Chapter 33

Chapter 33

“Kyaaak!”

I looked at Oh Changmun writhing and crawling along the floor like a worm.

Catching him had been a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Today was the day I made my first official appearance since becoming Level 8. Maybe that was why I found myself thinking back to when I first became a public service Hunter.

My intentions had been pure.

I wanted to be a son who didn’t worry his parents, a brother his little sister could be proud of. I figured that if I spent my days faithfully doing the work of a public service Hunter—catching the occasional villain I came across—that would be a satisfying enough life.

But the people around me kept shaking me up. Especially report-trash like this. They were the kind who’d turn even a would-be pacifist like me into a villain.

“Kkeuuuk!”

Jung Juhо had protected me all this time, keeping my existence under wraps, but a few articles had still come out about the excessive suppression incidents.

Fundamentally, I don’t care much when articles come out about my actions.

If anything, it was Yunhee who’d fly into a rage when she read them—partly because of the clickbait titles, and partly because the reporters twisted their personal opinions in subtle directions or fabricated facts that didn’t exist.

I don’t mind clickbait titles much either, but I do take issue with fabricating facts that don’t exist.

Back when I was the Blood Lord, the reporters’ manipulations piled on countless evil deeds I never committed. According to the articles, I probably killed over ten thousand people.

But that’s absolutely not true. It might have been in the thousands, but ten thousand was too much.

Why did I have to take the fall for evil deeds I never even committed?

Even though they spread false information, I never once heard of a reporter being punished for it. They never took responsibility.

So I thought about it.

If they won’t take responsibility, I’ll make them take responsibility. I have the power to do that. And now I even have immunity from arrest attached to me.

“Kkeuheuk!”

That said, I don’t plan to hold everyone under a microscope and punish them all.

I only deal with the ones who cross the line.

Freedom of the press is important, after all.

I just need to make them bear the responsibility that comes with that freedom.

“......”

As expected of educated people, no one raised a complaint about what I said. Seems they don’t like types like Oh Changmun either.

I called out the name of a reporter whose face I was seeing for the first time but whose name I knew well.

“Reporter Go Yejin.”

“Hick! Y-yes!”

A reporter who barely cleared 150 centimeters and was so small she could pass for a middle schooler answered with a hiccup.

“I read your article. It was well-written.”

“P-please spare me! I’ll take down all my articles! Please, I’m begging you......!”

“It’s fine. The title was provocative, but the content wasn’t wrong. I look forward to your active work going forward.”

“Yes, yes! Thank you, thank you so much for sparing me.”

“Kuwaaaah!”

I nudged Oh Changmun with my foot. He was still screaming. At that, he foamed at the mouth and passed out.

It clashed with the press conference room’s aesthetics, so I pulled out a recovery potion and poured it on him.

As his grotesquely twisted limbs returned to normal, shock filled everyone’s eyes. It was a magic trick of restoration.

I returned to my spot and held up the recovery potion bottle so the label was clearly visible.

“In case you’re curious, I’ll tell you. The recovery potion I used is made by Shinseong Pharmaceuticals. Please direct any inquiries to Shinseong Pharmaceuticals.”

I passed the baton to Shinseong Group in case anyone tried to ask me.

“Now, I’ll continue the press conference.”

*

Cheon Myeongguk, watching the situation unfold, realized that things had completely slipped beyond his control.

Was it right to say he’d fallen into the abyss?

It felt like when he was a child and a sandcastle he’d spent over eight hours building on the beach was swept away by the waves.

Choi Junho had completely crushed a reporter. He wouldn’t have mangled even a villain into such a pitiful state.

The problem was that Choi Junho hadn’t hesitated even slightly when he did it.

Who would bear the fallout from this? The one who caused it was Choi Junho, but he wasn’t the one who’d pay. Because he had immunity from arrest.

The person who’d take responsibility was none other than himself.

He was the one who’d pushed for granting Choi Junho immunity from arrest. Every step of the meeting was on record, and he’d even said at the end that he’d take responsibility.

A sudden urge to resign welled up inside him. He felt thoroughly played.

‘He couldn’t control his strength?’

To fold a man up like origami and then lie with a straight face. Even a passing dog would laugh.

Only then did he understand the true nature of the ambiguous expression on Jung Juhо’s face as he’d stood beside Choi Junho.

