The Association Head's Trap

"Then farewell. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule."

I issued the eviction order on the spot.

Just get the hell out already.

I'm so pissed I need a smoke.

"You'll regret this… you just won't fucking listen."

"Excuse me?"

Ahn Jihyun pulled something from the inner pocket of the jacket she was wearing.

Pitch-black leather?

What the hell is that?

She wasn't the only one. The two men behind her also pulled something out and brought it to their mouths.

"Masks?"

They weren't ordinary masks. More like gas masks…

Why the hell would they put those on indoors all of a sudden?

At the same moment, the man standing to her left yanked something from his pocket and flung it straight at my face.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

I dodged with the kind of speed that showed off the results of my recent training. I'd been ready the second I sensed something off.

The unknown object ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠landed on the sofa where I'd been sitting and began belching pure white smoke—exactly like cigarette smoke.

"Cough… cough… what the hell is… cough."

My vision started to blur. Should've just stayed sitting on the damn sofa.

I staggered, slammed into the wall, and leaned against it. At least I didn't crack my head. Even if I had, it wouldn't have mattered—Auto Shield was already running.

"Recover it, now!"

Ahn Jihyun barked the order at the two men. Both had been wearing gloves from the start. One of them grabbed the object he'd thrown at me, flipped his glove inside out as he peeled it off, and used the glove itself to smother the rising smoke. Then he pulled out a small box and sealed the thing inside.

"How long does the effect last?"

"Depends on exposure time, but for an ordinary Awoken it lasts about two hours. In his case it might be shorter. His mana reserves are monstrous."

"That's fine. That'll do."

In the end my legs gave out and I crumpled to the floor. The way they completely ignored me told me they were already certain—I was about to lose consciousness.

Sorry to disappoint, but… who exactly is supposed to be passing out?

I was perfectly fine. I was just putting on the performance of a lifetime—the "I inhaled the smoke and collapsed" act.

Because:

My answer was obviously yes.

For a measly 0.3 percent energy cost, my head cleared completely. And that wasn't all.

It even set up automatic defense and analysis against the substance. Now that was high technology—my power.

All I had to do now was stay quiet, keep breathing shallow, and keep pretending to be out cold so they wouldn't notice.

"Come in!"

At Ahn Jihyun's command, several people waiting outside poured in. They fired up something that looked like a weird vacuum cleaner and started sucking the air out of the room.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

From their conversation I could tell this had been the plan from the very beginning. Still, at least it wasn't poison gas—just a simple sedative. I'd give them that much credit.

I had no intention of flipping the board right this second. I needed to know what they actually wanted. They'd just handed me six billion won in sponsorship money and now they were pulling this nonsense?

Was revealing my ability too careless?

I never expected bastards like this to show up and start filming a goddamn movie.

Wait… was that six billion just my appearance fee?

"Vice President. Cleanup complete. It's not particularly toxic, so it should dissipate naturally with time."

"Good. What about the security cameras?"

"Our people have control. Nothing to worry about. We can head to the basement without any issues."

"Without any issues?"

"Apologies. There will be no problems."

The part that shocked me most was Ahn Jihyun herself. Everything she'd done in front of me until now—what the hell had that been? She was a completely different person from a moment ago. Had every single thing been an act to deceive me?

So when that guy on Monday said "That Person isn't like that," this whole thing was already planned?

"I'll move Kang Junghyeok myself."

Someone hoisted me onto their shoulder like a sack of luggage. Pretending to be unconscious was exhausting as hell. They seemed to be heading for the underground parking garage—clearly planning to kidnap me.

If the six-billion-won sponsorship and everything else had been a conspiracy from the start, that was pure nightmare fuel. If they'd planned the kidnapping and deliberately dumped sponsorship money on me just so they could meet me first, it all lined up.

Still, no jumping to conclusions. I needed to dig carefully for the exact truth. Blind speculation was forbidden.

I used mana to enhance my hearing. Suddenly every conversation, every footstep, every ambient noise came through in crystal detail. Ahn Jihyun had just started a call. I focused on that sound.

Listening to that conversation made my blood boil.

So the reason the government won't issue dungeon-related new business permits is because of you bastards?

You moved the government first to do exactly that, then fed me a completely different story? Just to stop me from starting a company?

I'd started this whole thing hoping for the Community and the big corporations' protection, and without realizing it I'd stuck my head straight into the tiger's mouth. Embarrassing as hell.

How am I supposed to pay this back?

Criminals? You bastards kidnapping me isn't a crime?

These fucking double-standard pieces of shit.

But something else made me doubt my own ears.

What? Transcendent?

Ahn Jihyun is a Transcendent too?

That was completely different from the information I had. Then again… I'd heard that from a Dragon Guild scout. If she really was a Transcendent, this was a serious problem. Getting out of the tiger's den alive just became hundreds of times harder.

I'd have to seize the chance and take that bitch down mid-route—before we left the Academy grounds.

