Kang Taeshik, and the Kicker

Po stretched his arms as he and Jin-woo strolled into the Korea Hunter Association to get him registered as a Hunter. After all, if he wanted to officially enter dungeons and make money, he had to go through the proper channels.

Jin-woo leaned against the counter as Po filled out the necessary forms, rolling his eyes. "You could've just flexed your strength and gotten an instant S-Rank."

Po grinned. "Where's the fun in that? A-Rank's good enough for now. Keeps things interesting."

A few tests later—some handwavy explanations to the examiners on why the machine mysteriously exploded when it tried to read Po's full strength—he was officially an A-Rank Hunter.

With that out of the way, they signed up for a dungeon raid, and soon, they were off.

The entrance of the C-Rank Dungeon was already buzzing with hunters when they arrived. Jin-woo immediately recognized two faces—Song Chi-Yul, an experienced veteran with graying hair, and Lee Joohee, a skilled healer who had been there during his worst raid experience.

"Jin-woo?" Joohee's eyes widened in surprise. "You're here?"

Jin-woo scratched his cheek. "Yeah… signed up for this raid."

Chi-Yul let out a hearty chuckle. "Well, well, if it isn't our little E-Rank. Finally getting serious, are you?"

Po, standing beside Jin-woo, smirked. "Oh, he's very serious. You'll see."

Joohee turned to Po, blinking in surprise. "And you are?"

"Po. No last name." He grinned. "Jin-woo's… partner in crime, let's say."

Before they could talk further, a loud voice interrupted them.

"Alright, listen up!"

A B-Rank Hunter named Kang stepped forward, a smug grin on his face. Po immediately didn't like the guy. The aura of arrogance rolled off him like bad cologne.

Behind Kang stood a few rough-looking men—criminals who were getting their sentences reduced by assisting in dungeon raids.

Kang clapped his hands. "We'll be splitting into three groups. I'll take these fine gentlemen"—he gestured at the criminals—"down the right tunnel. Another squad goes down the middle. And you lot"—he pointed at Po, Jin-woo, Joohee, and Chi-Yul—"take the left. Clear out any threats, kill the boss, and we'll meet back here. Easy, right?"

Po shrugged. "Easy enough."

And with that, they entered the dungeon.

Jin-woo, Po, Joohee, and Chi-Yul moved cautiously through the left tunnel.

It didn't take long before monsters swarmed them.

Po moved like a phantom, weaving through the creatures with inhuman speed, his blade cleaving through their bodies like butter.

Jin-woo, much stronger than he used to be, handled his fair share, moving with deadly precision.

Chi-Yul provided support, using his experience to keep them coordinated, while Joohee stood back, ready to heal if necessary.

By the time they reached the boss lair, they were barely winded.

The C-Rank Boss, a towering armored beast, stood no chance.

Jin-woo and Po annihilated it.

"Well, that was easy," Po said, kicking the beast's lifeless body.

Chi-Yul wiped his forehead. "That was the smoothest dungeon run I've had in years."

Joohee sighed in relief. "At least it's over—"

Po and Jin-woo moved as one—a blur intercepting a blur.

Po's grip clamped down on the assailant's wrist like an iron vice, while Jin-woo struck at his legs, forcing him to stumble. The man snarled, attempting to yank free, but Po's fingers dug in harder, making bones crack.

"Going somewhere?" Po asked, his voice cold.

The man hissed, revealing sharp, bloodstained teeth. A Hunter. No—something far worse. His uniform, previously blending with the shadows, bore the unmistakable insignia of the B-Rank group led by Kang Taeshik.

And now, the pieces fell into place.

The split at the crossroads. The criminal 'Hunters.' The eerie silence from the other groups.

They weren't hunting monsters.

They were hunting people.

Jin-woo's eyes darkened. "Po."

"I know."

Without another word, Po's fingers twisted, snapping the attacker's wrist like dried twigs before finishing with a brutal kick—a blur of motion that sent the man's head flying clean off his shoulders.

Blood sprayed the cavern walls.

Joohee gasped, covering her mouth.

Song Chi-Yul clenched his fists. "Damn it… I knew something felt wrong."

Jin-woo wiped his blade on the corpse's clothes. "If this guy was here… Kang must be nearby."

As if summoned by his name, Kang Taeshik strode into the lair, stepping over the corpses of the criminals he had led into the dungeon.

Except now, they weren't 'his' anymore. They were just victims.

His blade dripped with fresh blood, his expression one of unbothered amusement. "Ah, you got my guy? Tsk, too bad. He was a fun one."

Po turned to fully face him, his stance relaxed but his aura anything but.

Kang grinned, tilting his head. "You know, I enjoy killing humans way more than monsters. The screams are just… sweeter." He twirled his dagger lazily, his sharp eyes locking onto Po. "Tell me, you ever try it? Feels great."

Po exhaled slowly. "You know, I try to be reasonable. Keep things fair." His eyes narrowed, and for the first time, Kang's expression flickered.

"But if you're gonna brag about killing innocent people, then I don't have a reason to hold back."

Before Kang could react, Po disappeared.

A gust of wind.

A blur.

Then—impact.

Kang didn't even see the kick coming. One second he was standing, and the next—

His head was gone.

The sheer force of Po's kick ripped it clean off his shoulders, sending it spiraling through the air before it landed with a wet thud. His body followed a second later, collapsing in a lifeless heap.

Silence.

Joohee shuddered. Even Jin-woo, who had seen Po's power before, felt a chill.

Po exhaled, rolling his neck. "Well, that's done." He turned to Jin-woo. "You good?"

Jin-woo smirked. "You kicked his head clean off."

Po shrugged. "What? It was a good shot."

Chi-Yul sighed. "You two are insane."

Joohee, still trembling, muttered, "Can we please leave now?"

Jin-woo nodded. "Yeah. We're done here."

By the time they returned home, the adrenaline had worn off, leaving only the exhaustion of the long day behind them.

But the moment they stepped inside, the smell hit them.

Delicious, home-cooked food.

Jin-ah stood in the kitchen, humming happily as she set the table. She turned, spotting the two, and immediately lit up.

"Oppa! Po! You're back!" She practically bounced over. "I made food! Well, mostly—I mean, Eat before it gets cold!"

Jin-woo sighed, a tired smile tugging at his lips. "We just got back. Give us a second."

Jin-ah pouted. "No! You'll sit now and eat now."

Po chuckled, ruffling her hair as he walked past. "Alright, alright. No need to get feisty."

Jin-ah huffed. "I have to be, or you two will keep starving yourselves!"

Despite everything that had happened today—the dungeon, the fight, the blood—this moment felt peaceful.

And right now, that was enough.

AN: I know this one was kinda glossed over, but that's merely due to me forgetting the details of the Manhwa, forgive me for that one, the next one will probably be a banger.