The car rumbled steadily along the highway, its tinted windows reflecting the dim glow of neon as the cityscape thinned on the way to Incheon. Inside, Daniel Park sat in silence, his small frame pressed against the leather seat, but his mind sharper and heavier than ever. His eyes, calm yet calculating, looked out at the blur of the night.
He wasn't going blindly. This journey had been planned meticulously.
Flashback – Hours Earlier, Union Office
Daniel sat alone in his office, documents, maps, and surveillance reports spread across his desk. The air was quiet except for the faint hum of the city outside, but inside Daniel's mind, the pieces of a dangerous puzzle were falling into place.
"Incheon…" he muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning the notes. "Two kings. Two factions. One war."
He read the reports again.
Yujae Seon — current King of Incheon, leader of the Dark Crocodile Society, a faction that had existed since the 0th Generation. Ruthless, organized, and backed by a thousand subordinates and captains. Their base was Chinatown, and their reach extended into every major business in Incheon. They were predators—cold, calculating, merciless.
Then there was Jaegyeon Na — the other King of Incheon, leader of the Speed Faction. Compared to the Crocodile Society's overwhelming numbers, the Speed Faction was smaller, numbering barely a few thousand at most. They had been resisting the Dark Crocodile Society for years, their defiance earning them scars, but their determination keeping them alive.
Daniel's gaze lingered on one particular report.
Before this civil war, Incheon had not been divided. It had once been unified under a single man: Yugang Ha, the True King of Incheon, a legend of the Speed Faction. His rule had kept the city balanced, stable, and feared. But that era ended in blood. Yugang Ha had been betrayed and killed—slain by Yujae Seon with the help of the Dark Crocodile Society. After that, Incheon fractured.
Both Yujae Seon and Jaegyeon Na had once been members of the Speed Faction. Brothers-in-arms. But when their king died, one betrayed his roots to seize power, while the other rose in defiance, declaring himself king to resist the Dark Society's domination.
Daniel closed the folder, his expression unreadable.
"My forces… 2,000 to 2,500 strong," he thought. "Enough to hold Gwangseong. Enough to crush high school crews. But not enough to storm Incheon—not yet."
He tapped the table, eyes narrowing.
"If I'm to face the Crocodiles, I need more. Alone, we'll bleed. But with Jaegyeon Na…"
The idea was dangerous. Risky. But it was the only way.
"An alliance. Or at least, a pact."
He leaned back in his chair, his lips curling into the faintest smirk.
"Dark Society thinks I'm prey. They think they'll crush me. Let them keep thinking that. By the time they realize, I'll already have my claws in their throat."
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Present – Incheon Streets
Daniel stepped out from the car into the heart of Incheon. The first thing that struck him wasn't the noise or the crowds, but the silence that clung to the city. The streets were cracked and broken, buildings left half-destroyed, their scars whispering of the civil war that had split the city apart.
Every corner carried tension. People moved quickly, their eyes avoiding contact, as if shadows themselves were watching.
Daniel looked around, his sharp gaze soaking in the ruined district, the weight of its history pressing down on him.
A faint smirk touched his lips.
"So this is Incheon… A city of kings. The land of war."
He adjusted his coat, the faintest glint in his eyes.
"Let's see if the Speed Faction is worth bleeding for."
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