Scammer’s Strategy to Victory III

The next day…

There was a meeting with the Association Chairman, Han Taeho, arranged on that day.

Ohjin went to the Association with Lee Woohyuk.

"You've come."

Once they arrived at the Association, General Manager Han came out to greet them.

"Come this way."

They entered the Association following General Manager Han's guide. After going through a couple of security systems, they got on an elevator.

As the elevator doors opened, a wide office came into view. The old man who was sitting in the middle of the office stood up.

"This is the first time we've met in person like this."

There was a short old man with a skinny physique. Traces of time could be seen on his wrinkly skin.

His old eyes emitted heavy pressure that suffocated the area.

"I'm Han Taeho. I'm sorry our first meeting was this late. I should have been the one to come greet you first."

Han Taeho bowed his head in a respectful manner and used his hand to indicate to Ohjin and Woohyuk.

"We were able to reduce a large number of casualties thanks to both the Lightning Wolf and Black Lion. This isn't the time to discuss the rewards, but I would just like to say the Association promises to grant you a reward fitting that of your deed."

Park Gunwoo had called him an old venomous snake.

'I'm not sure if he's venomous, but…'

Han Taeho was definitely the type of person who knew how to handle people.

"I'll pass on the reward."

Lee Woohyuk shook his head and continued.

"Rather than that, I simply want to catch the culprit who caused this horrendous incident and make it so that they won't be able to do it again."

Was it because Lee Woohyuk wasn't a scammer like him and was a real hero? It was a statement that made Ohjin surprised.

'I'm definitely taking it. Why wouldn't you?'

"In regards to that, I've heard that the Lightning Wolf is in possession of information?"

Han Taeho stood up and faced Ohjin.

"Yes. I've arranged this meeting in order to request everyone's help."

Ohjin sat on the chair that faced Han Taeho and continued in a calm voice.

"Back when the attack happened in Guro-dong, I discovered a black-robed man looking down at the scene from the window of a skyscraper."

"Hmm. He was calmly looking down at the scene in that situation?'

"Yes. I thought it was suspicious at the time and chased after him… that was when I discovered this."

Ohjin placed the black drinking glass on top of the table.

"What's this?"

"It's a star relic that controls demon beasts."

"…!!"

The eyes of the four people suddenly opened wide.

"I-Is that really true?"

"Yes. I've also tried it out. I ordered the demon beasts to stop moving."

"Ah… then the reason why the demon beasts stopped moving all of a sudden—"

"It's because of the order I handed down."

"…wow."

With expressions of disbelief, they weren't able to close their gaping mouths.

—A star relic that could control demon beasts.

The ability contained within the star relic was one that had never been recorded to date.

"In that case… it means that the demon beast incident was intentionally caused by someone."

Han Taeho's eyes shone keenly.

"…The Black Star Organization."

Grit—

Lee Woohyuk roughly ground his teeth.

"Did you catch the black-robed man?"

"I did catch him… but he ended his own life before I was able to apprehend him."

A deep sigh flowed out of Ohjin's mouth.

"It was probably in order to prevent the true mastermind behind this incident from being exposed."

"…Mastermind."

Han Taeho's expression stiffened.

"Don't you already know that there's an individual who's connected to the Black Star Organization within the Association?

"No way…"

His pupils trembled.

"Cheon Woosung… are you trying to say he's the mastermind behind this incident?"

"Is there a reason why that wouldn't be the case?"

Han Taeho slowly closed his eyes.

"…All things aside, that man doesn't lay his hands on the unawakened."

"To be accurate, he didn't lay his hands on them… All for this moment."

Han Taeho himself knew best who was in the most danger due to the incident and who would be able to take away the most benefits.

Whenever an incident occurred, the person who gained the most benefits was likely the culprit.

The logic behind it was extremely simple-minded but true in most scenarios.

"…"

Han Taeho shut his lips tight and stood there in silence.

"I understand that it's hard to believe."

It was ironic.

Everything Cheon Woosung had done until then was 'sincerely' in order to protect the unawakened.

'Well, though he did go on about bullshit like 'noble sacrifice' and step on them in the end.'

