THE STREET KING

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1. The Hunt Resumes

Jinwoo gritted his teeth as the black car disappeared into the night.

Min-jae had slipped through his fingers.

Again.

Behind him, the Jade Dragon Lounge burned, sirens already wailing in the distance.

Hye-jin stumbled beside him, wiping blood from her temple. "That bastard planned this."

Dae-hyun's voice crackled through the comms. "I saw the explosion from two blocks away. You guys still breathing?"

Jinwoo exhaled. "Barely."

Dae-hyun's voice turned grim. "And Min-jae?"

Jinwoo's jaw tightened. "Escaped."

Silence.

Then, Dae-hyun spoke again, this time hesitant. "Uh… Jinwoo? You might wanna see this."

Jinwoo and Hye-jin exchanged glances before sprinting toward their getaway car.

When they reached the alley where Dae-hyun was waiting, he didn't speak.

Instead, he just pointed.

Jinwoo's stomach twisted.

Taped to the car's windshield was a single playing card.

The Black King.

And written in red ink beneath it were two words:

"Your move."

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2. The Architect's Game Begins

Jinwoo paced in the hideout, staring at the card.

Hye-jin leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "It's a trap."

Dae-hyun scoffed. "Of course it's a trap. The real question is—do we walk into it?"

Jinwoo studied the message.

This wasn't just Min-jae's doing.

This was The Architect himself.

He was no longer watching from the shadows.

He was inviting Jinwoo into the endgame.

Jinwoo smirked.

Perfect.

"We walk into it," he finally said.

Hye-jin sighed. "Why do I even ask?"

Dae-hyun groaned. "Alright. What's the plan?"

Jinwoo turned to them, fire in his eyes.

"We change the rules."

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3. The Bait and the Trap

The next night, Jinwoo arrived at the designated meeting point—an abandoned shipyard on the outskirts of Busan.

Min-jae was waiting, standing under a flickering floodlight.

He smiled. "You came."

Jinwoo stepped forward. "You left me an invitation."

Min-jae chuckled. "The Architect is eager to see what you'll do next."

Jinwoo's eyes narrowed. "Then tell him to come out of his hole."

Min-jae tilted his head. "Oh, he will."

Then, he snapped his fingers.

The floodlights roared to life.

Jinwoo tensed. Dozens of gunmen emerged from the shadows.

Min-jae grinned. "Checkmate."

Jinwoo smirked.

"No," he said.

"It's my turn."

Then, the entire shipyard exploded.

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4. Flames of Vengeance

The ground shook as fire and debris rained down.

Gunmen screamed as secondary blasts erupted across the dock.

Jinwoo sprinted through the chaos, dodging gunfire.

Min-jae wasn't smiling anymore.

Hye-jin's voice crackled through the earpiece. "Charges detonated! Get out of there!"

Jinwoo saw Min-jae running toward a black SUV.

Not this time.

Jinwoo tackled him mid-stride, both men crashing onto the concrete.

Min-jae swung a knife—Jinwoo dodged, twisting his arm, forcing him to drop it.

They struggled, fists flying, bones cracking.

Jinwoo slammed Min-jae's head into the pavement.

Once.

Twice.

Blood pooled beneath him.

Min-jae coughed, grinning. "You… really think… this ends with me?"

Jinwoo's fist clenched. "No."

Then he grabbed Min-jae's own knife—

And buried it in his chest.

Min-jae gasped. Blood bubbled from his lips.

Jinwoo leaned in.

"Checkmate."

Min-jae's body went still.

Jinwoo stood, breath heavy.

One piece off the board.

But The Architect was still out there.

And the real game was just beginning.

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End of Chapter 63

(Next Chapter: Facing The King.)