"The– the place we're in now…" the scientist said with a trembling voice, "is the underground floor of the Guru Karaoke Bar."
Airen's eyes narrowed, a sharp glint flashing across them.
So that's it… they kidnapped me because I took their money and drugs.
Seo-yeon clenched her fists. "They're doing all this under the name of Guru Karaoke Bar?"
Airen didn't bother to reply. Instead, he reached into his inventory and pulled out a small brick of white powder.
I got this from the Mapo car repair garage, he thought. That guy said he received it from here.
Holding up the powder, Airen asked, "Is this the same stuff you make?"
The scientist's eyes widened in shock. "How did you—" He cut himself off mid-sentence and gave a twisted smile. "Looks like you're an addict too, huh?"
Airen's expression didn't change — just a cold, piercing stare. The scientist's smile faltered under his gaze.
Then, a thought flickered through Airen's mind, followed by a greedy grin.
These guys sell drugs and lend money at high interest... they must have a huge stash somewhere.
"Where do you keep the money?" Airen asked casually.
Without hesitation, the scientist replied, "We keep it in a locker on the upper floor... but the money's already been sent somewhere."
Airen clicked his tongue. Tch.
"Where?"
"I don't know," the man said quickly. "Only our superiors would."
"Where are they now?"
"They... left. With the money."
Airen clicked his tongue again, his expression tightening. Tsk. Asking too much about the money might make the sisters suspicious, he thought.
He straightened his posture and spoke in a firm, heroic tone — loud enough for the two sisters to hear.
"I'll find that dirty money and give it to people who actually need it."
Heh, he smirked inwardly. Now that sounded like something a hero would say.
The sisters looked at him with admiration, their eyes gleaming.
Even in a place like this, he's thinking of others… they both thought.
The scientist, breathing heavily, muttered, "I told you everything I know… now let me go."
Airen tilted his head. "Everything, huh?"
"Yes!"
A moment later, Airen's fist struck — just enough force to knock the man unconscious.
"Then you're of no more use."
He turned away, walking up the stairs with both sisters following closely behind.
His lab suit was still on, mask hanging loose around his neck.
Halfway up the stairs, Airen suddenly stopped. "Wait here for a second," he said to the sisters before heading back down.
He returned to the lab room, scanning the shelves, and grabbed every bottle labeled Nightfall Serum, storing them into his inventory.
This stuff doesn't affect me, he thought. But it does make me sleep… and that's exactly what I need.
He asked the system, "Why doesn't this serum affect me? The scientist said even 50ml can kill someone."
["That's for normal people. You're not normal."]
Airen chuckled. "Right. I almost forgot about that."
He headed back upstairs where the sisters were still waiting.
"Let's go," he said.
When they reached the next floor, Airen glanced around. Even without inspecting, he could tell what this place was used for. The white powder scattered across the floor said enough.
This must've been the drug storage area, he thought, noticing the wide-open locker nearby.
Looks like this is where they kept their money too.
He scanned the room one last time. "Nothing left here," he muttered, then continued up the stairs, the sisters quietly following behind.
As they reached the next floor, Airen immediately noticed how different it was. The floor was spotless, gleaming under the soft ceiling lights. The air here didn't smell of chemicals or dust — it was clean, scented faintly with expensive perfume and alcohol.
One luxurious door stood out ahead, guarded by two men in black suits. From above, faint music leaked down — the low thump of bass and laughter from the karaoke floor.
Looks like this is the last underground level, Airen thought.
One of the guards noticed them approaching. "Hey, I keep hearing noises from below," he said lazily. "Don't cause any trouble — we can't clean up after a mess tonight. Everyone's gone, we're the only ones left."
The other guard frowned, eyes narrowing as he looked closer. Then his face changed. "You idiot," he hissed, "they're not our people!"
Both immediately drew their pistols — silver slides glinting under the dim light.
"Hands up! Or we shoot!" one barked.
Seo-yeon froze in fear, her voice trembling. "W-wait—"
But Min-ji just crossed her arms, calm as ever. "Do you even know who you're pointing your guns at?" she said coldly. "This man can beat the crap out of you before your bullet even touches us."
Seo-yeon's eyes widened. What is she saying?! She tried to pull Min-ji back, whispering urgently. Even if Airen's strong… can he really fight against a gun?
Airen, meanwhile, didn't react at all. He sighed quietly.
I really don't want to show my powers in front of everyone…
But then — click.
A gun fired.
The flash of the muzzle lit the corridor for a fraction of a second.
And in that instant, everything slowed down.
The bullet sliced through the air — a spinning streak of metal, almost beautiful in its path.
To Airen, though, it wasn't even fast. It crawled forward, almost still.
He watched its trajectory, then simply tilted his head slightly to the side. The bullet brushed past him, cutting nothing but air.
The sisters gasped. The two men froze, their fingers still on the trigger, confusion etched across their faces.
Did he just— dodge that?
Airen clicked his tongue. Tsk. I just thought about not showing off…
He muttered under his breath, "Nyx. Trip them."
The shadow beneath his feet rippled. Nyx, unseen, slipped away silently — no one noticed the brief shimmer as it moved across the floor.
A second later, both guards suddenly jerked, their eyes rolling back as they collapsed like puppets with cut strings.
To the sisters, it looked like they just fainted out of nowhere.
Min-ji blinked. "What… just happened?"
Airen smiled faintly. "I used my telekinesis."
Her eyes lit up with curiosity. "Really? Can you show me?"
"I'm not that good at it yet," Airen lied smoothly. "Using it once takes too much energy. But don't worry — next time, I'll show you."
"Okay…" she said, though her eyes still sparkled.
Airen pushed the luxurious door open. The smell hit immediately — alcohol, smoke, and something bitter underneath.
The room inside glowed with dim red lights, the kind of place spoiled rich kids came to escape their boredom. The furniture was expensive but messy — bottles scattered, half-burnt cigarettes, and small packets of powder glimmering under the red hue.
Three large screens on the wall bathed the room in cold blue light. Around ten teenagers sat in front of them, completely lost in whatever was on the screens, laughing weakly, eyes half-open.
The room was soundproof — the music and noise from above couldn't be heard here. The kids didn't even notice Airen or the sisters entering.
But what made Airen pause for a moment... was what was on those screens.
He took a few steps closer, the faint blue light from the monitors painting his face. For the first time in a while, his expression faltered — not out of fear, but out of disbelief. His jaw tightened, and his eyes narrowed sharply, as if his mind was trying to reject what it was seeing.
Seo-yeon's hand trembled. Her eyes widened — then filled with tears. She quickly turned her face away, covering her mouth with both hands as if she might throw up.
Min-ji stood frozen at first, her body stiff. But when she realized what the screens were showing, she flinched back, disgust twisting her expression.
"W-what the hell is this…?" she whispered, her voice shaking.
The glow from the screens flickered across their faces — brief flashes of movements, shadows, and blurred figures that no decent person should have recorded, let alone watched for pleasure.
Airen's eyes stayed fixed on the screen. He didn't speak. He didn't even blink.
Inside, something stirred — not pity, not sadness… just a quiet, cold fury.
So this is what they were doing here.
The hum of the machines filled the silence as he finally turned away. The room felt heavier now — like even the air was tainted.
Seo-yeon was still wiping her tears, whispering, "Those people… how could they—"
Airen said nothing. He didn't need to. The look in his eyes said enough — calm, but sharp enough to cut through steel.