Chapter 379: Chapter 379

He had his reasons for avoiding non-violent crimes.

After all, what he wielded was also a form of violence.

People were more accepting of him using overwhelming force to punish those who committed violent crimes like murder, robbery, or assault… but if he extended his reach to other areas, they would react negatively.

‘Even now, there are those who oppose the vigilantes’ actions, despite their focus on violent crimes. If I go any further, it’ll definitely become a problem.’

He didn't completely control Korea. He couldn't ignore public opinion.

The government might even take action, which would be… troublesome.

Of course, there was already an investigation underway, but it was mostly for show.

After all, the vigilantes were contributing significantly to maintaining public order, and the investigators knew that better than anyone.

‘So, I was planning to let the public… sort it out themselves…’

He had a feeling it wouldn't happen, not in his lifetime.

And he couldn't just ignore it after what had happened to his friend.

‘But even if the verdict is decided, the execution has to be… subtle. I can’t just resort to violence.’

He could easily crush them, but they were still… companies, operating under the guise of legitimate businesses.

If he just barged in and destroyed them, the political and business circles, which had been relatively quiet until now, would react aggressively.

He had to be… smart about it.

‘…So, I was planning to gather information first…’

Cheonjong Construction.

The company identified by the Blood Alliance as the mastermind behind the recent incident involving Park Mi-yeong.

It was a seemingly ordinary mid-sized company, but in reality, it was a criminal organization, a corporate gang involved in all sorts of illegal activities.

“But… it seems like there’s more to it than just them.”

A few hours after meeting Kang Tae-san and Park Mi-yeong.

Inside the Cheonjong Construction headquarters, in the middle of the night.

The office was silent, the security guards and the employees on night duty all asleep, or rather, unconscious.

And amidst the silence, a figure stood tall, its body encased in a sleek, metallic suit, its surface covered in glowing blue lines like intricate circuits, wires extending from its shoulders and connecting to the surrounding electronic devices.

The progress bar on Hesperon’s 「Cybernetic Eye: Callicas」 quickly filled up, and a neatly organized summary of the collected information appeared on his HUD.

From minor accounting errors to carefully hidden records of corruption and bribery…

Nothing could escape his gaze.

‘As I thought, this is incredibly useful. Perhaps even more so than my other transcendent avatars, at least on Earth.’

The AI of 「Cybernetic Eye: Callicas」, linked to Hesperon through 「Chains of the Oath」 and evolving alongside him, had long since surpassed its original capabilities.

Enhanced by various growth bonuses, including the “Growth Elixir”, it was a self-evolving super AI, adapting to its environment in real time.

It was a game-changer in this world, where access to advanced technology from other dimensions was limited by the dimensional gap.

Having absorbed all the data from Cheonjong Construction’s internal network, 「Cybernetic Eye: Callicas」 connected to the internet and began its investigation, its reach extending far beyond the confines of the building.

It traced financial transactions to offshore accounts, recovered deleted data fragments, and pieced together the puzzle.

The circuits on Hesperon’s power suit, Titan, glowed brightly as the AI reached its peak processing capacity.

This wouldn’t have been possible without Titan, a marvel of dwarven engineering, a miniature spaceship in human form.

Even the most advanced AI couldn't handle this much data with the limited resources of a cybernetic eye.

‘And it’s all thanks to “Chains of the Oath”, which links us together.’

About thirty minutes had passed since he infiltrated Cheonjong Construction.

He had finally identified the true mastermind behind this incident.

“Daeryong Group… They’re quite big.”

And he had also uncovered their secrets, the things they had been desperately trying to hide.

‘This is enough. I’ll make them pay.’

Hesperon, his task complete, headed towards the rooftop.

The Blood Alliance’s high-ranking vampires, who had helped him infiltrate the building, would erase any remaining traces.

His priority was to finish this quickly and efficiently.

‘I told Riley I would be back soon.’

She had been stressed lately, ever since taking on her duties as the Crown Princess, and her daily visits to his quarters, their conversations filled with trivial matters, had become her only source of relaxation.

‘Well, it’s a good way to build a relationship with the future Empress and provide her with… emotional support.’

Hesperon shrugged as he reached the rooftop.

…the metal suit, activating its stealth mode, vanished into the night sky.

Leaving behind the Cheonjong Construction office, silent and undisturbed, as if nothing had happened.

Supernatural Management Bureau, Criminal Investigation Department, break room.

“It’s been noisy since this morning. Well, it’s understandable, considering what happened.”

Kang Tae-san, taking a break from his paperwork, sipped his coffee and glanced at the TV screen, where the news was still reporting on the incident that had occurred earlier that day.

-“Korea has always been praised for its low crime rate. Of course, the recent terrorist attacks in Seoul have tarnished that image… but the government’s response and the citizens’ cooperation have been exemplary.”

-“Yes, that’s why this incident is so shocking. No one expected such widespread corruption and criminal activity, hidden behind the facade of legitimate businesses.”

-“And there are many companies involved. So far, we’ve identified…”

“What’s the point of arresting villains if the country is filled with corrupt officials?”

“Exactly. And they’re always complaining about us.”

Kang Tae-san and his colleague, who was already in the break room, clicked their tongues and shook their heads.

The news had been reporting on it since early morning.

It had started with Cheonjong Construction, a mid-sized company.

“They’re quite bold. To think they would target government agencies…”

Bribery, blackmail, extortion, infiltration…

Their crimes, revealed through the media, were shocking.

And they hadn’t just targeted government officials. They had also infiltrated other powerful organizations, like the Returnee Association.

‘They were bound to be caught eventually. It’s karma.’

And then, other companies’ crimes were also revealed.

Especially the part about them hiring villains as private soldiers… it was enough to make even the higher-ups panic.

