Chapter 28: 28. Conquer the Wild Jungle
Today was Joon-hyuk's fifth day in the juvenile detention center. In this place, strength was the only thing that could be relied on. Every day, he was challenged by various people, and his reputation continued to spread. However, instead of making others stay away, it only attracted more opponents who wanted to test their skills against him.
Since the one controlling the body right now was the evil Joon-hyuk, he actually enjoyed all of this. Fighting every day against inmates who challenged him was pure entertainment for him.
On the tenth day, Joon-hyuk was once again summoned to the Warden's office.
Joon-hyuk sat in the same chair as before, but this time, his aura felt wilder. His eyes gleamed with excitement, and a faint smirk of satisfaction played on his lips. His hands and arms were covered in small scars from the fights over the past few days, but that was no problem for him at all.
The Warden observed the boy calmly. In a short amount of time, Joon-hyuk's name had already echoed throughout the juvenile center. Every day, someone challenged him, and every day, he won. Without mercy.
"So," the Warden repeated his question. "What do you think of my offer?"
Joon-hyuk raised an eyebrow. "Are you seriously asking that?" He chuckled, then leaned back in his chair casually. "I can be released in less than a year, just by staying out of trouble? An offer that good—how could I refuse?"
The Warden gave a faint smile. "You're a smart kid."
Joon-hyuk let out a small laugh. "Smart? I'm just taking an opportunity that benefits me. Honestly, I could make this place even more chaotic if I wanted to..." His eyes narrowed dangerously, a glint of twisted amusement flashing in them. "But I suppose playing around a little isn't so bad."
He leaned forward, meeting the Warden's gaze with a sinister smirk. "You put someone like me in here and then expect peace? Do you really think I'll just behave?"
The Warden remained calm. "You've already accepted my offer, haven't you?"
Joon-hyuk gave a light nod, then chuckled. "Yeah, I accepted it. But that doesn't mean I'll be a good kid." His eyes gleamed with restrained madness. "I'll just make sure no one is foolish enough to challenge me again. And if there's no one left to fight..." His smirk widened. "Doesn't that mean this place will stay peaceful?"
The Warden studied the boy before him with growing interest. This kid… he wasn't just a talented fighter. He was someone who could see opportunities and twist them to his advantage.
"As long as you uphold your end of the deal," the Warden finally said, "I don't care how you do it."
Joon-hyuk stood up, casually adjusting his collar. "Good," he said before turning toward the door.
But before stepping out, he paused for a moment and glanced back slightly. "You know, Warden... I wonder if I was really just placed here by coincidence, or if you had your eye on me from the start."
The Warden didn't answer immediately. His faint smile remained in place.
Joon-hyuk chuckled, then walked out of the room.
Today, he had secured his position.
And for Joon-hyuk, this game was far from over.
After accepting the Warden's offer, Joon-hyuk did not immediately change his approach. He continued to accept challenges, continued to fight, but now with a clearer purpose. He no longer fought for mere enjoyment—he fought to dominate.
In this juvenile prison, an unspoken hierarchy existed. Each block had its own ruler, determining who lived comfortably and who suffered. However, Joon-hyuk saw a flaw in this system. All these so-called rulers held power solely because they had a group backing them. None of them truly stood on their own. And to him, that was a weakness he could exploit.
Within two weeks, Joon-hyuk began challenging the block leaders one by one. He did not confront them openly but instead orchestrated situations that forced them into conflict with him. A leader who lost face in front of his subordinates would inevitably lose his authority. And Joon-hyuk did not merely defeat them—he humiliated them.
The first target was Block D, ruled by a young man named Taejin. Taejin was known to be a strong fighter, but more than that, he was a strategist. Joon-hyuk knew that if he wanted to take over the prison, Taejin had to go first.
One afternoon, as the inmates gathered in the yard for exercise, Joon-hyuk deliberately created a small disturbance. He bumped into one of Taejin's subordinates, causing him to stumble and fall. The subordinate quickly got up and tried to retaliate, but with a swift movement, Joon-hyuk slammed him to the ground.
