Chapter 4: Hunting Grounds
[POV – Ethan Cross]
Morning in Cheonliang didn't come with sunlight.
It came with noise.
Shouting in the distance. Metal clashing. Someone screaming and then going quiet. Ethan sat on the cabin's wooden step, slowly tightening the cloth around his ribs. Purple bruises spread like ink across his skin.
It hurt.
He loved it.
Pain meant he was still alive. Still moving forward.
Behind him, Seongji was already warming up—shadowboxing, fists snapping through the air, feet digging into the dirt. Every movement was sharp and confident. He looked like he belonged here.
Ethan glanced at him and grinned. "You always this serious in the morning?"
Seongji snorted. "You always smiling like that?"
Ethan's smile widened. "Only when I'm awake."
They locked eyes for a moment.
Rivalry sparked. Familiar. Comfortable.
Then—
"Move."
Mujin Jin's voice cut through the air.
They stood immediately.
[POV – Mujin Jin]
Cheonliang's inner paths twisted like veins.
Mujin led them deeper than before, past broken buildings and rusted fences. This was where rules didn't exist anymore. Where even strong men disappeared.
"This is where you hunt," Mujin said, stopping near an abandoned factory.
Seongji cracked his neck. "Who?"
"Anyone," Mujin replied. "Whoever stands in your way."
Ethan tilted his head. "Kill?"
Mujin looked at him. "If they don't get up."
No hesitation.
No moral lecture.
Just reality.
Mujin stepped back. "One at a time. Learn your limits."
Seongji looked at Ethan. "You first again?"
Ethan chuckled. "Scared I'll take all the fun?"
"Don't get cocky."
Ethan walked forward anyway.
[POV – Ethan Cross]
Three men were already inside the factory.
They noticed him immediately.
A skinny kid. Alone. Bandaged.
Perfect.
One rushed him with a metal pipe.
Ethan stepped sideways, letting the pipe whistle past his head. He grabbed the man's wrist mid-swing and yanked forward, slamming his knee up into the man's stomach.
Hard.
Air exploded out.
Ethan twisted the wrist and drove the pipe straight into the man's throat.
The man dropped, gagging.
The second came in low, tackling Ethan's waist.
They hit the ground hard.
Ethan rolled, ignoring the pain screaming through his ribs, and jammed his thumb into the man's eye.
The scream was instant.
Ethan mounted him and punched—short, compact blows. Nose. Jaw. Temple.
He stood as the body went limp.
The third hesitated.
Bad choice.
Ethan sprinted.
The man swung wildly.
Ethan ducked and smashed his forehead upward.
Crack.
The man collapsed.
Ethan stood there, chest heaving, blood on his face, smiling like a demon in hell.
[POV – Seongji Yuk]
Seongji didn't clap.
He just nodded.
Then he walked in.
Five men this time.
Stronger.
Better stance.
Good.
Seongji charged.
He smashed through the first guard, shoulder-checking him into a wall. He caught the second's punch and shattered the man's balance with a knee to the thigh.
Crack.
The third jumped him.
Seongji let himself fall backward, dragging the man down and slamming his head into the concrete.
Once.
Twice.
The fourth tried to flank.
Seongji turned and kicked—full force.
The man flew.
The fifth froze.
Seongji walked up and punched him in the face.
That was enough.
[POV – Ethan Cross]
They stood side by side again.
Sweaty. Bloody. Breathing hard.
Ethan glanced over. "You're strong."
Seongji smirked. "Took you long enough to admit it."
Ethan laughed.
Mujin approached, eyes cold but approving.
"Good," he said. "You're learning."
He looked at Ethan. "You enjoy fighting."
Ethan wiped blood from his cheek. "Yeah."
Mujin turned to Seongji. "And you dominate."
Seongji nodded.
Mujin's gaze sharpened.
"Remember this," he said. "Cheonliang doesn't forgive weakness."
Ethan's smile faded—just a little.
"Good," he said quietly. "Neither do I."
Two demons stood in the ruins.
And Cheonliang began to take notice.
Chapter 5: Blood Bond
[POV – Ethan Cross]
The day was long. Sun hidden behind gray clouds, shadows crawling across Cheonliang's twisted alleys. Ethan's muscles screamed, ribs burned, and sweat stung his eyes—but he felt alive. Every bruise, every cut, every breath of pain reminded him that he was still ahead of everyone else.
Seongji Yuk walked beside him, silent, arms swinging loosely. There was no need to speak. They were synced, even without trying.
Mujin Jin had given them a task: hunt together. One-on-one, back-to-back, side-by-side. Test your limits. Learn each other. Only the strongest survive.
Ethan grinned as they approached a narrow alley.
"Ready?" he asked.
Seongji smirked. "Always."
[POV – Seongji Yuk]
Three men stood blocking the alley, larger than yesterday's group. One had a broken nose already bandaged. Another had scars running down his arms. The third's eyes flickered with a mix of fear and defiance.
Seongji shifted his stance. Nothing fancy—just raw strength, loose shoulders, fists ready. Ethan mirrored him, crouched low, eyes sharp.
Without warning, the first man charged.
Seongji moved first. His fist shot out like a bullet, connecting with the man's chest. The force knocked the man back, ribs cracking audibly. Seongji didn't pause—he followed, driving a knee into the stomach, then spinning to catch the second man's incoming swing.
