Chapter 41: Settling Scores (2)

Sang-woong replied in a low voice, “Me? A hunter… scammed by you guys.”

The man froze for a moment before bursting into laughter. “Pfft, hahaha! This guy’s completely lost it! Looks like you’ve been grinding dungeons and got a bit strong, huh?”

He sneered. “So what? Here to demand your money back? Kneeling and begging would be more realistic—though, even that wouldn’t get you anything from us.”

Sang-woong let out a cold scoff at the man’s mockery. His eyes made it clear he had no interest in money.

“Money? I couldn’t care less about that.”

His voice turned icy. “I’m here… to relieve some stress.”

A chilling smile flickered beneath his mask. “But this stress… it’s been building for decades. It won’t be easy to let go. So… you’d better brace yourselves.”

With that, Sang-woong gripped the heavy iron gate. As his hands tightened, a horrific screech of metal echoed—creak, crunch!—as the hinges tore apart and the gate began to bend.

“W-what the hell?!” The man’s eyes widened, stumbling back.

The gate was built to withstand attacks, yet it was being ripped apart by raw human strength.

“Damn it…” Biting his lip in panic, the man screamed, “Intruder! We’re under attack!”

His booming voice reverberated through the second floor.

Sang-woong yanked the gate off and hurled it to the floor with a crash, striding into the hallway. His eyes gleamed coldly through the mask in the dim light.

Moments later, men with menacing faces poured out from rooms at both ends of the corridor, wielding iron pipes, daggers, and even a heavy hammer—about a dozen in total. They fixed their murderous gazes on the masked Sang-woong.

“Well, looks like I got lucky,” Sang-woong muttered with a low chuckle. “Would’ve been boring without a crowd.”

“That’s the bastard who broke the gate!” one shouted.

“How dare you barge in here?!”

“Kill him!”

With a chorus of roars, they charged. The narrow hallway filled with bloodthirsty tension. Sang-woong raised the dagger he’d picked up earlier.

“Today, I’ll make you all pay for the pain you’ve caused,” he said, his low voice laced with chilling anger that seemed to freeze the corridor.

The first to attack was a burly man with an iron pipe, swinging with all his might. But in the confined hallway, the reckless swing only smashed into the wall with a loud clang, missing its mark due to his lack of spatial awareness.

Sang-woong didn’t dodge. With his Level 5 physical enhancement skill, a low-tier hunter’s iron pipe would only sting. He chose to take the hit to intimidate them psychologically.

Thud! The pipe struck his blocking forearm.

“You bastard!” the man growled, thinking he’d crush Sang-woong’s head.

But his expression changed when he saw the pipe bend against Sang-woong’s arm. This masked man in a ridiculous black balaclava was far beyond his league.

In that moment, Sang-woong’s fist slammed into the man’s abdomen. “Argh!” The man screamed as his mana circuits shattered, collapsing in agony.

“That’s just the start,” Sang-woong said. “You tried to kill me. I’d love to return the favor, but I’ll hold back. Live the rest of your life in hell instead.”

He stomped, crushing both of the man’s ankles. Even if the wounds healed, normal life would be impossible.

The other men froze, terrified by Sang-woong’s ruthlessness. Then a voice rang out.

“What are you doing, you idiots? Kill him!” It was Bae Joo-ho, the organization’s leader.

Sang-woong’s memories stirred at the metallic rasp in his voice. Bae Joo-ho.

At his command, the fight resumed. A man with a sharp dagger charged, swinging without hesitation. Sang-woong leaned back slightly, dodging effortlessly, then kicked the man’s ankle.

Crack! The bone snapped loudly, and the man tumbled to the floor with a crash. Sang-woong followed with a heel strike to his abdomen, shattering his mana circuits.

“Argh!” Another scream.

“You devil!” one shouted.

“All at once!” another yelled.

Enraged by their comrade’s defeat, the men attacked together. The hallway became a chaotic melee of iron pipes, daggers, hammers, and swords, filled with curses and battle cries.

But Sang-woong remained calm, blocking and countering with precision. His fists moved like living weapons, striking their abdomens with deadly accuracy. The sickening sound of mana circuits breaking echoed clearly.

