Chapter 56: Kim Mu-Jin

The wind howled through the plaza as Jin and the scar-faced officer locked eyes. The air between them was thick with tension, the gathered crowd murmuring in confusion at what was unfolding before them.

Jin exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Since I gave you my name and age, shouldn't you do the same? Or are you some kind of fraud?" His tone was casual, but his lean muscles were coiled like a spring.

The man chuckled, the cigar on his lips tilting slightly as he took another drag. His stance remained unchanged, hands resting lazily in the pockets of his pants while his police jacket fluttered in the breeze. His eyes, however, gleamed with sharp amusement.

"Kim Mu-Jin." he finally said, exhaling smoke into the noon air. "0th Generation."

Jin's gaze sharpened. 'So he's one of them…'

Without hesitation, Jin lunged forward, his foot pressing hard into the pavement as he shot out a precise straight punch toward Kim Mu-Jin's abdomen. It was a calculated strike, meant to test both his range and his opponent's reaction time.

But before the impact could land-

BAM!

A powerful force struck the underside of Jin's chin before he could even register what had happened. His vision blurred for a fraction of a second as he felt his head snap backward. A shockwave rippled through the air, dust scattering from the sheer force of the impact.

Blinking through the haze, Jin lowered his gaze and found Kim Mu-Jin standing in the exact same position as before. His hands were still in his pockets. His jacket still billowed in the wind. His expression was unbothered. The only difference was his raised leg, the tallon of his polished shoe resting precisely where Jin's chin had been.

'A standing vertical kick? With his hands in his pockets?' Jin clicked his tongue, stepping back and rubbing his jaw, feeling the lingering sting of the attack. It wasn't just fast, it was terrifyingly precise.

'What an aura farmer, but.. it's so fucking cool!' Jin feigned calmness but he was mentally nodding at the cool move.

Kim Mu-Jin looked down at him, smirking as he chewed the end of his cigar. "Hm.. You aren't at their level, i see.."

Jin's eyes narrowed, but a smirk tugged at his lips as well. "That so?"

He adjusted his stance, lowering himself slightly to get a better feel for his smaller frame. 'I need to compensate. My limbs aren't as long as before, my weight isn't the same, and my center of gravity is different. If I don't adjust, I'll just keep getting countered.'

Kim Mu-Jin tilted his head slightly, watching Jin's shift in posture. Then, without warning-

WHOOSH!

His left leg snapped up in a lightning-fast roundhouse kick aimed at Jin's ribs. Jin twisted his torso just in time, avoiding the brunt of the strike, but before he could counter-

THUD!

The same leg, instead of returning to the ground, snapped downward like a whip, slamming against Jin's forearm as he blocked. The sheer force sent vibrations up his arm, his feet skidding back slightly from the impact.

'A downward roundhouse?! No wasted movement, he's cycling his kicks in perfect form.'

Jin shot forward, slipping inside Mu-Jin's range before he could recover. His fingers snapped out like a viper, aiming for the officer's throat. A single clean strike to the trachea would momentarily cut off airflow, buying him an opening.

But..

PAK!

Mu-Jin's knee rocketed up like a piston, slamming into Jin's extended arm mid-motion, deflecting his strike before twisting his hip and launching a side kick directly into Jin's sternum.

BOOM!

Jin gritted his teeth as the impact sent him skidding back, his feet digging into the pavement. The force behind it was unreal, Mu-Jin wasn't just fast, he was ridiculously strong. Even with his smaller frame, Jin's durability was holding up, but he needed to adapt, fast.

Mu-Jin exhaled a stream of smoke, his foot still raised in perfect balance. "Pretty brutal, aren't you? Most kids hesitate before going for the throat."

Jin rolled his shoulder, shaking off the impact. "Yeah? Most officers don't try to roundhouse a kid into the stratosphere."

Mu-Jin chuckled before vanishing.

Jin's instincts screamed. He followed Mu-Jin movements before blocking.

BAM!

A spinning back kick slammed into his forearm as he raised it to block, the sheer impact forcing his arm to bend at an awkward angle. He had been adjusting to his new proportions, but he wasn't quite there yet, his timing was off by just a fraction of a second.

Before he could recover.

CRACK!

Mu-Jin's foot slammed into his exposed shoulder with a hook kick, sending him tumbling to the side. Jin caught himself mid-roll and planted his hands against the pavement, pushing off with his core and twisting mid-air to regain his footing.

His breath was steady despite the hits. 'He's toying with me. Not a single punch, he's using nothing but Taekwondo.'

Kim Mu-Jin's fighting style was something else. Unlike typical martial artists who might rely on punches and grapples, his movements were entirely kick-based, but they weren't just normal kicks. They were refined, precise, and overwhelmingly fast, each one carrying the force of a sledgehammer.

Jin lowered his stance, his eyes locking onto Mu-Jin's hips and feet. 'Fine. If he wants to fight like that, I'll break his balance.'

The moment Mu-Jin's next kick shot forward, Jin moved differently. Instead of blocking or dodging outright, he stepped into the kick at an angle, guiding the momentum past him. His hands shot out, gripping Mu-Jin's leg at the knee and ankle.

The officer's eyes widened slightly as Jin twisted his entire body, using Mu-Jin's own force to flip him. But Mu-Jin was no amateur, before his back could hit the pavement, he tucked his leg inward and twisted his torso, flipping mid-air and landing gracefully on his feet.

Jin immediately followed up. He lunged forward, sending a sharp elbow toward Mu-Jin's floating ribs. But just as it was about to land..

WHOOSH!

Mu-Jin's leg flicked upward in a blinding inside crescent kick, redirecting Jin's elbow away before seamlessly flowing into a spinning heel kick.

Jin twisted his body just in time, feeling the wind from the attack graze past his nose. He retaliated instantly, stepping in and slamming his knee into Mu-Jin's liver.

THUD!

Mu-Jin staggered slightly, but his reaction was instantaneous, his foot snapped up from the ground, delivering a snap kick to the underside of Jin's jaw.

CRACK!

Jin's head snapped back, but his grip strength came in clutch. Using the momentum, he hooked Mu-Jin's ankle and twisted, attempting to throw him off balance again.

Mu-Jin let it happen, but the moment his back touched the ground, his other leg pistoned upward.

THUMP!

A powerful axe kick slammed into Jin's raised forearm, forcing him to let go and leap back. Mu-Jin kipped up instantly, dusting off his jacket.

A tense silence filled the plaza.

Mu-Jin wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth and spat to the side. He looked at Jin, his sharp gaze studying him with renewed interest.

Jin exhaled, rolling his neck. His muscles were warming up now, his smaller frame becoming more familiar with each exchange.

He stretched his arms slightly before looking at Mu-Jin with a neutral expression.

"Alright." Jin said, cracking his knuckles. "The warm-up's over."

Mu-Jin smirked, shifting his stance slightly, his cigarette still burning at the edge of his lips.

The real fight was about to begin.

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