In the history of this city, could there ever be a day as tragic as today?

  The time it took for the entire city to fall into chaos was far shorter than anyone could have imagined. Malice did not require much time to spread. In an instant, emergency calls flooded the lines, and the moment the officers on night duty looked up to grasp the situation, flames were already rising from every direction.

  A rampage.

  And it was a simultaneous one. Facing a situation that no one had anticipated, feeling utterly despondent was an unavoidable human reaction. From the police to the firefighters, those responsible for the city’s safety were at a loss. For a brief moment, amidst the incessant ringing of phones, there was a heavy silence.

  But there was no helping it. It was as if the entire city had become a battlefield. In such a state, who could do what? Even a command center seasoned by countless incidents wouldn't know how to respond when things escalated to this degree.

  Destruction. And violence.

  The entire city was engulfed in turmoil, as if a riot had broken out. If it were a mere riot, perhaps well-trained riot squads could have brought it to an end. But now, deploying police was no different from a suicide mission. The firearms they carried were useless against the perpetrators. It was clear that the personnel deployed would only fall victim to the rage of the rampaging individuals. Unfortunately, reality was cruel.

  Normally, the police would have to pour nearly all their strength into a single incident involving one Tool user’s rampage. Even then, it was never a matter of solving the problem so much as picking up the pieces—recovering the dead, treating the injured, and making futile efforts to uncover the truth behind the incident.

  But this time, ten or more reports had been filed across the city. Those in the throes of a rampage viewed the city as nothing more than an object of destruction. It was only natural that even the commanders could find no answers on how to respond.

  Seok-young was no different. He couldn't immediately come up with a solution for the current crisis. However, the moment he realized he couldn't stay paralyzed forever, Seok-young sprang into action. Unlike the others, he was connected to a force that could actually move.

  While assessing the situation, Seok-young immediately contacted Jihyeon. What needed to be done now was to inform him where the incidents were occurring and, through coordination, wrap up the situations as quickly as possible. Detailed investigations could wait until later. Preventing further damage was the absolute priority. Supporting Jihyeon, arresting the perpetrators in the act, and managing the aftermath were more important than anything else right now.

  "Yes. So, you can move to the next area now."

  Seok-young finished his call with Jihyeon. At the same time, he requested the deployment of police and firefighters for the cleanup. Fortunately, the higher-ups responded immediately to Seok-young's request. In this situation, there was no reason for them to ignore Seok-young, who was handling the incidents one by one by directing Jihyeon. Some even reacted with relief because of Seok-young.

  Nevertheless, from the command center to the front-line officers, everyone shared a single, unavoidable emotion:

  Defeat.

  Once again, they had been toyed with by those who sold the Tools. The media might cooperate to hide the finer details, but regardless, the police had to admit once again that they had been powerlessly defeated by a situation they could not handle. They remained silent amidst their anger and self-loathing, with only the sounds of orders being barked back and forth.

  Incidents of people rampaging due to Tools and attacking others were no longer particularly strange in this city. It was sad, but at some point, it had become a part of daily life. Those who rampaged lost their reason entirely. Instead, they were seized by a madness even they couldn't handle, destroying everything in their path.

  Sadly, the targets of that destruction included innocent passersby. Everything in sight was merely something for the rampaging individual to destroy.

  It was the same now.

  On the surface, she might have looked like an ordinary woman. However, the one currently wielding violence was using strength that far exceeded human limits. The power she used was the ability to manipulate wind at will. Of course, it couldn't be said that she was controlling that power properly. Normally, one might use it with fine precision to cut only intended targets.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  But for destruction, there was no need for precision. In fact, the unrestrained use of power led to even greater destruction. Perhaps because of that, the woman screamed strange sounds and attacked anything that moved the moment she saw it. Even if it didn't move, the wind she created showed no mercy.

  Asphalt roads were torn up, and cars were smashed. Newly planted trees were snapped, looking as if a typhoon had passed through. It was a level of destruction that was hard to believe a single woman had caused. In the face of this sight that didn't even feel real, those who could still move felt only helplessness beyond their fear.

  "This has gone too far."

  It was then. Appearing before the people was none other than the man in the hood. His voice sounded far sadder than usual. Since he wore his usual mask and sunglasses, his expression was hidden, yet people could tell: the man in the hood felt pity for his opponent. It was because he knew the woman had been caught up in a destiny she never wanted.

