After a few hours, Chulwoo arrived at the location. As he stepped inside, his brow furrowed.
The atmosphere was strange. Kazu was wide awake, sitting with a bored expression, while Minho and Hyunseok stayed on edge. Jihyeon was still fast asleep, leaning against the wall.
Noticing Chulwoo's arrival, Kazu smiled with curiosity.
"Who are you?"
"Are you in this group, too?"
He glanced at Minho and Hyunseok, who nodded cautiously.
"Is this guy the new recruit?" Chulwoo asked, making no effort to hide his discomfort.
"Yeah, that's him," Minho replied.
Chulwoo said nothing more, but his eyes locked onto Kazu, trying to figure out what kind of person he was. And if anyone asked, he seemed pretty damn irritating.
With an amused smirk, Kazu blurted out.
"Does that mean you're strong, too?"
"Also… how many more of you are there? I'm curious."
"It's just us," Chulwoo answered flatly.
"Huh?" Kazu laughed.
"Damn, your leader is pretty funny."
Chulwoo scowled.
"You took the defeat pretty easily..."
Kazu tilted his head, narrowing his eyes.
"As much as I hate to admit it… I lost."
"It was thrilling and fun, but I lost. I've got no more excuses."
"Besides, if I'm right, there are pretty incredible people where you guys come from, aren't there? Otherwise, you wouldn't need to form a group."
At that moment, Hyunseok woke Jihyeon up. He sat up slowly, his eyes still heavy with sleep.
"That's right," Jihyeon said, rubbing his face.
"Right now, we're pretty weak. That's why I came to recruit someone… and it turned out to be you."
Kazu looked at him with interest.
"And what do you want to do now?"
Jihyeon stood up, stretching his arms.
"Normally, the play would be to get stronger, gather more members, save up money… but we have to speed everything up."
"At the very least, we need the strength to take over a territory—to really start out."
"Right now, we're just random thugs you can find anywhere."
He smiled, a spark in his eyes.
"But you've got no way out now."
"I told you, didn't I? The loser has no choice but to follow the strong."
Kazu shrugged.
"Relax. I'm not going anywhere."
"After what you told me… it sounds pretty interesting."
He stood up and stretched his neck, his half-lidded eyes gleaming with excitement.
"And don't worry… I'm going to get stronger. After all, I need to have a lot more fun."
Chulwoo stared at him in disbelief.
"What kind of psychopath did you pick up?"
Jihyeon sighed.
"Who knows?"
"But I assure you he's pretty normal compared to others."
He turned to Kazu.
"Now then… how about you tell me a bit about Yeongdeungpo?"
Kazu leaned his back against the wall, crossed his arms, and looked at the group with a relaxed smile.
"Yeah, this district is pretty complex."
"There are gangs dominating specific areas with clearly marked territories. Some run illegal businesses, but since they're strong, almost nobody says anything."
"And the law? Useless. A little bribe, and you're good to go."
"I don't really mess with those leaders, either."
Chulwoo looked at him sarcastically.
"How rare for a guy like you not to mess with them."
Kazu shrugged.
"I'm not an impulsive idiot. Even if I like having fun, I take down small-time gangs like bikers—not groups that control entire territories."
"Besides, those top guys almost never show their faces. They're boring."
"First, you have to climb the hierarchy, prove your worth, show you're a threat, and only then does the leader show up. It's a tedious process."
With his arms crossed and a thoughtful expression, Jihyeon asked:
"Where's the easiest place… let's say, if we wanted to take over a territory?"
"Which gang is the weakest?"
Kazu smiled as if remembering an old joke.
"Mullae-dong," he said slowly, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"That place has people who can fix your engine and break your jaw on the exact same day."
Chulwoo frowned.
"And why would it be a good place to start?"
Kazu let out a short laugh.
"Because the leader… let's just say he's getting pretty old for this stuff."
"He's more of a scammer than a fighter. He's almost the only gang leader who actually shows his face because he's got pride."
"Arrogant, old-school. A thug with heavy fists, but he doesn't have that edge anymore."
"His gang makes money off mechanic shops and repair garages… that's what you wanted, right?"
Jihyeon's eyes brightened as he leaned forward.
"Do you think they have connections with other gangs?"
Kazu turned serious for the first time, tilting his head.
"No. Having connections in Yeongdeungpo is tough."
"If it were that easy, the district would already be unified. But that's not the case."
"Though, I can't guarantee it 100%. I just know they aren't unified."
"You know, I'm not a full-time gangster who knows everything, so I can't be completely sure if they have ties with other crews."
