Chapter Text
The voice disappeared before Sunghoon could locate its source.
He stood completely still. His sword remained drawn. The village was silent again.
Too silent.
Sunghoon slowly turned in a circle, his eyes scanning every corner of the street.
Nothing. No movement. No spiritual disturbance. Not even the sound of wind passing through the trees.
It was as though the voice had never existed. Sunghoon lowered his sword by a fraction. Then he looked down. The red paper charm was still in his hand.
He hadn't imagined that. He was certain of it.
Sunghoon had spent years learning how to distinguish between illusion and reality. A spiritual illusion left traces. A hallucination caused by exhaustion affected the body.
A memory had a different feeling altogether. This was none of those things. Someone had spoken to him. Someone who knew he was coming.
The thought irritated him.
He had been careful. No one in the capital knew the exact time he had left. His mission had been classified. Even the Hunters who had seen him leave hadn't known where he was going.
So how—
Another bell rang. Sunghoon's head snapped toward the mountain. This time, the sound was distant. Very distant.
He looked up. Mount Haneul rose beyond the forest. Even from the village, its peak was visible between the clouds.
The mountain was enormous. Its upper half disappeared into a layer of mist that never seemed to move. Sunghoon had seen it on maps. But maps had failed to explain how old it felt.
There were mountains that looked beautiful. Mount Haneul looked like it was watching.
Sunghoon sheathed his sword. He turned back toward the inn. The door was still open. The innkeeper stood there. He looked terrified.
"Go inside," Sunghoon said.
The man stared at him. "What?"
"Close the door."
"You can't go."
Sunghoon stopped. "Why?"
The innkeeper's face tightened. "Because you heard the bell."
Sunghoon said nothing. The man stepped outside.
His voice dropped to a whisper. "Everyone who hears it disappears."
"That's impossible."
"I've seen it."
"Then explain it."
The innkeeper shook his head. "I can't."
Sunghoon's patience was running thin. "You're going to explain it."
The man looked toward the mountain. "When the bell rings three times, someone comes down from the mountain."
"Who?"
The innkeeper's lips trembled. "We don't know."
"Have you seen them?"
"Not properly."
"What does that mean?"
"Sometimes we see a shadow."
Sunghoon waited.
"Sometimes we hear footsteps."
"And?"
The innkeeper swallowed. "Sometimes we hear someone calling our names."
Sunghoon's expression changed. "Whose voice?"
The man didn't answer.
Sunghoon stepped closer. "Whose voice?"
"My wife's." The answer came quietly.
Sunghoon looked at him. "Your wife is dead?"
The man nodded. "Five years ago."
"How?"
"Illness."
"And you heard her voice?"
"Three months ago." The man's eyes filled with fear.
"She called me from the mountain."
Sunghoon glanced toward Mount Haneul. "Did you follow?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I knew she wasn't really her." That was the first sensible thing the man had said.
Sunghoon looked back at him. "How did you know?"
The innkeeper's expression became strange. "Because my wife never called me by my name."
Sunghoon frowned. "What?"
"She always called me something else." The man looked at the mountain.
"But the voice from the forest knew my name." Sunghoon went still.
A cold sensation moved through him.
The voice he'd heard. You're really late this time. It hadn't called him by his name. But it had known him.
Sunghoon turned toward the mountain. "How long until sunrise?"
The innkeeper stared at him. "Why?"
"Answer me."
"Six hours."
Sunghoon nodded. "Good."
He stepped toward the road.
The innkeeper grabbed his sleeve. "Where are you going?"
"Mount Haneul."
The man's face went white. "No, You can't."
Sunghoon looked at him. "Why?"
"Because that's where they are."
"Who?"
The innkeeper's grip tightened. "The dead."
Sunghoon stared at him.
The man released him. Then he whispered, "And the cultivator."
Sunghoon didn't sleep that night. He returned to the inn only because there was no practical reason to enter the mountain in complete darkness.
That didn't mean he rested. He sat beside the window. His sword was within reach. The red paper charm lay on the table. He had examined it six times.
There was nothing special about it. At least, nothing he could understand.
The paper was old. The ink was faded. There were no Hunter symbols. No known spiritual markings. The charm appeared to be nothing more than a simple protective talisman.
