CH 458

“Human beings are such frail little creatures,” said Kang Jin-Ho as if he couldn't comprehend it. “And they can be so... irrational, too.”

His voice stabbed painfully into Yi Myeong-Hwan's hearing.

“Humans are always near the edge of death. Just listen to a news broadcast and you'll understand what I mean. Humans die from so many different reasons, don't they? Disease. Accidents. And even murder.”

“...!”

“Even as we speak, a shocking number of people are losing their lives all around the world. Ironically, though, humans believe they are not going to die. Car accidents alone kill around ten people per day, yet we all still drive our cars, blissfully unaware of the dangers. Don't you find that weird? Why do humans think they would never become one of the statistics?”

Yi Myeong-Hwan wasn't listening. The pain crashing into his senses was too severe for him to focus on anything else.

The pain from his bones breaking was indescribably horrifying. Since Yi Myeong-Hwan was a martial artist, he had experienced countless injuries in his life. However, the pain from injuries through an accident or training was nothing compared to what he was experiencing right now. The pain from this kind of torture was... in another realm altogether!

Similar types of injuries should result in a broadly similar level of pain, but that was not the case here. Yi Myeong-Hwan's taut nerves and heightened senses were adversely amplifying his pain by several folds!

Kang Jin-Ho continued to mutter. “That was why I became curious.”

Curious about what?! Yi Myeong-Hwan desperately wanted to scream that question out. And why are you using me to get your stupid answer?! Why me!

“I got curious if you people really comprehend what death is all about. I wanted to see if you knew the truth while running your mouths, or if you were simply putting on airs.” Kang Jin-Ho leisurely grabbed Yi Myeong-Hwan's other arm pitifully trembling away. “So, which camp do you belong to, I wonder?”

Cruuuuunch!

Yi Myeong-Hwan's other arm also broke, causing a flood of tears to gush out of his eyes. Was it because it hurt so much? No.

He was still a martial artist. Knowing that pain was a part of his life now, Yi Myeong-Hwan swore he'd never submit to it. What tormented him right now wasn't the pain from his bones breaking, but...

But, it was this crippling sense of powerlessness. Yi Myeong-Hwan was being crushed by his inability to resist his enemy. It trampled on him and burned his heart to ashes.

Did a live fish nailed to a chopping board to prevent it from jumping around feel this way, too? Feeling helpless as a long and slender sashimi knife cut and dug through its body but unable to resist at all...! That kind of feeling!

“Now, I want to ask you...” Kang Jin-Ho quietly muttered.

Yi Myeong-Hwan continued to struggle against the tidal waves of despair brought on by Kang Jin-Ho's flat, unfeeling voice. Even though there was a hint of mirth in that voice, it sounded more robotic than ever, and it was gradually dragging Yi Myeong-Hwan deeper and deeper into the depths of the netherworld.

Even though the devil could most likely see his victim trembling pitifully away, with tears and snot trickling messily down his face, the damnable creature wasn't moved at all. He simply didn't seem to care. And that despairing fact made it so much harder for Yi Myeong-Hwan to endure his reality.

Without a doubt, Kang Jin-Ho would rack it. 'It' being Yi Myeong-Hwan's body. And his mind, too.

Like a bored kid snapping a sorghum straw into small pieces to pass the time, Kang Jin-Ho was 'disinterestedly' breaking Yi Myeong-Hwan's bones. And he didn't feel any guilt or reluctance about doing it, either!

“Are you really prepared to die?”

“...?!”

Yi Myeong-Hwan sensed his feet touching the ground. His body, lifted up into the air against his will, was descending again. And the sensation of his sneakers touching the solid ground instilled a sliver of hope in Yi Myeong-Hwan's heart.

Just like how a kid might get bored with a toy, Kang Jin-Ho might have lost his interest in Yi Myeong-Hwan, too. Unfortunately, that was nothing more than his delusion.

Cruuuunch...!

After allowing Yi Myeong-Hwan's feet to touch the floor, Kang Jin-Ho... crushed one of his victim's feet. All the bones in that foot—from his toes to joints—got crushed into tiny bits. However, Yi Myeong-Hwan couldn't scream. His mouth was still blocked off by Kang Jin-Ho's hand, after all!

Even if that wasn't the case, though... Would Yi Myeong-Hwan be able to scream in pain? Maybe not. Even if he was free, he probably couldn't win against this crippling pain and do nothing other than spasm on the floor, his mouth wide open in a silent scream.

“Let me ask you again.”

