By Zephyria 
The end of winter, just before the coming spring. The city was immersed in a long silence.
One star was slowly losing its light in the cloudy sky. And on the opposite side, a new star was rising. It was a night when one era was ending and another was beginning.
The cold air flowed across the ground, and the black sky was covered in deep darkness without a moon. Neon signs occasionally illuminated the dark alleys, and the streetlights reflected long on the wet asphalt. The chilly aftertaste of late winter, with its unique dryness, created a strange atmosphere like the eve of a storm.
Brrr.
In a corner of the city center, shrouded in silence, several black vans slipped in like shadows.
Even the engine sounds were lowered, as if they had become one with the darkness, quietly holding their breath and hiding. Inside the cars, men with fierce expressions were packed tightly.
Because the headlights were not even turned on, their faces were submerged in darkness, and only their shapes were faintly visible. The low breathing, the hands wearing leather gloves, the eyes shining as they gripped their weapons tightly were eerie. Hammers, filleting knives, iron pipes… No one said a word. Because there was no reason to exchange unnecessary conversations.
The Jeun Faction members all had the same purpose.
In the car, waiting for orders, a faint lighter flame flickered. Just as the cigarette smoke was about to spread slowly, a man waved it away with his hand and growled lowly.
“It’ll smell. Turn it off.”
The flame went out, and darkness swallowed the car again. Jeon Ho-chang clicked his tongue and checked his phone.
Just in time, the long-awaited instructions had arrived. It was the order to charge.
“It’s now. Let’s go.”
Quietly and in an orderly manner, the doors opened. Jeun Faction members wearing black jackets hid in the darkness and ran to their destination one by one. The number of people was not small.
In front of the members-only club run by Kwon Hyeon-oh, the narrow alley was filled with them in an instant. The two guards standing at the entrance were surprised and their expressions changed.
“What, these bastar…!”
Thud.
Before he could finish speaking, one of the guards was hit on the head with a blunt weapon and collapsed. Before he could even scream, his body rolled to the floor. The guards who belatedly saw the CCTV and ran out hurriedly sent a signal with a walkie-talkie and fought back, but they couldn’t withstand the endless black shadows that were rushing in.
Before their hands could even rise, their entire bodies were crushed by the bludgeons. Wrists were snapped, and they fainted.
“Ugh!”
“Kuh, huh!”
Those who had fallen to the floor writhed in pain, bleeding, while the remaining guards hesitated, trying to escape. But there was nowhere for them to run. They would all fall to the same fate.
“What’s taking you so long? You bastards, push in!”
Jeon Ho-chang shouted roughly, giving orders. Cleaning up this building was his task for the day.
Without hesitation, the gang members threw open the doors of the club.
The customers, complacent in the belief that this was a place only for VIPs, were startled and shrank back. Fear instantly filled the opulent interior, adorned with expensive decorations and golden chandeliers. Those who had been intoxicated by alcohol and their own wealth and power seemed like frightened lambs today. Today, their perfect world was about to crumble.
The gang members, dripping blood, stormed relentlessly inside. The guests hid under tables or screamed and tried to flee. Kwon Hyeon-oh quickly urged his men on.
“Spread out quickly! Find it.”
The casino was supposed to be in the basement. They had to find the secret passage leading to the hidden space.
Jeon Ho-chang had only been ordered to clean up the interior, but he wanted to seize a decisive opportunity by storming the casino where Kwon Hyeon-oh and the five elders of the Gyeongjeong Faction were likely gathered. Otherwise, he feared he would be useless to both sides and would have to bow his head to Kwon Rae-i.
‘I’ll eliminate Kwon Hyeon-oh first.’
No matter how great Kwon Rae-i had once been, he was a coward who had abandoned Jeun and run away. He would have followed him without complaint before, but now he didn’t want to obediently bow his head. Call it petty pride if you will. Jeon Ho-chang also had subordinates who trusted and followed only him, and he had to show them a cool side, at least in front of them.
“What’s taking you so long? Are you guys not running properly!”
Jeon Ho-chang shouted impatiently. He thought he would find the passage quickly with a little searching, but the building’s structure was more complex than he had anticipated. His anxiety grew. The more it did, the more commotion he heard from all directions, and the chaos intensified.
“Damn it, this way is blocked!”
“I think we’ve picked the wrong spot here too!”
