Perhaps their strengths were equal. Or perhaps, the opponent was even stronger.

  Jihyeon thought this as he blocked the initial wreckage of the car thrown at him. Surprisingly, the man was trying to fight while maintaining perfect control over his power.

  The reason behind it would only be clear through conversation, but it was certain that he was different from the weaklings Jihyeon had dealt with so far. Since there was no reason for there to be only one Tool that granted psychokinesis, it was possible for someone else to possess one.

  However, Jihyeon had not expected to encounter an opponent with power that potentially surpassed his own.

  What was even more terrifying was the fact that the opponent remained perfectly sane. This man was committing these acts with a full understanding of what he was doing. Had the police been capable of completely subduing such a person, he wouldn't have dared to act so recklessly.

  But the research was still ongoing. By Jihyeon's estimate, it was about 80% complete. A little more work, and the prototype would soon emerge. From that point on, dealing with these threats might become easier. But at the very least, that wasn't the case right now.

  This man was a trial—an object for Jihyeon to overcome and a precedent for the problems he would have to face in the future.

  For now, however, the man was an enemy to be struck down. He had to prioritize blocking the attacks and finding a way to subdue him. Even the initial strike was something ordinary people would have to simply watch until they died. Jihyeon himself felt his limits being tested just by catching that first blow.

  Still, he had blocked it. That fact gave him a sense of accomplishment.

  "Phew..."

  Jihyeon exhaled lightly. The relief of blocking the first attack brought a small sense of pride.

  However, the next things to fly at him were more pieces of wreckage. And it wasn't just one, but several. Each piece was a size that likely weighed at least several hundred kilograms.

  "Damn it!"

  Jihyeon couldn't hold back the curse. Even for him, responding to such an onslaught with the same psychokinesis was impossible. It would be a waste of his own strengths. If the opponent possessed the same but stronger power, he shouldn't engage in a direct tug-of-war of strength.

  Instead, Jihyeon interfaced with one of the Tools he had brought along.

  It was High-Speed Acceleration.

  Normally, it was just enough power to move quickly. However, by using that ability simultaneously with his psychokinetic Tool, he could catch the opponent off guard.

  This was a perfect example. Through High-Speed Acceleration, Jihyeon accelerated his own judgment and perception. While it would normally just allow for slightly faster movement, the window created by those few extra moments made a greater difference than anything else in this situation.

  The opponent threw four car fragments, but the number was steadily increasing. If even one hit him, an ordinary person wouldn't be able to survive the sheer weight.

  But Jihyeon aimed for a tiny gap. Instead of using his psychokinesis like a grappling hook to retreat, he pulled himself closer to the wreckage. Then, he used a Tool that increased his overall physical defense to reinforce his body.

  However, the ability of that Tool had changed from the one used by the person he had encountered previously.

  It was the ability to amplify received damage several times over and reflect it. This ability, occasionally seen in games, boasted absolute power in close combat. And sometimes, it could be used in situations like this.

  Jihyeon intentionally took the hit. Since his defense was raised to its limit, he didn't take damage from the attack. On the contrary, the car fragments had to take back the full force of their own speed and mass upon impact.

  What Jihyeon aimed for was a descent to the ground. Fortunately, having finished all calculations in advance, simply positioning his body in the exact spot was enough. At the same moment he achieved his goal, he switched Tools again. All of this unfolded in a fluid motion within a single second.

  Anyone watching from afar would have gasped in awe. Though they wouldn't understand exactly what happened, thanks to his actions, there were no casualties, excluding the heavily damaged road.

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  But there was no way the battle would end there.

  "Nice, isn't it? This is what makes a fight worth it!"

  The man yelled, gathering nearby objects to form a massive sphere of junk. He began to spin it around like a wrecking ball on a chain. It was far more dangerous than what he had thrown before. When he threw objects, the threat ended once they passed, but this would not only continue to accelerate but would clearly pursue him to the end.

  Yet, Jihyeon didn't mind. Instead, he simply increased his own speed further. The opponent hadn't rampaged, but seeing him use psychokinesis like that, he seemed focused only on moving, throwing, and smashing things with brute force.

  But that was, in fact, a foolish way to act. If the goal was to kill or even just knock someone out, there was no need to use power in such a flamboyant manner. Such a display of strength was only for fools. Jihyeon moved quickly toward the opponent instead.

  "Oh, you're coming at me!"

  The man shouted, hurling the mass he had created toward Jihyeon. The movement seemed to slightly defy the laws of physics.

