Chapter 56

Inside the housing complex, the air froze. At the end of the third-floor corridor, a shadow stopped at the top of the stairs.

A wolf’s scent drifted from him. Walking through the darkness-choked hall, the wolf spoke.

“…I was worried you might’ve pissed yourself and run. But of course—little tiger cub. Thinking no matter who shows up, you can beat the shit out of them, huh?”

Just a few short sentences revealed his entire life—rough tone, cheap vocabulary. He swaggered forward as carelessly as his language.

His figure came into view: worn slippers, ragged pants, a shirt reeking of cigarette smoke, hair chopped messily. He was Ryu Baek, a wolf Beast-Blooded.

Ryu Baek grinned, entertained.

“Smells like blood in there. Guess someone’s dyin’ real good?”

Beomjin knew it too. Risa’s blood smell had become dangerous. But he couldn’t leave—not yet.

“That’s what you get when you haul baggage around. Too many things to worry about.”

Before the last word left his tongue—Ryu Baek kicked like lightning.

Thud!

He aimed perfectly for Beomjin’s solar plexus, but Beomjin leaned away just in time. Ryu Baek’s foot smashed the wall instead.

“Ohoh. You’re kinda good?”

Ryu Baek dusted off his knee and stepped closer.

“C’mon, let’s go. You got nothing better to do. Never fought a tiger before—don’t make this boring, yeah?”

Ryu Baek smirked and tapped Beomjin’s cheek. Then a fist shot out.

Whack!

Beomjin’s head snapped to the side—and Ryu Baek lifted off the ground. Beomjin’s kick launched him upward, his back brushing the ceiling. Twisting mid-air, he kicked off the ceiling and dove right back at Beomjin.

With a feral grin frozen on his face, Ryu Baek struck—quick and sharp—eyes, throat, solar plexus. He targeted only vital points with insane precision.

Every block, every counter, only widened Ryu Baek’s smile—until he burst into manic laughter.

“Hahahahahaha!!”

Ryu Baek was thrilled. Beomjin wasn’t.

His mind was entirely on Seoyul and Risa. And one more thing—the pursuers were two. The other still hadn’t shown themself.

All he could do was trust Seoyul.

Inside the office—inside the infirmary—Seoyul and Risa worked frantically. They changed into clothes left on-site and piled their old, blood-soaked clothes onto the infirmary bed, covering them with a sheet.

From the infirmary and bathroom, they gathered bleach, disinfectant, hydrogen peroxide, boric acid—placing them in a small bag and hanging it above the infirmary door. A string stretched down to snag a foot, ready to drop the trap.

“Unnie, I’m done!”

Seoyul checked the tensioned string carefully. Risa, who had fixed sheets to the window as a rope, straightened up.

“We just have to get out now.”

Seoyul opened the window and took Risa’s hand. They began to climb down the tied sheets slowly.

“Is that it? Seriously? This is pathetic.”

Dodging Beomjin’s punch, Ryu Baek snickered—then spun into a kick that hammered Beomjin’s flank.

Beomjin caught his leg and slammed him into the floor with everything he had.

KWOOM!!

The floor cracked, and Ryu Baek got up lightly.

“Focus up. Worried about the things inside? Someone dead already?”

Beomjin didn’t answer. Through the vibrating scent of blood, Risa and Seoyul’s scents were fading.

So far, everything was on schedule.

Then it came—the scent he was waiting for. Another wolf. Faint, approaching the office.

It was time.

Beomjin pretended to be pushed back by Ryu Baek’s rush and crashed into the office door, rolling inside. As expected—the other pursuer had infiltrated through the emergency exit and was already inside.

She resembled Ryu Baek, but wore plain black sportswear and had a short black bob. Her name was Ryu Hwa—Ryu Baek’s older sister.

The moment their eyes met, she scowled and yelled at Ryu Baek.

“You idiot! You still haven’t taken him down? And you barged in already?! Did you even listen to me?!”

“Shut up! Just grab the damn thing!!”

Ryu Baek pounced again, while Ryu Hwa rushed into the infirmary.

Crack.

The locked infirmary door snapped open.

Ryu Hwa peered into the darkness. The old bed bulged with something—and reeked of heavy blood.

Found it.

“No!!”

Beomjin’s acting was flawless. Ryu Hwa suspected nothing and stepped inside.

Tuk.

The moment her foot crossed the threshold, the string snapped.

The hanging pouch burst—bleach, disinfectant, peroxide, boric acid mixed into a toxic cloud—white fumes billowing instantly.

“Gah—!!”

Ryu Hwa staggered back, coughing violently. Her eyes burned, her nose stung. With her sense of smell wiped out, she lost balance and dropped to her knees.

“Noona!”

Startled by the blast, Ryu Baek rushed into the infirmary.

Both pursuers were now inside.

This was the moment Beomjin had been waiting for.

Outside the infirmary—at the window—Beomjin held a small container in his hand.

His target: beneath the cabinet beside the infirmary window. A pile of discarded walkie-talkie batteries, cut wires, and torn cloth scraps.

Inside the container he hurled—was a mixture of ethanol and ammonia he had gathered from the infirmary.

Thwack!

The container shattered—sparks jumped from the ancient batteries.

Ssshhhk—

A sharp hiss, then flame. The cloth caught instantly, fire racing up into the cabinet—where lubricants, old paint, and gasoline for the generator were packed tight.

Beomjin dove straight out the window.

KWA-AAAAANG!!

