Chapter 51

Beomjin steadied his breathing under the tarpaulin and moved up to the iron bars across from him.

“…Ah, that person.”

Before Dong-jun even finished speaking, the man inside the cage turned. The moment he saw Beomjin’s hand slip through the bars, he lunged like lightning.

Thud!

Bars thicker than a finger bent outward.

“Wh-what the hell?”

A slab-like back, shoulders swollen as if they might burst. With every breath, an alien heat spilled off him.

“……”

The boar Beast-Blooded paced the inside of the cage, eyes fixed on Beomjin.

“Be careful. If even a little of you slips in there, he goes insane and attacks.”

“Grrrrrr…”

A low animal growl came out of a human mouth.

The man’s eyes were bloodshot, foam leaked between his teeth. His erratic heartbeat pounded like it might burst any second.

When Beomjin put his hand into the cage again, the man charged.

Clang!!

“Talking won’t work. Let’s just leave him! I just want to get out of here.”

Dong-jun stumbled out of his own cage and clung to Beomjin. They should have left for his sake—he was shaking hard—but they couldn’t abandon the other prisoners.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t leave this one behind.”

When Beomjin opened the boar man’s cage, Dong-jun retreated back into the cage he’d been locked in.

The instant the door swung wide, the boar man rushed.

Boom!

Off guard, Beomjin shoved the door back in a hurry, but it wasn’t enough to withstand that brute force.

“Ugh!”

The boar, now out in the corridor, grabbed Beomjin and hurled him toward the passage. His view blocked by the tarp, Beomjin tumbled, ripped it aside, and barely got to his feet.

Huff, huff.

Seeing him rise again, the boar snorted hard through his nose. Then he came barreling in like a bulldozer.

Beomjin calmly brought up his fists and set his stance. In a narrow, straight corridor with both sides walled in, stopping an oncoming foe wasn’t hard. The enemy’s movement, the path of his attack—everything was limited.

The boar Beast-Blooded dove low for a wrestler’s leg pick. Beomjin slid back a half-step and drove an uppercut into the open jaw.

With a crunch, the man’s jaw twisted. He popped up vertical, eyes rolling back, and collapsed.

Beomjin went to the motionless man and checked carefully. He was still breathing.

He grabbed some plastic sheeting nearby and tied the man’s wrists and ankles. It probably wouldn’t help, but it was better than nothing.

“Whew… let’s get out.”

Seeing the boar man down, Dong-jun crept out. Still wary, he hid behind Beomjin’s back and stared at the exit.

“Hold on—before that.”

Beomjin walked over to the cage where a fat man was locked up. The man had frozen, stunned by how easily the boar had been put down. When Beomjin approached, he shrank back even more.

Pointing to Dong-jun, Beomjin asked the man:

“The guy who was caught with him—where did you take him?”

“…Wh-who?”

Dong-jun shouted at the stammerer.

“You took him with you! You hauled Jeong-woo like livestock! Where did you sell him off to?”

Beomjin checked Dong-jun’s rising anger and pulled him back.

“Answer. Where did you take him?”

“I really don’t know…”

“Think hard and answer. If you say you ‘don’t know’ again, I’ll break your other arm too.”

Sweat dripped from the man’s trembling jaw. He steadied it and spoke.

“…Forest of Beasts. They took him to the Forest of Beasts. That’s all I know—my job was just loading them in the car.”

The Forest of Beasts.

So it had come to that.

He had suspected it ever since he confirmed Jeong-woo wasn’t here. In a way, it could be a relief. Not having found a body meant there was still hope.

All he could do now was pray Jeong-woo was still alive.

“Where is the Forest of Beasts? Its location?”

“I don’t know that. I swear—please, believe me!”

The man’s terror-choked voice rang true in his heartbeat.

Beomjin turned and hefted the boar man over his shoulder.

“Let’s go.”

Color returned to Dong-jun’s face.

Beomjin took the lead up the stairs, Dong-jun close behind.

He pushed open the steel door and stepped toward the stairwell when hurried footsteps clattered down. Beomjin lifted his head and let out a small sigh.

“Soon as the work’s done, they show up like they were waiting for it.”

The one who slipped in through the shadows was Jinyoung. The scene in front of her, the stench rolling over her—everything at once had her thrown.

“…What am I even looking at?”

“I’ll explain outside. More importantly, I called a while ago—why only now?”

“Ha… Jeom-baek went nuts over money. Whatever. Let’s move.”

Jinyoung supported Dong-jun as the three of them left the warehouse together.

The wind outside was cold, yet the relief of having escaped that hell made it feel almost warm.

Overwhelmed by the fact that he was still alive, Dong-jun kept repeating,

“Thank you, thank you so much.”

After being trapped for over a week in filth and darkness, his body reeked of sweat, blood, and grime.

They had to get him examined immediately, so Beomjin and Jinyoung took both Dong-jun and the boar man straight to the hospital.

Evening. Beomjin’s apartment.

After a long, chaotic day, Beomjin felt drained.

Dong-jun had been diagnosed with dehydration, malnutrition, psychological shock, and various bruises and abrasions, then immediately admitted for treatment. The boar man, due to his violent condition, was transferred to a special hospital designated for Beast-Blooded.

“Phew…”

Fresh out of the shower, Beomjin slumped into the sofa, soaking in the stillness.

But his head was filled with one worry—Jeong-woo.

A cool night breeze slipped in through the open window. Sinking deeper into the couch, Beomjin slowly drifted toward sleep. Just as his eyes began to close, his phone buzzed beside him.

He glanced at the number, then answered.

