He ran until he reached the two children, then collapsed to his knees, his hands still clutching the bag of bread and the two bottles of water.
He said nothing. He simply tossed them the food and one bottle, then took a sip himself. For the first time in days… he breathed deeply.
Then he fell to his side, panting, the gravel pressing into his face—but he didn't care.
He hadn't won.
He hadn't taken revenge.
But he survived… again.
He made a promise to himself: "I won't run forever." "But for now… I'll live." "I'll live to see those who killed my family pay the price."
---
That night, he sat by a small fire, his eyes fixed on the dancing shadows.
He closed his eyes… and went inward.
There, within his heart, he saw the core of emptiness… but something had changed.
The single pulse had split—fine threads of energy radiated from it, slowly seeping through his body.
He watched the core beat quietly. He tried to stir it once more.
Outside, the two children sat in silence… until suddenly, the younger one shivered. The older took his hand:
— "D-Do you feel like someone's watching us?"
Jang Hon opened his eyes, surprised.
— "So… this is what it does. It makes them feel hunted—even when no one's there. But the caravan leader still ran… so it can create real fear, too."
He stood, thought for a moment, then said:
— "Illusion of the Hunt… that will be your name. As for the first ability, it will be called: Dread of the Void."
He took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming:
— "It worked… on someone at the level of an early-stage inner disciple."
He paused, then asked:
— "Is this what you were waiting for?"
The voice of the creature echoed inside him, deep as the abyss:
— "This is nothing… compared to what you'll see when the core evolves further."
---
At midnight, the fire went out.
He woke from a restless sleep, haunted by a strange dream:
He was walking through nothingness… his body staggering, shadows whispering from every side.
Then he saw a face—the face of a child who had never spoken, but now looked at him and said:
— "Between light and darkness… what will you choose?"
A door opened behind the child, and a burning light poured out, forcing him to step back. The shadows clung to him, but his heart leaned toward the light.
He heard a whisper inside him:
— "When darkness becomes a shield… light becomes a blade."
He gasped—and woke up.
---
The next morning, the three sat by a small stream.
— "I can't keep calling you 'the children'… what are your names?"
The older boy lifted his head shyly:
— "I… I'm Bai Su. And this is my brother, Bai An."
Jang Hon smiled:
— "I'm Jang Hon."
Then he stood, looking at the road stretching ahead:
— "Jeong-do isn't far. If we don't slow down… we'll reach it by tomorrow morning."
And they set off.
---
At the same time, in the shattered prison, the commander stood before a man cloaked in gray.
The commander knelt and said:
— "We searched every nearby area… for the past four days. There's no trace of them."
The gray elder was silent for a moment, then replied with a cold voice:
— "I can't send more men… it would draw the other elders' attention. The search is postponed."
The commander hesitated, then asked:
— "Will… will there be punishment?"
The elder smiled—a cold, lifeless smile:
— "It has already been decided."
---
And on the following morning…
Jang Hon, Bai Su, and Bai An stood before the city gate.
Their breaths were calm… their eyes wary.