Ethan didn't wait. He danced around the third man, ducking low, letting a wrist grab and a brutal knee to the thigh take him down. Blood spattered, the man screamed—but Ethan only smiled wider, demon-like, chest heaving from exhilaration.
[POV – Ethan Cross]
They were seamless together. One attack, one movement, perfectly timed. Seongji's raw power, Ethan's precision.
The alley filled with groans and the metallic scent of blood. Every man who tried to stand was met with the coordinated fury of the two of them.
One thug got close to Ethan, swinging a crowbar. He missed. Ethan grabbed the man's wrist mid-swing, twisted, and drove a crushing elbow into his side. The man collapsed in pain, clutching his ribs.
Seongji finished the last one off with a spinning kick, sending the final opponent sprawling into the wall.
They stood over the alley, chests rising and falling, blood on their knuckles. Not a word was said.
Mutual respect was built in silence.
[POV – Mujin Jin]
Mujin observed from a high wall overlooking the alley.
"Good," he murmured. "They understand. Alone, they would fail. Together… they're starting to survive."
He remembered the first day Ethan had arrived—smiling through blood, laughing through pain. And Seongji—already a monster forged by Cheonliang's streets.
Now, the two of them moved as one. Two wolves, circling, hunting, thriving.
Mujin knew this bond was dangerous. Stronger than most could handle.
But Cheonliang rewarded the strong.
And these two? They were monsters in the making.
[POV – Seongji Yuk]
Seongji wiped blood from his knuckles, then glanced at Ethan.
"You didn't miss a step," he said.
Ethan shrugged, still smiling. "Neither did you."
Seongji smirked. "We make a good team."
Ethan's grin widened. "Best team. Don't forget it."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Two demons, alone in Cheonliang.
Two predators, learning to rely on each other.
And the world around them already knew fear would come.
End of Chapter 5
Chapter 6: Trial by Fire
[POV – Ethan Cross]
The day had barely begun, yet Ethan already felt the familiar ache in his muscles. His body screamed from yesterday's fights, every rib and joint aching like molten iron. But the pain thrilled him. He was alive, more alive than he had ever been.
Seongji Yuk was already waiting outside the cabin, hands wrapped, stance loose but ready. Ethan joined him silently. No words needed—they understood each other now.
Mujin Jin appeared at the edge of the alley, face unreadable. His gaze swept over them like a blade.
"Today," Mujin said, "you face real opponents. Not thugs. Not petty fighters. Only those who survived Cheonliang longer than you. Only those who can kill."
Ethan's grin widened. "Finally."
Seongji's eyes narrowed. "Good. I was getting bored."
[POV – Seongji Yuk]
They reached an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Cheonliang. The air was thick with dust and the scent of old blood. Inside, five figures emerged from the shadows. Tall, muscular, scars crisscrossing their bodies—cheaters, survivors, monsters molded by these streets.
The first man stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "So these are the fresh meat," he sneered. "Thought you'd be alone?"
Ethan didn't hesitate. He lunged, movements sharp, precise. His fist collided with the man's jaw, twisting him off balance, then a knee to the thigh, followed by an elbow strike. Blood spattered, but Ethan only smiled, as if drinking it in.
Seongji moved like a storm. The second opponent tried to flank him, but Seongji pivoted, grabbed the attacker's arm, and slammed him into the ground. Spinning, he delivered a crushing kick to the ribs of another man. Crack. The sound of broken bone echoed through the warehouse.
The fights were simultaneous, chaotic, brutal. Ethan and Seongji worked together, instinctively, complementing each other's styles. One went for precision strikes, the other for raw power.
[POV – Ethan Cross]
A larger opponent charged at Ethan with a metal pipe. Time slowed for a heartbeat. He dodged to the side, twisted the man's wrist, and drove a fist into the man's temple. The pipe clanged to the ground.
Ethan's grin widened, almost feral. Pain, blood, chaos—he thrived in it.
Another opponent tried to sneak from behind. Ethan felt him. Turned. Spun. A swift kick into the stomach, a punch into the chest. The man went down, gasping for air.
He looked up. Seongji was still moving like a hurricane, every strike precise, powerful, and unrelenting.
Perfect.
[POV – Mujin Jin]
Mujin Jin observed silently from a shadowed corner.
Two new demons. One forged from raw brutality, the other from calculated violence. Together, unstoppable.
But Cheonliang had more tests. Pain, fear, death—they would have to endure all. And Mujin intended to push them until they were unrecognizable.
[POV – Seongji Yuk]
The last opponent tried to flee. Seongji caught him easily, slammed his fist into the man's stomach, and threw him into the wall.
Ethan joined immediately, driving his knee into the fleeing man's back, forcing him down. The two looked at each other for a heartbeat, nodding.
Two demons of Cheonliang. Side by side.
Bloodied, exhausted, grinning.
Mujin stepped forward. "Enough."
Neither Seongji nor Ethan lowered their guard. Both were already anticipating the next fight, the next challenge.
Mujin's eyes softened, just slightly. "Good. You're learning to survive. Together."
Ethan licked blood from his lips, grinning like a monster. "Together," he echoed.
Cheonliang was only getting started.
End of Chapter 6