Kang Hyeonseong had called Goeun before arriving in District 28. He needed her help.

“You’ll be shocked.”

But her response was this.

“The current Lee Taebaek… he’s like a blend of icy calm and burning passion, I guess? Anyway, that’s how he is right now. Don’t believe me? You’ve got a mission tonight, right? Come see for yourself.”

He had no idea what she meant. She was talking like something huge was about to blow his mind, skipping all the details. He could tell she was hinting at high expectations for Lee Taebaek.

Goeun’s voice carried a subtle undercurrent of intent. She wasn’t one to bullshit.

“Bet you a serving of beef on it. Real deal, not cultured meat. But if you’re shocked, you pay, Kang Hyeonseong. Promise. Break it, and no balls for… ”

Kang Hyeonseong was puzzled.

I’ve always known her potential. But what the hell happened while I was gone?

Everyone who’d crossed paths with him praised his potential. Lee Taebaek was a monster. He’d surely reach the realm of absolute masters.

All who knew him believed it without doubt. Still…

…it should take at least a few years.

Even with Goeun personally teaching him magic, practical mastery would take a full year at least.

A person blessed by the heavens. Even geniuses had to follow the steps.

Of course, every few centuries, someone ignored those steps entirely. The kind who reduced geniuses of the era to mere mortals.

The narrow, elongated corridor lit up, snapping Kang Hyeonseong from his thoughts. His eyes stung from the sudden brightness, making him wince before widening in shock.

“Huh.”

The hallway was a slaughterhouse.

The floor and walls were splattered crimson. Blood trickled along the tile grout like veins.

Chunks of flesh clung to the walls. Staring at them made his eyes burn red.

Bodies littered the floor at his feet. All drained pale, with icicles dangling from their nostrils.

Kang Hyeonseong stared down at the corpses in astonishment. Lee Taebaek twisted his blade free.

“Let’s go.”

Lee Taebaek turned, his breath trailing long in the cold air. Kang Hyeonseong nodded reflexively.

“Y-yeah. Sure.”

“The cold magic probably froze all the wiring in this corridor at least.”

“…”

Kang Hyeonseong’s shock was plain. His mind blanked white like the corpses.

Cold magic had been lost with the fall of the North Sea Ice Palace, an outer martial sect.

Countless mages had tried to reconstruct it.

All failed. Crude imitations popped up occasionally, but they barely made shaved ice for dessert shops.

Yet mages kept knocking on its door. To them, cold magic was a holy grail.

Why those damn mages obsess over it.

Among all elements, only cold magic had true crowd control.

Its lethality lagged far behind other spells. Practically nonexistent.

But possessing CC erased every flaw. No way to observe it meant its broken performance stayed unproven. Until now.

Lee Taebaek proved it with his body.

Freeze the enemy in place. Seize the advantage and butcher them in one go. They couldn’t even put up a fight, their bodies frozen.

Basic tactic: bind feet with frost, block incoming bullets mid-flight.

“CCTV will be down for a while. By the time central control checks, we’ll be long gone.”

Cold magic alone was insane enough, but the finesse of its use floored him further.

Disrupted comms too? Holy hell. Where’d they sell the balance?

“Left?”

“…Yeah.”

Lee Taebaek moved ahead impatiently. Kang Hyeonseong glanced at the bodies and followed.

Who even knows who’s the Battalion Commander here.

Still, it didn’t feel half bad.

“My turn this time.”

When enemies burst from wide corridors, Kang Hyeonseong took point; narrow or curved ones went to Lee Taebaek.

“How many?”

“Two.”

“Let’s wrap ’em up quick.”

The process went like this: Just before contact, Kang Hyeonseong signaled with Presence Detection.

Lee Taebaek cast his spell. A force field spread from his fingertips, coating the hall.

Power cut.

In the sudden dark, Magnostrom thugs would fumble for infrared cams. That’s when one of them picked off the flailing foes.

Whoosh!

In the shadows, Kang Hyeonseong’s arm whipped out. It collided with a thug’s neck, snapping it with a crack.

“Sh-shit! Where?! Where-.”

The dead man’s tooth shards flew at a nearby thug. Before he could react, Lee Taebaek thrust his blade.

The sharp edge grazed past Kang Hyeonseong’s ear. The blade slit the thug’s carotid. Blood sprayed.

“R-report to boss…!”

Screaming or radioing for help?

