Chapter 142: Lawless Zone (4)
Choi Myung-hoon.
Age 19.
He often thought back to where it all started, especially when he saw his friends avoid his gaze with just a single look.
Was it when he was 10 years old?
He was just a lower grade elementary school kid, playing at the playground, when an older upperclassman suddenly kicked him. There was no reason. The fact that he was there was enough for violence to erupt, and not knowing much about fighting at the time, Choi Myung-hoon recklessly charged at him. The upperclassman was at least 10 centimeters taller than him, but despite that and other kids joining in, Choi easily knocked them down, realizing his talent.
Ah.
I’m good at fighting.
Confidence bloomed.
He started fighting kids known to be tough, and soon enough, his friends began calling him “the boss.”
His ego grew.
Walking around the neighborhood with swagger, he started picking fights with kids from other schools. After winning without fail, word spread that he had taken control of the entire area. It was likely because of this reputation that the Golden Circle naturally took an interest in him, and when he was just a first-year middle school student, he received his first request.
The first job.
It was simple.
He was asked to beat someone up to keep them from standing out at school. After thoroughly thrashing his target, he was paid 1 million won. His mind exploded with excitement. He was only in the first year of middle school. At an age where labor was prohibited, and even those with generous allowances only had a few tens of thousands of won, being paid a million won gave him an incredible rush of endorphins.
From then on, he took every job that came his way.
And not once.
Did he ever face a crisis.
Even when the jobs became harder and his opponents stronger, Choi Myung-hoon completed every request without much difficulty.
When the Golden Circle conducted an internal ranking evaluation, even the best fighters from other regions went down with a single punch from Choi Myung-hoon. What did he think at that moment? His opponents were usually neighborhood bosses, amateur fighters, sometimes even high schoolers or fighters who had professional experience. Though they were plastered with labels of being strong, their movements were predictable, and after a few exchanges, they were down.
It was talent.
He was the real deal.
His natural talent elevated him to S+ rank without ever facing a significant challenge.
He didn’t know much about the adult world.
But at least within his age group, in the world of minors, he was sure that no one could match him.
It wasn’t arrogance.
It was confidence.
The jobs he’d taken on.
The opponents he’d taken down.
They were all solid evidence.
So even when he took on this latest request, he had no doubts.
“Don’t worry. This isn’t my first time with a job like this, and there’s no way I’m going to lose to some kid who took over a backwater town like Daesan. It’ll be over soon. Just make sure the teachers are handled, and like always, I’ll wrap this up without any problems.”
When he accepted the request.
When he called in the underclassmen.
When he dropped the milk on Kim Hyun-seong’s head, even when Kim Hyun-seong pushed through the crowd and reached him.
He never doubted himself.
But now.
The situation unfolding before his eyes was far different from what he had expected.
* * *
The last punch.
It should’ve been enough.
It was an attack that even someone with an iron will would have crumpled under, but Kim Hyun-seong just spat out blood and charged at him.
*Paak—!*
A fist exploded.
Choi Myung-hoon blocked Kim Hyun-seong’s swift assault, trying to counterattack.
Kim Hyun-seong’s hand speed was clearly slower due to exhaustion, and with precise punches, Choi Myung-hoon sent his head snapping back. The feeling of satisfaction shot through his fist, assuring him that his punches had landed perfectly, yet Kim Hyun-seong’s momentum didn’t slow in the slightest.
*Whoosh.*
He dodged.
Then he sent his opponent’s face flying.
*Whisk, whisk.*
Once again, Choi Myung-hoon avoided each of his attacks and instinctively threw sharp counterpunches.
But without fail.
*Paak—!*
“Ugh.”
Choi Myung-hoon’s head snapped back.
Kim Hyun-seong embraced the chaos.
Even if he took two or three hits, he always made sure to land at least one.
When he allowed a hit, he minimized the damage, but when Kim Hyun-seong’s punches connected, it felt like his soul was being torn out. They were heavy blows. Training with Jung Doo-cheol had honed Kim Hyun-seong’s strikes to deliver significant damage, and now, that training was paying off.
Kim Hyun-seong’s eyes gleamed with murderous intent.
