Chapter 384: Jiri Mountain (2)

I opened the door slightly to peek outside but all I heard was Deuk-Gu barking. Oh Tae-Wan was nowhere in sight.

Then, the sound of Deuk-Gu's barking gradually grew distant as if he were leading someone away.

Grrr- Woof! Woof! Woof!

At that moment, I turned to Lee Dae-Ho behind me and instructed, "Take Tae-Poong and head upstairs to the second floor right now."

"Yes, Mr. Jung."

Lee Tae-Poong hesitated and offered to help. "Hyung, wouldn't it be better if we all went out together?"

"I can move more freely if you're not out there. Don't you trust me?" I responded.

Since the scheduled event regarding Lee Tae-Poong's injury was still active, I couldn't take unnecessary risks.

"Alright. Be careful, hyung."

Lee Tae-Poong reluctantly followed Lee Dae-Ho up to the second floor. Only after they were safely out of sight did I feel a bit of relief and step outside.

"Let's go, Mr. Jae-Soo."

"Okay."

However, as soon as we stepped outside the lodge, Deuk-Gu's barking ceased. After a brief thought, I headed toward the left corner where the sound had come from earlier.

"Let's stick close to the wall."

"Yes, Mr. Jung."

Go Jae-Soo and I moved cautiously along the wall to approach the corner of the lodge.

The knee-high grass brushing against our legs made a soft rustling sound.

Rustle, rustle.

When we were about five meters away from the corner, a faint and unfamiliar male voice reached our ears.

"Are you alone here?"

"Of course... I'm alone... who would come... to such a rugged place..."

I could hear Oh Tae-Wan replying with difficulty.

Simultaneously, I clenched my right fist and came to a halt. Go Jae-Soo also froze as if he heard the voices as well.

From the sound beyond the corner, it was clear that Oh Tae-Wan was being restrained by someone.

'

Was it a person?

' I wondered.

It turned out Deuk-Gu had been barking at a person, not a boar or a bear.

Swallowing nervously, I tightened my grip on the 60cm wooden club in my right hand.

That's when the man and Oh Tae-Wan's voices grew clearer.

"Got any food?"

"I used up all my supplies... if you're hungry, go down to the base..."

"Don't you dare lie to me. You're dead if I find a packet of ramen."

"Do whatever you want... I have no attachment to this world anyway..."

It was clear that Oh Tae-Wan was trying his best to prevent the man from entering the lodge. However, it seemed his efforts were in vain.

"No attachment to the world? What a joke. People who truly don't care about the world would already be dead. So stop the nonsense and get up. I haven't eaten all day running from the cops."

At that moment, Oh Tae-Wan suddenly yelled out, "Run!

Ugh

..."

Oh Tae-Wan's words were abruptly cut off. I wanted to rush in immediately, but I couldn't act recklessly without knowing the exact situation around the corner.

"So there are others here, huh?"

I couldn't hear Oh Tae-Wan anymore but only the stranger's voice.

I signaled to Go Jae-Soo, suggesting we would ambush the man as soon as he rounded the corner.

Go Jae-Soo understood the signal and nodded.

That's when the sound of grass being trampled grew louder, indicating that the man was approaching.

Rustle, rustle.

"Ugh, couldn't he just cut down this grass?" the man grumbled, seemingly annoyed by the knee-high grass impeding his movements.

Thanks to this, I could roughly gauge his distance. '

3 meters... 2 meters... 1 meter... Now!

'

At that exact moment, the man rounded the corner. He appeared to be in his mid-forties, wearing camouflage pants, with long hair and sharp eyes.

The man held a military knife in his left hand and wielded the ax he had taken from Oh Tae-Wan in his right hand.

"W-what? Who the hell are you people?" the man uttered in shock, as if he had not expected anyone to be lying in wait.

Without wasting the moment, I swung my wooden club with all my might toward his wrist.

Smack!

The blow to his wrist made him drop the knife. However, he was no amateur: gritting his teeth through the pain, he reflexively swung the ax with his right hand.

I quickly dodged by leaning back as I didn't have time to counter with another swing.

Whoosh!

The heavy ax narrowly missed my face.

Just then, a heavy impact sounded.

Thud!

The man screamed and dropped the ax as he staggered. "

Ahh!

"

Go Jae-Soo had struck him from behind.

'

This is my chance!

' I thought.

Seizing the opportunity, I punched the man squarely in the jaw.

Thwack!

In an instant, the man fell unconscious and collapsed forward.

Thud.

I tried to catch my breath. "

Huff, huff, huff...

