Time for sleep.

  Entering his room, Jihyeon turned off the lights and lay on his bed as he always did. He grabbed his phone and began searching for information. To Jihyeon, the internet was the best window to the world; simply by connecting, he could uncover countless facts. Sometimes, he learned truths he wished he hadn’t—the very darkness of humanity itself.

  Of course, if he truly set his mind to it, he could find information even without the internet. Jihyeon's tool was capable of securing data regardless of connectivity. However, doing so placed a severe strain on him, so he tried not to push himself to the limit if the material was obtainable through conventional means. Even with his abilities, there was no need to seek out pain.

  By linking his consciousness to the phone, he could secure high-quality information with minimal use of his power. He figured he could find enough evidence to punish the loan shark without painfully diving too deep into the "Truth."

  That was what Jihyeon thought when he started.

  But the moment he discovered something, his expression shifted. It was something he had never expected.

  "..."

  Without a word, Jihyeon sat up. He went to the kitchen and drank a glass of water. He was so shocked that he felt he couldn't endure it without doing at least that much. It was the darkness of darkness—the kind of thing usually only found on the dark web. It was something that shouldn't exist.

  "What exactly did I just see...?" Jihyeon muttered, feeling the cold water slide down his throat. He thought he had seen the worst of it, but as always, human imagination exceeded common sense in the most horrific ways.

  "I don't even know if that's a human being..."

  He walked to the bathroom, washed his face with cold water to calm his nerves, and only then returned to his room. Initially, he thought it was just a loan shark playing games with interest rates. Anyone can set up a gambling site these days, even without a major gang. Luring people into private loans through those sites isn't exactly difficult work. Kids who gamble out of ignorance often make disastrous mistakes.

  Even with the best efforts from parents, salvation is difficult for those who choose the wrong path. Loan sharks often become a "false salvation" for them. Of course, the end of that path is ruin. If it’s an amount the parents can cover, it’s lucky; if not, things turn catastrophic.

  Still, if it had just been about predatory interest rates, Jihyeon would have only needed to look at how much they were cheating. Even for a loan shark, the police aren't fools; crossing certain lines brings no mercy. Jihyeon expected it to be at that "rational" level of illegal activity.

  But what he saw now defied all common sense.

  "I can't believe... that even in the business of private loans, they could completely abandon their humanity like this..." Jihyeon sighed. At that moment, he realized the information he needed to find lay beyond the web.

  He decided to endure the pain. He lay back down, determined to obtain the information even if it meant using the full power of his tool and paying the price in agonizing suffering. He couldn't even imagine how painful it would be to dig out the truth about this loan shark. But for his own sake—and for others—he had to secure this data and hand it over to the police.

  Adjusting his breathing, Jihyeon activated his first implanted tool: the power to access information. Immediately, pain began to sear his brain. It was a familiar ache, yet it was a pain he still wanted to reject with every fiber of his being. But using this as payment, he stepped closer to the truth he didn't want to see.

  "Urgh..."

  The groan of pain escaped his lips involuntarily. As always, it was difficult to bear. But Jihyeon didn't care. There were things he had to see, regardless of the cost.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  His consciousness sought out the office of the loan shark Jihyeok had mentioned.

  And there, he saw it. The darkness dwelling within.

  "Haah... haah..."

  His breathing became ragged. Drawing out the full power of a tool was always exhausting. But what he secured through that agony was a truth even darker than he had anticipated.

  "Haah... damn it..."

  Jihyeon barely managed to open his eyes and stare at the ceiling. Despite the throbbing headache, he had successfully secured all the data on the loan shark. What did that man think people were? And what could he even say about the victims? Jihyeon’s mind was blank. All he felt was a profound distrust of humanity. He knew the shark was crazy, but there were limits.

  "Just how far into madness do you have to go?"

  Jihyeon felt a chill of fear toward the loan shark who had built an office by forcibly implanting tools and using control devices on his subjects. If that were all, he would have just cursed the man and moved on. But behind the loan shark, there was something even greater.

