Chapter 17: I Was Kidnapped (1)
“……Uh, ugh.”
The man let out a groan, but everything was drowned out by the loud music.
“Why do people think places with lots of people are safe?”
Hyeon-yul expressed his doubt.
“When I can see anywhere and go anywhere.”
The CCTV was already covered.
Pretending to familiarly place a hand on the man’s shoulder, Hyeon-yul stretched out his fingers.
A black power enveloped Hyeon-yul’s index finger, transforming it into something sharp like a blade.
He quietly drove it into the man's neck.
“Did you think you could mess with someone else’s livelihood and get away unscathed?”
If he hadn’t touched his livelihood, I would never have thought of biting.
If he had merely barked, I would have just let it pass.
“You’re not going alone, so if there’s an afterlife, wait there.
I’ll send them over one by one.”
Hyeon-yul stepped back, then naturally walked among the people and disappeared.
Thump.
The man slumped over the table.
He bled quietly, obscured by the loud music.
‘Ms. Chu Na-yoon told me something useful.’
Hyeon-yul lightly moved his feet as he climbed the hill towards his house.
She said that when you leave a building wearing the smartwatch, the time gets recorded.
I learned one more thing through theory today: the times for getting on and off the bus are also automatically updated.
This wasn’t an invasion of privacy, but a measure to protect Black Eagles, apparently.
For example, if the time getting on the bus was recorded, but the time getting off was missing, they'd judge that there was a problem in between and send people.
The time the guy I just killed died and the time I got off the bus were only two or three minutes apart.
‘What will happen this time? Will it be quiet?’
Lost in speculation and curiosity, Hyeon-yul took off his smartwatch, and by the time he reached the top of the hill, a long sigh escaped him out of irritation.
“…Ha.”
There was an uninvited guest in front of his house.
It was obvious the Poison King had sent them.
Today was a rather tiring day.
“What is it this time?
Just get straight to the point.”
As Hyeon-yul spoke looking at the woman, she silently held out a letter.
Hyeon-yul glanced down at the letter.
He chuckled briefly, then opened the envelope and looked inside.
「Due to my subordinate's incompetence, I ended up giving you a poisoned business card. I wish to treat you to a meal as an apology for this matter.」
It seemed polite, but it didn't look that way in Hyeon-yul's eyes.
It was just pretending to be polite.
“Is he angry because I didn’t contact him?”
Hyeon-yul asked with a smile.
There was only one person before his eyes right now, but dozens already surrounded this place.
Why would so many people come?
It meant refusal only meant death.
“I don’t know anything.
I was merely told to escort you.”
The woman spoke politely.
“What if I say I won’t eat?
Do you have to drag me there by force?”
“Please, I hope you will come.”
“Is the Poison King coming too?”
“I do not know.”
Hyeon-yul’s gaze wasn’t on what was in front of him, but somewhere far away.
“Do you know it’s troublesome for so many people to come to a Moon Village like this?”
Just as the woman blinked, Hyeon-yul disappeared and reappeared behind the man hiding farthest away.
By the time everyone was looking for the vanished Hyeon-yul, he slammed his hand down hard on the man’s shoulder.
“I draw attention, you see.”
The man flinched and slowly looked at Hyeon-yul.
“Isn’t that right?”
The man trembled at the killing intent radiating from Hyeon-yul’s fingertips.
Something was different.
A strong feeling, cold and sticky, emanated from him.
“Would you tell them to get lost if they don’t all want to die?
I don’t particularly like being the center of attention.”
Hyeon-yul felt disgusted just by them looking at him, whether they were hiding or not.
It reminded him of that time, trapped in a transparent container, turned into a spectacle.
“If you don’t answer, I might just assume things myself.”
Hyeon-yul waited quietly, then felt a strong killing intent approaching.
‘They have no sense of consideration at all.’
Whether they knew he worked for the Black Eagles or genuinely didn't know.
But only one thing mattered.
They were the ones who showed killing intent first.
