The ground where Song Taewon had taken his position sloped downward toward the fence, as if the land had been reclaimed. The boulder—carefully chosen for its round shape and trimmed of all jagged edges—picked up even more speed once it started to roll.
Click—the spent casing ejected, and Seong Hyunjae pulled the trigger. Timing it perfectly, Song Taewon dove forward and rolled away. As if he’d expected it, Seong Hyunjae’s shot was aimed low—but once again, the bullet struck only the rock and ricocheted harmlessly away.
After a full roll, Song Taewon sprang to his feet in one fluid motion, clinging to the rock’s trailing side. Suddenly, the fence was right in front of him. Spinning on the spot, he drove his foot into the rock:
Thud!
The rock, already moving fast, slammed into the fence with renewed force.
Crackle—splinters of wood flew up and obscured Seong Hyunjae’s vision. In that moment, a stone rocketed toward him. This time, instead of dodging, Seong Hyunjae fired the rifle he had been reloading. Thud! The shot hit the stone, which tumbled to the ground. Even a human-throw sling stone seldom carried such speed or such a small target, yet Seong Hyunjae’s marksmanship was astonishing.
Quickly reloading, Seong Hyunjae found Song Taewon had already slipped behind a nearby building.
“Being unawakened does have its drawbacks,” Seong Hyunjae murmured. If he could use his skills, he’d have obliterated that little shack in an instant. But this raw, physical challenge wasn’t bad either. Without taking his eyes off Song Taewon’s hiding spot, he calmly topped off his rifle’s magazine.
“Come out of the bushes now, Mr. Rabbit.”
No hunting hounds to flush him out. Yet Song Taewon still did not move. Seong Hyunjae shrugged, pulled two rounds from his belt, tied them together into a heavy bundle, and hurled it at the roof of the house. Then he fired at the bundle.
Whoosh—!
Flames erupted, spreading across the straw-and-wood roof. The flimsy structure was engulfed in moments; charred fragments dripped down. Then—crash!—the wooden window burst inward. Seong Hyunjae trained his rifle on whatever emerged, but did not fire. A chair tumbled across the dirt floor.
Immediately he shifted his gaze. Another chair smashed through a second window, and a large wooden barrel burst through the door—a clear distraction.
What next? The chaos abruptly ceased.
“Huh?”
Watching the house, Seong Hyunjae spun around. The barrel, rolling toward his own building, exploded with a bang. Splintered wood flew as Song Taewon sprang out and began to run.
He hadn’t thrown that barrel—it was empty, thrown to smash the door, and Song Taewon had concealed himself inside until the explosion.
Now the distance between them vanished. Seong Hyunjae squeezed the trigger a beat too late as Song Taewon lunged toward his building. Bang! The bullet grazed Song Taewon’s leg and punched through the closed ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) door as he charged inside.
“...”
Bursting in, Song Taewon rolled across the floor and landed upright. Blood seeped from his leg, but the wound was only superficial. He rose and scanned the dim interior, checked the wire wrapped around his forearm, and sprinted up the stairs to the second floor.
Even closing the gap so completely, Song Taewon was still at a disadvantage. He knew that as soon as he peered over the roofline, bullets would come. So—
The second floor was more like a half-loft. Two support posts held up the rafters, fully exposing the structural beams—it looked anything but sturdy. In a corner, Song Taewon grabbed a chair and swung it at a post.
Bang!
The chair shattered, and the post wavered. Seong Hyunjae would understand Song Taewon’s plan in an instant. Song Taewon swung another chair—crack!—breaking that post. He smashed the third post with a table, then picked up the two remaining sling stones and flung them at the roof supports.
Rumble—the roof began to cave in. The walls held, but the roof sagged downward. Song Taewon tensed, ready to strike. But—
Until the falling debris raised a cloud of dust, Seong Hyunjae was nowhere to be seen. Song Taewon’s brow furrowed. He wasn’t one to go down quietly. Pressing himself against a window frame, he peered outside, only for—
Bang!
A shot rang out. The bullet whizzed past his ear as he flinched aside.
“Even unawakened, that height is nothing,” Song Taewon thought.
“But with your current state, you could be seriously injured,” Seong Hyunjae replied.
“Compared to your actions, it’s negligible,” Song Taewon shot back.
Another shot struck the window frame. Song Taewon pushed himself away and shoved the debris from the roof toward the window. Then he lifted a broken post and rammed the wall beneath the window with all his might.
Thud—the frail wall cracked. He tore down the walls on either side of the window, fully exposing the second-floor interior.
Seong Hyunjae leveled his rifle and pulled the trigger, but Song Taewon dove behind a pile of debris and shoved it away with brute force.
Crash—the pile tumbled and carried Song Taewon out of the second-floor window to the ground below. The mix of straw, earth, and wood cushioned the hail of bullets. Buried in debris, Song Taewon shielded his head with his wired arm and rose to his feet. Observing this, Seong Hyunjae’s lips curved into a grin.
“You don’t intend to give up, do you?”
“No,” came the terse reply. The distance between them was only a few meters. Song Taewon braced his debris-buried legs, ready to accept a shot.
He protected his head with his arm—wire would stop a bullet—and held a wooden plank over his chest. Even if a round penetrated, its force would be halved, avoiding fatal injury. His legs, still buried, were safe.
