Chapter 379

Chapter 379
## Chapter 379

Kang Tae-san (3)

He had specific motives for steering clear of non-violent infractions.

Ultimately, the power he exerted was just another manifestation of violence.

The public found it much easier to condone his use of irresistible might to punish perpetrators of brutal acts like homicide, mugging, or physical abuse… but the moment he pushed his boundaries into different realms, the public sentiment would turn hostile.

‘Even at this moment, there are factions protesting the vigilantes’ operations, regardless of our strict focus on violent offenses. Pushing the envelope any further will inevitably trigger a massive backlash.’

His dominion over Korea was far from absolute. He was in no position to disregard the voice of the people.

The authorities might even feel compelled to intervene, which would prove to be… highly inconvenient.

Granted, an official inquiry was technically underway, but it was largely theatrical.

When it came down to it, the vigilantes were playing a vital role in upholding societal order, a reality the detectives understood better than anyone else.

‘Because of that, my original intention was to let the general populace… handle it on their own terms… ’

…Yet, his perspective had shifted.

He possessed a nagging intuition that such a resolution would never come to pass, at least not during his lifetime.

Furthermore, looking the other way was no longer an option after what had transpired with his companion.

‘Even if the judgment has been cast, the implementation must be… understated. I cannot simply rely on raw aggression.’

Pulverizing them would be trivial, but they remained… corporate entities, shielding themselves behind the facade of lawful enterprises.

Barging in to demolish them outright would only provoke a fierce retaliation from the political and commercial sectors, which had remained relatively passive until this point.

He needed to approach this with… strategic precision.

‘…Which is why my initial step was to perform preliminary espionage… ’

Cheonjong Construction.

This was the enterprise flagged by the Blood Alliance as the true architect behind the recent plot centering on Park Mi-yeong.

On the surface, it mirrored any commonplace, mid-tier firm, but beneath that exterior lay a syndicate of felons, a syndicate masquerading as a corporation to facilitate an array of unlawful ventures.

“However… it appears the roots run deeper than this single entity.”

A handful of hours had slipped by since his encounter with Kang Tae-san and Park Mi-yeong.

Deep within the primary facility of Cheonjong Construction, the dead of night had settled in.

The workspace was completely hushed, the protective personnel and the skeleton crew assigned to the night shift all rendered insensate—or rather, deliberately incapacitated.

Positioned within this stillness was a towering silhouette, its frame shrouded in a streamlined, metallic exoskeleton whose outer plating pulsed with glowing blue pathways resembling complex microcircuitry, with tethers extending from its upper back to link directly into the adjacent computing infrastructure.

The metric tracking progress on Hesperon’s 「Cybernetic Eye: Callicas」 rapidly maxed out, causing a meticulously structured digest of the harvested intel to manifest across his heads-up display.

Ranging from petty ledger discrepancies to deeply masked documentation of illicit payouts and graft…

Absolutely nothing eluded his scrutiny.

‘Just as I anticipated, this asset is incredibly potent. It might very well eclipse my alternative transcendent incarnations, at least while operating on Earth.’

The artificial intelligence powering 「Cybernetic Eye: Callicas」, tied to Hesperon via the 「Chains of the Oath」 and progressing in tandem with his own growth, had long since transcended its baseline parameters.

Bolstered by various developmental augmentations, not least of which was the “Growth Elixir”, it functioned as a self-improving super-intelligence, adjusting to its surroundings on the fly.

It represented a revolutionary advantage in a realm where accessing cutting-edge machinery from alternate planes was severely throttled by the cosmic divide.

With every byte of data from the internal grid of Cheonjong Construction securely integrated, 「Cybernetic Eye: Callicas」 linked into the global web to launch its pursuit, broadcasting its probe far beyond the physical boundaries of the facility.

It monitored monetary transfers migrating toward overseas tax havens, reconstructed expunged digital remnants, and assembled the fragmented narrative.

Wooong—

The conductive pathways winding across Hesperon’s heavy armor, Titan, radiated intense light as the processor pushed itself to maximum utilization.

