The Weapon Genius: Anything I Hold Can Kill-Chapter 179: One Night (Part One)

The wind was thin this far west—cut by debris, buildings, and the tight compression of broken city blocks. The group moved quiet, narrow paths threading them between abandoned storefronts and rusting husks of old cars. Ahead, low concrete walls curved in toward the prison’s shack-side entrance. Smaller than the main gates, but guarded just the same.

Jin motioned them into cover near the back of a collapsed pharmacy.

Ryu leaned in, voice low. "That’s the route?"

Jin nodded. "Runs along the wall just enough to keep us hidden. Guard rotation’s slow."

They moved again—Hanuel and Seul taking flank, Joon hovering overhead on his disk, barely a whisper from the hum of it. Yujin slipped low under the shadows of a tilted light post, her steps too quiet for even the dust to stir.

Then they saw him.

A broad-shouldered man leaned against the side of the auxiliary shack, the crooked line of a cigarette glowing in the dark.

"Every damn time," the man muttered, flicking ash off his coat. "They say ’shift’s over,’ and suddenly I’m the one they throw outside. Bastards. Probably playing cards in there."

His baton tapped lazily against his thigh. Unaware. Tired.

Hanuel didn’t hesitate.

He shot forward from the darkness—silent. A twist of motion. His staff whipped low and upward, striking clean into the man’s gut with enough force to lift him off his feet. The cigarette flew from his mouth.

The man crumpled without a sound.

Jin caught him mid-fall and dragged the body into the alley’s edge. "Yujin."

She stepped forward, already activating her circlet. Her body shimmered, form shifting—bulkier now, with his same angular features, the same worn-out leather coat stretched across her shoulders.

She looked down at him. "How long do I have to be like this?"

"As long as your focus holds," Seul murmured, watching for movement. "Try to act like a guard who hates his job. It won’t be hard."

Yujin grinned, then bent to remove the guard’s ID badge, slinging the baton over her back.

Echo gave a low whistle. "Almost too good."

Ryu crouched beside the downed man, taking cord from his belt and binding him tightly. "We’ll stash him in the alley. He’s not waking up soon."

Yujin didn’t speak again. Just adjusted the coat and walked into the shack’s side entrance, now trailing the same sluggish pace as the original.

She entered with careful steps, eyes scanning fast. Inside was a wide hallway, lit dimly by overhead strips. Concrete walls, faint dampness. The base of an old intake office.

A woman in a redesigned jumpsuit glanced up from where she’d been fiddling with a fuse panel. She frowned.

"You’re not inside?" she asked. "Aren’t you supposed to be outside on watch?"

Yujin stiffened. Bowed slightly. "Yeah. Just finished a sweep."

The woman narrowed her eyes. "Keep sharp. The boss says the system triggered a territory breach alert."

Yujin blinked.

"Could be nothing," the woman continued, "but if it’s real and you’re slacking out there again, you’ll be back on sanitation rotation."

"Right," Yujin said, already turning.

But as the woman pivoted—

Yujin lunged.

Her form twisted into motion—fist aimed for the side of the woman’s neck.

It stopped halfway.

Blocked.

The woman’s hand caught Yujin’s wrist like a vice.

She didn’t turn back. Just muttered: "You’re quicker than usual."

Then she twisted Yujin’s arm and slammed her sideways into the nearby wall.

Yujin caught herself—bounced back, eyes wide.

Behind the wall, Jin had already shifted.

He was halfway into a crouch when Ryu reached out, steady and firm, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Let her work," Ryu murmured. "She’s fine."

Jin’s jaw tightened. "She’s gonna be exposed."

"She won’t just let her work."

"But she’s not used to this. The impersonation. The lying."

Ryu’s voice didn’t waver. "Then she’ll learn. We can’t expose ourselves yet. Give her some time."

"Okay."

The woman tilted her head, a slow smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Finally throwing a punch, Hwan?"

Yujin’s breath hitched. She didn’t dare speak—just stared back, keeping her posture tight, wary.

"Didn’t expect that from you," the woman went on. "Didn’t think you had the spine." She stepped forward, boots clicking against the concrete, her presence suddenly heavier. Not aura. Not skill. Just something cold and practiced. A person who’d beaten challengers down enough times to know how to spot weakness.

She tapped her knuckle against her chin, looking Yujin over as if reappraising a long-forgotten tool.

"I like it," she said finally. "You’re still trash—but you’ve got fire now. That’s worth something."

Yujin didn’t answer. She couldn’t—not without giving it away.

The woman’s eyes narrowed slightly, but the smirk didn’t leave. "But if you ever try something like that again..." Her tone dropped, thick with venom. "I will end you, Hwan. Gut you from collar to spine and feed what’s left to the rats in the stairwell."

She stepped close—close enough for Yujin to smell rust on her breath. Blood, maybe.

"Now get the hell out of my face."

Yujin bowed slightly and turned, doing her best to keep her pace steady. Her palms were sweating inside her gloves. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Yujin made it back outside, rounding the corner quickly. The moment she was clear of the wall’s line of sight, she dropped the form, her knees hitting the ground seconds later. Her breathing was shallow but steady. Controlled.

