The Reward
Chairman Kwon called Jinwoo immediately, his voice betraying a hint of excitement. "Excellent work, King. The Tokyo market is secured. You have proven yourself valuable."
Kwon revealed the true structure: the Syndicate was a global fighting organization that used the regional Crews as talent scouts and funding mechanisms. The Kings were ranked, not just regionally, but globally.
Kwon offered Jinwoo the ultimate reward: the opportunity to train with Commander Han himself, the gatekeeper of the un-copyable style.
The Master of Disruption
The training session was held in a secure, hidden facility back in the home city. Commander Han was silent, cold, and utterly terrifying.
"You think you can steal my skill?" Han's voice was a low growl. "My style isn't about movement; it's about anti-movement. It's the moment between breaths."
Han attacked. He didn't use striking, grappling, or speed. He used timing disruption. Jinwoo, relying on Pure Harmony, felt the Commander's movements constantly break the rhythmic flow of the universe. Every defense Jinwoo tried to execute was launched a split-second too early or too late, causing him to lose balance and posture.
Jinwoo spent hours being defeated, unable to land a single successful Echo. He was being beaten by a skill that existed in the negative space of his Mimicry.
The Breakthrough
Exhausted and bruised, Jinwoo sat observing Han. He forced his Reflective Mimicry to work on the Commander's failures—the single moments when Han's anti-rhythm briefly returned to a predictable flow.
He realized the Disruption wasn't random; it was a carefully calculated, repeated pattern of anti-rhythm.
Jinwoo copied the Anti-Rhythm Blueprint. The resulting Echo was terrifyingly unnatural—the knowledge of how to break one's own natural timing to disrupt an opponent's perception.
The next time Han attacked, Jinwoo, guided by the new Echo, deliberately shifted his own posture out of rhythm. He broke his own balance, which countered Han's disruption, momentarily forcing Han back into a predictable flow.
Han's eyes widened in genuine shock. Jinwoo had landed a tap—the first person ever to score a blow against the Commander in this fashion.
"You... you copied the gap," Han murmured, retreating. "You have the talent of a true Integrator. You're ready for the global stage."
Jinwoo had successfully copied the un-copyable. He was no longer just a mimic; he was a master of both Harmony and Disruption.