The night air over Suwon was heavy, tense, almost electric. It had been three months since Yujhae claimed the city, yet with every victory came sharper eyes from the shadows. Phoenix had grown too fast, too loud — and someone out there had noticed. Someone powerful.
That someone wanted him erased.
It started with a phone call. Unknown number. No voice, only a single message on the screen:
> "White Tiger Job Centre — Contract Accepted."
Yujhae's eyes narrowed. He knew the name. The White Tiger Job Centre wasn't just a mercenary network — it was a graveyard for anyone foolish enough to cross it. Its operatives were monsters disguised as professionals. And if they were coming, it meant someone had placed a price on his head high enough to draw them.
---
By midnight, the Fang crew had gathered at the Phoenix rooftop. The wind whipped against them as they prepared for the inevitable. Kang adjusted his gloves, Taejun cracked his neck, Dojin rolled his shoulders, and Ryu loaded his gear.
"Boss," Taejun muttered, scanning the streets below. "You sure it's them?"
Yujhae nodded slowly. "White Tiger doesn't warn twice. Stay sharp — they'll come fast, no theatrics."
Almost on cue, the rooftop door creaked open.
A tall man in a black suit stepped through first — Manager Kim. His aura was suffocating, his eyes calm but heavy with experience. Behind him, another shadow stood at the edge of the roof, hands in his pockets — Tom Lee. The fighting genius.
Kang's fists clenched. "You've gotta be kidding me…"
Manager Kim's voice was deep, steady. "Yujhae. Orders are clear. I'll give you this chance — surrender peacefully, or I'll have to do my job."
Yujhae's smirk was cold. "You think I'll bow to a paycheck?"
Manager Kim sighed. "Then don't say I didn't warn you."
---
The air exploded as the Fang crew charged first. Kang lunged forward, trying to grab Kim's arm in a perfect jiu-jitsu sweep, but Kim caught it mid-motion, redirecting his force with terrifying precision. Kang hit the ground hard but rolled back instantly, sweeping at Kim's legs.
Taejun flashed beside him, speed tearing through the air — his Ultra Dodge activated as he struck from multiple angles, fists and knees moving in a blur. Kim deflected most, but one jab caught his chin, barely shifting him.
"Good speed," Kim muttered — then slammed his elbow into Taejun's ribs, sending him crashing into a vent.
Dojin and Ryu flanked from both sides. Ryu swung first, brute strength cracking the floor, while Dojin locked Kim's left arm in a grapple. Kim's expression didn't even shift — he moved like water, rolling with the motion and using his CQC mastery to break free with minimal effort.
But Fang's coordination was relentless. Taejun reappeared, blood on his lip, Kang tackled from behind, and Dojin locked him again. Manager Kim winced as a combined hit from Ryu and Taejun slammed into his chest.
He looked down — his shirt was torn, a faint bruise forming. "Not bad…"
Then his stance changed.
His calm eyes sharpened, muscles tightening. "But not enough."
Kim moved — and the world blurred. His CQC erupted like a storm. Every strike was precise, brutal, devastating. Kang was lifted and slammed into a wall. Ryu took a knee to the stomach that cracked the tiles. Taejun's dodge failed — a single open-palm strike dropped him to the ground. Dojin tried to grapple again but Kim twisted his wrist, sending him flying.
Within seconds, the rooftop was a battlefield of broken concrete and blood.
Yet Kim stopped, panting slightly. A line of blood trickled down his lip. He wiped it with his thumb, smiling faintly. "I'll give credit where it's due. You boys can fight."
Yujhae's crew was down, barely conscious — but they had hurt him.
---
Tom Lee stepped forward. "You've done enough, Kim. I'll take it from here."
Yujhae stepped into the open. "I was waiting for you."
Tom's eyes met his, sharp and curious. "You're the one they're calling the 'King of Suwon'? I'll admit — I wanted to see what kind of fighter built all this."
Yujhae's heat began to rise. "Then don't blink."
The two closed the distance — and the fight began.
Tom moved first, his punch landing like a cannon. Yujhae barely blocked it, the shockwave splitting the rooftop tiles beneath them. He countered with a spinning heel kick, forcing Tom to step back slightly.
"You can take a hit," Tom said calmly, throwing a straight jab. Yujhae absorbed it, sliding back a meter, blood trickling from his nose but eyes still locked.
Then his Heat Mode ignited. His body flared with energy, veins glowing faintly red. His speed surged, punches coming faster and sharper. Tom dodged the first two, blocked the third — the fourth grazed his cheek, drawing a line of blood.
Tom's eyebrow twitched. "Not bad. You made me use 32%."
"Then keep going."
They clashed again. Tom's fists were surgical, but Yujhae read patterns, weaving through them, throwing combinations that cracked the air. Each hit pushed Tom back a little — but each counter hit Yujhae harder.
At 47%, Tom's strikes became blurs. One uppercut lifted Yujhae off the ground, sending him crashing through debris. Blood splattered the tiles. But even as he fell, he grinned.
Tom wiped his nose, staring at the faint trail of blood. "You… made me bleed."
Yujhae pushed himself up, panting, bruised but still smirking. "Guess I did."
Tom's gaze softened slightly. "You're rough, undisciplined… but dangerous. You've got potential that most pros never touch."
Yujhae wiped his mouth, laughing hoarsely. "Then remember my name when I'm stronger."
Tom turned away, expression unreadable. "I already will."
As the two vanished into the shadows, the Fang crew slowly stood up, battered but alive.
Yujhae looked over them — Kang coughing, Taejun wiping blood from his lip, Dojin limping, Ryu holding his ribs — but their eyes burned with pride.
They had lost, yes. But they made legends bleed.
The System whispered softly in Yujhae's head:
> [Mission Failed: Survival — Partial Success]
[Hidden Condition Unlocked: "The Path to the Peak"]
[New Objective: "Become a True King of the Underground."]
Yujhae clenched his fists, his grin stretching wider. "Next time," he muttered. "No one walks away without kneeling."
The neon lights of Suwon flickered again — and in that moment, the city itself seemed to tremble, as if it knew what kind of monster it was nurturing.