Chapter 4: “The Ones Who Plan to Hunt the Predator”**

**"They say you should never corner a wild animal.

But I'm not an animal.

I'm something worse.

Because I don't growl.

I just wait—

Until the world forgets I'm dangerous."**

— Seo Jungho

---

### ***\[1] — New District, New Blood***

Gangnam had been quiet since I crushed the underground fight club.

Too quiet.

But cities like this?

They never stay peaceful for long.

Rumors began circulating of a new group rising fast—something different from the four major crews. Not interested in turf. Not focused on money.

They were hunting *strong people*.

Recruiting some. Eliminating others.

They weren't looking to rise to the top.

They were trying to *erase* the competition completely.

---

### ***\[2] — Code Name: "Project Culling"***

Kim Suhyeon's system got the ping first.

**\[New Entity Detected: Codename – Culling Unit]**

**\[Objective: Suppress Uncontrollable Variables]**

**\[Warning: Operation may include lethal force]**

He stared at the interface.

"Uncontrollable variables...?"

Then a name appeared.

**\[Target Priority: Seo Jungho]**

He swallowed hard.

The system didn't flag Daniel. Not Johan. Not even Vasco.

Just… me.

Suhyeon leaned back, heart racing.

"Why you, Jungho…?"

Even his system couldn't understand.

---

### ***\[3] — A Hidden Hand Reaches***

Monday morning. Cold wind.

I was walking to school with headphones in—no music playing—when a car stopped near the sidewalk.

Toned window rolled down.

Inside: a man in a suit. Sharp eyes. Young. Maybe mid-20s.

He looked at me and smiled calmly.

"You don't belong here, Seo Jungho."

I blinked.

He continued. "I'm not here to fight. Yet. But I'm warning you. Step out of the game. You're scaring the wrong people."

I tilted my head slightly.

"I'm not in the game."

He chuckled. "That's exactly the problem."

And the car drove away.

---

### ***\[4] — Daniel Confronts Me***

Later that day, Daniel walked beside me during PE.

The sun was hot. Kids were running laps. I wasn't.

He kept pace with me, his usual goofy smile replaced with a serious one.

"Did you hear?" he asked.

I didn't respond.

"There's a group targeting strong students. No crew tags. No faces. But they're watching people like us. And… you're on top of the list."

I stayed quiet.

Daniel glanced at me. "I'm not gonna ask if you're scared. I know you're not. But if you ever need help…"

"I won't."

"…Right," he muttered, slightly embarrassed.

Still, he stayed next to me.

Even when others avoided me.

---

### ***\[5] — Friendly Fire***

That evening, as I left school, a first-year from another building stepped into my path.

Slender build. Calm expression. Light blue hair.

He bowed politely.

"Seo Jungho-ssi. I'm here to challenge you."

I blinked. "Why?"

He didn't answer.

Instead, he slid into stance. It wasn't flashy, but his footwork was precise.

So I sighed.

"Fine."

**It was over in five seconds.**

One jab to the chest, and he flew backward, gasping like a fish. His ribs cracked. He dropped unconscious before he hit the pavement.

In his jacket pocket, I found a note:

> **\[Test #1 — Observation Successful. Next comes Extraction.]**

I crumpled the paper.

"…So it begins."

---

### ***\[6] — Backdoor Meeting***

Suhyeon met me at a fast-food joint after school.

He never did that.

He slid into the seat across from me, looking like he hadn't slept in days.

"You know they're coming for you, right?"

I chewed on a fry.

He dropped a printed sheet on the table.

Names. Faces. Schedules. Routes.

Every major fighter in our city who had *mysteriously disappeared* in the last two weeks.

Johan's second-in-command. Vasco's old rival. Even one of Eli's childhood friends.

Gone.

No bodies. No police reports.

Just *erased*.

I glanced at Suhyeon.

He whispered, "They're eliminating threats before they rise."

"And I'm next?"

"You're already the final boss in their books."

I sipped my drink.

"Good."

---

### ***\[7] — Middle of the Web***

That night, I stood on the rooftop of my apartment.

Rain poured. I didn't care.

Across the city, I could *feel* the eyes on me. The new players. The "Culling Unit."

They were precise. Clinical. Emotionless.

But not invisible.

One was watching me from across the adjacent building, dressed like a utility worker.

I raised a hand slowly.

Waved.

He flinched and disappeared into the shadows.

I smiled.

Let them watch.

I wanted them to.

---

### ***\[8] — The First Real Attack***

It happened two nights later.

Late evening. The city quiet.

I was walking back from a convenience store, bag of snacks in one hand, when the streetlights flickered.

A blackout?

No.

Something was jamming the power grid.

I heard soft footsteps behind me. Then more. To the side. And front.

Five figures appeared.

All dressed in grey hoods, faces hidden behind black tactical masks.

One stepped forward.

"Seo Jungho. You are hereby classified as a rogue anomaly."

I tossed my snack bag to the ground.

He nodded once.

And they charged.

---

### ***\[9] — Hunter Becomes Prey***

They were fast.

Synchronized.

One aimed for my neck.

Another for my legs.

The third tried to jab something into my shoulder—a tranquilizer maybe?

Cute.

I moved.

Not dodged—*moved*. Like the world slowed for me.

I shattered the dart in mid-air, kicked the first attacker into the second, and grabbed the third by the mask.

**Crack.**

His head snapped sideways.

Two left.

One pulled out an electric baton.

The other tried to choke me from behind.

I let him.

Let him think he had the upper hand.

Then I leaned forward suddenly and *flipped* him over my shoulder.

His spine hit the concrete.

The baton guy backed away.

I walked forward.

He screamed and ran.

Didn't chase.

Didn't need to.

I had sent my message.

---

### ***\[10] — Suhyeon's System Flashes Red***

**\[SYSTEM ALERT — Target Jungho remains undefeated.]**

**\[All engagement teams failed.]**

**\[Fallback protocol activated: Tier 2 Intervention scheduled.]**

Suhyeon slammed his laptop closed.

Even his system was panicking now.

"This guy isn't a variable… he's a virus."

He thought back to when Jungho first appeared.

Quiet. Lazy. Unbothered.

And yet…

**He could wipe out entire crews without breaking a sweat.**

---

### ***\[11] — Daniel's Reflection***

Daniel watched Jungho from a distance, across the school courtyard.

The guy was asleep. Again. Head leaning against the tree trunk. Jacket draped over his face like a blanket.

Daniel whispered to himself.

"You're like a bomb, aren't you?"

Behind him, Zoe popped a lollipop into her mouth. "You mean Seo Jungho?"

Daniel nodded.

"He doesn't fight unless forced… but when he does…"

Zoe nodded. "He's not human."

Daniel frowned.

"…No, he is. That's the scary part."

---

### ***\[12] — Final Scene: The Next Predator***

Across town, inside an abandoned subway station, the Culling Unit's command room lit up.

A man in a black coat leaned over a console.

"You failed," he said to the returning operatives.

All bowed silently.

He clicked a button.

Jungho's face appeared on the screen.

Blank expression.

Dead eyes.

Unassuming.

But beneath that?

A monster.

The man in the coat whispered,

**"Send the Phase Two units. Tell them to come armed."**

**"This time, we cage the devil."**

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