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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Silverriver
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The story was over.
The man driven by revenge was finally able to let go. The man who had lost something precious had regained something precious and resolved to live, looking only towards that from now on.
A happy ending. If this were a movie, the credits would be rolling now, accompanied by a moving soundtrack.
“But the arrest still needs to happen.”
However, this was reality. Kwon Tae-ho pulled out a pair of handcuffs. Ha-yeon looked at him hesitantly, but Kwon Tae-ho paid her no mind. This was his job.
“At this time, exercising my authority as an Enforcer, I hereby-”
Kwon Tae-ho paused, a frown creasing his brow.
“Come to think of it, what’s your name?”
“Baek Seong-cheol.”
“Right, Baek Seong-cheol. At this time, exercising my authority as an Enforcer, I hereby place you under arrest. You have the right to remain silent, the right to an attorney, and anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law. Understand?”
“I understand.”
Baek Seong-cheol offered his hands willingly. Click. As the handcuffs locked into place, Baek Seong-cheol looked at them curiously.
“I can’t seem to exert much force. What are these?”
“Special handcuffs developed by the Magic Department. They drain the vitality and willpower of whoever’s wearing them. You could probably break them if you used enough force, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Attempting to escape during an arrest will significantly increase your sentence.”
“Increase my sentence…”
A smile touched Baek Seong-cheol’s lips. An increased sentence wasn’t much of a threat. Given his crimes, he was facing life imprisonment or the death penalty anyway.
But he had no intention of escaping. Even if he could escape in his current state, he’d be caught quickly. More importantly, he didn’t want to commit any more crimes.
It was time to pay for his sins. Having let go of all lingering attachments, Baek Seong-cheol accepted Kwon Tae-ho’s help in getting up.
“Um…”
Feifei approached the two hesitantly. Kwon Tae-ho looked at her for a moment, then sighed.
“May I… come with you…?”
“You can accompany us until we leave Chinatown and hand him over to the police.”
Feifei hesitantly approached Seong-cheol. Seeing this, Ha-yeon tugged at Kwon Tae-ho’s sleeve.
“What?”
“Um… should we… give them some space?”
“What? Leave the perpetrator to walk alone? Are you out of your mind?”
“I don’t think he’s going to run now. And… I think they need some time to talk… alone.”
Kwon Tae-ho considered Ha-yeon’s words for a moment, then sighed and stepped back.
“Just follow the road. Don’t try anything funny.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you, Enforcer…”
“Thank our rookie, not me.”
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“Ehehe…”
What was she giggling about? Kwon Tae-ho, a few steps away from the two, sighed, looking at Ha-yeon.
“An Enforcer doesn’t need special treatment. Being lenient towards criminals is a bad habit.”
“I-is that so? But this much is okay, right? They care about each other so much… at least a little time before the arrest…”
“It’s fine this time. But that kind of naivete will get you into serious trouble someday. Not all criminals are remorseful like Baek Seong-cheol.”
At Kwon Tae-ho’s words, Ha-yeon shrunk back like a child who had been scolded.
Perhaps he was too harsh. Feeling a pang of sympathy, Kwon Tae-ho cleared his throat.
“Well, every Enforcer has their own way of doing things. I can’t say your approach is entirely wrong. I was too harsh.”
“I knew it! Enforcers like me are needed too! Hee hee.”
“But you should lose that smug attitude.”
-Bonk!
“Ow!”
Kwon Tae-ho flicked Ha-yeon on the forehead. It was a playful gesture, but he was the strongest Enforcer, after all. The pain resonated through her skull, and Ha-yeon teared up, glaring at him.
“W-why did you hit me…!”
“Objectively speaking, your performance today was borderline failing. When we get back, we’ll go over every single mistake you made during this mission. So you can become a competent Enforcer.”
Leaving everything else aside, he needed to warn her about recklessly rushing into combat situations. It could have endangered not only Kwon Tae-ho but Ha-yeon herself.
“F-failing…? B-but… you’ll still give me the bonus, right…?”
“…….”
“Hey, you promised…! Don’t tell me you’re going back on your woooord-!”
Kwon Tae-ho raised his fist slightly, and Ha-yeon flinched, covering her head. Being around Ha-yeon was making him feel childish. Kwon Tae-ho was starting to worry about her training.
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After some time,
The four of them reached the entrance to Chinatown. A group of police officers, alerted beforehand, were waiting for them. At the front, Yoo Seol stood, waiting calmly.