The commotion caught Taejin's attention. The leader of Block D approached with a grim expression. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked coldly.
Joon-hyuk smirked. "Just teaching your boy a lesson. They're too weak."
A crowd started to gather. Everyone knew Taejin could not let this slide.
Without another word, Taejin threw a punch at Joon-hyuk. But Joon-hyuk had anticipated it. He dodged swiftly, using Taejin's momentum against him, slamming him onto the ground. Taejin struggled to get up, but Joon-hyuk was already on top of him, pressing his knee into his chest.
"From now on, Block D belongs to me," Joon-hyuk whispered before releasing him.
Taejin lay still, knowing he had lost. His subordinates, witnessing the event, dared not challenge Joon-hyuk. With one fight, Block D was his.
After securing Block D, Joon-hyuk moved on to Block C, ruled by a man named Minseok. Unlike Taejin, Minseok was more brutal and had no qualms about using excessive violence to maintain his rule.
Minseok did not wait for Joon-hyuk to challenge him. Instead, he approached Joon-hyuk first, accompanied by several of his men. "I don't care who you are," he sneered. "You can't take over this prison as you please."
Joon-hyuk chuckled. "Then prove it."
Minseok struck first, throwing a powerful punch. Joon-hyuk blocked it and immediately countered with a knee to Minseok's stomach. Minseok staggered but refused to back down. He attempted a kick, but Joon-hyuk caught his leg and swept him onto the ground.
Minseok struggled to rise, but Joon-hyuk was already above him, slamming his elbow into Minseok's face. Blood trickled from Minseok's nose. His subordinates hesitated, glancing at each other. Joon-hyuk's piercing gaze alone was enough to make them reconsider attacking.
With that, Block C fell under Joon-hyuk's control.
Block B posed the greatest challenge. Its leader, Jisoo, was a formidable fighter with loyal subordinates. Joon-hyuk knew that confronting Jisoo head-on would be risky.
So, he chose a different approach. He spread rumors that Jisoo was plotting against him. The rumors spread quickly, causing Jisoo's men to doubt their leader. As their trust wavered, Joon-hyuk challenged Jisoo openly.
Their fight was intense. Jisoo was far stronger than Taejin or Minseok. But Joon-hyuk did not rely on brute force alone—he used strategy. He let Jisoo believe he had the upper hand, then struck back at the perfect moment, shattering his defense.
With one swift movement, Joon-hyuk took Jisoo down, pinning him to the ground. "You lost," he said in a low voice.
Jisoo gritted his teeth but knew he was defeated. With Jisoo's fall, Block B was his.
Now, only one final challenge remained—the shadow ruler behind all these block leaders. The one who truly pulled the strings from behind the scenes.
And Joon-hyuk was ready for his last battle.
Slowly but surely, he became both feared and respected.
After taking over several blocks, Joon-hyuk established his own rules. No fights without his permission, no conspiracies behind his back, and most importantly—anyone who defied him would suffer.
He did not need to make verbal threats. The way he handled traitors and rebels was more than enough to make anyone think twice before crossing him. One former leader who attempted to rebel ended up with a face full of scars and a fear that never left his eyes. After that, no one dared to challenge him directly.
However, Joon-hyuk did not rule by fear alone. He also offered protection to those who submitted to him. Those under his control received better food, safer sleeping arrangements, and a guarantee that they would not become victims of senseless violence.
This made him not just a ruler but a leader. The inmates started to see him not only as someone to fear but as someone who could bring change.
As time passed, Joon-hyuk reached the peak of his dominance. No one dared oppose him, no one challenged his rule. Even the prison guards began to recognize that the balance of power now rested in his hands. The Warden, who had seen his potential from the beginning, simply smiled in satisfaction. His plan had unfolded perfectly.
But for Joon-hyuk, this was not the end—it was just the beginning. He knew that power inside the prison was merely a stepping stone for something greater. And he was already planning his next move. Because if he could dominate this prison, then there was no reason he couldn't dominate the world outside.
The game had only just begun.