During the night of Joo-Hee's intense practice, she had pushed herself to her limits to create something new—a miniature version of the 'Orb of Lifeweaving Threads'.
With the night slipping away, she channeled every ounce of her focus into refining her precision and control over the technique.
It involved hardening her healing mana to form a small, stable sphere capable of containing the concentrated, compressed healing energy.
The process was grueling and far from efficient.
To create just one small orb, nearly a tenth of her mana was consumed and after ten minutes, the orb will naturally dissolve and dissipate.
Still, the result was worth the effort—she created a single-use healing item akin to a low-grade health recovery potion.
It was a testament to her perseverance, born from hours of trial and error in a single hellish night.
...
That orb was what she handed to Jin-Woo earlier, a tangible product of her determination.
Not stopping there, she also created one for Song Chi-Yul, presenting it to him as they ran through the cave.
As they sprinted forward, Joo-Hee felt the exhaustion of the chase.
But she wasn't about to let fatigue hold her back.
Concentrating her mana, she directed it to her legs, dulling the ache and renewing her stamina.
'If I hadn't practiced last night…' she thought, her breath steady despite her exhaustion.
'I wouldn't have been able to keep up or create those orbs.'
...
Just as their determination reached its peak, the silhouettes of Kim Sang-Shik and Kang Jeonho came into view ahead of them.
Relief washed over the group, their fears temporarily ceased.
"They're still alive," Jin-Woo said, his voice firm with a sigh of relief.
But as he stepped closer, his expression suddenly hardened.
His sharp senses detected something unmistakable—a familiar scent hanging in the air.
His eyes widened as a chilling realization struck him.
'This smell... blood!' Jin-Woo thought, his grip tightening on his dagger.
The scent wasn't faint, it was fresh and close.
Without hesitation, Jin-Woo turned to the others and said in a serious tone.
"You all need to leave now! Joo-Hee wasn't joking. I can smell blood—human blood!"
Chi-Yul frowned, momentarily skeptical.
"What? Are you sure you can sme—"
But as his gaze met Jin-Woo's steely, focused eyes and saw his battle stance ready, he knew this wasn't a false alarm.
The three of them immediately rushed forward, signaling frantically to Kim Sang-Shik and Kang Jeon-Ho.
"Sang-Shik, Jeonho, get over here now!" Chi-Yul called out, his voice sharp but controlled.
Sang-Shik and Jeon-Ho, still in the middle of extracting the goblins' essence stones, turned with confused expressions.
"Wait for a while! We still need to finish off the remaining goblins first!" Sang-Shik shouted, confusion creeping into his tone.
"Stop it. There's no time to explain! We must go!" Chi-Yul said, grabbing Jeon-Ho by the arm as Jin-Woo moved to pull Sang-Shik out of harm's way.
But just as the five of them began to retreat, with Sang-Shik and Jeon-Ho still wearing confused expressions, Jin-Woo suddenly froze, his heightened senses catching something.
A presence—a malicious one—was closing in a slow, steady manner.
And then, stepping out from the shadowed end of the cave, a figure emerged as it talked to itself.
"To think the two caves were connected…" the man muttered, stepping closer, his expression calm but his eyes glinting with cruelty.
"This is rather good, then. It will make my job much faster."
The individual glanced down at his bloodied hands and the crimson-stained daggers he carried.
With an irritated sigh, he added, "But… I better clean these blood stains of those garbages."
As the individual walked closer, Jin-Woo's grip tightened on his dagger as his instincts screamed danger.
He immediately stepped forward, placing himself between Joo-Hee and the others.
Chi-Yul's flames also flickered to life, illuminating the figure's face.
It was Kang Tae-Shik, and the bloodlust in his aura was undeniable.
Sensing the flames, he looked at the gathered hunters who formed a defensive line with weapons raised.
Tae-Shik's eyes narrowed with disdain as his hand grasped the bloodied daggers.
The blood on his weapons continuously dripped on the ground.
"What do you think you're all doing? Raising your weapons at me, like that..."
Tae-Shik sneered, his voice dripping with disdain, his gaze lingering on Jin-Woo, Chi-Yul, and the others.
He was unfazed, despite the growing hostility in the air.
Chi-Yul, sweat beading on his forehead, stepped forward, his expression grim but resolute.
He pointed at the daggers, his voice shaking slightly but firm.
"Mr. Kang... Where are they—the probational prisoners?"
Tae-Shik's twisted smile widened as he took a step forward.
"Them? Never have I expected a hunter to be so concerned about such people... How amusing."