The best part was when Choi Junho poured a recovery potion on Oh Changmun and his broken limbs snapped back into place.

It was the crowning touch on a masterpiece.

The excessive force incidents were going to decrease? Like hell. He’d turned the man into a cripple and then poured that expensive recovery potion into him. Who in their right mind would think to pour a thirty-million-won recovery potion on a villain like that?

Over the thirty minutes of the press conference, everything he’d understood as common sense had been completely destroyed.

All that remained was damage control, damage control, and more damage control.

But was damage control even possible at this point?

Cheon Myeongguk watched Choi Junho taking questions from the reporters and let out a sigh.

“Ah......”

To show off that they’d recruited a Level 8 transcendent, this entire spectacle was being broadcast live.

*

The youngest Level 8 transcendent, the hero who killed the Puppeteer. The arrival of a transcendent whom America praised, China marveled at, and Japan feared.

Choi Junho’s first appearance drew enormous public attention.

As a result, far more people than usual gathered in the press conference channel where he made his official debut.

Despite being a small peninsula nation in the Far East, it was an awakened power ranked within the world’s top ten.

This was a quiet point of pride for the people of South Korea.

And now they’d even snatched the youngest-ever title.

—But isn’t he too young? The average age to reach Level 8 is forty-two. Though the trend is getting younger......

—Isn’t catching the Puppeteer exaggerated too? Even if he’s called immortal, his combat power isn’t even that great.

—If you’re young, your Force capacity is bound to be lacking and your operational know-how falls short. Still, the measurement test isn’t done carelessly, so we should assume he meets the minimum requirements?

—First of all, his age is insane. Being young means his potential for growth is that much higher. And the closer your body is to its prime, the greater the power you can exert.

—This is something the government deserves credit for. He was a big fish they had to catch by any means necessary.

—They said the new Director of the Awakened Security Office was good at his job, and it looks like he pulled it off properly.

—Here he comes.

A moment later, when Choi Junho appeared, the chat started flying dozens of times faster.

—Whoa! He’s so damn handsome. Why is there an actor here?

—Is that face for real? So the appearance level is what Level 8 means?

—That suit fit is killer. His face is his face, but what’s with his body? He’s not even that tall, but his proportions are completely......

—Oppa! Take me with youㅠㅠㅠㅠ You’re so handsomeㅠㅠㅠ

—Did they pick him for his face? Is this for propaganda?

Praise for his looks poured in, but worried messages also increased.

—But he doesn’t look that strong? Is he really Level 8?

—With a body like that, can he catch villains or monsters? If a villain fires a gun, he’ll go pale and run away.

—He’s not gonna collapse and pee himself, is he? lol

—Monster goes rawr, Choi Junho collapses and pees!

—But his aura is no joke? I can feel an intense presence!

—If any weaknesses show up in the measurement test, the government will have made the worst deal in history.

—Hehe, villains will be terrified by Choi Junho’s mere existence...!

But those concerns vanished cleanly the moment Choi Junho snapped Oh Changmun’s limbs while taking questions.

—...Did anyone see Choi Junho move just now?

—I didn’t take my eyes off the monitor, so when did he even move? And how did he break those limbs?

—Insane. It was at 120 frames per second and his movement still wasn’t caught. Is this what Level 8 movement looks like?

—I take back everything I was worried about. Whoa! He barely lifts a finger and a man becomes a cripple. So this is the power of a Level 8 transcendent ㄷㄷㄷ

—Transcendent-nim, I didn’t say anything at all. Mmph!

—Total submission before Choi Junho is mandatory. Even then, if his mood sours, your head flies off. Hehehe...!

With a single move, all doubts about his ability were completely erased.

What took their place was talk about summary judgment.

—But isn’t he just swinging his power around however he wants?

—No no, look up that Oh Changmun guy. He took money from a villain org a few years back and wrote articles defending them. He deserves to die.

—Crazy, a guy like that is going to the National Assembly? What if he changes his tune? You’re telling me a guy with radical ideas like that is a transcendent? Is this even a country?!

—Choi Junho is really pouring on the carbonation to the limit.

—Nothing we can do even if we’re worried. What Choi Junho got in his contract is immunity from arrest.

—He can crush someone right in front of you and you can’t punish him. So this is the big picture ㄷㄷㄷ But can’t you not arrest a Level 8 transcendent anyway?