“Do you think you can subdue me with just that number?”
A sneer escaped Hyeon-yul.
They should know what he had done.
He cut off his boss’ head.
He slaughtered all those who struggled.
He simply erased an entire company.
“Are you really going to try?”
Despite the warning, their attitude didn't change.
Since it was right in front of his house, he honestly didn't want to cause a scene, so he asked one more time.
“We are merely following orders.”
Hyeon-yul smiled quietly at that answer.
“Fine.”
If that’s what they wanted.
Hyeon-yul briefly looked up at the sky.
Summer had already passed, so the sky was darkening quickly.
From the shadow beneath Hyeon-yul’s feet, a smoke-like power writhed.
No matter what power they used, whatever they did, it was useless if they couldn't stop the night.
Because as a test subject, his body had become darkness or shadow itself.
This entire place was, in effect, him.
‘Into the darkness.’
Powers extending like hands from the darkness snatched the men’s bodies.
The moment they touched that power, the men felt an indescribable discomfort.
Before they could even move their bodies to escape, they were dropped into the shadow.
As if fallen into a hell where one only falls endlessly, it felt like their heads would split open from all the smells entering their nostrils with every breath, and the place, a tangle of countless locations like the sea, mountains, buildings, someone’s room, inside a company, made their eyes burn as if they would melt.
They wanted to scream in pain, but even that wasn't permitted.
Crunch.
With a sound like something being chewed, they stopped breathing.
When Hyeon-yul looked down, stark white teeth were revealed in the shadow.
Seeing the expression that seemed to grin as if asking 'Did I do well?', Hyeon-yul felt intense displeasure.
‘…You’re the ones who made me like this.’
They made him become not a person, but a monster.
Didn’t they want a monster that would destroy the Empire?
Hyeon-yul covered his face with his hands, then slowly lowered them.
An emotionless expression was revealed.
Hyeon-yul took out a cell phone from within the shadow.
He had taken it before the men were devoured by the shadow.
He called the most recently contacted number.
“Was it so difficult to ask if I had time before inviting me?”
It was after work.
He was about to go home and relax leisurely.
‘If I ever meet him, I should kill him.’
<It seems my people were rude.>
“Whether I eat or not is my freedom.
You’re not even my boss, so why are you being such an ass?”
Why didn't they know he’d be quite satisfied with this kind of response?
<I will send people again, so could you please wait a moment?>
“Why should I?”
<It will be quick. Aren’t you curious about me?>
Without answering, Hyeon-yul swallowed the phone with his hand.
Watching it silently disappear, enveloped in darkness, Hyeon-yul took out his own phone.
‘Respected Team Leader… what should I text her?’
Normally, there would be no need.
In the company run by the villain, people were just parts.
He thought it wouldn't be much different here, but still, hadn't Hae-ryeon said that last time?
—You can't even pretend to go. That itself is dangerous.
What should he do in this situation?
Hyeon-yul closed his eyes for a brief moment.
—Please come up with a reason even a workplace superior can understand.
‘Understand…?’
Hyeon-yul pondered for a moment, then slowly opened his eyes wide.
This was the only phrase that fit the current situation best.
[Respected Team Leader. I’ve been kidnapped.]
Isn’t it commonly called kidnapping when someone suddenly shows up and tries to take you away by force?
He didn’t even pretend to go.
He was scheduled to be dragged away by force, so he hadn't violated Hae-ryeon's words either.
To increase credibility, Hyeon-yul immediately turned off his phone.
‘Leaving this near the house would make it seem more plausible, right?’
He considered leaving the phone in front of his house, hesitated, then gently placed it in a nearby bush.
It would be troublesome if he lost it since he had just changed it recently.
‘Stay there quietly.’
Whether the route to the location was a secret or not, they blindfolded him.
But it was useless against Hyeon-yul.
He moved his eyes and observed all the surrounding buildings, figuring out where he was going.
‘Changed cars twice, and where were we going? It was actually a restaurant?’
