Chapter 2: A New Name, A New Path

After burying his family and the villagers, Jun stood alone, staring at the freshly covered graves. The weight of his loss crushed him, but one thing was certain—he was still too weak. The people who murdered his family were far beyond his current strength. He couldn’t confront them head-on. Not yet. He had to be smarter, more patient.

"I’ll chip away at them, piece by piece," he muttered to himself, clenching his fists. But for that plan to work, he needed two things: information and power. And to gather information, he had to disappear—at least as Jun. Too many risks came with being recognized as the son of the massacred family. Fortunately, not many people knew of him. Jun had spent most of his life isolated, training in the mountains, far from the politics and intrigues of the martial world.

He needed a new identity.

A name surfaced in his mind—Jaegal Taek, a wanderer from the eastern mountains. It was perfect. He would become a faceless figure, a nobody that no one could connect to the slaughtered household. But a name alone wasn’t enough. Taek needed a way to move freely, gather intelligence, and train without attracting suspicion. The idea struck him quickly: he could become a mercenary.

Mercenaries were free to roam, gathering information, fighting, and honing their skills—all while earning coin. And best of all, they answered to no one.

The decision was made.

Several days later, Taek arrived at the gates of the local mercenary guild. It was a place where warriors of all backgrounds came to earn coin through combat. Looking up at the worn wooden sign above the entrance, Taek took a deep breath. His path to vengeance would begin here.

He stepped inside.

The guild hall was filled with activity. Martial artists of all kinds gathered in small groups, boasting loudly about their latest battles or sparring in the open training areas. The sound of fists slamming into wooden dummies, the clang of weapons, and the low hum of conversation filled the air.

Taek’s eyes scanned the room until they landed on a tall, bulky man standing near the entrance.

He approached the man. “Excuse me, where can I register?”

The man turned slowly, towering over Taek with a look of annoyance. "Over there," he grunted, jerking his thumb toward a desk at the far end of the hall. "And boy," he added, his voice dripping with disdain, "don’t bother me again."

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

Taek narrowed his eyes but kept his tone calm. “Yes, sir.”

The man smirked. "Good. Bother me again, and I’ll kill you."

Annoyed but unwilling to let such a small insult derail his plans, Taek muttered under his breath, "I’ll deal with you another time."

He walked toward the registration desk, where a woman sat with her feet propped up, lazily flipping through some papers. She barely looked up as Taek approached. "Name?"

"Jaegal Taek," he replied.

"Where are you from?"

"The eastern mountains," he answered smoothly, the lie slipping out as naturally as his own name.

She raised an eyebrow. "The eastern mountains? That’s a long way to travel just to join a mercenary guild."

"I like to travel," Taek said with a shrug.

The woman jotted something down on the parchment in front of her. "One last thing."

Taek’s patience was wearing thin. "What is it?"

"You’ll need to participate in a mission before we can officially register you. Sort of an initiation. Once you complete the mission, you’ll be one of us."

"Understood. Where’s the team I’ll be joining?"

She nodded toward a group of mercenaries gathered near a corner of the hall. "That’s your team over there."

Taek gave her a curt nod and walked toward the group. As he approached, he noticed the mix of people—some were seasoned fighters, hardened by battle, while others looked just as new as he was. In the center of the group stood a man with a powerful aura, his presence commanding attention. His stance was solid, like that of a man who had survived countless battles.

The man glanced at the newcomers and spoke in a gruff voice. "I’m Baek Sabnok. I’ll be leading this mission."

Baek Sabnok was a well-known mercenary, a martial artist of considerable strength and experience. His reputation as a fearless warrior and capable leader made him one of the most respected figures in the guild. He surveyed the group with sharp, assessing eyes.

"Any complaints?" he asked, his voice low but firm.

"No, sir!" the group replied in unison, Taek included.

"Good. Pack your things and be ready by dawn. We leave tomorrow morning."

Taek listened carefully as the others murmured about the upcoming mission. It was a simple escort job—guard a caravan carrying goods through a dangerous stretch of mountain passes. Not the most glamorous work, but it would give him the opportunity to prove himself. More importantly, it was a chance to gather experience and start building his reputation as Jaegal Taek.

As the group dispersed to prepare for the journey, Taek found a quiet corner to sit in, his mind racing. He pulled his hood low over his face, closing his eyes as he leaned back against the wall. His thoughts inevitably drifted back to his family, to the sight of their broken, bloodied bodies. The pain of their loss still burned deep inside him, fueling the hatred that now defined his every breath.

He swore to himself that he would find those responsible. He would hunt them down, no matter how long it took. But for now, he needed to grow stronger. This mission would be the first step. He would train, fight, and gather information, all while honing his skills in the shadows.

Tomorrow, his new life as a mercenary would begin.

But vengeance was always at the heart of it.