"But... weren't those criminals a stain of the society? So, why care about them now?"
"They're just useless filth that needed to be cleaned up."
Chi-Yul's face went pale, a mix of disbelief and horror flashing across his features.
"Cleaned up? Did you… really killed them?! Why?!"
Tae-Shik shrugged casually almost snickering, his eyes glinting with an unsettling calmness.
"Kill? Hmm... well, yeah!"
"They were just in my way after all, and I had no use for them anymore. So, why must they live?"
He wiped the blood off his daggers with slow, deliberate movements, his gaze locked onto the group with a predatory glint.
"But you know what…" he said, his tone almost casual
"... it seems I'll have to change my plans now. Tch tch, why do you folks have to be so nosy?"
"And.. since you asked. Why not you all meet them..."
Before anyone could react, Tae-Shik vanished from his spot, his movement so fast it left an afterimage.
"... in HELL!"
He reappeared in an instant, his dagger poised to strike at Lee Joo-Hee, the healer in the backline.
Jin-Woo, who was watching him coldly, stepped in at the last moment, grabbing Tae-Shik's wrist mid-strike.
His sharp eyes locked onto Tae-Shik's, his grip like iron.
'How did this guy... see my attack?'
...
Joo-Hee stood frozen, her mind racing as the echoes of the clash reverberated around the cavern.
Her heart pounded in her chest, the scene playing back in her mind like a slow-motion reel.
'I-I… almost died!' she thought, her breath catching in her throat.
'I didn't even see how he moved.'
'One second he was there, and the next… he was right in front of me.'
Her hands trembled slightly, the weight of her vulnerability crashing down on her.
She glanced at Jin-Woo, standing firm and resolute in front of her, his eyes sharp and unyielding.
'We must leave soon... If we stay here any longer, we will just be a burden to Jin-Woo.'
'And... I have already confirmed that Mr. Kim and Mr. Kang are alive without injuries, my job here is already done.'
'But, if I told them that we must go and leave Jin-Woo behind, that murderer would surely come after us. What should I do...'
...
Tae-Shik twisted his wrist, using a burst of force to break free of Jin-Woo's hold.
In one fluid motion, he leaped back to his original position, landing with feline grace.
His lips curled into an amused grin, his gaze flicking to his wrist.
"Oh? This is rather unexpected," he said, his voice oozing mockery.
"The document really said you're an E-rank. But, how come you have such good senses—almost too good for your rank…"
"Don't tell me..." he said, his voice dripping with mockery, "you're a false ranker, aren't you?!"
He chuckled darkly, his eyes narrowing with sadistic glee.
"Not that I care. I'll be killing you all anyway!"
Jin-Woo's expression didn't waver.
His dagger was steady in his hand, his gaze locked on Tae-Shik like a predator watching its prey.
"Though this will be quite a pain now, I was planning to kill the troublesome B-ranked healer first," Tae-Shik muttered, flicking his daggers to test his wrists.
"But you… You've piqued my interest. It's almost disappointing that I'll have to kill you too. But don't worry—once I'm done with you, they'll follow you soon," he said with an evil grin, barely concealing his excitement.
Jin-Woo straightened, his hand lowering to his side as he quietly unsheathed the Kasaka's Venom Fang.
He spoke, his voice low but filled with conviction.
"If you think I'll let you hurt anyone else, you're sadly mistaken."
...
Behind Jin-Woo, Song Chi-Yul stood frozen for a moment, his mind racing to process the situation and Kang Tae-Shik's words.
'Jin-Woo… a false ranker?! No, that can't be right. We have known each other for a couple of years already.'
Chi-Yul's eyes narrowed as memories of Jin-Woo from past raids resurfaced.
'I've seen him fight before. He was weak—so weak that he earned the humiliating title of the World's Weakest Hunter.'
'He couldn't even handle the simplest tasks without risking his life.'
But the Jin-Woo standing in front of him now was entirely different.
The speed, the strength, the precision with which he intercepted Kang Tae-Shik's attack—it was on a level that shouldn't be possible for an E-rank hunter.
'But… something changed. He's not the same Jin-Woo as before.'
'His movements, his aura, even the look in his eyes—it's all different now.'
Chi-Yul clenched his fist tightly as his thoughts spiraled.
'There has to be an explanation...'
'Could it be… a Second Awakening?!'
His eyes widened as the realization struck him.
The cave grew tense, the air heavy with the promise of bloodshed.
Jin-Woo's eyes sharpened, his stance unwavering as he prepared to fight.