Chapter 31 - 31

Vanished into thin air. After several fruitless attempts, it was said that the investigation team simply gave up. 'Who would believe such nonsense?' The leader of this operation was convinced that such a thing simply didn't exist. The target was just an ordinary person with no background; even without a thorough investigation of his past, this was certain. If he were truly a ruthless character with counter-surveillance capabilities, he would have already taken action against these followers. 'If he really had that ability, he would have already found out our background.' As an expert in the field of investigation, he was absolutely confident—even if the target had commissioned a background check, there was absolutely no way he could see through their disguise. "Shut up and obediently follow orders. I heard the reward this time is quite generous." "How much exactly?" "Five hundred." "Huh? You only get five hundred for a job where you don't even know where the target lives and have to wait around?" To be honest, if they could find out the target's address and complete the mission directly, five million won would definitely be a high price. But at this moment, not only did they not know the target's exact address, but the only information they had was that he often frequented this area. The only thing they were certain of was that he came here one day a week. "It'll be done in a week, don't worry about it, just relax and wait." While killing time in the car by unpacking snacks— "Hey, looks like we can finish early today." "Huh? What do you mean?" "Look over there, the guy coming over." The team leader pointed to Lee Jin-seok, who was walking towards us in sportswear. — "Hmm…we should be able to spot him at this distance, right?" [User, the target seems to have noticed us] According to the system's location marker, the distance between us was less than 100 meters. I was worried that the darkness might cause me to miss the target, but it seems I was overthinking it. I pretended to walk casually down the street, deliberately avoiding their line of sight. The group of people in the car got out and began to slowly walk towards me. 'It's too risky to act now.' Although it was dark, this open area was still unsuitable for action. So I deliberately led them to a secluded area. As I moved to a spot where even the streetlights were sparse—the hurried footsteps behind me alerted me to the gangsters approaching, so I slipped into a darker corner. Just as Li Zhenshuo walked alone towards a secluded spot: "Boss, that guy went off to where nobody's around?" "That saved us the trouble of luring him in." "Something feels off…did he know we were coming?" Faced with the newcomer's doubts, the team leader assumed he was just overreacting: "Don't talk nonsense. If he really knew, he would have noticed during the background check." "But…we can't even find out where he lives." "Just a coincidence. He doesn't look like a tough guy." Years of experience in the underworld had instilled in them a habit of judging by appearances—who was tough, who could be easily dealt with, this judgment was ingrained in their bones. The team leader had unwavering faith in this intuition honed in the underground world. Completely unaware of how unreliable this intuition truly was. "Move." "Yes." "Understood." -- [User, you are about to encounter the target] 'Know' While confirming the other party's movements through the system interface, I pretended to be oblivious and continued to advance. I anticipated that they would soon call out to me or surround me. Considering the possibility of a surprise attack, I tensed my muscles and went into a state of alert. -- Tap tap tap -- Bang! As the distance closed, I heard light, hurried footsteps. Although the other party tried their best to be quiet, I already knew everything. This sneaky behavior only made me more certain - they intended to suppress me directly with force and wouldn't waste any words. -- Whoosh! The moment the first thug approached from behind and threw a punch, the sound of wind cutting made me turn to the side and look down. "Huh?" Completely unexpected that I could dodge a full-force sneak attack while unguarded, the missed punch made the attacker lose his balance instantly. "The first one." "Ugh!!" Taking advantage of the other party's stagger, I spun around and delivered a hook punch to his abdomen. The burly gangster was injured in a vital spot and froze on the spot. "Not enough power?" Even with limited strength, the opponent, relying on his physical advantage, only let out a short groan before regaining his stance. Seeing that I was unharmed, Han Zhenzhe couldn't help but ask, "How did you find out?" He was more concerned about the two people approaching from behind than the scarred, sharp-eyed man in the black suit in front of him. I replied casually, "It's too obvious." "So you deliberately lured us here?" "Of course, I noticed you the moment you got off the bus." "Ha..." Facing three suspicious individuals with unwavering composure, Li Zhenshuo elicited a sneer from Han Zhenzhe: "Knowing there was an ambush, you still dared to provoke us?" "I'm confident I can take you down." "You ignorant brat." Seeing this seemingly ordinary young man's arrogance, Han Zhenzhe, a veteran of countless battles, secretly mocked him— 'Fools who don't know their place either die a violent death or are crippled and forced to retire from the martial world.' He had seen too many outcomes of recklessness in life-or-death situations. Although the beating of his subordinates earlier showed signs of some martial arts training, such techniques were utterly useless in actual combat. Rules established out of respect for etiquette, and sports competitions designed to please the audience, were far too naive in our eyes. Using weapons was basic, and throwing sand into the eyes or jabbing vital points with fingers were commonplace. Against an opponent skilled at dodging punches and kicks, one should pounce and knock them to the ground, feigning to bite vulnerable areas like the ears and nose. One must fight with the attitude of "I'll die if I don't kill him," relying solely on self-defense techniques is utterly useless. "Well... consider it a lesson in life." Looking at this overconfident young man, Han Cheol-sik, thinking he should teach him a lesson, clenched his fists and approached. EP0382 The days of gangsters carrying sashimi knives or weapons like in TV dramas are long gone. Han Jin-cheol, who really wanted to impart some life-threatening combat skills but couldn't, regretfully shortened the distance. He secretly hoped the other party possessed sufficient strength to match the confidence he had just displayed. "If it's just bluffing, I don't intend to settle things quietly." The original request was just to teach him a little lesson to scare him, but he changed his mind. Disciplining unruly youths with sticks and correcting their minds is also the responsibility of adults—of course, the real thought is to make this brat, who's so immature yet so confident and disrespectful, pay the price. - Whoosh! As Han Zhenzhe silently approached and came within reach of a fist, he immediately threw a jab. Unlike his subordinates earlier, this attack was extremely stable from the ground; if the opponent dodged, he could immediately launch a pre-planned follow-up attack. "Perhaps because of experience, it's definitely different." Li Zhenshuo, who had been forced by his parents to learn various fighting techniques, was full of praise for the standard stance. But his praise stopped there—in his eyes, possessing a 'demigod's body,' even the punches of fighting masters were ridiculously slow. His enhanced dynamic vision had already seen the trajectory of the fist, and he could even predict where the opponent would aim to attack if they dodged. Being hit in this situation would certainly be shameful, but Li Zhenshuo suddenly wondered: "How much pain would it hurt if my body took a punch now?" Having never been hit since gaining his ability, he deliberately took the punch with his face out of curiosity. -Bang! "Huh?" Han Zhenzhe, who had been testing the