NOVEL NEXT Chapter 63
Chapter 63: The Desperate Plea
“This is quite… haha, what’s going on?”
The expression on Si-hyun’s face was painfully awkward. I had a feeling he would come out with a bit of humility. He hadn’t yet been counted among the quest numbers, but here he was, walking into the correctional facility on his own. However, I never expected him to act like this the moment we met.
Seeing Jang Hak-ki cry was baffling for anyone who knew him, but as long as he was crying alone, I didn’t mind.
However, all of a sudden, he threw himself at me. And in front of another correctional officer, no less! In this correctional facility, news spreads like wildfire. It was only a matter of time before some strange rumors started circulating.
“Oh dear, you seem to have become quite fragile. Do-yeon, I guess I need to help him.”
Si-hyun said, slightly pulling away.
“Ah, yes.”
Do-yeon stepped forward to support Jang Hak-ki.
Jang Hak-ki was still sniffling away. Si-hyun pretended not to notice and turned his gaze toward the escorting officer.
“Thank you for your hard work, Chief. I’ll escort him to the inmate’s living room safely from here on.”
The cell was also referred to as the inmate’s living room, so the officers often shortened it to just “living room.”
“…Yes, understood. Good work.”
The escorting officer glanced at Jang Hak-ki with a bewildered look and greeted them before turning away.
“Do-yeon, to the duty room.”
“Yes, Senior.”
With that, Si-hyun entered the duty room first and sat down. Soon after, Do-yeon came in with Jang Hak-ki in tow.
“Sit him there.”
“Yes.”
Do-yeon helped Jang Hak-ki sit on the opposite side.
“Can you keep an eye on things like last time? Tell the others to handle dinner distribution among themselves.”
After all, the others were inmates too. They wouldn’t dare squeak about Si-hyun’s business, so it didn’t matter if they observed while serving dinner. He just had to be careful of the other officers’ gazes.
“I understand, Senior.”
Do-yeon, sensing what Si-hyun was planning, gave him a hopeful look and left the room.
Now, only Si-hyun and Jang Hak-ki remained inside the duty room.
Si-hyun stared at Jang Hak-ki. Before meeting him, he felt like punching that face the moment he laid eyes on it. But now, with those sunken eyes and pitiful whines, it seemed like one good hit would knock him flat.
“Haah.”
Si-hyun sighed, trying to calm his mind. This was the inmate who had made him suffer in various ways. Just seeing his face brought memories of yesterday flooding back in anger.
But Jang Hak-ki was in a seriously weakened state. If he pushed him too hard and something happened, it would only come back to bite him.
Alright, fine.
He could wait to have his fun until Jang Hak-ki regains some strength. And once he was out in society, he would make him pay dearly. He planned to drain every last bit of hidden assets out of him to feel satisfied.
Jang Hak-ki was still struggling to keep his nearly closed eyes open, whining pathetically. Tears that politicians only seem to shed when needed—though this time, it seemed a hint of sincerity was mixed in. He looked like he wanted to say something, but seemed unable to with the heavy atmosphere Si-hyun was creating.
“Hey, Jang Hak-ki.”
Si-hyun spoke.
“Y-yes….”
Though Si-hyun called his name clearly, Jang Hak-ki responded like a meek little lamb.
“Have you reflected much?”
“I have reflected a lot… very much… tru—truly….”
His voice was completely drained, yet he struggled to infuse sincerity into his words.
Si-hyun spoke casually, using informal language, but Jang Hak-ki didn’t even rebel against that. Given Jang Hak-ki’s usual personality, such behavior was unthinkable. It was clear he was in a desperate situation.
“Is that really true?”
“It really is. Really….”
“Alright, so you’re saying that’s the case.”
As Si-hyun nodded, a glimmer of hope flickered across Jang Hak-ki’s face.
“But why on earth did you pull a stunt like that?”
Jang Hak-ki flinched at Si-hyun’s cold gaze.
“Huh…?”
That ‘stunt’…
Jang Hak-ki could only think of one thing that would set off such a reaction from him.
