In the dimly lit room, there was only one person. There were no physical restraints, but still, the sole human in the room was trembling with fear.

  Terror.

  Mina was shaking in abject terror in this place. The memory of being kidnapped and nearly killed by the cult people last time still tormented her.

  Fortunately, it was a memory that was slowly fading, but the nightmares of that day, which resurfaced occasionally, were not easily cured even with the help of the hospital.

  But that couldn't be helped.

  It wouldn't be easy for anyone to maintain sanity in such a situation.

  On that day, the Leader had clear murderous intent. Her eyes were filled with hatred and madness, and all of it was directed only at Mina.

  That gaze would probably never be forgotten. Mina would never be able to forget that moment, along with the numerous curses directed at her.

  If Jihyeon hadn't saved Mina that day, she would have died. The Leader was no longer the kind woman she had known before, and she had long ago abandoned any hesitation.

  However, perhaps miracles sometimes happen.

  Jihyeon stood proudly against the Leader and fought her at a truly dangerous moment. And he saved her and took her out.

  That moment would probably be unforgettable in a different way than the Leader. Even though he wasn't someone who liked her, he was still the benefactor who risked his life for her.

  But would such a miracle happen this time too?

  No one could know. Mina didn't expect Jihyeon to be able to come here, as she didn't even know where this place was.

  She was afraid.

  She didn't know why she had become a target for this kind of thing. But regardless of her will, fate had led Mina into danger once again.

  They say that crises come without warning, but who would have thought that it would repeat so often?

  Nothing unusual should have happened today either. Even this morning, it was actually a normal day. A routine of just going to school and resting at home.

  However, someone blocked her path as she was heading to school. And without giving her a chance to resist, they immediately kidnapped her.

  They were very skilled. They kidnapped her with movements that had no waste, as if they had done it many times.

  What was particularly surprising was that they made Mina lose consciousness without giving her a chance to scream. Mina only remembered a metallic smell as the last thing, as if they had obtained some kind of drug.

  And when she opened her eyes, what Mina saw was a ceiling she had never seen before. She was left alone here for a while.

  She was not allowed to leave the room. No one responded even if she knocked on the door outside.

  If she asked to go to the restroom, she was only allowed to go with a female devotee.

  It was absurd.

  She had absolutely no reason to be treated this way. Why were they doing this after kidnapping her?

  Perhaps if she had to choose a possibility, it was because of Jihyeon.

  But officially, Jihyeon arrived after the Leader died. Mina also knew the truth, but she had agreed to keep the story straight at Jihyeon's request.

  However, Mina was ultimately the victim, and Jihyeon was the person who saved her after everything was over.

  But in the end, they seemed to be laying the blame on Jihyeon. It seemed they needed to draw Jihyeon in for something.

  Otherwise, they wouldn't have contacted Jihyeon using Mina's phone. But what was the meaning of that if they didn't even know where this place was?

  "Why on earth..."

  Mina only had questions. She wanted to think about what they were trying to achieve, but the fear only made her brain function endlessly slow.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  "Ah... What should I do..."

  Fear still dominated Mina. She eventually couldn't stop the tears from flowing. Her emotions overflowed, and she wasn't strong enough to stop them.

  It was then. The door opened and someone entered.

  "Oh dear... You must be very surprised, aren't you? We apologize as well. But the matter is too urgent. Ah, I am the cult's Deputy Leader. Please forgive our rudeness. I apologize on behalf of the cult."

  The man who entered the room introduced himself and apologized to Mina. But Mina knew well that it was a ridiculous thing to do.

  But she couldn't protest recklessly.

  Mina wasn't foolish enough not to know that provoking them would not lead to anything good.

  Therefore, Mina only asked a simple question.

  "Wh-When can I go home?"

  The Deputy Leader sighed regretfully at her question.

  "I'm sorry, but it is still impossible. We don't want to do this either, but we have no choice due to unavoidable circumstances. This is a very important matter, and we deeply regret that we have to do this."

  The Deputy Leader spoke smoothly. But the conclusion was already set.

  "So, I can't leave for a while."

  Mina said, resigned. The Deputy Leader nodded with a benevolent smile, as if relieved.

  "I'm glad you understand quickly. Although this was unavoidable, we ask for your cooperation going forward. The people here are very capable devotees. They will attend to you so you can be comfortable here, so if anything happens, you can tell them."