waters by slowing down and increasing his speed, froze in place. The target of his punch didn't budge an inch. The sensation was definitely there; his battle-hardened intuition clearly told him that the blow had caused damage. But the other person didn't even blink, let alone turn around. "Did I hold back too much?" Lately, he had only taken on cases of tracking and investigating extramarital affairs at the detective agency, and having been out of combat for a long time, he thought his senses had dulled, leading to a decrease in strength. This time, he threw a solid straight punch towards the abdomen. -Bang! The even heavier impact and the solid feel of the strike confirmed a perfect hit. "That was a solid hit!" Just as he was about to praise him, Han Zhenzhe froze— "Finished?" His opponent, who should have been bent over in pain, stood there nonchalantly asking. "You... what kind of monster are you?" He had hit two vital points while the opponent was off guard, and the second blow was delivered with full force, yet the opponent just stared at him coldly. The incomprehensible situation caused Han Zhenzhe to stagger and back away, only to be snapped out of his daze by the words: "Looks like toughness and sharp tongue go hand in hand." "Or is it that your fists are too weak?" Faced with the provocation, Han Zhenzhe calmly assessed: "I can't take him down on my own." Although he didn't know how tough the opponent was, it was clear that an attack would be ineffective. The battle-hardened man immediately called to his men: "Attack together." "To deal with someone as tough as him, grappling and ground techniques are the most effective." He believed that no matter how resilient a person was, their joints and vital points were equally vulnerable. When three gang members surrounded Li Zhenshuo in a triangular formation, Li Zhenshuo, who seemed unaffected by the blows, was struggling with how much of his strength should be released. "Breaking bones shouldn't be a problem." Since the other party had attacked first, he decided to release half of the restrictions first. The moment the three attackers sprang into action, Li Zhenshuo, freed from his restraints, struck first—"Crack!" Han Zhenzhe, who had attempted to choke him, was sent flying backward at a speed faster than his charge, a crushing pain shooting through his abdomen. "Big...""Brother?" The subordinate who witnessed the leader flying past froze. Li Zhenshuo, who was under control, simply raised his leg. This kick, which had neither recoil nor fancy moves, literally sent his opponent, who was much larger than him, flying. Seeing his brother, who always went easy on him during practice, being sent flying with a single blow, he completely lost his will to fight. After all, if even his brother was beaten like that, he couldn't even imagine what would happen if he took a punch himself. "Ah...too many restrictions." I deliberately held back, only using half the force I usually had to kick. But the result was like a car crash; the guy actually flew that far. Seeing him fly backward in such an exaggerated way, like a movie special effect, I decided to reduce the force I had already halved by another 30%. "He shouldn't be dead, right?" As long as he wasn't killed on the spot, the recovery potions sold in the shop could always revive him. With this hope, I decided to finish the fight quickly and check on the leader's condition as soon as possible. "You bastard!" The guy who attacked first, seeing his brother in trouble, immediately tightened his grip on my arm, attempting an over-the-shoulder throw. I slightly bent my knees to gather my strength, and just as he was straining, I suddenly pried open his arms. "Ughhhhh...!!!" He desperately tried to maintain the hold, but against me now free, it was like an ant trying to shake a tree. Thinking he could still suppress me like before, this guy finally panicked and released Li Zhenshuo. "Second one." [Encrypted data block] Considering I had already withdrawn half my strength and it wouldn't be fatal, I grabbed that arm and slammed him into the ground. - Boom! "Cough!!" With a suffocating groan, the burly man weighing over 100 kilograms was driven into the ground like a stake. After confirming that this one wasn't dead either, I panted as I walked towards the last one. "Time to finish this off." "Waaaaah!" Witnessing his two companions fall instantly, he recklessly lunged forward, "Crack!" but was struck in the chin by a fist so fast it was almost invisible, instantly losing consciousness. After this battle, I finally understood how to control my strength in combat, and hurriedly ran to check on the leader who had been sent flying. "Please don't die!" Seeing him still breathing on the ground, my heart finally settled. "System, he won't die if I leave him alone, right?" [The impact of the fall resulted in a broken arm, but not fatal.] "You're pretty tough." After praising this tough guy who had taken a heavy blow but only lost an arm, I dragged the unconscious thugs to an open space and piled them up. "I was just looking for an excuse to deal with you guys." "In a dimly lit corner, I thanked the people who had come to me with their materials. I knew what the investigation agency was up to, but I lacked a suitable excuse to collect the debt—private investigations were illegal, but not a capital offense. However, Ji Eun-hyuk provided a ready-made reason; I felt inexplicably excited as I bought stimulants from the store to wake them up. 'I wanted to try this in real life.' Subduing the attackers and interrogating the mastermind was a common trope in games, something I'd never experienced in virtual reality. Interrogation first required restricting their movement, so I specifically bought extra paralyzing drugs. 'Ugh...!' The gangsters gradually awoke in pain after the drugs took effect. Without any healing potions, they could only slowly regain consciousness through groans of agony. 'I need to set up soundproofing.' To prevent passersby from seeing us, I activated the system's soundproofing tools and the concealment equipment I'd used in previous field operations. 'Let's begin.'" "Watching my prey gradually awaken, I calmed my racing heart and announced in a low voice. — The gangsters, knocked unconscious and given stimulants by Lee Jin-seok, panicked when they found themselves unable to move. 'What's going on... ah...' Han Jin-cheol, the first to regain consciousness, recalled the man who had instantly defeated him before he lost consciousness by saying 'I'll teach you life lessons.' 'The others... huh?!' He tried to check on his subordinates, but was horrified to find that his body wouldn't obey him. He was conscious, and his limbs felt unrestrained, but he simply couldn't move. In his futile struggle, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his left arm: 'Cough... um!' 'A fracture...' Years of experience in brawls allowed him to instantly assess the injury. Just as Han Jin-cheol was trying to sort out his situation, 'Oh, you're awake?'" Lee Jin-seok crouched down to meet the gaze of the prisoner whose eyes were darting around, a dangerous smile playing on his lips. In EP0383, the leader, the most severely injured yet the first to regain consciousness and survey his surroundings, earned Lee Jin-seok's sincere admiration. "Truly worthy of being the leader." Although he groaned in pain from his broken arm, he tried to force himself to endure it. Such astonishing willpower made me utter the question I'd always wanted to ask: "Who ordered this?" "...When I subdued the attacker and pressed for the client's identity, the scene that every man fantasizes about made my heart race. 'Although knowing the answer beforehand is a bit disappointing...' I should have been enjoying the thrill of extracting information from scratch, but now it felt utterly tasteless. 'It'll be even more painful if you don't talk...'... Han Zhenzhe, having failed using some unknown means, gritted his teeth—if this inhuman monster knew the detective agency's location, things would definitely get out of hand. 