Chiwoo: War God Reborn

In the village, the dawn mist had yet to lift.

In the center of the plaza, Min-chan and the gym members, along with some of the Guryeo tribe's leadership, were gathered quietly.

"Three people have been taken. They were merchants. The man we always traded with was a slave trader."

The one who spoke was the Guryeo tribesman who had barely managed to escape.

His eyes were red and bloodshot as if he hadn't slept all night, and his trembling fists and twitching lips spoke of his state of mind.

"Do you know where they were taken?"

At Park Sang-cheol's low, curt question, Pungpyo silently took out a map.

It was a crude map, drawn on old cloth with charcoal powder.

"The area below the mountain, near the abandoned quarry. I have marked the path. If they were transporting goods and people… they couldn't have gone far."

At Pungpyo's words, Noya bowed his head, carefully pointing to a spot on the map.

Everyone's gaze focused on that point.

"Here. The northern territory. This is the closest faction in the vicinity.

Since it's a place with everything from a large market to a slave market… it's highly likely they headed this way."

As Noya's words ended, a quiet silence fell over the plaza.

The one who broke the silence was the sound of Min-chan's footsteps.

Thud.

He took one step forward and asked in a low voice.

"How many paths are there that lead from this area to that territory?"

Pungpyo thought for a moment before answering.

"Three paths. One is a path that passes through the northern valley forest,

one is a path that goes around the mountainside,

and the last is a long, roundabout path that goes around the abandoned quarry."

"…Then the fastest one must be the northern valley."

Park Sang-cheol said, stroking his chin.

At that moment, Tae-geon muttered in a low voice.

"Do-yoon… he's not the kind of person who'd be captured so easily…"

"That's what I'm sayin'. Even though he looks like a gentle guy, he's a Jiu-Jitsu black belt… how could he get captured so easily?"

Young-beom shook his head in disbelief.

"That is…"

The escaped Guryeo tribesman's eyes wavered.

A voice mixed with guilt escaped his trembling lips.

"Thanks to Do-yoon-nim, we were able to escape."

---

At the same time, at the entrance of the northern valley.

Inside a damp cave beneath a cliff.

Leaning his back against the wet stone wall, someone slowly raised his head.

"Ugh… damn it… thought my head was gonna break… How long… was I out for?"

It was Heo Do-yoon. His hands were roughly bound with cloth, and his mouth was caked with dried blood and dust.

His memory was frozen at the abandoned quarry yesterday.

The moment he handed over the leather and herbs, and was supposed to receive a sack of grain.

What was inside wasn't grain, but the cold sensation of metal.

'Why money instead of grain?'

As the question lingered—

[Clomp. Clomp.]

Heavy footsteps echoed from the entrance of the abandoned quarry.

Beyond the torchlight, about ten men appeared.

All of them held old iron clubs, serrated daggers, and spears.

Their gazes seemed to be sizing up their opponents, and their movements were as if to block any escape route.

It was the demeanor of those accustomed to hunting.

[Heh heh heh]

One of them laughed cruelly.

"There's no business as profitable as people."

They maintained their distance from each other, slowly approaching so there was no way to escape.

Do-yoon held his breath.

His heart was racing, but his mind was strangely calm.

'They're approaching in a formation.

Guiding our direction… moving in a way that allows for sequential attacks based on weapon length.

This is familiar. This is…'

'Professional.'

He immediately turned his head and looked at the Guryeo tribesmen.

All three of them had their eyes wide with shock, instinctively backing away.

'They just said people are a business.

Then those guys… they must be slave hunters or something.

That means our lives aren't in immediate danger.

If so—

it's right to let at least one person escape and inform the village.'

Do-yoon took a short breath and raised both hands.

Then he slowly took a step towards the slave hunters.

"Stop! Don't get any ideas.

If you damage the goods, the price goes down, right? Let's make this easy."

One of the men at the front narrowed his eyes and glared.

Do-yoon raised both hands and shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh, what ideas? Look.

My hands are empty, aren't they? I don't like pain either.

…If you don't believe me, should I lie down?"

As he finished speaking, he actually lay down on the ground.

With his hands above his head, he looked up at the ceiling and regulated his breathing.

At the same time—

he spoke quietly, almost inaudibly.

"After I move… if you hear a scream, all three of you run."

His gaze didn't move.

He literally looked at the ceiling as he spoke.

But the young Guryeo man standing behind him seemed to understand his meaning,

slowly nodding and taking a step back.

Then, the hunters moved.

"I don't know what you're thinking—

but if you just cooperate, it'll be easier for everyone."

The man at the front let out a hollow laugh and approached,

and another man beside him took out a rope and followed.

