He is a legendary prison guard

Episode 1 
Prologue

The place Su-jin told me about was an Italian restaurant just a three-minute walk from Exit 2 of Cheongdam Station.

At a glance, it looked luxurious.

The parking lot was filled with high-end foreign cars.

Shi-hyun felt a bit self-conscious about his shabby outfit, but he bit his lip and entered through the entrance.

The interior was even more elegant.

Expensive-looking antique furniture was arranged in a way that gave a comfortable vibe. The walls were decorated with stylish ornaments, and there were none of the unpleasant odors typical of restaurants.

A man who seemed to be the floor manager greeted him politely.

“Hello, sir. If you could provide the name under which the reservation was made, I will escort you.”

He had heard that such restaurants operated on a reservation-only basis, and it seemed that was indeed the case.

“Su-jin, Kim Su-jin.”

“Kim Su-jin? Please wait a moment… Ah, yes, I’ve confirmed it. Please follow me.”

Following the manager, he was led to a slightly dimly lit table by the window.

There she was.

Kim Su-jin.

“Then I hope you have a pleasant time,” the manager said as he finished his greeting and left.

Su-jin spoke first.

“It’s been a while.”

“It’s because you’ve been avoiding me without any contact.”

“Yeah. So what?”

“….”

Trying to calm his rising anger, Shi-hyun sat down.

He shouldn’t get worked up.

If he got excited first, it would only make him feel more miserable.

As a moment of silence passed, a waiter entered with a towel and menu.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll order a little later.”

When Shi-hyun said this, the waiter nodded and left.

Silence fell again.

Shi-hyun stared directly into Su-jin’s eyes.

He clenched his fists tightly, trying to soothe the shock he felt in his heart.

The familiarity that had been there just a month ago had completely vanished from her eyes.

“… How could you do this to me?”

Shi-hyun groaned as he spoke.

Each word was incredibly difficult to utter.

“Why are you saying such ridiculous things? It’s completely normal to break up after dating. How many couples are breaking up even now?”

Su-jin let out a cold sneer.

Lee Shi-hyun and Kim Su-jin.

They were a couple of public service exam students who met five years ago in Noryangjin.

Perhaps they fell for each other more easily because they both felt lonely living in Noryangjin.

Shi-Hyun was the first to pass.

He had passed the correctional officer exam after two years of preparation in Noryangjin.

It was natural for a couple to drift apart once one of them passed.

But Shi-hyun didn’t want that.

He carved out time to meet Su-jin and supported her through the ongoing failures she faced.

However, a year, two years, and three years passed, and Su-jin still hadn’t passed.

Still, Shi-Hyun genuinely cheered for her continued attempts and spared no effort in supporting her.

That was a month ago.

But how could this happen?

“You said we’d get married if I passed. Was that a lie?”

“No, I meant it sincerely.”

“Then why?”

“But you know, when situations change, people change too.”

Su-jin wore a smirk.

“Is this really who you are?”

Shi-Hyun could no longer suppress his emotions and trembled with anger.

“How can you say that?”

“You seem to not realize your current position. If I marry someone like a guard now, I wouldn’t be able to hold my head up.”

“What?!”

“There’s a difference in status, a difference.”

Su-jin scoffed and placed her Hermes wallet, handbag, and watch on the table.

“This wallet is Hermes, worth 5 million won, and this handbag is also Hermes, worth 30 million won. And this watch, Vacheron Constantin, costs over 70 million won.”

She continued with a triumphant expression.

“Is this not enough? I drive a Rolls-Royce and bought an apartment in Gangnam. Your annual salary? About 35 million won? Mine is 11 billion won. 11 billion. I’m a golden spoon now.”

“….”

What could have caused her to change so much?

Does money, does power? change people like that?

Or was she always like this?

“Being an A-class awakened one is great. Most people bow and scrape around me, you know? They say the guild and the state manage us specially. After all, awakened ones are such an important measure of national power these days. and I’m an A-class awakened one, not even 1% of them, right?”

“I don’t care how you spend your money after becoming successful, but you need to apologize for belittling someone’s precious job.”

Shi-Hyun glared at Su-jin coldly.

“Ah, did I say something about guards? I’m sorry. Enjoy your life working among criminals in prison, okay?”

“….”

Shi-hyun bit his lip so hard it bled.

With a stiff expression, he stood up from his seat.

“Thank you for meeting me today. Thanks to you, I can part ways without any lingering feelings.”

“If you had done this sooner, it would have been better. Don’t contact me again, okay?”

Su-jin waved her hand playfully.

<0x18> <0xCD> ◈

He couldn’t remember what state of mind he was in when he got home.

In the plastic bag he was holding were three bottles of soju.

He drank them straight without any snacks.

After drinking more than double his capacity and getting thoroughly drunk before losing consciousness, something appeared before Shi-hyun’s eyes.

You have awakened the abilities of another world.