'Hmm...which method should I use...' Looking at Han Zhenzhe's refusal to speak, I seriously considered my interrogation plan. The truth serum sold in stores is simple and effective, but too boring; torture combined with the potion can perfectly cure the problem without leaving any aftereffects, and if I'm worried about the potion's effects, I can supplement with memory manipulation drugs—although I've never used them and they're expensive, the store must have them. 'I've decided, I'll use torture.' After much thought, I chose the plan I was most looking forward to. Unfortunately, the store didn't sell torture devices, so I had to revert to the most primitive form of violent interrogation. 'One last question, really not going to talk?'" "...Meeting Han Zhenzhe's resolute gaze, I clenched my fist and punched him hard in the face. "Ugh!" A short groan of pain accompanied by a spasm. A woman's trembling in pleasure is pleasurable, but a man's painful convulsions only irritated me, prompting me to throw another punch. "Ugh!!" "Ah, I went too far this time." After apologizing for the even more agonizing scream, I continued to press: "So who ordered it?" ... "You're really tough." As a barrage of punches rained down on his body under the guise of interrogation— "Ugh..." A long-awaited groan rang out, and my subordinate, awakened by the stimulant, opened his eyes. "B-Big Brother?" A cry came, ignoring his own predicament and searching for his leader. "Ugh...!" Hearing the call, Han Zhenzhe gritted his teeth, uttering a weak, almost inaudible response. This deep affection made me turn to my newly awakened prey: "Hello?" "You, you bastard!" I left the panting, severed-armed Han Zhenzhe and greeted my subordinate who had just regained consciousness. He tried to escape but found his body paralyzed, and could only glare with burning rage: "Untie him now and you'll at least have a whole corpse! Let him go while I'm still friendly!" He was certain his comrades would notice something was wrong and come to his aid—although we had easily dealt with three, we definitely couldn't withstand a human wave. "Don't think we only have three... Waaah!!" "Shut up." I grabbed this clueless turtle in a jar and slammed his head hard against the ground. "Gah... Waaah...!" "You should learn what it means to assess the situation." I gradually increased the pressure on his head, the numbing effect making his resistance writhe like maggots. When his skin began to crack and bleed— "Stop, stop!" Han Zhenzhe, his face swollen like a pig's head, finally begged for mercy through his slurred speech. "Why?" "...Silence was met with even more brutal crushing, until his swollen lips uttered broken syllables: 'I said... spill it all!' Only then did I release my subordinate. The man anxiously called out: 'Big brother, wake up!' I clicked my tongue as I showed the wounded man's sunken eye sockets: 'Tsk... even plastic surgery can't save him.' I thought I hadn't hit him hard enough, but his cheekbone had collapsed. 'Big brother!!!' The excruciating pain caused my subordinate to faint again. [Top Secret Operation Code] Just looking at his gruesome appearance made Han Zhenzhe desperately call out to him. 'He's not dead, no need to worry.' 'Ugh...! Ugh...!' Seeing him furious and panting because of his subordinate's state, I answered decisively: 'What are you getting angry about? You started this, so you should have expected this outcome after losing.'" He hadn't expected to lose, much less suffer like this, and was now speechless. While his defeat was indeed due to inferior strength, he feared the torture would have been even more brutal had he won. But his subordinate, who was clearly conscious yet feigning unconsciousness, seemed to think differently. "I'm absolutely going to kill you...!!" "Ouch...""There's still that dazed piglet." I walked towards the restless fellow who insisted on lying still, wanting to suffer. It would be easier if he continued to pretend to be unconscious. "Haa! Haa!!" As I slowly walked towards the subordinate who had initially captured me, Han Zhenzhe pleaded to stop, but I had no intention of giving up for the time being. Letting them go too easily would be too lenient, and besides, if they had cooperated obediently from the beginning, they wouldn't have ended up like this. As long as they obediently answered, I originally planned to really do nothing and ride with them to Xingxin Police Station. "Never suffered before, huh? All you've got is a stubborn mouth." "I'll catch you and get my revenge sooner or later." "The newbies haven't experienced dangerous missions and lack decent combat experience. I added, 'I'm just an ordinary citizen. This is safe South Korea; no one's going to get killed here.' Judging by their arrogant attitude, that's probably what they thought, but frankly, killing someone would be very simple. 'I have a system and shops to rely on.' A system that can tamper with mechanical records, and various shop items for cleaning up after incidents. If I really wanted to kill someone, no one could find any evidence—surveillance footage would disappear, and a bottle of cleaning fluid could erase all traces. 'But killing someone is out of the question.' Although I could do it, I had no interest. After all, I'm not a bloodthirsty madman; I'm too busy chasing girls to waste time on this. So I decided to teach Han Zhenzhe a simple lesson, just enough to let him experience the same pain. 'Gurgle! Ugh! Hoo-uh-uh!! Ga, ka!'" "I even planned to use medicine if the injuries got too bad, and I only stopped when these bastards were crying and begging for mercy. -- "So who ordered this?" After knocking the last one unconscious, I waited a moment and then asked Han Zhenzhe. "Hehehe." "That's enough." But this guy's face was all swollen and he couldn't speak, so I had to reluctantly buy a bottle of healing medicine. Although the medicine wasn't expensive, I still felt bad using it on these scumbags, so I only gave each of them two or three drops. They finally regained some semblance of human form, except for the one with the fractured eye socket, whose face was still crooked and not fully reset. "Damn, what a waste." "Th-that's..." This precious medicine, which I wouldn't even use on a girl, was being wasted on the thugs who attacked me. I silently poured some of the medicine from the glass bottle in front of them, and Han Zhenzhe, whose wounds were healing, asked in astonishment: "This is confidential, you'll be dead if you dare to tell anyone, understand?" "Y-yes..." Clearly having learned the hard way what happens when you resist, he answered unusually obediently. However, it seemed his education wasn't quite up to par; seeing him still dare to use informal language with me, I immediately warned: "Understood?" "Yes...yes." "Very good." After being pointed out for his tone, he hesitated slightly, then immediately switched to polite language the moment we made eye contact. "Now let's begin the formal Q&A—first, where do you come from?" Actually, I already had all the information through the system, but I still decided to go through the motions. "I'm Han Jin-cheol from Jiang Zhe-zhi's Heungshin Law Firm." "And what kind of place is that?" "An agency that takes on commissions to conduct background checks." "That's all?" "Yes." Knowing they were colluding with the underworld but still concealing it, I decided to teach them a lesson: "Let's get started." "Huh...? Uh-oh!" "As he repeated his confused question, I had Li Zhenshuo punch him hard on the head. The sudden blow made Han Zhenzhe's vision blur, but he clenched his teeth to stay awake. "Do you know why I hit you?" "N-no, I don't know... Ouch!" "I'll ask you one last time, why did you hit me?" "Because we're in the underworld!" Hearing the word "last," I delivered another punch, and he finally confessed. "If you try anything funny again, there won't be a next time." "Yes! I'll remember this lesson!" After the beating, he became more obedient and explained the general situation of Heungshin and the matter of Chi Enhe, but it was all known information. The system had already completed 24/7 monitoring, even understanding their network of connections. 