"

It had been a long time since I had faced an armed opponent without any protective gear.

However, I was more concerned about Go Jae-Soo. When I turned to him, I saw his face had gone pale as expected.

Even though he was an actor who played a psychopathic killer on screen, confronting a real armed assailant was an entirely different experience.

Nonetheless, there was no time for him to be stunned.

"Mr. Jae-Soo, please check on Mr. Oh Tae-Wan's condition immediately."

"Okay."

As I held down the unconscious man, Go Jae-Soo moved over to check on Oh Tae-Wan. Go Jae-Soo pushed through the grass and examined Oh Tae-Wan, signaling that he was okay but unconscious.

"Bring him over here quickly."

"Understood."

A moment later, Go Jae-Soo carried the unconscious Oh Tae-Wan on his back and returned.

I also hefted the unknown assailant over my shoulder.

'

This guy is no ordinary person... Who could he be?

' I wondered.

Swinging an ax at someone without hesitation wasn't something a normal person would do—at least not without prior experience. I didn't know his exact background, but chances were he was a criminal, especially given his mention of evading the police.

'

Was this why Tae-Poong would be in danger?'

I pulled out my phone to check the planner.

The time was now 12:00 p.m. Yet the schedule in the planner remained unchanged.

[Everyday V11]

[Date: October 25, 2020]

-12:50 p.m. [NEW: Lee Tae-Poong] Emergency postponement due to injury. (Report details: 12:45 p.m., 119 helicopter take-off time. Emergency transport to Jinju Gyeongsang Hospital.)

At that moment, a sense of dread swept over me.

'

Deuk-Gu had moved off far earlier, right?'

I thought.

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

It was as if Deuk-Gu disappeared to lure someone away. If so, there was a chance this unidentified man had accomplices.

A shiver ran down my spine.

"Mr. Jae-Soo, I think this guy might have accomplices."

"What do you mean...?"

"There's no time to explain. Let's get inside first."

"Alright."

Go Jae-Soo dragged Oh Tae-Wan back toward the lodge. I hurried inside as well, pulling the unconscious man along.

Thud.

After closing the lodge door, I looked for a latch to lock it. But the latch was so old and broken that locking the door wasn't an option. The only choice was to stand guard here myself.

Go Jae-Soo anxiously asked, "Mr. Jung, what should we do now?"

"For now, please get Mr. Oh Tae-Wan to a safe spot. And if you can find anything like a cable tie, please bring it."

"Oh, okay."

Go Jae-Soo pulled Oh Tae-Wan along and headed toward Room 101.

In the meantime, I pulled the unconscious man's jacket halfway off followed by his sweater, and pulled it over his head. Then, I also half-lowered his pants.

With just his jacket held in place, it would be almost impossible for him to resist: he couldn't see, his arms were bent back, and his legs were restricted.

The current time was 12:05 p.m. The scheduled event regarding Lee Tae-Poong's injury remained.

To think I would encounter criminals in such a remote and rugged place was absurd. I was dumbfounded, but there was no time to dwell on it.

Just then, Go Jae-Soo came out of Room 101.

"I laid Mr. Tae-Wan on the bed and the cable ties should be in the storage room on the second floor."

'

Perfect timing.

'

"When you go up to the second floor, please inform Tae-Poong of the situation and tell him to stay cautious."

Go Jae-Soo nodded and hurriedly ran upstairs.

The time was now 12:06 p.m.

I checked on the unconscious man, but he showed no signs of waking.

Clang.

At that moment, the door to Room 101 opened and the pale-looking Oh Tae-Wan spoke weakly, "

Ugh...ah

, r-run..."

"Are you alright?" I asked.

Oh Tae-Wan managed to speak with difficulty upon recognizing me. "

Ughh

...T-two... two of them..."

"That's good to know. We've already caught one."

Knowing the number of intruders alone was a significant help. However, Oh Tae-Wan frowned and shook his head.

"There's an... emergency stairway... on the second floor..."

"Emergency stairway?"

At that moment, Deuk-Gu's barking started up again outside.

Bark! Bark!

Woof, woof, woof!

The barking which had faded was now getting louder and closer.

I quickly asked Oh Tae-Wan, "Where is the emergency stairway?"

Oh Tae-Wan was gradually regaining his senses. "Around the corner, to the left... connected to Room 201..."

'

Damn it.

'

The person who would injure Tae-Poong was likely a different one, not this man.

I said to Oh Tae-Wan. "Hold on tight here to his jacket and sweater. That way, he can't get free."

Nodding, Oh Tae-Wan grabbed the jacket and sweater securely.