The place was far from the city.
It looked like a high-end restaurant.
The moment he saw it, he felt resentment twisting inside him.
When he used to act as Shin Dae-ho’s designated driver, the places they occasionally visited were also rather large restaurants like this one.
Perhaps they had rented the whole place.
They concealed the location, used stairs to obscure the floor number, and even guided him to a place completely enclosed on all sides, making it impossible to gauge the position.
Hyeon-yul withdrew his power as he felt the cloth covering his eyes being removed.
When the blindfold came off, a woman wearing a mask was sitting in front of him.
He understood the intention to hide her identity, but Hyeon-yul couldn't help but laugh.
‘It’s not the Poison King.’
As expected.
“Thank you for complying.”
It was the same voice he had heard just moments ago.
“Should this be considered complying?
I came because I wanted to see the Poison King, not you.
Is he coming?”
“You will be able to see him next time.”
“Is that confirmed?”
“It is confirmed if you join hands with us.”
She smiled brightly.
It was absurd.
“Do I look like a pushover?”
“How could that be?
Shouldn't we also exercise some caution?”
“That’s a good attitude.
However.”
Hyeon-yul took out a dagger from his grasp and stabbed it into the table.
Thwack!
With a strong impact, the table shattered.
Hyeon-yul’s lips curled upwards.
“You should have considered your opponent more carefully.”
Hyeon-yul looked at the villain in front of him.
“Do you think you can leave here alive?”
“……”
The smile that lingered on her lips quickly vanished.
“…Please forgive my rudeness.
I am also under orders.
However, I will do my best to satisfy the conditions.”
“Everyone who has scouted me so far has been the boss.
Does this alone tell you how rude this is?”
Even among villains, there were ranks.
How arrogant this situation was.
Hyeon-yul looked at the woman with a defiant attitude.
As intense killing intent surged, she trembled uncontrollably.
“I’m hungry now, so I’ll eat first.
Let’s think slowly while eating.”
“I will prepare the food shortly.”
“Ah, if you desire me, could you please tell him to come himself next time?
Also mention that if he pulls such useless stunts, I’ll just kill everyone he sends, no matter who they are.”
“Understood. I will definitely… relay the message.”
Hyeon-yul looked at the tense villain, then casually waved his dagger.
“Just a moment.”
Hyeon-yul’s gaze moved quickly.
There were exactly nine people here.
“There are nine people here, huh?”
Mouths to provide information.
A mouth to deliver information to the Poison King.
One should be sufficient.
Hyeon-yul smiled faintly.
He had clocked out, but he was now a Black Eagle.
Simply letting villains go felt somehow laughable.
“Who wants to deliver the message?”
Hyeon-yul asked lightly.
What would the Poison King want?
He was the type who wouldn’t bat an eye even if all his subordinates died anyway.
He felt the expression of the villain before him stiffen.
“But I must explain the conditions……”
“Have you forgotten the way of the villains?”
Power with power.
Obtain what you want by any means necessary.
“I’m in the middle of raising my value, why interfere?”
Hyeon-yul reacted as if exasperated.
He was trying to act like a villain, so what was the problem?
“Don’t like it?
Then just win.”
“……No. You are quite splendid.”
“Let’s begin after I finish eating.”
Hyeon-yul said as cheerfully as possible.
Since they dragged him here forcibly, it was only natural they should endure this much.
After all, the one he killed was the heavyweight, Shin Dae-ho.
Hyeon-yul turned his gaze.
In that instant, he vanished from his seat and stood before a man.
“Oh dear, now there are eight.”
As if predicting the future, the man's head fell along with Hyeon-yul's swinging hand.
“The competition has lessened.
Rejoice.”
Along with the splattered blood, Hyeon-yul smiled.
In that place where everyone held their breath, the sound of Hyeon-yul’s footsteps, as he slowly began to walk, became distinct.
Crazy bastard.
The villains there couldn't help but think that as they looked at Hyeon-yul.