The following day.

  The police moved. Their actions were swifter than ever, especially since reports of missing students had recently been filed.

  However, when they finally reached the office, to their shock, nothing was there. Everything had vanished as if it had never existed in the first place.

  The local residents and merchants knew for a fact that this had been an office. Yet they, too, were visibly shaken by the fact that everything inside had disappeared in an instant.

  "It’s not like any trucks or movers came by. I have no idea what happened," one merchant from a neighboring building replied to the police inquiries. At her words, the officers looked stunned.

  "People were coming and going until yesterday. Are you saying there’s no one in there now?" the merchant asked, looking at the police. The officers could do nothing but nod. In the face of something they couldn't comprehend, the police were powerless.

  "I’ve never seen anything like this in my entire life," one investigator muttered, shaking his head. Just in case, they entered the office to inspect the interior. By now, no police officer above a certain rank was ignorant of the fact that there were people using things called tools to perform acts that defied common sense.

  They searched the building thoroughly, but nothing came up. The only things they managed to recover were a few strands of hair.

  "Seriously, what is going on here...?" one of the investigators sighed as he stepped outside. It felt as if they were being bewitched by a ghost.

  "The website itself is still accessible, but the phones are dead," another investigator remarked, bitterly accepting the fact that they had come up empty-handed.

  "Then what happens to the kids? The ones who were taken..." another officer mentioned the abduction victims. But that was as far as it went. They said nothing more.

  It was a situation perfectly described by the saying, "Even a ghost would wail in confusion." They all withdrew, tasting the sting of defeat. The surrounding merchants whispered among themselves as they watched them leave.

  The loan shark thought to himself.

  Had there been no contact, and had there been no support from those providing the tools, he would have been caught red-handed. Fortunately, the loan shark’s business associates were the type who knew how to value their clients. In these times, such people were precious, and thanks to them, the loan shark could breathe a sigh of relief.

  Regardless, it seemed that these objects called tools could be used in much more diverse ways than he had imagined. It appeared the laws of physics he knew meant absolutely nothing. The loan shark realized it might be time to pivot his business in a new direction.

  Lending was a decent business, and his friend who ran the gambling site was resourceful enough not to be caught easily. However, the fact that the police had targeted the office meant he was now a hunted man.

  It was a nuisance.

  The kind friends who had rescued him informed him of the charges against him. Since it was work he had actually done, he had no intention of denying it, but neither did he plan on simply confessing to it all.

  Then, a curious proposal was made to him. The loan shark found the offer quite intriguing.

  "So, you want me to become a seller of these tools? That’s not bad, but isn't it dangerous? Besides, what’s the profit-sharing like? It’s very risky for me to be moving around right now just to take a small percentage..."

  At the loan shark's words, Se-hee, who had rescued him, replied with a smile.

  "Oh, come now. You have your subordinates, don't you, President? Though they can no longer be called ordinary humans, they are more than capable of managing a sales network. Besides, we will provide you with excellent tools, so there won't be any inconvenience. Once you recover all the money you've already lent out, you'll find this much more entertaining."

  As she spoke, Se-hee pulled out a tool. It was the kind of object that didn't need to be implanted into the body.

  "With this, the police won't be able to find anything no matter how much they poke around. Furthermore, extra identities have been prepared for you."

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  Se-hee provided the documents. Looking at them, the loan shark let out a loud laugh.

  "Wow. This is no joke. It feels like I’ve walked right into a trap I can't escape."

  Se-hee corrected him.

  "It’s not a trap. We didn't make the police move, did we? We are simply trying to assist a valued client. Isn't this a win-win for both of us? A man with your business acumen should have no trouble selling these to people."

  The loan shark didn't mind Se-hee’s praise of his business skills, even if it was just flattery. Of course, given that he owed her his freedom, he couldn't ignore her words.

  "Alright, then. Let’s talk about this in more detail."

  With that, the loan shark began a long conversation with Se-hee.

  As always, exchanging opinions with colleagues often sparked ideas that were hard to come by on one's own—especially when one's mind was stiffened by a harsh reality.

  That was why Seok-young was talking with his colleagues now. Though he was a non-smoker, he stood among those who were smoking because he desperately needed their collective wisdom. He couldn't think of anything at the moment. Withstanding a bit of cigarette smoke was a small price to pay for a fresh perspective.

