Chapter 378

Chapter 378
## Chapter 378

Kang Tae-san (2)

“We’ve been… going out for a bit now. It became official just recently, so I really wanted you to meet her.”

“Tae-san talks about you non-stop. He mentioned you two are practically like real brothers? I’m so jealous! Having a companion that close…”

Relocating to a nearby coffee shop, we kept the dialogue flowing, trading playful teases and catching up on lost time.

Kang Tae-san worked as a civil servant within the Supernatural Management Bureau, while Park Mi-yeong was a standard employee at a typical firm.

Their paths crossed when Kang Tae-san was sent to look into an unnatural disturbance at her workplace.

“Suddenly a massive panic broke out downstairs, some kind of supernatural offense, and everyone was terrified… but then my darling walked right in and sorted everything out! He looked incredible!”

“Ah, don’t say that, it’s embarrassing. It really wasn’t much. Just a minor robbery, no injuries or major destruction.”

A random meeting, a couple of text messages back and forth, and eventually, through Park Mi-yeong taking the initiative, a romance blossomed.

‘He kept whining about being completely buried in work and missing sleep… yet he managed to find the energy for this.’

I never would have guessed he would be the earliest among us to secure a partner.

Grinning as he sat with his arm draped over the attractive woman beside him, he made me experience a bizarre jumble of internal reactions as I observed him once more.

He possessed a ruggedly handsome appearance, a solid frame showing the results of strict physical training, even if he constantly looked exhausted.

His assignment was with the Criminal Investigation Department, but because he was a non-Awakened, his responsibilities leaned heavily toward paperwork.

‘The typical setup is a two-person team consisting of a field operative and an Awakened sleuth. Though that alters depending on how severe the case is.’

Probing into unnatural offenses demanded the participation of Awakened people holding specific traits.

Naturally, the standard operatives were far from simple… helpers.

They handled the forensic gathering at scenes, timetables, logistics, figuring out targets, analyzing data, and even conferring with specialists such as Ahn Seong-jin, the dark practitioner bound to Hans.

They proved to be highly crucial staff members, despite lacking Awakened status.

‘Plus, their earnings are substantial. He’s actually quite a catch.’

My attention drifted back to Park Mi-yeong, who offered a gentle grin while clinging tightly to Kang Tae-san’s arm.

She was a couple of years our senior, possessing an attractive face with endearing, puppy-like attributes.

Her small stature stood in contrast to her… remarkably curvenous form, making it entirely clear why Kang Tae-san was so captivated.

‘…Still… ’

I carefully scrutinized her features as our group conversed.

Her vibrant and welcoming demeanor, her believable laughter, her talent for putting even the most guarded individual at ease…

She functioned as a flawless partner in conversation.

‘…Something about this… feels off.’

It seemed far too flawless, almost… manufactured, resembling a highly practiced routine.

It remained possible she was merely exceptionally charming by nature… but my instincts, sharpened by my developing divinity, practically screamed that something hidden was at play.

‘…This isn’t right.’

Doubtging a close companion’s partner under these circumstances felt incredibly discourteous… yet I found it impossible to dismiss the nagging doubt.

Kang Tae-san and his grandmother were essentially the only family he possessed.

‘Hopefully, I’m just paranoid.’

The wisest course of action was to settle this uncertainty swiftly.

Handling multiple thoughts at once was effortless for me. I could easily sustain a relaxed dialogue while simultaneously dissecting her behavior.

“And after that, he claimed…”

“Hold on! We promised to keep that private…”

“Oh my goodness! Truly? Sweetheart…”

The environment slowed down as my consciousness bifurcated, one side keeping up the light exchange while the alternate side watched and evaluated.

「Clear Mind」 settled my inner thoughts, and 「Hypersensitivity」 sharpened my perceptions, granting me the ability to track her every action down to the smallest detail.

Her physical posturing, her facial expressions, the tiniest micro-movements of her muscles, the faint creases masked beneath her cosmetics, the expanding of her pupils…

I lacked the capacity for mind-reading or telepathy, but my elevated cognitive parameters and 「Insight」, paired with 「Analysis」 pulled from Hubert, the leader of a gargantuan mercantile enterprise, proved more than sufficient.

Consequently—.

