Dohyun parked the stolen van, now packed with high-caloric MREs and emergency gear, half a block from the high-rise hotel. His mind was a cold, efficient calculator. He had severely wounded two of Hyuk-jin's men—a tactical victory that would buy him a few hours, but no more. The gang leader would be mobilizing every resource to find the "Nomad" who had embarrassed him.
He was a predator, but he had his cub to move.
He found Yoona exactly where he'd left her, sitting rigidly on the edge of the bed, the untouched room service cart a monument to her fear. When she saw him, her terror was raw and palpable.
"We have to go, now," Dohyun said, his voice softer than before, yet devoid of the warmth she remembered.
"Where, Oppa?" she whispered, her voice cracking. "What is this? Is it the debt? I can talk to Mom, she can—"
"No!" Dohyun cut her off sharply, immediately regretting the intensity. He forced his eyes to meet hers, holding her gaze with the fierce, protective intensity of the Revenant. "It's not money. It's a man. A bad man who thinks he owns this city. I made him angry. I need to take you somewhere they will never find you. It's temporary, Yoona. Just until I fix this."
The lie was weak, but the certainty in his eyes was absolute. He looked like a cornered animal, but one that would die before letting its kin fall. Yoona finally nodded, her resistance collapsing into terrified compliance.
The Final Drive
The drive was agonizing. Dohyun drove the dark van—a perfect blend of anonymity and carrying capacity—up the lonely mountain roads toward the bunker. He didn't speak. He focused on the road, watching for headlights, listening to the static silence that his Perception 16 amplified.
He finally stopped the van deep within the treeline, a hundred meters from the bunker entrance.
"We walk the rest of the way," he instructed, pulling the massive, sealed pack containing the disassembled rifle onto his back.
Yoona looked at the forest, then at her brother. "Where are we?"
"Safety," Dohyun promised.
He led her to the moss-covered hillside, pushing aside the thick camouflage netting he'd hastily arranged. Yoona gasped, staring at the immense, rusting steel hatch embedded in the earth.
He slid the keycard into the ancient lock. The mechanism ground open, revealing the dark, concrete stairs.
"Welcome home, Yoona," he said, the words heavy with irony and dread.
As Yoona descended into the cold, silent depths of the earth, the final major hurdle of his preparation was overcome.
The System roared its satisfaction.
"Major Objective Complete: Kin Secured (High Protection Zone). XP Reward: +1300 XP. Current XP: 2000/2000. Level Up Imminent."
Ascending the Ranks
The surge of energy was no longer just an internal shock; it felt like a spiritual ascension. The System had categorized the protection of kin as a massive act of merit.
"LEVEL UP! The Revenant is now Level 3. Allocate 5 available stat points."
Dohyun didn't hesitate. He was done with defense. He was done with running. Now, he would hunt.
He allocated the points with chilling focus:
Strength 11 → 13: Increasing his physical power for sustained combat and heavy lifting.
Agility 11 → 13: Maximizing his speed and reflexes, making him difficult to track or hit.
Perception 16 → 17: Refining his awareness to a hyper-sensitive level, allowing him to anticipate danger before it appears.