HG | Chapter 25

The phone turned to dust, the cold expression, and the tone of voice asking about the perpetrator.

A ripple spread outward from Cheonghyeon and Hakyung. Not from an awakener’s energy, but from the shockwave spreading among those who witnessed the scene.

‘Is that really Esper Im Cheonghyeon?’

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‘Did Im Cheonghyeon have a son?’

‘Cheonghyeon’s son goes to our school!’

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‘Looks like his son got hit somewhere… Did he just call him “baby”?’

‘Crazy… Seems like Esper Im Cheonghyeon really cherishes his son. I heard his son’s rank is low, but here’s a kind and gentle father moment.’

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“Hey, hey. Shit. Jang Yuseong and his crew are fucked.’

“But why is the atmosphere around his son so… ticklish…?’

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The points of shock varied among people. From the fact that he had a grown son to his attitude and demeanor towards his child, every action he took created ripples, big and small.

After all, although he is the most famous Esper in Korea, his private life is shrouded in mystery, making it an irresistible focus of attention. Some were even openly filming Cheonghyeon and Hakyung.

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Hakyung could feel the surprise of the crowd on his skin. Even the people closest to him had their eyes, nose, and mouth wide open, so there was no way he could miss it. It was quite fascinating how Cheonghyeon was focusing solely on him as if no one else existed around them.

Seeming frustrated by his son’s reluctance to speak, Cheonghyeon sighed with concern, then gently pulled Hakyung towards his car, an arm around his shoulder.

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“Hakyung.”

Without stopping, he leaned his head towards Hakyung’s face, like they were sharing a secret only they knew.

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The posture could be seen as a close father-son moment, but with the height difference, it also looked like lovers snuggling close.

Unaware of the strange changes in the eyes of some onlookers behind them, Hakyung clutched his trembling heart.

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“Yes, yes…”

“My baby, finally letting me hear your voice.”

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The rich, low voice with a hint of laughter washed over Hakyung’s ears. The sound was refreshing yet so low and subtly moist that it felt like it stuck to his eardrums. Hakyung touched his ears without reason, an itch making him want to scratch inside.

His lips, almost touching Hakyung’s ears, whispered like a witch tempting a child.

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“Baby. Will you tell me who did this to you, just to daddy? If it’s hard to talk here, shall we go home?”

“…”

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“I’m upset. When you didn’t come back from school on time, I came to pick you up, only to find my precious child crumpled like a rag.”

“…”

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“Then naturally, daddy needs to know the name of the bastard who turned my child into a rag. We should also talk to your teacher about why this unfortunate incident happened.”

Hakyung just listened to his whispering voice. Surprised by unexpectedly meeting him and with the intuition that speaking might lead to irreversible consequences, his tongue stiffened.

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It wasn’t that he felt sympathy for Han Hee-gyeom’s group. From the moment he believed his father was behind him and started revealing his inner thoughts to them, he had anticipated such a situation might occur.

Now that the anticipated situation had arrived, his hesitation came from the worry that they might drag his father’s name through the mud. That mud would ultimately stem from his own failure to act properly.

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“Im Hakyung.”

…Oh. Dad’s angry.

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“…Yes.”

Hakyung responded quietly while gauging Cheonghyeon’s expression. His eyes, subtly glowing golden, narrowed slightly.

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“I don’t know why you’re keeping your mouth shut, but I’ll make one thing clear. If I have to force your mouth open, it won’t end with just them. Understand what I’m saying?”

“Force?”

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Does that mean it’s not force if he’s angry now? Is there another way to find out?

“Well… it’s all about how you phrase it… So, do you want me to interrogate you until you spill it?”

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With a look that said, ‘That would be for the best,’ Hakyung quickly shook his head. He had momentarily forgotten that this was a man who had carried out revenge for a long time. The sudden feeling of bloodlust wasn’t an illusion.

“Let’s talk in the car!”

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Fortunately, Cheonghyeon’s car was right in front of them. Hakyung hastily got into the passenger seat that Cheonghyeon had opened for him. He almost screamed when he tried to habitually pull the seatbelt and touched his injured hand, but he held it in.

Cheonghyeon walked around the bonnet and got into the driver’s seat.

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Click!

Finally, in a space where only the two of them existed, Hakyung let out a sigh of relief.

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Throbbing… The pain from his cheek now made itself known as the tension eased, bringing the forgotten pain back.

Although he understood rationally, a sense of grievance suddenly overwhelmed him, making his lips pout involuntarily.

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“Ugh…”

“Baby, what’s wrong? Does it hurt?”

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Cheonghyeon reacted swiftly, holding Hakyung. Hakyung, covering his blue cheek with his hand, was trying to hold back tears.

Furrowed brows, drooping eyebrows, eyes brimming with tears. His expression was already crying, even if no tears fell.

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“Dad…”

“Yeah. I’m listening. Tell me.”

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Perhaps Hakyung was taking slow, deliberate steps into speaking.

The habits of suppression from when he was away from his father’s embrace were on the verge of breaking.

