Chapter 12: Looks like a thief

“Was it you, Go Han-seok, who ordered the Scavengers to ambush Kim Seo-jun?”

“Y-yes. Th-that’s right.”

Go Han-seok dared not lie.

The person threatening him from behind was of a completely different caliber than the Scavengers.

Just the tone of his voice instilled fear, and a terrifying dread washed over him as if being swallowed by an endless darkness.

“And was the idea to ruin Kim Seo-jun’s life with the Guihwa Juice also yours?”

“Y-yes…”

Go Han-seok’s voice trembled violently.

“Did your father order you to do it?”

“No, no. I acted alone…”

“Then soon your father will know everything as well.”

“Please… please, anything but that! I’ll give you whatever you want! If it’s money, I’ll give you as much as you need!”

“Enough.”

Kim Seo-jun, who was secretly recording everything, decided to stop questioning at this point.

He had already gotten everything he needed and had etched a deep fear into Go Han-seok’s mind using the Solar Divine Technique.

Now was the time to punish Go Han-seok.

“If you ever bother Kim Seo-jun again, your life will end at that very moment.”

“I-I swear I won’t! I won’t even look at Kim Seo-jun again!”

“You better make sure of that.”

Kim Seo-jun took out the dagger the Scavenger woman had thrown moments ago.

He lightly pressed it against Go Han-seok’s neck.

“Ah, no! Please! That—th-that’s not an ordinary object…”

“It’s your karma.”

Swish.

The dagger lightly grazed Go Han-seok’s neck.

“Ahhh!”

Go Han-seok trembled as if shocked by electricity.

Kim Seo-jun tossed the dagger he had picked up yesterday, the dagger that had just cut Go Han-seok’s neck, and the yellow vial taken from the Scavenger woman onto the passenger seat.

Then he quietly got out of the vehicle.

As soon as Kim Seo-jun disappeared, Go Han-seok thrashed in the driver’s seat.

He had been cut by a dagger coated with Guihwa Juice, and the liquid was seeping into the wound.

Visions filled Go Han-seok’s mind.

Women with long hair, their heads swinging wildly, approached him from all sides.

With mouths split open to their ears and eerie smiles, their bulging frog-like eyes stared at him menacingly.

“Arrgh! Go away! I said go away!”

Even though the visions were unreal, Go Han-seok flailed his hands as if they were real, tossing his body around wildly.

At one point, his hand slammed hard against the steering wheel, triggering the airbag.

The airbag struck his chest violently, and unfortunately, a syringe in his inner shirt pocket was jostled.

Due to his thrashing, the cap covering the needle was removed, and the needle pierced deep into Go Han-seok’s chest.

The force of the airbag pushed the plunger, injecting the syringe’s contents into his body.

“Gahk!”

Go Han-seok froze as if struck by lightning.

A moment later, he rested his face on the airbag and started chuckling foolishly.

“Hehe… hehehit…”

Like a madman, his unfocused eyes began laughing.

Drool dripped continuously from his mouth.

Two hours later.

Kim Seo-jun returned to his apartment.

After parking in the underground garage, he started searching the news on his phone.

In fact, on his way out after leaving Go Han-seok behind, Kim Seo-jun had called the police.

He reported that a fight had broken out between Scavengers and Hunters.

Especially noting that the Hunter looked like a young student, but seemed mentally unstable as if under some drug.

Kim Seo-jun had stayed long enough to confirm the police response before leaving.

Now, he wanted to see what had happened to Go Han-seok afterward.

Just as expected, breaking news about Go Han-seok started appearing one after another.

[First-Year Hunter Academy Student Addicted to Synthetic Drugs!]

[Go Han-seok, Drunk on Hallucinogens—What Deal Did He Make with the Scavengers?]

[Go Han-seok’s Father Is Go Tae-hwan, Vice Guildmaster of the Hyeonmu Guild!]

[Why Did the Scavengers Try to Harm Student Go Han-seok?]

[Society’s Scourge, the Scavengers—Why Can’t the Rift Management Bureau Eradicate Them?]

Go Han-seok’s name quickly became a top-five search term on portal sites.

The news articles were straightforward.