I still hadn't heard the full reason they were doing this, but it was obvious. They wanted my ability. The way Ahn Jihyun had refused my handshake earlier also made it clear she'd already finished researching me to some degree. She didn't want her own skill—or her potential—exposed. Or maybe she thought she might lose her mana.

If the Diamond Guild was involved in this too, information might have leaked.

So what do they plan to do after kidnapping me? Experiments? Maybe inject me with some special drug and try to control me?

It wasn't something I hadn't considered. I'd just assumed countries like China or Japan would come after me first. I never expected you bastards to make the first move.

Looks like you need a proper lesson.

I prayed Ahn Jihyun would come close while I was "unconscious." Transcendent or not, the moment I switched her mana off, victory was mine. Right now—while they still believed I was out cold—was the perfect chance to take down a Transcendent.

The screech of car brakes echoed. We'd already entered the underground parking garage. I was torn—escape now, or buy a little more time?

They had a decent number of people. None of them seemed to be the ones whose mana I'd boosted earlier today. Some kind of personal guard that moved with Ahn Jihyun?

No matter how generously I tried to interpret it, this was clearly a crime in progress. Maybe even within the same guild there were differing opinions, or things they wanted kept quiet. A major-corporation Awoken—hell, the head of the Awakened Community herself—personally kidnapping someone. There wouldn't be bigger news than that. And I was the sole victim of that crime.

Thud!

They loaded me into a car. Thankfully not the trunk. But I still couldn't confirm whether Ahn Jihyun had gotten into the same vehicle.

Say something already!

I couldn't check with my eyes closed, but the place they'd dumped me was definitely the back seat. Men climbed in on either side of me. The bulk, the smell—both matched. Each of them grabbed one of my arms.

I had no intention of waiting until the car actually started moving. It would've been nice if Ahn Jihyun were in this car, but it didn't seem that way.

I deliberately let my head loll to the side. My head brushed against the face of the man next to me—and in that same instant I opened my eyes.

OFF!

I snuffed out one guy's mana in a flash. At the same time I shot my free hand toward the other man's face. The hand that had been pinned by the now-manaless guy came free far too easily. Instead, the arm of the bastard still holding me suddenly twisted, and a scream of pure agony tore out of him.

"Gyaaaah!"

"Ugh…"

I erased both of their mana in an instant, then grabbed the back of the head of the guy sitting in the driver's seat. The whole sequence took less than a few seconds. The moment I finished stripping the driver's mana as well, I spoke.

"Act like nothing happened. If you want your mana back. If you get caught, I'll kill all three of you."

The three of them only made noise at first, then went dead quiet. The only thing manaless bastards could do right now was obey me obediently. My next order was obvious.

"From this moment on, call Ahn Jihyun over here. The second that bitch notices even the slightest something wrong, I'll snap all three of your necks on the spot. Think carefully. Is there a more pathetic way to die than getting killed while trying to kidnap one guy? And if I die to Ahn Jihyun, what happens to your mana? We're in the same boat now. Agreed?"

All three men nodded at once. I leaned back against the seat and closed my eyes again. One of them contacted Ahn Jihyun exactly the way I'd ordered.

"Vice President. This guy seems like he's about to wake up. Please come quickly. He doesn't look fully conscious yet, but… it's a heavy burden for us."

With my enhanced hearing I caught the sound of a car door opening and closing a short distance away. She'd dumped me on her subordinates and taken a different car herself. Nice life she had.

Eyes still closed, I started the "about to wake up" performance. It wasn't just Ahn Jihyun approaching my car. Two more guys seemed to be coming with her—probably those trusted subordinates. Planning to use that suspicious smoke-producing object again?

Didn't matter. As long as I could strip Ahn Jihyun's mana, I didn't care what the rest of them did. Anyone who wasn't a Transcendent was manageable.

The door of my car opened and a woman's voice reached me. I immediately launched into the act.

"Ugh…"

"Hmm… looks like the effect is wearing off."

"Should we do it again?"

"No. He's probably already neutralizing the toxin with mana. He might wake up within a few minutes."

"Then…"

"We'll need something stronger."

Please just come closer. One single strand of hair is enough.

Eyes closed, I waited for her information to pop up in front of me. But she was surprisingly cautious and refused to approach too closely. Perfume drifted over—definitely a woman's perfume.

The man holding my right arm got out of the car, leaving space empty.

I opened my eyes. Instantly twisted my head. Through the open car door I saw Ahn Jihyun. I stretched out my arm.

Hair. The second I brush it, you're finished, you fucking bitch.

The people watching me suddenly move wore expressions that shifted into pure shock. Ahn Jihyun was among them. The moment my outstretched hand was about to seize her hair—

"Hup…"

Mana light began flooding through Ahn Jihyun's entire body. I'd seen this on the internet before. It was the unique mana manifestation phenomenon of Awoken who used magic.

"Ma… gic… Mi…"

Ahn Jihyun cast the spell immediately. A Transcendent's magic. Could I withstand it? It was only a basic spell, though—probably the fastest one she could fire.

"…ss… ile!!"

Almost at the exact same instant she cast, the tips of my fingers brushed her hair.