Screams of despair and dull impacts mixed as the hallway turned into a battlefield. A man with a sword charged, aiming for Sang-woong’s shoulder. Sang-woong twisted, narrowly dodging, though the blade grazed his mask, tearing a piece.

“Not bad,” Sang-woong muttered, kicking off the floor to close the distance. He trapped the swordsman in his range and struck his abdomen.

“Argh!” The man convulsed as his mana circuits shattered, collapsing as Sang-woong crushed his ankle and wrist.

In minutes, the hallway was littered with fallen men, their eyes filled with despair and resentment, unable to meet Sang-woong’s gaze.

“Who… who are you?” Bae Joo-ho stammered.

“A victim… scammed by you,” Sang-woong replied.

“Bullshit! What victim? Stop lying and tell me who sent you!” Bae Joo-ho snapped, convinced Sang-woong was mocking him. They’d only been scamming new hunters for three years—none of their victims could have grown this strong.

“Believe what you want,” Sang-woong said, stepping forward and staring him down. “It took me… thirty years to get to this revenge.”

“You crazy bastard!” Bae Joo-ho roared, swinging his sword vertically with impressive skill befitting a leader.

Sang-woong stepped back, dodging, then kicked a fallen dagger. It flew, embedding in Bae Joo-ho’s thigh.

“You bastard!” Bae Joo-ho gritted his teeth, swinging again, but his mobility was compromised, dulling his strikes.

Thud! Sang-woong’s fist smashed into his abdomen, shattering his mana circuits.

“You… you insane…” Bae Joo-ho groaned, glaring with bloodshot eyes.

“Feeling wronged now that it’s you?” Sang-woong sneered, yanking the dagger from Bae’s thigh. The searing pain made Bae collapse.

As Sang-woong approached, Bae crawled back, pale with fear, knowing what was coming. “N-no, please…”

But Sang-woong wouldn’t spare the leader. “You’re lucky. Meeting me ends your crimes here.”

His voice was low but heavy. In his past life, Bae Joo-ho’s continued villainy led to a gruesome death at the hands of a vengeful victim, a case so horrific it made headlines.

Looking down at the writhing Bae, Sang-woong said, “And you’ll pay for your sins, of course.”

Channeling decades of pain, he crushed both of Bae’s ankles and one wrist, leaving one hand for eating.

He gathered all the office’s documents, ledgers, and cash into a large bag. Days later, detailed evidence of the “equipment scam ring targeting rookie hunters” arrived anonymously at the Hunter Association’s Villain Task Force.

Days later, a new tenant moved into Sang-woong’s building: Lee Hye-won, a singer managed by his brother, Park Hae-jin.

A moving truck stopped in front of the building, and Hae-jin entered the restaurant, followed by a strikingly beautiful woman, clearly a celebrity.

“Hey!” Hae-jin greeted warmly. “Sorry, hyung. I couldn’t visit while you were building, and now I’m finally here.”

Sang-woong nodded. “I know how busy your job keeps you.”

His gaze shifted to the woman behind Hae-jin, who stepped forward as Hae-jin introduced her. “This is Lee Hye-won, a singer from our agency.”

He added, “Hye-won, say hi. This is our company’s biggest investor and director.”

Hye-won stepped forward quietly, bowing politely. “Hello, I’m Lee Hye-won. Please take care of me.”

Up close, her beauty was even more striking. Her delicate features exuded a charming aura, and her voice was clear and refined. Yet, the shadow in her eyes and the slight tension in her expression revealed the exhaustion and struggles she’d endured.

Sang-woong sensed the hardship behind her beauty. Meeting a celebrity for the first time, he felt a bit awkward but returned the bow. “Nice to meet you. I’m Park Sang-woong.”

Hesitating, he turned to Hae-jin with a puzzled look. “Director? What’s that about?”

“Haha!” Hae-jin laughed. “It’s standard to give investors a director title. It’s in the company bylaws.”

“Not bad,” Sang-woong said, mildly intrigued by the unexpected title but quickly dismissing it as trivial.

“Hye-won, if you face any issues while staying here, just tell the director,” Hae-jin said.

Sang-woong nodded. “Yes, come to me. It’s my job as director, after all.”

His voice carried genuine sincerity. He was eager to help his brother’s colleague and someone who’d faced hardships.