After parting ways from Seokdu, Ha-Joon immediately left before dawn.
He didn't take anything noteworthy from the Suwon king, just one SUV, two men, one for navigation another for driving and a steel briefcase. Inside were the small gesture of Seokdu forming their partnership, which were essentially a cash.
After taking necessary arrangement for his daily needs from Seokdu, Ha-Joon left his territory.
Soon.
They drove towards Pyeongtaek from the fastest shortcut possible.
.....
By midday, they arrived.
Pyeongtaek of the southern part of Gyeonggi province, a city filled with transportation hub across the region. Though not as populated as Suwon nor in its advancement, but Pyeongtaek's got its fair share of crime and lawless zone.
The outskirts were littered with old shipping yards, converted into fight pits and smuggling stations. Large shipping containers had become housing units for mercenaries, debt collectors, and wandering killers.
And the center of its region stood the Heo fortress, a former military logistics base that had become the symbol of Doksu Heo's power. Surveillance, bodyguards, training yard and at the highest floor, the king himself.
Unlike Seokdu Wang, Doksu the king of Pyeongtaek doesn't stay at the abandoned warehouse or junkyard, but at the foremost center part of the Transportation hub. Controlling all the business of the region.
"Wait here for me. I'll back within half a hour."
The two men inside the SUV nodded.
Ha-Joon slowly stepped out of the SUV.
As soon as he stepped outside of his vehicle, Dozen or so people who had been quietly doing their own work, paused their movement and turned their gaze towards Ha-Joon.
Ha-Joon stood still on his place, while slowly pulling cigarate from his pocket box in between his lips, lighting it with practiced ease.
A tall man approached towards Ha-Joon, as he spoke, "State your name and business."
Ha-Joon stared him down. "Tell Doksu Heo that Ha-Joon is here."
The man frowned. "You think you can just walk in and—"
Before the man could finish his sentence, Ha-Joon took a step forward. The sound of his fist breaking the man's jaw echoed louder than any warning.
All the man tensed but no one stepped forward.
Because just as quickly, Ha-Joon straightened his coat and took a slow drag from the cigarate.
"Tell Doksu," he said again, voice filled with slight irritation, "I'm here to challenge him."
For a moment, tense silent followed as nobody moved, yet the fortress gates opened within brief moment.
Inside, the main atrium of the Heo Fortress was empty, save for a steel cage in the middle, old MMA-style, bloodstained floor, rusted chain links.
A deliberate stage forged just to fight.
And inside stood Doksu Heo.
He must have received intel about Ha-Joon, targeting him after the Suwon incident which led to a staged fight rather than an open fight.
Yet, Ha-Joon could help but marvel at the size of brute. He wondered, if 'PTJ' had deliberately drawn their figure to an imposing size just to make them loke intimidating.
The man stood at 210cm (6'10), with a somewhat stocky build, his shoulder and the upper back board. His hair styled in a plain slick-back with notable sideburns, and his face had significant shadowing due to his prominent brow.
He quickly dispelled unnecessary thoughts before advancing towards Doksu.
"No introductions needed, I presume," Doksu said, "If you're here, you already know what this place is."
"But who the hell are you to mess with the regional kings."
Ha-Joon threw his burning cigarate away, before slowly taking off his coat. "Me? Nobody."
Doksu narrowed his eyes as he scanned Ha-Joon. Pretty lean yet robust. He thought.
Ha-Joon stepped into the cage before settling his gaze towards Doksu.
But the instant Ha-Joon entered the cage, Doksu charged with his fist straight at Ha-Joon's face. Ha-Joon ducked under the first haymaker, pivoted, and launched a liver shot that thudded into Doksu's side.
The bigger man grunted from the attack, then twisted, and caught Ha-Joon with a back elbow that sent him skidding back into the cage.
Ha-Joon wiped the blood off his lips and smiled.
"Good."
And charged at Doksu. His Kyoukushin form slipped in low stances, devastating kicks. He struck Doksu's thigh with a roundhouse that buckled the knee slightly. A follow-up jab straight at Doksu's chin.
But the Pyeongtaek King fought like a street brawler with instincts. He grabbed Ha-Joon mid-combo, lifted him, and slammed him into the cage wall.
Causing the steel to 'Clang'.
The instant Ha-Joon was slammed on the cage wall. He used the wall as leverage, pushed off, and flipped behind Doksu locking in a rear elbow straight to the spine.
Crack.
Doksu stumbled forward, coughing once.
Ha-Joon gave time to adjust Doksu from the blow. And the moment he adjusted, he charged at Ha-Joon, who had been baiting him.
In the final exchange, Ha-Joon lowered his stance, drew in the Pyeongtaek king, and launched a spinning heel kick with all the force of his strength hardened 'mastery. legs.
The impact was thunderous.
Doksu's jaw snapped sideways, and the man fell with a thud.
(A/N: I wasn't planning to drag this fight as Doksu's got no visible feat to make him have a standoff against Ha-Joon for a long time even if he is regional king.)
Silence followed the moment Doksu Heo passed out. During their fight, all his member had silently gathered to watch their fight.
And to see Ha-Joon make a fool of himself by challenging their king. But who would have thought that their king would get pummeled by this stranger.
The instant Ha-Joon moved outside of cage. The underlings of Doksu shouted at once.
"Get him!!"
Like wolves, Doksu's underlings surged forward, not out of courage, but desperation. They charged at Ha-Joon from all direction. And one even tried to jump from the top railing like this was some kind of show.
Ha-Joon stepped in before the swing completed, a brutal elbow crushed the man's jaw, sending him flying sideways like a ragdoll.
The second and third came from either side.
Ha-Joon spun. His right leg snapped outward in a sweeping arc, crashing into both their ribs with such force they folded mid-air and crashed down like puppets with their strings cut.
Another man roared behind him, trying to tackle him to the ground. Ha-Joon bent low, grabbed him by the belt and collar, and flipped him headfirst into the cage wall. A loud crack followed.
That was four.
Two more tried to grab his arms together, thinking to lock him down with weight.
Ha-Joon smiled coldly.
He planted his feet, twisted sharply, and smashed both of them together with his brute strength, their skulls colliding like dropped coconuts.
Another three came, yelling, fists raised.
Ha-Joon dashed forward. A straight punch to the solar plexus dropped one, the breath gone from his lungs. The next got caught by a palm strike under the chin, lifting him an inch off the ground before he collapsed.
The last one panicked and tried to run.
Ha-Joon eyes flickered with blue color before vanishing from his sight and appeared towards the last one, slamming his head on ground.
Ha-Joon exhaled through his nose. His fists dropped to his sides.
"Come on," he said, voice calm. "Or are we done here?"
Nobody answered him, as the only sound was the groaning of broken bodies. He took the his coat before departing from the fortress.
And his next destination?
Seongnam King, Jinyong Go.
.....
Stone?
If ya'll find any part disappointing, feel free to comment about it.