"Let's begin," he said, and with that, he charged forward.
Jichang moved as well, taking action with an inhuman fluidity. His right palm sliced through the air like an invisible blade.
Jihyeon saw it coming. Lowering his center of gravity, he dodged the diagonal strike and countered with a rapid jab. Unfortunately, his fist only grazed Jichang's suit—the King minimally twisted his torso, deflecting the blow.
He immediately countered, bringing the edge of his hand down hard onto Jihyeon's shoulder. The impact was brutal. Sharp pain shot through his body as the bone creaked under the pressure.
Jihyeon grit his teeth, but he didn't back down. Taking the hit, he drove a low kick into Jichang's inner thigh. The King barely stumbled.
It's not enough, Jihyeon thought, panting as he created distance.
Jichang lunged forward with open palms, fingers extended as he aimed straight for Jihyeon's face.
Jihyeon gambled everything. At the very last split second, he slipped his head to the side, evading by millimeters, and launched a vicious uppercut directly to Jichang's jaw.
Jichang's head snapped back.
Jihyeon didn't stop. Pivoting his body, he drove an elbow into Jichang's face, spinning once more to throw a heavy hook. Jichang blocked it with his forearm and instantly countered: a vertical hand-blade slash to Jihyeon's chest, followed by a diagonal strike to his liver.
Pain exploded through Jihyeon's body. His shirt ripped vertically as a bright red line split across his torso, and the devastating blow to the liver doubled him over.
Damn it… he's using way more strength than before.
Progress: 22%.
Jihyeon ripped off what remained of his shirt and hurled it right into Jichang's face.
Jichang sliced the fabric in midair, but the momentary distraction was all Jihyeon needed. His fist was already inches from Jichang's face, but at the last second, he changed trajectory. He stomped heavily on Jichang's foot, pinning it to the ground, and slammed a brutal kick right into his liver.
Jichang stooped over.
Seizing the opening, Jihyeon brought both hands together and brought down a double-axe handle hammer fist with everything he had.
Jichang crashed to the ground.
Progress: 25%.
Jihyeon gave him no quarter. He went for a follow-up kick, but Jichang covered up and popped back to his feet in a flash. He unleashed a downward chop with the edge of his hand.
Jihyeon leaped back as the blow smashed into the dirt, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Jichang corrected his miss instantly. Twisting his torso, he executed a reverse spinning chop aimed directly at Jihyeon's neck.
Blinding pain surged through Jihyeon, his vision blurring for a fraction of a second.
Jichang unleashed a massive onslaught, hand-blade slashes flying from every direction. Jihyeon let out a ragged scream as cuts opened across his arms and chest. He collapsed to his knees.
Jichang raised his hand to finish it.
As the strike descended, Jihyeon rolled out of the way. He grabbed the extended arm in a lock, but lacked the raw strength to throw him. Jichang planted a heavy front kick into Jihyeon's stomach, sending him bouncing across the dirt.
Blood dripped from his lips. Jihyeon pushed himself up to his knees, gripping the earth in fury.
Jichang was already on top of him again.
Jihyeon grit his teeth.
"Damn it…"
He sprang up, driving a fist straight into Jichang's cheek. Solid hit. At the exact same moment, Jichang slammed a strike into Jihyeon's neck.
Both staggered backward.
Jihyeon lowered his stance, keeping his center of gravity low, and charged.
Jichang threw a downward strike toward Jihyeon's lead foot.
Jihyeon lifted his foot at the very last second—and revealed his trap. When he had ducked down earlier, he had gathered a handful of dirt, keeping his guard low on purpose. He flung the dirt directly into Jichang's face, targeting the eye that had been injured in their previous dream encounter.
Jichang blinked, momentarily disoriented.
Jihyeon leaped forward and drove a headbutt straight into Jichang's nose.
Then another.
And another, until his own forehead throbbed with pain.
He followed up with a vicious roundhouse kick to the neck. Jichang went rolling across the ground.
By the time Jichang pushed himself up, Jihyeon was already airborne, leg fully extended. He caught Jichang squarely in the face.
Jichang flew backward.
Progress: 30%.
The fight resumed, more brutal than ever.
Jichang spun and landed a heavy blow to Jihyeon's flank. Ribs cracked. Jihyeon fell to his knees, spitting blood. Jichang grabbed him by the head and slammed him face-first into the ground.
Jihyeon drove an elbow back to break free. His face was soaked in blood, but he didn't care.
