Jake, Jay, and Zack were walking down the corridor.
A huge body was draped over Zack's shoulders and another body with blonde hair was draped over Jake's shoulders.
These two bodies were none other than Jibeom and Hudson. Both of them had been knocked unconscious.
"I don't understand. What did this to them?" Zack asked.
Jake's face was grim. "It seems that 1st Affiliate has someone very strong. At least stronger than the woman we faced. We have to be careful."
As they were passing through the corridor, Jake's eyes fell on a room with its door opened.
A man wearing a white shirt and pants stood with his back turned to the door.
Jake's eyes widened in recognition. "Samuel?"
Zack asked, "Is it someone you know?"
Samuel seemed to have heard their conversation. He turned back with a twisted expression on his face. Seeing Jake, he muttered, "Br..."
"Br?" Jake was confused. He handed Hudson over to Jay. "You guys go ahead. I will join you soon."
Zack asked, "We can stay behind to help. He doesn't seem to be in his right mind."
Jake shook his head. "It's okay. I will handle it."
Zack looked at Jake and Samuel back and forth before nodding and leaving with Jay.
Samuel continued to mutter. "Br... Br..." He smiled, his expression twisted. "My father didn't sell AC units. My father was the legendary fist. Not someone pathetic. It's Gapryong Kim. GAPRYONG KIM! GAPRYONG KIM! GAPRYONG KIM! GAPRYONG KIM! GAPRYONG KIM! GAPRYONG KIM! GAPRYONG KIM! GAPRYONG KIM! GAPRYONG KIM!"
Samuel had lost himself in madness.
Jake approached him. "That's weird. You're my father's son? When he had no other kid around my age? And what did you mean by 'AC units'?"
Samuel smiled madly at Jake, tears flowing down his face. "Brother. Death penalty."
Jake was confused. "Brother? Death penalty? What's that supposed to mean?"
Samuel smashed his fist into Jake's fist, a smile spreading on his face. "IT'S DEATH PENALTY!"
He grabbed Jake's hair and shoved him down on the floor headfirst, cracking the floor. "DIE! DIE ALREADY!"
He grabbed the back of Jake's head and pulled him close before smashing his face into the wall. "YOU HEAR ME? DIE!"
Jake grabbed Samuel's shirt. Both of them slammed their fists into each other's faces, splashing blood. Their heads snapped back.
"Get your," Jake punched down again. "SHIT TOGETHER!"
Samuel also punched at the same time.
They continued exchanging blows.
Jake murmured, "Crazy fucker. You said Workers feed you well. The fuck did you stuff yourself with to act like this?"
A wide grin appeared on Samuel's face. "It's you."
"What?"
"Gapryong Kim's son. Jake Kim. Head of Gangseo Middle School." Samuel said. He approached Jake. "It was you. You were Gapryong Kim's son. IT WAS YOU!"
He punched Jake in the stomach. Jake doubled over. Samuel shouted, "HE'S AN A/C THOUGH!"
Samuel threw another punch. "MY DAD'S AN A/C!"
Jake ducked down. "Samuel, you—"
Before he could finish his words, Samuel kneed him in the face.
Jake tackled Samuel. "Learn A/C starting tomorrow!" But he couldn't push Samuel much further. Samuel smiled madly. "Live! Even if you look like that! Live when it becomes Dad's summer!"
Samuel picked Jake up and slammed him headfirst into the ground, creating a crater. "DAD REVIVAL!" He pressed down Jake's head with his foot. "WHY!"
Jake murmured, "Crazy fu—"
Samuel pressed down on Jake's face with both of his feet. "Why did you appear in front of me? WHY DID YOU APPEAR IN FRONT OF ME? ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME MISERABLE?"
He jumped down on Jake's head several times. "BREEZE! BREEZE! BREEZE! BREEZE!"
During his last jump, Jake sent him flying with a kick.
Samuel rolled on the ground.
