Chapter 2: First Blood, First Smile
[POV – Seongji Yuk]
The first thing Seongji noticed was the smile.
Not a nervous one. Not forced.
It was calm. Curious.
Like the bastard was already enjoying this.
Seongji cracked his knuckles and stepped forward inside the cabin. The floor creaked under his weight. The kid—Ethan Cross—didn't move from the futon. He just watched, eyes sharp, head slightly tilted.
"You staring for too long," Seongji said. "You scared or something?"
Ethan shook his head slowly. "No."
That annoyed him.
Most kids here flinched. Even grown men hesitated when Seongji looked at them like this. Cheonliang taught fear early.
But Ethan just smiled wider.
"You're strong," Ethan continued. "I can tell by how you stand."
Seongji scoffed. "You talk too much for someone who can barely sit up."
Ethan pushed himself to his feet.
Bad move.
The moment he stood, his knees buckled slightly. His body wasn't healed—not even close. Bandages wrapped his ribs, his shoulder stiff with pain.
Seongji saw it.
And grinned.
"So you are weak."
Ethan laughed quietly. "For now."
That was it.
Seongji stepped in and swung.
No warning. No mercy.
A straight right aimed at Ethan's face.
[POV – Ethan Cross]
Fast.
Ethan barely had time to react.
Seongji's punch tore through the air with weight behind it—real weight. Not sloppy, not wild. This wasn't a street kid swinging for pride. This was someone used to hurting others.
Ethan leaned back on instinct.
Too slow.
The fist clipped his cheek.
Pain exploded across his face as he crashed into the wall, wood cracking behind him. His vision blurred, ears ringing.
So this is Cheonliang strength…
He wiped blood from his lip.
And smiled.
"Oh," Ethan muttered. "That felt great."
Seongji paused.
"…What?"
Ethan pushed off the wall, feet sliding into position. His stance wasn't perfect—his body was still weak—but his eyes were alive.
Predatory.
He rushed forward.
Seongji laughed and met him head-on.
[POV – Seongji Yuk]
Ethan moved weird.
Not trained. Not refined.
But not stupid either.
The kid threw a low kick—slow, easy to read. Seongji lifted his leg and checked it with his shin.
Crack.
Ethan hissed but didn't back off. Instead, he stepped in, shoulder slamming into Seongji's chest. The impact wasn't strong—but the intent was there.
Seongji grabbed Ethan's collar and drove a knee up.
Thud.
Ethan folded slightly, breath knocked out.
Seongji didn't stop.
He twisted his hips and threw Ethan to the floor, wood splintering as the kid hit hard. Seongji followed immediately, dropping his weight and raising his fist.
"This is Cheonliang," Seongji said. "You don't smile here."
He punched down.
[POV – Ethan Cross]
The punch never landed clean.
Ethan twisted just enough.
Seongji's fist slammed into the floor instead, shaking the cabin. Pain shot up Seongji's arm.
Ethan rolled, ignoring the scream in his ribs, and kicked upward.
Heel to jaw.
Not powerful.
But precise.
Seongji's head snapped to the side.
For the first time—just for a second—Seongji lost balance.
Ethan scrambled to his feet, breathing hard, chest burning. His body screamed at him to stop.
He didn't.
"This place," Ethan said between breaths, eyes shining, "is amazing."
Seongji touched his jaw, disbelief flickering across his face.
"…You hit me."
Ethan nodded. "Yeah."
Then he rushed again.
[POV – Mujin Jin]
Mujin watched from the doorway.
He didn't intervene.
Didn't speak.
He observed.
Seongji had overwhelming power. Clean movement. Natural brutality. A born fighter shaped by Cheonliang itself.
The other boy—Ethan—was unfinished.
But his eyes…
They were wrong.
No fear. No hesitation. Only hunger.
Ethan charged again and ate a heavy body blow. His ribs screamed, something probably cracked. He stumbled, nearly fell.
Then he laughed.
A low, delighted sound.
And swung anyway.
Mujin's lips curved slightly.
…A demon.
[POV – Seongji Yuk]
Seongji ended it with a kick.
A full-force roundhouse to Ethan's side.
The impact echoed.
Ethan flew back, crashing into the wall again and collapsing to the floor, unmoving.
Silence filled the cabin.
Seongji stood there, chest rising, blood pumping, staring at the fallen kid.
"…Idiot," he muttered.
He turned away.
Then—
"Again."
Seongji froze.
He looked back.
Ethan was pushing himself up on shaking arms, blood on his teeth, eyes bright, smiling like he'd just won something.