—Look at the articles flooding out right now. Everyone’s tone is so polite lol. Guess the law is far and the fist is close ㄷㄷㄷ

—Since nobody’s without fault, there probably won’t be many brave enough to openly square up against a transcendent with immunity from arrest. He played his cards really well.

—The government made the best decision. They won’t regret giving Choi Junho immunity from arrest...!

The press conference ended amid the unsettled atmosphere, but the viewers’ chat continued endlessly.

*

Sizzle!

Oh Jongyeop, diligently grilling meat over the grate, glanced at me across the table and asked.

“But you’re the one who got promoted—why am I the one buying the meat?”

“Me, buy?”

“No, that’s not it. Of course I was planning to treat you too, but being told to make time out of nowhere didn’t make sense, so......”

“I realized I owe you a meal and I think I forgot about it.”

“You can forget about things like that, though.”

“I didn’t forget. Come to think of it, my rank is higher than yours now.”

I threw his own words from his first day back at him without forgetting them. Oh Jongyeop’s eyes shook violently. He shifted his gaze to the grill as if afraid of meeting my eyes and asked carefully.

“Uh, um. So should I use formal speech?”

“I was just saying it. Save the formality for official settings.”

“Right? That’s what it is, right? Phew! I thought you were serious for a second.”

“How’s Jongsu doing?”

“He’s recovered enough for outpatient treatment. Jongsu and I were going to surprise you when he got discharged, but you caught us. Honestly, I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t helped. Thank you, truly.”

What would’ve happened? He would’ve become a villain. Because of Oh Jongyeop, Erasure appeared, and a lunatic called Berserker attached himself. The man would have to pay for that in full.

“Does Jongsu have any plans going forward?”

“He keeps insisting he wants to work even though I tell him it’s fine. Money isn’t a big issue for us, but he won’t listen.”

“Is he in a state where he can work?”

“He can, but his stamina is poor. So anything physical is out. I’m trying to persuade him to wait until his stamina improves.”

“Then how about having him come to work at the National Guard Bureau.”

“Huh?”

“I can hire a few public service staff under me. If Jongsu’s okay with it, have him come in. He’d only need to handle simple paperwork and run errands.”

“Uh, would that be okay?”

“I’m saying it because it’s fine.”

The reason I wanted to bring in Oh Jongsu was because once I became Level 8, messages started pouring in from all sides.

Among them, many were angling for spots on the personal team I could form under my authority, and letting the wrong people in would obviously leak my movements, so I figured I should fill it with people I knew—and one of those was Oh Jongsu.

From what I’d seen before, he was sharp and read the room well, so he’d effectively shut down Oh Jongyeop’s snark.

“An opportunity like this is something to be grateful for. Jongsu will say yes too.”

“Since we’re in the same National Guard Bureau, it’ll be easy to keep an eye on him too.”

“Thanks. Seriously, thank you.”

“Then buy more meat.”

“Sh-should I? Order as much as you want!”

I can’t betray a friend’s goodwill.

Just as he wanted, I ordered the most expensive cut on the menu.

“Two servings of chuck flap tail, two servings of brisket, and an extra soybean paste stew with brisket, please.”

“......”

Oh Jongyeop’s face went completely dark.

*

“Team Leader! We have a big problem.”

“I’m watching.”

Lee Sehee spoke in a calm voice to the employee who came in.

Her gaze was fixed on the TV.

The press conference at the National Assembly had ended a short while ago, but the real-time chat was blazing.

“Uh, what should we do?”

“This is an opportunity.”

“What?”

The unexpected violence that erupted at the press conference. In the process, Shinseong Pharmaceuticals’ recovery potion was exposed for all to see.

It was an emergency, but Lee Sehee’s orders were different.

“Increase the processing volume of recovery potion ingredients. Raise the raw material orders with the subsidiaries.”

“Ah, understood.”

“Move quickly. Orders for recovery potions will explode soon.”

The employee who’d come up to report walked out loaded down with tasks.

Left alone, Lee Sehee leaned back in her chair and sank into it. She recalled what she’d just seen and let out a hollow laugh. Even as a Level 8, Choi Junho was still Choi Junho, and Shinseong Pharmaceuticals had landed a huge opportunity.

“He must have known everything and done it to help.”

She hadn’t expected him to openly brand the report-trash a villain and crush him, but she certainly hadn’t expected him to use a recovery potion there.