"Hey," Echo said, crouching beside her. "You okay?"

"Barely," Yujin muttered. "That woman’s a monster."

"She buy it?"

"Thought I was the guard," Yujin nodded. "Chewed me out. Threatened to rip me apart if I tried anything again. I think she respects strength."

Hanuel gave a quiet whistle. "This place probably runs on power. Talk about cliche."

"It’s a pecking order," Seul said, leaning against the wall, arms folded. "They probably don’t have a system of merit. Just force."

Yujin stood, wiping the back of her wrist across her brow. "She called me Hwan. I’m guessing that’s this guy’s name."

"Perfect," Ryu said, pulling the still-bound Hwan forward. "Now let’s get some answers."

They dragged him further behind the side alley, out of the light spilling from the entry. Once he was propped against the wall, Seul flicked two fingers—his body snapped upright, gravity tethering him still.

His eyes fluttered open slowly.

Then widened when he saw all of them.

Jin crouched in front of him. "Good evening."

Hwan spat. "The hell do you people think you’re—"

Seul flicked her hand again. His words caught in his throat as the pressure doubled on his lungs.

"Let’s try again," Jin said, voice even. "You’re going to help us. And if you do, you might not leave here missing teeth."

Yujin made it back outside, rounding the corner quickly. The moment she was clear of the wall’s line of sight, she dropped the form, her knees hitting the ground seconds later. Her breathing was shallow but steady. Controlled.

"Hey," Echo said, crouching beside her. "Still breathing?"

"Barely," Yujin muttered. "That woman’s a monster."

"She buy it?"

"Thought I was the guard," Yujin nodded. "Chewed me out. Threatened to rip me apart if I tried anything again. I think she respects strength."

Hanuel gave a quiet whistle. "This place runs on power."

"It’s a pecking order," Seul said, leaning against the wall, arms folded. "They don’t have a system of merit. Just force."

Yujin stood, wiping the back of her wrist across her brow. "She called him Hwan. I’m guessing that’s this guy’s name."

"Perfect," Ryu said, pulling the still-bound Hwan forward. "Now let’s get some answers."

They dragged him further behind the side alley, out of the light spilling from the entry. Once he was propped against the wall, Seul flicked two fingers—his body snapped upright, gravity tethering him still.

His eyes fluttered open slowly.

Then widened when he saw all of them.

Jin crouched in front of him. "Good evening."

Hwan spat. "The hell do you people think you’re—"

Seul flicked her hand again. His words caught in his throat as the pressure doubled on his lungs.

"Let’s try again," Jin said, voice even. "You’re going to help us. And if you do, you might not leave here missing teeth."

Ryu leaned against the wall behind him. "Or bones."

Echo tilted his head. "Or organs."

Hanuel raised a hand. "I’ve got a list if you need one."

"Alright!" Hwan choked out, eyes bulging. "Alright—alright, just—what do you want?!"

Jin nodded to Seul. She eased the pressure just slightly.

"How many guards in this section?" Jin asked. "Rough estimate."

"Ten or twelve posted in this wing. Mostly drifters. Some old convicts." Hwan’s eyes darted between them. "But they’ve got detection posts—posts only certain people can access."

"Where?" Jin asked.

"Two in the east wing, one south stairwell, one near the generator entrance. They rotate at random times, though—it’s not scheduled."

"Smart," Ryu muttered. "Keeps things random."

"Who’s walking the corrider in there?" Jin asked.

Hwan hesitated. "In the corrider? You mean..."

Yujin blinked. "Some strong ass woman."

"Her name is Sura," he said. "She used to run her own crew outside of the prison before she joined us. She runs her own block after she killed the guy who run it before her by using his belt and snapping his spine."

Echo winced. "Remind me not to wear belts around her."

"Is she the new leader then?" Jin asked.

"No," Hwan said. "Just one of the commanders. The top boss? No one sees her. Only the top brass do. She stays in the upper floor of the main block."

"Figures," Joon muttered. "The queen sits on her throne."

Jin stood and rolled his shoulder. "Good. Then we know who we’re starting with."

He turned to Yujin. "You did good. Think you’ve got another shift in you?"

Yujin exhaled, nodded. "Give me a second."

Jin looked at Ryu. "We’ll need a clean entry point. The hallway’s out—too hot. What’s the next best?"

"There’s a maintenance crawl a floor below. It won’t be easy, but it gets you up near the central staircase."

Seul glanced toward the far wall. "What about cameras? Detection?"

"Already scanning," Echo said, pulling one of his sound-disks into a hover. "I’ll bounce a suppression field while we move."

"Take us there," Jin said.

Ryu gave one last glance to the tied-up Hwan. "What about him?"

Joon crouched and flicked the guy’s forehead. "Nap time."

Hwan slumped unconscious again, and Seul layered a gravity lock over his wrists before dragging him deeper into shadow.

They moved.

Quick. Quiet.

Through the alley, then beneath the exposed stairwell, following the route Ryu had mapped earlier.

Yujin changed form again as they neared the maintenance hatch, her body reshaping into the bulky frame of Hwan once more. This time, her expression didn’t flicker.

She was ready.