Could it be that something happened with Black Cross before the assassination request was canceled?
But if that were the case, there’s no way he could be looking so normal now.
What the heck is going on?
“What? Huh? Ugh, I can’t stand those politician types. They pretend not to know while they obviously do.”
“….”
“Stop pretending to be clueless and just blink like an idiot. I’m talking about Black Cross.”
Thud.
His heart sank. His once-fuzzy thoughts were now spinning even further out of control. His body trembled, overwhelmed with anxiety about how to respond as thoughts failed to come to him.
There was no room for excuses here. With this revelation, no matter what he said, Si-hyun wouldn’t be able to believe him.
Despair washed over him, clouding his vision. Then, his instincts as a politician kicked in. Like when he begged the people for votes, Jang Hak-ki dropped to his knees.
“I… P-please, listen to m—”
He squeezed out the most pitiful voice he could muster, but Si-hyun just scoffed.
“Why? Going for a prostration? Want me to give you my vote?”
“That’s not it….”
“Then what? Trying to gain some momentum? Get up already. Stop pretending to be pitiful.”
“Please, Chief… please forgive me… I wasn’t in my right mind… I lost my senses for a moment….”
Desperately holding onto Si-hyun’s pant legs, Jang Hak-ki pleaded.
Si-hyun sneered.
“Come on, think about it. Would you forgive yourself?”
“Chief….”
“Call me a lowly correctional officer like usual.”
“I-I was just out of my mind for a moment… No, that’s not it… I was always an idiot… I just barely regained my senses because of you….”
“Quit whining.”
Si-hyun ignored him and gazed out the window. Outside, Do-yeon was watching with wide eyes. Seeing her expression made him giggle.
Now they’re going to treat me like a god.
“Chief…, please….”
On the ground, Jang Hak-ki continued to beg desperately.
Si-hyun replied coldly.
“How can I trust the words of a trash who put out an assassination request? Would you believe it if you were in my shoes?”
“….”
“Thanks to you, I’ve changed my mind.”
“Y-yes?”
“It’s too kind a death for you to die from sleep deprivation. I can make your body a mere vegetable, unable to move for life while your mind is still intact. Just try living like that until you’re 100 years old. I reckon you wouldn’t last a year before going insane.”
“Ugh….”
Jang Hak-ki was hit with the shock like lightning, frantically clinging to Si-hyun with a newfound urgency. He thought Si-hyun was someone who could easily execute such a plan.
“Please… just this… spare me… I’ll do anything… anything at all….”
“Hmmm.”
“I genuinely regret it… please… please….”
“Really? You’d do anything?”
“Honestly… just say the word… I can do anything….”
“Then let me hear one thing, and I might believe you.”
“W-what is it…? Just say it, and I’ll….”
Si-hyun crossed his arms and looked down at Jang Hak-ki.
“You people in the upper crust consider the lower class to be your subordinates, right? Well, that’s how you treat them.”
“That’s not it….”
“I’m the perfect example of what you think of as a lower-class citizen, a mere correctional officer.”
“Chief….”
“How about this? You become the subservient one, and I take the role of the master. For someone like you, it would be an utterly unbearable situation. Yet, if you agree to my words despite that unbearable situation, I might give you a sliver of credit.”
“Ugh… that….”
Jang Hak-ki, in desperate straits, was forced to deeply consider it, despite being out of his mind. The instinctive discomfort gnawed at him.
He had lived his life believing he was the master of society and that the lower classes were mere subordinates. Now, being asked to flip that on its head…
What to do? What should he do?
If it was a choice between that and death, he might have opted for death.
But to live like a vegetable for life with a sane mind—that is far worse than death. That’s why it plagued him deeply.
“See? You’re just spewing lies without even a lick of sincerity.”
“N-no….”
Although Si-hyun said that, he already knew how it would go. Not having completed the quest meant he hadn’t been completely broken yet. It seemed he needed to demonstrate a little more force to completely shatter him.
“Then if that’s your decision, don’t blame me for it. Let’s start by paralyzing your lower body. From now on, you won’t be able to move your lower half—!!”
