Chapter 12 : A flame and Betrayal

Dohyun’s expression gradually twisted as he received a phone call from someone.

Seo Rin silently parted her lips to ask about his reaction, but all she got in return was his voice growing louder without any answer.

“So, you’re saying someone did a background check on Woo min?”

“They’re not exactly on good terms, but suddenly contacted me. They don’t seem to know he’s an SSS rank. They’re offering to boost him through the Gate, but they don’t seem trustworthy, so I thought I’d let you know.”

“Yeah, of course. Don’t worry.”

Click.

Dohyun hung up and let out a heavy sigh.

Seo Rin looked on curiously.

“What’s going on? Did something happen to Woo min?”

“Hold on, step outside for a moment.”

Dohyun glanced around and headed toward a place without people.

“Someone apparently did a background check on Woo min.”

“Huh?”

Who dared to be so reckless?

But the real problem was something else.

What if it got out that Woo min is a rank 555 player?

That would cause no small amount of trouble.

“Did information leak?”

“Doesn’t seem like it. I don’t think they know he’s SSS rank.”

That was at least fortunate.

It wasn’t a classified leak.

Who the hell would offer pearls to an SSS rank player?

They must have only heard the rumors.

From what it looked like, they only knew he had just ranked up as a player.

“First, find out the player’s identity.”

“That guy’s a player?”

“Yeah, his name is Cheon Taejin. He ranked up recently.”

“Got it.”

Seo Rin nodded in response.

They needed to show him clearly who he had dared to mess with.

So he could never crawl back again.

***

Sitting in a cafe, Taejin ground his teeth tightly.

Why?

Because the great Cheon Taejin had just been cut off.

No more calls from Woo min.

“Bastard, I swear I’ll kill you myself.”

Taejin muttered through gritted teeth.

Then, bitterly, he frowned again at a new notification on his phone.

That’s when it happened.

Ding.

A message arrived on Taejin’s phone.

Glancing with one eye, he saw it was from the Association.

Player Disqualification Notice.

“Huh?”

His eyes widened suspiciously.

Had it only been a few days since registration, and he was already disqualified?

He hadn’t even done much.

Hadn’t logged in much, nor entered the Gate.

Feeling frustrated, he immediately called the person in charge.

After a normal ring tone, someone answered.

– Hello?

“I just got the message and called. Why was I disqualified?”

He suppressed his boiling anger tightly.

No point stirring up trouble unnecessarily.

Maybe it was a system error.

“Is this really Cheon Taejin speaking?”

“Yes, it seems like a system mistake.”

– “No, this is a decision directly issued by the Association.”

“So what exactly did I do wrong?”

His voice rose higher.

The conversation tangled and began wearing him down.

– “Because it’s an internal Association matter, it’s difficult to provide exact reasons.”

It was maddening.

Being disqualified was unfair enough, but not being told why made it worse.

“Damn it, why so many vague reasons?”

Eventually, his suppressed rage burst out.

– “I’m ending the call now.”

And then click.

The call was disconnected.

Of course, not only the call was cut off.

Taejin’s sanity snapped as well.

“Ughhh!”

Even when he called back, no one answered.

Every single person he dealt with just made him angrier.

In the past, he wouldn’t have been able to meet their gaze.

But the real problem was something else.

What was he going to say to Hyungnim?

He was probably going to die.

He didn’t know what to do.

At this point, he might as well wreck everything.

If he was going to die anyway, better live a little longer.

Before that.

“I’m going to kill that bastard Kim Woo min.”

He’d start by eliminating the root of all problems.

It was all because of Woo min.

No matter how much he thought about it, that guy’s face wouldn’t leave his mind.

His house was conveniently nearby.

He bought a 5,000 won knife at the nearby market and headed toward Woo min’s place.

Already fallen into ruin.

No place left to go.

Knock, knock, knock—

But once he arrived at the door, hesitation crept in.

A simulation played vividly in his mind.

As soon as the door opened, he’d stab him in the stomach.

“Who is it?”

The door opened accompanied by a suspicious voice.

Woo min, unaware of the danger, was there.

Taejin swung the knife in an instant.

But—

Hwarrrk—

The protection of Bbyak activated, and it was useless against Woo min.

In an instant, flames erupted around his body, engulfing Taejin.

Surprised by the sudden situation, Taejin dropped the knife to the ground and fell backward.

“W-what is this?”

“Taejin?”

Woo min still hadn’t grasped the situation.

He had opened the door, someone had attacked him, and suddenly his body was blazing.

The Blessing of the Phoenix.

It blocked any hostile attacks aimed at its bearer.

Not only that.

It ignited flames all over the body.

The fire wouldn’t die out until the enemy disappeared.

“Please… save me… please…”

In the end, Taejin had to plead with tears before the flames died down.

His skin was charred black, and his scalp completely burned away.

He was no longer the man he once was.

Like a zombie on the verge of death.

“Eek, P-Phoenix, it’s the Phoenix.”

Looking up at Bbyak perched on his shoulder, Taejin shivered in shock.