“Hey, go back! To the other side!”
“Ah, shit, I’ll try going up higher!”
However, they couldn’t go up the passage. The entrance was completely blocked. Kwon Hyeon-oh’s subordinates, the gang members of the Gyeongjeong Faction, had heard the radio and were swarming down, each armed with weapons. There were more than just a few of them.
Even though some of their forces had defected, it seemed that quite a few guys still followed Kwon Hyeon-oh, the second-in-command of the Gyeongjeong Faction. Jeon Ho-chang clicked his tongue and shouted loudly.
“Hey! Block them!”
Not a single one of those bastards should get out.
He had to push through quickly and find Kwon Hyeon-oh…
‘Damn it…!’
Jeon Ho-chang frantically assessed the situation. A melee broke out on the stairs, and Gyeongjeong Faction bastards poured out of the elevators that arrived next. It was chaos everywhere. At this rate, it would be difficult to even put up a fight, let alone find the passage to the underground casino.
In the end, Jeon Ho-chang, who had been watching from behind, drew his sword and jumped directly into the fray. He stabbed and slashed at the hulking figures blocking his path, forcing his way through.
“Kuh!”
He felt a burning sensation. Looking at his forearm, he saw that it had been cut near the wrist. Clicking his tongue, Jeon Ho-chang aimed for the eyes of the guy who had cut him and forcefully plunged his sword in.
Thwack!
With a sickening feeling, the large body slumped. Jeon Ho-chang swallowed a curse and twisted the blade, pulling the sword out of the eye.
Just then.
He heard the sound of leisurely footsteps entering the battlefield.
A man appeared, wearing a black jacket, black gloves, and a turtleneck that covered his neck, with a helmet on his head that concealed every bit of his skin.
He strode into the interior, surveying the chaotic scene inside the club.
The expressions of the Jeun Faction gang members who saw his distinctive helmet changed. Even the lowest-ranking members knew H. The Jeun-affiliated gang members, having gained a reliable ally, sparkled with excitement.
And behind him, a black shadow appeared.
The man in the black suit was a well-known figure to everyone. There was no way not to recognize him. The Gyeongjeong Faction had even issued a nationwide search warrant for him.
‘Woo Tae-hwon?’
It was Woo Tae-hwon. The action leader of the Gyeongjeong Faction.
The traitor who had killed Chairman Kwon Jung-il.
Upon confirming his face, the complexions of the Gyeongjeong Faction gang members immediately changed.
“Damn it, Woo Tae-hwon! It’s Woo Tae-hwon!”
How much was the bounty on that neck, anyway? If they caught Woo Tae-hwon, they could elevate their name in the Gyeongjeong Faction and get a fast promotion. It was as good as changing their fate.
“There! Catch him!”
The Gyeongjeong Faction gang members, who had been evenly matched with the Jeun Faction, changed their target. More than a few of them were jumping at Woo Tae-hwon. Thanks to the unexpected diversion of personnel, the ranks of the Gyeongjeong Faction gang members collapsed. This was good news for the Jeun Faction gang members fighting against them, but it wouldn’t be for Woo Tae-hwon.
‘Even if he is that Woo Tae-hwon, can he withstand being swarmed like this?’
After all, a brawl was already underway.
It didn’t matter who it was; if they could just catch Woo Tae-hwon, they could get a big reward.
The Gyeongjeong Faction gang members all had similar mindsets as they charged at Woo Tae-hwon. However, their futile hopes were shattered into pieces nearby without going far.
“How dare you.”
Kwon Rae-i, wearing the helmet, chuckled and muttered.
In his raised hand, he held a jet-black pistol.
Bang! Bang!
Gunshots rang out, and two Gyeongjeong Faction gang members who had been running towards Woo Tae-hwon fell to the floor side by side. He continued to fire at them, who were clutching their chests and groaning. It was a firm declaration that he wouldn’t let a single one of them approach Woo Tae-hwon.
“Aaaagh!”
“Ugh, hwaaaack!”
“Kaack! Huh!”
As screams erupted along with the gunshots, the club was engulfed in terror. The Gyeongjeong Faction gang members hesitated and retreated, and the customers in the club all crawled under the tables, clutching their heads. None of them would ever come here again. The sound of Kwon Hyeon-oh’s black money line being cut off could be heard.