Except—
Sunghoon could feel spiritual energy inside it. Very faint. But undeniably present. He held it between his fingers. The energy moved.
Not outward. Inward.
As though the charm was absorbing something from him. Sunghoon immediately dropped it. The paper landed on the table. He stared at it. His heartbeat had quickened.
That shouldn't have happened. A normal talisman couldn't absorb a Hunter's spiritual signature.
Unless—
Sunghoon looked at his wrist. Again, nothing. He rolled his sleeve down. He wouldn't think about it.
He had a mission. That's all.
At dawn, Sunghoon left.
The village remained silent. No one came outside. He followed the road toward the mountain. For the first hour, nothing happened.
The forest was ordinary. Pine trees. Thick roots. Wet earth. Birds. Sunghoon walked without speaking. His footsteps were the only sound.
Then the forest changed. He noticed it immediately. The birds disappeared. The wind stopped. Even the temperature dropped.
Sunghoon slowed. He looked around. The trees were different now. Their trunks were twisted. Their branches grew at strange angles. Some had symbols carved into their bark. Sunghoon approached the nearest one. He recognized the symbol.
A spiritual barrier. Old. Very old. He touched it. The moment his fingers made contact, the symbol glowed.
Sunghoon pulled back. The light disappeared. He frowned. That shouldn't have happened.
He tried again. Nothing. The symbol remained dark. Sunghoon stared at it. Then he looked at his hand. Another strange occurrence.
He was beginning to dislike this mountain. He continued walking.
An hour later, he found the first body. Sunghoon stopped. The corpse was lying beneath a tree.
Hunter uniform. Black. The body had been there for several days. Sunghoon crouched. He examined the remains. No wounds. No blood. No broken bones. The man's expression was peaceful. Too peaceful. Sunghoon searched the body.
A Hunter insignia. A weapon. Three spiritual seals. No identification papers. Sunghoon recognized the insignia. One of the missing teams.
He stood.
The man hadn't been killed. At least, not physically. Sunghoon placed two fingers against the corpse's forehead. He closed his eyes. Spiritual energy moved through his fingers. The world around him changed.
Memories. Fragments. A forest. Running. Someone shouting. A bell.
Then—
A voice. "Don't look back."
The Hunter was running. Something was chasing him. Sunghoon couldn't see it. Only a shadow. The Hunter stumbled. He turned. And smiled.
Sunghoon opened his eyes. The vision ended. He stared at the corpse. Why had the man smiled?
Sunghoon had seen death many times. Fear. Pain. Desperation. Never that.
He searched the area. There were footprints. The Hunter's. And another set. Bare feet. Small. Human. Sunghoon followed them. They led deeper into the forest. Then disappeared.
He looked around. Nothing. Sunghoon crouched. He touched the ground. Spiritual residue. Recent. Someone had been here.
A cultivator.
Sunghoon stood. He was close.
By midday, Sunghoon had found four more bodies.
All Hunters. All dead in the same way. No wounds. No signs of struggle. All smiling. That was the part Sunghoon couldn't understand.
The dead shouldn't smile. Not like that. Something had happened to them. Something that affected the mind before it affected the body.
Sunghoon stopped beside the fifth corpse. This one was different. A woman. Her Hunter uniform had been torn. There was blood on her sleeve.
Finally. A sign of violence. Sunghoon examined the wound. Claw marks. He looked around. There were no tracks. But there was spiritual residue. Strong.
Sunghoon stood. Then he heard something. A rustle. Behind him. He turned, but nothing.
His hand moved to his sword. "Come out."
Silence.
Sunghoon waited.
Then—
A stone flew toward him. He moved aside. The stone hit the tree behind him.
Sunghoon drew his sword. "Last warning."
Something moved. Fast. Sunghoon turned. A creature jumped from the trees. He blocked the attack. The impact sent him backward. His boots dug into the ground. The creature landed several meters away. It looked almost human. Almost.
Its body was covered in black fur. Its eyes glowed red. A spiritual beast. Sunghoon recognized it immediately.
A mountain demon. But that was impossible. They were supposed to live much deeper in the mountains. The creature roared. Sunghoon raised his blade. It attacked. He moved. The creature's claws missed his throat by an inch.
