CHAPTER 54: CHAPTER 53 : THE BRIDGE THEY CROSS

I felt something grappling with my talons.

Mud.

It surged up like liquid hands, clutching at my legs. Before I could break free, the Raven King’s next strike came—a thrust so fast the air whined.

I twisted. The blade carved across my ribs, shallow but hot enough to sting.

I took the opportunity and flew out of the basement through the hole in the roof that I made earlier.

But as I stood in the corridor of the shopping mall, something felt off. The walls of the corridors were filled with mud.

The mud corridor pulsed like a living organ

From the shadows below, Cheng-min leaped upward with a single jump.

The Raven King didn’t wait.

Electric Dash burst from his feet, propelling him forward in a blinding arc.

The blades came first—a cross-cut meant to take Ye-jun’s throat and belly in the same heartbeat.

Ye-jun’s wings flared, razor-feathers snapping forward like a fan of black knives. The steel rang as they collided, sparks dancing in the dim. The shock pushed him half a step back, boots sliding in the mud.

Then the mud moved.

It surged up like liquid hands, clutching at his legs. The cold gripped to the bone. Before he could break free, the Raven King’s next strike came—a thrust so fast the air whined.

Ye-jun twisted. The blade carved across his ribs, shallow but hot enough to sting. He answered with a lunge, talons raking for the Raven King’s face. They met steel again.

Suddenly.

The walls rippled. Four shapes peeled free from the mud, each tall as a man, each crowned with a twisted beak. Their bodies writhed, made from wet clay and shadow—Death Animations.

"Four of you, huh? Guess you really do think I’m worth the effort."

The first monster lunged, all claws and weight. Ye-jun pivoted, talons shredding through its midsection in a spray of mud. The second came from behind; he spun low, wing slicing through its throat in a clean arc.

Raven King sneeard "Your strikes are vicious... yet there’s hesitation in every swing. Do you fear killing him?"

"Maybe I just don’t like getting feathers dirty." I replied.

"I could end this if I wanted to.Raven King continued, "But you’re still useful."

I replied instantly, "That’s one way to say ’I can’t beat you without wearing you down.’"

That earned him a slow grin—Cheng-min’s lips, the Raven King’s expression."While you’re here playing the hero, do you know what your friends are doing?"

That’s when I realized.

He’s playing for time.

It hit me all at once—this wasn’t about killing him. The Raven King was stalling, letting the crow swarm outside overwhelm the hunters.

"Volt! Can you hear me?" I hoped that volt is still connected with me. But there was no reply.

Raven King continued "Screaming. Running. Maybe bleeding out. Every second you waste with me..."The pause stretched. The grin widened,"...the sky gets darker."

I didn’t answer, but my eyes flicked toward the tunnel mouth.

Then in mere moments, I rushed towards the mud wall.But the Death Animations moved as one, throwing themselves between me and the wall.I cut them down in bursts of steel and feather, mud splattering the walls in thick streaks.

As soon as the last one hit the ground, I flexed his wings, and tore through it. Mud, roots, and stone burst outward in a wet explosion.

A cold daylight hit me in the face.

As soon as I turn my neck 180° behind to see, Cheng-min or rather should I say Raven King Rakaroz following me using his electric dashes.

[ In the Centre of the Shopping mall ]

Lee min-ho attacked the twins but Ye-Rin lunged just in time, her axe flashing like a bolt of defiance. Sparks flew as steel clashed against Lee Min-ho’s electrified dash.

In-Ji dashed beside her, firing two more shots but he dodged them easily.

Seo-Yeon joined them, her hand trembling but her gaze locked onto Min-Ho with unshakable resolve.

Seo-Yeon, Ye-Rin, and In-Ji stood in the center of the marble floor, the remains of overturned kiosks and shattered mannequins forming a jagged cover around them.

"Run towards the second floor, You will find my Mother and Hana lee there." Ye-Rin told the twins.

BZZZT

He vanished in a blur of lightning.

In-Ji fired on instinct — BANG! BANG! — towards the twins direction but the bullets cut only after-images of Lee min-ho. The boy reappeared on the top of the toppled soda machine, grin twisted and unnatural.

Every few seconds, a blue arc of electricity snapped from his shoulder to his fingertips, hissing like a predator ready to pounce.

Then, he vanished.