In any case, from Han Taeho's perspective, who had continuously watched over Cheon Woosung, it would be hard to believe that the one who cherished the unawakened so much was the mastermind behind the massacre.

"…I'll be honest, it's hard for me to believe it," he said as he sighed deeply.

"Let's say he really is the mastermind behind the incident. Do you have any evidence that can prove it?"

"We'll have to make it from now."

"Make it?"

Han Taeho's eyes opened wide.

"The method is simple. Open a press conference, hold this item, and state this with your own mouth."

Ohjin handed over the black drinking glass to him.

"—Tell them that the culprit has been caught and is under interrogation and that we'll be able to figure out the mastermind behind the incident soon."

Ohjin's eyes shone coldly like a hunter who had set up a trap and was waiting for their prey.

* * *

A dim office room.

Only the light emitted from the TV brightened the room.

[This is the star relic that was used by the culprit.]

The Association Chairman, Han Taeho, was presenting the black drinking glass on TV.

[It is a star relic that has the ability to control demon beasts.]

With the black drinking glass in his hands, he walked to a certain location.

Grrrr, Grah!—

In a solid iron cage was a demon beast that was captured alive from the Guro-dong incident.

[Raise your arms.]

As he ordered with the black drinking glass close to his mouth, the demon beast in the cage quickly raised its arms.

The reporters made a commotion over the unbelievable spectacle.

[As I have shown, the culprit controlled the demon beasts and intentionally massacred the civilians.]

—Uncountable flashing lights.

The commotion soon turned into turmoil.

[The culprit is currently locked up inside the Association. We will reveal the mastermind that handed down the orders as soon as the interrogation is finished.]

The press conference ended with his statement full of determination.

"Damn it!!"

Shatter!—

Cheon Woosung threw an object at the screen out of anger.

"Haa, haa!"

—Rough breathing.

'Park Gunwoo… was caught.'

It was a situation he hadn't expected.

'Just how?'

In order to carry out the operation in secrecy, Park Gunwoo was the only assigned individual, and the selected location to control the demon beasts was also one that was impossible to discover.

Additionally, Park Gunwoo was a skilled individual that achieved the position of high-rank Templar.

Cheon Woosung trusted that he would be able to escape even if he was caught, but he wasn't able to live up to his expectations and was idiotically apprehended by the Special Officers.

'There's no problem if Park Gunwoo doesn't open his mouth during the interrogation.'

But Cheon Woosung couldn't be certain that he wouldn't open his mouth until the very end.

"…Goddammit."

He needed to intervene.

—Whether he helped Park Gunwoo escape or eliminated him.

'I can't take action directly.'

Cheon Woosung was suspected of being connected with the Black Star Organization. The moment his movements were discovered, an irreversible situation would occur.

'In that case…'

An individual that wasn't related to the Black Star Organization in the slightest but also influential enough to get close to Park Gunwoo locked up in the Association needed to be the one to act.

"…Where's Director Jung?"

"I'll bring him here right away!"

Following Cheon Woosung's order, an Owl moved quickly.

After around five minutes…

"Huff! Huff! S-Sir, have you called?!"

A fat man with a half-bald head entered the office.

Director Jung Seungman.

He was a man who had been Cheon Woosung's subordinate ever since he had infiltrated the Association and didn't know a thing about his true identity.

'They'll probably be no problem even if he's caught.'

Not only would no evidence be found relating to the Black Star Organization since he was actually completely unrelated, but he also had the authority capable of getting to where Park Gunwoo was locked up.

'It'll be a bit troublesome if he says that he acted on my orders, but…'

It was okay.

He could shake it off by insisting that he didn't know a thing about it.

"Director Jung, could you please do me a favor?"

Cheon Woosung looked at him with his signature innocent smile.

"What kind of…?"

"You know about the culprit that was recently locked up, right?"

"Are… you talking about the culprit behind the demon beast incident?:

"Yes," he nodded.

"Kill that man. If killing him is difficult, make it so that he's able to escape."

"Wh-What?!"

