There was a reason why I hadn't intervened in areas beyond violent crime. Ultimately, my methods were violent. People were more accepting of overwhelming force used against murderers, robbers, and rapists, but intervening in other areas would likely provoke a backlash.
'Even now, there's debate about vigilantes and their extrajudicial actions. Expanding my scope would definitely cause problems.'
I couldn't ignore public opinion unless I had complete control over Korea. The government might even intervene, which would be troublesome.
A task force had been established to investigate vigilante activities, but their efforts were largely perfunctory. The vigilantes were contributing to public safety, and those on the front lines knew it.
'I was going to let society regulate itself, but…'
I changed my mind. I had a feeling it would never happen. And I couldn't ignore the fact that someone close to me had been affected.
'But even if the verdict is predetermined, the execution must be precise. Using brute force would complicate matters.'
I could easily crush them, but they were operating under the guise of legitimate businesses. Using violence would provoke a backlash from the political and business elites. I needed to operate within their rules.
'Smartly and discreetly, just like they prefer. I was planning to gather information first, but…'
Cheonjong Construction.
The organization identified by the Blood Alliance as being behind the incident involving Kang Tae-san. A seemingly ordinary mid-sized company, but in reality, a criminal enterprise involved in all sorts of illegal activities.
"But I don't think this is the end of it."
Several hours after meeting Kang Tae-san and Park Mi-young.
Inside Cheonjong Construction's headquarters.
The office was eerily silent, the security guards and staff unconscious. A figure stood in the center, clad in a sleek metal suit with glowing blue circuitry, wires extending from his shoulders, connected to all the electronic devices.
The progress bar on Hesperon's 「Machine Eye: Callicas」 rapidly filled as organized information was displayed: minor accounting discrepancies, hidden corruption… nothing digital could escape his gaze.
'This is truly amazing. Perhaps even more useful than my other Transcendent avatars on Earth.'
The AI of 「Machine Eye: Callicas」, linked to Hesperon through 「Chains of Oath」, had long since surpassed its original capabilities. Integrated with him, it benefited from 『Growth Elixir』 and other enhancements, a self-evolving super AI.
It was a game-changer in a world struggling to bridge the gap between its own technology and the advanced technologies introduced by Awakened individuals.
Having absorbed all the information from Cheonjong Construction's intranet, 「Machine Eye: Callicas」 accessed the internet, investigating everything related to the company: tracing financial flows through offshore accounts, recovering deleted data fragments…
Hum
The circuitry on Hesperon's Titan suit glowed brighter as the processing reached its peak. This was possible thanks to the Titan, a marvel of magical engineering crafted by Howard the dwarf, practically a miniature spaceship. Even a powerful AI like 「Machine Eye: Callicas」 couldn't handle this much data with its limited processing power and energy source.
'This is also thanks to the link between them through 「Chains of Oath」.'
About thirty minutes after infiltrating Cheonjong Construction—
"…Found it."
He had finally identified the true culprit.
"Daeryong Group… A big fish."
And their carefully hidden secrets.
'This is enough. They'll pay for making me work.'
Hesperon headed towards the rooftop. The Blood Alliance vampires who had helped him infiltrate the building would erase any traces. His only concern was completing this task quickly and efficiently.
'I told Riley I would be back soon.'
She had been stressed since taking on her duties as the Imperial Crown Princess, often seeking him out for casual conversation, her only respite, given her personality.
'Well, it's a good opportunity to build a relationship with the future emperor and provide emotional support.'
He shrugged as he reached the rooftop. Then—
The metal suit shimmered, activating its cloaking device, and vanished into the night sky, leaving the silently cleaned Cheonjong Construction office behind.
***
Noon, in the break room of the Supernatural Management Bureau's Criminal Investigation Department.
"It's noisy today. Well, it's understandable, after what happened."
Kang Tae-san, taking a break from his paperwork, sipped his coffee, glancing at the TV screen, where the news about the morning's events continued.
"-Korea has always been praised for its public safety. While the Seoul terrorist attacks tarnished that image, the subsequent response and the exemplary civic spirit were unparalleled."
"-Yes, which makes this incident even more shocking. No one expected such widespread corruption hidden behind the facade of legitimate businesses."
"-And numerous companies are involved. So far, we've identified…"
"What's the point of catching villains when there are so many crooks in the government?"
"Exactly. And they complain about us."
Kang Tae-san and his colleague clicked their tongues, shaking their heads. The breaking news that had started at dawn was still ongoing. It had all begun with Cheonjong Construction, a mid-sized company.
"Those fools. They dared to mess with a government agency."
Bribery, blackmail, infiltration, stealing confidential information… their crimes, revealed by the media, were shocking. And they hadn't just targeted government officials; they had infiltrated other powerful organizations like the Awakened Association.
'They were bound to get caught eventually. It's karma.'
