Big Daniel woke up. Something strange had happened. He had dreamt. But he couldn't understand how.
After gaining the second body, he had never dreamt. Every time he slept, he woke up in his other body. He was essentially awake for twenty-four hours with no sleep and no dreams.
But after losing consciousness today, he didn't immediately wake up in his other body. Instead he saw a strange dream. Daniel thought to himself, "Charles Choi comes first? What does that even mean? He is dead!"
Vasco called out to him. "Big Daniel, are you awake?"
"Vasco...!"
"Big Daniel beat the kids! I was also hit by Big Daniel! Just why were you like that, Daniel?"
"Sorry, Vasco. I don't really remember that..."
He heard a familiar voice that he hadn't heard in a while.
"Are you back to your normal self? You can still stand after fighting like that?"
Seongji Yuk had asked the question.
Big Daniel was surprised. "Seongji-hyung...!"
Seongji smiled and ruffled his hair. "Anyway, it's fine. As long as everyone's okay."
Big Daniel couldn't help but ask. "Seongji-hyung, what are you doing here?"
Seongji pointed at Vin Jin, who was sitting with his head down and probably upset with something. "I was here for Vin Jin. I didn't expect to see you guys here too. Especially not you in that unusual state."
Big Daniel bowed and apologized. "I am really sorry, hyung! I truly don't know what had happened!"
Seongji shook his head. "It's okay. You don't have to worry about that."
Seongji's ear twitched as he heard dozens of footsteps approaching. He didn't have to wait long to see thirty to forty Workers surrounding them in a circle.
Zack called out to Daniel. "...Daniel Park."
Daniel nodded. "...Yeah."
He thought to himself, "Did the Workers forces come through the fire stairs? We have dragged on for too long to reorganize."
Zack said, "There's a lot of them. Looks like they dragged everyone from the 1st Affiliate."
A person wearing black pants, a white dress shirt, a black tie, and a doctor's coat walked out from the Workers crowd. He was the 1st Affiliate's president, Hangyeoul Baek.
His expression wasn't quite right. He looked shocked, surprised, and furious. He thought, "Something's wrong. There's no way this could've happened...!"
He asked out loud, "How in the world? How can you still stand?"
"Because we have legs...?"
"No, what I mean is, how are you still alive right now?"
Everyone was confused hearing him.
"We're still alive because we've taken all the enemies down."
"What's up with him?"
"He's dumber than me."
"Didn't you say he's smart?"
"Did he lose his mind after realizing he's gonna get beaten?"
Hangyeoul scratched his head. "...Took down all the enemies? That's weird. There's no way that could happen. I'm sure I released it?"
His eyes widened in surprise. "I, uh, just in case, did you not meet with the thing yet?"
As soon as his words finished, all the Allied members jumped on the enemies.
"Fuck! You are trying to buy time or what?"
"Don't waste time listening to this fucker!"
It didn't take long before all forty Workers were beaten to a pulp.
Zack looked at Hangyeoul. "Whatcha gonna do now?"
Hangyeoul's face was serious. He showed no fear.
The whole place began to shake.
Three bodies came flying and broke through the wall.
They were Jake, Samuel, and Jerry. A monster followed them. It was the same monster Seongji had faced. It was covered in bruises, but even then it was too much for Jake, Samuel, and Jerry, who were already tired.
Alexander quickly followed. "Big bro!"
The monster stood beside Hangyeoul and smashed the ground and growled.
"AAARRRGGGHHH!!!"
Everyone's eyes widened in shock seeing the monstrosity before them.
Something else was going on in Hangyeoul's mind. He looked at Jake, Samuel, and Jerry, then looked at No. 1. He thought, "It was stopped by something. I am sure it's not these guys. But who fought for the Allied?"
No. 1 was about to approach the Allied members, but it suddenly stopped in its tracks. Its eyes widened in what looked like fear.
Everyone was shocked.
Zack asked, "What's happening? It looks scared...?"
Daniel nodded. "I think so too."
Jihan asked, "But who could scare a monster like this?"
Jay, Vin Jin, and Vasco stood silent.
Jake, Samuel, and Jerry also stood. They were also shocked.
Jake muttered, "Fuck... It's scared?"
Alexander shouted to someone. "Sir, I have finally found you!"
Everyone turned back to see.