He feinted a high jab, then swept Jichang's legs out from under him. The King stumbled.
A once-in-a-lifetime opening: Jihyeon leaped forward and drove his knee straight into Jichang's injured right eye. Hard.
Blood spurted out, and the eye burst closed.
Progress: 36%.
Now Jichang got dead serious. His entire aura shifted, his movements becoming a sheer blur.
Jihyeon blocked whatever he could—forearms, shoulders—but every collision carved open fresh wounds. One strike caught him flush in the abdomen, feeling like an actual knife blade entering his gut. He went rolling across the ground, near unconscious, bleeding out, completely drained of energy.
No… I'm not stopping.
He pushed himself up, trembling.
Jichang rushed in, launching another attack.
Jihyeon caught his arm, shifted his center of gravity, and pulled with every ounce of strength left in his body. Jichang's body was lifted into the air, legs flying up as he went down face-first. While he was airborne, Jihyeon hammered brutal fists into his exposed back.
Jichang went skidding across the ground.
Jihyeon collapsed, gasping for air. But Jichang, like a man possessed, stood right back up.
Jihyeon grimaced.
"Are you serious?"
He rolled to evade, but it was a feint. Jichang brought down a devastating downward chop with the full force of his hand blade.
It landed flush on Jihyeon's arm.
Crack.
The bone snapped. Jihyeon's face contorted in agony.
Jihyeon scrambled back, kicking Jichang in the stomach as he forced himself up. He glanced at the floating bar: almost there. He didn't hesitate anymore.
"MORE!" he roared.
Ignoring his broken arm, he charged in with a low kick, followed by another to the liver. Jichang blocked them, but didn't see the shift coming: Jihyeon slid to the right side, capitalizing on the blind spot from Jichang's ruined eye.
He hadn't made it obvious—he didn't want Jichang adapting to it beforehand—saving it strictly for the decisive moment.
A straight right fist buried itself deep into Jichang's face. The King went flying back.
Yet he stood up again, like a cold, unfeeling machine.
Jihyeon's vision was turning black, his head buzzing violently. He fell to his knees, but forced himself back up through sheer force of will.
I don't… end… here.
As a last resort, he tackled Jichang, forcing the incoming blow to miss. Both crashed to the ground.
Jihyeon mounted him and began unleashing hell: fists, elbows, even driving his broken arm into the assault, suppressing the excruciating pain. Jichang deflected most of the strikes, but several broke through.
Jichang shoved him off with a heavy punch to the chest, sending him flying backward.
Jihyeon landed hard, coughing up blood. But he stood up once more.
Progress: 38%.
"Let's finish this!" Jihyeon screamed.
He charged. Jichang raised his guard, waiting to counter.
As Jihyeon closed the distance, sheer exhaustion made him stumble. Jichang saw the opening and brought down a swift chop directly onto his opposite shoulder.
Impact. Blinding pain rendered his other arm completely useless.
But Jihyeon endured it.
Using the momentum of the blow, he spun his body and drove a final, desperate kick into Jichang's chest with every last drop of strength he possessed.
Jichang fell to his knees, blood dripping from his chin.
Progress: 40% reached.
Hand Blade Skills Unlocked.
The gray field dissolved.
Jihyeon woke up gasping for air, cold sweat soaking his entire body. He had no physical injuries, but he was mentally exhausted. He stared up at the broken ceiling of the abandoned house, watching the group still asleep.
He could feel the new Hand Blade techniques flowing into his mind: sharper, more precise cuts, lethal combos, and seamless integration with his body movements.
A cold smile spread across his face. To keep from laughing aloud and waking the others, he covered his mouth with his hand.
I made it…
Now he had the skills. And Mullae-dong was going to be the very first place he put them to the test.
........
The next day, the sun was barely peeking over the horizon when everyone woke up.
The floor of the abandoned house was cold and dusty, but nobody complained. Jihyeon was the first to move. He stretched, his joints popping, still feeling the lingering echo of last night's dream in his hands. The new Hand Blade techniques throbbed like a newly acquired muscle, eager to be used.
"Alright… are you guys ready?" he asked in a calm voice, a cold spark dancing in his eyes.
Chulwoo let out a long yawn, scratching the back of his neck.
"Yeah, yeah… let's get this over with quickly. Everything hurts from yesterday."