A red flash swallowed the infirmary. Windows burst, office walls shook—fire surged like an exploding wave.

He rolled on landing and sprang up.

“Mister!”

Seoyul rushed to him. Risa leaned against a tree, struggling to steady her breath.

“You okay?”

Beomjin nodded at Seoyul’s question.

“You did good. Nice work. Let’s move.”

He looked back at the burning housing complex. He couldn’t confirm whether those two were dead—but with this level of damage, they wouldn’t be chasing anytime soon.

Even so—they had to leave now.

The three ran into the forest.

Risa, supported by Beomjin, tried her best to keep pace—but she looked worse by the second.

“You alright?”

“This is nothing.”

Her voice was brave—but cold sweat trickled down her brow,
her steps slowed, her breathing grew ragged.

“Mister, she needs a hospital. Soon.”

“…Yeah. We have to.”

The bandage around her waist was drenched red.

Beomjin looked up, gauging where the road to the city should be.

Then he looked at the two women—and shoved them hard aside.

“Move!”

A sharp whistle of air…

Branches swaying…

Footsteps cutting off…

Someone crashed into him, and they tumbled across the ground.

“…Ugh!”

Beomjin pushed up—blood running down his arm. Across from him stood a man gripping two military knives.

“What did you do to my siblings?”

Short hair. Reddish face. Tight, combat-ready clothes.

He was Ryu Jin—Ryu Baek and Ryu Hwa’s older brother.

Holding the knives in a reverse grip, he offered no pause—

He attacked relentlessly.

Each brush of the blade carried a chilling sting. His flank split open—blood dripping onto the forest floor with every move.

“Run!! Both of you!!”

Beomjin roared—but the two hesitated, rooted by fear and guilt.

“But—”

“Right now, I’m not what matters. Think!”

His voice cracked like thunder. Even Risa forced herself to push Seoyul.

“Seoyul—go. We have to get away. Ugh…”

Risa clutched her injured side, face twisted in pain.

“Unnie!”

Seoyul stopped mid-run, frozen. Following her gaze, Risa turned—Ryu Hwa approached from the shadows, burned black from fire and smoke.

Her face was scraped and smeared with soot, her charred clothing stained with dirt and blood.

“…Hwa? You’re still alive? Where’s Baek? Where is he?!”

Ryu Hin shouted.

Ryu Hwa stepped forward, blocking Seoyul like a shield—expression cold and hollow.

“Run!”

Beomjin yelled again—but it was already too late.

“That box… hand it over.”

Ryu Hwa winced as her scorched shoulder twitched—but her gaze never wavered.

Beomjin’s desperate shouts dimmed behind them—he was using everything he had to parry Ryu Jin’s blades.

“Because of that damned thing—my brother— Give it! Give it to me, now!!”

“No! I can’t—never!”

Seoyul hugged the box tighter against her chest.

The Flute of Ten Thousand Waves—the legendary treasure inside was the reason for every chase, every wound—the seed of their misfortune.

“Give it to meee!!”

Ryu Hwa lunged like a rabid dog. Seoyul twisted away and fled—but Ryu Hwa caught her and dragged her down. Her fingers grazed the box as the two rolled together in the dirt.

Risa tried to pull Ryu Hwa off—but her wounded body couldn’t overpower anyone now. Ryu Hwa’s hand burrowed into Seoyul’s arms, and the box slipped free.

“No!”

Seoyul reached—but Ryu Hwa seized her wrist and slammed her into the ground.

Still… Seoyul bit down hard and forced herself up again. Small body, but every ounce of strength burned through her.

Hair, claws, elbows—everything tangled. Screams and ragged breaths collided.

The box rolled again.

Seoyul hurled herself toward it—last burst of energy.

Beomjin blocked a stabbing strike with his bare palm—the blade pierced through his hand, and he lifted Ryu Jin’s chin with a brutal uppercut.

“Mister!”

At Seoyul’s cry, he turned and leaped—

But what he saw was Ryu Hwa—box in hand.

Her lips curled into a slow smile.

Ryu Hwa kicked Seoyul away and vanished into the dark.

Beomjin, breath ragged, skidded to a stop. Risa had collapsed, as if her legs finally gave out.

“You okay…?”

His voice was low—careful. Risa’s eyes were already unfocused.

“No… I don’t think I am anymore. I pushed myself too far… I knew it… but I tried to keep going…”

Her hand pressed her side. The bandage had bled through—her fingers trembled, lips pale and cracked.

“Unnie!”

Seoyul stumbled to her side and knelt. Her face flushed, sweat gathered on her brow—
and tears spilled heavily down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry… I should have run… I should have… but I—couldn’t…”

Her voice broke, lips shivering.

“They took the flute…”

Tears that had been silent finally erupted—she buried her head and sobbed.

“Uwaaaah… I ruined everything… everything… hic…”

Her blood-stained palm struck the ground in frustration—dust smeared into mud under falling tears.

Beomjin watched quietly—then sat beside them.

He was breathing hard, blood dripping from countless wounds. Ryu Jin was already gone—disappeared into the trees long ago.

Rustling leaves brushed in the wind. The pre-dawn sky remained black.

But even so—Beomjin did not break.

He gently patted Seoyul’s back.

“You did your best. We’re alive—and this isn’t over yet.”

“But…”

“And right now… we don’t have time.”

He lifted Risa into his arms. Her lips had turned bluish, her breath growing shallower by the second.