Suddenly, Kang Jin-Ho let go of Yi Myeong-Hwan's face, only to grab the tearful man's throat next. That certainly was a little more 'freedom' than before, but...

But it only felt like Yi Myeong-Hwan had peeked his head out from beneath the cold water. Staying submerged like this would lower his body temperature, and he'd eventually perish from hypothermia, but at the very least, he was spared from the fate of drowning right now. That was what this situation felt like.

However, Yi Myeong-Hwan immediately learned something else. And that was the world above the water's surface had been on fire all along!

Yi Myeong-Hwan's vision returned, and he could now see Kang Jin-Ho's face. The face of the man choking him was...!

Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original.

Maybe it would've been better if Yi Myeong-Hwan couldn't see. Maybe, he should've kept his eyes closed. Regret rushed in, but it was too late by then.

Kang Jin-Ho's eyes were red. Crimson, like blood. Eyes that couldn't have belonged to a human were now glaring murderously at Yi Myeong-Hwan. From some angles, those eyes seemed to have discarded all semblance of emotions, but from different angles, negative emotions like hatred and rage seemed to be burning intensely in Kang Jin-Ho's glare.

Just below those crimson eyes were Kang Jin-Ho's lips slightly curling upward. Was it even possible for a person's countenance to change so much from what seemed like a kind face?!

'No, I'm wrong about this...!'

Yi Myeong-Hwan's eyes bulged out of their sockets. He realized that Kang Jin-Ho hadn't changed. No, this was... This was his true self being unleashed!

'An immature brat...!'

Yi Myeong-Hwan recalled what Choi Jin-Yeong said about him. Yi Myeong-Hwan declared that he wanted to become like Kang Jin-Ho. He also said he respected and yearned for this strength. He said he wished to attain this power, didn't he?

He said all that without knowing the truth. He knew nothing!

“So, do you still think you're prepared to risk your life?” Kang Jin-Ho muttered as his grip on Yi Myeong-Hwan's throat tightened. The increasing grip strength acted like the messenger delivering Kang Jin-Ho's intention. If Yi Myeong-Hwan was truly prepared to risk his neck... Kang Jin-Ho would grant him the experience of death!

Of course, it could be nothing more than a threat. Or, maybe a joke taken too far. Even so, could Yi Myeong-Hwan reply that he was indeed ready to risk his life?

To this devil-like man? And in this situation, too?

Could he really mouth the word 'death' in front of this devil who broke his bones and tortured him while laughing like a kid having fun? Could he? Really?

That was when Yi Myeong-Hwan finally felt it. He felt what death was like.

Sure, I see it. Death is right before my nose. I get that.

If death was something that approached its victims with unopposable powers and took everything away against their will... If it could not be resisted no matter what...!

No one on Earth would suit the term 'death' better than Kang Jin-Ho.

Prepared to risk his life? Yi Myeong-Hwan wanted to rip his mouth apart for saying that. He knew nothing about death, yet he dared to yap on about getting ready to risk his life?

He was not in a movie. And he was definitely not inside a comic book where dead characters were brought back to life all the time. No, he was living in reality.

Death was like a cruel torturer who systematically sliced off his victims' flesh one part at a time. A torturer who couldn't be fought back, no matter what!

Exactly like the devil before Yi Myeong-Hwan's eyes, then!

It was time to give up. Yi Myeong-Hwan must give up this foolish, childish pursuit.

He must stop spewing this stupid crap about risking his life and all that. The wisest thing right now was running to the farthest corner away from here without even looking back once at the terror that was Kang Jin-Ho. As far away as possible, as far as his legs could take him! Until this devil could never spot him again!

“Kkeuh-ruuuk...!”

A bizarre croak leaked out of Yi Myeong-Hwan's throat when he tried to see if he could still say something. After confirming that sounds could be produced from his mouth, Yi Myeong-Hwan's lips began cracking open just a little.

Even as crippling pain rushed in from all corners of his body, even as Kang Jin-Ho's choking killing intent tightened around his throat like a noose...! Yi Myeong-Hwan still managed to cry out amidst all this unbelievable pressure. “Yes... Yes, I am!”

“Hmm?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head slightly. The corners of his lips curled up higher than before as he yanked Yi Myeong-Hwan's face real close. Kang Jin-Ho's glare locked into Yi Myeong-Hwan's eyes.

Yi Myeong-Hwan wanted to run away. He wanted so badly to squeeze his eyes shut. What a relief that he didn't wet his pants just now.

No, maybe his pants were already soaking wet by now, but he couldn't sense it.

