Thus, Ryo disappeared under the streetlights that danced as if celebrating his passage, leaving behind a long shadow that proved his greatness knew no bounds.
…
The next morning, as usual, Ryo woke up early and began his daily routine. He had a quick breakfast, then headed for the door to go to training. But as soon as he opened it, he was surprised to find a man standing in front of him.
He was a middle-aged man, with short black hair interrupted by a shiny bald spot that could almost blind the eyes with its gleam. His face bore a few wrinkles, and his short mustache gave him a somewhat old-fashioned look. He was short, with a bloated belly that pressed against the buttons of his formal suit, as if it barely fit him.
This was Mr. Lee, the landlord and husband of Mrs. Lee.
The moment he saw him, Ryo understood the reason for his visit. He had come for the signing of the sale contract.
Ryo said with a polite smile, which wasn't clearly visible from behind his thick black hair falling over his face:
"Good morning, Mr. Lee."
Mr. Lee replied in a flat tone, neither warm nor angry, just coldly neutral. Yet, the look of disdain in his eyes was hard to miss.
"Good morning, Mr. Kim."
Ryo raised an eyebrow slightly, then said directly:
"Mr. Lee, it seems you're heading to work, so it's better if we get this over with quickly."
He wasn't in the mood to waste time with this fool, so he decided to hurry things along.
Mr. Lee responded, waving his hand quickly:
"Yes, I'm off to the workers. Let's make it quick."
It was clear he didn't want to prolong the conversation either.
They entered Ryo's apartment together, where they sat facing each other, with the sale contract lying between them on the table.
Mr. Lee said as he opened his hand in a gesture of surrender:
"Honestly, I don't know how you convinced my wife to sell the building to you."
Ryo chuckled lightly:
"Heh, Mr. Lee, in truth, it was just a suggestion I made to Mrs. Lee."
Mr. Lee raised his head slightly, a hint of curiosity appearing on his face:
"I really want to know—why do you want to buy this old building?"
Ryo smiled faintly and looked out the window for a moment, as if memories passed before his eyes.
"Mr. Lee, you know my situation."
Mr. Lee nodded in simple acknowledgment.
Ryo continued in a calm tone:
"When I heard that Mrs. Lee was pregnant and the pregnancy was risky, the idea of buying the building from you two came to mind. With the money, you can move to Seoul, where it's safer, and the environment is better for her and the baby's comfort. It's also closer to your work."
Mr. Lee looked at the ground and slowly rubbed his palm:
"Honestly, I got a house in Seoul near my workplace. I was thinking of selling after I learned about my wife's pregnancy, but the price wasn't good enough."
Ryo asked, placing his hand firmly on the table:
"Really? How much were you offered?"
He replied in a low voice:
"Twenty-five million dollars."
Ryo looked him in the eyes with confidence and said:
"I offered thirty-five million dollars."
Mr. Lee's face froze for a few seconds, then he gave a faint smile and nodded slowly...
It didn't take more than a moment for him to agree, and the contract was signed between them.
Mr. Lee left the apartment a few minutes later, and Ryo remained standing at the door, looking at the contract before smiling faintly.
"It may seem foolish, buying an abandoned building… but soon, this building will be worth mountains of money."
…
Ryo then went out for training. He had recently signed up at a gym and hired a personal coach to begin his journey in martial arts.
He spent the entire day at the gym, training without caring about the time. His heavy breathing, the sweat dripping from his forehead, and the sharp sound of his fists hitting the pads all formed a silent symphony of his burning ambition.
And when he felt it was time to stop—because he had someone to visit—he ended the session.
He took a quick shower at the gym, then walked out slowly, as if his feet were reluctant to move.
As he passed by a clothing display window, he glanced at his reflection in the glass... He looked shabby, his clothes old and faded, though what he carried in his pocket could easily erase that impression.
He muttered to himself:
"I can't visit anyone looking like this."
Ryo entered the store. One of the employees approached to greet him—a short girl with black hair tied in two buns. Her face was round, doll-like, and her large blue eyes held a faint look of contempt because of his appearance. But she had professional training and quickly masked it.
Frankly, Ryo didn't care about her look... he had money. And in a world where appearances were everything, what could she possibly do?
The employee said with a formal smile:
"Sir, how may I assist you?"
He responded calmly:
"I want suitable clothes... for a date."
Ryo chose simple clothes: a white shirt, elegant black pants, a brown leather belt, and shiny black leather shoes.
He looked at himself in the mirror... Something was missing, something slightly ruined the look.