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Dad.

“It… it hurts… I, I… it hurts…”

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He spoke…

That he was in pain, that he was hurting so much.

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Why was it so hard and painful to admit he was hurt?

“…Huu…”

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Thud, drop.

Concerned about his ugly, gaping mouth, he covered it with his hand, and hot tears fell unwittingly.

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Hiccup-.

The tears that had been falling in droplets soon soaked into the other’s clothes.

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Cheonghyeon pulled Hakyung into an embrace more gently than ever before. Hakyung almost resented that it was inside the car.

“Who would dare hit such a little thing… You must have hurt a lot, my beautiful baby.”

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Pat, pat. The man who was patting Hakyung’s thin back released more force from his hands, careful not to break him. He was inwardly urging him with all his heart.

Baby, tell me. Who did this to you? Before I hunt them down and tear them apart.

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And after a long wait, names began to emerge from the child, like filth from a clogged pipe.

“…Jang Yuseong, h-he hit me- hiccup.”

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Jang Yuseong. Han Hee-gyeom. Kim Jeongwook. Oh Jinhyeok…

Cheonghyeon engraved each name from the child’s mouth into his heart, not to forget them.

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“Huh, huh… It hurts.”

Hakyung, having cried out explosively, fainted from exhaustion. Cheonghyeon pulled his sleeping son onto his lap, cradling him. The traces of tears on his face were pitiful and heartbreaking. He saw the child who had endured pain without even saying it hurt.

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A flame ignited in Cheonghyeon’s eyes. When the child’s biological parents were sacrificed, his heart turned icy cold; now, seeing Hakyung’s injured state, it burned endlessly.

This would be the boy’s first vengeance.

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Cheonghyeon patted Hakyung, kissing his forehead. His sharp eyes were fixed on the people still lingering outside the car window.

Fierce hatred and disgust. His human loathing was running at full throttle after a long time.

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Crunch. The steering wheel broke under the force of his grip.

“…”

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Beep.

-Activating the autonomous driving system. Would you like to set a destination?

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Silently activating the autonomous driving mode, Cheonghyeon muttered in a low voice:

“Home.”

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That weekend. Cheonghyeon, unusually humming a tune, crossed the boundary of the dungeon. Haegak Ridge. Now a familiar, dark land.

“Urk! Mmm, mmm!”

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“Well… You’re young, so you’re quite lively.”

It wasn’t just the humming that was unusual. He was also carrying a large load on his shoulder. A very long black bag, its length matching that of an adult man.

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Thud!

He then casually dropped the bag he had been carrying on one shoulder onto the ground. It wasn’t gently placed; it was thrown intentionally.

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Cheonghyeon took a deep breath of the dungeon’s characteristic musty air and exhaled. Then, with a tone of genuine enjoyment, he spoke:

“Every time I come here, it feels like shit.”

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In fact, he visited Haegak Ridge almost every week. Aside from other reasons, there was no place as convenient as this to obtain a large amount of monster corpse powder.

It’s top secret, but when monster corpse powder is mixed with some chemicals and diluted, it becomes a painkiller for awakeners. While directly inhaling the powder has an effect, its concentration is too high, causing hallucinations in most people, making it almost like a drug.

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However, not all monster powders have a narcotic effect; only those killed with Cheonghyeon’s skill possess this unique property. Because of this, countless Espers have killed monsters without realizing their bodies could be the raw material for painkillers.

On Monday last week, Cheonghyeon informed his secretary, Song, that he would take a few days off. To assess where the branches of these issues extended before dealing with them.

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He wanted to gather all those who had tormented Hakyung, along with their parents and teachers, and feed them to monsters. But knowing Hakyung would be shocked by such an action, and seeing no particular fault with the teacher, he decided to eliminate only the problematic sprouts.

For this purpose, today he chose a spot far from the dungeon’s edge, deep within. Originally a plain road, over time, trees grew, and grass became lush, naturally turning it into a forest. There’s even a hideout not far from where he stopped.

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Conversely, he had come to a place hard for others to find today because he didn’t want to be disturbed.

“Come out.”

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He tore open the bag one by one with his foot. Before Cheonghyeon arrived, the capable Secretary Song had prepared five bags. Han Hee-gyeom, being an A-class Esper like Song, was brought here by Cheonghyeon himself to ensure no mistakes, considering variables were always present.

“Umm! Mmm!”

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“I’m not asking for an immediate response, so calm down and take a look at the light, kids. How nice the sun is today.”

At the somewhat gentle voice, the six “fish” jumped and then froze. Some were trembling finely, others were tensing their whole bodies.

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Han Hee-gyeom, while pale, bit down hard on his gag instead of trembling pathetically. He even glared at Cheonghyeon with fierce eyes.

Cheonghyeon put a cigarette made from raw monster corpse powder into his mouth. Ha ha… An involuntary, scornful chuckle escaped him.

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Hoo…

A particularly white smoke spread long. Han Hee-gyeom, who got hit by the smoke directly, wrinkled his nose.

