Guest Ch 22

Wolf Fang, The Leader of the Wild Dogs (4)

“Throwing a tantrum over losing to me because you lack the ability. Even a child wouldn’t act as childish as you.”

Wolf Fang’s face flushed at the condescending attitude, and he raised his voice.

“If you don’t want to die, step back!”

He pulled on the rope. As he forcefully dragged me in front of him, Lee Yiseon hesitated. Wolf Fang, using me as a shield, whispered in a voice only I could hear.

“We had the previous Prophet.”

His voice was so soft, like it could be drowned out by the wind. It didn’t reach Lee Yiseon.

“That Prophet was taken by the northern fortress. Fortunately, as soon as that Prophet was lost, you came and replaced them as the new Prophet.”

The leash tightened. I gasped for breath under the pressure.

“The previous Prophet told me. The time and place you would appear. And what your ability is.”

Calm down. If I think carefully, I’ll find a way.

I bit my lip and steeled myself.

Survive.

That became my only goal.

“Prophet.”

He grabbed my hair and yanked it back. The pain felt like my scalp would tear off, and I could only gasp for air. He watched me closely, sweating, and then said.

“Don’t worry too much. I won’t kill you. But if you’re uncooperative, I might just cut off your legs and drag you along.”

If they cut off my legs, I’d probably die from shock.

Wolf Fang checked my trembling face one more time before releasing his grip on my hair. He leaned close to my ear and whispered openly.

“You’re going to take a lot of drugs when we get there.”

Wolf Fang bared his gums as he spoke, his expression unclear, whether it was a smile or a threat.

“You’ll have so many dreams. All for me.”

A cold blade touched the rope around my neck, right over my artery.

“Blue Hawk, shall we retry the negotiation you rejected back then? This time, with the Prophet’s life on the line.”

Lee Yiseon’s expression remained cold and unreadable, but he looked furious. I had never seen him so deadly serious, neither towards me nor the person holding a knife to my throat.

“There will be no negotiation. If you’re going to wager the Prophet’s life, then kill him. Right here, right now.”

At those words, my heart dropped.

Lee Yiseon… Are you serious…?

“Go ahead, kill him.”

Wolf Fang glared at Lee Yiseon and pressed the knife deeper into my throat. Blood trickled down to my collarbone. If he pushed a little harder, I felt like I’d choke on my own blood and die.

My mind went blank. No matter how much I tried to stay calm, it was impossible. I had never imagined dying by having my throat slit. I never thought someone would kill me so cruelly.

“…Tsk.”

The smell of blood grew stronger, and my breathing became rougher. It felt like I was drowning. Is it possible to suffocate like this?

“Are you really okay with killing the Prophet?”

Lee Yiseon didn’t flinch at Wolf Fang’s taunt.

“I don’t negotiate with people like you. So go ahead, kill him. If that’s your decision.”

“If the Prophet dies, it will be your loss! You’re just bluffing!”

“Am I the only one who loses? You’ll lose too. The whole world will lose.”

“There’s no guarantee another Prophet will come after this one dies!”

“We’ll see about that when the time comes. But go ahead, kill him now.”

Lee Yiseon remained icy toward Wolf Fang’s life-or-death gamble. He was determined not to give Wolf Fang what he wanted, even if it meant losing me.

Power struggles and factional disputes were no longer my concern. I was on the verge of tears because of Lee Yiseon’s reckless attitude—egging him on to kill me.

Bastard. Trusting you, even a little, was a mistake.

This world has no one on my side. In a place where things more important than human life exist, how naive had I been until now? In the end, I’m the only one who can protect myself. I felt, with every fiber of my being, that I couldn’t rely on anyone.

“Whew, Haa.”

Wolf Fang, breathing heavily, was unable to apply any more pressure with the knife against my neck. His hand trembled slightly, as if he couldn’t bring himself to kill me.

“…I need this Prophet. Just give up this one Prophet.”

Lee Yiseon’s eyes sharpened at Wolf Fang’s retreat. He seemed to understand why Wolf Fang was so obsessed with me and spoke.

“This is the last Prophet, isn’t it?”

Wolf Fang froze at those words. Seeing his reaction, Lee Yiseon continued to provoke.

“Did the previous Prophet tell you? That this Prophet is the last?”

What does it mean that I’m the last Prophet?

I looked at Lee Yiseon with shaking eyes, but this wasn’t the time for him to answer my questions. He was focused solely on Wolf Fang, who had a knife to my throat.

“You’re acting so desperate because you know no other Prophet is coming after this.”

Wolf Fang looked like someone whose greatest secret had just been exposed. His breathing grew harsher. As he tightened his grip, the knife dug deeper into my neck. I stifled a short scream as the sharp blade cut into my flesh.

“Ah!”

Oh, please…

It really felt like my neck was going to be sliced open. I turned my gaze away. My whole body trembled. Even as I clenched my fists, sweat beaded in every crease of my palms.

Wolf Fang slowly loosened his grip on the knife. The blade that had been digging into my flesh slipped out.

“Give it up, Blue Hawk.”

