A total mess.

  When Jihyeon arrived, no other words were needed to describe the situation. Cheol-min seemed to have forgotten his original purpose for coming here and was simply beating his own subordinates.

  In a sense, it was a typical reaction to power addiction. Rather than ruling over the power of the tool, he was being swayed by it, leading to nothing but mindless destruction.

  The scene was so filled with madness that none of the onlookers could even speak properly. Only a single tyrant, unable to control his rage, remained; no one caught in his path would escape unscathed.

  Jihyeon momentarily lost his words at the sight. Even for him, it was only natural to be stunned by such a spectacle.

  Assessing the situation wasn't difficult. A mere glance was enough, and the necessary information was automatically registered in his mind.

  At the same time, Jihyeon let out a sigh.

  While he felt sorry for Sang-il and his sister, Jihyeon was feeling a sense of dread realizing that this man was far more insane than he had initially thought.

  The only relief was that Sang-il's sister wasn't severely injured. It was terrifying to think what might have happened if Cheol-min had unleashed even more of his violence.

  Still, Jihyeon couldn't help but be appalled by Cheol-min's brutality.

  There was absolutely no reason to beat someone that severely just because they had tried to restrain him to avoid trouble when the police arrived.

  Yet, it seemed Cheol-min had no brakes. He was exerting violence that an ordinary person would never commit. His actions were so cruel that they made one feel pity even for the victim, despite him being a member of a violent criminal organization.

  Devastation.

  What else could be said? Cheol-min's fists, enhanced by physical strength, were more dangerous than most weapons. Of course, his own hands were not in good condition as a result, but Cheol-min didn't care about that at all.

  Jihyeon tried to stop Cheol-min first by saying he had called the police. He didn't want to witness someone being beaten to death.

  However, Cheol-min did not react. Instead, he attempted to continue his actions.

  "Hey, stop it already. You're going to kill him!"

  Fortunately, Cheol-min's subordinates seemed to snap out of it at the sound of Jihyeon's voice. Despite being terrified, they didn't seem willing to just watch their colleague die.

  But that only served to make Cheol-min even angrier.

  "You bastards!"

  Curses poured relentlessly from Cheol-min's mouth. Jihyeon sighed once more and cautiously approached to protect Sang-il's sister.

  Fortunately, because Cheol-min was busy venting his violence on his subordinates, he didn't pay attention to Jihyeon.

  He was completely out of his mind.

  As if he were on drugs, he swung his fists wildly. Apartment residents screamed at the sight, but Cheol-min didn't care.

  "Are you alright?"

  Jihyeon asked as he moved Sang-il's sister to a safe spot. Although she still looked terrified, she seemed to believe Jihyeon would protect her, nodding and following his instructions.

  "Aaaargh!"

  Screams echoed through the air. It seemed the subordinates had tried to calm Cheol-min's rage, but they immediately collapsed under the ensuing violence.

  "Good grief..."

  Jihyeon took a defensive stance to protect Sang-il's sister and watched Cheol-min. Realizing there was no one left to vent his rage on, Cheol-min turned his target toward Jihyeon.

  Behind Cheol-min, the area was filled with those injured by his violence. One could tell just by looking that none of them would be able to walk properly for a while.

  Yet, Jihyeon looked at Cheol-min with surprising calmness. He was very dangerous, but conversely, that meant he wasn't an impossible enemy to handle.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Mindful of the onlookers, Jihyeon thought about how to deal with the opponent. He shifted his position slightly while keeping his eyes on him.

  Cheol-min reacted to Jihyeon's movement. However, looking into Jihyeon's eyes, he couldn't bring himself to attack immediately.

  Instead, he began to babble nonsense. It was a sound that even Jihyeon found impossible to interpret.

  As if rage had scorched his brain, Cheol-min trembled violently and screamed something. Then, he charged straight ahead.

  As if he could only soothe himself by beating someone, Cheol-min craved nothing but violence.

  "Tch!"

  Cheol-min swung his fists mercilessly. Jihyeon deflected his attacks using the power of his tool. Since others were watching, he acted as if he were merely blocking to avoid fatal injuries rather than launching a direct counterattack.

  In truth, he could have taken him down at any moment, but he couldn't do so in front of so many witnesses.

  Instead, Jihyeon did his best to buy time until the police arrived. Fortunately, by deflecting all the attacks, he was able to stall without any major injuries. It was easy enough to parry linear, animalistic attacks.

  Meanwhile, the police arrived. They appeared flustered by the unexpected situation.

  "What do you think you're doing? Stop at once!"