Without giving his opponent any time to catch his breath or recover from the damage, he relentlessly closed the distance and threw punch after punch.
‘This is insane.’
Choi Myung-hoon’s expression twisted in frustration.
This was an unfamiliar situation.
He had never faced someone who could take his attacks so casually and, in turn, overwhelm him with even greater destructive power. Could this even be called a high school-level fight? Although Choi Myung-hoon had fought countless high schoolers from across the nation in the Golden Circle, he was certain of one thing—Kim Hyun-seong was something beyond.
Especially those eyes.
They radiated a burning determination that screamed he wouldn’t stop until the end.
And it was overwhelming.
That realization struck Choi Myung-hoon with a deep sense of humiliation.
‘I’m going to lose? No way.’
He didn’t retreat any further.
Locking eyes with the blood-soaked Kim Hyun-seong, he exchanged punches with him.
*Thwack.*
*Paak—!*
Both of their heads snapped back simultaneously.
From that moment, it became a slugfest.
Whenever Kim Hyun-seong’s head jerked back, so did Choi Myung-hoon’s. And as he gritted his teeth and struck downwards, Kim Hyun-seong retaliated with his crimson face, landing a body blow. Even in the chaos, Kim Hyun-seong’s eyes remained sharp. He wasn’t just throwing wild punches. Having trained with Jung Doo-cheol in countless scenarios, including chaotic brawls, he knew how to take hits in ways that hurt less.
Taking just enough.
Deflecting just enough.
While delivering precise blows that left a mark.
Whenever Kim Hyun-seong’s punches dug into his body, Choi Myung-hoon’s eyes bulged as if they would pop out of his skull.
“Ugh.”
He gritted his teeth.
In that moment.
Choi Myung-hoon instinctively realized.
He was being pushed back.
Even though his opponent had already fought dozens of people.
Even though he himself was recognized as an S+ rank fighter by the Golden Circle, he couldn’t keep up in a pure, head-to-head fight.
Years of pure grit.
Hellish training.
Innate talent.
Just as Choi Myung-hoon was born with talent, so was Kim Hyun-seong.
If the Kim Hyun-seong of the past had taken an interest in fighting.
Perhaps a different future would have unfolded, one where he wasn’t thrown from a rooftop.
‘At this rate…’
The feeling of defeat washed over him.
Choi Myung-hoon’s eyes flickered with doubt.
Defeat meant.
Falling.
As much as the Golden Circle had emphasized this job, the consequences of failure would be dire.
*Taptap.*
He staggered backward.
His steps faltered.
Just as Kim Hyun-seong moved in to throw a follow-up punch.
“…!”
Suddenly.
Kim Hyun-seong’s movements froze.
* * *
“What the hell!”
“Oh my god.”
“Shouldn’t someone stop this?”
The hallway was in an uproar.
And it was no wonder.
Right behind Kim Hyun-seong.
Someone was there.
One of the underclassmen, with messy hair, had attacked him with something in his hand.
“Hey, you idiot, why didn’t you help sooner?”
Choi Myung-hoon’s face lit up with relief.
The person behind him was another S-rank fighter.
Jo Min-seok, a second-year at Daeseong Future High School.
Although the request had been primarily assigned to Choi Myung-hoon, the Golden Circle had also tasked Jo Min-seok with stepping in if needed.
If the situation called for it.
You should jump in, too.
Truth be told, Choi Myung-hoon never expected things to come to this.
He thought there would be no need for Jo Min-seok to get involved in dealing with just one guy, Kim Hyun-seong. When planning for this, he hadn’t even bothered asking for help. Honestly, he hadn’t expected anyone to break through the dozens of people, and even if Kim Hyun-seong did, Choi was confident his strength would be enough to take him down.
But as the situation unfolded differently from his expectations.
Jo Min-seok’s presence couldn’t have been more welcome.
Blending in with the crowd until things took a strange turn, Jo Min-seok had jumped into the fray.
However.
Despite the sudden attack, Jo Min-seok didn’t look too pleased.
“…Choi Myung-hoon, you idiot! Snap out of it and attack!”
That last strike.
Jo Min-seok had stabbed Kim Hyun-seong with a small knife.