Sunghoon countered. His blade cut through its shoulder. Black blood spilled. The creature screamed. Sunghoon didn't hesitate. He attacked again. The fight lasted less than a minute. The creature fell. Sunghoon stood over it. Breathing heavily.
He wiped the blood from his blade. Then he heard footsteps. Human footsteps. Behind him.
Sunghoon turned. A figure stood between the trees. Too far away to see clearly. Sunghoon's hand tightened around his sword.
"Who are you?"
The figure didn't answer. Sunghoon took one step forward. The figure stepped back.
"Wait."
Another step. The figure disappeared. Sunghoon ran. He moved through the trees. Branches scratched his face.
He didn't stop. The figure was fast. Too fast.
Sunghoon followed the spiritual residue. It led him uphill.
Then suddenly—
Nothing. The trail vanished. Sunghoon stopped. He looked around. The forest was empty. He had lost them.
Again. A sound came from behind him. A soft laugh. Sunghoon spun around. Nothing.
Then a voice. This time, closer. "You really are persistent."
Sunghoon's sword was instantly raised. "Show yourself."
The voice laughed again. "You're not supposed to be here."
"That's not your concern."
"It becomes my concern when you start killing everything."
Sunghoon frowned. "What?"
"You killed the mountain beast."
"It attacked me."
"It was scared."
"Of me?"
"No." The voice paused. "Of what you carry."
Sunghoon's eyes narrowed. He looked down at his sword. "What does that mean?"
No answer. Sunghoon turned slowly. The forest remained empty. But he could feel someone watching him.
He hated the sensation. "Are you Kim Sunoo?"
Silence. Then—
"Who told you that name?"
Sunghoon's grip tightened. There. He had finally confirmed it.
"You're him."
A pause. "Am I?"
"Show yourself."
"Why?"
"You're my target."
The voice became quieter. "Ah." Sunghoon waited.
Then the voice said, "That's unfortunate."
"Why?"
"Because I don't think you're mine."
Sunghoon frowned. "What?"
The voice laughed. And then—
The spiritual energy in the forest exploded. Sunghoon barely had time to react. A wave of force hit him. He was thrown backward. His body crashed into a tree. Pain shot through his spine. Sunghoon rolled to the side as something struck the ground where he had been.
The earth cracked. He stood immediately. His sword was raised. The forest had changed. Mist surrounded him. Thick. White. He couldn't see beyond a few feet. Sunghoon's instincts screamed. Danger. He moved.
Something passed behind him. He turned. Nothing. Another movement. Left. Then right.
Sunghoon attacked. His blade cut through empty air. A laugh echoed through the mist.
"You're terrible at this."
Sunghoon's jaw tightened. "Come out."
"You're angry."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because you're wasting my time."
"That's not why." Sunghoon froze. The voice was suddenly behind him. He turned. Still nothing.
"You're angry because you can't see me."
Sunghoon's eyes narrowed. Then he smiled. For the first time.
"You're right." The voice went silent. Sunghoon lowered his sword.
"Come closer." Nothing. Sunghoon waited.
"I won't attack."
A few seconds passed. Then—
Footsteps. One. Two. Three. Someone walked through the mist. Sunghoon's hand remained away from his sword. The figure was getting closer. He could see the outline now.
A person. Young. Slender. Dressed in pale robes. The fabric moved with every step. Sunghoon couldn't see his face. Not yet.
The figure stopped several feet away. Silence. Sunghoon stared. The stranger stared back. Something about him felt wrong. Not dangerous.
Not threatening. Just—
Familiar. Sunghoon didn't like that either.
"Are you Kim Sunoo?"
The figure tilted his head. "Do you always ask questions you already know the answers to?"
Sunghoon's eyes narrowed. "Answer me."
The stranger stepped closer. The mist moved around him. Slowly, his face became visible. Sunghoon forgot to breathe. He had expected a monster. A demon. A terrifying cultivator responsible for the deaths of twelve Hunters.
He hadn't expected—
This.
The person standing in front of him looked completely human. Beautiful, even. Soft features. Dark eyes. Pale skin. His hair was tied loosely behind his head, with a few strands falling around his face. There was nothing frightening about him.
Nothing that explained the fear surrounding his name. The stranger smiled. It wasn't a kind smile. It wasn't cruel either.
It was simply—
Amused.
"You look disappointed."
Sunghoon blinked. "What?"