Go Han-seok, son of Go Tae-hwan, vice guildmaster of the Hyeonmu Guild and a first-year student at the Third Hunter Academy, got high on drugs and fought with the Scavengers.

Three Scavengers were found unconscious at the scene and were taken into custody by Hunter police.

They all denied involvement, but the evidence was too clear for their claims to be accepted.

From this, Kim Seo-jun knew the female Scavenger had escaped on her own.

If she had been caught, it would have only caused interference, so she was deliberately let go.

Meanwhile, Go Han-seok’s condition was quite serious.

He had been injected with Guihwa Juice, an ultra-expensive hallucinogen called the “drug of the Hunters.”

On top of that, a syringe containing the bodily fluids of the Phantom Demon Larva was found on him, which caused the incident to explode in scale.

Though a promising Academy student, the mix of Guihwa Juice and Phantom Demon Larva fluids inside his body irreparably damaged him.

Go Han-seok’s camp claimed that mere Scavengers could never have done such a thing and suggested the possibility of a third party.

However, there was no evidence of a third party anywhere, not even on the surrounding CCTV footage.

The cameras only showed Go Han-seok meeting with the Scavengers.

If anything, a woman who seemed allied with the Scavengers appeared on the footage but was nowhere to be found at the crime scene.

Reading these news reports, Kim Seo-jun smiled quietly.

There was no chance that the Scavengers or Go Han-seok would ever mention his name.

Using the Solar Divine Technique, he had thoroughly scrambled their minds so that subconsciously, they completely rejected the name “Kim Seo-jun.”

There was a limitation: it only worked on those he had completely subdued.

But once successful, he could forcibly implant a trauma related to a specific object or person, making it an incredibly useful tactic.

Go Han-seok might be identified as the last person he called.

But if he said it was just to apologize for hurting him during Academy practical training, no problem would arise.

“But… did Go Han-seok also have the Phantom Demon Larva’s fluids?”

That was something even Kim Seo-jun didn’t know and found a bit surprising.

Still, from his perspective, it was a clear and satisfying result.

“This proves that Go Tae-hwan used the Phantom Demon Larva’s fluids to try to harm his own son.”

Having sent Go Han-seok to ruin, next was Go Tae-hwan’s turn.

Given who he was, treating him like Go Han-seok would only backfire.

So it was better to wait patiently for a sure opportunity to present itself.

Kim Seo-jun took off his hat and mask, packed them into his bag, and returned home with a light heart.

All that remained now was to enjoy a delicious dinner with his parents.

*****

That evening.

Led by Mrs. Baek Yeon-ji, Kim Seo-jun and Kim Ju-hyeok headed to a famous beef restaurant near their home.

Kim Ju-hyeok was greatly surprised by the sudden outing, but Kim Seo-jun understood perfectly why.

The guest of honor tonight was none other than Kim Ju-hyeok himself.

On his way home, Kim Seo-jun had contacted Baek Yeon-ji to share the news that his father had finally broken through the magical power barrier of 59 and become a CC-rank Hunter.

Baek Yeon-ji, having been the wife of Hunter Kim Ju-hyeok for twenty years and now raising Kim Seo-jun who was training at the Academy to become a Hunter, was well versed in Hunter rank distinctions.

She had watched painfully as Kim Ju-hyeok was trapped by the barrier at 59, unable to progress further.

To her, his demotion to administrative duties was no problem at all.

What she worried about most was his sense of loss.

She understood better than anyone how proud Kim Ju-hyeok had been that, as a DC-rank, he could save many people.

So when he was forced into an administrative position because he couldn’t break through the barrier, she knew how deeply that had wounded him.

But now, that barrier was shattered.

When she heard the news from her son, Baek Yeon-ji was overjoyed.

She hugged her husband tightly and even shed tears.

Because of this, she chose to celebrate with a dinner outing that night.

Though there were more expensive and refined restaurants, a Korean beef place was perfect for a family of three with two hearty eaters.

They entered a restaurant called “Woorana Sonara.”

It was a well-known establishment near Jungsan Station, always crowded with customers.

Since it was still early, there were quite a few empty seats.

Following the waitress’s guidance, the family sat by the window.

The pretty waitress, wearing a beret, mask, and apron, handed them the menu.

