Chapter 114
Chapter 114
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: Garfield's Mansion
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"Hmm, how should I get in?"
Standing in front of Garfield's house, Hae-jin pondered.
There were two ways to enter.
One was to use Shadow Blink to slip inside.
The other was the normal approach: knock on the door or ring the bell.
After mulling it over, Hae-jin made his decision.
"Alright, let's meet the straightforward way."
In truth, he could Shadow Blink in, subdue Garfield immediately, and force him into submission.
But handling the Villain Rehabilitation Corps members had taught Hae-jin something.
Even villains who ran around causing trouble would follow loyally if properly managed and their loyalty built up.
So Garfield, who acted like a con artist rather than a violent player-type villain, might come around with a good talk.
'If words fail, fists will have to do the talking.'
If polite conversation didn't work, force was always an option for Hae-jin.
With that thought, Hae-jin approached Garfield's house.
The mansion exuded a gloomy aura.
The entrance, framed by walls of iron bars, had a doorbell.
Hae-jin pressed it.
Beeeep-!
The unpleasant sound dragged on as he rang, startling crows perched on nearby graves into flight.
"Caw!"
"Man, they're loud."
Hae-jin waited with an annoyed expression.
Then a voice emanated from the intercom.
[Who is it?]
The question came in English.
But with his translation skill, it was no issue for Hae-jin.
He could converse as naturally as if speaking Korean.
"Ah, I'm here to see Director Garfield."
[Director?]
"Yes."
[Do you have an appointment?]
Apparently, seeing Garfield required a reservation.
Hae-jin, of course, hadn't made one.
He could Shadow Blink in right now if they got difficult.
Hae-jin spoke to the woman responding.
"No, but if you don't open up, I'll enter by force."
[By force?]
"Yes."
[...I'll call the police.]
Threatened with forced entry, the woman threatened to call the police.
Ridiculous.
Could police even stop Hae-jin?
In any case, having been threatened like this, Hae-jin decided on forced entry.
"Then it's fine if I enter by force."
[What do you...]
Swoosh-!
Hae-jin melted into the shadows.
The woman watching the outside via CCTV attached to the wall had no choice but to panic.
The man who'd been visible just moments ago had vanished.
Then—
Tap tap.
Someone tapped the shoulder of the woman handling the intercom.
With only herself and Garfield in the house, she assumed it was him.
Turning with that thought, she gasped in shock.
"Gasp!"
She jolted back, nearly tumbling over.
The one who'd startled her was Hae-jin, who had Shadow Blinked in.
Hae-jin caught her waist as she fell and asked.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm alri... Wait, how did you get in here?!"
The woman had almost answered reflexively but shot up and demanded an explanation.
How had the man from the entrance gotten inside?
Hae-jin replied.
"Because I'm a Player? Garfield's a Player too, right? But you don't seem to be."
"That's true, but... you're a Player?"
"Yes. Calling the police won't make a difference."
Who on Earth could stop Hae-jin now?
No one.
Maybe prime Nam Joo-hyuk.
No, even prime Joo-hyuk couldn't stop current Hae-jin.
It was impossible now.
Why?
Because Hae-jin had inherited everything from prime Joo-hyuk and grown even stronger.
Police coming to subdue him like that?
Absurd.
And that wasn't all.
Hae-jin already held rights granted by numerous nations for his actions in Korea.
He was the 'hero' who had suppressed villains' crimes across those countries and cleaned them up.
But the woman didn't recognize him.
The mere threat to call police proved it.
Hae-jin thought to himself.
'SShould I have worked harder on my image?'
Maybe he should have aimed for global fame everyone abroad would know.
In any case, she clearly didn't grasp that police couldn't touch him.
"What if I call the Player Special Task Force?"
She seemed to understand only that police couldn't handle a Player like him.
'Even if that's true, what do you plan to do by asking?'
Instead of lengthy explanations, Hae-jin pressed her more firmly.
"If you're curious how long it'd take me to behead you and Director Garfield here before escaping, go ahead and call the Player Special Task Force."
"......"
The woman fell silent at Hae-jin's threat.
He'd already proven he was a Player.
By entering the mansion in a way no normal person could.
For a Player, killing an ordinary person like her would be easier than swallowing soup.
And given the threat, she knew Hae-jin outclassed the director she served.
To the silent woman, Hae-jin asked.
"So, what now?"
