The wind stung Kang Jinhyuk's face as he climbed the jagged cliffs of Mount Liang. Every step echoed the emptiness gnawing at his heart... the hollow space left by Min-Seo and their child, the village reduced to smoldering ruins. The grief that had once immobilized him had transformed into a cold, burning fury, sharp and focused.
He did not cry anymore. Not now. Not ever.
I will not be powerless again, he muttered to himself, voice low but unwavering. I will not let another life be taken while I watch.
The Black Fang bandit group was rumored to be the fiercest in the region, a ruthless faction known for survival skills, combat mastery, and an iron code of loyalty. To join them would be dangerous, but to remain weak was impossible. His body, honed by years of farming labor, and his mind, sharpened by grief and fury, were ready.
The entrance to the Black Fang's hidden encampment was narrow and camouflaged by jagged rocks and mist. Jinhyuk approached silently, observing a pair of sentries. The men were massive, faces scarred, eyes cold as stone.
Halt! one of them barked, hand on his blade.
I… I wish to join, Jinhyuk said firmly, stepping forward. His voice carried neither fear nor hesitation... only resolve.
The sentries exchanged a glance. One laughed, low and dangerous. Another weakling seeking to hide behind our blades?
Test me, Jinhyuk replied. I have no other claim.
The man studied him, eyes narrowing. Very well… survive, and you may stay.
The trial began immediately. Black Fang recruits were notorious for brutal initiation: combat against hardened members, endurance in harsh conditions, and tests of cunning and strategy. Jinhyuk was thrown into the pit with three seasoned bandits.
Steel clashed, and blood spattered against rock walls. Jinhyuk moved instinctively, ducking a downward strike, twisting to deliver a precise elbow to the ribs, then catching a wrist and throwing the opponent to the ground. Every motion was fueled by rage and grief, the faces of Min-Seo and their child flashing in his mind with each swing.
I will not fail you! he screamed internally, striking again, this time with a surge of ferocity that sent two attackers reeling.
By nightfall, bruised and bloodied, he remained standing while the other recruits lay incapacitated. He was not the strongest, but his combination of instinct, speed, and raw fury had earned him the begrudging respect of the Black Fang elders.
Heo Cheol-Ung, the bandit leader, approached a towering man with scars across his face and eyes like black steel. You fight with fire in your veins… and sorrow in your heart. That is… useful, he said, voice deep and commanding. You will need both if you wish to survive here.
Jinhyuk lowered his gaze, silent, letting the anger simmer beneath his skin. I will learn. I will endure. I will become… stronger than anyone.
Good, Cheol-Ung said, nodding. Then you will start tomorrow. Survival, combat, tactics… we do not spare the weak, nor do we forgive hesitation. Fail, and you die.
The following days were a crucible. Jinhyuk trained under the relentless watch of the Black Fang. Dawn to dusk, he honed his body: running across jagged cliffs, scaling rocky walls, and carrying heavy loads across treacherous terrain. Every bruise and cut was a reminder that he had once been helpless.
Pain is temporary, he muttered during one punishing climb. Weakness… is death. I will not die again.
Combat training was even harsher. He sparred with men twice his size, taught to use not only strength but strategy, deception, and timing. He learned how to read opponents' breathing, predict their movements, and strike with lethal precision.
A single mistake could mean death. Jinhyuk made mistakes, and each one burned into his memory, a lesson carved in blood.
Faster… sharper… smarter…, he whispered during one night drill, sweat pouring down his face. His hands bled from gripping weapons, but he gritted his teeth, refusing to yield.
He learned the code of the Black Fang as well: loyalty, cunning, and ruthlessness were paramount. They attacked merchant caravans not merely for gain, but for information, resources, and positioning in the chaotic politics of Murim. Jinhyuk observed, studied, and quickly adapted.
Strategy is as important as strength, Cheol-Ung said one evening, pointing to a map of neighboring valleys and clans. The world does not fight fair. You must anticipate, manipulate, and strike with precision.
Jinhyuk nodded, mind sharp, heart simmering. Every strike, every maneuver… I will master them all. Not for them... but for the ones I lost.
Evenings were quieter, spent beside a fire, listening to stories of the Black Fang's exploits. Jinhyuk learned not only their methods but their philosophy: in this world, survival required strength, vengeance was often the only justice, and trust was earned through blood and loyalty.
I have lost everything, he thought, staring into the flames. And yet… I am still alive. Then I must turn that loss into power. I must rise… until no one can ever take from me again.
Weeks passed, and Jinhyuk transformed. The boy who had once tilled fields and loved quietly had become a man tempered by fire and loss. His body moved with lethal precision, his mind calculated, his heart hardened, but beneath it all burned the memory of Min-Seo and their child, a constant reminder of why he trained, why he fought, why he endured.
Cheol-Ung observed him, silent approval in his cold, unreadable eyes. You are no longer a boy. You carry the weight of grief, yes… but also the spark of vengeance. That spark… will make you dangerous.
Jinhyuk's gaze hardened. I will not forget. I will not forgive. And I will make the world pay for what it took from me.
The wind howled through the cliffs of Mount Liang as he raised his fists, eyes fixed on the horizon. The Black Fang had accepted him, but this was only the beginning. The path of vengeance stretched long and perilous ahead, and Kang Jinhyuk would walk it with fire in his veins and sorrow sharpened into steel.
The boy who had lost everything had become a man prepared to claim it back... one battle, one strategy, one strike at a time.