THE FINAL WHISPER- VIIl
Chapter 13: The Hunter Becomes the Hunted
Ji-ho stood over the remains of Seo Kang-min and his men, his heart still pounding with adrenaline. Blood dripped from his fingers, and the scent of death lingered in the air. Two down. Seven to go.
But something felt… off.
His Eye of Evil flared suddenly, showing him a vision of danger.
He wasn't alone anymore.
---
A New Threat
The sound of boots echoed from the alleyway's entrance. Not just one or two—dozens.
Ji-ho turned, his red pupils glowing in the dark. More than twenty heavily armed men stood before him.
Unlike the gangsters he had just massacred, these men weren't ordinary thugs. Their black tactical gear and disciplined stance meant only one thing—an elite Awakener unit.
One of them stepped forward, a man with a scar running across his left eye.
"Kim Ji-ho, you're a difficult man to track down," he said, his voice smooth yet filled with authority.
Ji-ho narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell are you?"
The man smirked. "Commander Ryu Min-seok of the Seventh Division. I've been sent to clean up this mess."
Ji-ho clenched his fists. Seventh Division—an elite force assigned to eliminate dangerous awakeners.
They weren't here to talk. They were here to kill him.
---
The Battle Begins
"Take him down," Ryu Min-seok ordered.
The soldiers moved in perfect synchronization, surrounding Ji-ho in a matter of seconds.
Then they attacked.
The first man lunged with enhanced speed, striking with a blade covered in energy coating. Ji-ho barely dodged as another attacked from the side, launching a blast of force energy at him.
Boom!
The shockwave sent Ji-ho skidding backward, but he steadied himself just in time. Two more soldiers appeared behind him, aiming their rifles.
They pulled the trigger.
Ji-ho's Destructive Ray activated instinctively, creating a defensive pulse that disintegrated the bullets mid-air.
But the attack didn't stop.
One soldier grabbed him from behind, attempting to restrain his movements. Another swung a reinforced hammer straight for his ribs.
Ji-ho growled, his newly strengthened body resisting the pain as he twisted his arm free.
Then he counterattacked.
With a burst of energy, he blasted the soldier behind him into a wall, breaking every bone in his body.
The hammer wielder hesitated for a fraction of a second—a fatal mistake.
Ji-ho grabbed the hammer mid-swing, redirecting it straight into the attacker's face. His skull caved in on impact.
Two down.
Eighteen left.
---
Overwhelming Force
"Keep pressing him!" Min-seok barked.
The elite awakeners adjusted their tactics. They stopped attacking one by one. Instead, they moved together—a wave of pure destruction.
Ji-ho had never faced opponents this coordinated. His instinct screamed at him—this was a real battlefield.
Flames erupted around him as one soldier unleashed a firestorm. Another manipulated gravity, increasing the weight around Ji-ho's body.
He gritted his teeth. His movements slowed.
Three more attacked in unison, blades and fists aiming for vital spots.
For the first time in his hunt—Ji-ho was outmatched.
---
The Devil Whispers Again
His pendant throbbed.
A dark voice slithered into his mind.
"You're struggling, Ji-ho. Weak. Mortal. Powerless."
"You think you can survive against real monsters? You are nothing without me."
Ji-ho clenched his jaw. "Shut up."
The devil chuckled.
"Let me help you. Just a little more power… A little more chaos…"
Pain shot through Ji-ho's skull as visions of carnage flashed before his eyes. He saw himself slaughtering these men effortlessly, tearing them apart like insects.
He gripped his head. No. Not like this.
He refused to let the devil control him.
But he needed power.
So he did the one thing he could do—he let his rage consume him.
---
Awakening Beyond Limits
Ji-ho's Destructive Ray flared brighter than ever before, pulsing with unstable energy.
Min-seok's eyes widened. "Everyone, fall back—!"
Too late.
Ji-ho unleashed everything.
A massive shockwave of destruction erupted from his body, obliterating everything within twenty meters.
Buildings cracked. The ground shook.
The elite awakeners were thrown back like ragdolls, some disintegrating on impact.
The fire manipulator screamed as his own flames turned against him, consuming his flesh.
The gravity user tried to resist, but Ji-ho's Eye of Evil identified his weak point instantly.
A single well-placed Destructive Ray to the heart ended him in seconds.
Five more down.
Only twelve remained.
But Ji-ho wasn't done.
He charged forward, fueled by raw fury, turning the battlefield into a slaughterhouse.
One by one, the so-called elite awakeners fell before his wrath.
---
A Costly Victory
Ryu Min-seok stood amidst the wreckage, blood dripping down his arm.
He had lost his entire team.
He staggered backward, his once-confident smirk gone. "You… you monster…"
Ji-ho walked forward, his red pupils burning with unfiltered rage.
"You came to kill me," Ji-ho whispered. "But now… you're the one begging to live."
Min-seok's body trembled. "Wait—!"
Ji-ho didn't wait.
His Destructive Ray fired one last time, erasing Min-seok from existence.
The Seventh Division was no more.
---
A New Problem
Ji-ho stood in the middle of the devastation, breathing heavily.
This was the most brutal fight he had endured since his parents' deaths. He had won… but at what cost?
He clenched his fists. He was getting stronger—but so were his enemies.
More would come. More would hunt him.
And somewhere in the shadows, the remaining seven targets were watching.
Waiting.
But Ji-ho only had one thought.
He would hunt them first.
No matter what it took.
To be continued.....