"Not now," Ethan said. "But again."
Seongji stared.
Then he laughed.
A loud, genuine laugh.
"Tch. You're insane."
Ethan's smile widened.
"So are you."
Mujin stepped forward at last.
"That's enough," he said. "Both of you."
They stopped immediately.
Mujin looked at them—really looked.
"From today onward," Mujin continued, "you survive together."
His gaze sharpened.
"But remember this—"
He pointed at the blood-stained floor.
"Cheonliang only respects monsters."
Ethan wiped his mouth.
Seongji cracked his neck.
Neither looked away.
Chapter 3: The Rule of Cheonliang
[POV – Mujin Jin]
Cheonliang didn't teach with words.
It taught with hunger, broken bones, and corpses that never got names.
Mujin Jin walked ahead, footsteps steady as Seongji Yuk and Ethan Cross followed behind him through the narrow dirt paths cutting across the hills. The wind carried the smell of blood and rusted metal. Somewhere nearby, men were fighting—shouts, grunts, the sound of flesh meeting flesh.
"This place," Mujin said without turning back, "has one rule."
He stopped.
Both boys halted instinctively.
"The weak die," Mujin continued. "The strong survive. The strongest rule."
Seongji smirked. "Makes sense."
Ethan tilted his head, eyes sharp. "And how do you decide who's strong?"
Mujin glanced back at him.
"You don't decide," he said. "Cheonliang does."
[POV – Seongji Yuk]
They reached a clearing.
Five men stood there.
Older. Bigger. Scarred.
Cheonliang locals.
Seongji recognized two of them—thugs who controlled this part of the area. They weren't kings, but they were high enough to bully anyone weaker.
One of them spat on the ground when he saw Mujin.
"Tch. Old man," the thug said. "You bringing fresh meat again?"
His eyes moved to Ethan.
Skinny. Bandaged. Smiling.
Perfect target.
The thug grinned. "I'll take that one."
Ethan stepped forward before Seongji could speak.
"I go first," Ethan said casually.
Seongji frowned. "You can barely stand."
Ethan glanced back, smile sharp. "That's why it's fun."
Mujin didn't stop him.
That annoyed Seongji.
[POV – Ethan Cross]
The man walked toward him with lazy confidence.
Big shoulders. Thick arms. Center of gravity low. Street fighter type—used to overpowering weaker opponents.
Ethan's ribs screamed with every breath.
Good.
Pain sharpened things.
"Kid," the man said, cracking his knuckles. "I'll make this quick."
Ethan smiled wider.
"Try."
The man lunged.
Fast for his size.
Ethan didn't retreat.
At the last second, he stepped inside the punch, shoulder brushing past the man's chest. The fist grazed his ear instead of crushing his face.
Ethan drove his elbow upward.
Crack.
Not bone—but soft tissue.
The man grunted, staggered.
Ethan didn't stop.
He kicked the man's knee from the side—low, ugly, brutal. The joint bent wrong.
A scream tore out.
Ethan grabbed the man's head and slammed it forward.
Once.
Twice.
Blood sprayed.
The man collapsed.
Silence followed.
Ethan stood there, chest heaving, blood dripping from his own mouth, smiling like he'd just tasted something sweet.
"…Next," he said.
[POV – Seongji Yuk]
The others moved immediately.
One rushed Ethan.
Seongji stepped in.
"No," he said. "My turn."
The man hesitated.
Bad choice.
Seongji surged forward.
He didn't waste movement.
A straight punch crushed into the man's ribs, folding him instantly. Seongji grabbed his collar and headbutted him—hard.
Crack.
The man dropped.
Another swung from behind.
Seongji twisted, caught the arm, and threw him over his hip. The body slammed into the ground.
Seongji stomped.
Once.
The fight was over.
Three men down.
Two left.
They backed away slowly, fear finally creeping in.
"Run," Mujin said coldly.
They didn't need to be told twice.
[POV – Mujin Jin]
Mujin watched the two boys breathe heavily, bloodied, eyes still burning.
Different styles.
Same result.
He stepped forward.
"Understand now?" Mujin asked.
Seongji wiped blood from his knuckles. "Yeah."
Ethan nodded. "Yeah."
Mujin's gaze hardened.
"Good," he said. "Because from tomorrow onward—"
He pointed toward the deeper parts of Cheonliang.
"You hunt."
Seongji grinned.
Ethan laughed softly.
Two smiles.
Two demons.
Cheonliang had just become louder.