'Well done.' [Thank you for the praise] After hearing the system's reply, I nodded and stood up, suddenly remembering a crucial question: "By the way, where is your headquarters?" "Suwon City. We're raising funds, and our headquarters are located there." "Hmm... Let's talk to the detective agency first. If we don't get along, let's just take down their base." "..." He healed Han Zhenzhe's severe injuries with just a few drops of red liquid—this man, renowned for his combat prowess within the organization, couldn't even mount a proper counterattack. Even more bizarrely, the opponent hadn't restrained his body at all, yet he was completely immobilized. Witnessing this extraordinary ability, Han Zhenzhe secretly resolved to resolve the situation peacefully if possible. 'That kind of monster is impossible to fight...' A brief exchange revealed multiple abilities. Experience told me that this kind of person had far more hidden methods than displayed. Cold sweat trickled down Han Zhenzhe's back. EP0384 After violently suppressing Han Zhenzhe and forcibly subduing him, I began to consider my next move. "What should I do now..." Several options were available: immediately go to the detective agency to deal with those guys, or observe and give them a buffer period. There were other methods to consider as well. After some deliberation, I decided to take this opportunity to make a clean break. After all, it wouldn't be good if Liu Anna or Li Shiyan, who already possessed information, suffered retaliation. "Looks like I need to deal with the detective agency first." "Those two are still completely unaware of the situation. If they were attacked by the underworld under these circumstances, they would surely regret it later. It's better to eliminate them now. To be honest, although I could take this opportunity to eradicate them completely, I don't intend to go that far—after all, Zhou Huiying's ovulation period is approaching. 'Let my husband fulfill his obligations first, then let her conceive my child.' This will be the first time in reality that I have the historic opportunity to leave a bloodline. What's even better is that I won't have to bear any responsibility at all; all the obligations can be pushed onto my husband. Although Zhou Huiying will suffer during her pregnancy, I intend to help her as much as possible to reduce the burden. If she's tired, she can use recovery potions; if she's uncomfortable, she can drink healing potions; if she has postpartum obesity problems, she can use mutated sperm to reshape her perfect figure—these are all meticulous considerations prepared for the future mother of my child. 'She will definitely raise my child well.'" "Zhou Huiying, who has been trying to conceive for two whole years without success, will undoubtedly pour all her maternal love into having my child; I have no doubt about that. Just as I was contemplating how to deal with those scumbags instead of worrying about Zhou Huiying's pregnancy—"What will become of our organization...? Seeing Li Zhenshuo's solemn and blank expression, Han Zhenzhe felt a surge of fear. As one of the third or fourth ranked officers in the organization, he and two newcomers had been completely overwhelmed. Although they had taken several punches, judging from the fact that the other party hadn't even suffered a scratch, even a full-scale attack would likely be futile. "It's like throwing an egg against a rock..." Even with all his combat personnel gathered, numbering around a hundred, he instinctively realized that this scale wouldn't even be enough to harm the man in the slightest. His keen intuition, honed over six years in the underworld, allowed him to instantly assess the difference in strength—and the man's unfathomable aura meant he was far beyond his comprehension. "Please, have mercy..." Faced with a monster that even his extensive experience couldn't fathom, he could only pray for a peaceful end. If the other party truly intended to kill, not only the detective agency, but the entire organization would be wiped out. ——— While Han Zhenzhe trembled with fear at Li Zhenshuo's next move, I had already composed myself and decided to head to the detective agency. "Hey, can you get up now?" "Sensing the numbing effect was wearing off, I asked. Han Zhenzhe quickly stood up and replied, 'My body is still a little heavy, but I can move freely.' 'Then lead the way.' Praying that everything was over, Han Zhenzhe hurriedly helped his groaning subordinate to his feet. Still clinging to a sliver of hope, he cautiously asked, 'Where do you want to go?' 'Stop pretending to be confused, take me to your detective agency.' '...Yes, sir.' With his last hope shattered, he forced a smile and reassured his subordinate, 'You two go start the car.' 'Boss, what about you...?' 'I'll accompany the distinguished guest. You two quickly make arrangements for the reception.'" Han Zhenzhe, who had sent his men away early under the pretext of starting the vehicle to buy time for communication, glanced at my reaction. If he were stopped, he wouldn't even have a chance to relay the message—but thankfully, the silent monster following behind didn't stop him. "With that level of physical ability, it's impossible for him not to hear the conversation..." Taking the other's silence as tacit approval, he quickly urged his men to leave. "I can accompany him alone." "It's fine." "Thank you very much." Trembling, Han Zhenzhe thanked Li Zhenshuo for agreeing to make the contact, unsure whether this was out of absolute confidence or ulterior motives. "The slightest mistake could be annihilation..."With a sense of trepidation, he silently prayed that his subordinates would accurately relay the intelligence. *** System, can you monitor the communications between those who left first and the detective agency? [Of course] As expected of you. Can you transfer the call? [Establishing real-time communication] The reason I let them leave early was simply to enjoy their chaotic and embarrassing defenses. Anyway, I can eavesdrop on all communications, and I'm also looking forward to seeing what kind of formation the other side will put on—I'd even more like witnessing firsthand how much effort it will take to crush the entire detective agency. Lee Jin-seok followed Han Jin-cheol towards the parking area. "Haa! Haa!" "Cough cough!" Two subordinates who had escaped from the monster by pretending to start the car were panting heavily as they ran. 'I have to, I have to notify them quickly!' Only one thought remained in their minds—they had to immediately notify the base, that inhuman monster was heading towards their lair. "This distance... should be safe, right?" "We've run this far, it should be fine." "The numbing effects hadn't completely worn off, yet their bodies were forcibly driven. Once they confirmed Li Zhenshuo had disappeared from sight, they breathed a sigh of relief and pulled out their phones to make a call. The caller was Jiang Zhezhi, the action team leader disguised as the detective agency's president. According to the rules, newcomers weren't supposed to contact him directly, but the situation was urgent, leaving no other choice. A brief busy signal— -Is it urgent? Just as they were worried the other party wouldn't answer, their familiar older brother's voice brought them a sense of relief. "Boss…!" -What's wrong? What happened? Jiang Zhezhi hesitated whether to answer the newcomer's call, but hearing the sobbing voice immediately alerted him. 'What's going on?' They were only sent to intimidate an ordinary citizen to gain experience, but the choked voice in the call suggested something was amiss. 'Calm down, explain slowly.' -Um… Realizing that effective communication was impossible in such a state, he first comforted his sobbing subordinate and began to listen to what he had seen that day. 'Is everything true?'" "-Yes… Jin-cheol is bringing him this way now." Having heard the full report, Kang Cheol-sik struggled to process this fact. 