Gwangmyeong Kim

Gwangmyeong Kim stood there, feeling a strange emptiness wash over him as the words Chain of Indoctrination echoed in his mind.

His eyes went wide for a brief moment, his mind reeling as a flood of emotion surged through him… fear, confusion, and something else, something... deeper. 

The world around him seemed to blur for a moment, as if the very fabric of reality had bent and twisted before him.

The tension in his chest tightened, and he could feel his heartbeat thundering in his ears, but as quickly as it came, it stilled.

A calmness settled inside him.

He didn't know what had just happened. All he could remember was Dowan Ha's voice, commanding him to listen, to follow. 

A quiet storm of thoughts churned behind his eyes, but there was only one thought that stood out above all the others.

I will do anything for him.

It was as if an invisible thread had tethered him to Dowan, an unbreakable connection forged deep within him, binding his will to the boy standing before him. His past—the gang, the power, the fear that drove him… none of it mattered now. It had all been erased, leaving only this one singular truth:

Dowan Ha was his master.

Dowan studied him for a moment, eyes calculating. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he gave the next order.

"You need to message your gang," Dowan said, his voice calm but commanding. "Tell them to stop attacking the person outside. It was just a test. A test from your nephew to see if you and your men are still loyal, to see if you can handle the heat. And tell them to come back inside, right now."

The words felt like they were sinking deep into Gwangmyeong's mind, locking into place with a finality he couldn't argue with. 

He had never felt this sure of anything in his life. This was his purpose now. Dowan's words were like truth itself.

"Yes, Dowan Ha," he responded, voice steady and unwavering. He reached for his phone without hesitation, his fingers moving with a purpose.

As he typed the message, he could feel the sharpness of Dowan's gaze upon him, knowing that his every action was being scrutinized. 

His men had been attacking the aggressor outside, trying to push some weight around in the name of the gang, but now that weight was gone. 

All the aggression, all the violence—it had no place in Dowan's world anymore. It was a test. A necessary test to see if Gwangmyeong was truly loyal, and it was one he'd passed.

He sent the message to the gangsters.

"Stop attacking the person outside. This was just a test by my nephew to see if you're loyal. Get back inside now. No more fighting."

He pressed send.

It was like the final piece of the puzzle falling into place. He could almost feel the air around him settle, as though the chaos of his former life was finally over. He was ready to follow Dowan's orders completely, without question, without hesitation. This wasn't just about business anymore. 

This was his life now. His purpose.

He looked up from his phone, meeting Dowan's eyes again. Dowan's expression remained calm, unyielding, but there was a quiet approval in his gaze.

"Good," Dowan said, his voice like the final seal on everything. "Now you're going to make sure they understand. You'll make sure they never cross me, and that they follow orders from now on."

Gwangmyeong's heart swelled with something he couldn't name. He didn't need to name it. It was devotion. He had become Dowan's servant, his loyal follower, and nothing would change that.

"Yes. I'll make sure they know their place, Dowan Ha," Gwangmyeong replied, his voice firm with conviction.

"I also need you to stop everything you've been doing," Dowan said, his voice clear and direct, like an unassailable command.

Gwangmyeong's throat tightened as he nodded, his lips parting to speak, but the words didn't come. 

He wasn't sure why he felt so compelled to comply, but he didn't need to question it. He just knew he would.

"Stop all the protection rackets," Dowan continued, his gaze unwavering. "Stop extorting people. Stop any business that harms anyone. You will focus on helping, now. Do you understand?"

Gwangmyeong didn't need to think about it. His whole being resonated with that command. He swallowed, his voice steady, but the words were thick with the devotion he felt.

"Yes... I understand."

Dowan's eyes flickered with something close to approval, and Gwangmyeong's chest swelled with pride, as though he'd been praised by a god.

"Good. I want you to put your resources to work for people. Work that helps them, not hurts them. You'll be a man of service from now on. Understand?"

"Yes, Dowan Ha. I will."

The weight of Dowan's words settled on his shoulders like a mantle, and yet he felt lighter than he had in years. All the guilt, all the shame of his past life seemed to melt away. The blood on his hands, the lives ruined—none of that mattered now. He had been reborn, and his purpose was clear: to serve.

Dowan's voice cut through his thoughts, low and commanding.

"Do you want to join my crew?"

Gwangmyeong's heart raced. His stomach clenched with a surge of longing. To be part of Dowan's crew… to be worthy of that honor, to be with him, to serve him directly. The thought filled him with something uncontrollable.

He didn't have to think. He didn't have to hesitate. There was only one answer, and it was the truth.

"Yes. I will join you. I will serve you."

The words came easily, as if they had been waiting for him all his life. He meant them. He needed to say them.

Dowan's gaze softened, but it wasn't warmth. It wasn't affection. It was something else, something far more.

