The Final Local Piece
Jinwoo had one remaining local task: defeat the South Crew Master and fully integrate his territory. But now, with the Echo of Flow Disruption in his arsenal, the fight was personal—it was a fight for the true meaning of martial arts.
Jinwoo sought out the Master at his dojo. The Master met him without hesitation.
"You now know my flow, and the disruption of my student," the Master said, serene. "But you still fight for a monster."
The Master attacked, moving with the deceptive simplicity of Pure Harmony. Jinwoo didn't fight back; he entered the flow, using his Echoes to mirror the Master's entire body movement, achieving perfect, fluid symmetry.
The Master conceded instantly. "You have my skill, child. But you have no soul for it. Go and use it for good, not for Kwon."
The Call to Arms
With the South Crew unified, the Syndicate officially recognized Jinwoo as the new regional King, commanding all local assets.
Jinwoo stood in the penthouse with Ryu Jae-wook, planning the next global move: The Shanghai King.
Suddenly, the doors burst open. It was Kang Minjun, battered and bloody, flanked by a squad of North Crew soldiers.
"Jinwoo! It's a trap!" Minjun gasped. "Jae-wook... he's been selling our strategy to the South Crew Master for years. He uses us all as bait for the Syndicate. The Master told me everything!"
Jinwoo looked at Jae-wook. The Strategist looked calm, but his hand hovered near a hidden pocket.
"A necessary calculation, King," Jae-wook said, adjusting his glasses. "I always play for the highest bidder. My loyalty is to the game."
The Confrontation of Alliance
Jae-wook was fast, but Jinwoo was faster. Jae-wook didn't pull a weapon; he launched a surprise attack using a complex, brutal street defense move Jinwoo had never seen.
Jinwoo reacted with Flow Disruption. He shifted his timing, causing Jae-wook's precise movement to fall apart. Jinwoo's hand darted out, using Master Kim's Pinpoint Precision to strike a nerve cluster on Jae-wook's wrist, neutralizing his movement.
"You're a genius, Jae-wook," Jinwoo said, his voice cold. "But genius relies on perfect information. You forgot that I copied the Anatomical Map from a healer, not a killer. I know exactly where to strike to neutralize you without killing you."
Jae-wook, immobilized, stared at Jinwoo with a look of pure, frustrated realization. "You are more dangerous than the Ghost ever imagined."
Jinwoo had defeated the betrayal, but the truth was laid bare: he was fighting a Syndicate that was far wider, deeper, and more ruthless than he imagined.