from black magic energy. The sword hovered in the air, absorbing the surrounding darkness, growing larger and sharper with each passing second.
Jang Soo, now covered in blood, tried to rise once again. His legs trembled, almost giving out under the weight of his own body. Yet with the last of his determination, he stood tall, glaring at the Summoner with eyes full of hatred. "If I have to die, I'll make you regret it," he muttered quietly.
The Summoner flicked his hand lightly, and the dark sword shot towards Jang Soo. The sound of the wind howling accompanied the sword, as if death itself was coming to claim him.
With one swift strike, the sword pierced Jang Soo's body, cleaving him in two. There was no scream this time, only the sound of flesh being torn apart and bones breaking. Jang Soo's body split cleanly from his shoulder to his waist, and blood gushed out from every part of the wound. Half of his body fell to the ground with a wet thud, leaving behind only a mangled corpse that was no longer recognizable.
The Summoner looked down at the mutilated body with a satisfied expression. "A fitting end for a dog like you, Jang Soo."
He turned away, leaving the remains of Jang Soo's body lying in a pool of blood and darkness. His footsteps slowly faded into the silent forest, leaving behind only the darkness and the stench of death that hung in the air.