Something That Shouldn't Be Here (1)

3:35 a.m.

After leaving the hotel, Yun-seok released his Stealth and hailed a taxi to Sangam-dong, where his family home was.

It'll be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a bit past 4 when I get there.

Yun-seok decided not to worry. Even if Lee Chang-hoon's last known location was Seoul, he doubted the guy had beaten him there. For starters, the bastard didn't even know where Yun-seok lived.

Even if he asked Kang Hyung-woo, there's no way he could've gotten here faster than this.

Soon, Yun-seok arrived in front of the house, paid the taxi fare, and entered the apartment complex.

He rode the elevator up to the sixth floor and stood in front of the front door but didn't open it and go inside. Instead, he just stood there and tested the new skill he'd learned, Detection.

So that's how it works.

Mana spread out in a 25-meter radius. Yun-seok could see everything within that area as clearly as if he were viewing a computer-generated blueprint.

There were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠two people inside the house. Unlike the black-and-white background of everything else, they glowed blue because they were living beings.

Both of them are still asleep, looks like.

He considered opening the door and peeking at their faces, but decided against it. If the door noise woke them up, it could lead to unnecessary hassle.

First, let's check my messages.

Yun-seok turned on his phone, which he'd had powered off. He'd already suspended service with the carrier, so it was basically a brick, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but his family's Wi-Fi faintly connected.

He opened the messenger app first and checked the messages sent to his account over the past four days.

Yun-seok frowned after reading his father's message first. What Kang Hyung-woo had done was a full-blown violent crime. The moment it went to the prosecutors, the media would swarm like vultures. Not content with being the ringleader of school violence, he'd intentionally set fire to a factory? That was on a whole different level from some chaebol heir bullying subcontractors.

The whole country would erupt in outrage—it was a predictable sequence even Yun-seok could foresee.

The biggest victim would be the chairman, of course...

JC Group was one of the top conglomerates. The stock would tank, and politicians would pounce, pressuring them with this juicy scandal. Above all, the chairman's pristine image would be shattered—that would be the real blow.

Yun-seok believed Kang Hyung-woo deserved punishment, but he didn't want that outcome. He didn't want to cause harm to others because of his own issues. The chairman and his daughter Kang Hye-in were innocent; they'd always treated Yun-seok exceptionally well.

Moreover, if this hit the news, even the victim—Yun-seok—would have his personal info splashed everywhere, leading to endless rumors and gossip. The media always made victims suffer even more.

With that, Yun-seok wrapped up his exchange with his father and opened the next chat window. It was from Kang Hyung-woo.

Yeah, you're a freak. Holding a grudge from some childhood fight and tormenting one person your whole life—is that normal?

Of course, his friends weren't avoiding him over that. Birds of a feather flock together; they were all rotten to the core.

He could picture it clearly. Kang Hyung-woo just didn't realize it, but his circle was ditching him not because of his past, but because the chairman had disowned him.

I never expected any trickle-down. I never thought he'd inherit the company anyway.

With a daughter who's grown up perfectly, why hand it to that spoiled punk?

Still the same old him.

With that thought, Yun-seok read and ignored Kang Hyung-woo's messages. Next up were the ones from Kang Hye-in.

Doesn't matter what kind of guy he is—probably just the money.

Kang Hye-in's messages ranged from check-ins to trivial daily updates, like a puppy begging for praise. She even reported her progress on tormenting Kang Hyung-woo.

Yun-seok left her a reply. He had a feeling this would ramp up her harassment of Kang Hyung-woo even more, but whatever pain the guy suffered wasn't Yun-seok's concern.

There were also missed calls from college buddies and army acquaintances mixed in, but he ignored them all. He didn't want to completely burn those bridges, but right now, other things took priority.

He closed the messenger app and logged into SNS, his eyes sharpening.

Checking the guy's account showed he'd been active on SNS 15 minutes ago.

Yun-seok still wasn't sure if Lee Chang-hoon had really come back to Earth for revenge. Maybe he just wanted to end his life here before dying. But after hearing from Raguna, the unease was too much to ignore.

This incident had taught Yun-seok a new lesson: The best policy is to avoid creating troubles, but if one arises, resolve it decisively.

Lucky it's the weekend, in that sense.

