The Emperor's Shadow
In the top-floor suite of the Elysium Hotel in Gangnam, Seoul, the city's night skyline stretched out like a panorama beyond the window. Thousands of lights twinkling in the dark city. The high-rise buildings' illuminations cast long shadows over the Han River.
A massive silhouette sat facing this view.
A man sunk deep into the sofa. The video playing on the wall-mounted TV cast a bluish glow on his face.
On screen, a blond boxer was knocking out a kickboxer in just 30 seconds.
[This is nothing? Boxing didn't win, just a strong guy won.]
The video ended.
The man reached out to grab the remote.
Rewind.
Play again.
This time, it was the Geum Hyuk vs. Seo Minjae match video. Geum Hyuk was being dominated in the first three rounds, but from the fourth, he started dodging all punches.
The man's eyes narrowed slightly.
Yu Seonghun.
Alias: Fist Emperor.
No official record. No participation in any tournament.
But in the fighting game world, his name was almost a taboo.
In his early twenties, fighters from all over the world challenged him. Boxing, kickboxing, MMA, judo, wrestling. No matter the discipline. The result was always the same. Not a single one lasted three minutes.
After that, challengers stopped coming. More precisely, those who even considered challenging him disappeared.
At 35 now, he held no title. But there was one fact implicitly agreed upon among fighters worldwide.
A living taboo. An entity not to be touched, the very taboo of the fighting world.
That was Yu Seonghun.
Governments from various countries had requests for bodyguards. Tycoons from major corporations offered astronomical amounts for protection. He refused all of them. Money held no interest.
He was only interested in 'strength'.
A man like that was now replaying the video of the rookie boxer in slow motion.
Slow motion.
Fourth round, Seo Minjae's jab flying.
Yu Seonghun's gaze fixed on the tip of Geum Hyuk's foot.
'.......'
The moment Seo Minjae's right foot stepped out half a beat.
Geum Hyuk's upper body had already tilted first.
The evasion maneuver started before the punch launched.
He read the feint.
Yu Seonghun realized.
This wasn't ordinary reaction time. He had analyzed the opponent's habits, read the lead movements, and evaded before the punch came.
Collected data over three rounds, applied it in the fourth.
Someone who adapts to that extent in a single match...
In Yu Seonghun's memory, a face surfaced.
His younger self.
When he first entered the fighting ring at 12. The opponent was a gang boss who had some name in the neighborhood.
Losing the first minute.
But in the next minute, Yu Seonghun started reading all patterns of the opponent.
And before the next minute passed, the opponent fell, never to rise again.
Since that day, Yu Seonghun had no memory of ever being beaten.
Yu Seonghun stopped the video.
On screen, Geum Hyuk's face was frozen. The expression right after KO'ing Seo Minjae. A beast-like smile on his lips.
"후후."
The corner of Yu Seonghun's mouth lifted slightly.
It wasn't big enough to be called a laugh. But compared to the change on his usually expressionless face, it was quite large.
"Interesting guy appeared."
A low, heavy voice echoed through the suite.
Yu Seonghun stood up.
Over 190cm tall. Firmly built muscles outlined under his shirt. Each step carried weight. Like the pressure of a large beast walking.
He walked to the window, looking down at Seoul's night view.
"Geum Hyuk."
He murmured the name once more.
"How far can he go."
***
At 5 AM.
Geum Hyuk's day began before the sun rose.
Before the alarm even rang, his eyes opened, and his body moved on its own. It was the routine engraved in Geum Hyuk's body.
Wash face. Stretch. Tie running shoe laces. Leave the front door.
The early morning air filled his lungs coldly. He lightly ran to the Han River embankment. At a time when darkness hadn't yet receded, the streetlight lights stretched long across the asphalt.
10km road walk.
When his breathing grew heavy and legs felt heavy, the sun began to rise beyond the horizon. Red light spread over the Han River surface.
......Good.
Lee Woojin thought while running.
This body didn't tire. Even if fatigue accumulated, recovery was fast. An ordinary person would be exhausted after 10km, but Geum Hyuk's body seemed to treat it as a warm-up.
Cheating stamina.
Exactly as in the game settings. Geum Hyuk was a wild genius and owner of innate physical talent.
He arrived at the gym at 7.
Hwang Jinsu hadn't arrived yet for work. Geum Hyuk came first and started his warm-up.
Jump rope 30 minutes.
Shadow boxing 1 hour.
Punching bag training 1 hour.
.......
While pounding the punching bag, Lee Woojin continued his tests.
The combo routes learned from 'Fighter of Legend'. 247 combinations stored in his mind. He implemented them one by one with his body.
Jab-jab-straight-left hook.
Step in-body-upper.
Overhand right hook.
Lee Woojin was in awe.
Geum Hyuk's body could almost immediately reproduce movements seen once. The body followed what the mind knew quickly.
Gamer's knowledge + Geum Hyuk's talent.
Feeling it anew, this combination was cheating.
While catching his breath, a junior on one side of the gym was punching the bag.
Form was sloppy. Elbow flared out, insufficient waist rotation.
Geum Hyuk approached.
"Keep your elbow tighter. If power leaks here, your punch power will halve."
Geum Hyuk personally adjusted the posture. Shoulder angle, fist position, foot direction.
"Like this. Waist rotation first, the fist follows."