“Ah, Park Beom-su! You free to talk?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Good. Your test today was impressive. So listen—how about an opening match tomorrow night? I pitched your name hard to the chairman. You in?”

Beomjin took a silent breath. He hadn’t expected a chance to come this quickly. There was no reason to refuse.

“I’ll do it.”

“Perfect! That’s the attitude I like. Then meet me tomorrow at 2 p.m., same place as today—Seoul Forest parking lot. Have a good night.”

Sang-hak hung up before Beomjin could reply.

When the line went dead, Beomjin realized he’d already stood up. The room was quiet, but his eyes burned bright.

By tomorrow, he would see the Forest of Beasts with his own eyes.

The next morning, Beomjin arrived at the hospital to see Dong-jun.

The lobby was calm under the soft morning light. Flower pots by the windows gave a touch of life to the otherwise sterile air.

Beomjin stepped into the ward where Dong-jun was admitted. Hearing footsteps, Dong-jun turned his head from the bed, his face lighting up. He tried to sit up to greet him.

“Ah… hello. You’re the one who saved me yesterday.”

“Hello. It’s fine—stay lying down.”

Dong-jun’s complexion looked far better than yesterday. A faint smile stayed on his now-clean face.

“Really… I can’t thank you enough. If it weren’t for you, I…”

“I’m just glad you weren’t badly hurt.”

“Um, what about Jeong-woo hyung…?”

Beomjin reassured him gently.

“I’m going to look for him tonight. Don’t worry. By the way—do you remember the boar Beast-Blooded locked in the cage across from you?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you happen to know why he went berserk like that?”

Dong-jun slowly shook his head.

“He wasn’t like that before. But after they dragged him off a few days ago… I don’t know the details, but he came back different. Like someone else.”

Even just recalling it made his breathing rough. Sweat beaded again on his temples and the back of his hand. His throat bobbed as he swallowed quick, shallow breaths.

Beomjin stood, cracked the window halfway open. Fresh air seeped into the sterile room.
He handed Dong-jun a cup of water and rested a steady hand on his shoulder.

“You should rest now. I’ll make sure to find Gwak Jeong-woo safely.”

Dong-jun gripped the edge of his blanket with trembling fingers and forced a faint smile.

“…Please. I’m counting on you.”

After settling him back down, Beomjin left the room. It was time to head for the Forest of Beasts.

Seoul Forest parking lot.

As before, Beomjin stood waiting when a silver sedan glided in. Sang-hak stepped out, looking even more excited than yesterday. He walked up with an easy laugh and offered a handshake.

“Tonight’s going to be incredible!”

Beomjin, face blank beneath the effects of the Pill of a Hundred Faces, gave a short nod.

“Guess it’s time I showed you the arena. You know where we’re going, right?”

Expectation gleamed in Sang-hak’s eyes.

“I’ve only heard of it—a dueling ground for Beast-Blooded.”

“Exactly. Once you’ve seen it, you’ll never want to leave.”

Beomjin followed him into the car. The dance music pounding through the speakers made his pulse race as if he were already inside the ring.

After several turns through the quiet streets, the car stopped in a deserted section on the edge of Seoul Forest.

“Stay close. The path’s not exactly simple.”

At the end of a tall wall stood a metal gate. They went through, and beyond it lay a massive passage sloping underground. Whatever letters had once been painted on the roof were now too faded to read.

“When this was first built, the plan was to open a Seoul Forest Station here. But for some reason, the project was moved. The site was abandoned just before completion…”

As Sang-hak spoke, they descended into the tunnel. The rough concrete passage stretched ahead under flickering fluorescent lights until another steel door appeared. When they passed through it, a vast chamber opened before them.

It was the abandoned subway station Sang-hak had mentioned.

The high ceiling and arched roof made the space feel like a hollow cathedral. Modified train cars lined the entrance, now serving as checkpoints. Beyond them, down one more level, the old platform had been transformed—bright lights blazing over a boxing ring, with rows of tiered seats rising around it.

“Welcome to the Forest of Beasts. Surprised?”

All around, staff bustled to prepare for the night’s fights. Men in black suits patrolled the perimeter, checking each corner of the underground station.

Sang-hak led Beomjin through a side corridor to a door larger than the rest. Inside was a measurement area—part locker room, part medical station—with scales, instruments, and padded walls to muffle sound. Soft lighting kept the space comfortable but sterile.

“We’ll need to take your measurements. Get changed and come out.”

The word “measurement” stirred something deep in him. His heart began to pound, just like it had before every match.

The tension before a fight. That familiar, crushing weight on his chest.

But this time—it wasn’t dread.

It was excitement.

His body responded instinctively. Muscles that remembered the rhythm of combat coiled tight, silent and ready, like a predator before the leap.

Soon, the match would begin.

Just then, someone stepped out from the opposite locker room.

The man wore light trunks, maybe late thirties, with short silver stubble, sharp cheekbones, and deep-set eyes beneath a chiseled jaw. The instant Beomjin saw his face, a jolt shot through him.

“…The Reaper?”

The Reaper Hwang Ki-seon—his old rival. The boxer who’d handed Beomjin his first defeat years ago. Known for his heavy punches and relentless pressure, he’d climbed to rank two before vanishing without a trace.

And here he was—in this place.

“He’s your opponent tonight,” Sang-hak whispered with a grin.

Ki-seon studied Beomjin, sniffing faintly, head tilting.

“…A tiger? Been a while since I’ve had a fight worth watching.”

Beomjin swallowed, his jaw twitching faintly.

He wasn’t the same man from back then. This time, there was more—vengeance, resolve, and a thrill that ran cold and electric through his veins.

The night of the Forest of Beasts was about to begin.