In the city, it had become almost commonplace for someone to lose their reason to a Tool and go on a rampage. It was a tragedy and a disaster, yet there was no definitive way to prevent it. The only thing the citizens could hope for was that such misfortune would not befall them personally.

  However, incidents always occur at the most unexpected times and places.

  The rampage currently unfolding in the heart of the city was no different. Someone let out a primal scream, obliterating everything in sight. The entity—its body enlarged as if breaking past the constraints of the human animal—was thrashing about, as if everything in its surroundings served only to fuel its rage.

  It was a catastrophe.

  The moment one was swept up in it, death was the only thing that awaited. People fled, screaming in terror. None of them could have imagined that even their flight would provoke the rampaging man. Yet, even if they had known, no one would have stood still. Pure survival instinct was the only thing moving their legs.

  The tragic reality was that the man, reacting to the movement, began hurling various objects at the fleeing crowd for his own dark amusement.

  Nearby, a truck carrying massive panes of glass sat abandoned by its owner. A single pane was heavy enough to kill, but if shattered over a crowd, the resulting tragedy was beyond imagination. No one knew how a mind lost to madness could conceive such cruelty, but what mattered more than his thoughts was the fact that he was putting them into action.

  The glass panes were tossed high into the air, followed by another strike to shatter them. These two consecutive actions instantly created a rain of razor-sharp shards. The shards were headed straight for the fleeing people.

  In a few moments, screams would surely echo through the streets, and that sound would satisfy the man. He wanted to hear them. He yearned for more people to be maimed and killed, hoping for despair to erupt from their throats.

  But his hope did not become reality.

  Jihyeon intercepted everything at the eleventh hour. His psychokinesis, now reaching the level of an art form, perfectly gathered every single shard and placed them in a safe area. It was a display of such beauty that it felt like a masterpiece. The sight of glittering glass fragments—shining brilliantly in mid-air—being safely organized in an instant drew gasps of admiration from the onlookers.

  However, this only served to infuriate the man. To one who sought to hear screams, this was nothing but a provocation. The fact that he hadn't obtained what he desired enraged him. Only pure destruction, death, and the violence he dealt could satisfy him.

  The man roared at Jihyeon. He intended to soothe his rage by attacking Jihyeon and watching him writhe in agony. His eyes, already consumed by madness, were no longer human. The sheer fury in his gaze would have paralyzed anyone with fear. But to Jihyeon, such things were meaningless.

  To Jihyeon, the man was merely a danger threatening the people. Having dealt with countless rampaging Tool users already, Jihyeon was not intimidated by a mere glare. It might be a bit of a hassle, but he simply needed to end the incident by neutralizing him effectively. Jihyeon’s priority was to wrap things up without further civilian casualties. He did not like seeing others get hurt.

  Fortunately, there were many ways to subdue the man. The actions of one who has lost their reason, while threatening, were always linear and without artifice. With just a little extra effort, Jihyeon could surely bring him down.

  But today, he didn't intend to step in personally. This was for the growth of Ha-hyeon—Ha-eun’s younger brother and a man who possessed a Tool yet had not gone berserk.

  Right on cue, Ha-hyeon appeared with a shout. As if following a pre-arranged plan with Jihyeon, Ha-hyeon engaged the man while Jihyeon focused on preventing collateral damage.

  It was a brutal, beast-like struggle. Jihyeon wished Ha-hyeon would use more refined subduing techniques based on martial arts, but for now, Ha-hyeon was more focused on simply pummeling his opponent. It wasn't the best approach, but Jihyeon didn't plan to comment on it yet. After all, the opponent needed to be worn down, and a bit of a rough fight was a part of that process.

  Jihyeon thought that Ha-hyeon would eventually learn something while working with him. It might have been a somewhat irresponsible sentiment, but sometimes experiencing things firsthand is better than listening to a dull lecture. Though the participant might dislike it, a wealth of experience and trials would be a great help in his growth.

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  Jihyeon hoped he would grow quickly. Ha-hyeon needed to become a new hope to protect the people when Jihyeon wasn't around. It wasn't just because of the plea bargain. It was a necessity because Jihyeon was not omnipotent.

  In truth, if Jihyeon had wanted to lock Ha-hyeon away, he could have done so easily. Purchasing a Tool was illegal in itself. Numerous laws had been passed, and the act of buying or selling a Tool was a capital offense that could result in a maximum sentence of life imprisonment upon discovery. Furthermore, Ha-hyeon had a track record of causing various incidents, both large and small. That alone made him a person of interest.

  However, if Ha-hyeon could become a man capable of backing Jihyeon up, he would undoubtedly be a great asset to many. Of course, that was a hope.