Geum Hyuk's waist exploded in rotation. At the moment the fist struck the bag, with a booming sound, the bag screamed while hanging from the ceiling ring. The chain pulled taut to the limit, the bag almost bouncing horizontally.
The junior's eyes sparkled.
"Wow...... "
"Here, try it."
"Okay, hyung!"
The junior followed the posture. Punch power was heaven and earth difference, but the flared elbow came in, waist rotation returned.
By now, Hwang Jinsu, who had come to work, was watching the scene from afar.
This guy is good at teaching too.
Not only talent as an athlete, but the ability to analyze and convey techniques. Ordinary geniuses can't explain how they do it.
But Geum Hyuk was different. He knew exactly why one should do it that way.
Lunchtime. Geum Hyuk removed his hands from the punching bag and loosened his gloves. It was time for his stomach to growl a bit. Wiping sweat, heading toward the locker room when the gym door opened.
"Hyuk-ah!"
Familiar voice.
Ha Ije.
Long black hair to her waist. In one hand, a thermos lunch bag.
"Now? What's the matter."
"Time to eat, right?"
Ha Ije smiled brightly, shaking the lunch bag.
"Brought lunch. Let's eat together."
She plopped down next to Geum Hyuk, opened the lunch bag, and took out each side dish container one by one.
"Home-made?"
"Yeah! Prepared since morning. Try it."
Geum Hyuk picked up chopsticks.
Egg roll. Spinach salad. Thinly sliced brisket and bean sprouts stir-fry. A perfectly balanced meal with nutrition.
......Tastes good.
"Right? I did some diet study. Protein and iron supplementation are important, they say."
Ha Ije smiled proudly.
In the corner of the gym, juniors were whispering.
"Yo, that's Geum Hyuk hyung's girlfriend?"
"Don't know, but look at the vibe..."
"Completely like a newlywed couple?"
Ha Ije's ears turned red. Whether she heard or not, she focused only on Geum Hyuk.
"By the way, aren't you overdoing it lately? How long after the match, already training?"
"It's fine."
Ha Ije glared at Geum Hyuk.
"Look at your face. Bruises haven't faded yet."
"This much, it's almost healed."
"Healed? What healed."
Muttering, but Ha Ije carefully examined Geum Hyuk's face. The swelling around the eyes had mostly gone, but yellowish bruise marks remained above the cheekbones.
......I'm really worried.
Ha Ije's voice softened.
"I thought my heart stopped when I saw the video of you fighting that kickboxer on YouTube."
"That was sparring. It wasn't a real match."
"Still!"
Ha Ije grabbed Geum Hyuk's arm.
"Be careful. Got it?"
"......"
Geum Hyuk chuckled.
Reached out to stroke Ha Ije's head. Fingers slid softly through the black hair.
"Okay. Thanks for worrying."
Ha Ije's face instantly flushed red.
"W-what? Suddenly..."
"Huh?"
"Nothing!"
Ha Ije hurriedly turned her head.
In the gym corner, juniors raised thumbs.
"Hyung is awesome......"
"How did that happen?"
"With Geum Hyuk hyung's face, it's possible......"
A while later.
After finishing the lunch, Ha Ije took out her phone.
"Oh right, Hyuk-ah."
"Huh?"
"There's a broadcast collaboration scheduled. Schedule is set."
Geum Hyuk nodded.
Ha Ije was a game streamer. Forest (포레스트), with 300,000 subscribers, a top-class streamer who got the nickname 'game goddess' for streaming various games like League of Warriors, Valkyrie Tactics, etc.
And recently, she had suggested a broadcast collab to Geum Hyuk.
Boxing champion playing games. Wouldn't that be fun?
At the time, he had lightly agreed. Since Ha Ije was so excited, refusing was hard.
"This Saturday evening okay?"
"...This week?"
"Yeah. Already announced to the viewers. They're super excited."
Ha Ije showed the phone screen. The broadcast announcement post on SNS.
This week special guest reveal! Oriental Champion Geum Hyuk joins my stream lol What is the boxer's game skill? Look forward to it!
Reactions were hot, with over 10,000 likes.
Comments were going crazy.
"......Good reactions."
"Of course! Hyuk is completely hot lately."
Ha Ije was excited.
"How? Okay?"
"Yeah. Promised."
"Really? Glad!"
Ha Ije smiled brightly.
At that moment, Geum Hyuk's phone rang.
Checked the notification.
"Wow."
Ha Ije looked at the screen from beside him.
"Hyuk-ah, Outstagram 500k followers?"
"Huh? Really?"
Geum Hyuk opened Outstagram.
It had exploded after the Fight Lab video.
Opened the DM folder.
Hundreds of messages stacked.
"......"
Ha Ije's expression subtly hardened.
"......Popular."
Voice slightly cold.
"Huh? Yeah, I guess."
Geum Hyuk casually put the phone in his pocket.
"Not really interested. They're strangers."
"......"
Ha Ije looked up at Geum Hyuk.
In her eyes, some complex emotions were contained. Relief, or still lingering anxiety.
"......Really?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"No, nothing."
Ha Ije shook her head and stood up.
"I have stream prep, going first. Don't overtrain!"
"Okay."
"Promise!"
Ha Ije waved and left the gym.
Geum Hyuk watched her back, then stood in front of the punching bag again.
'Stream.'
With 300k subscribers, simultaneous viewers would be thousands.
'Well, fun.'
He clenched his fist and started pounding the punching bag again.