Upon arriving in Yeongdeungpo, Suho followed the directions from his phone to an old villa.

“Another semi-basement, huh.”

In both the past and present, semi-basement apartments symbolized poverty.

Shaking his head, Suho stood before the single semi-basement unit in the building and pressed the doorbell.

No sound.

“Broken?”

He knocked instead.

Thud, thud, thud—

Still no response.

Knocking again, he called out:

“Nam Hae-won, are you home?”

Silence.

“No one’s home?”

No, that wasn’t right.

According to Nam Hae-won’s schedule, he should have left the rehab center and returned home by now.

Despite being a drug addict, Nam Hae-won was surprisingly punctual. He was genuinely trying to quit and attended the rehabilitation center regularly.

Realizing something was off, Suho activated a skill.

[ Magic Detection activated. ]

As the skill took effect, Suho sensed the surrounding mana.

Then, with a faint smirk, he noticed something.

A dense concentration of mana lay beyond the door.

“I knew it.”

Nam Hae-won wasn’t absent; he was deliberately keeping quiet, hiding inside.

Focusing further, Suho discerned the presence of multiple signatures.

“One, two, three… Four people total.”

Three uninvited guests.

Suho gripped the doorknob—an old, lock-and-key mechanism rather than an electronic one.

With a sharp tug:

Crack!

The knob broke off in his hand.

With Suho’s strength nearing the orange rank, a standard lock posed no challenge.

The door creaked open, revealing a disheveled Nam Hae-won pinned beneath a burly man, while two others stood nearby.

“Sigh…”

Suho exhaled heavily at the sight.

Before he could speak, one of the standing men barked at him:

“Who the hell are you?”

“What’s it to you?”

“What did you say, punk?”

“Shut up.”

Calmly stepping forward, Suho closed the distance.

One of the men moved to block his path—only to be met with a slap.

Smack! …Thud!

The man dropped instantly, sprawling across the floor.

His companions’ faces froze in shock.

Ignoring their reactions, Suho turned to the next man.

“Your turn.”

“Y-you bastard!”

Another slap rang out.

Smack! Crash!

Suho didn’t bother with weapons or fists. Slaps sufficed.

Most thugs couldn’t stay conscious after just one.

With the second man down, Suho shifted his attention to the leader, still sitting on Nam Hae-won.

The leader sneered, seemingly unphased.

Dusting himself off, he rose slowly, adjusting his jacket.

“Where the hell are you from?”

Smack! Crash!

This time, Suho hit harder. The leader flew back, crashing into the wall.

“Oops, maybe that was too much.”

Checking for a pulse, Suho confirmed the man was still breathing.

Satisfied, he turned to Nam Hae-won, who remained crouched on the floor.

The room was a mess.

Scattered trash, pill bottles, and several used syringes lay amidst the chaos.

Suho picked up one of the syringes, noting it was still damp—as if it had been used moments ago.

“This is…”

A drug needle, no doubt about it.

Inspecting Nam Hae-won’s arm and legs, Suho spotted fresh injection marks.

His expression darkened.

“Bastards.”

The thugs hadn’t just restrained Nam Hae-won—they’d forcibly injected him with drugs.

Suho gently laid the man flat and activated a healing skill.

[ Recovery activated. ]

Bright light enveloped Nam Hae-won as mana surged into his body.

Recovery was typically localized, but Suho had learned from Isabella that pouring in mana could expand its range.

“Information is still information.”

Pouring mana into the spell, Suho worked until Nam Hae-won stirred.

“Ugh…”

“Nam Hae-won, can you hear me?”

“W-where… am I?”

“You’re at home, in your apartment.”

His eyes widened briefly before panic set in.

“T-those people… Where are they?!”

Glancing at the unconscious thugs, Suho gestured with his chin.

Nam Hae-won gasped in shock.

“Wh-what happened to them?!”

“They weren’t cooperative, so I handled it. But about those syringes… Looks like someone injected you with drugs.”

Nam Hae-won frantically shook his head, tears welling up.

“No! It wasn’t me! I didn’t want this! They forced it on me—I swear! Please believe me!”

Seeing his tearful outburst, Suho pitied the man.

Nam Hae-won’s story was true—Suho knew it from future records.

In a famous interview years later, after gaining renown as a blacksmith, Nam Hae-won had revealed how the Changshik Gang had forcibly addicted him to drugs.

To calm him, Suho used the Ring of Emotions.

[ The Ring of Emotions reacts to the target’s strongest emotion: Black. ]
[ Absorbing the target’s emotion. ]

A black mist rose from Nam Hae-won, dissipating into the ring.

His trembling subsided, his breathing steadied.

Suho spoke softly:

“Feeling better now?”

Nam Hae-won nodded weakly.

“Good. I believe you. Those guys were with the Changshik Gang, right? I know them well—they force drugs on people to extort money and abilities.”

“T-the Changshik Gang?”

“Yeah, that’s their name. Scum like them always get what’s coming.”

Nam Hae-won managed a shaky nod.

Suho continued, “You’re attending a rehab center, right? Don’t worry. What they did to you is a serious crime. I’ll make sure they’re dealt with.”

“Really? Thank you! Thank you so much!”

Nam Hae-won bowed repeatedly, tears streaming down his face.

Suho stood and offered him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

“I’ll check back on you soon. For now, take care of yourself, alright?”

Activating Recovery once more, Suho ensured no lingering drug effects remained.

Nam Hae-won gazed at him in awe.

“You’re… a healer?”

“That’s right.”

After wrapping up the healing session, Suho rose to leave.

“Wait! Who are you? Can I know your name?”

Suho smiled.

“I’m Ahn Suho. Just a hunter.”

As Suho left, realization dawned on Nam Hae-won.

“Ahn Suho…? Could it be… that Ahn Suho?!”

His jaw dropped in disbelief.

At the Changshik Gang’s Hideout

Suho stood outside a dilapidated building in Mullae-dong.

The gang’s HQ doubled as a front for illegal activities.

The building’s sign read “Golden Maiden Hand.”

Suho clicked his tongue.

“Such a pretentious name for a bunch of thugs.”

Ascending the stairs to the second floor, Suho encountered a lone guard lounging near the entrance.

The man squinted at him.

“Who the hell are you?”

Suho replied flatly, “Where’s Changshik?”

“What?”

“I’m asking where your boss is, idiot.”

The thug’s eyes narrowed.

“Wait… You’re Ahn Suho, aren’t you?”

Smack! Crash!

The guard slumped unconscious.

Suho stepped over him, heading upstairs.

“Recognizing me won’t save you.”

Ahn Suho advanced toward the heart of the Changshik Gang’s territory.