If it were a weekday, his dad would be getting ready for work in an hour. His mom would be home alone doing chores. With targets split, Yun-seok wouldn't know which one Lee Chang-hoon might go for—tricky situation.

As time passed and even the lights went out, Yun-seok sat on the pitch-black emergency stairs. He didn't know if revenge was the plan, but deep down, he hoped it was. That way, he could shake off even the tiniest guilt without a second thought.

Whether the guy showed up here or not.

Lee Chang-hoon was dead meat.

"Sangam-dong? Okay. Thanks."

-But why do you need that bastard Choi Yun-seok's home address?

"None of your business. You'll find out tomorrow anyway. Just be grateful to me."

-Hey! What the hell does that mean... Wait, forget it. Can you spot me some cash...

Click.

Lee Chang-hoon shrugged on his coat after hanging up on Kang Hyung-woo. He was in an officetel in Sinchon. Sangam-dong was just 30 minutes away.

Kang Hyung-woo called back several times after the one-sided hang-up, then started spamming texts when ignored. Checking them, it was just begging for money if he had spare.

Lee Chang-hoon ignored it all and started the sedan his parents had gifted him for college admission.

Rich asshole asking me for a loan—what a joke.

Friendship? Not with Kang Hyung-woo. What could he expect from a middle school acquaintance anyway? He'd dug up the old number via SNS just to call.

Whatever, he could've just given him cash. His own life was ending today anyway.

Of course, he ignored it because it was annoying. He had no bandwidth for such trivial shit.

Fuck that worthless prick. You think I'll die alone?

Dragged into the Tower of Heaven, he'd clawed his way to survival. Watching himself grow stronger, he'd planned to return to Earth permanently with a C-rank ticket and live easy off his powers.

But Choi Yun-seok had ruined it all.

Should kill that GrapeJam bastard too...

If Choi Yun-seok was priority one, GrapeJam was a close second. That fucker had used his nomination right to block Lee Chang-hoon from returning to Earth after losing his armor.

That alone wouldn't have sparked such hatred.

Fucking pervert asshole.

GrapeJam in the arena had been a total psycho. Looked normal, but rotten inside. Once defeat was certain, he'd healed Lee Chang-hoon's wounds with Heal, bound him with Hold, and peeled him alive with grapes—grinning innocently the whole time.

Fuck, my hands are still shaking.

Lee Chang-hoon had been freed only after hours when GrapeJam lost interest. Back in the waiting room, he'd torn his ticket right away—to deliver an unforgettable gift to Choi Yun-seok, the root of all this.

GrapeJam pissed him off too, but he didn't know where the guy lived on Earth, and even slaughtering his family probably wouldn't faze that maniac.

But you... it'll hurt, right? Since even your dad treated you like shit because of that bastard Kang Hyung-woo.

Unable to contain his boiling rage, he floored it down the road for a while before entering the Sangam-dong apartment complex.

A resident just finishing a jog was entering, so he slipped in behind. The guy didn't mind at first, but when they got in the elevator and Lee Chang-hoon pressed 6, suspicion flashed in his eyes.

"Sixth floor? Don't recognize you. You live here?"

"Nah, don't."

"Then why..."

"Got someone to kill."

Lee Chang-hoon grinned, hefting the car spanner from his trunk. The resident's face went white.

The elevator stopped; the resident bolted out. Lee Chang-hoon cackled.

"Auntie, get home safe. And try not to make a fuss if the upstairs gets noisy tonight, okay?"

Suddenly, he kinda got GrapeJam's madness. Acting without a care for consequences felt amazing.

"Hey, answer me before you go. What's with the manners around here?"

Giggling, the doors closed, and it resumed upward. In that brief time, he vividly imagined it: Yun-seok realizing too late what he'd done, trembling in regret. Missing that sight was a lifelong regret.

Finally. Lee Chang-hoon dashed out and rang the doorbell of the unit number Kang Hyung-woo had given him.

And then...

"Took you long enough?"

He met Yun-seok.

The front door opened at the doorbell, and a middle-aged woman in sleepwear peeked out cautiously.

But...

"What? Broken?"

The hallway was empty. Only the automatic sensor light was on.

"Thought it was Yun-seok. Wonder if he's doing okay?"

Thinking of her son, out of touch since saying he was traveling, she closed the door.

"Hope those bully friends aren't messing with him again?"

He'd always been such a sensitive kid; she couldn't help worrying.