Then, I handed Oh Tae-Wan a piece of firewood from the pile beside the stove. "Hit him in the head if he shows any sign of waking."

"Got it."

I considered running straight up to the second floor but changed my mind. If the accomplice entered through the emergency stairwell rather than the main entrance, attacking from behind would be more effective.

In the end, I made a decision. '

I'll circle around and hit him from the back.

'

I steeled my nerves and dashed outside toward the front of the lodge.

It was now 12:08 p.m.

***

Go Jae-Soo found the cable ties in storage room 204 and intended to warn Lee Tae-Poong about the situation on the second floor.

'

Which room is he in?

' he wondered.

The usable rooms on the second floor were from 201 to 203. Not wanting to draw attention from any intruders outside by shouting, Go Jae-Soo knocked softly on each door.

'

Room 203.

'

Knock, knock.

'

Room 202.

'

Knock, knock.

There was no response from either room.

Then, he came to Room 201.

At that moment, the sound of someone stepping on old metal echoed in Go Jae-Soo's ears.

Clang. Clang.

In an instant, memories from Go Jae-Soo's childhood spent playing in this lodge came back to him. '

That's right. There's an emergency stairway here.

'

Room 201 in Cheonwang Mountain Lodge was connected to an outdoor emergency metal stairwell. However, the door connecting to the stairwell was hidden, looking like an ordinary wooden wall without any "Emergency Exit" sign.

'

An accomplice is coming in from outside,

' Go Jae-Soo thought.

Realizing the danger to Lee Tae-Poong, Go Jae-Soo hurriedly opened the door to Room 201.

Bang!

The startled Lee Tae-Poong and Lee Dae-Ho turned to him, raising their makeshift clubs defensively.

Go Jae-Soo shouted, "It's me!"

With a sigh of relief, Lee Tae-Poong and Lee Dae-Ho lowered their clubs.

Go Jae-Soo urgently shouted, "Get out quickly!"

"Pardon?"

"What's going on?"

They looked confused, not understanding the urgency.

At that moment, the emergency door connected to the stairwell in Room 201 burst open with a violent kick.

Bang!

As the wooden door swung open with a bang, a chilling mountain breeze swept into the room.

Standing there was a man in military fatigues holding a military knife with a menacing expression.

"Where's my friend?" the man asked.

It was too late to run.

Go Jae-Soo lunged at the man and swung his club. "

Ahhh!

"

However, the man dodged him effortlessly.

Thud.

Go Jae-Soo's club struck the wall and rebounded off.

The man quickly snatched the club out of Go Jae-Soo's hands. "Are you insane, trying to get yourself killed?"

Lee Tae-Poong and Lee Dae-Ho finally snapped to their senses but hesitated to make any move as they were caught in the standoff between Go Jae-Soo and the intruder.

However, abandoning Go Jae-Soo to escape wasn't an option either.

Just then, the man's gaze shifted to Lee Tae-Poong and a smirk appeared on his face. "You're Lee Tae-Poong, the movie star. Right?"

The man seemed interested in Lee Tae-Poong.

Realizing the danger, Go Jae-Soo squeezed his eyes shut and yelled, "Tae-Poong! I'll hold him off—run!"

Go Jae-Soo lunged at the man, unwilling to let anyone get hurt after he had brought everyone to this place.

Despite this, his resolve was in vain as the man easily blocked his charge and raised the knife.

"You dumbass, you should know who you're messing with. That's how you end up dead, got it?" the man scoffed.

In a split second, flashes of his parents' smiling faces from yesterday at the hospital crossed Go Jae-Soo's mind. '

Mom, Dad... I'm sorry.

'

Bracing himself for the inevitable pain, Go Jae-Soo clenched his teeth. His body trembled with sheer terror at the thought alone.

Then, he heard the man's taunting voice. "What a fucking pathetic idiot."

'

To think this is the last words I hear before I die...

' Go Jae-Soo remarked inwardly.

Go Jae-Soo had only just landed a major role and the idea of dying before he could confirm it was unbearably unfair.

This was just like the saying about how unlucky people can even break their noses when they fall backward.

'

Mr. Jung... I'm sorry...

' he silently remarked.

However, the pain he was anticipating never came. Thanks to this, a ridiculous thought crossed his mind. '

What happened? Did I die so quickly that I didn't even feel the pain?'

Go Jae-Soo slowly opened his eyes and saw the panting Jung Yoon-Ho gripping the man's neck with one hand and holding the man's arm with another.

"What did you just say to my precious actor?" Jung Yoon-Ho snapped.