Seok-young silently gazed at the man who had been brought in. Thanks to Jihyeon, his personal information had already been secured. However, the man himself maintained a mocking attitude toward the police, exercising his right to remain silent.

  Seok-young didn't feel particularly irritated by this. He had seen many people who had given up on themselves like this, but this man's case was a bit special. It was because his life had been far removed from that of a so-called "model citizen." Regardless of the Tools, his character was already severely warped.

  Ten prior convictions.

  All of them were related to violence. He had picked fights with passersby and sometimes assaulted people for no reason—simply because he thought it would be fun. To the victims, it was like a bolt out of the blue. Those who were showered with fists just because they happened to be in front of him received no proper compensation.

  No one understood what he was dissatisfied with or what had made him that way. The man, for his part, had no intention of being understood. He did it simply because it was fun.

  Perhaps it was due to his innate personality. His nature—the urge to destroy anything in his vicinity—constantly caused trouble. Consequently, being at the police station was nothing to fear for him. He had been there several times already; what was one more time?

  Even if he could no longer taste the air of society, he didn't care. He was already someone who was welcomed by no one. He understood well enough how deeply his actions had scarred others. Of course, that didn't mean he would repent. He was a man who would do such things without a second thought for his own pleasure. If anything, he felt regret—regret that he couldn't go on a bigger rampage.

  In a way, he might have given up on himself. For someone who had already abandoned life, this incident was a final opportunity to find enjoyment in society. However, because he crossed paths with Jihyeon, he was now held here without being able to cause further damage. As if inwardly resentful, the man continued to express his frustration through constant sneering.

  Yet, none of that would have any impact on his future trial. What he had done could not be forgiven, regardless of the reason. Had it been a case of losing control during a rampage, there might have been some room for leniency. Or perhaps if it had been a matter of stealing money out of desperation to survive, it might be different. There have always been those who cross the line due to urgent livelihood needs, and even a society that punishes crimes severely showed mercy when it came to survival.

  But this man was far from that. Those who cannot control their own violent tendencies cross the line far too easily the moment they receive power that far exceeds their own capacity.

  A voice heard from the void, and a contract.

  If that were all, it might be different. But how many people had the man killed with the power he gained along with the contract? It was time to deny him his freedom entirely. It was time to completely sever him from society. The materials for that were already prepared.

  "So, what are you gonna do? Kill me? Or let me go like this?"

  The man sneered. He would likely refuse to admit his wrongdoing until the very end. Not that it mattered in any sense.

  After staring at the man for a moment, lost in thought, Seok-young snorted. Inwardly, however, he had to struggle to suppress a surging desire for violence. This man had merely run wild. A villain who listened to no one had simply rampaged the moment a stage was provided. It was only natural for a desire to arise to handle a guy who didn't care at all about the damage he caused by means other than the law.

  But Seok-young was a police officer. He only exercised his power within the boundaries of the law. From now on, someone else would handle the case in Seok-young's stead. Since all necessary information had already been extracted, there was no reason to waste energy unnecessarily.

  "The person who will be in charge of you will arrive soon. Don't worry, they'll deal with you. And don't even think for a second that what you've done will be forgiven."

  Seok-young turned away as he spoke. Without the Tool, the man was no longer a threat. He simply had to take responsibility for his crimes. There were experts for such matters. Seok-young had no intention of wasting more of his time on a useless individual.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Regardless of what the man blustered, Seok-young walked out. He could only let out a sigh. Rather than the man himself, he would have to investigate the voice from the void that had allegedly made him that way. Though the man didn't know, there was surely something different from what they imagined.

  With that thought, Seok-young returned to his office. There was still a mountain of work to do.

  The scars of battle still rendered the road unusable. Even though the man had maintained his sanity, the traces left behind by his intoxication with power were simply chilling.

  Numerous victims, and massive property damage. Many had died, and much was deemed beyond repair. But the man was no longer there. The hooded hero of the city had subdued him.

  The Salesman had watched everything. She was purely in awe, as the hero's abilities would captivate anyone watching. The rapid switching of Tools and the hero's perfect control over those abilities were even beautiful to behold. Perhaps no one else could utilize Tools as artistically as the hero. Specifically, applying multiple Tools in such a manner was something an ordinary person couldn't even dream of.