A gleam of satisfaction appeared on Lee Yiseon’s face as he realized Wolf Fang’s true objective.

“I can’t do that.”

“Could you really stay this calm if I killed this Prophet right here?”

“If you can kill him, go ahead, try.”

“Damn it!”

“Stop bluffing when you can’t do it. If the last Prophet dies, whose loss will it be?”

“We’ll take him!”

“It won’t matter. This Prophet hasn’t even manifested their abilities yet, so you can’t use them right away.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. The moment this Prophet arrived, they had began manifesting their powers. Do you think I would fall for that?”

“That’s not true.”

“You’re the one who’s mistaken. I already heard from the previous Prophet how important this one’s ability is.”

I didn’t even have time to be angry at these bastards, who were arguing about their own profits while my life was on the line. I wanted to scream that they should just let me go, but the words stuck in my throat.

I barely mustered the strength to lift my tired eyes and look at Lee Yiseon. He was still staring at me. His gaze hadn’t wavered.

Lee Yiseon. If you’re going to treat me like a slave, at least spare my life. If I was just a tool you didn’t care about, you should’ve shown it from the start. If you had, I wouldn’t have been so disturbed by those dreams of us in the flower field. I wouldn’t have let myself hope to trust you.

“If you let me take the Prophet, I’ll share their prophetic ability with West Fort.”

Wolf Fang continued, speaking to Lee Yiseon.

“I promise. We won’t monopolize the precognition.”

“How can I believe that? When have we ever made deals based on trust?”

At Lee Yiseon’s cold remark, Wolf Fang’s breathing turned ragged. The hot breath on the back of my neck actually helped me regain my composure.

“Hey, Wolf Fang.”

The atmosphere between Lee Yiseon and Wolf Fang shifted for the first time as I spoke. Both of them turned to look at me. Me, sweating coldly and glancing slightly back at Wolf Fang.

“You can take me. If I ever have a prophecy, I’ll tell you.”

Wolf Fang’s eyes widened at my response. I didn’t turn to look at Lee Yiseon to see how he reacted.

What does it matter? He abandoned me first.

“I said I’ll help you, even without the threats.”

Wolf Fang looked at me in confusion, as if wondering what I was up to. His eyes flickered between me and Lee Yiseon, trying to gauge if we were on the same side. He quickly realized that things between us had soured.

“Haha, look at this.”

My choice was right. Instead of waiting for Lee Yiseon, who might never save me, I’d stick with Wolf Fang, who at least wanted to keep me alive. Both of them only saw me as a tool, but I’d rather side with the one who calls me the “last Prophet” than the one who tells them to kill me.

“Yeah, you’ve made the right choice, Prophet.”

Wolf Fang grinned. His eyes sparkled with triumph. But his enjoyment of finally possessing the Prophet was short-lived.

Bang!

Blood splattered in front of my eyes with the sudden sound of gunfire. Drops of blood spattered on my feet. I stopped breathing at the sight.

A bullet.

The bullet had pierced through the man’s ear.

“Ahhh!”

The man clutched his torn ear with both hands. Ignoring Wolf Fang’s screams of pain, I turned to see who had fired the shot.

Lee Yiseon was holding the gun. White smoke rose from the barrel.

Did he really shoot? If he had missed by just a little, my head would’ve been blown off. You really don’t care if I die, do you?

“Ugh, damn it!”

Lee Yiseon raised the gun again, this time aiming for Wolf Fang’s head. Wolf Fang, disoriented, staggered backward, possibly from a ruptured eardrum. He stumbled onto a nearby motorcycle.

Wait, hold on, what about me…?

I missed the timing to follow him. Lee Yiseon’s gun muzzle was on Wolf Fang faster than I was.

Bang!

The staggering motorcycle barely disappeared behind the alley. The sound of the motorcycle engine quickly faded, too far to catch up.

Thud. Thud.

I heard the sound of Lee Yiseon approaching me. He grabbed my stiff wrist.

“Woo Hyunho, look at me.”

I lifted my trembling eyes.

How would he deal with someone like me who tried to betray him? Would he shove the gun, aimed at the wolf’s teeth, down my throat?

My body began to shake. I struggled to pull my hand away from his grip, but the more I struggled, the stronger Lee Yiseon’s grip became.

“Look at me. Stop thinking about anything else.”

He didn’t let me look anywhere else. He held me with his gaze, so I wouldn’t fall into a panic.

Was he really not planning to kill me here?

It was time to gauge Lee Yiseon’s true intentions.

“Captain!”

Toya’s sharp voice echoed. Before her short scream even ended, the wild dogs rushed at Lee Yiseon from all directions. They looked like beasts, their eyes bloodshot and furious. Garrison, who was injured, the stand-ins, and Toya, who was only effective at long range, couldn’t react in time.

There were too many for Lee Yiseon to handle alone. He stood in front of me, as if to protect me, drew a knife from his coat, and gripped it with both hands. The blue veins on the backs of his hands and the muscles in his wrists tensed up.

Thud!

