The gang beat several of Gin Chu Won's men bloody with their metal baseball clubs, surrounding them in a tight circle as groans and coughs echoed through the dim area.
Some of the men struggled to stay on their knees while others held their bruised ribs and bloodied faces, glaring up at the teenagers with fear and disbelief.
Jon Kin Kon slowly rested his metal bat over his shoulder, breathing heavily through his nose as sweat rolled down the side of his face.
Around him, the others stood their ground with hardened expressions, their uniforms stained with dirt and splatters of blood.
"HEY.....! You kids are high school students! You guys aren't juvies anymore, dammit! Would you be able to deal with the consequences?!" yelled Gin Chu Won.
His voice cracked with both anger and panic as he pointed at them with a trembling hand. Despite trying to sound authoritative, the fear in his eyes was becoming harder to hide after seeing his men beaten down so easily.
"Um duh, though thanks for worrying about us," said Jon Kin Kon with a sarcastic shrug. He casually spun the baseball bat once before gripping it again. "But we don't want to be incarcerated either. We didn't even hit you that much. Kinda unfair, no?"
A few members of the gang chuckled darkly behind him while one of Gin Chu Won's injured men groaned loudly after trying to crawl away.
Jon Kin Kon glanced at him for a moment before looking back at Gin Chu Won with an almost mocking calmness, as if the violence around them barely even bothered him.
"Instead of using weapons to get us uncertain results..." Jon Kin Kon said as he pulled out a small pocket knife from his shorts.
The faint metallic click of the blade unfolding instantly changed the atmosphere around them.
He slowly waved it around with a crooked grin on his face. "How about we slice and dice you all up so the po-po won't find traces of you guys, hmm?"
"Wait, what... do you mean...? NOO!!!" Gin Chu Won screamed in fear as Jon Kin Kon suddenly lunged forward and drove the pocket knife toward his gut.
Gin Chu Won's entire body jerked violently as his eyes widened in horror.
For a second, there was dead silence.
Then Jon Kin Kon gave out a mocking puff of laughter. "Kek... kehahaha."
He released Gin Chu Won and lightly shoved him backward. "Wimp."
Jon Kin Kon had only faked the stab, stopping the blade just short enough to terrify him. It was merely to prove a point about fear.
"I think that is enough, right?" he said casually.
Satisfied by the sight of Gin Chu Won panting heavily and nearly collapsing from terror alone, Jon Kin Kon turned around and stepped away with a smug expression on his face. He rested the folded knife against his shoulder while walking off.
"Let's get some beers and shit. We done what we—?!!"
Before he could finish, Kim Yeon Mikage suddenly snatched the pocket knife from Jon Kin Kon's hand with frightening speed and marched straight toward Gin Chu Won.
"Oi, princess, wait!!!"
Jon Kin Kon immediately reached out to stop her, but it was too late.
Kim Yeon charged toward Gin Chu Won with the blade now fully opened in her trembling hand. Tears streamed down her face of the night in the club, the drug, and the attempted gang rape.
"I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!!!"
The stab came down brutally. Blood immediately dripped onto the ground.
The gang froze completely at the horrifying sight, including Jon Kin Kon. Even Rae Yoorin stood there speechless with widened eyes.
But when Kim Yeon looked down at where she stabbed, her eyes widened in shock.
It was Shan Wolf's palm that had caught the blade.
The knife had pierced straight through his hand, blood slowly running down his fingers and dripping onto the pavement below. Yet Shan Wolf did not even flinch. His expression remained cold as he stared directly at Kim Yeon.
"Don't," Shan Wolf muttered with a sharp glare in his eyes.
Kim Yeon's body trembled uncontrollably as she stared at him. Her breathing became uneven while Shan Wolf slowly tightened his bleeding hand around the blade to stop her from pushing it any further.
Then, gradually, the harshness in his eyes softened.
He began telling Kim Yeon the truth about her mother, Ingrid Mikage. Her sacrifice. Her pain. Her past. How hard she struggled just to give Kim Yeon a better life away from all the ugliness surrounding them.