Jake took in deep breaths. "Oh. Right. I forgot. So that's why you've been acting like that." He rolled his shoulder. "It's 'cause there wasn't a clear victor that time, right?"
---
Seongji, Alexander, and Jerry were walking through a corridor.
Seongji asked, suspicious, "Do you truly know where Vin Jin is?"
Alexander became nervous. "I swear upon my life. They were supposed to be at the top floor. It seems they have gotten what they came for and have already left."
Seongji nodded. "You don't have to get so nervous. I'm not a lion or bear who would eat you, you know."
Alexander nervously nodded.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake.
Seongji raised his eyebrow. "What's happening? Is this an earthquake?"
Alexander crouched down, covering his head. "What is happening today? Why am I getting into all sorts of trouble today?"
A huge shadow covered the corridor, including Jerry's large figure.
Alexander and Seongji's eyes were drawn to something behind Jerry. Their eyes widened in surprise.
Jerry looked confused. "What happened—"
Before he could finish his words, a large fist slammed down on him, smashing him into the floor.
A huge and muscular man stood at Jerry's place. He was half-naked and wearing a mask that partially covered his features. Several lines of uniform stitching covered his body in a patchwork pattern.
This was No. 1 of the 1st Affiliate. This was the Monster of 1st Affiliate. He was so tall that Seongji Yuk, who is 6 feet 5 inches, looked small before him.
The monster growled and saliva fell from his mouth.
Seongji couldn't help but mutter, "Holy... What is this thing? Just what is going on in this place?"
Alexander was scared. He was frozen in his place. "Shit! Shit! Shit! God damnit! Am I fucking cursed or something?"
The ground trembled again as the massive figure took a step forward. His breathing was heavy and animalistic. Saliva dripped from behind the cloth mask covering his face.
Seongji kept his eyes on the creature. "Alexander, take your friend and go."
Alexander didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed Jerry's arms and started dragging the large man's unconscious body down the corridor. The sound of his grunting and Jerry's body scraping against the floor faded as they disappeared around the corner.
The monster tilted his head, watching Alexander leave. Then his attention snapped back to Seongji.
Seongji's eyes began to glow green. Emerald light filled both of them as he rolled his shoulders and settled into his stance.
The monster charged. His footsteps cracked the floor with each step. He swung a massive fist down at Seongji's head.
The fist crashed into Seongji's face. His head barely moved. The impact echoed through the corridor but Seongji stood in place, his muscles hardened to the point where the blow might as well have hit stone.
The monster's eyes widened behind his cloth mask. He swung again with his other fist, this time aiming for Seongji's ribs. The blow landed clean. Seongji didn't flinch.
"I am curious. What are you?" Seongji asked.
The monster roared and unleashed a flurry of punches. Each one was powerful enough to cave in a wall. They rained down on Seongji's head, his chest, his arms. The sound of impact after impact filled the corridor like thunder. Dust shook loose from the ceiling.
Seongji stood through all of it. His body absorbed each strike without giving ground. The monster's knuckles began to turn red.
When the monster finally paused to catch his breath, Seongji stepped forward. He grabbed the monster's extended arm with both hands. His twelve fingers locked around the thick forearm and he squeezed until he felt muscle compress and bone grind together beneath his grip.
The monster howled. He tried to yank his arm free but Seongji held firm. Seongji twisted his hips and pulled, using the monster's own mass against him. The massive body stumbled forward off balance.
Seongji drove his knee into the monster's ribs. The impact cracked bone and the monster's howl turned into a choked gasp. Before he could recover, Seongji released the arm and grabbed the monster's head with both hands. He pulled it down and drove his other knee up into the monster's face.
The cloth mask tore slightly. Blood sprayed from the impact and the monster staggered backward, but he didn't fall.
The monster swung wildly. His massive fist came around in a wide arc toward Seongji's temple. Seongji didn't dodge. The fist connected with a meaty thud. His head turned slightly with the force but his feet stayed planted. The monster's eyes went wide with something that looked like fear.