But before he could swing the knife, someone came sliding across the ground, kicking four of the wild dogs at once. His movements were ghostly, quick and precise, as the wild dogs were knocked down helplessly.

A small man leapt onto one of the wild dogs’ heads. Grabbing its head, he twisted and broke its neck, killing it instantly. He then drove his knee into the back of another wild dog nearby, and kicked with shins as hard as rocks.

The wild dogs’ formation broke down in an instant. Screams erupted everywhere. The rush toward Lee Yiseon slowed.

A black-clad man stood before the now-hesitant wild dogs. Lee Yiseon, seeing the back of the man’s short-cropped head, loosened his grip on the knife. His tense muscles and swollen tendons relaxed as he straightened up and spoke.

“Black Foot.”

Only the back of the man’s unresponsive head faced Lee Yiseon. His muscles were taut, ready to spring at the wild dogs at any moment, his calloused bare feet tapping lightly on the ground.

With Black Foot’s arrival, it seemed Lee Yiseon had no intention of dragging this out any longer. He reorganized the formation to wrap things up.

“Let’s divide the formation from the left. Toya, get behind me.”

Toya grabbed her bow and arrows and ran toward Lee Yiseon and me. As instructed, Black Foot turned to face the left side. Meanwhile, Lee Yiseon fixed his gaze on the wild dogs, ignoring me, who had collapsed from weakness in my legs.

“Let’s go.”

At the short signal, all three of them moved at once. Lee Yiseon, spinning his knife, lowered his body and charged to the right. Black Foot, receiving the signal, dashed to the left. At first, the wild dogs responded aggressively, thinking, ‘What can just two of them do?’ They rushed to grab Lee Yiseon from behind, intent on snatching his knife and driving it into his heart.

But Lee Yiseon wasn’t easily caught. His physique was far superior. Tall, with solidly built muscles, and long limbs, giving him an advantage in reach. His attacks were efficient and without any wasted movement. he would kick an approaching enemy or slash their throat with his long arms in a single motion.

His ability to read the situation was terrifyingly fast. Every time he had to choose between blocking an attack or using it to break the formation further, he picked the best possible answer. No tricks worked on him.

While Black Foot dazzled the wild dogs with his chaotic and flashy Muay Thai, Lee Yiseon overwhelmed them with his restrained and efficient movements. Toya’s arrows provided backup for the two.

The three of them fought perfectly in sync, unleashing a bloody massacre. Now, I understood why they always treated me like a helpless child. In their eyes, I must have seemed like nothing more than a foolish Prophet who couldn’t handle himself.

Whistle!

A sharp, piercing whistle cut through the chaos. At the sound, the wild dogs’ formation shifted. Black Foot, Lee Yiseon, and Toya all turned to look at me at the same time.

…Huh? Why are they suddenly… looking at me?

“Woo Hyunho!”

Lee Yiseon shouted urgently. There was no way I could react as quickly as they did. Confused, I turned around to see a large wild dog standing behind me. It wasn’t Wolf Fang, who had already fled, but a man standing firm in his place. He must be the second-in-command of this group.

The man grabbed the end of the rope that was still tied around my neck and started running at full speed. The moment the rope went taut, I was violently jerked backward.

“!”

I hurriedly grabbed the rope with both hands. If I got choked again, I might really snap my neck this time.

“Tsk…!”

I don’t know what came over me then. Maybe it was survival instincts, or maybe it was anger at this shitty situation. Even as the rope tore into my palms, drawing blood, I gritted my teeth and held on.

“Ugh!”

I flipped my body around and planted my feet on the ground. Wrapping the rope around my right arm, I stopped it from tightening around my neck. I pulled with all my strength, and the man dragging me stumbled backward from the sudden force. He lost his balance, and I wasn’t about to miss the opportunity.

I yanked the man toward me, pulling him down. My forearm, rubbed raw by the rope, was already bleeding profusely. But I didn’t care. It was better than having my neck broken.

“Toya!”

Do I deserve to call her like this? I don’t know. But now’s not the time to worry about something like that.

Toya spun around at my call. With one eye closed, she let go of the bowstring.

Whizz!

The arrow pierced the thigh of the man I was holding down.

“Argh!”

The man let out a short scream, then pursed his lips. A deep, rapid whistle came from his mouth. Hearing the sound, the wild dogs stopped fighting Lee Yiseon and Black Foot and came charging toward me with terrifying speed.

“Woo Hyunho! Duck!”

I reflexively ducked at Lee Yiseon’s shout.

Bang!

A bullet whizzed over my head. One of the wild dogs, who was about to grab me, collapsed, blood pouring from his forehead. Black Foot leapt gracefully over his body like a panther. He tried to hold off the wild dogs swarming around me, but there were too many.

“Captain!”

Black Foot shouted while fighting. In response, the sound of a car horn blared.

Baa—aang!

Headlights flashed. It was the military vehicle Lee Yiseon had arrived in. The driver must have slammed the accelerator, as white smoke billowed from the rear tires.

The car drifted sharply, narrowly avoiding Lee Yiseon, and left clear tire marks on the old asphalt. It was heading straight for me.