It was Han Jung-hyeok’s first word after he was made to kneel and speak of his sins. Instead of answering the question, he criticized Yoon-seok.
“D-do you think this is justice?”
Justice? He never thought of himself as justice.
“Then why are there laws, why is there a country? You’re just a psychopathic crazy bastard! Do you know? I asked, “Do you know?”
It was good to speak ill of him. However, it wasn’t an answer to the question.
Crunch.
Yoon-seok didn’t ask the question again. He just broke his finger with a calm look. Han Jung-hyeok cringed at the pain he had never felt before in his life.
“Just kill me, you son of a bitch!”
Unlike his confidence in calling himself a man of integrity, Han Jung-hyeok didn’t open his mouth even in pain. Did he want to leave as an honorable man if he was going to die anyway? Of course, it didn’t take long to change his mind.
Crunch.
Crunch.
Crunch.
He broke all ten fingers. Yoon-seok found another challenger with healing skills. After ordering them to heal Han Jung-hyeok, he repeated the same action repeatedly until Han Jung-hyeok’s last string of will broke.
“…S-stop! I’ll tell you everything! Stop it!”
Maybe the honor that remained after death wasn’t that good of an idea. Han Jung-hyeok confessed all his sins. Underage sex services, court lobbying, insider trading, bribery in the construction industry, the list trailed on…
How could he proudly say that he was a man of integrity? Han Jung-hyeok was a man who used his power to sacrifice others for his gain to arrive at this position. Somehow the way he spoke turned more humble.
“I’ll turn myself in by dawn tomorrow! So…”
What difference would it make if he turned himself in? As usual, after he received a sentence like a slap in the wrist, he would be released on parole when the case was forgotten.
Suddenly, he felt bitter. When had this world become so twisted? Are they, in fact, right, and he was wrong?
The lines were blurred. It was so depressing. Why was this a world where people who deserved to die could live such a good life? The answer was simple.
No one punished them. The laws of society couldn’t stop them. So they ended up like this.
Slash!
Yoon-seok’s sword flashed, and Han Jung-hyeok’s head rolled on the floor. There were many people on the bench tonight, and there was no time to waste on him. However, Yoon-seok didn’t rush.
“What crimes have you committed in your life?”
He listened to every story in order, and those who deserved to die were punished mercilessly. When there was no one else to ask, the sky was dimly lit as dawn broke outside the window.
「Returning in 17.32.24.」
Yoon-seok confirmed the remaining time until his return. Even if he had enough time and AP to buy a ticket to come back, it was time to start cleaning up.
“…”
Today, the Korean Challenger Management Department was destroyed.
It would take quite a long time to form a group again with the remaining survivors. However, unless Yoon-seok could stay here forever, he couldn’t leave his parents in Korea without taking any action.
“You said you were from the United States, right?”
Yoon-seok talked to a woman among the group of survivors. She was born and raised in Korea, but she was a former U.S. challenger.
“Yes, yes! I, I’m…?”
She was quivering. It was understandable. Saying she was from the U.S. didn’t work on Yoon-seok either. In the time of judgment that felt like an eternity, she and her colleagues cried out so much that they were from the United States to save themselves, but Yoon-seok didn’t even pretend to hear them.
She was the only one who survived the judgment.
“I’d like to contact someone up there. Is it possible?”
“…”
She contemplated for a moment and nodded. Then she took out her smartphone from her pocket and made a call. The phone was connected after a few rings, and a woman speaking English answered.
Judging from the nuance, she reassured that she was alive, then explained the current situation. After a while, she carefully held out her phone.
-Is it the Masked Man?
There wasn’t a language barrier. It wasn’t even English in the first place, and as soon as he heard it, it was automatically interpreted.
“…Fahur?”
-So it was you…
“Why are you answering the phone?”
-I asked the chief to let me. If that bothers you, I’ll pass the phone back.
Contemplating briefly, Yoon-seok told him he didn’t have to. To have a direct conversation with the head of the U.S. agency, he would have to go through an interpreter, plus it would be much easier to talk to Fahur. Furthermore, judging by how the chief was willing to pass the phone to Fahur, it was reasonable to believe that he had considerable authority.
-I’d like to ask you one thing before I hear the reason why you’re calling.
“Yes.”
-I heard you killed everyone on our side except for one. Are you determined to become enemies with our side?
“Not really.”
-Then why did you kill them?
Yoon-seok paused for a moment and said.
“Because they weren’t worthy of remaining alive.”
There was a heavy silence over the phone. Yoon-seok didn’t know what Fahur might be thinking. Whatever he was thinking, Fahur didn’t criticize Yoon-seok.
