Nothing changed after that.

Slap! Crash!
Slap! Crash!
Slap! Crash!

Every single thug fell after just one slap. At some point, they recognized Suho and avoided approaching him altogether.

It was almost laughable.

The Changshik Gang was a criminal organization where more than 80% of its members were awakened individuals. Despite the severe punishments for organized crime in Korea, the fact that gangs still existed in this era was evidence of the country's deteriorating public security.

Moving smoothly through the gang members, Suho arrived on the third floor.

When he opened the door, Im Changshik, the gang's boss, was already seated, frowning as though he'd been informed of the commotion earlier.

Upon seeing him, Suho chuckled.

"Hah."

What a joke.

Despite all the chaos, the man still sat there like that?

Im Changshik raised his voice, sensing the absurdity in Suho's chuckle.

"Ahn Suho Hunter, what on earth are you doing all of a sudden?"

"All of a sudden? You started this, remember?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Still playing dumb?"

"What dumb act?"

"You messed with Nam Hae-won first. I just met him earlier. Are you seriously going to feign ignorance until the end?"

"Nam Hae-won?"

As Im Changshik feigned ignorance, one of his subordinates quickly whispered into his ear, briefing him.

His frown deepened as he responded.

"What about him?"

"What about him? You turned my closest friend into that, and you have the nerve to ask what about him?"

"Friend."

The word seemed to shock not only Im Changshik but also the surrounding gang members, their eyes widening in disbelief.

Finally understanding the gravity of the situation, Im Changshik stood and motioned for his subordinates to leave.

When they hesitated, he shouted.

"Get out, you idiots!"

"Y-yes, boss!"

The thugs scrambled to leave.

How pitiful.

They couldn’t even stand up to him, yet now they pretended to act tough.

Once the room cleared, Im Changshik adjusted his tone.

"It seems there’s been a misunderstanding. Let’s sit and talk this out."

"Misunderstanding?"

"Yes, a misunderstanding."

"Do you truly believe that?"

As Suho stepped closer, Im Changshik hastily issued a warning.

"I’m warning you, if you lay a hand on me, I’ll call the police—"

"What nonsense."

Slap! Crash!

Im Changshik flew to the floor.

Did he just mention the police? From a gang leader’s mouth?

More surprising, however, was that Im Changshik didn’t pass out from the slap.

"Ugh…"

Blood dripped from his mouth as Suho grinned.

"Not bad. You’re the boss, after all. Didn’t faint in one hit."

"You… I’ll never let this…"

"Never let what? Let’s see how long you can keep saying that."

Suho clenched his fist.

As Im Changshik tried to push himself up against the wall, Suho’s fist came crashing down on his head like a hammer.

Thud!

A heavy sound.

And then.

Thump.

Im Changshik finally passed out.

Suho grabbed the unconscious man by the collar, dragged him across the floor, and opened the dimensional pocket.

He tossed him inside and shut the door.

"You’ve been on my list for a while. Enjoy."

Changshik Gang’s True Nature

The Changshik Gang wasn’t just a small-time organization.

They had grown into a pseudo-corporate syndicate, operating like a guild-style mafia. Despite their growth, they had evaded legal consequences through cunning tactics, creating numerous victims until Suho stepped in to put an end to it.

Im Changshik was nothing short of a cancerous tumor to society.

That’s why Suho didn’t intend to simply slap him around and leave. This time, he wanted to deliver a real punishment.

After securing Im Changshik, Suho glanced around and picked up the nameplate on the boss's desk.

He flung it out the window.

Crash!

"What’s going on?!"

"Boss!"

Hearing the sound of breaking glass, the gang members rushed back.

Suho smirked as he addressed them.

"Your boss ran away."

"What?"

"He bolted. Can’t you tell?"

Pointing to the chaos around the room and the shattered windows, Suho’s words left the gang confused.

They were on the third floor, but Im Changshik was a near-level 100 Hunter. Escaping from this height was entirely plausible.

Even so, a few of the gang members peered out the window to check.

"As if you’d see him."

Of course, Im Changshik wasn’t there.

Suho, seeing their hesitation, added with a threatening tone:

"What now?"

"What do you mean, what now?"

"Your leader’s gone. What are you going to do? I’m dismantling this place, so who wants to get tangled up and end up in Cheong-ok Prison?"

"C-Cheong-ok? You mean… next to Cheong-song?"

"You know your geography. I’ve mentioned in interviews that my goal is the Great Hunters’ Association. I’m still in contact with them, so if you don’t want to be dragged to prison with your boss, leave everything behind and disappear. Otherwise, I’ll personally ensure you all rot in Cheong-ok."

The threat sent chills down their spines.

Suho was half bluffing—no, about 80% serious. With the help of his senior, Pi Seong-yeol, it wasn’t an impossible feat.

As the gang members exchanged nervous glances, they began retreating one by one.

Suho clicked his tongue.