"Good. Then we'll start with a new chapter. No more gang wars. No more hurting people. You'll prove your loyalty by changing this city, Gwangmyeong."

It was as if the world around him bent and reshaped itself. His entire existence, his entire life, had been building up to this moment. And now, it was as though all his actions, all his choices, had been carved out for him by someone far more powerful than he could have ever realized.

Dowan Ha.

He was everything now.

Gwangmyeong nodded again, his voice unwavering.

"I will do whatever it takes. I will prove my loyalty."

Dowan's lips curled into the faintest of smiles.

"Good. That's exactly what I want to hear."

As soon as Dowan Ha's figure disappeared from the room, Gwangmyeong felt the weight of the command settle deeper within him. 

It was like a part of him—some old, rebellious piece of his past—had been stripped away, leaving only the devotion to the man who now commanded him. 

There was no question, no resistance in his mind. 

Dowan's words had woven themselves into his very essence, a truth he could no longer ignore.

Gwangmyeong stood there, still processing the rapid shift in his life. His men were on their way back, undoubtedly confused, but soon enough, they would know the new order. 

He wasn't just their boss anymore—he was Dowan's instrument, and everything from this point forward would be different.

He turned and approached the nearest wall, his hand resting against it as he waited for the gang members to arrive. His phone buzzed in his pocket, the message from his gang still visible. It was one of confusion and dismay, no doubt, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that they were coming. 

They'd follow his orders. They had to.

When the first of the gangsters walked in, his head lowered in hesitation, clearly unsure of what was going on. The others filed in behind him, looking more like soldiers than the thugs they'd once been.

"Boss?" The man asked, his voice wavering. "What happened out there? They're all confused—some of the guys are still out on the streets."

Gwangmyeong straightened, his posture now more controlled, more deliberate than it had ever been. He wasn't the man he once was—he wasn't the one who lived for the thrill of violence and power. 

He was Dowan's man now, and his first order was to make sure the gang understood that.

"The test is over," Gwangmyeong said coolly, his voice devoid of any previous warmth. "We're no longer doing business that way. The protection racket is finished. We'll change our focus. Starting now, we're going to help this community, not destroy it. Everyone will start to be proper. If anyone resists… well, that's their choice."

The men exchanged looks, uncertainty flickering in their eyes. This was a big shift, too big for most of them to accept immediately. But Gwangmyeong could feel Dowan's presence in the back of his mind, and he had no doubt that these men would follow him, no matter their reservations.

"We'll make sure everyone knows," Gwangmyeong continued, his eyes hardening. "And anyone who tries to start trouble? You know what to do. Send them to me." 

His words were firm, a clear warning. There was no room for doubt anymore.

The man nodded, still processing the drastic shift in direction. Gwangmyeong turned and pulled out his phone again. He needed to message the gang's higher-ups, make sure they knew what had just happened.

"Stop the protection racket. This is over. We're changing our operations. Get the word out to everyone. Help the community, not harm it. Anyone who doesn't comply, come to me."

He sent it without hesitation. The old Gwangmyeong would have never dreamed of sending such a message… he would have demanded loyalty through fear, violence, and intimidation. 

But Dowan had shown him another way, a way that was, in some strange sense, more powerful than anything he had ever known.

As the messages were sent, Gwangmyeong stood still, the weight of his new reality pressing down on him. He wasn't the man he used to be, and he didn't want to be. Dowan had opened his eyes, and now, more than anything, he wanted to make sure the transition went smoothly.

With everything done, Gwangmyeong moved to the front of the building, stepping outside into the cold night air. The streets were quiet, but something felt different. 

The air was thick with tension… his gang, his men, were still adjusting to the changes, but Gwangmyeong knew that in time, they would understand.

He had a purpose now. And that purpose was Dowan Ha.

Looking up at the dark sky, Gwangmyeong felt a strange peace settle over him. This was a new beginning, for him, for his gang, and for the community. A beginning that would be shaped by Dowan's influence.

He smiled, faintly, for the first time in a long while.

The sting of his memories still remained in his mind, despite the years that had passed.

That man, that terrifying figure... he had destroyed everything.

The Cheonha gang.

Gwangmyeong's hand, his foot, his pride.

In a single moment, he had been brought to his knees. The man had been more than just a fighter; he had been an unstoppable force, a whirlwind of destruction, and no matter how hard Gwangmyeong had tried to rebuild, he couldn't escape the shadow that man had cast over his life.

But now, that shadow had been replaced by something else.

A new future. A new master. Dowan Ha.

And this time, Gwangmyeong would never allow himself to be broken again.

It was a smile of submission, yes… but also one of something deeper. Gratitude. Devotion.

Dowan.

He was… everything.

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I've posted my lookism fic on WebNovel now. Check it out!

Lookism: King's Ascension

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Patreon: Teddartic