For Jihyeon, subduing those who used Tools had become a part of his daily routine. It was a constant task, and he performed it everywhere he went—much like a hero in a movie.

  Today, Jihyeon intervened just in the nick of time, saving many lives. Without a moment to lower his guard, he mobilized everything he had to protect the people and neutralize the sinner.

  Currently, a man who had attempted assassination using a Tool lay subdued before Jihyeon. Though he struggled and flailed, he was no longer a threat. All that remained was to hand him over to the police.

  Jihyeon sighed as he looked down at the man. This man, who could no longer hide his information from Jihyeon's eyes, left him with a complicated feeling.

  He hadn't done this simply for money or to settle a grudge. It was a case of causing an unmanageable disaster for a reason much simpler, yet far more absurd.

  The man was suffering from so-called "eighth-grader syndrome" (Chuunibyou). Though chronologically an adult, his mind had never matured. He was a typical example of the pathetic individuals often found on the internet.

  Because he knew how pathetic he was, he desired to be a hero. He wanted to be someone better, someone different from his usual self. That in itself isn't necessarily a bad thing—longing to move in a better direction is human nature. If guided well, he could have turned out fine.

  However, the man went berserk in the wrong direction. A very wrong direction.

  An unstable mental state, but with financial means.

  The madness created by that combination turned him into a Tool user. He hadn't just bought a cheap, low-grade Tool meant for disposable use; he had purchased a high-end Tool with a significantly lower risk of berserk side effects.

  Of course, he had still crossed the line. Under current law, such individuals are strictly punished. Yet, had he not harmed anyone, this man might have even become a member of the police force.

  While vigilantism is forbidden by law, there were quite a few who became heroes through plea bargains. But the man did not do that.

  No, he couldn't do that.

  He could not overcome his own desires. A Tool is, after all, just a tool. One who cannot control themselves will commit acts of madness just as easily as those consumed by low-grade Tools.

  Thanks to that, Jihyeon was the one who suffered. The man became a criminal, but there was no remorse. He was merely furious, claiming he hadn't finished what he needed to do.

  That was dangerous.

  Twisted madness painted his thoughts with rage, and that rage would always lead others to misery. Therefore, Jihyeon needed to completely neutralize him before he could cause an even bigger incident. Thus, Jihyeon extracted his Tool entirely.

  The man screamed and resisted in an unsightly manner, but Jihyeon didn't care. He simply did what had to be done.

  By now, Jihyeon could extract a Tool with only minimal memory loss to the subject. His vast experience allowed him to return those possessed by Tools to normal humans without leaving them in a coma.

  The man was now just a helpless human waiting for his day of judgment. His attempts to kill his target—and even Jihyeon—would remain only as a record.

  But for Jihyeon, extracting Tools at a minimal cost was not a pleasant task. While it saved many, it would be far better if such people never existed in the first place.

  Yet, the number of fools only seemed to increase endlessly.

  Originally, Tools were illegal items used by thugs in back alleys who were willing to risk their lives. Ordinary people shouldn't have known about them, nor should they have encountered them in their lifetime.

  However, Tools had now completely spiraled out of control. Suddenly, they had become a danger to life, liable to appear at any moment in everyday existence.

  Of course, the state was trying its best to cope, but it wasn't an easy task. It was only natural, as even the pinnacle of modern science could not manage them.

  Stolen story; please report.

  That was why Jihyeon could become a hero. He was one of the few who could stop the immediate threats.

  However, Jihyeon could not be a doctor who cured the root of the problem. Human limits were something that even his near-infinite access to information could not overcome. It was impossible for Jihyeon to abandon a person dying before his eyes to chase those he couldn't guarantee catching.

  Because of this, the police did their best in his stead, but Jihyeon's heart grew heavy when he thought of how much blood had been shed in the process.

  He had to be grateful that no blood was shed today. Jihyeon let out a sigh as he watched the still-squirming man.

  The Tool Jihyeon acquired this time granted the ability of sniping. In the wrong hands, it would be a simple matter to turn the city into hell. It was a Tool with performance equal to the one Lee Young had. The fact that such a grade was being distributed sent a chill down Jihyeon's spine.

  By sheer chance, if Jihyeon hadn't spotted the man whose information was hidden from his eyes, a madness-driven sniper might have engaged in indiscriminate slaughter.