Seongji's eyes shifted. The green glow faded and red light took its place. Both eyes were burning crimson in the dim corridor.
He grabbed the extended arm and yanked the monster forward. His fist crashed into the monster's stomach and the impact echoed like a thunderclap. The monster's feet left the ground. He flew backward and crashed through a wall into an adjacent room.
Seongji walked through the hole in the wall. The monster was already getting up, shaking debris from his shoulders. Blood dripped from under his torn cloth mask but he charged anyway.
Seongji caught the monster's fist in his palm. His fingers closed around it and he squeezed until he felt bones grind together. The monster's roar turned into a shriek. Seongji yanked the arm down and drove his knee into the monster's face. The cloth mask tore further and blood sprayed from the impact.
The monster staggered but swung with his other arm. Seongji grabbed that wrist mid-swing. Now he held both of the monster's wrists and the monster thrashed, trying to break free.
Seongji pulled the monster close and drove his forehead into the monster's face. The cloth mask ripped away completely. The monster's eyes rolled but Seongji didn't let him fall. He released one wrist and grabbed the monster's throat.
He lifted the massive body off the ground with one arm and slammed it into the floor. The floor cratered beneath the impact and concrete chunks exploded outward. The monster coughed blood.
The monster kicked up desperately. His foot caught Seongji in the chest and Seongji slid backward several feet, his shoes squeaking on the floor. He stopped and looked down at his chest where the kick had landed.
The monster climbed to his feet. He was breathing harder now, and blood was pouring from his ruined face. But he charged again.
Seongji's eyes shifted once more. The red glow faded and blue light took its place. Both eyes were shimmering like sapphires.
The monster swung. Seongji moved and one moment he was in front of the monster, the next he was behind him. His fist drove into the monster's kidney. The monster crashed forward into the wall, demolishing it.
Before the monster could recover, Seongji appeared beside him. His elbow crashed into the monster's temple and the monster's head snapped to the side. Seongji grabbed his head and drove it into the wall. The wall cracked under the impact. He slammed the monster's head into it twice more until a section of the wall collapsed.
The monster swung blindly. His massive arm swept through empty air. Seongji was already gone, reappearing on the monster's other side. His knee crashed into the monster's broken ribs and the monster howled. He spun in a full circle with both arms extended, trying to catch Seongji with the wide sweep.
Seongji ducked under it and drove his fist into the monster's solar plexus. The air rushed out of the monster's lungs. Before he could recover, Seongji appeared above him. His heel crashed down on the monster's shoulder and the monster dropped to his knees. The floor cracked under the impact.
Seongji landed a few feet away. His eyes shifted back to green. The emerald glow returned and he stepped forward while the monster struggled to stand.
The monster managed to get to his feet. His legs shook. Blood covered his face and chest. His breathing rattled with broken ribs. He swung one last time with everything he had left.
Seongji didn't move. The fist crashed into his face and his head barely turned.
"I can tell that you've gone through something horrible. But I can't allow you to hurt others," Seongji said.
His eyes shifted back to red. The crimson glow returned as he grabbed the monster by the throat with both hands. His twelve fingers dug into the thick neck and he squeezed. The monster's hands came up and grabbed Seongji's wrists, trying to pry them off. His grip was still strong even now but Seongji's was stronger.
The monster's face turned red, then purple. His struggles weakened. His grip on Seongji's wrists loosened. His eyes started to roll back.
Seongji held the pressure for several more seconds until the monster's arms dropped to his sides. The massive body went limp. Seongji released him and the monster collapsed to the floor in a heap.
Seongji looked at his hands. His hands were covered in blood.
The red glow faded from his eyes. He turned and walked back toward the corridor where Alexander had taken Jerry. Behind him, the monster lay unconscious in the rubble, his chest rising and falling with shallow breaths.