And to show the label so openly, at that.

It was product placement of the century.

Seeing the report-trash’s broken limbs heal in real time would have given the impression that its effects were certain.

This would soon generate advertising effects for the recovery potion and lead to an explosion in orders.

If Choi Junho had gained the most buzz of the century, the profit was Shinseong Group’s.

Knock knock!

“Come in.”

“Team Leader. You have a visitor.”

“I don’t have any meetings today.”

Unannounced, sudden meetings were what Lee Sehee hated most. But when she heard who the visitor was, her expression changed entirely.

“The visitor is Transcendent Choi Junho.”

“Where is he now?”

“At the front desk.”

“Ten minutes! Buy me ten minutes.”

“Ah, understood.”

The employee left, and Lee Sehee, alone, began fixing her makeup at the speed of light. The most important thing was to look natural—as if she’d made an effort but also hadn’t. She made full use of her awakened physical abilities to finish. She put on the necklace, earrings, and bracelet she’d taken off, and used the remaining time to straighten her clothes.

Exactly ten minutes later, the door opened with a knock. It wasn’t just Choi Junho—Choi Yoonhee was with him too. Yoonhee, who had been dragging Choi Junho by the arm, offered an apology.

"Um, I'm sorry for dropping by so suddenly. This troublemaker caused a huge incident, so I came to apologize."

"No, it's fine. Junho even advertised our recovery potion for us."

"See?"

"Seriously, you wrecked a reporter and then used our company's product—where do you get the nerve to look so smug?"

"He wasn't a reporter. He was a villain."

"Oh, is that so? After beating up a reporter in a room full of reporters and making enemies of all of them?"

Choi Yoonhee spoke as if she were dumbfounded, but Lee Sehee cut in to correct her. There was a sophisticated calculation behind Choi Junho's actions—that was what Lee Sehee, who had watched him all this time, believed.

"I understand your concern, but it won't be easy for reporters to make an enemy of Junho."

"Why not?"

"Because Junho isn't an ordinary Awakened—he's a transcendent."

A transcendent holds considerable authority. Even so, there are reporters who attack them without a second thought, because they assume a transcendent's power won't be turned on them. But Choi Junho had shattered that assumption from their very first encounter.

Not many reporters can remain detached in the face of raw power.

On top of that, Choi Junho had immunity from arrest.

"And he didn't attack an innocent reporter. He attacked one whose charges had actually come to light. He separated himself from the good-faith journalists. He didn't touch the ones who played games with headlines."

"Reporter Go Yejin is the worst of them, though…"

"And one more thing—Junho deliberately came on strong to burn that image into people's minds."

"Really?"

"It's true that there were many cases of excessive suppression during his time at the National Guard Bureau. If the reporters had looked down on him, they would have kept tearing into him starting from that. But by dealing with one piece of report-trash from the start and showing how ruthless he can be, he planted the image: 'Cross the line, and you'll end up like this too.' If a transcendent won't attack me, I can churn out clickbait articles without a care—but if I think that transcendent might attack me, I can't help but hesitate, can I?"

In the end, it served as a warning, so anyone wanting to write an article about Choi Junho would have to run it through a filter at least once.

If that wasn't a sophisticated calculation, then what was?

Lee Sehee, who believed she knew Choi Junho better than anyone, was certain he had set up the board.

He had a mind as cunning as his overwhelming power. Because she was family, Choi Yoonhee tended to overlook that part.

Choi Yoonhee made a sour face.

"I suppose you could see it that way."

"By leading with a violent first impression, Junho made sure his room to operate wouldn't shrink going forward. Am I right?"

"Yeah."

"And one more thing. Junho injured the report-trash, but by treating him on the spot, he showed that he can clean up the situation himself. That's a message to the people above him. It means: if you try to interfere, he can get more violent than necessary—but if you don't interfere, he'll handle the situation on his own."

"Oho."

At the low sound of admiration that slipped from Choi Junho's lips, Choi Yoonhee's eyes lit up.

"Oppa looks like he just did it without thinking, but you're the one assigning meaning to it."

"No, Yoonhee, you need to think about Junho's intentions. Junho thinks much further ahead and moves with more purpose than you'd expect. He creates situations and builds a board that favors him. Isn't that right?"

"…It's all exactly as you said."

Choi Junho paused for about three seconds before answering, then smiled.

"Everything is going according to my intent."