Kael reached his apartment and took a deep breath, ready to face the awful stench he had been too lazy to clean for days. He stepped forward, but midway his body froze. His hands stopped in the air. His legs wouldn't move. He could only breathe and roll his eyes. The rest of him felt like time itself had locked him in place.
His heart dropped. He knew this feeling.
"Not again," Kael said in his mind. "You have got to be kidding me. Right at my door?"
He focused his hearing. His senses sharpened, and sure enough, he picked up those familiar voices.
"I got him," the woman said with a satisfied tone. She was the one locking his body in place.
"Good, dear," her partner replied. "Hopefully he has something on him. If not, we will check his place too."
The woman scoffed. "We? You can forget that. I am not moving from here. I will hold him still while you do the dirty work."
Kael silently cursed. He could not move his head, but he tracked every sound. Their footsteps. Their whispers. The rustle of their clothes.
The man finally walked out from the shadows and began searching Kael like he was checking a market goat for flaws. He barely acknowledged Kael's angry expression. He dug into Kael's pockets casually.
But the moment he tried to pull out something, Kael's fingers twitched. Then his arm snapped free.
He grabbed the man by the neck with one hand and lifted him effortlessly, like he weighed nothing more than a plastic bag.
The man's eyes bulged. He struggled, confused about how Kael had broken free from his girlfriend's control.
Kael smiled, calm and cold, watching the man choke. Then he turned his head slightly toward the direction where the woman hid. His gaze carried a sharp warning, the kind that makes a person swallow their spit without thinking.
He gave her a small nod. It was simple, but clear. If she wanted her man to stay alive, she would follow.
Kael dragged the choking man inside the apartment and kicked the door shut behind them.
A few minutes passed before the man's phone began to ring. His swollen eyes shifted nervously toward Kael, waiting for permission.
"Check who is calling," Kael said.
The man fumbled for the phone with shaky hands. Kael had already beaten him half to death. He was just an ordinary human, which made it easy for Kael to break bones with only a few strikes. Even the man himself could not understand how someone with such a slim build could hit like a giant swinging a hammer.
"It's my girlfriend," he whispered, his voice trembling like someone trapped in a cage with a hungry bear.
"Pick up," Kael said. His voice was calm, but it carried a weight that went straight into the man's spine.
The call connected immediately.
"Please sir," the woman begged from the other side. "We are sorry for trying to rob you. We promise it will never happen again. Let my boyfriend go. We are harmless people just trying to survive this economy."
"Oh really?" Kael replied, waiting until she finished her begging. "That is for me to decide. We are inside the house. Cut the nonsense and get in here before I lose my temper."
"Please… I will come only if you promise to let us go," she said, refusing to step forward.
Kael chuckled. It was not a friendly sound.
"So you want to ditch your boyfriend because he got caught? Clever girl. Do not worry. I will send you his head in a nice bloody package in the next five minutes if you are not here."
"Fine, fine, I will come," she replied quickly. Her voice shook. "Please do not kill him."
A minute later, Kael's door creaked open. The woman stepped inside and instantly covered her nose as the rotten stench of Kael's living room slapped her in the face.
"So you are trying to say my house smells?" Kael asked with a cold stare.
She dropped her hand immediately and bowed her head. "I am sorry, sir," she said softly, dropping to her knees. Her eyes widened when she saw the state her boyfriend was in.
Kael looked down at the two of them with quiet disappointment.
"Robbing me the first time was not enough for both of you. You still had the guts to try again."
He pointed at the woman. "You. Are you not a hunter?"
She nodded, trembling even harder.
"So why steal instead of getting a job?"
"I tried, sir…" she whispered, almost sounding innocent. "But I was pregnant at the time. Nobody hired me. This was all we could do to take care of our child."
Kael laughed under his breath. "You expect me to believe that cock and bull story?"
"No, sir…" she answered carefully.
"I will forgive you both," Kael said. "But it comes with a price."
They raised their heads slightly.
"I have not been home for a while because of work, and my place is not looking the way I want. The two of you will clean every inch of this house until it shines enough to show my reflection. If I find even one dirty spot, someone's fingers will break."
The man flinched immediately, coughing from the pain he was already feeling.
Kael pointed at the room on the left. "I will be inside that room. That is the only place you do not touch. Everything else must be cleaned. You will also do the laundry."
He stepped closer, lowered his voice, and smiled without warmth.
"If anything goes missing in my house or you try to run…" He shrugged lightly. "I do not need to make threats. My actions already speak louder."
Without another word, Kael turned around and headed into Emiko's room, leaving the terrified couple shaking in the middle of the messy apartment.
A few hours later, Kael heard soft knocking on the door. Even while resting in Emiko's room, he had been listening to every small sound they made. The moment he opened the door, the woman bowed deeply, her voice quiet and careful.
"Sir, we are done cleaning the house."
They were both older than Kael, but his presence alone was enough to make them look like terrified students standing in front of a strict teacher. The man kept his head lowered, refusing to meet Kael's eyes.
Kael stepped out and scanned the room. The place was spotless. The floors shined, the trash was gone, and everything smelled fresh again. He walked into his own room and found it neatly arranged, the laundry folded and placed in one corner.
His eyes landed on the clock beside his bed. He blinked. It was almost sunrise, already four in the morning.
He let out a small yawn. His body felt heavy after all he had gone through that day.
"Consider yourselves lucky," he said, stretching his neck a little. "You did a good job."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thousand won, handing it to them.
"Buy breakfast. And get a decent job while you still can. Stop stealing."
His voice hardened as he pointed at the man first. "If I see you or even your shadow in my neighborhood again, I will make sure you do not walk ever again."
Then he pointed at the woman. "And you… I will paralyze you permanently. You can enjoy the same pain you give others."
"Now get out."
They rushed out immediately, bowing and apologizing non-stop as they fled down the hall.
Once they were gone, Kael felt his mood lighten for the first time since Renji's death. A small, tired smile rose on his face. The house felt calm again, almost peaceful.
He closed Emiko's door gently behind him and headed into his room, finally letting his body fall onto the bed for a well-deserved nap.
Kael was just about to drift into sleep when a familiar sound cut through the quiet.
[Ding]
[ You have been assigned a quest ]
[ You have 72 hours to complete your quest ]
[ Objective: Terminate an A-rank mage hunter ]
[ Target Details ]
[ Name: Hong ]
[ Location: China ]
[ Age: 32 ]
[ Failure to accomplish this task will result in your heart stopping ]
[ A gift has been sent to your inventory to aid your quest ]
Kael stared at the glowing text, his face twisting into pure frustration.
"What is this again?" he muttered. "You want to turn me into an assassin now?"
He rubbed both hands over his face, annoyed and tired. "So that was the big reason you brought me here? To be your private hitman? And then you throw Emiko into the mix because you know how I am with family. Nice one."
He let out a low, dry laugh as he shook his head. "Fine. I will do your dirty jobs. I was a soldier in my past life who swore to protect people, but now I am stuck doing whatever missions you throw at me."
He pointed at the air like the system could see him. "Just so you know, I am not scared of dying. Once Emiko wakes up, my contract with you is done."
He sighed and flopped back on the bed. "And I am talking to myself like a fool. This damn system never answers. It only gives orders… and mission impossible quests."
Before he could stand up again, a sudden knock echoed through the apartment.
Kael froze. "Who is that?"
His brows drew together. He had not heard a single footstep. Not even breathing. Nothing.
He rose from the bed slowly, every muscle alert. His senses sharpened as he approached the door with careful, quiet steps, ready for anything waiting on the other side.