'That's it?' Han Jin-cheol was a ruthless character who always stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him to crush enemies in power struggles, and the only reliable asset Kang Cheol-sik could entrust with his back since becoming the action team leader. Moreover, the other two accompanying him were promising talents personally selected by Han Jin-cheol. Yet this trio was unilaterally crushed? Convinced that an ordinary citizen couldn't possibly have done it, Kang Cheol-sik pressed for confirmation of the target's identity: "Did you mistake the face used to scare the target?" "-No… I checked the photos repeatedly." "They were all wiped out…" "-Yes… even Jin-cheol…" The client, Ji Eun-hyuk, clearly described the target as an ordinary citizen, which is why a lightweight team was sent. If he had known the target could easily handle Han Jin-cheol and the elite rookies, Kang Cheol-sik would be grinding his teeth in anger. 'That bastard didn't mention this at all…' The client never mentioned the target's fighting skills; otherwise, why would they only send regular personnel? This oversight fueled his rage. "What's the target's current condition?" "Huh? You mean…" "I'm asking if that guy is in a rage!" "-We were in such a hurry we didn't see clearly... but they didn't seem angry." Jiang Zhezhi breathed a slight sigh of relief—the emotional state of a master is crucial. If the other party is enraged and seeking revenge, there might not even be a chance to negotiate. 'It seems we can still talk...' Because Ji Enhe had taken on other cases before commissioning the attack, the base now had less than ten fighters remaining. Facing a full-scale attack from an enraged master would inevitably result in heavy losses, so he decided to avoid conflict as much as possible. "How much longer until we get here?" - About an hour. "Understood, we'll be prepared, don't panic." "Understood!" Although furious at his subordinate's injury, as the commander-in-chief, not just a henchman, Jiang Zhezhi forced himself to remain calm. 'We must minimize the losses.' Just in case, he still ordered preparations for battle—he wasn't confident he could subdue Han Zhenzhe, who was skilled in street brawls, who was completely helpless. — As Jiang Zhezhi received the call and began preparations for battle. 'Hmm…not bad, at least he has some brains.' Hearing that his subordinate had been attacked, he was able to restrain his urge to retaliate; his composure was admirable. He didn't know their exact strength but had prepared perfectly, and prioritizing negotiation was wise. If they had retaliated directly, I originally planned to break at least one leg of each of them. 'But I don't intend to really resolve this through negotiation.' After all, investigating the employer's background after receiving payment is a serious overstepping of boundaries. If it weren't for the Creator's protection, the information about the slaves would have been exposed, almost causing a disaster. 'And a hasty end would leave loose ends.' To make matters worse, those guys now have information about my lover, Liu Anna, and Li Shiyan." Although they spoke kindly on the surface, if they secretly attempted to kidnap or torture these two, it would be too late to stop them then. I knew that once things started, they had to be resolved completely; I had no intention of letting it end easily. While I was pondering how to deal with those guys at the detective agency, I unknowingly arrived at the parking lot. "You're here!" Seeing Han Zhenzhe and me, two subordinates who had started the engine earlier were waiting in front of the car. They bowed sharply at a ninety-degree angle and greeted us in loud voices. "Don't be so noisy at night." "Y-sorry." I reminded them that a simple greeting would suffice; there was no need to shout. Then I asked how long it would take to reach our destination. "How long to get to the detective agency?" "About an hour and thirty minutes." "That long?" "Because...because the location is quite remote..." When I contacted them earlier, they asked me to slow down, but upon closer inspection, I discovered it would take an extra thirty minutes. 'Anyway, no matter how well-prepared they are, it's useless...' Frankly, whether they prepare for an hour or two, it's meaningless to me. I not only know the detective agency's current personnel configuration, but I also know the number of reinforcements that will be returning. 'They've even prepared their weapons, huh?' Seemingly already aware of my abilities, the detective agency members were placing their weapons within easy reach. Some were carrying knives, some were carrying steel pipes, and some were preparing metal bars. However, to show no hostility when they entered, they didn't have their weapons in their hands. "Drive." "Yes! Let's go immediately!" "Having just settled into the car and cleared his mind, he noticed the vehicle hadn't started and reminded him. The subordinate in the driver's seat jumped, hurriedly pressing the accelerator. The subordinate in the passenger seat glanced at Lee Jin-seok's expression and sent a message on his phone: 'Depart now.' — After receiving the report from his subordinates that they were ready to leave, Kang Cheol-sik, who had finished preparing in his office, came out to explain the situation to his team. Everyone appeared to be working at their desks as usual, but in reality, they had all concealed their weapons. However, since they had only been told to carry weapons, some members still seemed somewhat bewildered—especially when they heard the instruction to hide the weapons nearby, their confusion deepened. 'They're quite obedient,' Kang Cheol-sik smiled, looking at their military-like demeanor despite their lack of understanding. These clever guys would have a higher survival rate in case of trouble. Seeing everyone suppressing their curiosity and focusing on their work, he decided to formally explain the situation: 'Everyone is prepared as I said.' 'Yes, sir!'" "Normally, someone would definitely get scolded for not calling him 'President,' but since we're armed, we won't bother with formalities now." He continued, "I know you're all wondering why we're suddenly being told to grab weapons." The words fell silent; no one whispered, everyone waited quietly for what was to come. 'They've certainly trained them well.' There were no newcomers present; they were all senior members. Many had been on field missions before, which made them particularly composed. 'To make a long story short, Han Zhenzhe, having failed in his intimidation mission, is leading the outsiders this way.' Hearing that "Fighting Ghost" Han Zhenzhe had not only failed his mission but also been defeated, everyone shuddered. He was a man so obsessed with fighting that he was called "Mad Ghost," and even had the nickname "Fighting Ghost" within the gang. Although he was belligerent, his strength was among the top three in the organization's fighting power. Such a formidable character had actually fallen—and with two trusted newcomers in tow. "No wonder they're surprised." Most of the people here had fought Han Zhenzhe and naturally understood his significance. "The outsider who defeated Han Zhenzhe is coming. Nobody should make any rash moves." "Just how badly did he lose to make you say that?" Seeing a member tentatively inquire about the opponent's strength, Jiang Zhezhi decided to tell the truth—a hasty judgment could have serious consequences. "It was a crushing defeat. He didn't even touch him before he was on his knees." "This..." Actually, Han Zhenzhe had landed a few blows, but since he said it had no effect, he simply conveyed it. "Although we don't know his exact strength, he's definitely a tough opponent." "No action is permitted without my orders." Hearing that even Han Zhenzhe had been utterly defeated, the members immediately tensed. Having successfully established a sense of threat, Jiang Zhezhi felt the time was right and turned back to his office, asking, "What do you think?" "You mean?" "That's it." The intelligence officer, who had been by his side for years, pondered, "Currently, intelligence is insufficient, but...""As long as we don't provoke them, nothing should happen." "Why do you think that? They might just wipe this place out." Han Zhenzhe, whom even he himself might not be able to defeat even after several more years of training, was