  One of the arriving officers shouted to separate Jihyeon and Cheol-min. However, that voice only provoked Cheol-min further, and he charged at the officer like a rabid dog.

  "W-what!"

  The targeted officer shouted in surprise. Regardless, Cheol-min swung his fist.

  The officer had no choice but to scream. An ordinary person had no way to handle such an attack.

  However, police officers work in pairs.

  To save his partner, the other officer nearby used a Taser without hesitation. Even though Cheol-min was using a tool, he wasn't strong enough to withstand a Taser.

  Thud.

  Cheol-min collapsed on the spot. Cheol-min, who had been like an unstoppable wild beast, was finally neutralized.

  "Ah..."

  Sang-il's sister finally let out a sigh and burst into tears. It was a sign that the tension had finally broken.

  "Are you okay?"

  The officer who fired the Taser spoke to Jihyeon. Jihyeon merely nodded like a survivor who had barely escaped.

  "My goodness, what on earth happened here..."

  Only then did the people who had been watching everything start to speak. The remaining police reported their colleague's injury and requested backup.

  Jihyeon let out a sigh. It was because he suspected that things wouldn't simply end here.

  Still, thinking it was a relief it ended at this level, Jihyeon looked after Sang-il's sister.

  There were currently only two people in the Big Boss's room.

  While his son had gone out to cause another scene, the Big Boss had summoned the salesperson for a consultation. She had arrived immediately upon receiving the call and was speaking with him.

  However, it was more of a grievance than a conversation.

  He talked about his subordinates causing trouble after receiving tools, and his son taking a tool out without permission. It was about side effects he had never anticipated.

  But the salesperson simply listened to the Big Boss's words in silence. To her, this was within the expected range. She was merely appalled by the fact that it was more violent than she had imagined.

  "Is there no way to stop those brats from running wild when they can't control their own strength?"

  The Big Boss asked at the end of his story. While the best option seemed to be not using the tools at all, he seemed to have no intention of stopping their use.

  Instead, the Big Boss merely wanted the ones using the tools to be more submissive and, additionally, to remain quiet unless they were needed.

  "Unfortunately, there is no product in the form you desire. However, I can make them into robots with no emotions at all."

  The salesperson said that and smiled. At her words, the Big Boss wore a puzzled expression.

  "It's exactly as it sounds. I can make them like robots that do nothing and move only when a command is given. In exchange, once a command is issued, they will be willing to face death. It's a matter of choosing between a human or a well-behaved machine."

  The Big Boss looked slightly flustered at the salesperson's words. Even for him, such a thing required a bit of thought.

  But that hesitation was brief. Except for himself and a few subordinates, the rest were expendable until they proved their value.

  Moreover, the punks who acted tough in middle or high school were excellent meat shields. If he could use those kids more efficiently, it was by no means a bad deal for him.

  "Tell me more about it. What is it?"

  The Big Boss said to the salesperson. She then smiled and continued with a detailed explanation.

  "Once used, they can never return to their original state, so it must be used cautiously. However, the effect is certain. If they are people you are going to expend anyway, you will be able to use them to achieve your goals effectively."

  The Big Boss couldn't hide his laughter at the salesperson's words. Despite the various issues, he realized that using this would allow him to consume people efficiently whenever he needed.

  "Impressive. Your technology, that is."

  The Big Boss expressed his admiration with a hint of sarcasm. At his words, the salesperson merely smiled.

  "That is why we seek those who desire power like this. Without such things, there would be many foolish people who commit rebellion."

  The Big Boss snorted at the mention of rebellion. However, it was certainly a matter to consider.

  Even for a gangster, his son was someone who, even in his own eyes, had no answer. He needed a means to put a shackle on such a person if necessary.

  "If I could turn him back, I'd want to put it on my son right away... but I suppose there's no such convenient item, is there?"

  The salesperson shook her head as if it were a pity.

  "No. As I mentioned just now, there is no such item. If there were, it would have been much more helpful."

  The Big Boss let out a sigh at her words. Still, using what was available well would be enough.

  "Fine. Then let's make a deal."

  The Big Boss wanted certain control even if it cost more money. Therefore, this proposal was naturally acceptable. The price was also much more reasonable than he had expected.

  "It will only react to your DNA or that of your direct descendants."

  The salesperson explained various precautions and provided them in documents. Looking at them, the Big Boss nodded.

  "Then, I look forward to working with you."

  "Yes, thank you as always."

  And so the transaction ended, with content satisfying both parties. Watching the salesperson leave, the Big Boss merely sighed with somewhat complicated feelings.