His long, messy black hair covered his eyes. He brushed it back with his fingers, revealing a handsome face with sharp features and emotionless black eyes, and under one of them—a small black mole.
This mole was what set him apart from Jin.
The girl's eyes widened in shock as she stared at him. His appearance had completely changed the moment he revealed his face.
Ryo paid for the clothes and left without giving her a second glance, though her face had turned red from embarrassment.
"He's... handsome..." the girl whispered, then began fanning her flushed face with her hand.
On his way, Ryo stopped at a flower vendor and bought a bouquet of white flowers. "She must like white flowers," he muttered to himself. Everyone who saw him on the road couldn't hide their amazement at his appearance.
"Look at him, he's so handsome!"
"Who's the lucky girl he's going to see?"
"Damn... That bastard is way too good-looking!"
The glances followed him, and whispers spread around him like waves. Girls blushed with shyness, and boys cursed under their breath out of envy.
But Ryo, as always, didn't care.
____
When Ryo approached the place where he would meet someone he hadn't seen in a long time, every step felt unusually heavy, as if his body resisted moving forward.
His heart beat slowly, and his chest rose and fell with difficulty, as though the air refused to enter his lungs.
When he arrived, he stood before the cemetery gate.
The tombstones were the first to greet him—silent, cold, watching him without judgment.
Some people came and went, carrying flowers, or bidding farewell with tears.
Ryo walked slowly, as if the earth itself gripped his feet to stop him.
He reached the far end of the cemetery, where a grave was overgrown with weeds.
It was clear that no one had visited it for a long time.
He bent slightly and stared at the old engraving.
"It seems no one has taken care of your grave..."
Ryo paused, then let out the word he had been holding back for so long:
"...Mom."
The word left his mouth with weight, as if it carried a lifetime of pain.
"Look... I brought white flowers. I think you used to like them."
He knelt on the ground and began removing the weeds with his trembling fingers.
"I know you're angry with me... for not visiting all this time. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."
He carefully pulled the weeds, as if they were coiled around his heart, not just the grave.
"But... you know, a lot has happened in the time I haven't seen you."
With every word he said, two warm lines streamed down his cheeks.
His tears were silent, but they carried everything his heart had buried.
"By the way... I almost died to a monster, but if it weren't for your words echoing in my head, I wouldn't have stood back up. Do you still think of me... even after you've gone?"
He sighed slowly, then smiled a sorrowful smile.
"Also... there's someone who cares about me. Her name is Eva. She's a small, cheerful, kind... and smart girl."
As he poured out his heart to his mother, he didn't notice Eva flying silently behind him, her eyes filled with tears as she listened.
"And I bought a building today. I'm trying to move on from the past... I want to live my life."
His words faltered. He couldn't hold them anymore... his tears betrayed all the pain in his heart.
In truth, Rio's mother was awake from the SS rank . She sacrificed her life fighting a powerful monster to protect the city, leaving behind Ryo and Jin at five years old, and their little sister at three.
"Mom... why did you leave me? Why? ...Why?"
Ryo cried with everything in him. The little boy who lost his mother had returned and broken down inside.
"Mom... honestly, I no longer care what happens in this world... but I'll regret it—truly—if I don't take revenge for you. So... rest in peace. I'll do whatever it takes."
Ryo remained silent in the cemetery until the caretaker approached.
"Sir... you need to leave now. The cemetery is closing."
Ryo slowly returned to awareness, stood up, wiped his tears, and looked at the caretaker.
"Sir, I have a request... can you take care of this grave for me? I'll pay you a thousand dollars every month."
The caretaker was surprised by the offer, but quickly agreed, placing his hand over his heart.
Ryo left the cemetery and took out his phone. It was 7:00 PM.
"Ah, Mr. Lee is supposed to have moved into his new house... Should I send a congratulatory gift?"
He pulled out a second phone and began sending several photos and videos of Mr. Lee's wife having sex with her lover, along with paternity test results and recent messages proving her betrayal.
After confirming everything was sent and there were no surveillance cameras, he crushed the phone under his foot—violently.
"You should've kept your end of the deal, Mrs. Lee... but you betrayed it. Sorry... if you need someone to blame, blame yourself."
As for what would happen next, Ryo didn't care.
He walked to a casino, and with the help of the Ring of Deception and Insight, managed to win 300 million dollars in one night, from ten different casinos.
And what happened to the Lee family?
When Mr. Lee saw the photos and videos, he drank himself into a stupor, then fought with his wife—
After that, he ended both her life and his.
_____
Please support with a comment and power stones🙏🙏🙏