Lee Taebaek’s magic sealed mouths shut, preventing any chaos.

Crack! Squish!

The thugs died unnoticed. Lingering frost sucked away even their final gasps.

This round took 20 seconds. A blink. And it was shrinking.

“Nice one.”

“Killing people and calling it nice. How far to the Gang Alliance boss?”

Thanks to this, they were way ahead of schedule. Destination imminent.

“Two corners. Rock’s monitoring live and relaying. We’re moving so fast, the kid’s spooked. Hiccuping for the first time in her life.”

“Cute kid.”

“Tell Rock that?”

“Fuck off.”

“Why can’t you live up to that face. All Siesta Hounds got mouths like yours?”

“Never know when you’ll die, so spit it out.”

“Handy excuse.”

“Cut the chatter. Move.”

First time syncing up, yet it felt effortless. Hence the banter.

En route, Kang Hyeonseong glanced sideways. Lee Taebaek kept pace.

Top two in Resistance speed, yet Lee Taebaek matched him effortlessly.

He even looked bored. Pride stung; he accelerated briefly. Only for Lee Taebaek to lightly overtake.

Gaol guards beating him with batons was just yesterday.

Not even that long ago.

Two months?

What insane growth rate? More shocking than his charge.

“…what’re you staring at? Got a girlfriend, dude. Creep.”

Lee Taebaek tossed a jab, sweat beading fresh on his hair.

Face like he owns the world.

Skill, looks—nothing lacking. Starting to grate. Kang Hyeonseong chuckled.

Lee Taebaek pulled ahead preemptively.

“Kang Hyeonseong, you don’t… Nah, impossible. I never set that flag…”

“What? Set what?”

“Nothing. Anyway, quit staring. Blood makeup? Call it camo cream. We’re infiltrating.”

Lame joke. Colder than his Ice Magic.

“Jealous. World’s so damn unfair. Makes you wonder: solar system’s not enough—the whole universe revolves around you?”

“Tell me about it.”

Kang Hyeonseong’s casual gripe. Lee Taebaek responded dead serious.

“Lately, my luck’s off the charts. Sometimes feels like the world bends to my words.”

“Overthinking.”

“Yeah.”

Lee Taebaek smirked.

“Too simple. If true, I wouldn’t have been a death row inmate.”

“Buzzkill.”

Kang Hyeonseong looked ahead. Awkward silence. Then:

“Just saying. This op—how many of us die, you think? Resistance-wide.”

“Fuck. Death flag.”

“That’s why! Just saying!”

“Kidding. Don’t snap.”

Shitty sense of humor, asshole!

Kang Hyeonseong was about to retort.

“Wrong question.”

Lee Taebaek cut in.

“Not how many of us die. How many enemies.”

“What…?”

“We all live.”

He was certain.

“Enemies?”

“All die.”

Reckless. But.

“War on Crime, right?”

Kang Hyeonseong was dumbfounded yet thrilled, heart racing.

All thanks to this badass squadmate.

They reached the target. Unlike the heavily guarded exterior, the core was deserted. Trap? Kang Hyeonseong scanned for presence—nothing.

“Hm, presence only inside. Probably Levi and her two lackeys.”

Kang Hyeonseong eyed the door. ‘Levi’ was the Gang Alliance boss in whispers. Cute name, vicious bitch.

“What’s Levi like?”

Lee Taebaek probed for verification. Knowledge gaps possible.

“Psycho bitch.”

“Know that.”

“Crazier than rumors. Commander-in-Chief ignores their raids partly ’cause of that woman.”

Kang Hyeonseong gave a bitter smile.

“The Commander said once: ‘You gonna bite a mad dog barking at your door?’ Even our psycho collector says that—it’s all said. She won’t quit till you kill her. Tenacious mutt.”

He crept toward the door. Lee Taebaek followed. They flanked it like guardian statues before a Buddha.

“Her skill?”

“We two? Overkill. She’s more psycho than powerhouse. Issue is, insanity defies gauging. Capture’s a given at this point—no worries.”

Conversation ended.

Kang Hyeonseong thumbed the door. Lee Taebaek nodded. Presence blocked…

Screech-

The hinges screamed. The door split along the grain.

Boom!

The explosion sent the door flying. Air hummed. Shock brief.

Rumble-!

They saw it.

Dust parted. Sleek form emerged, reflecting their curved images.

Gang Alliance boss Levi and her beloved Red Hare.