There was a man.

  He roamed the outskirts of the entertainment district with a staggering gait. His appearance was that of a common drunkard, a sight frequently seen in this place after midnight.

  However, the scent wafting from his mouth was not that of a man who had consumed alcohol. Not that anyone would care. After all, few people ever approach a person who staggers as if intoxicated. At most, only petty thugs looking for cash or the police would pay such a person any mind.

  Furthermore, if anyone did draw near, the man displayed extreme aggression. Who would willingly approach a man who spewed strings of profanities the moment a woman came near?

  Of course, another drunkard might have lost control of their temper, but today, even those people were absent. Those who usually hid no hostility toward anything in their path were nowhere to be found in front of this man. In fact, the intoxicated actively avoided him. They sensed an inexplicable ominousness radiating from him—an instinctual realization that if they made a mistake, they might die.

  One only had to observe the man for a moment to see why. With just a bit of focus, it was easy to tell that something was wrong with his body. His walk was different from a simple drunken stumble. His forced, awkward movements were an attempt to minimize pain.

  To those with strong curiosity, his appearance alone was enough to raise questions about his life. His clothes were far from clean, and his body was covered in scars. It wasn't hard to guess that his life's trajectory had been far from comfortable.

  Yet, there was no way to satisfy that curiosity. The man rejected everything that came near him and continued toward a destination. His staggering pace remained unchanged, and now, with his hands trembling violently, he headed somewhere.

  Soon, the man vanished from the main street of the entertainment district. No one cared that he was gone.

  However, a scream echoing from a secluded alleyway instantly piqued people's interest. It was distinctly different from the screams occasionally heard during a common brawl. It was a sound that recorded the final moments of a life—utterly desperate and bone-chilling.

  A few fearless individuals headed toward the source of the sound. And there, they saw it.

  A nightmare. A nightmare they never thought they would witness in this entertainment district.

  Once again, a scream rang out. It was as sharp as the final traces of those struggling to survive.

  Confusion. Everyone, without exception, fell into a state of panic. No one could have imagined such an event. Amidst unspeakable fear, people tried to find the culprit.

  But the culprit was not at the site where the remains of the dead lay. It was a dead-end alley, yet nothing living remained.

  And far in the distance, a man walked his path with a slow, staggering step. His arm, which looked twisted, was stained with blood.

  Final exams.

  For Jihyeon, they weren't particularly difficult, but they were nonetheless a nuisance. Still, credits had to be earned, and he wasn't far from graduation. Although he still had quite a few days left to visit the campus, he planned to fill the rest with online lectures. The Jihyeon of the past wouldn't have thought this way, but now, he truly couldn't afford to be tied down to the school.

  Since his grades were high enough to guarantee a scholarship for the next semester, he didn't need to worry about tuition. Thinking this, Jihyeon stepped outside after finishing his last exam.

  A sense of liberation. Although he would take summer sessions during the break, the immediate, indescribable sense of freedom made him happy. For a few days, he wanted to live without thinking about anything. Unpleasant matters continued to linger without resolution, but at least for a while, he could escape the shackles of school.

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

  However, Jihyeon soon tasted despair as he felt his phone vibrate. Rare as they were, calls seeking him out usually didn't bring good news. The vibration pattern was different from calls from his family. That fact alone was enough.

  "I was just celebrating the end of my exams, and you're calling me?" Jihyeon immediately grumbled to the caller. But the voice on the other end was urgent.

  -Come right now. It's a murder—no, I should call it a massacre.-

  Seok-young’s voice was grim, and hearing the details, Jihyeon’s expression darkened. Letting out a resigned sigh, Jihyeon said he would be there soon.

  "I really thought I could rest a bit today..."

  Jihyeon muttered as he began to check the information. Soon, his face twisted into a look of disbelief.

  Murder Case - A single individual killed multiple people and fled.