  Ha-hyeon was still an unknown quantity. He couldn't fully draw out the power of his Tool, nor did he fully understand what kind of Tool was installed within him. Currently, all he knew was his superhuman strength and durability. While those alone could accomplish much, it remained to be seen.

  Still, perhaps realizing the utility of the techniques Jihyeon had recently taught him, Ha-hyeon soon subdued his opponent. Seeing this, Jihyeon smiled. He then brought the situation to a close by using his own power to knock the man unconscious.

  Satisfied that everything had been resolved with much less damage than expected, Jihyeon left the scene with Ha-hyeon as soon as the cleanup was finished.

  The taste of canned coffee, sipped while looking down at the city from a tall building, was decent enough. Jihyeon enjoyed the warm canned coffee along with Ha-hyeon.

  "How was it? Manageable?" Jihyeon asked, feeling the warmth of the coffee heat his body.

  "More or less. But I don't know how you manage to keep doing this. It's gotta be exhausting," Ha-hyeon replied, thinking back on various events, including the time Jihyeon had subdued him.

  "You do it long enough, it becomes your calling. The state pays well, and besides, it's a job that only I can do."

  Ha-hyeon nodded at Jihyeon’s words. The fact that he was getting support from the state was reason enough to make the job worthwhile. However, there were things that couldn't be explained by that alone. Ha-hyeon had no choice because a plea bargain was involved, but Jihyeon was different.

  "And it's necessary for the people around me to live safely. Isn't it better than being unable to do anything and feeling resentful?"

  Ha-hyeon looked convinced. Having seen his own comrades get crushed by his brother, it was perhaps only natural. Of course, in Ha-hyeon’s case, he had bought the Tool to exploit the vacuum left by collapsed organizations, but there was no need to mention that.

  "Come to think of it, why didn't you retrieve my Tool? You could've done to me what you did to that guy earlier."

  Jihyeon took a sip of his coffee before answering Ha-hyeon’s question. "At least you were maintaining your sanity."

  Ha-hyeon looked incredulous, as if he couldn't understand that logic at all.

  "If someone's lost their reason, I have no choice but to remove it. But if they haven't been consumed by it yet, I don't want to force it out. It's hard to manage, but removing it can ruin a person's life."

  Ha-hyeon sighed. If he had gone berserk like his other friends, the Tool implanted in him would have been forcibly ripped out.

  "It's much better than being forcibly torn out and having to recover, isn't it? Did you actually want me to rip it out?" Jihyeon asked teasingly.

  Ha-hyeon shook his head in denial. Some of the people Jihyeon had removed Tools from could no longer live normal lives. Their brains had been completely damaged because the Tool's influence was too strong. It might have been kinder to kill them, but Jihyeon didn't. Yet, to Jihyeon, they were like thorns—thorns that continued to prick at his soul.

  "And besides, it's not like you can beat me if you try anything stupid, right?" Jihyeon asked with a mischievous expression.

  He knew it was a joke, but Ha-hyeon couldn't help but look a bit annoyed. "I know you're strong, but do you have to say it like that?"

  Ha-hyeon didn't hide his feelings. He was the type of person whose fists usually flew first when he got angry. It was only because the power gap was so overwhelming that he suppressed it to this degree.

  "It's the opposite. I'm saying if it bugs you, grow stronger. You still have potential. It might be hard to catch up to me, but who knows? If you get strong enough, maybe you can land a punch on me when you don't like my teasing."

  Jihyeon spoke with ease. Ha-hyeon snorted again in disbelief.

  "Man, you've got a real way with words. What kind of nonsense is that?"

  Ha-hyeon said this as he crushed his empty can. The power of his Tool compressed the can to a degree that no normal human strength could achieve.

  "The power of a Tool depends on how you use it. And as long as it's not the lowest grade that just turns people into monsters, they tend to grow over time."

  Jihyeon said this as he levitated his own empty can. After moving it around in the air with his psychokinesis, Jihyeon concentrated his power for a moment and shredded the can. It was reminiscent of someone's neck being twisted. Ha-hyeon felt a momentary chill but didn't say anything to Jihyeon.

  "Be careful. Stronger enemies are going to show up now. Unlike before, there's an increasing number of people using proper Tools while maintaining their sanity."

  Jihyeon sighed, his face full of worry for the future. "There aren't many people I can trust with my back when things get too much for me to handle alone."

  Jihyeon looked at Ha-hyeon. Ha-hyeon turned his head away slightly as if the gaze were a burden.

  "I don't know how long I'll keep playing hero, but for now, I have to do my best with what I can do."

  Jihyeon muttered this as he looked out over the city. The city they protected still bore its scars, but it was beautiful nonetheless. Ha-hyeon didn't say anything more. Instead, he simply stood with Jihyeon, looking out at the city.