"But..." Minho trailed as he caught an arrow coming for his head, from the side, without looking. The archer who was hiding to get a good shot, cursed under his breath. "...I think it's my turn now." Minho raised his head, a crimson glow in his eyes with a devilish grin.
He lunged himself at them, his movements leaving faint trails that looked like neon from his eyes. Before they could react, he embedded Crimson Fang in the chest of one of the hunters. "Huh?" He looked at the hunter, who coughed out blood as he fell to his knees - a small drop of what looked like pity softening Minho's features. The system pinged.
[Eliminate the Enemy: 1/6]
"BAEK!" Dohwan shouted. "MINHO! YOU BASTARD, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
One of the hunters - A tank, realized Minho was a bigger threat than they expected. He activated his body strengthening skill - roaring as went after Minho.
"Huh?" Minho turned slowly, at the incoming attack. With no resistance, the tank's fist connected Minho's face, sending him crashing into a wall.
Dohwan who was gritting his teeth, couldn't help twitch at the corners of his lips. The tank stood in front of the cratered wall, where Minho was - not taking any step closer.
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR KIM?! KILL HIM! KILL THE FOOL!" Dohwan shouted at the peak of his voice.
"WOULD YOU FREAKING SHUT UP, CAPTAIN?!" Kim, the tank, yelled back. "The idiot's still smiling."
"Eh?" Dohwan's eyes widened.
"My, my..." Minho mused, freeing himself from the wall as he sluggishly stood. His wounds started to heal themselves.
[Dragon's Vitality activated!]
Kim's features hardened as he saw the wounds heal. "Tch."
Minho held his jaw, pressing it in with a force that made a snap sound. "...I can't believe for a moment there I felt pity." He muttered, chuckling.
[Player is fully healed!]
"But you know, I realized something." Minho's smile widened as he rolled his shoulder. He raised his head, and drove his hand through his hair. His gaze lingering on Dohwan. "Killing humans is more fun than killing monsters. You should know this better than anyone else here, Dohwan sunbae."
Dohwan took a step back, clearly wondering what kind of a monster Minho was now.
While Minho was still looking Dohwan in the eye, Kim went for his blind spot. "Ha?!" Kim's eyes widened as Minho's hands reached for his face in a split second.
[Annihilate activated!]
Immediately Kim's face came in contact with Minho's hand, flame erupted from it for a few seconds. The once brute and physically overwhelming tank fell into a mountain of ashes.
Soojin covered her mouth, as tears threatened to spill from her eyes - trying not to scream.
Minho slowly turned to the floor where Kim's ashes lay, then a system notification popped up.
[Eliminate the Enemy: 2/6]
[Notification: Enemy's mana core has been obliterated!]
"Ah, so this is what it meant by 'inefficient'." Minho muttered, feeling the strong drain of his energy from that single attack. "Now, where were we?" He said, squatting to pry his dagger free from the fallen hunter's chest.
Soojin clasped her hands together, muttering a chant. Dohwan and the other two hunters could feel energy coursing through them. It was a strength enhancement chant.
The archer who stood by a distance, aimed his arrow again, put all he had into this one shot. Right in front of his eyes, Minho disappeared. What he felt next made his heart leap, but he didn't dare make a move. Minho's dagger was pressed lightly on his neck, already cutting in like a hot knife on butter.
"P-please let me live. I didn't plan for th—" Before he could finish, his throat was slit open, blood spraying as his body collapsed on the floor.
Minho looked at the body, his eyes half lided. "One bad spoils the other good eggs. Or how was it again?" He scratched his hair, putting his free hand on his waist. "Nevermind. We have two here." He pointed his dagger at Dohwan and then to Soojin, making her flinch.
"Hmm," he continued. "aren't there supposed to be three of you left?"
Dohwan noticed he was alone with Soojin. "Ah, I see. No wonder it was hard detecting you with Predator's Instinct." Minho smiled, raised his dagger in a blur, to his neck where it made a clang sound. "You're a stealth user. Very rare skill there."
The third hunter's camouflage disappeared as he took two leaps back, gaining space. But it was all futile. In the blink of an eye, Minho was right in front of him, hand stretched out with Crimson Fang firmly in grip.
Slash! Slash!
Minho carved an X mark on his chest, followed by rapid, continuous slashes until he felt satisfied.
Soojin screamed but covered her mouth quickly. Minho quickly descended on them, planting his fist in Dohwan's face, sending him crashing into the wall. "Get up, get up, sunbae." His face hardened. One thing was clear in the way he spoke. This was all out of pure malice.
"Arrghhhh!" Dohwan's form came out of the dust, his sword ready to swing down. Minho made a neat arc with his dagger, cutting Dohwan's right arm off, clean.
"What was my offense, sunbae?" Minho took slow steps towards Dohwan who was now screaming in agony. "You've always treated me like some piece of shit, right from the start. You sent me to couple of tasks that threatened my life countless times, over and over again. You don't even give me my right pay. You split my share in three portions and I get just one - planning to use something that can't buy me more than a plate of food to make a living. Why?" Minho took another step. "You've cursed me severally, vented your anger on me several times with your sword. Sometimes I wonder if I'm a usual in the hospital thanks to you or the monsters. I never objected. Wasn't that enough? But then you decide to put that damn blade through my gut."
Dohwan quickly reached for his sword with his left arm, but before he could raise it, Minho slashed his eyes. "Aaaaaaahhhhhh!" Dohwan stumbled to the ground, now blind. "YOU BASTARD! EVIL MONSTER!"
"Evil? Monster? Those are traits of humans. Ones who haven't seen how cruel this world can be." Minho said, slashing off Dohwan's left arm. Then he crouched close to the miserable C-rank hunter who was once filled with prode. "Ah, where was it?" He said, using his dagger to find a spot in Dohwan's body. "Aha, here it is." He stabbed Dohwan at the exact spot where Dohwan had stabbed him earlier - and removed it. "I promise to come after you in hell as well, sunbae. So wait for me there, will you?" With a final slash, he slit Dohwan's throat and stood up.
[Eliminate the Enemy: 5/6]
"The saying goes, 'leave the best for last' right, Soojin sunbae?" Minho glanced over his shoulder at a miserably trembling Soojin.
"P-p-please...d-d-don't kill me, M-Minho." She went down on her knees instantly. "I'll do a-anything."
Minho went closer to her and crouched, raising her head by the chin, making her flinch. "And why should I believe that?"
She didn't have an answer. Her tears pooling down with no sign of stopping anytime soon. "Please." She begged, making an ugly face.
Minho touched her forehead with the tip of his dagger - drawing blood with the little gesture. "But you were the one who suggested I be killed, sunbae. Not to mention the system also wants you dead now."
She brought both of her hands to hold his. "I promise, I won't tell anyone. Please. I... just please, Minho." Then she tightened her grip. "D-Dohwan... It was Dohwan who suggested to stab and throw you in. I-I only said he should make sure it... it killed you fast, so it wouldn't be painful, since I couldn't stop him."
A blunt lie. But it seemed to have effect on Minho. His eyes went back to normal as he gritted his teeth. Despite knowing it was a lie, he couldn't resist the emotional blackmail. He stood up, closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. Without another word, he turned, hoping he could face whatever punishment the system would give him for not completing the quest.
As he moved - Soojin reached for the sword of the first hunter Minho killed. Without thinking she lunged abruptly at him.
"Tch." Minho stopped, gritting his teeth. Without turning, he swung his dagger in a smooth arc, behind him.
The sword left Soojin's hands, but her head hit the ground first.
"How pathetic." Minho frowned, his brow twitching.