"That is all."

  Seok-young concluded his presentation at the center of the meeting room, where every gaze was fixed upon him. It was a comprehensive summary of all recent incidents involving the Tools.

  To a man, everyone listening wore a complex expression. Those gathered here were the highest-ranking officials within the police force. They were veterans who had served for decades, having overcome countless trials and tribulations to reach their current positions. They were more than capable of handling the mundane evils of ordinary people.

  However, the terrorism caused by the so-called Tools, which was currently tearing society apart, was a different story.

  It was something the police simply could not manage. They could control a crowd of hundreds of thousands and overcome bloody clashes with protesters, but they were powerless against the Tool-driven terror that behaved more like a natural disaster.

  The situation was manageable when it was confined to this city. But now, rampages caused by the Tools could break out anywhere. The record for the worst incidents was being shattered day by day.

  The number of officers killed in the line of duty had increased noticeably, and many were quitting. An uncountable number of officers, traumatized by watching their colleagues die, were applying for leaves of absence.

  This was shaking the very foundation of the police organization. Every member shared the fear that, at this rate, the police would no longer be able to perform even their most basic duties.

  Yet, the reality remained bleak. The fact that these incidents could occur in any city led to a fragmentation of police power, causing public security to deteriorate significantly.

  Furthermore, the cities were becoming increasingly unable to bear the damage from the terror. Fortunately, the city where Seok-young was stationed suffered the least damage thanks to Jihyeon's presence. But other places were not so lucky.

  In cities without Jihyeon, tanks were sometimes deployed just to kill a single rampaging individual. It was absurd, but it was because those who went on a rampage while using Tools could not be stopped by mere guns.

  As a result, the grim gloom hanging over the officers on the ground showed no sign of lifting. It was unavoidable. In the first place, the Tools did not belong to this world. Moreover, they far exceeded current technological capabilities. Researchers who examined recovered Tools could only shake their heads, stating that the operating principles were beyond comprehension.

  Nevertheless, they had to act. Whatever it took, they had to exhaust their imagination to find an answer to minimize further damage.

  But how? No answer came. Even with Jihyeon's presence, the city where Seok-young served was reaching its limit. Just as heroes in movies cannot do everything alone, Jihyeon also had his limits.

  However, hope had not vanished entirely. The reason the entire upper management had gathered here today was to learn what the last possibility for the future might be.

  "So, in the end, are we to conclude that we have no choice but to wait for its completion?" one executive asked, looking at Seok-young. Seok-young answered truthfully.

  "Yes. Using the Tools as they are is no different from suicide. In some cases, we might end up making a bad situation even worse."

  The questioner growled in dissatisfaction. He was a man of extremes, preferring either 100% or 0%, with no love for the middle ground—despite the fact that police officers, of all people, encounter those on the fringes the most and are often gray themselves.

  However, thanks to his question, one thing became certain.

  "So, there is a possibility," someone muttered. Seok-young nodded in response.

  "Yes. A prototype is expected to be completed soon. According to our collaborator, although its output will be low, he believes it would be feasible if several individuals equipped with it respond together."

  Everyone gathered let out a sigh that sounded like a collective lament. If possible, they hoped only a very small number of personnel would wear the Tools. This was partly for security, but also to avoid the worst-case scenario.

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  They knew well that involving the minimum number of people would prevent things from going wrong later. Of course, that would be a pity for whoever was designated as the one in charge.

  "Then all we can do is pray, I suppose. Since that fellow is the one leading everything," another executive said sarcastically. Seok-young did not respond. It was the truth, after all.

  Nevertheless, Seok-young felt relieved. The reaction of the high-ranking officials wasn't all that bad. Even with various drawbacks, this was the only answer for now. Therefore, his duty was simply to support Jihyeon and do his best to secure budgets and various resources.

  Hoping that things would work out before it was too late, Seok-young answered the numerous questions that followed. The Q&A session lasted far longer than expected.

  Jihyeon stared blankly at the sky. The moon was exceptionally bright today. Watching it, Jihyeon inadvertently wiped away a stray tear. What had happened earlier felt like a dagger to his heart.

  As always, Jihyeon moved as soon as an incident broke out. However, this time, two incidents had occurred simultaneously—and they were very far apart. Jihyeon was forced to make a choice. Both were urgent, but he could only go to one. And as he usually did, Jihyeon headed to the closer one.