completely overwhelmed, which means the newcomers are not friendly. Although they have the advantage in numbers and weapons, it's only natural that such a person would cause massive destruction if they went berserk. It's hard not to be curious that someone with such power would be safe here if they just didn't provoke them. "They probably came here because they want something." "Probably." "If we meet their demands, they'll leave on their own?" Since they came here because they wanted something, they would naturally leave easily once their wish was fulfilled. Hearing this, Jiang Zhezhi couldn't think of anything positive—what if the other party made excessive demands that they couldn't meet, then a battle would be inevitable. "What if they make unreasonable demands on us?" "Then we'll have no choice but to fight. We have no other options." "Yes...we're just that kind of people..." Having been away from the front lines for too long and instinctively wanting to avoid conflict, Jiang Zhezhi suddenly realized, 'I've regressed too much.' From the moment he joined the organization, he had taken it for granted that he wouldn't have a good end. He had sworn an oath when he entered the underworld, but now he was timid and hesitant. He shook his head vigorously. If it's war, then it's war. This might be his last real battle, and he refused to live like a coward. "Contact the leader first." "What should you report?" "Briefly explain the current situation and send all intelligence on the intruders in advance." "Understood." "Fortunately, due to the commission, I had already collected basic information about the visitors. Although there were no photos or other visual materials, remembering their basic physical characteristics was enough. 'Alright... time to go.' Kang Cheol-sik suppressed his wavering heart. Although there was still plenty of time, he decided to be fully prepared for the battle. --- As Kang Cheol-sik was preparing for Lee Jin-seok, the report that '[the other side seems to have completed their deployment]' made me eager to try. 'Just how far can we fight...' To be honest, although I didn't think I would lose, I was still quite looking forward to facing so many people for the first time. Although it might end peacefully, I personally preferred to fight. Since I had the active combat capability detector with me, wouldn't it be a waste not to use it? Moreover, they dared to investigate Lee Se-yeon and Yoo Anna's backgrounds, which made me very unhappy. Anyway, in my current state, I can crush them without taking any damage, so there's nothing to worry about. 'How much further?' 'We'll arrive in five minutes.'" Thinking about the upcoming encounter with that group, I began to consider how much strength I should unleash. 'Although there are more of them than before, they are armed...' My current strength is sufficient for fighting with my fists alone, but it's a different story when facing weapons. Especially sharp knives that can cause direct damage. For safety's sake, I decided to only increase my physical strength to the point where I can withstand sharp metal weapons. 'We've arrived.' I heard the notification while lost in thought, and got out of the car to prepare for the upcoming meeting. When Han Zhenzhe led two of his subordinates into the detective agency, I was surprised by its dilapidated state. I had heard that the system had made a lot of money, so it was hard to believe that they would set up their base in such a remote and shabby place. 'Does most of the income go to headquarters?' With this pointless thought in mind, I continued on and soon arrived at our destination. 'Let's investigate first...' 'No need, I'll go first.' Han Zhenzhe was worried that the monsters would attack immediately and wanted to go in first, but I refused. Anyway, those guys inside weren't ready for a fight to the death and posed no threat. Watching Li Zhenshuo turn the doorknob, Han Zhenzhe could only pray that the members would stay calm. 'There's no chance of winning against that kind of monster...' He was certain when he fought Li Zhenshuo that no matter how he attacked, he couldn't hurt the monster in the slightest. Although it wasn't a full-force blow, the powerful punch landed and the monster was completely unharmed, while he himself felt a faint pain in his fist. What difference does it make whether someone with such resilience carries a weapon or not? Thinking that even a knife could break on that monster's body, Han Zhenzhe had completely lost his fighting spirit. - With the creak of the old door hinges, I stepped into the room and immediately felt more than a dozen gazes. Some were curious, doubting whether I could really defeat Han Zhenzhe, while others were wary, seeing me as an enemy ready to pounce at any moment. As I passed through the tangled web of gazes, a lean man came out from the inside of the office, obviously having heard the commotion. Unlike the other gang members' burly physiques, this man had a fierce face but sharp eyes. His typical leader aura prompted me to activate my 'demigod's body' intuition to probe him. 'Hmm...slightly stronger than Han Zhenzhe.' My rarely used intuition indicated that his strength was only slightly superior to Han Zhenzhe. Due to age-related physical decline, I quickly lost interest. The rest of them were far inferior to Han Zhenzhe, truly disappointing. "I thought I could use him as a combat strength test, but it seems I won't get any benefit." However, since this was a gang's stronghold, I thought there would be someone stronger than Han Zhenzhe, but it turned out to be just a sick cat with missing claws. "We've been waiting for you." "Yes, everyone's armed and ready for battle." "..." Kang Cheol-sik, who had just entered and bumped into Lee Jin-seok, had indeed hidden his weapon in a blind spot, but he still tensed up when he realized the other was fully armed. "Looks like this won't end easily..." The so-called armed preparation was essentially a thorough preparation for war. That's why he had deliberately hidden his weapons, and he couldn't help but feel nervous after discovering they had all been seen through. EP0386 After a brief greeting at the front, I arrived at the office led by Kang Cheol-sik and naturally took the main seat. 'Looks like he doesn't have any intention of fighting for now...' Although he had prepared weapons, he hid them, indicating a stronger preference for resolving the issue through dialogue. Although I had learned about the situation through the system beforehand, my enthusiasm inevitably waned—after all, my purpose in coming here was to fight these guys to test my combat strength. "I am Kang Cheol-sik, who runs this detective agency." Seeing that I was sitting in the main seat without any concern, Kang Cheol-sik, who had been sitting quietly in thought, began to introduce himself. "Hmm, I know." "..." Hearing me say that I had obtained all the information through the system, he fell silent. 'Hmm...even a gentle probe didn't elicit a response.' He had intended to deliberately act arrogantly to create an excuse for conflict, but the other party was more wary than expected, barely reacting. Earlier, when his eyes met Lee Jin-seok's at the door, Kang Cheol-sik had to tense up. 'Looks young but has such a strong aura...' Facing an opponent at least ten years his senior who could make him tremble. The mere eye contact sent his body into a state of combat readiness, which shocked him—the last time he felt this way was when he met his former boss during the heyday of the underworld. Back then, the environment of constant fighting was far more dangerous than it was now. 'If a fight breaks out, it will definitely not end well.' Kang Cheol-sik, whose survival instincts had been honed by the harsh realities of life, immediately revised his judgment. He had initially thought that even if there were losses, he could manage, but now he was certain that war was absolutely out of the question. His intuition told him that once he made a move, there would be no turning back, and the tension intensified. "I sincerely apologize for my employee's offensive behavior." "B-Big Brother!!" He deliberately stood up from his seat and bowed sincerely at a perfect 90-degree angle. After all, a master who could instill fear with just a glance could never be an enemy. A slight misstep could wipe out not only the detective agency but also the headquarters. 