"Tch. Typical thugs, no loyalty whatsoever. Listen up. If even a single document goes missing, I’ll hunt each of you down myself. Leave empty-handed if you want to live."

The gang members fled, scattering like cockroaches.

Good.

Run far and wide. Scatter like the pests you are.

The Hidden Vaults

Once the building was emptied, Suho destroyed the CCTV systems and computer storage devices. Activating Mana Detection, he scoured the building.

[Mana Detection activated.]

Though the building was supposedly empty, Suho sensed mana sources on the second and third floors.

Uncovering hidden compartments, he found mana-operated dimensional safes.

"Predictable."

Inside were likely records of their shady dealings.

Inspecting the third-floor safe first, Suho realized it was a top-tier product, operable only by the registered user’s mana.

Even with Suho’s current strength, destroying it was impossible.

But he wasn’t worried.

As long as it was metal, Suho had a universal cheat key.

"Bulgasari."

"Bul-bul."

A mass of mana condensed in the air, and Bulgasari appeared.

The creature, now the size of a small dog, was set to this compact form by default.

Pointing at the safe, Suho asked:

"Think you can just take off the door?"

"Bul-bul!"

Confidently, the Bulgasari bit into the safe like it was made of tofu.

"Crunch, crunch, crunch."

The gnawing was loud but effective. Soon, Suho was able to access the safe’s contents.

It was filled with important documents, gold bars, and stacks of cash—assets likely hidden in anticipation of their accounts being frozen.

Among the records, one caught Suho’s attention: a ledger specifically tracking individuals like Nam Hae-won.

Suho’s brow furrowed as he read.

"Disgusting…"

The Changshik Gang’s operations were rooted in loan sharking.

Initially, they targeted regular citizens, gradually amassing power by recruiting Hunters and exploiting awakened individuals. With Hunters yielding greater profits, they eventually escalated their operations to include drug addiction schemes, deliberately hooking victims to drain them dry—what they referred to as "addiction work."

Resistance was futile for their victims.

Whether willingly or not, once someone used drugs, they became a criminal under the law. Modern drugs, especially those tailored for players, were far stronger than ordinary narcotics, leaving victims with no choice but to succumb.

"Thinking back, Nam Hae-won was a rare exception."

Nam Hae-won’s escape from their clutches had only been possible due to his unique traits.

After tossing the ledger into his inventory, Suho headed down to the second floor and opened the other safe.

Inside, he found drugs, the gang's operational funds, and illegal weapons. He collected everything before handing the remaining safes to Bulgasari.

"Have at it."

"Bul-bul."

Bulgasari eagerly devoured the safes while Suho activated his skill.

[Entering Dimensional Pocket House.]

Inside the Dimensional Pocket

Smack!

"Ughhh!"

The sound of a powerful slap snapped Im Changshik back to consciousness.

"Where am I?"

His vision cleared, revealing Suho standing before him. Im Changshik scrambled to his feet in shock.

"Y-you!"

"What’s the plan? You just going to lounge around all day?"

"W-what? You knocked me out, didn’t you?!"

"And?"

"What do you mean, 'and'?"

Before Im Changshik could continue, Suho’s fist collided with his face.

Crunch!

The blow was brutal. Im Changshik clutched his face, groaning as he collapsed to the ground.

"Aghhh!"

Just one punch.

But it was enough to break his nose and knock out several teeth.

It wasn’t surprising—Suho’s strength stat was nearing the Red level threshold.

Suho smiled coldly.

"You’ve been kidnapped."

"W-what?!"

"This place is my domain. No one else can enter. Consider it the perfect environment for you to reflect on your actions."

"What are you—"

Without another word, Suho grabbed his arm and pulled out a syringe.

The contents? The drugs Suho had confiscated earlier, the same ones used to addict victims like Nam Hae-won.

Im Changshik’s eyes widened in terror.

"W-wait!"

"Shut up."

"Aaargh!"

Suho twisted his arm, immobilizing him as he calmly injected the drug.

Two doses.

Given Im Changshik’s nearing one-star rank as a Hunter, one injection wouldn’t have been enough.

The effects were immediate.

Im Changshik flailed wildly, his limbs convulsing as the drug coursed through his veins. His body eventually stiffened, his mouth producing guttural sounds.

"Ughhh…"

The drug, called Illusion, had taken hold.

"That’s right," Suho said coldly. "The same 'Illusion' you distributed. Let’s see how you handle it."

As the drug’s effects intensified, Suho laid several more syringes filled with Illusion in front of him.

"You won’t resist, will you? After all, this is your product."

Leaving Im Changshik to his torment, Suho exited the Dimensional Pocket.

Im Changshik would suffer for days, perhaps weeks. He would endure the worst withdrawal symptoms imaginable while simultaneously experiencing the most euphoric highs.

As an "elite gangster," Im Changshik had prided himself on never using the drugs he peddled—not even cigarettes. But now, he would experience firsthand the hell he had inflicted on others.

An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.

This was the first punishment Suho would deliver to Im Changshik.