Jung Seungman's mouth gaped from his words that were like a bolt from the blue.

Even if he held powerful authority as a director, setting free the demon beast incident's culprit who massacred the civilians would be digging his grave.

"You… will take on my request, won't you?"

Cheon Woosung's eyes shone frighteningly.

"H-Hik!"

Jung Seungman hiccuped with a face pale from fear.

He sweated nervously like a fountain and nodded his head with difficulty.

"I-I understand!"

He bowed down his head submissively and headed outside.

"Fuu."

Cheon Woosung exhaled out a short sigh and sat on his seat.

'…Mother.'

He looked out the window and chewed his lips.

"…"

Finding it hard to sit still, Cheon Woosung got up from his seat and took out the communication marble hidden inside the vault that was in the office.

—It was a communication marble that was directly connected to his father, Cheon Doyoon.

Cheon Woosung looked down at the marble in his hand with contemplation.

'Should I report the situation to my father?'

The thought crossed his mind, but…

"…No."

This was a duty assigned to him by Cheon Doyoon.

He needed to solve it on his own.

'Father is probably very busy right now.'

Not even Cheon Woosung knew what he was up to in detail, but he at least knew that he was busy enough that he wasn't able to contact him often.

"Sigh."

Cheon Woosung took a deep breath out and sat back in his seat.

And after several hours of waiting—

Bzzzzzz!—

—The communication marble vibrated.

-I… I've succeeded!

Jung Seungman's face, drenched in sweat, was shown through the marble.

Cheon Woosung's eyes shone.

"Have you killed him?"

-N-No. I wasn't able to kill him… but… I-I secretly turned off the confinement device and set him free!

Beep!!! Beeeeeeep!!—

It appeared that he spoke the truth as loud alarms started to ring around the entire Association.

'Alright!'

Grip—

Cheon Woosung clenched his fist.

Now that Park Gunwoo had escaped, there was only one thing he had left to do.

"Owls."

Flutter!!—

Black feathers scattered as dozens of Owls gathered up.

"Let's go find Park Gunwoo."

Before Park Gunwoo was apprehended by them once again, they needed to directly eliminate him first.

Click—

Cheon Woosung opened the office door and headed outside.

* * *

"But… I-I secretly turned off the confinement device and set him free!"

—A half-bald head.

The fat man clutched the communication marble and shouted out urgently.

Beep!!! Beeeeeeep!!—

Soon, the loud alarms started to ring in the Association.

Boop—

The connection was cut off.

"Ub!! Uubbb!! Uub!!"

The faint sounds of suppressed groans could be heard once the connection ended.

"Old man, didn't I tell you to be quiet?"

Jung Seungman frowned heavily and turned his body around.

Underneath him was another Jung Seungman who was tied by wires on the ground.

Two Jung Seungmans…

The Jung Seungman who wasn't tied by wires tore off the tape that was blocking the tied Jung Seungman's mouth.

Rip!—

"Puhaa!"

The pale-faced Jung Seungman breathed out raggedly as his body trembled from fear.

"A-All I did was what he ordered!"

"Yeah, yeah. And you did that all for free?"

Director Jung Seungman's abuse of power was notorious within the Association.

'Sexually harassing three secretaries, for example.'

He was a menace to society that had nothing to say even if he was fired on the spot but was somehow able to maintain his position thanks to Cheon Woosung.

"Th-That is…"

Drip, drip—

Cold sweat ran down his fat right cheek.

"S-Spare me!! P-Please! I'll do whatever you want!!"

"Hmm. That is what I want to do, but it's a bit dangerous to set free such a loud-mouth, you know?"

The unknown man who wore the face of Jung Seungman shrugged his shoulders.

"I-I don't know your real face anyway!! I can't even expose your identity!!"

As he said, Jeung Seungman didn't even know the identity of the unknown person who had suddenly jumped him. All he had seen was someone who miraculously wore his own face using an unknown ability.

"Ah, is that right?"

Droop—

The face of the unknown man, who looked just like Jeung Seungman, started to melt down.

The melted face turned into Ohjin's face.

"Oops, what should I do now?"