  Fortunately, he was able to resolve the issue there easily. But the incident that broke out elsewhere was much larger than expected. The individual who had been consumed by the Tool and rampaged was, of all things, a fire wielder. That person went beyond destroying nearby cars and even attacked a gas station.

  Because Jihyeon arrived just in time to block the attack and subdue him, greater damage was prevented, but the people nearby hurled curses at him.

  Why couldn't you get here sooner? Why did you let people die? Did you do this on purpose just to get more spotlight?

  The moment he heard those words, Jihyeon felt speechless. They were likely just venting their rage. However, it was a bit too much to treat him this way just because he couldn't handle two simultaneous incidents at once.

  Yet, he couldn't fight them. They were in shock and didn't even know what they were doing. Instead of arguing with such people, Jihyeon hid himself and vanished. That was enough. It was foolish to fight someone in a state of panic.

  But even though he knew that in his head, he couldn't help how he felt. Jihyeon was human, too, and he couldn't help but be hurt by sharp words. No matter how much he tried to understand, it wasn't easy.

  They would likely resent Jihyeon forever. He couldn't ignore the selfish thought that they felt he should have saved them first, even if others died. Jihyeon felt acutely why so many heroes eventually feel disillusioned with humanity.

  Knowing the depths of human nature through knowledge and intellect was one thing; feeling it in one's heart was quite another. Jihyeon felt he would never be able to forget today.

  Disappointment in people. And despair.

  Still, he would move again. He didn't want to see people die. Thinking about it, a certain thought came to mind: that treating things mechanically was the only way to endure the longest. Jihyeon gave a bitter smile.

  Human selfishness was beyond words—especially for someone like Jihyeon, who could read exactly what they were thinking just by looking at them. If a moment comes when Jihyeon can no longer bear it, that will be the end of everything. But even that would be something Jihyeon couldn't control.

  BOOM!

  A sudden explosion sounded in the distance. Jihyeon wiped his eyes and stood up. What was happening now? There was no contact from Seok-young, but it didn't matter. Activating the Tool to neutralize CCTVs, Jihyeon flew toward the source of the sound.

  "What is it?"

  As he drew closer to the sound, the familiar mess unfolded before Jihyeon's eyes. However, this wasn't the kind of damage that could be dismissed as minor—not just a few smashed cars, destroyed buildings, and roads ruined beyond repair.

  If what Jihyeon saw with his own eyes was correct, the Tool possessed by the person currently rampaging was of the psychokinetic type. It was a Tool very familiar to Jihyeon. Although its maximum output couldn't be called strong, its versatility—being usable anytime, anywhere—was irreplaceable.

  But in this world, there are always those who use the same Tool in a different way. And the rampaging individual who had now appeared was a classic example.

  He had prepared a powerful barrier around his body that nothing could penetrate. It was stronger than any barrier Jihyeon had deployed until now. With that barrier active, the man destroyed everything in his path. Anyone seeing this would think the man had been consumed by the Tool's rampage.

  However, Jihyeon soon realized one thing. He was absolutely not in a state of being consumed by a rampage.

  The man had not lost his ego. And he knew how to use his power skillfully. Destroying the surroundings like this might have been a calculated move.

  "Come on. Come on out."

  The man muttered. Although there was still quite a distance between them, the man already seemed to sense Jihyeon's presence.

  "I heard you haven't had much fun lately, so let's have a real blast today!"

  With those words, the man lifted the wreckage of a car he had destroyed and hurled it straight toward Jihyeon. There was no sense of reality in the way he lifted it so effortlessly.

  But even more surreal was the wreckage the man threw. It wasn't a jumping vehicle at maximum speed, yet the wreckage accurately targeted Jihyeon with incredible velocity.

  "Damn it!"

  Jihyeon cursed once more. Then, he caught the wreckage flying toward him.

  "Urgh!"

  The weight of a car is by no means light. Even in its half-destroyed state, it was something burdensome for Jihyeon to catch with his psychokinesis. Still, fortunately, he blocked the first attack without significant damage.

  But Jihyeon did not yet know that the true beginning was only just ahead. The fight was only just truly starting.