It wasn’t meant to kill him, just to wound him. But despite the surprise attack, Kim Hyun-seong reacted immediately.
He had caught the blade with his bare hand.
Even as blood dripped from his torn flesh, Kim Hyun-seong’s eyes locked onto Jo Min-seok’s trembling gaze.
“This is it?”
He knew.
That there was someone besides Choi Myung-hoon.
He knew Jo Min-seok was there.
He had always factored in the worst-case scenario, just like now.
* * *
When Kim Hyun-seong was preparing to head to Seoul, at that time, Jeong Chan-soo was still part of the Golden Circle.
Having an insider provided significant advantages, and thanks to that, Kim Hyun-seong was able to gather information about Daeseong Future High School in advance.
Jeong Chan-soo had expressed his concerns.
“…I know you’re someone who has nothing to lose, but do you really have to go to Daeseong Future High School? It’s much more dangerous than other schools. Not only are the teachers all in on it, but there are two S-rank fighters. First, there’s Choi Myung-hoon. He’s naturally talented, a guy who’s taken down all the top fighters in the Golden Circle without even properly learning how to fight. Just dealing with him would be tough. But even if you manage to defeat him, there’s still Jo Min-seok.”
Jo Min-seok.
He was also S-rank.
But his ranking wasn’t earned through fighting skill.
“They call Jo Min-seok a ‘trash’ in the Golden Circle. He’ll do whatever it takes to complete a job, no matter how dirty. Even if he has to bash someone’s head in with a brick, he’ll do it to win. Have you ever seen someone use a knife in a fight? If you cause trouble at Daeseong Future High School, he might stab you. It’s not the first time he’s threatened people with a knife, and he’s always ready to go to prison if necessary. The Golden Circle’s rankings aren’t just about fighting ability. Keep in mind, a scrawny guy like Jo Min-seok getting S-rank means he’s dangerous in a different way.”
Daeseong Future High School.
It was, in every sense, the worst environment.
Corrupt teachers, police in league with them.
Choi Myung-hoon, a fighter who had no equal in one-on-one combat, and Jo Min-seok, who would stop at nothing to complete a job.
It seemed hopeless.
It was a place where Kim Hyun-seong, alone, would seemingly be powerless.
And that’s precisely why it mattered more.
If he could destroy the Golden Circle, even under such dire conditions, it would shake them to their core.
For the most ideal outcome.
He had chosen the most unfavorable situation.
Even as he climbed the stairs.
Even as he traded blows with Choi Myung-hoon.
Kim Hyun-seong remained alert.
He kept his ears open, staying sensitive to his surroundings.
That’s why, even while engaging in a straightforward brawl with Choi Myung-hoon, Kim Hyun-seong never dismissed the possibility that Jo Min-seok could intervene at any moment. And as expected, the moment he sensed someone approaching, he turned and caught the knife with his bare hand.
“You bastard…”
Jo Min-seok’s whole body trembled.
He was pressing the knife as hard as he could, but Kim Hyun-seong’s grip didn’t budge. A look of disbelief spread across his face.
What a miserable reality.
There was a knife attack happening in the middle of a school, and yet the teachers and police were working to create alibis to avoid responsibility.
He had to turn their indifference into his advantage.
*Yank.*
He pulled Jo Min-seok closer.
Even as the blade cut deeper into his hand, Kim Hyun-seong ignored the pain and drove his fist into Jo Min-seok’s face.
*Paak!*
“Ugh.”
A choked cry escaped Jo Min-seok as he staggered.
Before he could recover, Kim Hyun-seong grabbed him by the hair.
At that moment, with Choi Myung-hoon still too stunned to react properly.
*Crack!*
Kim Hyun-seong’s knee smashed into Jo Min-seok’s face.
Jo Min-seok was sent flying backward.
His face completely caved in.
Blood spurted from his mouth as his eyes lost focus.
Just like that.
*Thud.*
Jo Min-seok collapsed to the ground.
Now, only one remained.
“…I asked you. Is this all?”
Kim Hyun-seong, his face drenched in blood, turned his gaze toward Choi Myung-hoon, who stood frozen like a statue.