The large men stood in front of him. Of course they recognized him... who wouldn't recognize the prey they were hunting? But they wanted proof, wanted to be absolutely certain he was the one.

He took off his coat, removed his cap and sunglasses, exposing his pale skin under the glow of their headlights.

"Boss, look at that."

One of the lackeys shouted when he saw that shimmering white skin. It wasn't much... after all, it was just headlights, not sunlight... but it was enough to confirm that he carried the blood of an S+.

"You're offering yourself up just because you love that hunter boy?"

"If you were looking for me, then I'm here. Don't ask anything else."

"Tough words. But we still need to make sure. Take him."

They didn't rush him, didn't drag him away. They simply invited him into the vehicle, taking him to a different place... a place filled with machines and deranged minds.

Inside the vehicle, laughter echoed among the men. He sat wedged between them, his body stiff, each breath weighed down by dread. On the outside, he looked composed, but inside, he was like an overinflated balloon... ready to burst at any moment.

Joong was brought into the base by Oat and the group of disciples, taken straight to a private treatment room. By now, he had been unconscious for nearly a day. His wounds had been carefully cleaned and bandaged.

Oat was the one who felt the most guilt. He blamed himself for not paying closer attention when he heard the car door shut. He knew he didn't really care about Dunk, but because Joong did, he had to care too in his own way.

"P' Oat, the leader's awake!"

He was sitting there, absentmindedly fiddling with a cigarette when someone ran in to report. The guy clearly hesitated, unsure if he should even go inside...

"Where's Dunk?"

Of course. That was the first question, just like Oat expected.

"Uh..."

"Tell me, where's Dunk? Wasn't he with us?"

The guy stood frozen, not daring to speak, but also unable to lie.

"Say it... Don't make me wait."

"Uh... I... I don't know."

"WHAT?!... ahh—"

"Leader, please calm down... mind your injuries!"

As expected, though his eyes were still swollen, it wasn't hard to see the cloudy haze in them as he stared straight at Oat.

"W-when we got you into the car, those people started shooting. I jumped into the driver's seat, and I heard him yell at me to go. I even heard the door shut... but when we got back here... he wasn't there."

Hearing that, Joong understood. He already knew... he knew exactly what Dunk had been thinking.

"Get out."

Joong waved his hand, voice calm and low.

"Leader, I... I'll find Dunk and bring him back to you. Please don't send me away... Please, leader, you're all I have..."

Suddenly, he dropped to his knees in front of Joong.

"I told you to get out. I didn't say anything about kicking you out, so why are you screaming like that? This isn't what anyone wanted. I just want to rest. Now go."

"Y-yes... I'll go right now."

Joong sent everyone out, leaving himself alone in the quiet. He had known that Dunk turning himself in to those people was only a matter of time. But if it had been Ally, maybe there would've still been a chance to save him. This group, though they were strangers. He didn't know who they were, and the way they operated felt more like lunatics than professionals.

Oat didn't want to let his leader down. He started frequenting the blood trade centers and poking around the usual wealthy connections. But even after nearly a week, there was still no trace of Dunk. Normally, when hunters caught a rare prey, they'd immediately post photos and set a price on the closed social networks. But this time, there was nothing... and that started to worry Oat.

A week passed. Joong's wounds had mostly healed, the swelling on his face gone. He finally stepped outside, determined to look for Dunk himself. Drawing on his years of experience, he visited the most discreet buying centers, quietly asking around...but still, nothing.

/Dunk... where are you?/-x

"If you had handed him over to me the other day, you wouldn't be tearing the whole city apart now."

The muffled voice came from behind Joong.

"Ally?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Stay right there."

"Hey, calm down. I'm just here to talk today."

The moment Joong saw Ally, he pulled out his gun, making Ally flinch and quickly raise both hands above his head.

"What could we possibly have to talk about?"

"There is something. I know what you're looking for."

"You do?"

"Yeah. You're good at hunting prey, but when it comes to what happens behind the scenes, you don't know a damn thing."

"Then tell me right now—where's Dunk?"

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#sapo🇻🇳 ( 21:04 / 290525)