"Please tie me up without hurting me."

Do-yoon said, offering his feet obediently,

and the man with the rope stopped in front of his feet.

At that very moment—

[Thwack.]

Do-yoon's left foot lightly brushed the inside of the man's ankle.

The next moment, he pushed the man's pelvis with his other foot.

[Thud.]

[Bang]

The man lost his balance, swayed, and fell backward.

[Swish.]

At that point, Do-yoon's waist slid and bent into a right angle, grabbing the fallen man's ankle.

[Aaaargh!]

[Snap.]

A short, brutal twist.

Along with the sound of a joint bending unnaturally—

[Aaaargh!]

The man screamed as he rolled backward.

The tip of his foot was twisted at an impossible angle,

pointing towards his calf.

In a flash, a scream erupted,

and the other slave hunters realized what was happening.

"You… you bastard—!"

Do-yoon, with calm eyes, quickly scanned his surroundings.

'Now's the time. Their focus is on me.

I can get one person out now.'

Do-yoon's gaze met the young Guryeo man at the back.

He sent a quick, wordless signal with his eyes.

The moment the Guryeo men pushed off the ground,

Do-yoon shot towards the man in front like a bolt of lightning.

[Whoosh!]

The iron club was instinctively swung, but—

Do-yoon's body was already low, rolling away from its trajectory.

As he rolled, his fingertips grabbed the hem of the man's pants.

[Tug!]

Putting rotational force into the rough tug of the pants,

the man's legs were lifted, and he fell forward.

[Thud!]

Do-yoon instantly mounted his back.

He locked one leg between the man's thighs,

and wrapped his other leg around his arm, twisting it back—

a perfect banana split.

[Crack.]

As Do-yoon lay on his back,

the man's legs were forcibly spread into a V-shape,

and an explosive pain tore from his groin to his thighs.

"Aaaaargh!! My, my legs—!"

[Crunch.]

His legs were fixed in the air, trembling,

and his pelvis was grinding and twisting from within.

Ligaments and muscles were tearing along with the scream.

"If this breaks completely…

Do-yoon tilted his head slightly, putting his mouth to the man's ear.

"…you won't be able to function as a man."

The man's breathing became ragged, and his entire body was drenched in sweat.

At that moment, Do-yoon's hand applied more pressure.

[CRACK!]

As his legs were spread even further, the man screamed like a madman.

"Aaaargh!!! Let me go, let me go!! Aaaaargh!!"

As the cave was filled with screams,

the other slave hunters at the entrance flinched and rushed towards them.

[SNAP!]

At that moment, the sound of a ligament tearing echoed like an echo through the cave.

"Oh… it shouldn't have broken now."

Do-yoon muttered softly, then—

[Thud.]

He released the hand that was twisting the leg.

The man grabbed his groin and collapsed to the ground.

Foam formed at his mouth, and his whole body trembled.

Only then did Do-yoon slowly get up.

With his back against the damp wall,

he looked beyond the cave entrance.

He could see one of the Guryeo youths he had sent ahead barely escaping past the abandoned quarry.

Behind him, two other men were lying on the ground, having been hit by clubs.

"…Hahaha."

Do-yoon let out a hollow laugh.

"It broke too quickly.

But one person was enough."

"You bastard…!"

One of the men who had rushed over clenched an iron club and huffed.

"If you move even one step now—

I'll put a hole in those guys' necks!"

He turned his head.

The two Guryeo men who couldn't escape were being dragged along the ground, unconscious.

A sharp spear was held to their necks.

Do-yoon slowly knelt down and raised his hands.

And with an awkward smile on his face, he shouted.

"Surrender~!"

[WHAM!]

As soon as the word left his mouth,

something struck the back of his head forcefully.

His vision twisted, and all his senses went numb.

"Ugh, how dishonorable, using hostages…"

He muttered to himself, looking around.

Inside the cave, besides himself, two other Guryeo men were lying there.

"How long has it been since I passed out?"

Do-yoon asked one of the Guryeo men.

One of them seemed to have lost consciousness,

while the other raised his head to look at him, then lowered it and muttered.

"A day has passed since you fell. And Do-yoon, I'm sorry for ignoring you all this time."

Hearing that, Do-yoon looked up at the ceiling, a slight twitch on his lips.

"A day… then that person must have safely made it to the village."

And he soon spoke, as if with a small laugh.

"Min-chan hyung must be furious right about now…

Everyone must be quite worried…"

In his voice, more than tension or worry,

was a deep trust in his companions.

---

Meanwhile, in the village…

"How many slave hunters were there?"