Executing a feat of this magnitude would be unthinkable without Titan, a masterpiece born of dwarven craftsmanship, effectively a localized starship sculpted into a humanoid shell.

Even the most sophisticated synthetic mind lacked the capacity to manage a data torrent this massive utilizing only the restrictive architecture of a standard cybernetic ocular implant.

‘And the credit belongs entirely to the “Chains of the Oath”, which tethers our essences together.’

Roughly thirty minutes had elapsed since he first slipped inside Cheonjong Construction.

“…Located.”

The identity of the authentic mastermind pulling the strings of this theater had finally been unmasked.

“Daeryong Group… Their footprint is substantial.”

Simultaneously, he pulled back the curtain on their deeply buried liabilities, the very truths they had gone to extreme lengths to obscure.

‘This suffices. Their reckoning is at hand.’

His objectives fulfilled, Hesperon redirected his path toward the highest level of the structure.

The elite vampires of the Blood Alliance, who had facilitated his undetected entry into the facility, were tasked with neutralizing any lingering evidence of intrusion.

His primary focus centered on wrapping up this operation with swiftness and precision.

‘I assured Riley that my absence would be brief.’

The weight of her obligations as the Crown Princess had been inducing significant anxiety lately, making her routine evening visits to his private quarters—where they traded dialogue regarding completely mundane topics—her solitary refuge for mental decompression.

‘When considered objectively, it serves as an ideal avenue to cultivate rapport with the future Empress while offering her much-needed… psychological backing.’

Hesperon gave a slight roll of his shoulders as he stepped onto the open rooftop.

In the next instant,

…the armored plate activated its optical distortion array, melting seamlessly into the obsidian night.

Behind him, the workspaces of Cheonjong Construction remained enveloped in quietude and order, giving no indication that an intruder had ever crossed the threshold.

—

Supernatural Management Bureau, Criminal Investigation Department, staff lounge.

“The atmosphere has been incredibly chaotic since dawn. Though, it makes perfect sense given the magnitude of the disclosure.”

Taking a brief respite from his mounting logs, Kang Tae-san brought his mug to his lips and focused his gaze on the television monitor, where broadcasters were still dissecting the revelation that had broken earlier in the day.

-“The Republic of Korea has routinely earned commendations for its exceptional public safety metrics. While it is true that the recent insurgent strikes within Seoul compromised that reputation… the administrative counter-measures alongside the collective resolve of the populace have been nothing short of commendable.”

-“Precisely, which is precisely why this development comes as such an immense shock. The public was completely blindsided by the realization that such deep-seated malfeasance and syndicated illicit operations were masquerading behind reputable commercial enterprises.”

-“Furthermore, the roster of implicated corporations is extensive. As of this broadcast, the entities confirmed to be involved include…”

“What is the utility of hunting down rogue meta-humans if the administrative infrastructure is saturated with crooked bureaucrats?”

“My thoughts exactly. And those very individuals are always pointing fingers at our operations.”

Kang Tae-san along with his office peer, who had already settled into the lounge area, clicked their tongues in unison while making a dismissive gesture.

The media outlets had been broadcasting the unfolding drama without interruption since the early hours.

The initial domino to fall had been Cheonjong Construction, a mid-tier commercial firm.

“They possessed incredible audacity. Imagining they could deliberately compromise regulatory departments…”

Subornation, intimidation, shakeups, covert placement…

The full catalog of their transgressions, laid bare through press reporting, was staggering.

Their tendrils had reached far beyond civilian administrative offices, actively penetrating influential meta-human networks such as the Returnee Association.

‘Discovery was an inevitability for them. It is simply retribution running its course.’

Following that disclosure, the illicit activities of competing enterprises were systematically unmasked as well.

The specific revelations detailing their recruitment of rogue meta-humans to serve as unsanctioned enforcement squads were particularly volatile, throwing leadership circles into a state of acute apprehension.

It was entirely logical that the media cycles were fixated on the updates without pause.

‘…Even so, the current trajectory of public sentiment feels… heavily orchestrated.’

Seated upon the cushions, maintaining his hold on his beverage while monitoring the broadcast, Kang Tae-san narrowed his eyelids thoughtfully.