Seongji Yuk stood at his spot with several bruises covering his body, but his aura alone was enough to tell that he was the strongest present.
Daniel was also surprised. He thought, "Wait! When I got unconscious, everyone was knocked out already. Does that mean Seongji-hyung fought against my Second Body in UI mode all alone?!"
Hangyeoul Baek was shocked. He pulled out an injection. "That's weird. How could you be scared? Is that guy that strong? Don't worry, I will make you even stronger."
He injected something into No. 1.
No. 1's muscles bulged. His body turned red and grew bigger.
Everyone was shocked.
"What did he do?"
"Is this thing getting even stronger?"
Hangyeoul smiled. "I am a bit late on the explanation, but our No. 1 never backs down. Our No. 1 could indefinitely get stronger. Our goal is to bring our No. 1 to that man's level. The level of the Genius of Fighting, Tom Lee."
Seongji took off his jacket and tied it around his waist and walked forward. "That man's level you say? I might have to test it then. But I have to say, I have been disappointed once already. Are you sure it can satisfy me this time?"
Seongji's eyes glinted red.
No. 1 and Seongji stood face to face. Their clash was imminent.
The lights went off.
A man carrying an umbrella walked in from the dark corridor. His face was hidden by the darkness, but his silhouette reminded everyone of just one person.
Gun Park.
"Damn it. All of you damn bastards, I said to try your best not to be caught by the police. And now you're just having gang fights in broad daylight."
His eyes fell on Seongji Yuk. "Interesting. Very interesting. I didn't expect to see you here, Six King."
Seongji raised his eyebrow. "You're not him. Don't try to copy. I can feel it."
"Hoho~ You two have grown that close? You can know him just with your gut feeling? That makes me jealous."
The man removed the umbrella.
Hangyeoul Baek turned on the lights.
The man wasn't Gun Park but Goo Kim.
Goo closed in on Seongji. "But you know, you ruined my entrance. I even bought a script from Gun for this." He glanced back at No. 1. "Hoho~ Look at the nuisance here." He turned back to Seongji. "Shall we take care of it first?"
Goo twirled his umbrella once and grinned at Seongji. "Ready to dance with this beautiful specimen?"
Seongji rolled his shoulders. His body still ached from the fight with Daniel, but his eyes glinted red as strength flooded his muscles. "Let's get this over with."
No. 1 charged forward with a roar that shook the concrete floor. The monster covered the distance in three massive strides and swung a fist the size of a basketball at Seongji's head.
Seongji ducked under the blow and grabbed No. 1's extended wrist with both hands. His six fingers wrapped around the joint completely. He squeezed. The bones underneath bent and cracked under the pressure. No. 1 didn't even flinch.
The monster's other hand came around in a backhanded swing. Goo's umbrella intercepted the strike mid-arc. The metal shaft bent slightly from the impact but held firm. Goo used the momentum to pivot around No. 1's arm and drove the pointed tip of the umbrella into the monster's ribs.
The strike punctured through muscle and scraped against bone. Blood welled around the entry point. No. 1 twisted and backhanded Goo across the room.
Goo rolled with the impact and came up on his feet, still holding the umbrella. "Wow, this thing actually has some meat on it."
Seongji yanked on No. 1's captured wrist and pulled the monster off balance. His eyes shifted to blue and he accelerated around the stumbling creature. His elbow caught No. 1 in the back of the knee. The joint buckled. As the monster fell forward, Seongji grabbed its head with both hands and drove his knee into its face.
Cartilage crunched. Blood sprayed from No. 1's nose. The monster caught itself with one hand and swept its leg around in a wide arc. Seongji jumped over the sweep and his eyes glinted red again. He came down with both feet on No. 1's extended arm.
The concrete beneath the arm cracked from the force. The bone inside the arm splintered. No. 1 finally made a sound that might have been pain.
Goo dashed in from the side. He held the umbrella like a rapier and thrust the tip into No. 1's shoulder joint. The point punched through tendons and muscle. Goo twisted the shaft and tore the wound wider as he pulled it free.
No. 1 stood and swung both arms in a wild double clothesline. Seongji and Goo both ducked under the attack. The monster's arms collided with each other above their heads with enough force to break normal bones.
Seongji grabbed No. 1's ankle with one hand. His fingers dug into the Achilles tendon. He squeezed until the tissue tore. No. 1's leg gave out partially. The monster dropped to one knee.