So long as he avoided mortal wounds, his two legs and one arm would suffice. As soon as a shot rang out and he reloaded, he would charge.
A chill silence descended. The gunfire would be the starting signal. Seong Hyunjae’s finger twitched on the trigger. A gleam of delight shone in his slitted eyes.
Song Taewon—and Han Yujin—both strove to aid him from opposite flanks. How could he not relish the challenge? Even a long-dormant heart would ignite.
“Indeed,” Seong Hyunjae murmured in admiration, squeezing the trigger.
Taang—!
Flame erupted from the muzzle aimed squarely at Song Taewon’s head. The wire dented inward, and Song Taewon flinched—but only for a moment. Ignoring the pain flooding his arm, he exploded forward.
Thud—as he slammed into the ground with full force, he seized the brief reload window. Charging toward Seong Hyunjae, instead of racking the bolt, Seong Hyunjae spun his rifle so its butt plunged down toward him. Song Taewon twisted his ankle to evade and thrust his wired arm forward with all his might.
Smack!
Seong Hyunjae’s forearm and Song Taewon’s fist collided. Pressed backward, Seong Hyunjae flung the rifle, butt first, at Song Taewon’s face—more to blind than to strike. Simultaneously, he delivered a sweeping kick.
Whoosh—the sharp kick brushed the crown of Song Taewon’s head as he ducked. Song Taewon followed with a low sweeping kick aimed at Seong Hyunjae’s ankle. If he struck the supporting leg, Seong Hyunjae would fall.
Just before the blow landed, Seong Hyunjae collapsed backward—yet before hitting the ground, he twisted, placed one hand, and flipped through the air. Spinning on one hand, he landed poised and leapt back a step. Behind him, the half-burned house collapsed with a thunderous roar.
Song Taewon rose and stared at Seong Hyunjae. The flickering flames tinted his fair hair a vivid red—more brilliant than ever.
“Not enjoying yourself?” Seong Hyunjae taunted.
Song Taewon did not answer, but his heart was pounding. Desperately ignoring it, he charged again. But at the last instant—
Screeech!
He halted, dragged his toe in the ground, and launched a spray of splintered wood and dirt at Seong Hyunjae. As the debris blinded his opponent, Song Taewon aimed a side kick at Seong Hyunjae’s ribs—a gamble: if Seong Hyunjae dodged laterally, his flank would be exposed.
But Seong Hyunjae, as if anticipating every move, spun the other way and delivered a low kick. Like piercing steel, his foot struck Song Taewon’s leg.
Smack!
Song Taewon’s body folded, and he rolled across the ground. Covered in earth, he sprang to his feet and glared at Seong Hyunjae.
“Wasn’t your Combat Prediction skill gone? Or was that mere luck?” Song Taewon panted.
“Instinct,” Seong Hyunjae replied. Not a skill, but a feeling. He lowered his raised leg and advanced on Song Taewon.
“Your accuracy will be lower than usual,” he warned.
Crack—the wall of another building collapsed in flames. Seong Hyunjae glanced up at the overcast sky.
“It’s clouding over. Might rain soon.” Song Taewon swallowed. A formidable foe then and now—exactly the challenge he craved. He wanted Seong Hyunjae to fight with everything he had—and if he was to lose, to be defeated utterly, with no regrets.
Yet still, Song Taewon knew this spark would never die—as long as Seong Hyunjae’s doubts about him remained.
Amid the escalating heat, the two wrestled once more: fists and legs clashing. No decisive blows landed; only the earth was battered and torn.
“Try harder!” Seong Hyunjae laughed, coil of tense muscle in his back as he threw a punch. Sweat dampened the nape of his neck; drifting ash clung to his cheek.
Song Taewon exhaled raggedly. Sweat pooled on his collarbones and scattered with his movements. Hitting Seong Hyunjae was near impossible—his prediction outpaced normal accuracy, and he dodged and countered effortlessly.
Then Song Taewon abandoned technique—he would cling to Seong Hyunjae and never let go.
“Ugh.”
Seong Hyunjae’s punch pierced Song Taewon’s side. Gritting his teeth, Song Taewon wrapped his arm around Seong Hyunjae’s and used his entire body to push in.
Thud! They tumbled across the ground entwined. Seong Hyunjae struggled beneath Song Taewon’s relentless grip. Though taller, Seong Hyunjae could not easily overpower him.
Straining to break free, Seong Hyunjae twisted—only for Song Taewon to throw a wild punch that missed and struck the dirt. Seong Hyunjae answered with a rising knee. Smack! Pain shot through Song Taewon’s brow, but he ignored it and threw more punches.
They rolled toward the ruined building. As ash whirled, Seong Hyunjae headbutted Song Taewon.
Thud! The impact stunned him. Seong Hyunjae seized the moment and drove his knee into Song Taewon’s solar plexus.
“Ugh!”
Even indomitable Song Taewon could not withstand that. He flew backward, collapsing as Seong Hyunjae’s forearm curled around his throat. In one swift move, Seong Hyunjae drew a dagger and plunged it into Song Taewon’s shoulder. The blade twisted, and Song Taewon’s arm went limp.
“Then, Mr. Song Taewon.”
As blood dripped from the raised dagger—
Bang!
A gunshot cracked. The bullet pinged into the ground at Seong Hyunjae’s feet as Han Yujin lowered his pistol and said,
“My turn.”