-Affiliation unknown. Older than her outward appearance indicates. Engaging in falsehoods and masking her actual goals. Received specific guidance from an individual prior to this gathering.

-Key Traits: Outstanding performance capabilities, composed and logical assessment, formidable cognitive capacities, standard physical metrics.

-Trustworthiness: 11%

…my suspicions were validated.

A dangerously low metric of reliability, alongside an uncompleted profile due to her… fraudulent nature.

With a rating like that, turning against him was practically inevitable.

‘…Are you serious?’

I maintained my exterior grin, keeping my expressions stable.

Revealing my skepticism to her was out of the question, at least for the moment.

To be absolutely certain, I turned my evaluation onto Kang Tae-san as well.

-Supernatural Management Bureau, Criminal Investigation Department. Entered the organization with top-tier marks, driven by relentless resolve and labor. Harbors deep malice toward anomalous lawbreakers due to losing his parents. Thrilled to present his partner to his companion. Remains unsatiated despite consuming an entire bird.

-Key Traits: Absolute convictions, unyielding drive, powerful devotion to family, superb combat capabilities, formidable cognitive capacities, superior physical metrics.

-Trustworthiness: 94%

‘…He checks out completely. Which means it’s undeniably… ’

…her doing.

Park Mi-yeong, her identity, her age, her career, her targets… the entire thing was a fabrication.

“Excuse me for a moment. I need to utilize the restroom.”

“Go ahead. I’m starting to get a bit peckish, though. Do you mind if we grab some dessert? Want to split another sweet bread?”

“Just one? Let’s get one of each variety!”

“…Think so? In that case…”

I rose and walked toward the facilities, my expression turning icy the moment their loving murmurs faded behind me.

Kang Tae-san, my lifelong companion, effectively my brother… He was a remarkable person.

In complete contrast to myself, he had constantly dominated both schoolwork and sports, never backing down from those who attempted to mistreat him for lacking parents.

He always watched over me, even when I isolated myself entirely after the disaster, and he pushed himself to the absolute limit to join the Supernatural Management Bureau, fixated on uncovering the truth of what happened to my parents.

‘…And yet… ’

He was the closest thing to family I had, the anchor keeping me tied to the ‘actual world’, allowing me to retain a shred of regular existence.

Had he not been there, my sanity would have dissolved a long time ago.

‘…They actually dare to… target him?’

He represented my… remaining humanity, a link to my past history, my solitary bridge to the universe outside of my vessels.

The mere concept of him being… deceived, turned into a tool for someone else’s agenda…

…sent a surge of pure rage through me.

Swoosh—

Stepping inside a restroom stall, I retrieved a burner device from my 「Subspace Storage」.

This was the specific apparatus reserved for dark underworld matters, completely separate from my everyday line.

In truth, I found myself utilizing this one far more frequently.

‘…Let us discover exactly who you are.’

I fired off a directive to Jin So-ran, the proxy for Heinz the Second, before concealing the device once more.

Cleaning my hands, I stared at my own image in the glass, fixing on my gaze, where an unnatural gleam formed a sharp divergence from my otherwise common traits.

The Blood Alliance, a syndicate of vampires, had established total control over the Korean criminal underground long ago.

They took great care to avoid drawing unnecessary scrutiny from official forces, limiting reckless growth… yet their control was absolute.

“Ah, you’ve returned? I ordered a few items. I’ve been logging extra hours and my stomach is completely empty.”

“Is that anything new? Your appetite never stops.”

“Isn’t that the truth? What will we ever do with our Tae-san? He consumes so much food.”

“Ha-ha! My body burns energy incredibly fast…”

And as their supreme commander,

…nothing occurring within the dark corners of Korea escaped my awareness.

—

“It was wonderful catching up. We really ought to do this more frequently. Getting outside does wonders.”

“I had a lovely time today. Keep me in mind if you change your mind. I know a delightful junior colleague who would match with you perfectly.”

“Haha, I’ll pass. I lean toward… accidental meetings.”

“You are going to remain unattached indefinitely if you keep that up.”

“Give him a break. He’s barely in his early twenties.”

“Hmm… suppose you have a point. Well, give me a shout if your thoughts change. Safe travels.”

With the night stretching late, the moment arrived to depart.

I offered my goodbyes to the pair and made my way toward the vehicles.

The reasoning behind Kang Tae-san calling me out was fairly transparent.

