THE STREET KING

---

1. Shadows in the Dark

The Butcher was dead.

But Jinwoo knew better than to celebrate.

He stood by the window of the safehouse, the city lights stretching endlessly before him. The weight in his chest refused to lift. The Butcher had been the executioner, but he wasn't the one pulling the strings.

Someone else was.

And that someone had just lost their most valuable weapon.

A storm was coming.

Hye-jin's voice broke the silence. "You're thinking too much."

Jinwoo turned to face her. "Not thinking. Waiting."

"For what?"

Jinwoo's grip tightened around his gun.

"For whoever comes next."

---

2. The Warning

Dae-hyun winced as he poured himself a drink. His shoulder wound was healing, but not fast enough.

"You should get some sleep," Hye-jin said, watching him.

Dae-hyun scoffed. "Sleep? You do realize we just declared war, right?"

Jinwoo's voice was cold. "It was never not a war."

Dae-hyun shook his head. "You still don't get it, do you?"

Jinwoo narrowed his eyes. "Then explain it to me."

Dae-hyun leaned forward. "The Butcher wasn't just some assassin. He was insurance. A symbol. His death isn't going to scare them—it's going to piss them off."

Jinwoo didn't flinch. "Good."

Dae-hyun exhaled sharply. "You're insane."

Hye-jin smirked. "You're just figuring that out?"

Dae-hyun took a long sip of whiskey, then sighed. "There's something you need to know. Someone more dangerous than the Butcher."

Jinwoo crossed his arms. "Who?"

Dae-hyun hesitated, then finally spoke.

"The Wraith."

---

3. A Ghost with a Name

Jinwoo had heard whispers of the name before. The Wraith. No face, no records, no traces left behind.

Unlike the Butcher, who reveled in bloodshed, the Wraith was different. A phantom. A strategist. A killer who made sure no one even knew they were dead until it was too late.

If the Wraith was coming for them, it meant one thing.

They were already being hunted.

Jinwoo lit a cigarette, taking a slow drag. "Do you know where to find him?"

Dae-hyun let out a dry laugh. "That's the thing. You don't find him. He finds you."

Jinwoo smirked. "Then we make him look."

Hye-jin leaned forward. "How?"

Jinwoo's eyes darkened.

"We take the fight to them."

---

4. The First Strike

Their target was a high-end club in Gangnam—The Black Lotus.

It wasn't just a club. It was a front. A place where syndicates made deals, where money and blood mixed freely. If the Wraith was watching, he'd be watching from here.

Jinwoo adjusted the sleeves of his suit, glancing at Hye-jin. "You ready?"

She smirked. "You even have to ask?"

Dae-hyun groaned. "This is suicide."

Jinwoo patted his shoulder. "Then stay in the car."

Dae-hyun sighed. "Yeah, like that ever works."

With that, they stepped inside.

---

5. Walking into the Lion's Den

The club was packed. Neon lights bathed the room in shades of red and gold. Music pounded through the speakers, bodies moving in sync with the rhythm.

But Jinwoo wasn't here for the music.

His eyes scanned the room, searching.

And then he saw him.

A man in a tailored black suit, sitting in the VIP section. He wasn't flashy. He wasn't loud. But the way people moved around him, the way they avoided looking at him, told Jinwoo everything he needed to know.

That was their next enemy.

Not just another soldier.

A king.

Jinwoo turned to Hye-jin. "We found him."

Hye-jin smiled. "Now what?"

Jinwoo exhaled slowly.

"Now, we start a war."

---

End of Chapter 56

(Next Chapter: The King of Shadows.)