  When he first received the report of the failure, Seok-young said nothing. He simply contemplated the possibilities based on what Jihyeon had told him.

  The first thing that came to mind was a tool that could neutralize CCTVs. He was already familiar with their utility, knowing they could be used without being directly implanted. Based on the data Jihyeon had provided—even if he hadn't provided the tool itself—it was the most likely possibility. With such a tool, it wouldn't be impossible to move everything in the dead of night without being detected by anyone.

  Of course, that was just one possibility.

  Sometimes, an imagination devoid of realism was necessary. Seok-young wondered if there might be a tool that could manipulate time and space. If there were powers that could control fire, electricity, and wind, it wouldn't be strange for a tool to exist that could manipulate time and space. Even if it was just a hypothetical, it was worth considering. He didn't know how Jihyeon would respond to such a thought.

  But now, he couldn't ignore possibilities just because they seemed absurd. Normally, such an imagination wouldn't even be treated as a joke.

  But things were different now.

  Though it was still unclear what those distributing the tools were after, it was clear that anything could happen through them. it was as if villains from a hero movie had become a reality. Yet, the reality was just one hero and a bunch of incompetent police officers.

  That made the futility feel even worse. They had moved immediately upon receiving the intelligence, yet the fact that they were already too late left him with a sense of defeat.

  "Don't worry too much on your own. This is a task for all of us to solve."

  A colleague spoke while observing Seok-young’s expression. The loan shark's absurd disappearance was already a hot topic among them.

  The failure belonged to the entire police force.

  Therefore, they shared the same emotions as Seok-young. As always, the media showed no mercy toward the failures of the police.

  "Still, it's quite flustering. I can't think of how to handle this at all. This doesn't happen often," Seok-young said with a thin smile. However, his fresh cup of coffee only tasted bitter.

  "For now, start searching anything related to the building again. You never know what might turn up there."

  The colleague emphasized the basics. Seok-young nodded. The materials Jihyeon provided were perfect, but he couldn't rely on them alone. It was time to start from the ground up once again. With that resolve, Seok-young finished his coffee and crushed the paper cup.

  Jihyeon was lying down. He was exhausted to the point where he couldn't do anything more.

  As soon as he confirmed the police's failure, he began searching for information. He checked the surrounding CCTVs and everything else he could find.

  But it was a wild goose chase.

  As a result, Jihyeon was completely drained. A sense of defeat, something he had never felt since obtaining the tool, weighed heavily on him.

  Of course, if he searched through the data carefully again, a clue might emerge. With his searching capabilities, he shouldn't be unable to catch them, even if they used a tool to neutralize CCTVs. Jihyeon should be able to find them even with the slightest trace. His ability was already beyond comparison to before.

  However, the opponent was also formidable. This was definitely not something that could be done with the ingenuity of someone like a mere loan shark. Those backing him were far more capable than Jihyeon had imagined.

  No, they must be the ones distributing the tools. That's why they could perform acts that defied common sense.

  "This is a headache..." Jihyeon muttered to himself. They would likely mock him and the police using numerous tools that even Jihyeon was unaware of. The problem was the fact that there was no way to counter it.

  Accessing information about those who possessed tools wasn't impossible, but it was extremely limited. If the person was not from this world, the information obtainable was close to zero. Of course, Jihyeon could find information if he exercised his imagination, but the problem was that it took more time than expected.

  "Seriously... damn it..."

  Venting his frustration, Jihyeon decided to reconsider his future actions. He couldn't just move like this. He needed to go around personally and find more data.

  "The fact that it’s still the middle of the semester is a real minus..." Jihyeon muttered with a sigh. If he was going to make this his profession, it was better to have no restrictions. Having such constraints was incredibly annoying.

  But there was also a silver lining.

  "It could also mean targeting a completely unexpected timing. Who would think I'd go there secretly a day later?"

  Jihyeon gave a bitter smile at the thought. Though the other side had landed a blow, he had to pay them back in kind.

  Of course, no one knew how it would turn out. For now, Jihyeon was filled only with the thought of catching their tail and crushing them, no matter what.

  "Alright, let's do this..."

  Jihyeon closed his eyes with resolve. Sufficient rest was essential for a proper fight. Intending to head out in full strength after a good sleep, Jihyeon closed his eyes.