That was when it happened.
"Come on up."
A man's voice came from above.
Hae-jin looked up at the voice.
He recognized him immediately.
'Garfield...'
The man calling him up was Garfield.
Hae-jin had never met him directly but knew from Joo-hyuk's memories.
With the homeowner inviting him up, the woman wouldn't hassle him about police or task forces anymore.
Still, Hae-jin mentioned one fact.
"By chance, do you know the name 'Park Hae-jin' or the moniker 'Massacre'?"
"Park Hae-jin? Isn't that the Player recently called a 'hero'?"
"Yes, that's me."
"What? You're him?"
"Yes. So police or Player Special Task Force won't make a difference."
"If you're really him... then yeah."
The woman accepted Hae-jin's words.
If he truly was Park Hae-jin, calling police or task force would be pointless.
Not just due to privileges from his Villain Rehabilitation Corps work across nations.
He had another title.
'Strongest Player in the World.'
Which meant no one could stop him.
From her perspective, she couldn't argue against his claim anymore.
Especially since the mansion's owner had summoned him.
The woman bowed politely to Hae-jin.
"Please go up and meet the master."
"Thank you."
"Yes."
Leaving the suddenly deferential woman behind, Hae-jin headed toward Garfield.
Garfield, seeing Hae-jin approach after his summons, spoke to the woman.
"Amelia, two coffees please."
"Yes, Master."
So the woman who'd bickered with Hae-jin was named Amelia.
Amelia went to prepare coffee, and Hae-jin arrived before Garfield.
Hae-jin extended his hand to Garfield.
"Nice to meet you. I'm 'Park Hae-jin.'"
"Hello. I'm 'Garfield Andrew.' I never imagined I'd meet the legendary Player 'Park Hae-jin' in person. It's an honor."
"No need for honors. Depending on the situation, I might be an unwelcome guest."
"...I see. Shall we go to my study?"
"Sure."
Garfield, briefly silent at Hae-jin's words, suggested his study.
Upon arriving, Garfield offered Hae-jin the seat of honor.
"Have a seat there."
Hae-jin asked Garfield, who indicated the head seat.
"You're the homeowner—sure it's okay for me to take the head?"
"You hold my life in your hands. How could I skimp on hospitality?"
Garfield acknowledged Hae-jin controlled his fate, so he'd treat him to the best seat.
He seemed to grasp Hae-jin's purpose.
"Then I won't hold back."
"Please."
No sooner had Hae-jin sat than Garfield spoke first.
"Have you judged me a 'villain'?"
Garfield called himself a villain outright.
He had no choice.
Unlike ordinary Amelia, Players made it a point to know about Hae-jin.
Why?
He was hailed worldwide as a 'hero' and the 'Strongest Player in the World.'
Thus, almost no Players were unaware of his Villain Rehabilitation Corps.
For such a figure to visit holding power over life and death meant he'd pegged him as a villain.
Hae-jin nodded at Garfield's question.
"Yes. You know why, right? No need to explain."
"You came because I'm a fraud claiming to cure patients."
Garfield knew exactly his villainous crime.
Knowing it so well saved Hae-jin the explanation.
"Correct. So I have two proposals for you."
"What are they?"
"One: atone for your villainy with your body."
"Join the Villain Rehabilitation Corps and rehabilitate."
"Yes."
"And the other?"
Garfield figured if he didn't rehabilitate into the Corps, it'd be prison for fraud.
Hae-jin stated his remaining option firmly.
"Offer your neck."
"...You mean die?"
"Yes."
"So really, only one choice: join the Villain Rehabilitation Corps under Leader Park Hae-jin."
"Correct. And all the money from your scams will be returned to the victims."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
Garfield now knew what Hae-jin expected.
Yet he felt somewhat wronged.
"Honestly, I feel unjustly treated."
"About what?"
"Though I'm not a healing Player and used poison on patients, I gave them ample hope and happiness. I didn't cure them, but I let them spend time with loved ones and be happy as long as possible. Isn't that borderline not fraud? I gave them chances modern doctors couldn't."
Garfield argued he'd met clients' needs with poison despite the healing scam.
Hae-jin asked.
"So, can you extend a cancer patient's life by decades?"
"Well..."
He could stretch it a few years with poison, but decades? No.
Garfield couldn't answer.
Hae-jin said nonchalantly.
"That's why it's fraud."