  However, instead of running on his feet, Jihyeon floated his body slightly and immediately propelled himself behind the man. Like using his psychokinesis as a grappling hook, Jihyeon flew forward in an instant. Simultaneously, confirming that the opponent was not using a barrier, Jihyeon targeted the man's neck with his psychokinesis from behind his field of vision.

  "Gah!"

  Unable to breathe for a moment, the man struggled. But using psychokinesis requires intense concentration. As his focus wavered, the mass he was swinging like a iron ball flew off and crashed into the wall of another building.

  It caused a massive uproar, but instead of worrying about collateral damage, Jihyeon had to subdue the opponent for certain.

  "Mmmph!"

  The man struggled to break the grip tightening around his throat. Jihyeon did not allow it. Instead, he lifted the man and applied damage directly to his nervous system with a tiny amount of electricity.

  With that, the opponent was completely neutralized. For certain Tools with special abilities, electrical attacks would provide nothing more than pain. But this man was different. For someone without resistance to electricity, subduing them was simple. A precisely controlled, delicate attack could perfectly neutralize the opponent without any external trauma.

  Now, all that remained was to deal with him.

  But he had to be careful. Jihyeon's enemies were those who had long since given up their humanity. They would do anything to maintain their secrets. Even their customers were no exception. Since they would kill even a client if necessary, caution was required.

  The possibility of a sniper came to mind immediately. Or they could attack by any other means. Jihyeon knew that in some cases, even the fallen man himself could be used like a bomb.

  Thus, without hesitation, Jihyeon picked up the man and moved to a different area. It was the best choice considering various factors. If the man were to self-detonate, it would not only injure Jihyeon but also pose a problem for any witnesses. So, Jihyeon used his CCTV-neutralizing Tool to erase both their presences as he moved.

  Someone might look at Jihyeon and say he was making things hard for himself. But sometimes, this paranoid attitude is necessary. It is better to consider every possibility and make the best choice rather than let someone die because of a mistake.

  Soon, Jihyeon arrived at a place where it would be safe even if the man exploded—a clearing in a nearby hill. Thinking that he would ensure no terrifying urban legends would start here, Jihyeon laid the man down.

  The man was still unconscious. He hadn't lost his sanity, so if he woke up, Jihyeon had to be prepared to get seriously hurt. But he couldn't just leave him; the man was too dangerous. There was only one way to neutralize him without killing him.

  First, he removed everything from the man's body. This was to prevent any unforeseen incidents. Keeping in mind that there might be a tracking device among his gear, Jihyeon cleared away everything that posed a risk.

  Then, activating his barrier, Jihyeon cautiously connected his consciousness to the man. Only this time, he altered the method slightly.

  "I don't know if I can remove it, but..."

  Jihyeon muttered as he changed the pattern of the connection. This was an experiment. If he connected his consciousness in his usual way, it might trigger a detonation of the Tool.

  But what if he matched the rhythm of the man's consciousness—specifically, the rhythm of his internal electrical signals?

  It was a possibility. If failure meant death either way, he might as well try.

  With that thought, Jihyeon focused his mind with the utmost caution. Very slowly, as carefully as possible, Jihyeon began to search for the Tool. The process was by no means smooth. There were several hair-raising moments. If the signal spiked even slightly, everything could explode.

  So, with extreme care, he began the dismantling process slowly. Like defusing a bomb, Jihyeon began to remove the danger.

  "I see..."

  Jihyeon muttered. It was a sensation similar to what he had felt in the body of the werewolf he fought previously.

  It was a type of Booster. Instead, it was a literal bomb that would explode if something went wrong. A one-time chance that used the owner's life force as fuel. This man had surely used it without knowing the truth. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to wield power stronger than Jihyeon's.

  That was how dangerous this object was. If this power is used while one has lost their sanity, the person becomes a human bomb. The moment their life force is exhausted, the Booster will simply detonate the user.

  Of course, if regulated to a certain level, the power could be amplified safely and significantly. But that wouldn't be easy. The moment one becomes intoxicated by the power, it's obvious what they will do. In the first place, the principle of this was to amplify power without a limiter—a high-risk, high-reward system using life force.

  When Jihyeon first focused his mind to dismantle one, the attempt itself caused the Booster's effect to go into a full-blown rampage. The resulting tragedy had left a deep scar on Jihyeon.

  But he didn't let that happen this time.

  Paying attention to the most delicate parts, Jihyeon slowly defused the detonator and safely handled the Tools inside the man one by one, as if neutralizing a bomb.

  "It's over."

  Had an hour, or perhaps even more, passed? Jihyeon muttered with an exhausted face. In his hands were two Tools.