-…I see. Got it. Now that my question is over let me know why you called.
“I have a few requests.”
-Request…so, you mean requests? Let’s hear it first. What kind of request?
Yoon-seok calmly stated his requirements.
There were three main things. The first was to make sure his name wasn’t exposed to the public after today’s incident. Secondly, to prevent this from happening again, information about the Tower would be released to the public. Lastly, protect his parents so they could live a normal daily life.
Swear words in English were shouted that even Yoon-seok, whose English skills were the same as any other average person, could understand.
-Uh, hm. First of all, I’ll let you know what the chief said.
Fahur translated mildly, but in reality, he swore vigorously. It was understandable why. About two hundred people died tonight. Among them were notable politicians, corporate leaders, and fellow agents. But for him to make requests in this situation…
At least it was natural that nothing would come of it unless Yoon-seok made a deal. Sadly, however, there was no such thing. Yoon-seok continued calmly.
“Otherwise, I’ll come to find you.”
-…
“Would you please tell the people next to you that…?”
He didn’t explain what he was going to do. He just said that. After a moment of silence, he could hear disturbance over the phone again.
-I’ll also translate the chief’s words first. ‘How dare you threaten us? You’re going to come to find us? When you don’t even know where we are? I told you, you won’t get the answer from torturing Isabella.’
Does that mean the operatives here didn’t know where they were? Unlike Korea, they must have hidden their headquarters quite thoroughly. But Yoon-seok didn’t care.
“If I catch your President and ask him, he’ll know.”
The security may be thorough, but it was easy to find the president’s whereabouts by searching on the internet a few times. Yoon-seok’s unexpected threat left the chief speechless for a moment. If Yoon-seok stepped on U.S. soil and tried to kidnap the president, could they stop it?
It was clear that he was doing mental calculations. After that, Fahur and the chief were heard talking over the phone. He couldn’t understand what the chief said, but Fahur’s side of the conversation was clear.
“If I had to fight the man, I would run to the Tower first. At least I could be resurrected several times there.”
Soon, Fahur voice rang over the phone, translating the chief’s words.
-Very well, he said he’ll accept your terms. But can they ask you to do them a favor if they need one?
This must be the last pride for the U.S., considering their ironclad rule not to negotiate with terrorists.
“If it’s not too much of a request, fine.”
-Can you put Isabella on the phone so we can explain the situation? She’ll help you.
Yoon-seok handed over the smartphone to the woman who made the call. To what extent had she inferred the situation while listening to Yoon-seok? She talked on the phone in English and hung up the phone. Then, she guided Yoon-seok and his parents to the U.S. branch in Korea. Before long, his parents were conscious in bed.
Yoon-seok’s parents weren’t unconscious because of drugs, but a skill from the Tower had forced them to stay asleep. When a challenger at the U.S. branch lifted their conditions, his parents woke up normally.
“W-where are we…?”
The challengers from the U.S. branch explained the rehearsed script that had been agreed to in advance to his parents.
It was a simple story that a burglar broke into the house, and they were hospitalized because they were injured. The place where his parents woke up was a hospital under the U.S. branch, so his parents weren’t suspicious. Yoon-seok watched his parents talk to them using Invisibility. He also confirmed that his parents went through proper discharge procedures, and a challenger from the U.S. branch was secretly following to guard them.
He wasn’t sure whether they would keep their promise even if he went back. It was reasonable to assume that they wouldn’t gamble on everything, but, nonetheless, people were unpredictable. However, Yoon-seok followed his parents and left without saying a word.
They needed to know that they couldn’t control him even if they kidnapped his parents. If they tried, they would be the only ones suffering a heavy loss.
“…”
Yoon-seok activated invisibility and walked around downtown Seoul for the rest of his free time. So much had happened tonight, but the world remained the same. Still, people were busily moving about.
Yoon-seok watched TV in a nearby restaurant. Who committed corruption in the past, who murdered. How the drunken man behind the wheel drove his family into despair. A criminal who committed an unforgivable crime a few years ago would soon be released on parole.
Such news was coming out like it was only natural.
“…”
Yoon-seok pressed his lips together in a thin line. He’d killed this much, but it still wasn’t enough. The world hadn’t changed a bit. There were just too many of them.
He wanted to stay on Earth and punish them as far as his AP allowed. But he couldn’t.
He wasn’t sure if his current emotions were the side effects of using Bloodseeker’s Energy or not. That’s why he decided to leave a curse behind, that he would come back and visit the world again. If all the emotions he saw and felt were the same as now…
At that time, Yoon-seok would be happy to accept it with a smile. The fact that a new generation called for a new law.
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