My name is Nguyen Quang Thai.
I work as a tour guide for foreigners and, on the side, a hunter.
But the tourists I guided this time… weren’t alive.
Yeah, it sounds insane, right? But I’m not stuttering or making this up. I. Have. Met. The. Undead.
It was a late afternoon in May. The weather wasn’t too hot or humid—just humid enough for a thin layer of mist to linger between the trees in the mountain forest.
At exactly 4 PM, I arrived at the meeting point as scheduled. My clients were a huge man named Huhus and his girlfriend, Suhuh. We met right outside the forest edge, next to an ancient hollow tree.
The man was about 2.5 meters tall, wearing a yellow raincoat that he claimed was for “sun protection” and “keeping bugs away.” He had a surgical mask on—the kind people wear for chemical hazards. Even underneath it, his massive nose bulged out like a mushroom.
His girlfriend, on the other hand, was petite and much prettier. She was only a head taller than me, with her hair tied in a ponytail and eyes like two chestnuts.
If her boyfriend hadn’t been standing right there, I would’ve asked for her number on the spot… You wouldn’t understand unless you’ve been in my position.
Both of them had tan skin. They looked Middle Eastern. Anyway, other than English, I couldn’t understand a word they said.
What did they bring? The usual stuff for a forest trip: a black bag and an adventurous spirit.
Of course, I did my job as a professional guide.
I led them along the trails, carefully avoiding snakes, centipedes, and bears, while explaining the local plants and the habits of the wildlife.
Huhus was quite enthusiastic. He kept nodding, occasionally flashing a wide grin that stretched ear to ear, and responding in broken English. Still, I couldn’t focus on anything except that ridiculous bulging nose of his.
Suhuh barely spoke. She only nodded at me a few times or whispered with her boyfriend in their foreign language.
By around 6:15 PM, the sky had begun to darken over the forest. We finally reached our destination—the ancient ruins of the Koakoa tribe.
You don’t know what that is? It’s some ancient tribe. Even if I explained, you probably wouldn’t remember. Just know that the underground chamber has been carefully sealed, and tourists are only allowed to view it from a distance.
The moment we arrived at the ruins, the giant man burst out laughing like a madman. His laughter echoed so loudly it scared the animals away.
While laughing, he said something to Suhuh in their language. She simply nodded as if she understood.
Then he reached into the black bag and pulled out… an iron hammer.
Before I could react, he started smashing the hammer into the wall of the ancient chamber.
“Hey! What the hell are you doing?!” I yelled. “Stop it, you ugly pig!”
But the bastard was deaf to my shouts. He kept swinging the hammer with terrifying force. Moments later, he had smashed a hole through the wall despite my curses.
Just as I was catching my breath, ready to yell again, a dry “crack” echoed. My vision spun.
When I regained consciousness, I was tied to a tree. The two foreign tourists stood over me, staring.
Huhus asked me how to bypass the traps inside the ancient chamber. I answered by calling him a “disgusting pig” in ten different languages.
He didn’t get angry.
He just grinned.
Khanh khanh khanh khanh.
Then he punched me in the jaw.
For the next fifteen minutes, Huhus tortured me while Suhuh stood emotionlessly nearby. Every punch knocked out two of my teeth. Blood poured everywhere.
A normal person would’ve given up after the first two hits, but I have professional pride.
Eventually, his hands got tired. He stepped back, breathing heavily. The two of them went aside to discuss something—probably shocked by my resilience.
Ha! That was their biggest mistake.
A seasoned forest man like me always has backup plans for situations like this.
The moment they turned away, I pulled out a pocket knife and secretly cut the ropes.
Then I drew my hunting rifle.
Where did I get the gun, you ask? Of course I always carry it! I’m a veteran hunter, after all!
I raised the rifle and fired. Shooting a 2.5-meter-tall man at close range was easier than shooting a deer!
I immediately turned the gun on Suhuh. The poor girl’s fate was now in my hands.
But a proud hunter like me is also, strangely enough, very merciful.
I gave her two choices: submit to me or follow her lover into death.
You might call it despicable. I call it justice. I didn’t want to kill her. If she didn’t pay the price, she would have to live with the guilt of torturing me. I didn’t want that for her.
Suhuh didn’t answer. Out of sympathy, I chose Option One for her.
I respectfully and classically removed her top.
She still said nothing, just stared at me. Maybe she was moved by my kindness.
But halfway through, I witnessed something I still cannot forget.
All I could do was open my mouth and scream in horror.
Her body was gray and pale as ash. Cracks of necrosis ran from her chest down to her stomach. There was even a large, rotting hole in the right side of her abdomen.
A second later, Huhus—who I had just shot in the head—stood right behind me.
A chokehold came instantly. His arms, thick as power poles, crushed my throat.
My scream was cut off mid-way.
Ambushed again, I could only struggle helplessly. Darkness slowly crept into the edges of my vision…
…
..
How did I escape, you ask?
Of course, because I’m a legendary hunter!
Right before I blacked out, I managed to pull out the knife. Stab! Stab! Stab!
He released me, clutching his thigh in pain.
I immediately switched the knife to my other hand and drove the blade into his throat!
The giant body collapsed. I fled like the wind, escaping the scene.
Heh heh! You’re too kind! Though to be honest, if they weren’t undead, I could have killed him easily!
I ran until the forest turned pitch black, and that’s how I got here.
You’re asking if I noticed anything else about those two undead? Hmm… I don’t remember clearly anymore. But if I recall any clues, I’ll definitely tell you. Yes! I’ll do my best! For the preservation of the ancient ruins!
But… why don’t I feel anything at all?
~~~•••~~~
Quoc Kang lifted his hand from the gray body bag that still had traces of dried blood.
He remained seated cross-legged inside the carefully drawn yellow tape around the crime scene, deep in thought.
His hair swayed gently in the wind. The canopy above shivered with a chill.
“Sir,” another officer spoke up, carefully holding a zip-lock bag containing yellow fragments. “We’ve collected all the victim’s teeth. The locations of the remaining body parts have also been marked. The victim has been identified as Nguyen Quang Thai.”
Quoc Kang nodded lightly.
“Yeah. I know.”
“You know?” The officer looked surprised.
“Yes. I’ve already identified a few suspects. Tell the cleanup team to hold off on moving the body… I need to clarify a few things.”
