The Absence of the Shadow
Jinwoo had defeated Tae-seong and Dae-ho through frontal assaults, relying on his integrated blueprints to overcome sheer power and defense. But The Shadow, whose real name was rumored to be Lee Ji-hye, was different. She controlled the hidden economy of the Crews—the information, the illegal betting rings, and the espionage. She never fought. She watched, then dismantled her targets from a distance.
Jinwoo realized a direct confrontation was impossible. Ji-hye was a Ghost in the system; he had to find the Ghost in her system.
He returned to the empty gym, focusing not on the defeated Dae-ho, but on the silent observer: Ryu Jae-wook. Jae-wook had watched the fight, and Jae-wook was the link between the fighters and the intelligence.
The key to finding The Shadow lay in observing the Tactician himself.
The Blueprint of the Observer
Jinwoo found Jae-wook in the school library, surrounded by books on psychology, sociology, and statistical analysis. He was the perfect example of a non-combatant weapon.
Jinwoo sat nearby, focusing his Mimicry on the way Jae-wook processed information. He wasn't copying a move, but a cognitive structure—the ability to identify and exploit vulnerabilities by turning raw data into actionable intelligence.
The headache this time was cold, like a complex algorithm running in his brain.
Blueprint 8: The Observer's Filter (Vulnerability Analysis)
• Knowledge: The framework for filtering irrelevant data, spotting minute behavioral anomalies, and cross-referencing information to identify a person's physical, psychological, and environmental weak points.
• Function: Jinwoo's perception subtly shifted. He could now see subtle tics, momentary lapses in focus, and environmental blind spots.
The Information Labyrinth
The Observer's Filter immediately proved its worth. Jinwoo realized that the video feed Jae-wook used to watch the fights wasn't a standard setup; it relied on a compromised CCTV network. He traced the anomaly using the blueprint's new processing speed and pinpointed the control hub to a small, forgotten computer lab in the basement.
He moved at midnight. Using his Minjun Footwork and the Architect's Echo to predict the patrol patterns of Tae-seong's remaining lackeys, Jinwoo slipped into the lab.
The room was the hub of the Shadow Crew. Monitors displayed feeds from all over the city and the school. At the central terminal sat Lee Ji-hye, The Shadow, a small, unassuming girl with startlingly intense eyes and three screens displaying financial data.
"I knew you were coming," Ji-hye said, not turning. "The moment Tae-seong lost, my model predicted you'd hit the weakest point in the defense—my observation hub."
Ji-hye finally turned, holding a small, high-frequency sonic emitter. "You're a physical mimic. My counter is Sensory Overload."
She activated the emitter. A sound that was just above audible frequency slammed into Jinwoo's ears, instantly turning his internal Echoes into agonizing feedback. His head seized up, paralyzing his ability to use Mimicry.
I can't think! Jinwoo's knees buckled.
"Your strength is your mind's speed," Ji-hye stated calmly. "My blueprint is designed to crash your system."
The Counter-Attack of the Mind
Jinwoo was helpless. His Constitution of Iron and physical strength were useless against a targeted neurological attack.
He fell back on instinct, channeling the chaotic energy of Rage's Explosive Recruitment to simply move. He lunged, not aiming for Ji-hye, but for the power cord of the emitter, using the Minjun Striking Mechanics to deliver a perfect, low kick.
The emitter cut out. Silence returned, and Jinwoo gasped, the agony receding.
Ji-hye, however, hadn't flinched. She simply pulled a cable from a drawer—a reinforced wire garrote. She was fast, moving with a quick, practiced lethality that spoke of focused, specialized training.
She lunged, aiming to wrap the garrote around Jinwoo's neck.
Jinwoo saw the blur but filtered it through the Observer's Filter. He didn't see a girl; he saw a sequence of leverage points. He saw her momentary hesitation due to the lack of her primary weapon.
He met her charge, not with a punch, but with the defensive angles of the Blueprint of the Bind. He deflected the wire with a precise elbow strike, then shifted his weight using the Joo Hyuk Stability.
He grabbed her wrist. He wasn't trying to fight, only to Mimic.
He focused on the wrist, the arm, and the neural commands that controlled the garrote.
The Echo was a clean, surgical cut.
Blueprint 9: The Ghost's Precision (Subtle Disruption)
• Knowledge: The precise biomechanical path for disarming and neutralizing an opponent using minimal, non-damaging force. The art of disruption without engagement.
Jinwoo instantly released her. Ji-hye stared at her hand, realizing he had disarmed her without causing a bruise.
"You took my sight," Jinwoo stated, his breath ragged. "I took your precision."
He picked up her notebook—a digital tablet detailing every vulnerability of the school's administration.
"You're a Ghost, Ji-hye," Jinwoo said, his voice flat. "But I now have the blueprint to see through your surveillance. The game is over."
Ji-hye slumped into her chair, a chilling mix of defeat and curiosity in her eyes. "The Brute, the King, and the Shadow. You've beaten the whole operational arm. That leaves only The Ghost—and The Tactician."
Jinwoo looked at the tablet, his mind already running the Observer's Filter on the data. He had the blueprints to fight, endure, and now, analyze.
He had to strike the mastermind, Jae-wook, before Jae-wook could use his ultimate weapon: The Ghost.
The pieces are set. The next two targets are The Ghost (the unknown ultimate fighter) and Ryu Jae-wook (The Tactician, the mastermind).