The studio reeked of blood, smoke, and sweat. Shattered lights flickered overhead, buzzing faintly as if even the electricity couldn't stand the weight of what had happened here.
Men groaned on the ground, clutching snapped arms and broken ribs. The gangster who had once strutted like a king now sat pale and trembling, his contract reduced to scraps on the floor.
Gun stood like a blade unsheathed, cold and precise. Goo leaned on a wall, whistling, as if the chaos was nothing but another street performance. DG's faint smile glimmered in the shadows, his presence softer than the others but somehow just as sharp.
And Seong Min? He was silent. Violet eyes surveying the wreckage, his breathing even, his hands loose at his sides. Not a single cut marked his skin. The violence he had unleashed seemed almost incidental, like breathing.
The silence broke with a laugh.
"HEY! YOU!"
Vasco's voice boomed across the ruined studio. His wide eyes locked on Goo, who blinked back, genuinely surprised.
"You're that weirdo! The one who gave me that crazy workout!"
The room stilled, then Goo's grin split wide. "Ohhh, muscle-head! You actually did it? Damn, you got bigger! Still dumb as bricks though."
"Don't call Vasco dumb!" Daniel snapped, his nerves shredding as the words slipped out.
Goo crouched, grinning, his voice dropping like he was offering a secret. "You want to know how to get stronger, kid?"
Vasco's fists tightened. His eyes burned. "Yes. Tell me."
"Simple," Goo said, voice bright as sunlight. "Every day: 20km run. 200 pushups. 200 squats. No excuses. No mercy."
Vasco blinked. "That's… it?"
"Yup." Goo stood, stretching his arms with a crack. "Do that, and maybe you can inherit my throne. Be my successor, Muscle-head."
The offer was ridiculous. Heavy. Real.
Vasco shook his head, his voice low but firm. "No. I don't want to be a thug."
For a moment, silence. Then Goo burst into laughter so loud it rattled the lights. "Damn! I like you even more now!"
Gun didn't spare them a glance. His eyes flicked across the room, landing briefly on Seong Min before he turned for the exit. Goo followed, still chuckling. DG drifted after them like a shadow, his smile unreadable.
Crystal gathered herself, her father beside her, and left without another word. The gangster was dragged out like trash. Aru Lee sat trembling in her blanket, forgotten by all.
And Seong Min? He watched Daniel one last time—silent, measuring—before vanishing into the night.
The next day, J High buzzed like a nest of hornets.
"Did you hear? PTJ's boss got ousted overnight!""Aru Lee? Gone from the lineup. Like she never existed.""Crystal Choi was seen leaving with some boy.""Who was he? Someone new?"
Rumors spread faster than fire. Screens lit with threads, gossip twisting truth into stories no one could untangle.
"Daniel!" a classmate hissed, shoving a phone in his face. "You were close to Aru Lee, right? What happened?!"
Daniel forced a laugh. His chest tightened at the memory of the studio—the titans who'd stood in one room. Gun. Goo. DG. Crystal. Charles. And Seong Min, violet eyes dissecting him with surgical precision.
"I don't know anything," Daniel muttered.
But inside, his heart thudded painfully. For the first time since he'd woken in his new body, he felt small again. Pathetic. Out of his depth.
Vasco leaned against his desk, whispering to himself. "20km… 200 pushups… 200 squats… yeah. I can do it. I'll do it every day,that way i can stop more bad peoples." His eyes burned with conviction, completely ignoring Daniel's despair.
Elsewhere, in the hidden halls of White Tiger, submission reeked heavier than blood.
The Dog Pound had folded completely after their leader fell. Their revenue streams, their channels of dirty money, their scattered fighters—all bent the knee. Now they whispered Seong Min's name with the same fear they once held for their master.
But within White Tiger's inner chamber, none of that mattered.
Tom Lee leaned back in his chair, cigarette smoldering between his fingers. His long frame was loose, but his eyes were sharp, dissecting every detail of the boy who walked in.
"You're late," Tom said casually.
"The PTJ matter took longer than expected," Seong Min replied, voice even.
Tom exhaled smoke, lips curling faintly. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees."I'll give you a call when the next mission is ready. But for this one—you won't get paid. You didn't complete the work."
As Tom spoke about money, Seong Min wasn't surprised. He knew how much the man loved it. Tom Lee had never been short on cash, also him not with Gun behind him. And now, ever since taking Dog Pound under his control, Seong Min had started to build his own share of wealth too.
Seong Min's violet eyes flashed. "I understand."
Tom's smirk faded. His voice dropped, heavy."A First Generation fighter… and you fought him to a draw. Injured, after your fight with me. Do you understand what that means?"
"First Generation," Seong Min said. Not a question.
The name hung in the air like a blade.
Tom tapped ash into the tray, his gaze unwavering. "I've seen plenty of kids with talent. You're different. You really do have that blood in you. But blood isn't enough. Those old monsters will be watching you now. They'll test you again. Harder."
Seong Min's jaw tightened. "Let them."
Tom's eyes narrowed, sharp. "You don't get it. This isn't your city. Too many people already have everything under control. Every board, every piece. You? You're not moving the game. You're just another piece on it."
Silence stretched.
Then Seong Min inclined his head slightly. "Understood."
But as he turned, violet eyes glinting, there was a defiance Tom didn't miss.
The White Tiger enforcer leaned back, cigarette glowing in the dim light. His smirk returned, faint but sharp."Gun's twin, huh… no wonder the storm's coming early."