  There was no information on the suspect. People just heard screams and found bodies upon arrival. But they wouldn't have called him for just that. The state of the victims was so gruesome he didn't even want to see it. There was no need to further ponder whether a human body could be torn apart so easily. Yet, Jihyeon had to let out a sigh to force himself to endure the data flooding into his mind.

  With this level of superhuman strength, it was natural to suspect a tool. However, Jihyeon noted one specific detail. As the coroners had already mentioned in the report, the torn wounds could not be attributed to a human. They looked as if a large feline predator had shredded its prey. If one were to compare it to something from a movie, it was something that brought a werewolf to mind.

  "Could it be?"

  Jihyeon knew well that he didn't have perfect knowledge of every tool. Thus, he knew it wouldn't be strange for a tool that defied common sense to exist. Nevertheless, as a human, he didn't want to see it with his own eyes.

  "Sigh... surely not that. Also, I really should ask them to give me something more than just family protection, like an actual salary or something from the state..."

  Thinking he should officially demand payment or some form of government compensation, Jihyeon headed to the scene.

  The scene was crowded with forensic investigators. They were scrounging through fragments scattered here and there, striving to find even the smallest shred of evidence.

  However, even without an investigation, it was clear to anyone that what had happened here was beyond the capability of an ordinary human. Perhaps that was why the forensic team was working so hard; things that defy common sense often require a great deal of potentially futile effort to be accepted as reality.

  Behind them stood those blocking public access, as well as several investigators staring at the sight. They, too, could say nothing, merely shuddering at the horrific cruelty of the landscape. No one present would have thought such a thing could happen in the modern era.

  Jihyeon was no different.

  Upon arrival, he grimaced at the pungent smell of blood and looked around. Raw information flooded into his mind through his eyes. A splitting headache instantly struck him. It was unavoidable, yet it never changed.

  Within that persistent pain, Jihyeon felt that this matter was becoming far more complicated than expected. For starters, it was suspicious that news hadn't broken despite so many people being killed. Jihyeon was surprised to find that he hadn't seen a single proper news report until he arrived. In this day and age, how could there be no news when such an incident occurs?

  The event had taken place around midnight. Had journalists been doing their jobs properly, it would have broken as a news flash immediately. Yet, there was no mention of it in the morning news or anywhere else. Later, when Jihyeon scoured social media, he only found vague rumors that something had happened somewhere.

  Because of this, Jihyeon had initially thought the incident hadn't happened long ago—perhaps while he was taking his exam. But the reality was different.

  This led Jihyeon to believe that something far larger might be intervening.

  "Ha... this is really..."

  Jihyeon could only sigh. None of the people here knew the truth. It was only natural, as the media blackout was handled by those higher up, not the investigators.

  Still, it was a relief that none of the police officers tried to kick him out, thanks to the reputation he had built during the police station attack. The trust Jihyeon had earned through past events was perhaps proving its worth here.

  "Jihyeon-ssi, you're here?"

  A familiar voice called out. Jihyeon looked at the owner of the voice. Simultaneously, he understood why this hadn't appeared in the news. This incident could not be made public. It wasn't just because of something trivial to Jihyeon, like state secrets.

  There was something behind it.

  Likely, a tailored version of the truth would be released to the news soon. But Jihyeon understood why it had to be this way. Had he been the one in charge, he would have had no choice but to do the same.

  "It’s a 'side' matter, isn't it?"

  At Jihyeon’s question, Seok-young nodded. They said nothing more. This was not a good place for conversation.

  "Then let’s start the pursuit first. We can't have any more victims."

  Seok-young nodded at Jihyeon's words. Since Jihyeon already knew the truth, there was no need for useless talk. Moreover, the culprit was still on the move. Stopping him before he caused another incident was the priority.

  "To minimize the sacrifice and to definitely crush the mastermind. That’s the best we can do for now."

  Muttering this, Jihyeon climbed into Seok-young’s car. Seok-young drove off, following his lead.