"I thought you would be more frightened."
"Why would I be frightened?"
The stranger looked at the sword in his hand. Then back at him. "Because I'm the person you've been sent to kill."
Sunghoon's grip tightened. "Kim Sunoo."
The smile disappeared. For the first time, something changed in the stranger's expression.
Recognition. Not surprise.
He looked at Sunghoon as though he had been waiting to see him. Then his eyes dropped. To Sunghoon's wrist. Sunghoon immediately remembered the old woman's warning. Don't let him see the mark. He pulled his sleeve down.
Too late. Sunoo's eyes had already widened..His face had gone completely still.
Sunghoon noticed. "What?"
Sunoo didn't answer.
"What's wrong?" Still nothing. Sunghoon stepped closer. "Kim Sunoo."
Sunoo finally looked at him. And for the first time since their meeting began—
He looked afraid. Not of Sunghoon. Of something else. "Where did you get that?"
Sunghoon frowned. "What?"
Sunoo's gaze remained fixed on his wrist. "The mark."
Sunghoon's heart stopped. He looked down. There was nothing. "There's no mark."
Sunoo stared at him. Then, slowly, he whispered, "Not yet."
The words sent a chill through Sunghoon. "What does that mean?"
Sunoo stepped backward.
For the first time, the distance between them felt deliberate. Sunghoon immediately reached for his sword. "Stop."
Sunoo looked at him. Something strange was happening in his eyes. Something Sunghoon couldn't understand.
"You shouldn't have come here."
Sunghoon raised his blade.."You're under arrest." Sunoo stared at the sword. Then at Sunghoon.
A strange expression crossed his face. Almost sadness. Almost disbelief. "Again?"
Sunghoon froze. "What?"
Sunoo looked away. For a moment, he seemed to forget that Sunghoon was standing there.
Then he whispered, "After all this time..." His voice broke.
Sunghoon's grip tightened. "Again what?"
Sunoo looked back at him. Their eyes met. And Sunghoon felt it. Something inside him moved.
A memory. Not his. Not entirely.
A snowy mountain. A red lantern. A hand reaching for his. A voice saying—
"If you forget me, I'll wait." Sunghoon stumbled. The vision vanished. His sword lowered by an inch. Sunoo saw it. And something in his expression softened.
"You really don't remember."
Sunghoon's eyes hardened. "Remember what?"
Sunoo smiled. This time, there was no amusement. Only something deeply sad. "Nothing."
Then he turned.
Sunghoon immediately stepped forward. "Wait." Sunoo stopped.
"Why did you kill those Hunters?"
Sunoo remained silent.
"Answer me."
Sunoo glanced over his shoulder. "I didn't."
Sunghoon's expression didn't change. "Twelve Hunters are dead."
"I know."
"Then who killed them?"
Sunoo's eyes moved toward the mountain. "The same people who sent you."
Sunghoon went still. "What?"
Sunoo turned fully. His face was unreadable now. "Go home, Hunter."
Sunghoon raised his sword again. "I don't take orders from cultivators."
Sunoo looked at him for a long moment. Then he smiled. "That's funny."
"What's funny?"
"You used to."
Before Sunghoon could respond, Sunoo lifted his hand. Spiritual energy gathered around his fingers. The air changed. Sunghoon felt the pressure immediately.
Strong. Far stronger than anything he had encountered before.
Sunoo looked at him one last time. "Next time, Park Sunghoon."
Sunghoon froze. He had never told him his name.
Sunoo smiled. "Try to remember me."
The world went white. And when Sunghoon opened his eyes—
He was alone. The mist was gone. Sunoo was gone. Only the forest remained. Sunghoon stood completely still. His sword was still in his hand. His heart was beating too fast. He looked around. Nothing.
Then he looked down. His sleeve had fallen back. His wrist was exposed.
For the first time— There was a mark. A thin black line curved around his wrist. Almost like a bracelet. Sunghoon stared at it. He touched it. Pain exploded through his hand. He immediately pulled away. The mark disappeared.
But the voice remained in his head. "Try to remember me....."
Sunghoon stood there for a long time. Then, somewhere deep within Mount Haneul—
The bell rang. Once. Twice. Three times. And this time, Sunghoon knew exactly what it meant.
The Last Cultivator had found him first.