Every word made Kim Yeon's grip weaken more and more.
"I made a promise to your mother... to protect you," Shan Wolf said quietly to Kim Yeon.
Shan Wolf could still clearly remember what he told Ingrid that night after they had sex in his penthouse.
"I won't let them make you suffer anymore, Ingrid."
That promise had never left his mind.
No matter what happens... I will protect you.
Kim Yeon dropped the blood-covered pocket knife onto the ground with a loud metallic clatter. Her trembling hands slowly pulled away from Shan Wolf's bleeding palm as tears streamed endlessly down her face.
"My... mother....?"
She muttered weakly between sobs.
The emotions she had bottled up for years finally shattered all at once. Her breathing became uneven as tears blurred her vision. She wept and wept until her knees finally gave out beneath her.
"UWAAAAHHHH!!! I'm sorry, uncle...! I'm sorry... Uwaaahhh...!"
Kim Yeon clung tightly onto Shan Wolf's bloodied hand while crying uncontrollably, her entire body shaking from guilt, grief, and confusion. The blood staining her fingers only made her cry harder.
Shan Wolf quietly looked down at her before gently pulling her into his chest to comfort her despite the pain in his wounded hand.
"There, there... I'm here. This uncle got you," Shan Wolf said softly.
As he held her trembling body against him, an old memory resurfaced in his mind.
That snowy New Year morning.
Eva Kim had brought Ingrid and Kim Yeon over to his place for a warm, hearty breakfast. Snow had piled outside the apartment complex while the smell of soup and grilled meat filled the room.
Back then, Kim Yeon was just a cheerful sixteen-year-old girl happily calling him "uncle," completely unaware that Shan Wolf was only twenty-six himself.
The memory felt painfully distant now.
Shan Wolf slowly closed his eyes for a moment before speaking again in a calm, low voice.
"At this moment, all of this might hurt and be filled with sorrow and agony. Though you might live with scars... you will come to understand everything."
Kim Yeon continued crying into his chest while tightly gripping onto his jacket. Around them, the gang remained silent, not daring to interrupt the heavy emotions filling the air. Even Jon Kin Kon quietly looked away with a conflicted expression on his face.
"Humans live on and endure the scars and hardships they went through... or will face, kid," Shan Wolf muttered.
His voice was steady, but the pain behind it was unmistakable.
Just when things finally began to soften, a brutal strike suddenly came swinging down toward the back of Kim Yeon's skull.
But before it could even touch her, Shan Wolf's hand shot upward and caught it instantly with a loud metallic
CLANG!
"You got some nerves, Gin Chu Won," Shan Wolf muttered coldly.
Gin Chu Won gritted his teeth while gripping a massive sledgehammer with both hands now. Veins bulged across his forehead as panic and rage mixed together in his expression.
"Shut up and just die!!!"
At his command, two of his men immediately rushed toward Shan Wolf from both sides.
But in that precise second—
CRACK!
The two men's heads twisted backward unnaturally before their bodies dropped lifelessly onto the ground.
Silence.
The gang froze. Gin Chu Won's men instinctively stumbled backward in terror after witnessing what had just happened. Even Jon Kin Kon's expression stiffened slightly. Nobody had even properly seen the attack happen.
Only the Russian woman remained standing still with a grin on her face, clearly knowing exactly what had happened.
"You...!" Gin Chu Won pointed shakily toward the Russian woman. "I paid good money to your small organization, so fucking kill him!!!"
"Kill him?" said the woman calmly.
She casually tossed her white hair behind her shoulder and slowly walked toward Gin Chu Won, her snowy pale skin and piercing blue eyes making her presence feel almost inhuman.
"Вы сможете справиться с последствиями, если я вмешаюсь?"
She spoke in Russian.
Can you handle the consequences if I intervene?
Before Gin Chu Won could even respond, both of them looked forward again.