A sonic crack tore through the food court as his foot hit the ground elsewhere, the tiles shattering from the impact.

"Dammit!" In-Ji rolled, boots flaring with Flash step as he slid behind a column.

His Weak Point Analysis lit up faint red outlines across the boy’s body — but the regeneration was knitting damage faster than they could deal it.

"Eyes on his hands!" In-Ji barked, pivoting and firing his M1911 in rapid succession—seven sharp bangs echoing in the empty space.

But Min-ho blurred. Bullets sparked against empty air as he slipped between the rounds with unnatural grace.

Seo-Yeon’s Force Spike slammed into him from the side throwing his body into a storefront window.

Glass rained down... but electricity stitched him back together before his feet even touched the floor.

Ye-Rincame charging in from the side, Axe gripped in both hands.

The axe blade heated red in seconds, its Infernal Bite kicking in as she swung low to intercept. The blade carved through the air and clipped Min-ho’s arm—only for his limb to detonate in a burst of bone and sparks.

Her Lucky Evasion triggered just in time — his other hand burst into a mini-grenade, but she twisted away, shards peppering the marble instead of her torso.

He grinned again, body blurring.

"That kid is a speed demon." In-ji roared.

That is when it hit them. Even though Lee min ho is undead right now, he used to be a human. They have been fighting thirteen years old this whole time.

Their defenses were down when suddenly a blast occurred behind Seo-yeon. She went flying through a jewelry shop window.

"Lee min-ho calmed down. Please listen to us." Ye-Rin pleaded but the response she got was a right leg of Min-ho, thrown near her feet and then exploded like a mini garnade.

The explosion knocked her backward, the shockwave rattling the glass storefronts around them.

BZZZTTT—CRASH!

In-Ji ducked as the undead speedster’s heel sheared through a kiosk like paper. He fired — BANG! BANG! BANG! — aiming for the joints. The boy’s knee buckled, but already the muscles were re-forming.

Seo-Yeon coming out of the jewelry shop, raised both hands, Crush Zone activating. The floor beneath the boy warped, gravity dragging him into a crater. His speed stuttered — just enough.

"Now! Ye-Rin" In-Ji shouted.

Ye-Rin leapt forward, axe igniting with Infernal Bite. She cleaved downward, forcing him to block with his forearm — flames scorched the limb black before it burst apart in another explosion.

The boy screamed in pain.

It causes Ye-Rin and Seo-yeon focus to be falttered for a second which leads him to vanish.

Lightning flickered around the arena like a storm trapped indoors, striking from every direction.

A bolt lanced across Seo-Yeon’s shoulder .

"I’m an undead. You idiots. I can’t feel any pain." Lee min ho laughed.

Seo-yeon bit back the cry, eyes locking onto his after-image. She ripped a fallen escalator railing free with telekinesis and hurled it like a javelin.

"Don’t blame me now. Min-ho".

Seo-yeon ripped a fallen escalator railing free with telekinesis and hurled it like a javelin towards Min-ho.

The rod skewered his torso, pinning him to a wall.

Ye-Rin was already mid-leap, axe spinning.

SLASH—BOOM!

The axe bit deep, severing one leg before another explosion flung them apart.

When the smoke cleared, he was nowhere to be seen.

"Do you guys knew that I was in top 10 of Buk-gu district." Min-ho continued, standing at the top of a bench nearby,"If you guys have shown a little bit of interest at the names below yours. You would have known it."

{Visit Chapter 22 : Iron blood Rabbit (3)}

" Then let’s stop" Seo-yeon spoke suppressing the pain in her shoulders. Ye-Rin added, "We need to find Mr.kang and the Cheng-min’s heart. That is the only way to stop Raven King Rakaroz from killing my brother."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "I found Cheng-min and his wife and child by chance. My parents died on the first day but I somehow survived. I was lucky enough to get an overpowered ability and ranked 9th."

"But that bastard killed me with a knife to my chest when I was asleep and when I woke up. I was already an undead. I don’t have a will anymore." He paused and then looked straight into the eyes of Ye-Rin.

"What will you do with that heart?" his asked, his deamenar turning cold.

Ye-Rin had no answer.

"If that bastard dies again. I will die too. I don’t want to die again."Min-ho grinned, arcs of lightning crawling up his jawline.

"You three aren’t getting past me."