Gab-su asked the young Guryeo man who was bowing his head.

"I'm not sure exactly, but Do-yoon-nim neutralized two, so it seems there were about ten of them."

The youth said with his head bowed.

"If they have injured people, they couldn't have gone very far. They must be near the abandoned quarry. And we know they aren't stronger than us."

Min-chan muttered.

Sang-cheol crossed his arms and nodded.

"Since there are hostages, we have to launch a surprise attack."

Kim Gab-su said in a low voice, looking at the map.

"If we clumsily let them go, we might have to pay a bigger price next time. We still don't know for sure who is targeting us."

Everyone was silent for a moment.

Min-chan raised his head and said.

"We have to eliminate them all without a trace."

Dam-bi nodded quietly and said.

"The Guryeo tribe has been consistently captured since long ago. That means at some point, more of the Guryeo tribe will be targeted."

At her words, the corners of Pungpyo and U-am's eyes rose.

Sang-cheol looked at Gab-su and said.

"Director, it's right for us to stay in the village. We don't know who might come from the outside, and the training needs to be more specialized."

Kim Gab-su nodded.

"Alright. We two will protect this place. You all go."

"Then the rescue team is set."

Tae-geon said.

"Myself, Min-chan, Dam-bi, Young-ho, Young-beom, and Pungpyo, U-am."

Min-chan spoke quietly.

"We will depart through the fastest path, the northern valley. If we leave around evening, we can strike before dawn."

Gab-su nodded.

"Good. Come back without getting hurt."

Young-ho's eyes flashed as he asked.

"Director, are we fighting? Or just rescuing?"

Everyone's gaze turned to Gab-su again.

Gab-su looked at the map with calm eyes, then slowly continued.

"…If possible, rescue them quietly. But"

His voice rang heavily.

"If necessary, leave no trace."

Young-ho and Young-beom simultaneously curled their lips and nodded,

and Dam-bi clenched a bell in one hand and closed her eyes.

Tae-geon said briefly.

"Departure is at 3 a.m."

---

As the meeting ended, a strange atmosphere stirred among the young Guryeo men who had gathered due to the kidnapping rumor.

Some clenched their fists, unable to bear their rage, while others glanced around nervously.

Then one of them, with a restless expression, shouted at Gab-su.

"We lived quietly before you came.

If a few sacrifice themselves, the rest can live. Why must you make this a bigger issue?"

At the words that came like a surprise attack,

Young-ho and Young-beom simultaneously turned their heads.

"You little son of a bitch!"

Young-ho gritted his teeth and took a step forward,

while Young-beom silently trembled his lips and glanced at Min-chan.

Park Sang-cheol sighed and held his forehead.

Noya quickly stepped forward, waving her hands.

"This is not the time to blame each other. We also…"

However, Kim Gab-su raised his hand to stop her words.

He immediately asked the youth in a low voice.

"Do you have a child? A wife?"

The youth avoided his gaze in a fluster and said.

"That… that has nothing to do with this now."

Kim Gab-su narrowed his eyes and continued.

"Someday, if that child, that wife, is dragged away by someone's hands, will you say the same thing?

'Let's live quietly because it could lead to a bigger disaster'?"

The youth bit his lip.

"That's an over-exaggeration. Until now, there have only been a few casualties, but we still survived."

At those words, Kim Gab-su scoffed and let out a bitter laugh.

"You're livestock. Manageable, gentle livestock.

Domesticated to be easily picked off whenever needed."

Silence flowed through the plaza.

A few of the Guryeo people held their breath, and Noya bit his lip and lowered his head.

Then, quietly, someone stepped forward.

"Take me… with you too."

It was a young Guryeo boy.

His eyes trembled, but his hands were tightly wrapped in black cloth.

"My older brother was kidnapped. I can fight. No, I must fight."

Min-chan stared at him for a long time, then said curtly.

"It's not your time yet."

The youth raised his head.

"Why?"

Min-chan's eyes grew heavy.

"Just because you know how to fight doesn't mean you'll come back alive."

Park Sang-cheol stood beside him.

"If you want to save them, become strong enough to protect yourself. Coming back alive is the priority."

Young-ho lightly patted his chest with his fist and continued.

"You're out of breath after just a little running, and you wanna jump in? Just trust us."

Min-chan put a hand on the boy's shoulder and said.

"We will go now.

But next time… you have to be able to stand in this place."

The boy nodded silently.

And slowly, he clenched his fists.

The words that he couldn't go yet,

he realized, were not a refusal but a 'promise.'

'Next time… without fail.'

On their backs as they turned away,

there was no hesitation.

Only a confident conviction remained.