Shan Wolf had already gotten back onto his feet while cradling Kim Yeon carefully in his arms. Her tearful face remained buried against his chest as he calmly walked toward Jon Kin Kon.
"Boy. One order," Shan Wolf said. "Leave with her and bring the blonde-haired woman with you."
His tone remained steady and absolute.
"And whatever you hear, look back or stop to peek at... don't. Take her home, stay with her until her mother comes back, and tell her everything... except what happens here."
Jon Kin Kon stared into Shan Wolf's eyes for a moment.
Those eyes looked experienced. Familiar with violence. Familiar with death. As if this was something Shan Wolf had lived through countless times already.
"Yes, sir," Jon Kin Kon answered seriously.
He carefully took Kim Yeon into his arms while Rae Yoorin reluctantly followed behind after protesting for a moment.
Soon, all of them left the area.
Leaving Shan Wolf alone.
"You're by far an idiot!" yelled Gin Chu Won. "You killed two of my men and you think you can get away with it?!"
Shan Wolf neither flinched nor moved.
Instead, he simply spoke calmly in Russian.
"Зима, у тебя есть сигара?"
The woman immediately walked toward Shan Wolf.
"Oi, what are you doing?" Gin Chu Won asked nervously.
"What do you think I'm doing?" the Russian woman replied casually. "I'm giving my savior a cigar."
"Sa... savior?!!"
Gin Chu Won's eyes widened in disbelief.
The woman calmly pulled out a cigar, clipped the end cleanly, then placed it into Shan Wolf's hand. Shan Wolf held the cigar between his fingers before lowering his hand toward the woman's backside.
FSSHHK.
"Ah~!"
He flicked the cigar against her ass, instantly igniting it like striking a match. Smoke slowly rose from the burning tip as the woman smirked without reacting at all.
"What the fuck is going on?!!!" Gin Chu Won screamed.
"The fuck going on," the Russian woman said while exhaling smoke toward him, "is that you idiots picked the wrong child mercenary to fuck with."
"What you mean by—!!!"
Before Gin Chu Won could even finish his sentence, his face was suddenly slammed straight into the ground in a flash.
BOOM!
The pavement cracked beneath him.
Two more men immediately rushed in from the sides, screaming as they charged toward Shan Wolf.
Then—
SHRRKKK!
Their bodies were dismembered almost instantly in a grotesque spray of blood. Limbs scattered across the ground while chunks of flesh slammed wetly against the pavement.
One of the men suffered the worst fate of all.
His head was violently ripped clean off alongside his entire spinal cord, the dangling spine still attached beneath the severed head as blood poured everywhere.
"Fuck...!!!"
"Jesus!!!"
"Oouuggghhh!!!"
Several of the men immediately staggered backward in horror while some dropped to their knees and vomited from the gruesome sight. Others trembled uncontrollably, unable to process what they had just witnessed.
Meanwhile, Shan Wolf stood silently between the mutilated corpses with the cigar still hanging from his lips. Smoke slowly escaped from his mouth as blood dripped heavily around him.
Without even changing his expression, Shan Wolf casually tossed the severed head and dangling spine aside before cracking his knuckles loudly.
"Heads up, Grim."
The Russian woman smirked as she tossed Shan Wolf a tactical knife.
Shan Wolf caught it effortlessly with one hand.
Gin Chu Won's eyes widened after hearing the name she called him.
"G... Grim?!!"
His voice trembled with confusion and fear. Sweat poured down his face as he slowly crawled backward.
"Yup," the Russian woman said with a grin. "The man you idiots messed with is the most dangerous human being ever born on this earth."
She slowly looked toward Shan Wolf with visible admiration in her eyes.
"The GOAT himself. Number 000. Codename: Grim."
Her grin widened further.
"As in... the Grim Reaper."
"What... wait, this peasant was a child mercenary?!" asked Gin Chu Won as he staggered backward across the ground in fear.