“Gah… ugh….”
Jang Hak-ki screamed in horror.
The sensation suddenly vanished from below his waist. It felt like half of his body had fallen off. At the same time, a wave of overwhelming terror washed over him, sending chills down his spine.
He feared that there might come a time when his mind was intact, but he would become a helpless shell, unable to move.
No… absolutely not…
With a frozen face, Jang Hak-ki shook his head back and forth in desperation.
“Then next is….”
“U-ugh… I am your subordinate… ugh… Chief, you are my master… I’m a subordinate… I will serve you loyally for life… please… please have mercy….”
With a ghostly pale face, Jang Hak-ki screamed desperately, clinging to Si-hyun, nearly ready to kiss his shoes.
At that moment, the quest window appeared.
[Quest: Show the inmates that you can rehabilitate them using the fierce shout of a terrifying guard. 2/2]
[Po-ahim is thoroughly pleased that you managed to truly rehabilitate the problematic inmates using your shout. In particular, he senses your potential as an executioner regarding the violence and murder displayed during this quest, and he wishes to grant you a skill.]
[Intelligence +40, Mental Power +40 restored]
[Passive Skill ‘Executioner’s Cold-bloodedness’ has been acquired.]
◈ ◈ ◈
Han Kyung-jin looked extremely tense.
If anyone were to meet with Cheonbyeon, they would likely feel the same way. Especially when it was none other than Cheonbyeon himself. The only relief was that he didn’t seem to be calling her in to deliver a severe reprimand.
But there was no reason to relax. He was someone who could smile while taking a life.
“Han Kyung-jin.”
Cheonbyeon called him by his name instead of using the number assigned by the organization.
“Yes.”
“Are you sure it was that Lee Si-hyun who did it?”
“Absolutely.”
“And no one else was involved in that incident, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“And he used a sword to cast magic?”
“Yes, he extended the sword and shouted something, and then the magic was… It seemed to be a spell inscribed on the sword.”
“Heh, funny.”
As Cheonbyeon suddenly laughed for reasons unknown, Kyung-jin wore a puzzled expression.
“What?”
“I wonder why he would use it. There was no reason to.”
“He did that to capture me….”
“No.”
Cheonbyeon spoke definitively, interrupting him.
“….”
“You’re dismissed.”
“Yes, understood.”
Kyung-jin bowed deeply and cautiously opened the door to leave.
“Why on earth did he leave a trail on purpose? Just what was he thinking?”
Cheonbyeon mumbled to himself once alone.
The sword engraved with Hellfire was none other than Acureruts. There was only one owner of that sword. And if it was ‘him,’ he could have taken out three grade A assassins without using Hellfire at all.
Had he simply killed them, Lee Si-hyun wouldn’t have caught on to ‘him.’ So why go to the trouble of leaving evidence behind?
A provocation?
A warning?
That was the only thing he could think of.
Cheonbyeon rested his chin on his hand and tapped the desk. Did the person who commissioned this hit—Jang Hak-ki—know nothing about all this?
Most likely, he didn’t. If he had, he wouldn’t have made such a request. ‘He’ was not someone Jang Hak-ki could dare put a hit out on. Plus, this incident revealed ‘his’ identity.
If Jang Hak-ki had known who ‘he’ was, then ‘he’ wouldn’t have acted in such a blatant manner. A concealed nuclear weapon is far scarier than one that’s visible. A visible nuclear weapon can be taken away by another country; it can be lost.
“Baek-wol.”
Cheonbyeon called someone, and the ever-loyal man with scars appeared silently.
“Yes, Cheonbyeon. What can I do for you?”
“Inform the client. We’re canceling this request.”
The extremely rare cancellation of a Black Cross request was now on Cheonbyeon’s lips.
“That….”
Baek-wol trailed off uncertainly.
“Why?”
“The client has contacted us, stating they intend to cancel the request….”
“Oh really?”
What a convenient timing. Perhaps they realized who the client was and took action.
They likely applied some pressure.
There was no need for him to concern himself with such matters.
“Then proceed as instructed.”
“Yes, understood.”