Now that he thought about it, wasn't there a different type of acrid odor mixed in with the smell of blood? If other applicants went through the same process as Yi Myeong-Hwan, then that combination of smells could be explained without a problem.

Regardless of what, though... Yi Myeong-Hwan couldn't close his eyes. It wasn't because of his unyielding will to never retreat or something noble like that. Even if he wanted to close his eyes, his eyelids refused to heed his commands. The only body parts Yi Myeong-Hwan could control right now were his tongue and jaw.

It was as if Kang Jin-Ho's eyes burning in the chilling crimson hue had blanketed the entire world in Yi Myeong-Hwan's view.

“Now, speak.”

“...!”

“Speak, so I can hear you. Say it loud. Say that you don't mind dying. That this level of pain is nothing to you. Only then will I be less bored about this. So, say it. Say that you're ready to throw your life away. And that's why you can endure for as long as you need.”

Was the devil an existence of enticement or intimidation? If a devil was to offer a deal to a weak human, it'd probably speak this way. It'd ensure its victim could never say no by mixing just enough temptation into its bone-chilling threats.

“...I am... I am...”

“I can't hear you.”

Crunch!

Yi Myeong-Hwan's collarbone snapped under Kang Jin-Ho's grip. As it turned out, Yi Myeong-Hwan's guess was correct.

Even though his mouth was free, Yi Myeong-Hwan couldn't even scream. All he could do was spasm like a patient suffering from a seizure, his mouth wide open.

He must've bit a part of his mouth somehow as a mixture of blood and drool trickled down from the corners of his mouth. Yi Myeong-Hwan had shed so many tears that Kang Jin-Ho's crimson eyes looked blurry now.

“My bad, but I don't know any mind-reading techniques. Unless you tell me, I will never know.”

“Kkeuh... Kkuuuuhuh...!”

“So, tell me. Tell me that you don't mind dying. Don't you think you need to prove how prepared you are to risk your life?” Kang Jin-Ho's low cackle dug deeper into Yi Myeong-Hwan's eardrums with outstanding clarity. “If you can't... Why don't you give up now? Then, I'll let you keep your life. I'll let you leave right now. And you shall return to your ordinary life. A life of peace.”

The answer to that temptation was way too obvious. If anyone dared to choose a different answer in this situation, they must be absolutely dead-set on getting themselves killed—either that or a lunatic who enjoyed being tortured.

Saying they were ready to risk their lives would be the same as volunteering as Kang Jin-Ho's plaything. So, who would say something that stupid?

“This is your last chance. I'll ask you one last time. So, think carefully about your answer, okay?” Kang Jin-Ho muttered, then took his sweet time asking the question. “Are you really prepared to risk your life? Seriously?”

Yi Myeong-Hwan's lips slowly parted. His lips trembled precariously, and his tongue couldn't move properly... Yi Myeong-Hwan's body parts desperately worked together to produce his voice. "I... pre... pare..."

“Okay?”

“I am... prepared...!”

Kang Jin-Ho's glare grew slightly redder at that answer.

Of course, Yi Myeong-Hwan was fully aware of what he just did. He should be saying he wanted to give up. He should've said he didn't want to do this anymore. Only then would he be able to escape from the clutches of this monster.

However, his mouth muttered the words that were in complete contrast to his will. And his body began trembling in dread after the realization of his slip-up washed over him.

'N-no! I, I need to change my answer! Right now!'

Unfortunately, his lips were sealed shut as if someone had glued them together. Only weak little gasps and moans leaked out from the firmly-clamped lips. Yi Myeong-Hwan couldn't squeak a single word out!

While Yi Myeong-Hwan struggled, the corners of Kang Jin-Ho's lips curled up a little higher. “Aren't you a gutsy little man?”

The devil began smirking again. As if he was so happy about finding a plaything he could torture as much as he could.

“Asking you again at this point would be against manners, right? Very well. Yes, I shall respect your decision. Go ahead and imagine what will happen to you as much as you want. Because... I swear to you, you will experience something far worse.”

“...”

“However, I should still give your result as our fun times will only commence at another date. Yi Myeong-Hwan?” Kang Jin-Ho leisurely spoke up. “You pass.”

That was when the world rapidly and violently quaked in Yi Myeong-Hwan's view. All the crippling pain receded, replaced by unbearable dizziness and nausea. Were his eyes open? Or were they closed...? This confusion was so extreme that Yi Myeong-Hwan couldn't quite tell whether he was awake or unconscious.

But then, a voice came to him, sobering him up.

“You can raise your head now. It's over.”

That voice sounded composed, unruffled.