The clearing fell silent, save for the rasp of Jin Mu-Won's breath. Two corpses lay cooling on the ground, their blood soaking into the roots. The leader stood calm, blade in hand, eyes never leaving Jin.
"You've killed before, haven't you?" the man asked. His tone wasn't mocking now — it was probing, curious.
Jin wiped blood from his lips, grinning faintly. "This was my first."
The leader's brows furrowed. "Liar. No first kill looks like that. You don't hesitate, you don't flinch, you don't mourn. You kill as if you've always been killing."
Jin chuckled, his voice hoarse. "Is that so? Then maybe I was born killing."
The leader studied him, uneasy. This boy's words held no arrogance, no pretense. Just a calm, unshakable certainty.
Finally, he shook his head. "No matter. You're dangerous. Too dangerous to be left alive."
He lifted his sword.
The world shrank. The trees blurred. Jin's gaze locked on the leader's stance: balanced, seasoned, nothing like the sloppy movements of his men. This one is different. If I misstep even once, I die.
The leader moved first, his sword a flash of silver. Jin twisted away, but the blade grazed his arm, leaving a deep cut. Pain flared, but he didn't scream.
"Too slow," the leader muttered.
Jin feinted left, then lunged forward, thrusting the stolen sword. The leader parried easily, knocking it from his grip. The weapon spun into the dirt.
Unarmed again.
The leader smirked. "Hopeless."
But Jin only smiled wider. "Hopeless? Maybe. But even cornered rats bite."
He snatched up a handful of dirt and flung it into the man's eyes.
The leader snarled, swinging blindly. Jin darted in, grabbing the man's wrist. He bit down hard, teeth tearing flesh. The taste of iron filled his mouth.
With a roar, the leader kneed him in the gut, flinging him back. Jin collapsed, coughing blood. His body screamed to stay down, but his mind refused.
I will not die here. Not now.
He forced himself to his knees, vision red, and saw the leader charging again — sword raised high.
At the last instant, Jin rolled toward the corpse of the second bandit. His hand found the spear still impaled in the body. With a roar, he wrenched it free and thrust upward.
The spearhead punched through the leader's abdomen.
The man froze, eyes wide in shock.
"You—" Blood bubbled from his lips. "You… monster."
Jin twisted the spear, cold fury in his gaze. "No. Just a survivor."
The leader collapsed, lifeless.
Jin Mu-Won staggered back, the spear slipping from his hands. He stood amidst three corpses, his body broken, yet alive.
His laughter echoed through the trees, ragged and wild.
"The furnace burns hotter," he whispered, before collapsing to the ground, unconscious.