And then, other companies' crimes were revealed, including their attempts to recruit villains as private soldiers, enraging the higher-ups. No wonder the news had continued all morning.
'But the current public sentiment is also suspicious.'
Kang Tae-san's eyes narrowed as he watched the news. His instincts, honed through years of investigating crimes, told him that this wasn't a natural development. Someone was pulling the strings.
'Websites, small online news outlets, even major media companies… they're all reporting the same story.'
And the evidence was irrefutable, followed by tax investigations and search warrants.
'And the Association's Guardians raided the villains' hideouts. This must be the work of a powerful organization.'
The media, politicians, the legal system, the Awakened Association… they were all involved. And so was his department, the Criminal Investigation Department, though his team was still wrapping up the Seoul terrorist attack investigation, so other teams were handling this case. He was still receiving updates.
"-Breaking news! The investigation has uncovered a new development. Chairman Bang Jun-yong of Daeryong Group is reportedly involved in the recent incidents."
"-This is huge! Daeryong Group is one of Korea's leading conglomerates!"
A bombshell announcement.
"Daeryong Group?"
"What? Isn't that a major corporation?"
"…This is bad. It seems Awakened individuals are involved too. Looks like we'll be working overtime."
A major corporation implicated in the recent incidents. The implications were huge.
Kang Tae-san quickly checked the internet on his smartphone. As expected, it was chaos.
-Hold on tight! We're going down!
-Aaack! I invested everything! Bang Jun-yong, you bastard!!
-Is this confirmed? I'll sue if it's fake news. I'm serious.
-Anyone want to burn down the broadcasting station with me?
-This is strange. It seems like someone is targeting Daeryong.
-I work in the industry, and there have been rumors about Daeryong. But I never imagined it was this bad.
-I'm holding on. Daeryong is too big to fail.
Countless posts, updated in real time. Kang Tae-san shook his head. He wasn't interested in stocks, but for some, this was life-altering.
'Sung-hyun was making money through stocks, wasn't he? I hope he's okay.'
He sent a quick message to his friend, concerned. That was the extent of his involvement in this incident. He wasn't directly affected.
Ding
Until he received a reply.
"Huh? Already? Wait…"
The message wasn't from his friend. It was from a senior colleague in another team, investigating the Daeryong case. He wanted to meet. A strange request, considering he was busy with a high-profile case.
'Is he asking for backup?'
If so, his team leader would have contacted him. He shrugged, heading towards the investigation room. He would find out soon enough. It was on the same floor.
"…Wait, what did you just say…?"
But what his senior colleague told him…
Was something he hadn't anticipated.
"Ahem… Well, how should I put this…"
His senior colleague sighed, clearing his throat.
"Cho Hyun-jin… or Park Mi-young, as you know her."
"Huh? Who?"
Words that transformed him from a detached observer to a direct participant.
Kang Tae-san, enjoying his first relationship, was unexpectedly single again.
***
"It's done."
A quiet voice spoke in a deserted area. Hesperon, the man in the metal suit, deactivated his cloaking device, disconnecting from the internet.
'This has blown up, and it won't be easy to contain. And that's exactly what I want. And if that happens…'
No one would shed a tear for the downfall of Daeryong's executives. This was a precise strike, within the bounds of the law, not just brute force.
'Without hacking skills, this would have been much more troublesome.'
He hadn't targeted Daeryong Group directly on purpose. They were a major conglomerate with connections everywhere. But their subsidiaries, like Cheonjong Construction, were different. They were expendable, their connections severed, preventing Daeryong from intervening directly.
'As expected, they immediately cut their losses and tried to erase any connections.'
But they were too late. As news about other companies involved in the scandal broke, they realized the situation was spiraling out of control. They had thought they could contain the damage by sacrificing Cheonjong Construction, but their other connections were being exposed.
'They must have started scrambling, but…'
It was too late. While they were busy erasing evidence, he had already gathered everything and fanned the flames!
Escalating the situation hadn't been difficult. The funds he had poured into Korea through the Blood Alliance and Howard Industry were vast, more than enough to expose their crimes, especially with irrefutable evidence.
'It's game over at that point.'
Once the situation escalated to this level, their connections and influence were useless. The evidence they thought they had erased had already been backed up and organized by Hesperon. They couldn't deny the meticulously compiled evidence, even the minor details they themselves had overlooked.
'…This is bigger than I anticipated.'
Would anyone believe that this massive scandal, shaking Korea to its core, was triggered by a single woman trying to manipulate his friend?
He had replied to Kang Tae-san's concerned message, but there had been no response. He was probably devastated after learning the truth about his girlfriend.
'He'll recover. He's strong.'
I closed my eyes, wishing him well.
'Welcome back to the single life, my friend.'
I felt a strange sense of satisfaction, but it was probably just my imagination. Probably.