Kazu was already on his feet, stretching his arms and neck with slow, feline movements, as if warming up for a casual sparring session. He didn't say a word, just smirked sideways with an expression that clearly said, This is going to be fun.
Minho and Hyunseok, on the other hand, had sleepy eyes and the look of two guys who would much rather still be asleep. They exchanged nervous glances.
Jihyeon looked at all of them.
"So you all know what to do, right?"
Chulwoo shrugged.
"We just beat 'em up. Easy."
Minho raised his hand timidly.
"Wait… isn't charging straight in a bit reckless? Shouldn't we… I don't know, plan this out more?"
Hyunseok nodded frantically, sweating a bit.
"Yeah, like… what if they see us coming and surround us?"
Jihyeon gave them a faint smile.
"Not a chance. If what Kazu said is true, they're scammers more than actual gangsters. They aren't prepared for a real fight. They only act tough with people who owe them money or scared students."
Kazu let out a low chuckle.
"Exactly. They've got a couple of decent fighters, but most of them are just bums fixing bikes and collecting debts. Their old leader thinks he's untouchable because nobody messes with his 'legitimate business.'"
Jihyeon nodded.
"Besides, you two stick with Chulwoo. He and Kazu will lead the charge. Minho, Hyunseok—watch the exit and get the car ready for when we leave. Don't split up."
The two nodded, though they were still pale.
They walked in silence for a while through the dockside streets. The smell of salt, burnt oil, and rusted metal filled the air.
Mullae-dong was an industrial mess: stacked shipping containers, rusted cranes, makeshift workshops… but in the middle of it all, one location stood out: Mullae Iron Works.
The sign was old but legible, painted in black and red over a sheet of metal. Compared to the rest of the docks, the place was surprisingly clean: the ground was swept, tools were neatly arranged on visible outdoor shelves, and several cars and motorcycles were parked in a line—some clearly stolen or "repaired" for resale.
Outside stood four or five tough-looking thugs: worn leather jackets, tattoos peeking through, cigarettes dangling from their lips. They didn't look like elite soldiers—just neighborhood bums who thought they were hot stuff.
One of them, a stocky guy with three days of stubble and a freshly lit cigarette, spotted them approaching and stepped away from the group. He scanned them from top to bottom: rumpled school uniforms, bruised but young faces, no jewelry or expensive clothes. Broke kids. Not worth any serious extortion, but maybe useful for dirty work or wringing out a little pocket change.
"What are you brats doing here?" he asked in a threatening tone, exhaling a puff of smoke. "You looking for work?"
Jihyeon tilted his head, acting curious.
"Oh… then we came to the right place."
He lowered his voice, faking nervousness.
"I heard from some guys that in this place… you know, you can make a living. We're going through a rough patch."
The thug nodded indifferently. It was a common sight. This wasn't a good neighborhood, and there was no shortage of desperate kids looking to climb up and make a quick buck.
He pulled a black business card from his pocket and held it out toward Jihyeon.
"Yeah, you heard right… but I can't guarantee anything."
Jihyeon took the card.
And out of nowhere, he drove a swift gut punch straight into the guy's stomach.
The air rushed out of the man in a choked gasp. Before he could even react, Jihyeon slammed a straight right fist directly into his face.
The thug collapsed onto his back, completely unconscious, his cigarette rolling across the dirt.
Jihyeon dropped the business card onto the unconscious man's chest.
"Now we're sure it's the right place."
Kazu let out a low, almost childish laugh.
"You didn't have to doubt my word… but I like this. I thought you were more of the discreet type."
Chulwoo scoffed.
"Discreet type, my ass. He's as straightforward as it gets."
Right at that moment, shouts echoed from inside the garage.
"Who the hell are you bastards?!"
"What did you just do?!"
"Do you have any idea who you're messing with?!"
Within seconds, they were completely surrounded. Around fifteen guys spilled out from the workshops and from behind the parked cars. Only a few carried metal pipes. They had the look of average street thugs—cheap tattoos and rough faces, but nothing that screamed "elite."
Jihyeon wore a cold smile.
Kazu was smiling too, cracking his knuckles as if warming up for another round.
Chulwoo had an annoyed scowl, but his eyes gleamed with an eager itch for a fight.
Minho and Hyunseok stood glued to each other, looking around nervously as if wishing they could vanish into thin air.
"Guys…" Minho whispered. "Are we sure about this?"
Jihyeon didn't answer. He simply glanced at Kazu and Chulwoo.
"Move in."