“Ah, you’re here.”
Seeing Kwon Tae-ho, Yoo Seol walked towards them leisurely. However, her expression turned serious when she noticed the numerous cuts and bleeding on Kwon Tae-ho’s body.
“Your injuries are more severe than I expected. Are you alright? Should I call an ambulance? Or at least apply some emergency potion to stop the bleeding-”
“Do you know how much those cost? I’m fine. They’re not that serious, so don’t make a fuss. A little spit will heal them right up.”
“Are you suggesting I lick your wounds? Even for a dedicated assistant director like myself, that’s a bit much, especially in public…”
“What?”
“Huh?!”
Kwon Tae-ho frowned at Yoo Seol’s serious expression. Then, Yoo Seol chuckled, her voice returning to its usual calm tone.
“Well, I’m glad they’re not serious. I overreacted a bit because it’s so rare for you to get injured on a mission.”
“Right. And we have a rookie here, so please refrain from making such tasteless jokes.”
“I believe a little humor and wit can be a good lubricant in tense situations.”
“Making your boss out to be a pervert is neither humorous nor witty.”
Dismissing Yoo Seol’s joke, Kwon Tae-ho handed Baek Seong-cheol over to the police. Fortunately, Baek Seong-cheol was cooperative. This put the officers, initially apprehensive of the Sword Demon’s notoriety, at ease.
“Mister…”
“I’m fine, so don’t worry. It’s late, so go home.”
Though they might never see each other again after this, Baek Seong-cheol’s farewell to Feifei was utterly mundane. Tears welled up in Feifei’s eyes, and she hugged him tightly.
“Mister, I’ll visit you if I can… I’ll visit you regularly, for years, even decades…”
“Hahaha, thank you.”
He didn’t offer any comforting words like, Forget about me and live your life.
Baek Seong-cheol didn’t want to give up on Feifei, who had become such an important part of his life.
He wondered if such a luxury was allowed for a sinner like himself, but he still didn’t want to let her go.
“Please separate now.”
“She said to separate, Feifei. See you later.”
“Yes, see you later, Mister Seong-cheol…”
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After separating from Feifei, Baek Seong-cheol boarded the armored vehicle used for transporting Returnees. Kwon Tae-ho approached him.
“Hey, I’ll hear it during the interrogation anyway, but can I ask you one thing before you go?”
“What is it?”
“I want to know how you obtained the Avatar superpower. As you know, that ability is too easily abused for criminal purposes. I’d like to know what kind of person would illegally transfer such a superpower to others.”
Once the police learned about this, a full-scale investigation into illegal superpower transplants would begin. The country was extremely sensitive to the uncontrolled spread of abilities, especially superpowers.
“So? Who were they?”
Kwon Tae-ho wanted to know about them personally. He might be involved in the investigation after solving the Sword Demon case.
“Who were they…? Honestly, I don’t know much. I didn’t seek them out. They approached me while I was planning my revenge.”
“They approached you first?”
“They asked if I needed a superpower. They said they had the perfect ability for me. It’s strange, now that I think about it. How did they know what I was planning, and how did they know to give me the Avatar ability, which is perfect for hunting criminals…?”
Baek Seong-cheol hadn’t told anyone about his plans. Yet, “they” seemed to know everything, offering him the Avatar ability, which was incredibly useful for evading police investigations.
“And they visited me several times after giving me the superpower. They said it was some kind of experiment. They needed to check on my progress periodically…”
“What do you know about them?”
“Not much… They only ever said what they needed to say and left. And I wasn’t curious at the time. The person I met always wore a mask, so I never even saw their face.”
Then, Baek Seong-cheol added, as if something had just occurred to him.
“Come to think of it, the person I met said something like this: ‘It seems the superpower has taken root quite well. The Apostle is pleased.’…”
“Apostle?”
Just as Kwon Tae-ho was about to question the title…
-Thump!
“Ugh…?!”
Baek Seong-cheol suddenly clutched his chest in pain.
“Wait, Baek Seong-cheol?”
“Gah! Ugh!!”
Then, Baek Seong-cheol coughed up blood and collapsed.
For a moment, Kwon Tae-ho thought it was due to the injuries from their fight. But the reaction was clearly different. He had been stable just moments ago. Why was he suddenly vomiting blood?
“Uwaaaaaaaaagh!!!”