  Since she was in the business of selling Tools and had been implanted with a Tool that could sense a bit of the opponent's information along with a Booster to amplify those abilities, the Salesman could see things others could not.

  That was why she was in awe. The city's hero was extraordinary. He was a true powerhouse for whom no superlative was enough. Had she not been doing this work, she might have been so enchanted by the beauty of his Tool usage that she would have followed him around. Just watching him once made her forget her own situation and breathe heavily in excitement.

  But he was an obstacle—a hindrance to their business. She knew better than anyone that overcoming him had become the primary goal for the business of the Loan Shark and the Salesman. And she knew all too well that, regardless of her feelings, she would eventually be caught by the hero because of her crimes.

  That was only natural. She was a sinner.

  The hooded hero hunted those consumed by Tools without mercy. And he didn't forgive the sellers, either. To him, she was merely a villain who needed to be caught. That wasn't a pleasant thought. It meant that, regardless of her heart, the Salesman was already completely shackled to an inescapable quagmire.

  But that was reality. The Salesman knew that denying it was meaningless. Fleeing wouldn't make the guilt disappear. In that case, it would be better to focus on extending the time she could enjoy her freedom.

  However, even that didn't seem easy. The hero's eyes were sharper than anything, and he would eventually find and capture her. And if she were caught, he would remove the Tools forcibly implanted in her body.

  Except for a few unlucky cases, the city's hero had perfectly removed the Tools they had worked so hard to sell and implant. Perhaps he could now even dismantle them for those using a Booster. Of course, if things went wrong, she would die. The Booster the Loan Shark had implanted in her would detonate her instantly if even the slightest thing went wrong.

  Still, if the hero honed his skills and managed to liberate her, then... who knows. She might be saved. But if that happened, her younger brother could never be saved. The Loan Shark was cruel to those who were no longer useful and even more cruel to those who betrayed him.

  Perhaps she was thinking of a futile hope that could never be realized. Unless the city's hero completely subdued the Loan Shark, the Salesman would never be free. It was better not to dream such dreams.

  Instead, she looked at reality more coldly.

  The city's hero worked in close coordination with the police. And he surely subdued those who rampaged while intoxicated by the power of the Tools, taking care not to let the opponents get seriously hurt. That was truly impressive. The Salesman, who had watched from the side as the cult's recovery team retrieved people, couldn't eat a proper meal that day.

  But the hero was different. That fact, in a way, put her at ease.

  Of course, the incidents were generally the result of the users' own choices, not the Salesman's. And the incidents they caused always led to great profits. There were always fools everywhere who thought they would be the best if they wielded such strong power. Selling to them wasn't particularly difficult, and the profits were guaranteed.

  But the collateral damage caused in the process always led to tragedy, and the Salesman's heart would often grow heavy because of that. Of course, the Loan Shark actually liked it. He loved the death and suffering of others above all else.

  Money and pain.

  She couldn't understand what kind of warped individual could think that way. No, perhaps that was why he could turn his own subordinates—who might be the most important things to him—into such things without a second thought.

  But she was different. She knew she was doing wrong. And she couldn't deny that she felt pangs of conscience, no matter how much she tried to ignore them. Thus, the Salesman was in a complicated mood.

  Of course, she knew well that she hadn't lived a clean life. She knew that someday, the karma she had ignored would all come back to her. In the first place, before doing this work, the Salesman had worked in a pyramid scheme and led many people's lives into the abyss. She knew that no matter what she said now, she would not be forgiven.

  Nevertheless, people always wanted hope, even if it might be in vain. She was no different.

  "Ah... what should I do..."

  Sighing and lamenting her situation, the Salesman muttered. The feeling that everything she had committed was now breaking her down weighed heavily on her.

  But sighing changed nothing. What she had to do now was not admire, but sell new Tools and make money. Realizing that, she sighed once more and headed into the street. There was still plenty of time before she had to sleep. During that time, she had to sell everything she could. To do that, the only answer was to hurry.

  With that thought, the Salesman vanished into the crowd of people still moving about.