It was no wonder the news had been reporting on it non-stop since morning.

‘…Though the current public opinion is also… suspicious.’

Kang Tae-san, sitting on the sofa, sipping his coffee and watching the news, narrowed his eyes.

His instincts, honed through years of experience investigating and analyzing crimes, were telling him…

…that this wasn’t a natural development. Someone was manipulating the situation.

‘Various websites, small online news outlets, and even major media companies… They’re all reporting on it as if they had coordinated their actions.’

And the evidence was irrefutable, leaving no room for denial.

And then, as if they had been waiting for it, tax investigations and search warrants were issued, confirming their suspicions.

‘And the Association’s Guardians raided the villains’ hideouts, capturing them all. This isn’t something a small organization could do.’

The media, the political and legal circles, the Returnee Association… they were all moving in unison.

And naturally, the Criminal Investigation Department was also involved.

His team was still busy with the Seoul terrorist attack, so other teams were handling this case… but he had still heard about the general situation.

-“Breaking News! We have a new development. It seems Chairman Bang Jun-yong of Daeryong Group is involved in the recent incidents.”

-“If that’s true, it’ll be a huge scandal. Daeryong Group is one of Korea’s major corporations.”

And then, as the news anchors exclaimed in shock,

…a bombshell was dropped.

“What? They’re a major corporation, aren’t they?”

“…This is bad. It seems like Awakened individuals are also involved. We’re going to be working overtime for a while.”

The mastermind behind the recent incidents was one of Korea’s major corporations.

Considering the scale of the incidents, the repercussions would be significant.

Kang Tae-san, listening to his colleagues’ conversations, quickly checked the internet on his phone.

As expected, it was chaos.

-Hold on tight! We’re going down!

-Aaaagh! I invested everything! Bang Jun-yong, you bastard!!

-Is this information reliable? I’ll sue them if it’s fake news.

-Anyone want to burn down the broadcasting station with me?

-Wait, isn’t this strange? It seems like someone is targeting Daeryong Group.

-I’m an insider, and there have been rumors about Daeryong for a while. I didn’t expect it to be this big, though.

-I’m holding. Daeryong is too big to fail.

Countless posts, their numbers increasing rapidly.

Kang Tae-san shook his head, clicking his tongue.

He wasn’t interested in stocks, but for some, this was a life-or-death situation.

They would be anxiously watching the news, their hearts pounding.

‘Seong-hyeon also invests in stocks, doesn’t he? I hope he’s alright.’

He sent his friend a quick text, his voice filled with concern.

That was the extent of his involvement in this incident.

He wasn't directly affected, but he wasn’t completely unrelated either.

Or so he thought, until he received a reply.

“Huh? Already? Wait…”

The sender wasn’t his friend.

It was a senior from another team in the Criminal Investigation Department, the team investigating the Daeryong Group case.

He wanted to see him.

It was a strange request, considering that he was probably busy with the high-profile case.

‘…Does he need my help?’

If that was the case, his team leader would have contacted him.

He shrugged and headed towards the investigation room.

He would find out when he got there.

It wasn’t far. They were on the same floor.

“…What? What did you just say…?”

But the words he heard from his senior…

…were completely unexpected.

“Ahem— Well, how should I put this…”

His senior sighed, then dropped a bombshell.

“Cho Hyeon-jin… or rather, the name Park Mi-yeong might be more familiar to you.”

…turning him from an observer to a victim.

Kang Tae-san, who had been enjoying his newfound happiness with his first girlfriend,

…was suddenly single again.

A quiet voice echoed through the deserted streets.

Hesperon, the man in the metal suit, deactivated his stealth mode and disconnected from the internet.

‘This has become quite a big deal, so it won’t be resolved easily. And that’s exactly what I want. And once that happens…’

No one would dare to help the disgraced executives of Daeryong Group, even if they faced… unfortunate circumstances.

It was a perfect plan, a precise and calculated strike, not a brute force attack.

‘If it wasn’t for my hacking abilities, it would have been much more troublesome.’

He hadn’t directly targeted Daeryong Group at first.

After all, they were a major corporation, with connections in every field, including the media.

But the companies they controlled, like Cheonjong Construction, were different.

They had been carefully isolated, their connections to Daeryong Group severed, so they couldn't receive any support even if they were attacked.

‘As expected, they immediately cut their losses and tried to erase any evidence as soon as things went south.’

But it didn’t last long.

As news of other companies’ involvement began to surface, they must have realized that something was wrong.

They had thought they could contain the damage by sacrificing Cheonjong Construction…

…but they were wrong.

‘They tried to cover their tracks, but…’

While they were busy erasing evidence, he had already gathered everything he needed and set the stage for their downfall!

It hadn’t been difficult to escalate the situation.

He hadn’t specifically planned for this, but the Blood Alliance’s takeover of Korea’s underworld and the establishment of Howard Industry had generated a massive amount of… disposable income.

It was more than enough to… subtly influence the media and highlight their crimes.

‘And once it reaches that point, it’s game over.’

It didn’t matter how much they struggled, how many connections they mobilized.

The evidence they thought they had erased had already been backed up and neatly organized by Hesperon the previous night.

They couldn't deny it, not with all the evidence laid out before them, including the minor details they had overlooked.

‘…Though things have gotten bigger than I expected.’

Who would believe that this massive scandal, which had shaken Korea to its core, had been triggered by a single woman trying to manipulate his friend?

He had sent a message to Kang Tae-san, expressing his concern… but he hadn't replied.

He was probably devastated, his world turned upside down by the revelation of his girlfriend’s true identity.

‘He’ll recover. He’s always been strong.’

I closed my eyes, silently wishing him well.

‘Welcome back to the single life, my friend.’

I felt a strange sense of… satisfaction… but I dismissed it as just my imagination.