  While he was glad he stopped it, Jihyeon was also terrified. Not just by the distribution itself, but because he knew nothing about who was behind it.

  What are they thinking, distributing things like this?

  Jihyeon couldn't understand those who sold such things. They did everything in their power to keep society in a state of chaos. It was a thought pattern different from that of ordinary criminals.

  But because of them, those trying to maintain social order were left scrambling in confusion.

  It was depressing. Jihyeon sighed once more.

  It would be slightly better if this were only happening in Jihyeon's hometown. But now, all over the country, people were dying and blood was flowing because of Tools. Unarmed humans were utterly helpless against it. Each day only updated the record of what kind of tragedy a single person's sin could create.

  As a result, some criminals who possessed Tools were being deployed to scenes. In exchange for pardoning their crimes, they were tasked with facing those who were beyond the reach of the police.

  It was something that should never have happened. But reality forced such choices upon people.

  Jihyeon hated it. No, he loathed it.

  Some of those who made plea bargains acted as if they were grand heroes. The sight of criminals forgetting their place was simply nauseating to Jihyeon.

  Yet, in places Jihyeon's hands couldn't reach, such people were necessary. They were a necessary evil.

  Seok-yeong always watched such people with wariness and loathing, believing they would one day become a great threat. Jihyeon agreed with Seok-yeong's sentiment.

  Still, there was no choice.

  Because it truly was unavoidable, Jihyeon could only offer a bitter smile. Fortunately, the police arrived without delay to take the man, and Jihyeon let out one final sigh.

  Lee Jang-min gladly accepted his task for today. To him, today was a day for a fun hunt. A very enjoyable hunt.

  He was a man who had committed murder using a Tool. In fact, those he killed hadn't even committed any great evil. Their "sin" was simply making Jang-min feel bad.

  But Jang-min had purchased an expensive Tool and fabricated a reason why they "had" to be killed. Though the reasons were faked, the dead can't speak, and thanks to that, Jang-min was now a member of the "heroes" under the approval of the police high-ranking officials.

  It was a so-called plea bargain.

  Of course, the man in the hoodie who had subdued him loathed Jang-min. He seemed to have seen through the trap Jang-min had laid. However, his opinion seemed to have been ignored by the higher-ups.

  Now, Jang-min used his SNS accounts to brag about his glamorous life as a hero, satisfying his desire for attention. Watching those who followed him made Jang-min feel nothing but joy.

  Of course, as much as he played the hero, Jang-min was always dispatched to dangerous locations. These were places where ordinary people would die instantly if they dared to step in.

  But the power of the Tool allowed Jang-min to forget fear. He simply went wild, beating his targets to a pulp.

  Normally, Jang-min only needed to subdue them. But he would turn his opponents into a bloody mess. Ordinary humans died too easily; he needed an appropriate punching bag to show off his strength.

  And those who went berserk were perfect for that. Jang-min poured his madness into such individuals without restraint.

  Jang-min looked forward to seeing who would bleed under his fists today. Beneath a smile of unmistakable cruelty, he was buzzing with excitement.

  Arrival at the scene.

  Now it was his time to go wild. The opponent before him was today's punching bag, who would soon be screaming and covered in blood. Jang-min walked forward, anticipating the kind of screams he would hear.

  But it seemed today was not his day.

  "Aaargh!"

  A scream.

  Jang-min never expected that he would be the one screaming before he even got close, hit by a massive impact. He couldn't even register what the nature of the impact was.

  But the pain was real. An agony that even his powerful defense could not mitigate completely neutralized Jang-min. He was good at hitting others, but infinitely weak to his own pain; his spirit broke after just one attack.

  This was impossible. What on earth had caused this?

  But Jang-min seemed to not yet fully understand the situation. That was his misfortune.

  The person who had been causing the commotion until now smiled at Jang-min. It was a cruel smile, the exact same one he usually gave his opponents.

  His opponent was wearing clothes worn by the followers of the Cult that had been making headlines lately. And their hands were already stained with blood.

  He didn't immediately grasp what that meant.

  But one thing was certain.

  He stood neutralized before an existence that even the police couldn't stop. That fact filled Jang-min with terror.

  However, the real horror hadn't even begun. Soon, he experienced a nightmare he never wanted to endure—a "valuable" experiment using his own body to hear exactly what sound it makes when a human is being beaten.