Naturally, he wished to show his partner to his closest companion… but beyond that, he was likely looking out for my well-being, knowing I remained reclusive despite managing to handle the outdoors again.

He wanted me to form fresh relationships, to interact socially.

‘…And it appears he recruited Park Mi-yeong to assist.’

He most likely requested that she organize a setup for me.

It was an entirely unneeded action, given that I already possessed… countless ties with females across a multitude of realms, stretching even through different dimensions.

‘…Granted, those aren’t exactly… conventional romances.’

Clicking my tongue softly, I pulled out my mobile device, reviewing an incoming transmission from one of those exact… ‘ties’.

“…Let’s examine this.”

Barely an hour had passed since the command was issued.

The initial parameters provided had been sparse.

After all, every detail concerning Park Mi-yeong, from her identity and job to her residence… was a complete fabrication.

‘Excellent. They wrapped it up swiftly.’

Nevertheless, a single hour provided more than enough time for my highly efficient subordinates to extract the required intelligence.

They treated my directives with the highest level of urgency.

Scanning the text, my features grew increasingly rigid with every single sentence.

“…Ha! So that is the angle.”

With the full picture now clear in my mind, I shut my eyes.

To map out my next move.

My fingers beat a steady rhythm against the steering mechanism.

‘…Not that it requires an intricate strategy.’

Opening my eyes, I brought the engine to life and stepped firmly on the pedal.

The high-end vehicle, a smooth, dark apparatus, cut silently through the midnight streets.

There existed only a single penalty for anyone foolish enough to cross my path.

—

Owing to the actions of Hahoe Mask, Phantom, and the defensive operations of the Blood Alliance, severe criminal acts throughout Korea had plummeted drastically.

However, their operations targeted ‘violent offenses’, rather than every facet of unlawful behavior.

For as long as human greed persisted, lawbreaking would endure.

Much like a foundational law of criminal conservation, the moment one avenue of malice was choked off, an alternate form began to emerge.

As violent acts became heavily suppressed, syndicates redirected their efforts toward less… loud activities, such as deception, fraud, and financial diversion, which presented greater difficulties for detection and legal pursuit.

“How are the numbers looking?”

Operating within this specific environment were the entrenched oligarchs, individuals who already commanded massive authority and leverage.

Inside the primary executive suite of Daeryong Group, a massive enterprise sitting comfortably within the nation’s top thirty organizations.

An older gentleman wearing formal attire and spectacles inquired smoothly, while the director of tactical operations, holding a portable screen beside him, offered a deep bow before responding.

“The onboarding process is progressing without a hitch, Chairman. We have established several layers of deniability to ensure we can instantly sever connections if things go awry.”

Locating disgruntled assets—people harboring deep resentment toward the current social order but lacking the courage to face retribution alone—was simple.

Ultimately, their requirements were basic: wealth, status, and… ruin.

By fulfilling those specific cravings, they could be wielded seamlessly as expendable tools, even if only for a limited window.

Furthermore, minor, seemingly disjointed instances of sabotage, if enacted with enough regularity, could comfortably dismantle competing factions.

‘And if their profiles become too… elevated for domestic campaigns, shifting them to overseas assignments is always an option.’

He had constructed his entire legacy by utilizing every available path.

Securing maximum gain, completely irrespective of the ethics involved, defined the mindset of a true captain of industry.

The executive, sliding his spectacles into place, let out a quiet smirk, his mouth twisting into a dark expression as the tactical operations director pressed on with the briefing.

Monetary cleaning, political payments, systemic subversion… and at last, the concluding point on the docket.

“…We are also successfully placing assets inside various structures. We are utilizing the Cheonjong Construction channel, though notable breakthroughs have yet to materialize.”

“Hmm, instruct them to avoid rushing. Merely ensure the foundation is secure. It will serve as an excellent asset down the line.”

Just as the summary reached its conclusion,

…the tactical operations director’s eyelids gave a sudden twitch as his gaze scanned the portable screen.

A completely unpredicted factor had suddenly disrupted their data.

“…Chairman, an urgent update just came through. Cheonjong Construction…”

They remained entirely unaware,

…but as a direct consequence of their seemingly trivial operations, the King of Shadows, the absolute sovereign of the Korean criminal underworld, had turned his gaze toward them.