NOVPUB"Oh?"
"Shhh."
Su-ho struck his pressure point, grabbed his hair, and dragged him into the subspace.
There was a slight commotion, prompting the secretary outside to glance toward the office door.
However, she quickly returned to her phone, engrossed in a chat with her friends.
She was too busy gossiping about the fact that the Sword Saint had visited the Jeju Branch.
***
Su-ho sat in a chair he had dragged over from nearby, flipping through a few sheets of paper.
In front of him, Han Myung-ho knelt on the floor in nothing but his underwear.
"Hmm."
Flinch!
Han Myung-ho's entire body jolted at Su-ho's small sigh.
A conditioned reflex.
In less than an hour, Han Myung-ho had endured more violence than in his entire lifetime.
Of course, his body was perfectly fine.
Hit and heal.
That was Su-ho's specialty.
After beating him just enough to ensure obedience, Su-ho had him personally write down every detail of his corruption.
‘Disgusting.’
Su-ho already knew most of it from the whistleblower reports in his past life, but nothing was as accurate as a confession straight from the source.
Even though the timing was earlier than in his previous life, meaning less corruption had accumulated, the major offenses remained unchanged.
The most glaring issue was his collusion with Tamna, the dominant local guild controlling Jeju.
Su-ho glanced up from the papers and spoke.
"You really helped yourself to quite a bit, didn’t you?"
"...I’m sorry."
"Incredible. The higher-ups are all getting their heads chopped off because of the redevelopment cartel, and here you are, still sitting pretty, clutching your little bowl. How fortunate. You didn’t even have to join the cartel, huh?"
"..."
Han Myung-ho lowered his head.
That wasn’t a compliment.
He hadn’t joined the redevelopment cartel not because he was clean but because he didn’t need to.
There was no reason to bother with real estate speculation when Tamna was regularly delivering bribes straight to his hands.
Su-ho tucked the papers into his jacket. 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝔠𝔬𝖒
"Director Han."
"Y-yes! Officer An!"
"Why do you think I came to Jeju?"
"That is..."
"Just as the Main Association is undergoing reform, other branches are also undergoing internal audits. That means you’re caught, and there’s no way out."
"...I’m sorry."
"But I’m giving you a chance. From what I can see, Tamna wouldn’t have been able to grow this much without your backing. That means you’re the one who’s going to bring them down."
"I—I have to do it personally?"
"What, you can’t?"
"It’s not that... but I don’t have that kind of power—"
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"Tsk, then be a hunting dog. Otherwise, I’ll throw you into the pot right now."
"N-no! I’m excellent at hunting! Just give me the orders!"
"Good. Then gather every record of transactions, bribes, and any other corruption tied to Tamna. And inform your wife—you won’t be seeing her for a while. Until Tamna is completely dismantled, you won’t have any personal time. Oh, and don’t even think about involving your secretary or aides. Do it all yourself. Understood?"
"Y-yes, understood."
"Also, I’m here in Jeju for the sealed gates. Your job is to cooperate and facilitate my work on that matter."
"Yes, I’ll make sure to align my statements accordingly."
"Good. Now let’s head back."
Su-ho stood up and pressed a pressure point on Han Myung-ho’s body.
Having already been subjected to countless pressure-point strikes, Han Myung-ho instinctively flinched the moment Su-ho’s fingers touched him.
However, this time, nothing happened.
Confused, he looked up at Su-ho with a puzzled expression.
Seeing his dumbfounded face, Su-ho chuckled.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
"It’s nothing major—I just made sure you won’t be functioning as a man for a while."
"W-what?!"
"You seem to have enjoyed quite a few entertainment sessions at high-end lounges, despite being married. So until we’re done here, your little friend is out of service."
"T-that’s..."
"Or would you rather be permanently blind, mute, and deaf?"
Blind, mute, and deaf.
All conditions Su-ho had briefly subjected him to with his pressure-point techniques.
Han Myung-ho shuddered.
"N-no, I understand..."
"Do your job properly. That’s all."
With that final warning, Su-ho blacked out his vision again and stepped out of the office.
He dismissed his clone soldiers and restored Han Myung-ho’s sight.
"Get to work. Once the documents are ready, contact me immediately. I have some errands to run in the meantime."
"Y-yes, sir!"
"Good luck."
Su-ho grabbed one of Han Myung-ho’s business cards from his desk and left the building.
Then, he got into his car and drove off to his next destination.
Vroom!
***
Su-ho’s next stop was Cham Sarang Hospital, located in Jeju City.
After parking a short distance away, he approached the hospital on foot.
He had already altered his face.
As he was about to enter, a security guard at the entrance stopped him.
"May I ask your reason for visiting?"
"Isn’t this a hospital? I’d like to get a check-up."
"It is, but we operate on a reservation-only basis and do not accept walk-in patients."
"Excuse me?"
"This is a specialized hospital for Awakened individuals. I’m sorry, but I must ask you to visit a different facility."
"But I’m an Awakened."
"I’m sorry. This hospital is part of a cooperative network and only accepts authorized personnel."
The security guard remained polite but firm.
Su-ho pouted slightly and stepped back.