'How boring.' I was looking forward to an interesting reaction, but this sudden apology left me feeling utterly disappointed. I had planned to slowly provoke him and then make excessive demands to induce conflict, but seeing him give up so easily, my interest instantly cooled. "Secretly investigating other people's lives and launching an attack, and an apology is all it takes?" His forced fighting after losing his will to fight made it impossible to gauge his true strength. If the leader had retreated, how could his underlings possibly fight seriously? It was like declaring war on a lord to get the heroine in a game, only to have the lord surrender before the battle even began. "Absolutely not! We will do our best to fulfill any request you make." "Hmm... I'm afraid that's far from enough." "To be honest, I wasn't that angry about the attack—an elephant wouldn't care about the ants biting at its feet. That's the difference between Kang Cheol-sik, who's bowing at a ninety-degree angle, and me right now. 'You also investigated my lovers.' But my lovers, Lee Se-yeon and Yoo Anna, are different. They're ordinary people, and if this guy had malicious intentions, they could be harmed at any time. So, more infuriating than the attack was the fact that they were investigated. 'I also sincerely apologize for this. I have ordered my subordinates to cease all related commissions and destroy all materials.' Even hearing the term 'lovers,' Kang Cheol-sik remained unfazed, as if it were his due to promise to stop the investigation. 'This is so boring...''I could have used the investigation as an excuse to completely destroy this place, but their restraint shows no willingness to fight, not even a fighting spirit. They could have at least shown displeasure, but instead maintained an attitude of "if you make a mistake, you should apologize."' 'What should I do?' Despite the loss, it felt like being bullied by a school bully back in school. Although I was always quiet and never bullied anyone in school. Seeing their lack of fighting spirit and my own disillusionment, I decided to demand compensation directly. 'So, how do you plan to compensate?' 'We will meet any request within our capabilities.' As we discussed compensation, I suddenly sensed a commotion at the detective agency entrance. The system, sensing the urgency, answered my question: 'System, who are those people outside?' [It must be members who were out on a case returning after receiving a request for backup.] Hearing that they had called in external members due to a shortage of manpower, a sense of anticipation suddenly welled up inside me. The atmosphere of those brutes potentially bursting in at any moment—it seemed they had willingly provided the battlefield for the confrontation I had previously abandoned. "Where's the boss?!" Just as I expected, things started to unfold as planned. Accompanied by rough shouts and anxious cries for the leader, hurried footsteps approached. Jiang Zhezhi, standing nearby, seemed eager to deal with this sudden situation, but dared not make a move because I was in his presence. Soon, the thugs inside, seemingly having heard that the leader was there, kicked open the door and rushed in. "Boss, are you alright?!" Led by a giant far larger than any of the thugs I had seen before, seven gang members surged into the office. After greeting Jiang Zhezhi, panting heavily, they suddenly met my gaze. "Is this the arrogant brat who suddenly appeared?" When he saw their revered boss bowing ninety degrees to me, seated at the head of the table, one of the thugs immediately spoke in a standard gangster accent, his face contorted with rage as he approached me. "I heard Big Brother suddenly summoned me, I thought something bad had happened, but it's just some greenhorn!" He seemed extremely dissatisfied with the sight of Big Brother bowing to a young man, cursing and glaring at me fiercely. Just as that distorted face was about to attack me— "Stop!!!" Jiang Zhezhi, still bowing at a ninety-degree angle despite not having received my forgiveness, stopped him. "Big Brother! He's just a brat, why are you doing this?!" "All of you, get out of the way!" Even with the leader's order, the thug still stared intently at me, then suddenly sprang to his feet: "This little beast!!" Facing the hostile gaze, I deliberately gave a mocking sneer. Enraged, the thug immediately threw a punch. —Bang! I took the mocking punch without flinching. Hearing the sound, Jiang Zhezhi finally straightened up, looking at the miserable scene before him and letting out a desperate sigh. "Ah..." He never expected that the one who threw the punch was none other than Lee Jae-hoon, known for his volatile temper within the organization. Although dangerous in nature, he was always obedient and possessed considerable strength; logically, he wouldn't act so impulsively. However, the enraged Lee Jae-hoon had completely lost control. "Lee Jae-hoon!!! Back off immediately!!" Kang Cheol-sik tried to calm things down, but it was too late. 'Just what I wanted.' The burly man, standing 190cm tall and weighing over 100kg, delivered a full-force blow, yet it failed to sway me in the slightest. I slowly turned my head to meet his gaze: "Finished?" "Damn it, I hit you, so what?" When he saw me, unharmed despite taking a full-force punch, Lee Jae-hoon suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. 'He didn't even react to my punch?' Although his fighting skills were inferior to Han Jin-cheol's, his strength was unmatched within the organization. Even Han Jin-cheol would be temporarily incapacitated after taking this punch—yet this greenhorn asked indifferently. There was no rage, just a calm gaze directed at him. Lee Jae-hoon then realized that his opponent was no ordinary person. 'But since I've been hit, I'll definitely get injured...' He planned to launch another attack while I was still recovering, but the moment he threw another punch— "Aaaaaah!!!" A crushing pain shot through Lee Jae-hoon's left fist. "Ugh... Ugh!" The unprecedented pain made him realize the reality: his fist, which had collided with the young man's, was completely shattered. "So... now it's considered self-defense, right?" "Ugh!" The crowd, witnessing the destruction of Lee Jae-hoon's fist, fell into a deathly silence. This executive, known for his brute strength, had not only had his full-force attack blocked by the seated man—but had been utterly defeated. 'Damn it...' All of Kang Cheol-sik's mediation efforts had vanished. The moment his eyes met mine, I instinctively felt that this matter could no longer be resolved peacefully. Even after destroying his fist, a smile still lingered on my lips. My previously nonchalant eyes now shone brightly—like the excited look in a child's eyes when they twist off an insect's head. 