He staggered backward and then began to crawl away frantically.

***

In a dark back alley, a white-haired man gathered his subordinates with a serious expression.

It was none other than Kang Cheongryong, boss of the Cheongryong faction.

With his massive frame incongruent with his age, he looked down at his subordinates.

“Kang Cheol, can you get ahold of the youngest one?”

“Yes, sorry, Hyungnim.”

It had already been three days without contact from Taejin.

Had he disappeared?

It didn’t matter.

The real problem was the Association beginning to exert pressure.

Just yesterday’s news.

The Association had declared war on crime.

They were attempting to recruit players for illegal activities.

Cheongryong faction was targeted because of that.

Clearly, the careless youngest had made a mistake.

Probably trying to deal with some friend or acquaintance and got exposed.

All that remained was to cut off his tail.

But he wasn’t answering.

He’d disappeared and was hiding, making him impossible to find.

“Use any means to find him. Understand?”

“Yes!”

There was truly no other option.

It might even be better to be caught by the Korean police.

No matter what happened, the Association was not to be messed with.

That was when the sound of sirens came from somewhere.

The inevitable had happened.

Police, armed and ready, began storming the Ajit.

“Hey, even if it’s the Association, this isn’t right.”

They were helpless.

They had to buy time somehow.

Even the Association couldn’t act like this without cause.

For now, deny everything.

Say they did nothing wrong.

“Long time no see, Kang Cheongryong.”

It was then.

Someone emerged from the police ranks.

It was Dohyun.

He greeted Kang Cheongryong as if they were acquaintances.

Cheongryong frowned.

He’d heard rumors that Dohyun was with the Association but never thought he’d come looking himself.

“Hey, Kang Dohyun, long time no see. Since the day before yesterday?”

“Right. Before the Tower appeared, so over ten years ago.”

Between the two, a mysterious tension unfolded.

“Still hung up on what happened back then?”

“No, that’s over between us.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re still sharp as ever.”

In truth, they were relatives.

To be precise, Dohyun’s uncle.

But their relationship was very strained.

When Dohyun became a gangster, his father’s business suffered because of Cheongryong.

It was settled now, but the resentment lingered.

“Today, I’m here on different business.”

“That doesn’t concern us. We can’t get through to Cheon Taejin either.”

“Write it down. We’ll find out gradually. For now, let’s all follow them before it gets worse.”

No room for compromise.

Follow the Association here?

They were talking about organized crime and war.

“If you really can’t come with us, explain yourself.”

“Go ahead, say it.”

“Kidnapping, rape, drugs. You’ve done a lot.”

“Why would someone like you do that? That’s police business, not yours.”

“Then how about this? Contracted player killings, kidnapping plans. And you’ve been skimming off a lot of items. Haven’t paid a single tax.”

He knew all the secret dealings.

There was an internal mole.

There was truly no way out now.

With content like that, even the Association’s involvement wouldn’t be surprising.

“Let’s settle this peacefully, huh?”

“That’s why. Please cooperate quietly.”

The conversation didn’t progress.

“Hey guys, block the street. We’re helpless.”

“Yes, Hyungnim.”

At this point, it was better to run to Japan.

Cheongryong faction’s financial lifeline was in Japan.

If they could only escape, rebuilding their power wouldn’t be difficult.

At Kang Jeongryong’s word, his subordinates grabbed their weapons and moved.

They were all people with nothing to lose.

The Association?

What was there to be afraid of?

They immediately blocked the police advancing to capture Jeongryong by lying down in the street.

They accepted being exposed.

Thanks to that, Cheongryong was able to buy time to escape.

Once inside a prepared car, a Japanese man in a black suit was waiting.

“In the end, you failed.”

“Huh, sorry about that.”

The man was an elite Yakuza sent by the Seryupa.

“Still no clue where Cheon Taejin is?”

“I released the men, but couldn’t find him.”

Cheongryong sat in the back seat, lighting a cigarette.

One wrong kid, and look at this mess.

The mighty Kang Cheongryong of the underworld looked pitiful.

“Too bad.”

At that moment.

The man stopped the car and sighed.

“What are you waiting for? Hurry up and go.”

“You’re no longer needed.”

“What?”

Suddenly, the man pulled out a Japanese sword from the trunk.

“Wait a moment.”

“I thought I might find something in Korea, but it’s a shame. I’ll report this to my boss.”

Then.

Swoosh—

Cheongryong’s neck dropped to the floor.

His hand stretched forward.

Hwarrok.

With blue flames, Kang Cheongryong’s body vanished without a trace.

Then, with an expression void of emotion, the man wiped the blood from the sword and made a call.

“Yes, Boss. We secured CCTV footage showing the destruction caused by the Phoenix.”

“Yes, but the whereabouts of that damned Phoenix remain unknown. The Cheongryong faction, which held major power nearby, was dismantled by the Association.”

“Understood. Returning now.”

What the unknown organization was looking for was the Phoenix.

The man took out sunglasses and put them on.

His eyes shone with a blue gleam.