"Yup," said the Russian woman casually. "We former child mercenaries call him Savior because he saved us from that hellhole and took down the most dangerous militants ever trained us."
Shan Wolf slowly looked down at Gin Chu Won with pure malice hidden behind his emotionless eyes. The blood covering his clothes and hands only made him look even more terrifying.
"Winter, do me a favor," Shan Wolf said coldly. "Once I do my thing, I want you to make it look like an accident and that Mr. Executive Director here gets... dumb."
"With pleasure, my Savior," the Russian woman replied with a grin.
"Wait, don't! NOO!!!!"
Gin Chu Won's screams echoed through the area.
A few minutes later, Shan Wolf calmly walked back toward the Russian woman while wiping blood from the tactical knife. His expression had already returned to normal, almost as if nothing had happened.
"How have you been, Winter?" he asked casually while brushing his bloodied finger against her cheek almost like petting a kitten.
"Mmm, fine," she replied with a small smile. "This is our life after all. After everything, some of us went on different paths. Some took special jobs, serving countries, becoming double agents and shit... fuck."
She let out a quiet chuckle.
"If they knew our Savior was getting beaten up like shit these days, they'd laugh thinking you've gone soft."
Shan Wolf smirked faintly while listening.
"But then again," Winter continued, "me and some of the others created an organization where we do contracts under legal terms only. No illegal jobs. No fucked up shit. Fully legal work."
"Heh, whatever you guys are up to, I don't care anymore," Shan Wolf replied calmly. "Anyway, you know what to do. And if they ever ask..."
He glanced at her one more time.
"Tell them their Grim is living a good normal life. Just don't bring trouble to my side, okay?"
Winter nodded obediently.
"Will we ever see you again, Grim?" she asked quietly before starting her cleanup work.
Shan Wolf took one final drag from his cigar before handing the remaining piece to her.
"If fate allows it," he answered. "For now, just act like strangers knowing who we are now, Winter."
As Shan Wolf prepared to leave for the hospital, Winter suddenly spoke again.
"Jessica."
Shan Wolf immediately halted his steps.
"Come again?" he asked without turning around.
"My real name," she said softly. "It's Jessica. That's the name when the military search us through the system and send us back to our real families and home."
For the first time since arriving, her expression softened completely.
"Thank you, Grim... for everything you've done."
Shan Wolf remained silent for several seconds.
Then he finally spoke.
"Notify them all, class 0 threat alert."
Jessica's expression immediately stiffened.
"Joker is alive."
Her blue eyes widened instantly at the shocking information. But hearing it directly from Shan Wolf himself, from Grim, meant there was no doubt about it.
"...Yes, sir."
With that, the two walked away in separate directions once more.
Shan Wolf later headed to the hospital and admitted himself for treatment. While sitting alone inside the quiet hospital room, he called Ingrid and informed her about what had happened.
However, he purposely left out everything involving her daughter Kim Yeon and Jon Kin Kon's gang.
Somewhere past midnight, inside an empty cinema hall, a personal screening of The Phantom of the Opera quietly played across the massive screen.
The dim glow from the film illuminated the face of an elegant woman in her forties. She had silky black hair and wore a body-hugging black dress that perfectly traced the curves of her figure. Sitting alone in the center row with both arms resting comfortably on the armrests, she watched the movie in silence.
She had booked the entire hall for herself.
No interruptions. No strangers. Just the film and her thoughts.
"Kan Jin Young. Entertainment Department Head and Chief Editor of SeoulGun Newspaper."
The woman slowly turned her head when the unfamiliar voice called out her name.
"Honestly, calling me out to meet you like this..." Kan Jin Young said calmly. "You're lucky I decided to spend my time watching one of my personal favorites, Rachel."
Standing a few rows behind her was Rachel So Mi.
"Sunbae, it's been a long time," Rachel said politely.
Then she gave a small sigh.
"But do I seriously look like some government agent or something?"
"Kinda," Kan Jin Young answered bluntly while turning her attention back toward the giant screen. "Your unique traits remain unchanged."