Baek Seong-cheol screamed in agony, writhing on the floor. Yoo Seol and Ha-yeon, who had been talking elsewhere, and the police officers rushed over.
“Hey, Baek Seong-cheol! Get a hold of yourself! What’s wrong?!”
“Uwaaagh!! Something… strange… ugh! What…!”
-Bubble. Gurgle.
Baek Seong-cheol’s skin began to swell. Starting from his chest, the abnormality spread rapidly throughout his body.
-Pop!!
“…Gah…”
Then, like a bursting balloon, Baek Seong-cheol’s body exploded. Blood and flesh splattered across the inside of the transport vehicle.
“What… what-”
“Enforcer Kwon! What happened?!”
“Eek! W-what…!”
Yoo Seol and Ha-yeon stared in shock. Even Yoo Seol, who had seen it all alongside Kwon Tae-ho, couldn’t bear to look directly at Baek Seong-cheol’s gruesome remains, let alone the trainee Ha-yeon.
“Mister…?”
A moment later, Feifei arrived. The instant she saw Baek Seong-cheol, a heart-wrenching scream tore from her throat.
“Agh! Aaaaaaaaagh!! Mister! Mister!!!”
“Call an ambulance! Get the emergency potions and start first aid! Now!!”
At Kwon Tae-ho’s command, the police officers sprang into action.
“Damn it… what the hell just happened…?”
Kwon Tae-ho muttered, staring at the scene in stunned silence.
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Four days later.
Kwon Tae-ho strode briskly down the hospital hallway. The nurses frowned at his loud footsteps, but he paid them no mind.
He stopped in front of a private room. A burly police officer stood guard at the entrance.
“Enforcer Kwon Tae-ho.”
“…….”
Having been informed beforehand, Kwon Tae-ho was allowed inside.
-Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
A steady heartbeat echoed softly in the room. On the single bed in the spacious room lay a middle-aged man with gray hair, his eyes closed.
“Baek Seong-cheol.”
At Kwon Tae-ho’s call, Baek Seong-cheol’s eyes fluttered open. His gaze was devoid of the strength and vitality of the formidable martial artist Kwon Tae-ho had faced just a few days ago.
‘He looks like that for a reason.’
Baek Seong-cheol was in critical condition.
He had multiple hemorrhages all over his skin. One of his eyes had ruptured and been removed, and his left arm, too severely damaged, had been amputated below the elbow.
“…It’s… good to see… a familiar face… after so long…”
Baek Seong-cheol’s voice was weak and raspy. His pitiful state evoked sympathy, but Kwon Tae-ho wasn’t one to offer pity lightly.
“So they amputated your arm after all. I guess you won’t be using your prized dual-swordsmanship anymore. I won’t have to worry about losing if we ever fight again.”
“Kuh… hack… is that any way… for an Enforcer to talk… to a dying man…?”
“We’re not exactly close enough for me to offer condolences.”
“That’s… true…!”
Baek Seong-cheol chuckled weakly at Kwon Tae-ho’s words, then winced in pain.
“Well… it might be… for the best… Power… can be a dangerous temptation… If this means I can lay down my sword… that’s… not so bad…”
He might have been consumed by revenge again if his body had been healthy.
Kwon Tae-ho shrugged at Baek Seong-cheol’s words.
If he were to fall back into revenge after crying and hugging Feifei, claiming revenge was meaningless, he’d be beyond redemption. But Kwon Tae-ho didn’t think Baek Seong-cheol was that foolish.
“Did the doctors tell you what caused your injuries?”
“Roughly. They said it was a superpower overload…”
“To be precise, it was an overload of psychic energy, the fuel for superpowers. That kind of thing happens when a superpower is used excessively, or when a superpower that doesn’t belong to you is forcefully transplanted, causing a rejection reaction.”
However, there were inconsistencies with that explanation. Baek Seong-cheol had handled the Avatar ability well, and he had never experienced any rejection reactions after receiving it.
Therefore, Kwon Tae-ho suspected a third possibility.
“But in your case, someone might have intentionally induced the psychic overload.”
“You mean… them?”
“Yes. The Apostle or whatever, and his lackeys. The overload occurred the moment you gave me information about them. It makes sense if they did it to silence you.”
Psychic overloads were often fatal. A superpower user’s fragile body couldn’t withstand the uncontrolled explosion of energy.
However, Baek Seong-cheol was not only a superpower user but also a highly skilled martial artist. This had allowed him to barely survive the psychic overload. If it was intentionally induced, the perpetrator’s objective had failed.