Baek Yeon-ji passed it to Kim Seo-jun.

“You order, Seo-jun. If we leave it to your dad, he’ll only pick the cheapest stuff.”

“Ahem. It’s all pretty much the same meat anyway, no reason to order the expensive cuts.”

“See? Just like I said.”

Baek Yeon-ji shot a glare at Kim Ju-hyeok, asking if he had to act like that even here.

Meanwhile, Kim Seo-jun finished ordering.

He picked the restaurant’s most expensive and delicious cuts—chuck flap tail and prime rib eye—as well as cold noodles, stone pot bibimbap, and egg rice.

Kim Ju-hyeok glanced at Baek Yeon-ji and ordered soju as well.

Though she usually disliked her husband drinking, Baek Yeon-ji smiled slightly and allowed it this time.

Side dishes were set, and hot charcoal was placed on the grill.

As the marbled meat sizzled beautifully on the hot coals, their mouths began watering.

Before the meat was even done, Kim Seo-jun took a piece, wrapped it in lettuce and perilla leaves with garlic and chili, and fed it to his father.

At first, Kim Ju-hyeok seemed awkward but soon smiled brightly as he chewed.

Next was Baek Yeon-ji.

She loved spicy food, so Kim Seo-jun wrapped a generous amount of ssamjang and chili in the leaves for her.

“Maybe it’s because my son made it for me, but this tastes especially delicious today.”

Baek Yeon-ji swallowed the wrap in one bite and gave her verdict.

Watching his parents enjoy themselves, Kim Seo-jun felt this was what happiness was.

In his previous life, Kim Seo-jun had lost his parents at the tender age of nine and never had the chance to truly show filial piety.

But here, it was possible.

He could repay his parents with love and care without regret.

“Thank you for coming back to me.”

Kim Seo-jun gazed warmly at his father’s slightly reddened face and his mother lovingly wrapping food for him, feeling grateful deep within his heart.

Some time passed.

Most of the ordered meat was gone, and two bottles of soju had been emptied by his father.

“… How can people be so dense sometimes?”

A commotion arose from a nearby corner.

Having awakened his latent power and mastered the Solar Divine Technique, Kim Seo-jun could clearly hear the conversation happening in a corner of the restaurant.

“Sorry, ma’am, sir. We appreciate influencer promotions, but our priority is building our reputation through service and taste, so we can’t accept your request.”

A male waiter, slightly under 170cm tall, was politely apologizing to three female customers.

“Hey, why should I hear this from a mere waiter? Call the manager. No, get the owner! How dare you reject my proposal without knowing who I am? Humph!”

One of the women, looking to be in her mid-twenties, started with formal speech but quickly switched to rude, dismissive tones.

The two women accompanying her appeared to be friends and cast scornful looks at the waiter.

“No matter who you call, you’ll get the same answer. If you pay normally, there’s no problem.”

“Who said I’m not paying? I just want a 50% discount! Don’t you know me? I’m the owner of the ‘Hyesu Matjeo’ channel. My food review hit 3 million views last week.”

It turned out the woman was trying to use her fame as an influencer to demand a discount that had never been agreed upon.

“If I shoot a bad review of this place, it might close. You want to be responsible for that? If not, bring the owner here right now!”

“Ma’am, no matter how unreasonable you are, the answer is no. Please pay properly.”

The waiter was unfazed.

Though shorter than the standing woman, his firm stance in the face of a stubborn customer was impressive.

“What’s your name? Who lets someone so rude work here? Show me your face!”

The woman named Bang Hyo-jin shouted sharply and snatched the waiter’s mask off.

She threw the mask to the floor and sneered upon seeing his face.

“Knew it. That’s why you don’t make sense—because you look like that. Everyone, see how rude this waiter is? Looks like a thief!”

“Ma’am, that’s… harsh.”

The waiter clenched his fists tightly, seemingly forcing himself to hold back anger.

From a distance, Kim Seo-jun was shocked for a different reason when he saw the waiter’s bare face.

The face revealed was someone he knew well—familiar and friendly.

“Chang-seok hyung?”

Oh Chang-seok.

He was one of the seven closest comrades to Kim Seo-jun in the previous world.