  The Deputy Leader said that and introduced his subordinates. Mina couldn't help but sigh at the sight. The words sounded nice, but it was surveillance, wasn't it?

  "Well, I'd like to tell you to rest well, but there is one thing I want to ask before that."

  The Deputy Leader asked, radiating a different atmosphere than before. His expression showed the determination to be told only the truth.

  "Wh-What is it?"

  Mina's voice was trembling, unable to hide her fear. Seeing her expression, the Deputy Leader asked in a gentle voice.

  "The man named Jihyeon. Did he actually take something from the late Leader?"

  "!!"

  Mina didn't know what to say at that moment. But as if her reaction was enough without an answer in words, the Deputy Leader smiled and turned away.

  "Treat her well. After all, it is true that we have been rude."

  The Deputy Leader said that and went outside. Mina slumped down, trembling. An unexplainable emotion tormented her.

  The Deputy Leader's subordinates, however, just stared at her with emotionless faces. They just stood still like statues, without saying a word.

  Jihyeon had never once expected that the driver's license he got a long time ago would be so helpful. But Jihyeon thought that it was indeed a good thing to get a license first.

  It was a cheap rental car that wasn't very good, but thanks to it, he could go to places that would have been difficult to reach otherwise.

  Thanks to this, he was able to go to the cult's true main headquarters. He had no driving experience except for when he got his license, but that was no problem.

  Jihyeon turned the driving experience from his knowledge into his own. The memory of an accident-free veteran driver of over 30 years made Jihyeon an expert.

  No one would think he was a person who hadn't even received training, seeing him drive the car perfectly. Jihyeon drove smoothly on the highway, recalling the usefulness of his ability and smiling slightly.

  But this was the extent of such unnecessary thoughts. Jihyeon would soon arrive at his destination.

  The fight would begin then.

  However, since he had left in a hurry, there was no proper plan. Considering Jihyeon's nature, which required him to move based on thorough information, this was starting with an extremely huge penalty.

  But he wasn't starting from complete scratch. The Executive's knowledge was the greatest strength for Jihyeon right now. And since he had a clear goal, there would be no need to wander.

  The rescue of Mina.

  Going this time was solely for that one purpose. There was no need to think about anything else.

  Then, the new question was what he should do now.

  If he truly made up his mind and used all the tools he had, it would be simple. But that would be truly reckless, without thinking about the aftermath.

  For now, leaving only minimal traces, as always, was the best option. There was no need to be flashy.

  Of course, it would be good if the cult collapsed in the process, and it would be perfect if he could find the entities behind them, but in this world, he couldn't just rely on luck.

  Instead, he decided to only think about getting in without leaving traces and quickly escaping. There was no other way but to respond impromptu according to the situation for the rest.

  In fact, it was worth considering contacting the Master for their support this time. However, Jihyeon decided to go alone just in case.

  In the worst-case scenario, the organization could be ruined, so avoiding that was the best.

  Even though he was a ruler of the darkness, the Master's organization was, after all, a local gangster group.

  Fighting the cult, which had connections not only across the country but also to the central political arena, could be suicidal. It was best to avoid that absolutely.

  Even criminal organizations he despised were sometimes necessary. Jihyeon wouldn't recklessly waste the Master's organization for that time.

  "In the worst case, I'll have to consider a head-on breakthrough."

  Jihyeon muttered as he stepped on the accelerator. It was best to keep all possibilities open and choose the best one among them, but he wouldn't know the situation until he got there.

  "But it seems she's safe for now."

  Jihyeon muttered, hoping that nothing had happened to Mina. They probably wouldn't immediately harm Mina.

  A hostage must be safe, after all. If she were to die, they wouldn't know what would happen. Jihyeon only hoped that such a thing wouldn't happen.

  "Where should I hide the car..."

  Jihyeon thought about the car's location, considering his movement path in his head. If he parked it in some appropriate spot and didn't move it, the other side could completely destroy his mobility.

  There was a lot to worry about.

  However, there had never been a difficult situation that he couldn't overcome. So, Jihyeon thought he would definitely be able to break through this time too. It might be difficult, but it wasn't impossible.

  "Just wait..."

  His mind was complex. But Jihyeon had no hesitation at all. He just kept accelerating, heading towards the enemies' headquarters.