The opera music echoed softly throughout the empty theater as Rachel slowly walked down the stairs before sitting one row behind Kan Jin Young.
"I heard some rumors about you," Kan Jin Young continued casually. "Not that I care much. Seems like you're enjoying yourself and how capitalism treats you these days."
"Your words are as harsh as ever, Sunbae," Rachel replied with a helpless smile.
"How are things over there for you?" Rachel asked.
"Same stuff. Nothing much," Kan Jin Young answered lazily. "We don't control politics, but somehow everything eventually turns political. We're getting closer and closer to the point where even our stories might become regulated."
She crossed one leg over the other before finally glancing sideways at Rachel.
"But let's get straight to the point. Why did you call me out here?"
Without another word, Rachel So Mi handed her a sealed file.
"Would I really come empty-handed to meet someone like you, Sunbae?"
Kan Jin Young took the file with mild curiosity.
"What is this? Another small-time celebrity getting caught going for—"
Her voice suddenly stopped.
The more she read through the documents, the more serious her expression became.
"...Wait. If this goes to this extent..."
A faint smile slowly formed on her lips.
"True. This could become a very good story."
Then her eyes narrowed sharply.
"However... why do I get the feeling something fishy is going on here?"
She slowly lifted the file slightly.
"You expect your Sunbae to write about this?"
"A journalist must pursue truth and justice without compromise," Rachel said calmly.
Her eyes remained firm while staring at Kan Jin Young.
"Weren't you the one who tried to drill that idea into everyone else?"
Kan Jin Young stared at Rachel silently for a while, remaining completely composed despite the shocking contents of the file.
The only light illuminating her face came from the giant cinema screen as the opera continued playing in the background.
"How long ago were those talks... in reality?" Kan Jin Young finally spoke. "Most journalists are trash to begin with."
She slowly crossed her legs again while tapping the file lightly against her knee.
"This would only give us small profits before hitting us back with blow after blow of heavy losses. One wrong move and this story instantly becomes backlash material."
Rachel remained calm despite the criticism.
"But do you want it, Sunbae?" Rachel asked quietly. "Imagine the outcome. Imagine what would happen if this gets exposed."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"Try picturing it. The queen of headlines obtaining the biggest scoop ready to be revealed."
Rachel leaned slightly forward.
"You like deals."
"Hmhm... I like deals," Kan Jin Young replied with a faint chuckle.
She stood up from her seat while holding onto the sealed file. The giant screen reflected across her black dress as she slowly began walking down the empty aisle.
"But results are my true lovers."
For a few moments, only the music from The Phantom of the Opera filled the silence between them.
Then Kan Jin Young let out a long sigh before smiling.
"I'll do it."
"Thank you, Sunbae—"
"Under one condition."
Rachel immediately paused.
Kan Jin Young turned her head slightly toward her former junior.
"I'll take the responsibility and personally put this on the front page," Kan Jin Young said confidently.
"And what is your condition?" Rachel asked cautiously.
"Don't be so picky, child," Kan Jin Young replied with amusement in her voice. "This is going to benefit both of us equally."
She slowly narrowed her eyes.
"You came to me because you wanted certain results, right?"
Rachel quietly stayed silent.
"But my condition is a little more... sexual in nature."
Rachel instantly blushed after hearing those words come from her Sunbae.
"And that is?"
Kan Jin Young smirked faintly.
"I heard rumors about a certain employee who apparently 'did it' with multiple women in the department at Won Group's Investor Relations division."
She slowly continued.
"Foreign. Dark-skinned. Sudden glow-up."
Rachel So Mi immediately realized who Kan Jin Young was referring to.
"You don't mean..."
"That's right, my dear former junior," Kan Jin Young answered with a teasing smile.
She looked directly at Rachel before saying the words without hesitation.
"This old lady wants a one-night stand with the talk of the department..."
Her lips curled slightly higher.
"Shan Wolf."
---
Chapter 78 — End.