The instincts he had forged through a career dedicated to tracking and dissecting criminal behavior were warning him…

…that this cascade of events was not progressing organically. A hidden hand was steering the narrative.

‘A vast network of digital forums, obscure journalistic blogs, and mainstream broadcasting giants… they are all pushing the identical narrative simultaneously, as if working from a shared playbook.’

What’s more, the backing evidence was absolute, offering the accused zero leverage for refutation.

Then, matching the tempo of the media blitz, financial audits and judicial search warrants were rolled out, validating his analytical assumptions.

‘Furthermore, the specialized Enforcers belonging to the Association simultaneously hit the hidden encampments of the rogue combatants, neutralizing them entirely. This level of coordination is far beyond the capabilities of a minor faction.’

The press corps, the legislative and judiciary apparatus, the Returnee Association… every single entity was operating in absolute synchronization.

Naturally, this dragged the Criminal Investigation Department directly into the vortex.

With his immediate squad still heavily allocated to the aftermath of the Seoul insurgent strike, auxiliary squads were left to manage this unfolding web… yet the overarching narrative had still filtered down to him.

-“This is a flash update! An unprecedented shift in the investigation has occurred. Evidence has surfaced linking Chief Executive Bang Jun-yong of the Daeryong Group directly to the illicit syndicates under review.”

-“Should these allegations hold weight, the fallout will be monumental. Daeryong Group stands as one of the cornerstone conglomerates within the domestic market.”

As the studio hosts voiced their profound astonishment,

…an absolute crisis point was reached.

“Daeryong Group?”

“Are you serious? They are a massive conglomerate, aren’t they?”

“…This complicates matters heavily. It appears meta-human assets are interwoven into their structure as well. We can kiss our free time goodbye for the foreseeable future.”

The entity directing the entire criminal enterprise was one of the premier industrial titans of Korea.

Weighing the sheer footprint of the organizations involved, the secondary economic and social shocks were bound to be immense.

Absorbing the dialogue passing between his fellow officers, Kang Tae-san unlocked his mobile device to scan the web traffic.

Predictably, the digital space was in an absolute frenzy.

-Brace yourselves! The market is cratering!

-No! I put my entire life savings into this! Bang Jun-yong, you absolute criminal!!

-Can anyone verify if this data is ironclad? I am initiating a lawsuit if this turns out to be slander.

-Who is down to march on the news station with torches right now?

-Hold up, doesn’t the timing feel incredibly calculated? It looks like a deliberate hit job on Daeryong Group.

-As an employee within the organization, whispers regarding Daeryong’s dark side have circulated for ages. I just never envisioned the scale would be this massive.

-I am refusing to liquidate my shares. An empire like Daeryong is simply too integrated to collapse.

An endless stream of commentary materialized, the volume multiplying by the second.

Kang Tae-san tilted his head side to side, letting out a sharp breath.

While the financial markets held no personal interest for him, for a vast demographic, this development represented absolute financial ruin.

They would be glued to the media tickers, filled with sheer dread.

‘Seong-hyeon maintains a portfolio in the markets, doesn’t he? I can only hope he evaded this disaster.’

He tapped out a brief message to his companion, his thoughts tinged with genuine concern.

As far as he was concerned, that concluded his relationship with the ongoing crisis.

The situation didn’t cross into his professional domain, yet he wasn’t entirely detached from the ecosystem either.

Ding—

That assumption evaporated the moment his device chimed with an incoming alert.

“What? A response this rapidly? Wait a moment…”

The notification had not originated from his companion.

Instead, it was a senior investigator assigned to an alternate division within the Criminal Investigation Department—specifically, the unit tasked with untangling the Daeryong Group web.

The individual requested an immediate face-to-face.

It stood as a highly unusual summons, particularly given that the investigator should be entirely swamped by a high-stakes corporate probe.

‘…Are they short on manpower and requiring my involvement?’

Had that been the scenario, his direct supervisor would have been the one issuing the directive.

With a slight shrug, he stood up and directed his steps toward the interrogation quarters.

