THE STREET KING

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1. The Weight of Truth

Jinwoo's gun was steady, his eyes locked on his uncle. The same man who had raised him after his father's death, who had whispered words of guidance, who had promised him loyalty—now stood before him as his final enemy.

"You knew," Jinwoo said, voice barely above a whisper.

His uncle smirked, stepping forward. "I didn't just know, Jinwoo. I helped."

Jinwoo's stomach twisted.

Seo was a monster, but his uncle had been the real puppet master.

"Why?" Jinwoo's voice was raw, filled with disbelief.

"Because your father was weak," his uncle said, his tone casual, as if he were discussing the weather. "He wanted peace. He thought the streets could be tamed, ruled with honor. But this world…" His smirk widened. "It belongs to the ruthless."

Jinwoo's hands trembled. Not with fear, but with rage.

"You betrayed your own blood," he growled.

His uncle chuckled. "Blood? You think that matters in this game? The only thing that matters is power."

Jinwoo exhaled slowly. He had one bullet left.

And he intended to use it.

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2. A King's Gambit

Jinwoo pulled the trigger.

CLICK.

Empty.

His uncle laughed. "You really thought I'd let you come in here with a full clip?"

In an instant, Jinwoo moved.

His hand went for the knife strapped to his belt, lunging forward.

His uncle was fast. Too fast.

A gunshot rang out—Hye-jin fired at his uncle.

But he dodged, rolling behind a desk. In a blur, he pulled out a hidden blade and charged.

Steel met steel.

Jinwoo blocked just in time, the knife barely missing his throat. He twisted, throwing a punch. His uncle ducked, countering with a brutal kick to Jinwoo's ribs.

Pain exploded in his side, but Jinwoo didn't falter. Not this time.

His uncle came in again—this time with deadly precision.

But Jinwoo was ready.

He sidestepped the attack, grabbing his uncle's wrist and twisting hard. A sickening crack echoed through the room.

His uncle cried out, his knife clattering to the floor.

Jinwoo didn't hesitate.

He grabbed the fallen blade and drove it deep into his uncle's stomach.

His uncle gasped, blood spilling from his lips.

"You…" He coughed, his strength failing. "You really think killing me will change anything?"

Jinwoo's voice was ice. "No. But it ends with me."

With a final push, Jinwoo twisted the blade. His uncle's breath hitched—and then he was still.

The war was over.

But the damage had already been done.

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3. The Price of Power

Hye-jin rushed forward, eyes scanning Jinwoo's wounds.

"It's over," she whispered.

Jinwoo looked around the room. Seo was dead. His uncle was dead. The men who had destroyed his life—gone.

But the weight in his chest only grew heavier.

"Not yet," he muttered.

Hye-jin frowned. "Jinwoo—"

"The city still bleeds."

She swallowed hard. She knew what he meant.

Killing Seo and his uncle hadn't erased the chaos. There would always be another enemy. Another war.

But there was one thing Jinwoo could do.

Take the throne.

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4. The Crowning of the Street King

By dawn, the news had spread.

Jinwoo stood at the center of the abandoned shipping yard, surrounded by the remnants of Seoul's underground. Gang leaders, mercenaries, brokers, and killers—all waiting for an answer.

Would he step up?

Or would he fall like the rest?

Jinwoo glanced at Hye-jin. Her eyes met his, filled with silent understanding.

He turned back to the crowd.

"I didn't fight this war for power," he said. His voice carried through the silence, strong, unshaken.

"I fought because our world was broken. Because the ones before us were weak. And now, their time is over."

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

Jinwoo took a slow breath. "From now on, the streets will answer to one king."

He raised his hand.

"And that king is me."

The crowd erupted.

Some in fear.

Others in loyalty.

But one thing was certain—Jinwoo had won.

He had claimed the throne.

And the streets would never be the same.

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End of Chapter 39