“Anyway, we learned one more thing. The bastards who gave you the superpower are worse than we thought.”
“Will you… catch them… too?”
“If the opportunity arises. The police have already started a full-scale investigation. I plan to volunteer once they have a clearer picture.”
“Heh… you’ll avenge me… that’s… reassuring…”
“It’s not revenge. I’m just doing my job. Don’t make it sound like something else.”
“Is that so? I understand. So, what’s the real reason you’re here…? I doubt you came just for small talk…”
“Heh. I noticed during our fight, but you’re pretty sharp.”
Kwon Tae-ho chuckled and pulled a document from his pocket.
“What’s that?”
“You might not know this, but Korea is severely lacking in prisons that can hold A-rank and above ability users. Executing them all like they do in America would be one way to handle it, but this country’s legal system is relatively lenient. Even the worst criminals are given a second chance.”
“Is that piece of paper… that second chance?”
“Normally, we’d lock you up for decades and wait for you to reflect and repent. But your case is special. It seems the higher-ups in the judiciary have a better offer.”
Baek Seong-cheol possessed formidable power, yet he was remorseful for his crimes and willing to cooperate. And although he had committed serial murders, the fact that his victims were all criminals themselves offered some room for leniency.
“So? What’s the offer?”
“Simply put, if you sign this document, you can serve your sentence in the military instead of prison. There’s a penal battalion made up entirely of criminals like you. You’re essentially still a prisoner, so you can’t leave as you please, and given the nature of the unit, you’re likely to be assigned to dangerous missions… But in exchange, you can regain your freedom after a much shorter service period than a prison sentence. You’ll be under surveillance, but you’ll be allowed occasional leaves and visits.”
“That’s… a tempting offer for a criminal…”
“Honestly, I don’t like the idea of using criminals like this. But I think it might be alright for you. At least I don’t think you’ll be stupid enough to commit another crime.”
Despite his words, Kwon Tae-ho had played a significant role in securing this plea bargain for Baek Seong-cheol. His testimony as the arresting Enforcer, stating that Baek Seong-cheol was cooperative and remorseful, had allowed the judiciary to consider alternative options.
“So? What will you do? The sooner you decide, the better. This kind of shady deal is likely to be withdrawn once the trial starts and more people get involved.”
“Is that so? Well, there’s nothing to think about.”
Of course, there wasn’t. Kwon Tae-ho nodded.
However…
“I refuse.”
“…What? Refuse? You’d rather serve time in prison?”
“Is there a problem with that?”
“I said there was room for leniency, but that was only for this deal. If this goes to trial, you’ll definitely get a life sentence. You still want to refuse?”
“Yes.”
Baek Seong-cheol’s resolve was firm. Kwon Tae-ho stared at him, puzzled. Baek Seong-cheol chuckled.
“That penal battalion… you said it was a shady deal, which means it’s probably a unit that specializes in shady business, right?”
“It’s supposedly for the country and its people, but… I doubt it’s all above board.”
“That’s why I refuse. I don’t want to use my sword for something wrong anymore. No, I just don’t want to cut anyone down anymore. Even if it’s for the right cause. I want to lay down my sword. That’s all.”
“Is that so?”
A faint smile touched Kwon Tae-ho’s lips. He had thought giving Baek Seong-cheol a second chance might be alright, but perhaps this was a better ending for him.
“Like I said, this country is desperately short on prisons. If you behave yourself, you’ll be eligible for parole in about twenty years. Maybe even sooner.”
“Twenty years… When I returned after fourteen years in that other world, this world had changed drastically. It’ll be even more different this time.”
Kwon Tae-ho watched Baek Seong-cheol’s wistful gaze, then turned to leave.
“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you.”
Just as he was about to leave the room, he turned back to Baek Seong-cheol.
“Normally, visitors aren’t allowed for criminals, but… she’s been making quite a fuss. I pulled some strings and scheduled a visit for tomorrow morning, so be prepared.”
He had practically forced the issue, but still.
Surprise flickered across Baek Seong-cheol’s face. Just as he was about to speak, Kwon Tae-ho turned away.
“I’m leaving.”
With those words, Kwon Tae-ho left the room. Baek Seong-cheol stared at the door for a long time, then clenched his fist and muttered,
Thank you.
Thank you so much, Kwon Tae-ho.
A single tear rolled down his cheek, still crusted with dried blood.
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bye mister
