Chapter 3: Chapter 3: A Quick Visit to Northern Gangbuk(this chapter was rewritten)

Narrator's POV

Hajun Gu spent the rest of the day sorting out his life and doing some light training, using the new stuff he'd learned from the AI, which included information he got from the library.

He wanted to make sure he took his time, checking every little detail—Hajun wasn't about to let a tiny mistake come back and bite him later.

Once everything was how he liked it, Hajun Gu headed straight for Northern Gangbuk. He was wearing a black hoodie and a mask that looked a lot like the one Arthur Leywin, also known as the Grey King, used to wear.

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He wanted to keep his identity under wraps for now. He knew Southern Gangbuk wasn't ready for a direct fight with the North just yet.

"On top of having Mr. Hansu Seong as my teacher, I had to pay for the gym and get some supplies the AI recommended…"

Hajun was determined to get stronger, but the costs tied to his new lifestyle—totally different from the guy who used to own this body—were a real burden.

"Anyway, once I beat the crap out of Cheonhak Yang at his bar, I'll just take all his money, and my savings will be full again," he thought.

He was pretty happy with this plan. It didn't take long for him to reach the northern district.

"Good thing I know my way around this part of Gangbuk. It's pretty hard to navigate."

Hajun Gu couldn't help but be grateful for his past knowledge of Northern Gangbuk, as he arrived at the bar run by Cheonhak Yang without any trouble.

"Who's this idiot?" muttered some random guy with a cigarette in his mouth.

He wasn't the only one. More and more people started surrounding Hajun Gu, slowly but surely.

"Hey, you, why are you wearing that stupid mask here?" a threatening man said.

Hajun knew this bar was full of underage thugs, but the guy in front of him looked to be in his twenties and was holding a metal bat.

"Why aren't you answering?? You came here to cause trouble, huh?"

After shouting, the man started moving closer to Hajun. Anyone could tell that his intentions were hostile.

"Get lost," Hajun said calmly, but with the loud music in the bar, his voice wasn't really heard.

Without waiting any longer, Hajun hit him with a perfectly executed uppercut. To those watching, there was almost no time between when the guy questioned him and when Hajun knocked him out with that punch.

It was just too fast.

"My uppercut has nothing to do with the ones I used to throw," thought Hajun, looking down at his opponent.

He was pleasantly surprised. He also understood that he needed to get used to regularly using the new knowledge he got from the AI.

He didn't want to try moves his body couldn't handle yet. It would be stupid to use the perfect technique for a situation, only for his body to give out mid-move.

"That trash attacked Go-Bong!" someone shouted before the music stopped abruptly.

Everyone present stopped what they were doing, which included a bunch of illegal activities. Their eyes were now fixed on Hajun Gu, standing in the middle of the room.

The tension in the bar was palpable, but Hajun kept a calm expression. He knew he wasn't in danger… he was the danger.

"Nietzsche once said… that unjustified violence is just madness," came a calm voice from a chair in the back of the room.

"So, tell me, uninvited guest…" he began, leaning slightly toward Hajun. "What did my subordinate do to deserve this attack?" he asked in a calm, eloquent tone.

If anyone was watching, judging by his appearance and speech, they'd think this guy didn't belong here.

But Hajun is different. To him, this was just another thug who would provide him with a bit of money to fund his next activities.

"Shut up. I'm not here to talk over drinks, but to tear you apart," Hajun said calmly, surveying the room carefully.

Without waiting a second after Hajun's words, everyone rushed toward him with clear hostile intentions.

"He's crazy, stop him!" someone shouted, charging at Hajun with a bottle he'd broken earlier.

But, unfortunately for him, he was stopped dead in his tracks by a right hook to the chin, which was definitely going to send him straight to the dentist.

He collapsed instantly, but that didn't discourage the others. They were members of Northern Gangbuk, and they had their pride.

After a few minutes, nearly everyone was on the ground, unable to continue fighting Hajun, who seemed perfectly fine, except for his slightly irregular breathing.

It was a predictable result. Before Mikoto Suoh took control of Hajun Gu's body, he had been able to unify part of Western Gangbuk, in the southern district, all by himself.

So a few low-ranking subordinates from Northern Gangbuk were no real challenge for him.

It would take some higher-ups to make things interesting, and right now, there was only one higher-up in this bar.

"You're really strong, maybe even stronger than me, but…" Cheonhak repeated once again, despite the punch he'd just taken to his temple, one of the more vulnerable spots on the head.

"But I'm not ranked 20th in Northern Gangbuk for nothing," Cheonhak said with determination, rushing to grab Hajun, despite the dizziness he felt.

You've got to understand—the temple is a fragile area. It's really hard to build resistance there, but Cheonhak still managed to keep attacking.

Hajun knew Cheonhak Yang practiced judo, so he was extremely wary of his desperate attempts at grappling.

He had to avoid being grabbed, or he'd end up on the floor.

A lot of people had underestimated judo in Hajun's past life, but his experience as Hajun Gu had taught him how scary this martial art could be.

If he didn't finish the fight quickly, he'd end up in a tough spot.

"If he grabs me, I'll end up with my head smashed against the ground," Hajun thought, staying on guard.

He kept dodging Cheonhak's grappling attempts, immediately countering with quick strikes to stay out of reach.

"I thought this fight would be tough, but in the end, it was way too easy," Hajun Gu said after landing an uppercut that sent Cheonhak straight to the floor.

Unlike the old Hanju, the new one is more cautious and strategic, which led him to overestimate his opponents.

"I might've overestimated Cheonhak Yang's level. After all, he was even humiliated by Yugyeom Na from Western Gangbuk," Hajun Gu thought as he left the bar with a bag full of cash and stuff stolen from the people he'd knocked out.

"Should I head home to drop off my loot, or go after Jeong-u Song?"

Hajun Gu thought about it for a second before quickly rejecting the idea.

He remembered that in his past life, according to the Questism protagonist system, the strength of Northern Gangbuk's 19th-ranked fighter was far above the 20th-ranked.

Their power levels were really different. If Hajun had to describe the situation, Cheonhak would be a kid, and Jeong-u Song would be an adult.

"I'll take out the numbers 21 to 30 tonight, and next week, I'll see if I have time for number 19," Hajun Gu thought, analyzing the situation based on his memories of the Questism manhwa.

He remembered that the future number 2 of Southern Gangbuk had been able to take down Northern Gangbuk's 19th-ranked fighter after a month of training.

He was sure he could do it sooner, because he wasn't like Gukja Yang, who didn't have a teacher.

He even had an AI to speed things up.