Jin Hyuk stands before the unknown with confidence, his eyes seem different. His presence is almost imperceptible as he locks eyes with the new foe, whose presence is overwhelming.
'Ohho!'
'You're really as terrifying as they said you were.'
'Said? ...'
While Jin Hyuk is astonished by Number 10's words, without warning, he receives a punch to the face that almost knocks him unconscious, but he withstands it.
'Interesting! You were able to block it.'
Jin Hyuk launches himself, trying to retaliate with his speed, but fails. Number 10 is harder than expected, his body having been honed to such an extent that he possesses overwhelming power. The hero has no way of defeating him.
He tries to resist, but it's useless as Number 10 unleashes a barrage of punches. Jin Hyuk desperately tries to block them, but he fails.
With one final blow, Number 10 finishes the fight, emerging victorious as Jin Hyuk loses consciousness.
'You're fine for now, but you're nowhere near that person's level.'
'Hey, carry him quickly and follow me. In the end, the second version might not be able to defeat the first.'
Number 10 turns to leave, but hears the terrified scream of Baek Hwan. He turns around, only to be surprised by Jin Hyuk standing behind him, blood dripping from him.
'Impossible. I'm sure I knocked him out! What happened to...'
Before he can finish his thoughts, he's hit by a sudden attack from the unconscious Jin Hyuk.
Number 10 is shocked by the speed and power of the attack. 'Is this the same person I was fighting?' he thinks. The boy who had easily been defeated moments ago is now fighting back fiercely and even surpassing him in battle.
'What should I do? His power and speed have increased drastically. Even I can't keep up with him. The only way to defeat him is...'
As Jin Hyuk charges toward Number 10, trying to finish him off, Number 10 retreats and attempts a counter-punch to end the fight.
'This is the end. It's my win!'
At that moment, something unexpected happens. Jin Hyuk manages to cancel Number 10's attack. 'Did he use his foot?' Number 10 thinks in disbelief. In a moment of surprise and weakness, Jin Hyuk uses his fist to finish the fight.
'Wait, that's my fist!'
'How did this brat do that?'
'Die!'
Jin Hyuk uses Number 10's final attack against him and knocks him to the ground with a single blow. Yes, this is his victory.
Afterward, Jin Hyuk collapses due to exhaustion and injury. Baek Hwan tries to help him, but deep down, he thinks to himself:
'Why am I doing this? Wouldn't it be better if I just finished my mission since he's unconscious?'
...
Suddenly, a voice comes from behind Baek Hwan and grabs his shoulder.
'Oi, oi.'
'What do we have here?'
Baek Hwan turns around to see a man in his late twenties wearing hunting clothes and carrying a fishing rod on his shoulder.
'What? Who are you, old man?'
Baek Hwan asks the identity of the new man, who responds:
'Me? I'm a human.'
'Huh?'
Baek Hwan is puzzled by the man's answer, and the man continues:
'We need to hurry and help him. He could die.'
Baek Hwan replies: 'And why should I care? My mission is to kill him.'
'Hooh...'
The strange man sighs, then suddenly lunges at Baek Hwan and grabs him by the neck.
'What are you doing? Let go of me!'
Those were Baek Hwan's last words before he lost consciousness from a single blow.
A single blow was all it took for this man to bring Baek Hwan down.
Before Baek Hwan's vision fades and he loses consciousness, he hears the last words the man says:
'For whatever reason or under any circumstances, a man should never betray his friends and brothers.'
'Anyone who isn't loyal to his friends doesn't deserve to be called a man.'
Then Baek Hwan closes his eyes, and the man carries both him and Jin Hyuk to safety, taking them to a small cabin in the forest.
[After a while]
'Where am I?'
Jin Hyuk asks himself this question as he wakes up surrounded by four walls in a secluded place, with Baek Hwan lying beside him. In a moment of surprise, a strange woman enters the room.
'So, you've woken up!'
The woman introduces herself as Lee Minseon, the wife of Park Hyunjin, the man who helped them.
Jin Hyuk tries to get up quickly, but his body doesn't listen to him. Hyunjin enters and tells him that his physical condition won't allow him to move for several days. Despite the warnings from his wife, Jin Hyuk insists on getting up, shouting:
'I need to go! My sister is in danger!'
'Don't worry. She's fine.'
These were the words from Baek Hwan, who had woken up.
Jin Hyuk is surprised by his words, especially since this is the same person who had told him that his sister was in danger. It seems that he might have been one of the causes of the danger, and now he's assuring him that nothing is wrong.
'I know you're confused, so let me explain,' Baek Hwan begins. He starts explaining why they took Jin Hyuk's sister and how the goal was to attract him to them, but that they wouldn't harm her, as it was part of the orders. Then, unexpectedly, he reveals everything he knows.
Jin Hyuk is astonished by Baek Hwan and asks him, 'Aren't you one of them? Why are you telling us all of this?'
Baek Hwan tells him that even he doesn't know why, but he suddenly felt the need to share it with him. As for what will happen next or what Jin Hyuk plans to do after hearing the story, he says that he doesn't care.
Jin Hyuk calms down a little and returns to his usual self. He goes to have lunch with the people who saved him, and during the meal, Hyunjin talks to Jin Hyuk, asking:
'What will you do from now on?'
'Well, I don't know, but I plan to go rescue my sister after I fully recover.'
'Oh. Then let me change my question.'
Jin Hyuk is surprised by Hyunjin's response, who continues:
'What can you do in your current state of weakness?'