Chulwoo tensed up.
"Wait… you want to start a war against an actual gang?"
Kazu taunted:
"What's wrong? Are you scared?"
"No," Chulwoo said, a twisted smirk forming on his face.
"On the contrary, I'm pretty excited. Besides, we'll make money, right?"
Then his expression darkened, turning more serious.
"Plus, I really feel like beating the hell out of someone."
Jihyeon raised his hand, cutting them off.
"Alright, can you both calm down?"
"Have you looked at yourselves?"
The two glanced at each other. Chulwoo's face was bruised and battered, though he mostly looked exhausted. Kazu was in worse shape—dried blood smeared across his face, bruises everywhere, and his nose likely broken.
"Right now, we need to recover. I don't want any unexpected variables popping up."
Silence settled over them for a few seconds. The idea of taking Mullae-dong was on the table, but Jihyeon knew the time to act hadn't arrived yet.
Still aching, Jihyeon leaned back against the wall and gestured toward Minho and Hyunseok.
"Tell Kazu about the Bully Council."
Both nodded and walked over to Kazu, who was whistling absentmindedly. As they explained the council's structure, the representatives, the territories, and the unspoken rules governing the district, Kazu listened with a playful smirk… though his eyes showed he was paying close attention.
Meanwhile, Chulwoo sat on the floor across from Jihyeon. He looked worn out, but clearly had something on his mind.
"In the end… Dowan became the representative of Boramae-dong."
Jihyeon looked at him with curiosity.
"Who did you fight?"
"Were you trying to become the representative yourself?"
Chulwoo clicked his tongue.
"No. I was going to let Dowan take it, but some idiot from Boramae-dong wanted the spot too."
"So we ended up fighting. In the end, Dowan took the title."
Jihyeon nodded.
"At least it worked out."
A vein throbbed on Chulwoo's forehead.
"I'd be hunted down right now if it hadn't."
"Well, it did. Now focus on what's ahead," Jihyeon said, pausing thoughtfully.
"Besides, there's something important… What are we going to call ourselves? I'm not great at coming up with names."
Chulwoo looked at him with annoyance.
"Does that shit even matter right now?"
Jihyeon sighed.
"Fair point. Once Mullae-dong is ours, we'll figure it out."
Meanwhile, Kazu was still listening to Minho and Hyunseok. He whistled between sentences, but then turned his head toward Jihyeon.
"So, how strong are these representatives, really?"
Jihyeon crossed his arms.
"Well… not all of them are on the same level."
"But I'd say right now, we'd lose against most of them."
Kazu stopped smiling. His expression turned dead serious. For the first time, he seemed to actually digest what he was hearing.
All this time I was living in a bubble… he thought. There are ridiculously strong guys out there. And I've just been killing time with losers.
Without another word, he laid down on the floor and closed his eyes.
Chulwoo reclined as well, resting his head on his arms behind his neck.
Jihyeon watched them for a moment before settling into his corner and closing his eyes.
Minho and Hyunseok, after making sure everything was secure, laid down nearby and followed suit.
Silence settled over the abandoned house. Only the sound of the wind filtering through the cracks accompanied the rest of those who, very soon, would try to tip the balance of power in Yeongdeungpo.
Jihyeon shifted on the cold floor of the house. The exhaustion of the day weighed on his bones like lead, but his mind couldn't find peace. The group was sleeping soundly.
He closed his eyes, and like a flipped switch, the world changed.
He knew he couldn't afford to stay weak. He had to get much stronger—and fast. The upcoming move against Mullae-dong wasn't going to be easy, and if he didn't make progress now, everything would crumble. The progress bar was his only real advantage, and today, he had to break through it.
Once again, he stood in the vast, gray field. A thick fog blanketed the horizon, and the air was heavy, charged with anticipation. Jihyeon stood up, rubbing his hands together. He felt it in every fiber of his being: an urgent drive to push forward, to break his limits. It was necessary for what was to come.
"No more excuses," he muttered to himself.
"Today, I hit 40%. No matter what."
In the distance, Jichang's silhouette appeared through the fog. Motionless, as always: black spiky hair, round glasses reflecting a cold gaze, and the same elegant suit as always.
The bar floated in the air: 20%.
Underneath it, a tempting reward hovered at 40%: "Hand Blade Skills."
Jihyeon felt a pang of regret.
"Damn it… I haven't practiced the basic method enough. I've been too busy with the group, with Chulwoo, with Kazu… but that doesn't mean I haven't gotten stronger. Let's do this."