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“So, you should understand by now. First off, you might be curious why you were brought here?”

With the unresponsive students before him, Cheonghyeon smoothly clenched his fist and then extended his index finger.

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“First. The punishment for Jang Yuseong, who assaulted my son, was denied. The reason is bullshit, so I’ll move to the second.”

He extended his middle finger.

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“You guys habitually assaulted and molested a classmate who was minding his own business. I heard that on the day Hakyung broke his hand, you tried to rape him, and when he resisted, you hit him.”

“Mmm! Mmm!”

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That’s not true, I’m innocent! Jang Yuseong, bound tightly, wriggled like a mad caterpillar in fierce protest. His struggle seemed like an attempt to exaggerate actions to shake off excessive fear and puff up his size.

Cheonghyeon casually stepped on Jang Yuseong’s ankle with his left foot.

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Crunch.

“……! Uu, uu…!”

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The bone shattered immediately, the spot caving in. It wasn’t just breaking the ankle; he had completely destroyed it.

“Yuseong, you need to be quiet. Can trash without the mouth to admit its wrongs still feel pain?”

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Ah, how unfortunate, truly unfortunate.

At this moment, Cheonghyeon felt regret that his power was too great. When he stepped on them, it was like stepping on a sponge, collapsing effortlessly, giving him little sense of having done any real damage.

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There are bugs you feel when you squash them, and there are those you don’t, like flies. For Cheonghyeon, harming humans, whether they were awakeners or not, felt akin to swatting flies.

What would he have to do to spread the word that he had dealt with them effectively…

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Cheonghyeon pondered this, absently rubbing his chin. Then, coming up with a rather decent idea, he smiled slightly.

“Wait here and enjoy the sun. Have a chat among yourselves.”

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After Cheonghyeon personally removed their gags, the six thugs instinctively kept silent. Once Cheonghyeon disappeared into the forest, they finally burst out with cries of frustration.

“Fuck!”

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“Shit, this is so fucked! Can’t we do something? Huh?”

“Hey! Jang Yuseong! This is all because of you! What are you going to do about it?!”

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Each one was shouting to hide their fear. Jang Yuseong, suddenly the target, rolled his bloodshot eyes menacingly and shouted back:

“What the fuck! Didn’t you touch Im Hakyung too? And back then, I had no choice! Who knew that bastard could guide? What was that weird smell… Yeah, it was because he was seducing us!”

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“Seducing? What do you mean seducing? As a father, that’s not something I can overlook.”

“Hik…!”

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Not just Jang Yuseong, but everyone except Cheonghyeon was startled. Not only had he gone and returned in a flash, but he was now carrying a monstrous creature nearly 2 meters tall!

Carrying a monster, this guy’s insane…!

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None of them had much experience with actual monsters. Especially those from Outbreak zones, they were only studied in theory, rarely encountered by anyone but seasoned Espers.

Haegak Ridge was known for its bizarre and high-risk monsters, making it a place even professional Espers avoided. Naturally, it wasn’t on the list for training dungeons for top students, so they had never confronted these creatures before.

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Grr…

“Argh!”

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Cheonghyeon dropped the creature he had brought from outside right beside him. Then, as if it were a pet dog, he commanded it, “Wait.”

All six pairs of eyes bulged as if they would pop out.

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The monster… understands instructions…!

What on earth had he done? The creature indeed stood still like a statue. Grrk, grrr… The growling sounds confirmed it was, indeed, a monster.

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The bizarre behavior didn’t end there.

Cheonghyeon collected all the ropes that had bound their limbs, starting with Jang Yuseong on the far right. He showed no concern whatsoever about them escaping.

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He was right to not worry. Even though they now had a chance to run, the six of them couldn’t move an inch. Their limbs felt as if they were glued to the spot, making even moving a finger difficult.

“Then, preparations are done… Shall uncle show you something fun?”

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These bastards who tormented my precious child, I can’t just turn them into dust so easily. Cheonghyeon grinned charmingly as he lifted Jang Yuseong by the collar.

“Which hand did you hit Hakyung with? The right?”

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“Kk, kk, aargh…!”

“Ugh.”

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“Ugh…!”

Before the boy could answer, Cheonghyeon had already torn off Jang Yuseong’s right arm. He threw it into the monster’s gaping maw like one would toss wood into a fireplace.

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“No, no…!”

“What do you mean ‘no’? Everything is possible.”

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Cheonghyeon, speaking like a gentle teacher, grabbed the other arm and stared at the monster, as if waiting for a reaction.

Burp.

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Soon, a belch came from the monster’s round mouth. The six pairs of eyes widened once more, but what Cheonghyeon noticed was the brief glimpse of a black shadow within the creature’s maw.

‘As expected.’

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He looked at the giant creature with satisfaction. The kids, dazed by the ‘giant monster’ itself, didn’t notice, but if they had observed closely, they would have seen the tiny eyes of the monster glowing with a dark red light, evidence that it was being forcibly controlled by Cheonghyeon.

The warm-up was over.

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“Monster, open your mouth.”