  "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to be rough."

  The man in the hood spoke as he approached the woman. As he drew near, the woman screamed in rage and created a storm. The gale picked up surrounding dust and swirled at a ferocious speed. While its form was visible, the ear-splitting sound was enough to make people tremble in terror.

  Seeing not just one, but two such storms being created, the people fell into despair once again. Who would dare to pierce through something akin to a natural disaster? The power was such that it wouldn't be strange for anyone to run away in fear. Anyone would feel that way seeing the trunk of a car at the edge of the storm, which had been safe until then, get ripped clean off.

  The target was the man in the hood.

  The two storms closed in from the left and right simultaneously to kill him. But even as the storms approached, the man in the hood didn't seem frightened at all and slowly walked forward. Someone screamed at the sight. No matter how much of a miracle-worker he was, it should have been impossible to remain safe inside such a storm.

  However, sometimes things happen that defy common sense. If one were to call it a miracle, it was being realized right before their eyes. The storms let out an even louder, ear-piercing sound, as if eager to crush the man from both sides.

  But the pincer attack didn't work. The man in the hood walked with a light step through the path created between the two storms as if nothing were happening.

  Then, he reached out his hand.

  With that, everything ended in an instant, as if it had all been a lie. The woman collapsed before the hand he extended, offering no further resistance.

  "Phew..."

  The man in the hood let out a short breath. He then picked the woman up and vanished. Those who remained could only stand there, rejoicing in their survival while wearing expressions of utter bewilderment at what had just transpired.

  Even though he was the one who gave the order, the Loan Shark never imagined this much chaos would ensue. The city’s situation was being broadcast clearly on TV. Of course, he didn't even need to watch the news to know. He could see it just by opening a window.

  Fires were burning here and there. It meant his orders had been carried out spectacularly. Chaos was exactly what the Loan Shark needed right now. They would take this opportunity to move. The Loan Shark’s subordinates had completed all preparations with mechanical movements. Fortunately, with the members of the pseudo-cult helping, moving while avoiding public notice would be no problem.

  On the other hand, the Loan Shark felt a little uneasy. It wasn't about people dying or getting injured; that wasn't even a consideration for him. The problem was that the sales routes he had painstakingly established were collapsing. However, he knew well that if the other dealers were hit and he stayed, he would die too.

  The matter with the suppliers was also settled. Still, since it wasn't a total withdrawal, the Loan Shark wasn't that worried.

  "Having a good salesman really pays off."

  The Loan Shark trusted the skills of his subordinate, the Salesman, who faithfully carried out his will. Trusting people was the thing furthest from him, but the Salesman was different. The Salesman was someone he could trust. No, the Salesman was someone who could never betray him.

  It was only natural. The Salesman would know best what would happen the moment he betrayed the Loan Shark.

  "It's good when they work well," the Loan Shark thought with a smile. The Salesman might not know how he felt about it, but the important thing was that he would have to work forever for the Loan Shark’s profit.

  Of course, the Loan Shark took care of the Salesman in his own way. No matter how much of a slave contract it was, the Salesman needed money to do his job. After all, selling Tools required meeting and moving among people. Moreover, when not creating chaos like this, he had to sign formal contracts and such. To do that, he had to buy clothes, eat, and get travel expenses. All of that was money. High performance naturally led to a high salary.

  That was why the Salesman worked hard—keeping his sense of self, unlike the subordinates who had become living machines working in the office.

  The luggage was all packed now. All that was left was to move by car with the cult members.

  "Come to think of it, we're in the red this time. Can't be helped, I suppose."

  The Loan Shark muttered with a hint of regret. To bring chaos to the city, he had to purchase quite a few Tools, even if they were "discards." Selling them back was impossible. He had made people deposit money into dummy accounts to some extent, but there were limits to that as well.

  "You can't always live just for the fun of it," the Loan Shark thought as he gave the order to depart. The cult members drove the cars according to his word. Divided into three vehicles, they soon headed for the road.

  "Hmm. So this is what it's like to neutralize only the CCTVs."

  In the midst of the chaos, their cars moved without any interference. And after a short while, they headed out of the city.