Goo stepped onto that knee and ran up No. 1's torso. He dragged the umbrella tip across the monster's chest as he went. The metal carved a deep line through skin and muscle. Blood poured from the wound. Goo flipped over No. 1's head and landed behind it. On the way down, he hooked the curved handle of the umbrella around the monster's neck and pulled.
The pressure cut off No. 1's air supply. The monster reached back with both hands to grab Goo. Seongji caught both wrists before they could connect. His six-fingered grip crushed down on the joints. The bones inside ground against each other.
No. 1 stood despite the choke and threw itself backward. Goo released the umbrella and pushed off the monster's back. He flipped away and landed smoothly. Seongji held on to the wrists and let his weight drag No. 1 forward as it tried to reverse direction.
The monster crashed face-first into the concrete. Seongji twisted both captured arms and planted his foot on No. 1's spine. He pulled. The shoulder joints dislocated with wet popping sounds.
No. 1 pushed itself up with its legs alone. Its arms hung useless at its sides. The monster kicked backward at Seongji. The heel caught him in the stomach and sent him sliding back several feet.
Goo stepped in and swung the umbrella like a bat. The shaft cracked across No. 1's jaw. Teeth flew from the impact. The monster's head snapped to the side. Goo reversed his grip and drove the pointed end up through the soft tissue under No. 1's chin. The tip emerged from inside the monster's mouth.
No. 1 bit down on the umbrella shaft. Its jaw muscles bulged. The metal bent and crumpled between its teeth. Goo released the umbrella and backflipped away as the monster's head came forward in a headbutt.
Seongji's eyes glinted blue and he came in from the side at blinding speed. His hands found No. 1's dislocated shoulder and he squeezed. The joint separated further. Tendons snapped. Seongji's momentum carried him past the monster. He grabbed the other shoulder on the way by and tore that joint apart as well.
No. 1's arms hung by muscle and skin alone. The bones inside no longer connected to the shoulder sockets. The monster tried to swing its arms anyway. They flopped uselessly.
Goo retrieved his bent umbrella from the ground and examined it. "Well, this is ruined." He tossed it aside and cracked his knuckles. "Guess we do this the old-fashioned way."
No. 1 charged at him with its head lowered like a battering ram. Goo sidestepped and caught the monster's head under his arm in a headlock. He wrenched sideways. No. 1's neck bent at an unnatural angle but didn't break.
Seongji came in low and swept both of the monster's legs. No. 1 toppled sideways with Goo still holding its head. They hit the ground together. Goo released the headlock and rolled away.
Seongji's eyes glinted red and he tensed his muscles. He dropped his full weight onto No. 1's rib cage with both knees. The ribs cracked inward. The monster's breath exploded out in a wheeze.
No. 1 tried to buck Seongji off but its destroyed shoulders and damaged legs couldn't generate enough force. Seongji grabbed the monster's head with both hands. His six fingers dug into the skull. He squeezed. The bone underneath creaked.
Goo walked up and looked down at the struggling monster. "You know, I expected more from something that's supposed to be on the Fighting Prodigy's level."
Seongji's grip tightened. Hairline fractures spread across No. 1's skull. Blood leaked from the monster's ears and nose. Its struggles grew weaker.
Seongji released the head and stood. No. 1 lay motionless on the cracked concrete. Its chest still rose and fell but barely. Both arms were destroyed. Multiple ribs were broken. Its skull was fractured. Blood pooled around it.
Hangyeoul Baek stared at his creation in disbelief. "This can't be happening. No. 1 was supposed to reach Fighting Prodigy's level."
Goo laughed. "Tom Lee's level? This thing isn't even close."
Daniel watched from the sidelines with wide eyes. He never expected Goo and Seongji to be this strong.
Jerry limped forward and stared at the broken monster on the ground. "Finally it's over."
Alexander nodded. "As long as big bro Samuel is okay, I am happy."
Samuel's expression was unreadable.
Jake slumped onto the ground. "Today's been hectic."
Hangyeoul crouched down near No. 1. "Get up... I said get up... Get up and fight... Protect my kingdom... You promised! To root for me! You'd root for me no matter what I do! You can't be defeated like this! Fight for your little brother! Hangyeoul Hyung!!"