Then, he looked up at the hospital building and thought to himself.
‘I found the right place. Cham Sarang Hospital.’
He had only come to check just in case, but now he was certain—this was exactly where he needed to be.
Su-ho scanned his surroundings, searching for nearby CCTV cameras.
Once he identified the blind spots, he activated Mist Form.
[Mist Form is activated.]
Transforming into mist, Su-ho slowly ascended to the upper floors, slipping through an open window into the building.
Once inside, he spotted a male nurse walking through the corridor. Su-ho quickly struck a pressure point, rendering him unconscious, then carried him into the subspace.
"Hmm, judging by his mana levels, he's a non-Awakened."
Even though this was a specialized hospital for Awakened individuals, not all employees needed to be Awakened. Administrative and support roles still required ordinary people.
Su-ho pressed a few more points, immobilizing the man, and then woke him up.
"Mmm..."
As the nurse regained consciousness, he flinched in shock and tried to scream—
Or at least, he would have if Su-ho hadn't struck his mute pressure point.
To prevent further resistance, Su-ho also hit his paralysis points, then took a deep breath.
'I didn’t want to use this, but... I have no choice right now.'
After calming himself, Su-ho activated a skill.
[Charm is activated.]
Charm was an ability gained from True Blood—the second tier of Vampire Blood. It could enthrall the target, bringing them into a near-complete state of obedience.
As the skill took effect, a pink aura radiated from Su-ho's body and seeped into the nurse.
Normally, Charm required direct eye contact, but because Su-ho’s skill was S-rank, it could be used without needing to look into the target’s eyes.
The moment it took hold, small pink hearts flickered in the man's pupils—he had fallen under its full influence.
Of course, he was still blind.
After releasing his mute and paralysis points, the nurse grinned foolishly.
"Hehehe, hello there!"
"Yes, hello. Your name is Lee Dong-woo, correct?"
Su-ho read his name tag and asked, to which Lee Dong-woo responded with an even wider smile.
"Yes, that's me! But wow, your voice is really nice. What’s your name?"
Under the effects of Charm, Lee Dong-woo's affection toward Su-ho skyrocketed past 100%—no, closer to 110%.
Su-ho shook his head.
"Due to personal reasons, I can’t tell you that. But I have some questions about Cham Sarang Hospital. Can I expect detailed answers?"
"Oh, of course! I've worked here for a long time, so I know almost everything!"
"Really? That’s great news."
What luck—he had captured a long-term employee.
Su-ho began his interrogation, questioning Lee Dong-woo about every aspect of the hospital.
Even as a regressor, there were limits to his knowledge.
After an extended round of questioning, Su-ho nodded.
"So, would it be alright if I borrowed your uniform and name tag?"
"Of course! Go ahead."
"Thanks. This might feel a little uncomfortable, but bear with me for a while."
"Haha, no worries! For you, I’d wait days if I had to!"
Such excessive admiration.
Was this what a man in love looked like?
Still, this was preferable to using force against an innocent person.
With all the information he needed, Su-ho used Reverse Shapeshifting and Bone Compression Technique to transform into Lee Dong-woo’s likeness.
Then, he took the nurse's ID badge, uniform, and even his socks and shoes.
'Time to get moving.'
Emerging from the subspace alone, Su-ho activated Monochrome Solitude and swiftly moved to the building’s highest floor.
He could have just walked as Lee Dong-woo, but he preferred not to take unnecessary risks.
The hospital’s fifth floor housed VIP patient rooms.
Using the ID badge, Su-ho entered the restricted area.
He began searching for the room he had confirmed with Lee Dong-woo earlier.
Soon, he found it.
Sliding the door open silently, Su-ho stepped inside and immediately deactivated Monochrome Solitude.
Sensing movement, the patient in the bed stirred slightly but, too exhausted, soon closed her eyes again.
She was young.
Su-ho checked her nameplate.
Ki So-yeon.
Age: 18.
She was the younger sister of Ki Jun-seo, currently ranked sixth on the Grand Chart's Top Ten list.
‘Ki Jun-seo... A solid person.’
Right now, Ki Jun-seo was a 1-star Player and ranked only sixth, making him somewhat undervalued.
But in the future, he would surpass the current top Players, securing his place among the final Top Ten.
‘A true talent. Kind-hearted, too. But because of that, he never reached his full potential as quickly as he could have.’
The reason was simple.
His sick younger sister, Ki So-yeon.
She suffered from an incurable disease.
Because of this, she was under the care of Tamna, Jeju’s dominant guild.
And because of that care, Ki Jun-seo was practically Tamna's slave—forced to hunt for them in Jeju with little room to grow on his own.
‘But this time, things will be ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ different.’
Su-ho began assessing Ki So-yeon's condition.
And then, he smiled.
He had confirmed that he could cure her.
Satisfied with his findings, Su-ho left the hospital room.
Afterward, he released Lee Dong-woo in a suitable location—but did not lift Charm.
Charm didn’t just put someone in an obedient state—it left behind lingering emotions, even after it was removed.
There was no need to leave loose ends.
Bzzz!
A plane carrying Su-ho departed for the mainland.