The underlying rationale would reveal itself upon arrival.
The destination was mere paces away, situated on the identical corridor.

“…Pardon? Could you restate that phrase once more…?”

Yet, the disclosure that dropped from the senior officer’s lips…

…was utterly beyond his calculations.

“Ahem— Look, finding the right words for this is somewhat delicate…”

The veteran investigator let out a heavy breath before delivering a devastating revelation.

“Cho Hyeon-jin… though addressing her by the alias Park Mi-yeong might instantly clarify the situation for you.”

“Who exactly?”

A solitary identification,

…instantaneously shifting his status from a detached commentator to a directly impacted party.

Kang Tae-san, who had only recently begun navigating the unfamiliar joy of his very first romantic partnership,

…found himself abruptly cast back into bachelorhood.

—

“The task is completed.”

A muted murmur dissolved into the vacant pathways.

Hesperon, encased within the specialized armor, deactivated the light-bending concealment field and severed his connection to the digital matrix.

‘The scale of this event has expanded significantly, ensuring that a simple resolution is out of the question. Which aligns flawlessly with my objectives. And once the dust settles from this upheaval… ’

Not a soul would possess the audacity to offer a lifeline to the disgraced leadership of Daeryong Group, even if those executives should happen to encounter… unfortunate accidents.

The strategy had been executed flawlessly—a surgical, analytical strike rather than an unrefined display of physical dominance.

‘Had I lacked these specific digital intrusion capabilities, navigating this situation would have proven immensely more complicated.’

He had deliberately avoided a direct confrontation with Daeryong Group at the outset.

They constituted a massive conglomerate, possessing leveraged influence across every societal pillar, the press included.

Conversely, the satellite entities under their umbrella, such as Cheonjong Construction, occupied a far more vulnerable position.

They had been systematically isolated from their parent entity, their lines of communication to Daeryong Group thoroughly severed, ensuring they were left entirely without a safety net when the hammer fell.

‘Predictably, the moment the situation turned volatile, the directors immediately chose to cut ties and attempted to incinerate the paper trail.’

Their efforts, however, were entirely futile.

As data regarding the complicity of neighboring firms began leaking into the public domain, the leadership must have deduced that anomalous forces were at play.

They operated under the delusion that sacrificing Cheonjong Construction would suffice to insulate the core empire…

…but their calculations were fundamentally flawed.

‘They scrambled to sanitize their records, but… ’

…their reactions were far too sluggish.

While they were occupied with purging their local storage, he had already successfully extracted every crucial piece of intelligence and arranged the pieces for their total ruin!

Escalating the crisis to a national level had required minimal effort.

While this specific cascade hadn’t been mapped out initially, the Blood Alliance’s systemic domination of the domestic criminal underworld coupled with the creation of Howard Industry had yielded an immense reservoir of… unallocated capital.

The funds were more than sufficient to… quietly direct media focus and ensure their illegal operations remained under an intense spotlight.

‘Once the narrative gains that level of momentum, the conclusion is predetermined.’

It was entirely irrelevant how desperately they struggled or what tier of political favors they attempted to call in.

The incriminating files they assumed had been permanently deleted had already been duplicated and systematically categorized by Hesperon during the preceding night’s operation.

Denial was no longer a viable defense strategy, not with the mountain of empirical proof presented against them, right down to the microscopic oversights they had deemed insignificant.

‘…Granted, the shockwave has reverberated further than I initially estimated.’

It was highly improbable that anyone would believe this colossal controversy, which had thrown the entirety of Korea into a state of shock, had been set in motion simply because a lone operative attempted to manipulate his close companion.

He had transmitted a brief check-in to Kang Tae-san, conveying his thoughts… though a counter-message had yet to arrive.

The man was likely entirely shattered, his reality upended by the sudden unmasking of his romantic partner’s authentic persona.

‘He possesses the resilience to navigate through this. His character has always been defined by strength.’

I shut my eyelids, offering a silent hope for his emotional recovery.

‘Welcome back to the realm of the unattached, my companion.’

An unusual flash of… gratification surfaced within me, though I quickly shrugged it off as a trick of my own psyche.

Most likely.