  "I thought it was absurd when the gangs used students, but this is on a whole different level."

  Jihyeon shook his head. If these people were left alone, there was no telling what would happen. Yet, because they committed their evil so subtly among the populace, stopping them wouldn't be easy.

  "I need to go and talk to them right away..."

  He knew he had to organize the data. But his body wouldn't move. He had pushed himself too far; for now, he just needed to sleep. I'll handle this as soon as I wake up tomorrow. With that thought, Jihyeon closed his eyes. After tossing and turning for a long time in the grip of a migraine, he finally fell asleep. But for a long while, his breathing remained pained and heavy.

  Noisy again today.

  Jihyeok sighed as he watched the kids gambling. He couldn't fathom how much money they blew in the ten minutes between classes. Then they had the audacity to ask to borrow money and never pay it back. Thinking they could actually make money through gambling was laughable. Jihyeon had once explained the actual probability of winning to him. After hearing that and many other stories, Jihyeok realized gambling wasn't even worth looking at.

  Sure, he might play a light game for fun with friends. That was just entertainment. But for those clutching their phones now, the story was different. They might have already crossed a river of no return.

  "Phew..." Jihyeok sighed and prepared for the next class. They’d quiet down once the teacher arrived anyway.

  "Oh... I'm in trouble..." someone muttered. Probably lost money again. "What am I going to do about the loan?" another whispered. Reality seemed to be hitting that one. "Damn it... I thought I'd win this time and pay it back..." yet another was saying something delusional. Did he really think gambling worked that way? It was pathetic.

  "Crazy... I'm dead if those people come..."

  It sounded like someone had made a major mistake. Offering a silent prayer for their soul, Jihyeok sat at his desk.

  "Hey... someone lend me some money."

  The usual plea. But since everyone had already lent him money before, the response was cold. Jihyeok, having lent a few tens of thousands of won himself, had something to say.

  "Shit! If this keeps up, our organs are going to be sold!" one guy suddenly yelled in anger. Nobody had told him to gamble, and people had already helped him out. Why was he getting angry at them? It was absurd. It really was true that gambling destroyed people.

  Jihyeok decided to head out for a bit.

  "Hey, Jihyeok, lend me some money."

  The angry guy suddenly clung to him. Since he already owed Jihyeok money, it was infuriating.

  "You already borrowed from me. I'm not asking for it back right this second, but I'm short on my own living expenses," Jihyeok said, cutting him off.

  The guy snapped back irritably, "Hey, do you want me to get dragged away? Do you want me to die?!"

  What nonsense. To Jihyeok, the guy was just being unreasonable.

  "Fine, let's say I lend it to you. What are you going to do with it?" Jihyeok asked point-blank.

  "Well, I have to win it back... with that..."

  Everyone in the room knew what that meant.

  "...Don't talk nonsense," Jihyeok said coldly. The guy tried to say something more, but seeing the look in Jihyeok's eyes, he realized words wouldn't work.

  "Son of a bitch, I'm just asking for a little help..." Muttering curses, he moved on to another student. Jihyeok sighed. The gamblers had lost everyone's sympathy. There was no telling what they’d do next, but he knew there was nothing he could say to change them.

  "Haah..." With another sigh, Jihyeok went outside and messaged his brother.

  -- Jihyeok: Hyung, the kids are talking about their organs being sold and stuff, it's driving me crazy. They're grabbing anyone to borrow money, it's so annoying.

  Jihyeon replied instantly. Jihyeok explained everything that had been happening.

  It was a short reply, but for Jihyeok, it was enough. He didn't expect his brother to solve everything perfectly, but just telling him made Jihyeok feel more secure.

  Still, Jihyeok couldn't shake an ominous feeling. If the worst came to the worst... he didn't know. Though it was out of his hands, he returned to the classroom with a heavy heart.

  The next day, Jihyeok’s premonition became reality. The guy who had been shouting was absent.