Reunion [Nas'eul North Union Division]
"Boss, why did we leave earlier?" One of the six men asked while sitting in an abandoned factory. The boss sat in an armchair, staring up at the ceiling as if he was lost in thought, his eyes covered by his hair. His gaze at the ceiling made it seem like he could see something the others couldn't. Surrounding him were five others, part of the Northern Division.
"We were just outnumbered by a high school kid! This kind of action ruins our reputation with other factions," mocked another, while the boss remained silent.
"Shut up!" growled the muscular one, ready to fight his colleague. The others burst out laughing.
The boss finally moved in his chair, catching everyone's attention. He spoke: "I didn't recognize him at first, but it was him."
"That wimp?" muttered the muscular guy, thinking he was superior to the division leader and blaming their problems on his weak leadership.
Everyone remembered the moment when a high schooler had replaced the former head of the Northern Division. Since then, there hadn't been any trouble, and Nas'eul, their big boss, hadn't intervened. "If Nas'eul had put me in charge of the North, we'd be much stronger," the muscular guy thought, full of ambition.
"Why does this guy, with no ambition, have to be above me?" he grumbled.
"And who is he then?" someone asked.
The boss looked up. "To keep it short, it's Ichi. I don't know much about him, but that name can't be ignored. Don't mess with him."
The muscular guy seemed surprised. He knew that nickname well, more than his boss.
"Wait, are you saying that scrawny guy is Ichi?" he asked, realizing his mistake too late.
The boss stood up. The muscular guy stepped back, but he didn't see the punch coming. Despite his size, he ended up on the ground, bleeding from the mouth.
"You talk too much. Next time, don't provoke him. And don't drag me into your mess!" said the boss, reminding everyone who was in charge. With a division this big, he needed to maintain order. The others watched in silence.
They were curious about who Ichi really was. "Who is Ichi, anyway?"
"I told you, I don't really know him," the boss replied, "but he's trouble for people like you. Maybe that whiner over there knows more about the rumors. I just know how to recognize someone, that's all."
Yo Byron Jeomcheol hadn't always been a delinquent. He came from a modest family, living a normal life. He seemed ordinary, but you can never judge someone's ordinariness, even if they act like everyone else.
He was searching for something but was misunderstood by his peers. He had done different things and, on a whim, infiltrated Nas'eul's Northern Division, defeated everyone, and became the leader.
But he knew he didn't have the strength to face Nas'eul directly, so he waited. Nas'eul left him alone. Yo Byron Jeomcheol couldn't tell if Nas'eul wanted him to flush out traitors in the organization or if it was just a whim.
Yo Byron Jeomcheol knew things could have gone wrong. His family could have been in danger because of him. Nas'eul wasn't just a group of kids; it was a big organization that thrived on violence.
However, having Yo Byron Jeomcheol in charge was a good thing for the North. Illegal activities had decreased, unlike in other areas.
Then one day, a message appeared: "YOU ARE THE FIRST SYSTEM USER." Yo Byron Jeomcheol saw a window, as if he was wearing augmented reality glasses. At first, he thought he was losing his mind. This world is really messed up; he thought.
As he started to understand what was happening, he saw an opportunity. He could gather information about everyone and felt something changing inside him.
A new beginning for Yo Byron Jeomcheol.
An ambition was born: With this, I could conquer all of Nas'eul. I'm the only system user right now. If I use it wisely, I can easily defeat these delinquents and even dismantle Nas'eul.
Using the system, he could evaluate everyone's strength, gather useful pawns, and measure the strength of his enemies. He had a brief encounter with Nas'eul and realized the gap that separated them.
But with this system designed for awakening, he knew that gap was just a minor obstacle. Confident in his abilities, he started planning his strategies calmly. Even if he encountered someone stronger, he would analyze and evolve accordingly. Or so he thought, until he met an anomaly.
Theos Martin, a person he couldn't evaluate with the system. Only the name and a restriction appeared, showing he was the sole user of the system. This had never happened before.
Even among Nas'eul's members, there were stronger people, but he could always analyze them. And these idiots think I'm wrong with the system – I can see your names and abilities – I know that was Ichi!
This encounter confirmed the rumors about Ichi for Yo Byron Jeomcheol. Normally, he would have let his subordinates test the waters, but this time, he wanted no part of it. "If that guy wants to provoke him, that's none of my business!"
If Nas'eul got involved, it might even work to his advantage. He briefly considered using the girl to start a conflict with Nas'eul but quickly dismissed the idea. His plan was going smoothly, and an unpredictable variable would be a problem.
"I think he'll behave. Just stay away from him."
Nothing was scarier than the unknown. After getting used to probing others, the fear of the incomprehensible grew stronger. This was Yo Byron Jeomcheol's current mindset.
"Who would be crazy enough to provoke this guy? Especially if the rumors I've heard are true," said one of the remaining members.
"As long as you understand!!!"