33.Gang Leader
33.Gang Leader
The cold wind brushed gently across the barren land as the sun slowly dipped below the horizon. The atmosphere was quiet—too quiet for comfort.
Kai, still processing everything that had just happened, turned to the three standing beside him—James, Ruby, and Minji.
"Gang Leader...?" he repeated in confusion, his brows slightly furrowed. "What does that mean? Who is he the leader of?"
No one replied.
Not a single word.
Instead, he was met with wide eyes and stunned expressions. Ruby's lips parted in disbelief. Even Minji, who was usually quick to reply, stood frozen. It was like the question itself had dragged them back into a memory they weren't ready to face.
Kai glanced back—and that's when he noticed something.
Standing beside the man in the black coat was someone else.
He looked to be around James' age, maybe a little younger. His hair was short and tidy, and his presence had a subtle sharpness.
Before Kai could process more, the man in the black coat started walking toward him.
Each step was deliberate. Calm. Controlled.
He stopped just a few feet away, leaned forward slightly, and smiled—not arrogantly, but politely.
"I apologize on behalf of my younger brother," the man said. His voice was smooth, but held a strange intensity. "Jack has always been... difficult. Since childhood, he only ever listened to me and our father. If I'm not around, he tends to act... out of line."
He gestured softly toward the broken cart.
"I may ask how the person in the cart related to you. No matter who he is to you and how important he is to you but by your reaction i guess very important, Btw I am very sorry . He's not usually like that," the man continued.
Kai blinked. "Brother, he is my brother" he echoed, still confused.
Minji stepped forward and smiled awkwardly, trying to lighten the tension.
"Gang Leader—I mean bro , this is Kai," she said. "He's the strategist and captain of our team. The one lying in the cart is Moon. He used too much energy earlier while fighting... he's unconscious now."
The man in the black coat nodded politely.
"Ah, forgive me for not introducing myself sooner," he said. "I'm Thomas. Please forgive my brother's behavior earlier."
With that, he turned around and looked at the young man standing behind him—Daniel. Then, he began walking in the direction of Base #12072008, toward the east.
As Thomas walked away, Daniel—his black hair fluttering lightly in the wind—turned to James.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, neither of them blinked.
The tension between them was unmistakable. It wasn't just a rivalry. It was personal. Like two wild cats silently assessing each other before the real battle began.
Despite that, Daniel followed Thomas. Jack, now holding his sliced palm with his other hand, followed behind as well. Not a single tear in his eye. Not a flicker of weakness on his face.
Only silence remained.
As they disappeared from view, everyone exhaled at once.
The tension had finally lifted.
Minji chuckled nervously. "Right... what were you asking again, Kai?"
Kai repeated his question, and before he could finish, Minji spoke up.
"Oh, you mean who that was, and why we called him the Gang Leader?"
James sighed. "It's not what it sounds like. He's not into any illegal business. And we're not part of his gang, either. It's just... when we were kids, he always made us call him that while we played. Later in school, he actually formed a real gang—but not the criminal type."
James paused.
"He brought together the most influential kids—children from powerful families. And together, they helped each other rise. His group got things done. Even teachers and officials started calling him Gang Leader. Eventually, it just stuck."
Kai slowly nodded. He stared off for a moment, deep in thought.
Then he turned to James again. "You told me Jack is the second young master of your rival company. So the first must be Thomas, right? And the third... the one who left last, around your age... that must be...?"
James frowned. His voice was lower now.
"Yeah. That's Daniel. My biggest rival back at Aegis Academy."
Kai hummed in agreement, then turned toward the cart. He and James went over to check on Moon.
Everything seemed fine—his pulse, his breathing, his nerves. No sign of permanent damage.
But something still didn't sit right.
Kai thought back to Thomas.
"His voice... It was strangely persuasive," Kai muttered.
"He's probably reached low-tier Professional level," James said.
Kai nodded again. "Makes sense."
There was a brief silence.
Then Kai grinned.
"So... how's your training going, James?"
James stretched his arms. "It's going well. But seeing Daniel again made me feel like I need to train harder."
Kai burst out laughing. "That's great! I'll carry Daniel's photo around and show it to Moon every time you slack off in training."
James rolled his eyes and turned away, refusing to acknowledge the bad joke.
---
An hour passed.
The sun was almost gone.
The team had been walking for a while when Kai spotted a deer-like creature grazing near a patch of glowing grass.
He nudged James with his elbow.
"Go get it. I'll clean the area so we can camp here. We should reach Amber Dunes tomorrow or the day after."
James nodded and began creeping toward the target.
Ruby and Minji joined Kai in clearing the site and setting up sleeping kits.
Kai looked around and spoke quietly, "This spot's flat enough. Good for the sleep kits."
Minji unfolded a tarp and swept some dry mud off the ground. "Honestly... after that thing with Thomas, it feels like we're setting up camp on the edge of a warzone."
Kai gave a soft chuckle. "Well, welcome to Team Moon."
Ruby glanced at him. "He'd laugh at that line… when he wakes up."
Minji laid out a folded blanket where Moon would rest. "He better wake up soon. Nothing scares me more than him staying quiet for too long."
Kai adjusted one of the tent poles carefully. "If the night goes by safely, we'll all feel better by morning."
Ruby whispered under her breath, "Let's just hope James comes back too... preferably without more broken bones."
Kai said "he will return safely."
Fifteen minutes passed.
Still no sound from James.
Kai frowned. "That beast was only rookie-level. I checked its energy with the system."
---
[15 Minutes Earlier – James]
James was crouched in the bushes.
Every step he took was calculated. Careful.
He finally got close to the deer. But just as he was about to launch his attack, something strange happened.
The beast glowed.
Its entire body shimmered with a golden light.
James didn't hesitate. He went for a swift kick—
—but the creature turned around at the last moment and slammed James in the face with terrifying force.
His jaw cracked.
Blood trickled from his nose and mouth.
But in midair, he gritted his teeth, realigned his jaw, and wiped his face.
"I don't know what the hell happened to you," he muttered, eyes burning. "But I don't give a damn."
He widened his stance.
Legs spaced perfectly, fists clenched.
Then he vanished—
—and reappeared in front of the deer in a blink.
A barrage of kicks followed, fast and merciless. The beast stumbled backward, briefly stunned.
But then...
Its antlers began to change.
Twisting. Morphing.
They turned into something resembling tree branches. Thick. Jagged. Dangerous.
One of James' kicks got caught.
The antlers trapped his leg.
He panicked, tried to pull back.
But it was too late.
The beast began spinning its head like a drill.
James screamed as pain shot through his leg, his head, his body. Blood dripped from his ears. His vision blurred.
Everything went black.
But only for a second.
He forced himself awake. Remembered something Ruby had done once.
He twisted his body unnaturally, bending his spine in a risky angle.
Then he plunged his hand forward, using a blade-like edge formed by his aura.
CRACK!
The antler snapped.
James tumbled back, gasping. But he was free.
The beast growled.
Furious.
Now both of them stared at each other.
James was bleeding from nearly every hole in his face.
The deer's forehead was dripping with blood.
And the real fight was only about to begin.
---
[To Be Continued...]