'We have to fight.' "If we don't take action, my subordinates will probably all have their limbs dismembered." Fortunately, the office was spacious enough, old but large enough to set up an encirclement. "Everyone grab your weapons and charge!!!" Kang Cheol-sik couldn't abandon his cherished subordinates, even if the opponent had an overwhelming advantage. He summoned all the organization members who were waiting. EP0387 As soon as Kang Cheol-sik's order was given, the organization members waiting outside swarmed into the office like ants. "So orderly." It was as if the army had received a rapid action order; the members instantly filled the entire space. I observed how they picked up the tools they had prepared in advance, but I noticed something incongruous— "Not a single person brought a knife." I had checked their equipment in advance using my system ability; the two members who should have been carrying knives were holding sticks instead. Probably to avoid accidentally injuring their comrades in the cramped office. I wanted to test whether my enhanced body could withstand the blade, so I stretched my limbs with a slight regret and launched the first attack before the encirclement could be formed. "Ugh!" My primary target was Lee Jae-hoon, whose left arm I had shattered. Although his face was deathly pale from the pain, his fighting spirit remained undiminished, and he was the closest available target—the perfect opening. I kicked Lee Jae-hoon, who was slumped in his chair, and used the recoil to get up, estimating the number of enemies. "About twenty." There were only about ten people before the reinforcements arrived, so the scale of the emergency response was larger than expected, making me slightly tense. This was the first time I had faced so many armed opponents in reality, and even though my enhanced body could mitigate damage, I still wanted to avoid being hit as much as possible. "Dismantle the encirclement of the internet cafe first." Drawing on my experience in virtual reality games, I decided to prioritize breaking the formation—even the strongest person would inevitably be hit when surrounded. My arms and legs have their limits, so this was a last resort. "Kill him!" "Don't let him move freely!" The gangsters were clearly more adept at group combat, quickly forming an encirclement. Limited by the office space, there was nowhere to escape except by jumping out of the window, but that suited me perfectly. As long as I launched a frenzied offensive first, they would have to worry about accidentally injuring their comrades. "Bringing weapons has become a burden." The confined space turns the advantage of weapons into a disadvantage, especially making it impossible to utilize the essence of distance control. After all, their goal is to subdue, not kill. After a brief tactical consideration, I locked onto the two blocking opponents in the front row. The two who came with Lee Jae-hoon were enraged by their team leader's injury and attacked using a feint attack. "Die!" "..." One roared and made a feint attack, while the other quietly circled around from behind. Faced with this obvious time-difference attack, I chose to meet it head-on—today's goal was not victory or defeat, but to test the limits of defeating the enemy without taking damage. I deliberately used a large punch to lure the enemy, and then rushed into their arms. "That way, I won't be caught in a time-difference attack." The opponent originally wanted to take advantage of the gap in my attack and defense to launch a sneak attack, but the close proximity actually hindered his companion's movement. "?!" The one who circled around was obviously not expected by my sudden closeness. When I knocked the feint attacker, who had a wide-open opening, backward, the two of them flew out like bowling pins. "Cough!" "Ugh!" The hardness granted by my 'demigod body' made the impact comparable to a car accident; the two in the front row crashed through tables and chairs and slid to the wall. 'Three taken care of.' Just as I eliminated the close-range threat, the iron rod came hurtling through the air. I dodged to the side, surprised by their ruthlessness in not caring about accidentally injuring their comrades. Just as I was about to counterattack— —whoosh! An attack from the side forced me to abandon my counterattack. 'Their coordination is better than expected.' These gangsters are actually skilled at teamwork, seizing every opening to strike decisively, even deliberately creating openings to lure the enemy. Their combat tactics, so different from the game's routine, made my brain race. 'The weak point is now...' Because of the failed first breakout, the encirclement is about to close. Once it's complete, I, unarmed, will be at a disadvantage. Although I can break through with brute force, to achieve the goal of no casualties, I must find the gap in the formation. 'There.' If it weren't for the 'demigod body' enhancement, I wouldn't have been able to detect it with my experience in group battles—but now, the weakness is clearly visible. Instinctively sensing the weakest point in the encirclement, I grabbed a chair and hurled it in that direction. "Huh?!" The enemy clearly hadn't anticipated my sudden chair-throwing attack; one of my subordinates frantically tried to block the flying chair. "Don't dodge, just block!" Although Jiang Zhezhi immediately gave the order, the inexperienced subordinate instinctively dodged, creating a gap in the encirclement. "Too late." Seizing the moment the two-person gap appeared, I rushed in without hesitation, delivering a swift chop to the panicked subordinate's jaw. With a dull thud, the subordinate collapsed to the ground. 'As long as we gradually widen this opening...'Just as I was preparing to expand my gains— *Whoosh!* A figure burst in from outside the encirclement; Kang Cheol-sik himself threw a punch at me. "Don't think you can break through so easily." The elder's rich experience was on full display; he instantly compressed the space I had just created. Realizing I needed to unleash more power, I secretly released some of my restricted abilities. 'If this continues, we'll get into a war of attrition...' In my current state, it would be difficult to break through their coordinated attacks. To make matters worse, once Kang Cheol-sik seriously joined the battle, his subordinates' behavior patterns changed accordingly. 'Four have been subdued.' Sixteen enemies remained within the twenty-person encirclement. While unleashing more power, I deliberately avoided a direct confrontation with Kang Cheol-sik, instead targeting the weaker members. As I moved to the right, Kang Cheol-sik suddenly intercepted me from the opposite direction, but lost track of me in the process. Taking advantage of his misjudgment, I had already turned to the other side of the encirclement. "What's wrong with this guy..." Jiang Zhezhi, whose forces were scattered and unable to pursue, couldn't help but marvel at the young man's combat instincts—his opponent always seemed to pinpoint the weakest point in their tight encirclement. At first glance, he thought the young man was on par with the previous leader, but now he realized that assessment was completely wrong. Even the legendary leader of yesteryear had never put them in such a difficult situation. And this greenhorn was toying with their proud encirclement tactics. Even more astonishing was that, throughout the battle, their attacks had never truly hit their target. Even when they deliberately created blind spots for surprise attacks, the opponent seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, easily dodging them. "Cough!" At this moment, another subordinate accidentally injured a comrade in the encirclement. Logically, an attack would expose defensive gaps, but this was meaningless to that monster—he always seemed to have a panoramic view of the battlefield, deftly dodging the pressure the moment it arrived. 'He's wearing us down.' "Kang Cheol-sik, with his keen insight, changed tactics: 'Maintain distance! Just wear him down!' Abandoning the idea of ​​a quick victory, he decided to use his weapon advantage for a protracted battle. Unfortunately, this change instantly killed my enthusiasm—the thrill of dancing on the edge of a knife was fading. They circled the perimeter wielding clubs and iron pipes, and this monotonous attrition tactic was incredibly boring. 'Even if we drag this out for hours, it won't do any good...' With my demigod-like body, I only needed a short rest to recover my stamina. My superhuman physique meant I had no concept of fatigue. 'Maintain distance! When he runs out of stamina, that's our victory!' Hearing the command from afar, I sighed and gave up dodging. 'Since you want to play like this...' I, who had been deliberately suppressing my strength to enjoy the tension, finally decided to end this boring game. 'Huh?' As Lee Jin-seok maintained his distance and continued wielding his wooden club, one of the organization members suddenly made a foolish sound." The guy who was just dodging the flying tools vanished from sight in the blink of an eye. - *Whoosh!* "Ugh…!" Just as he turned his gaze to find where the guy had gone, he suddenly felt a violent impact in his abdomen, and th