July 14, 2024
Apt. 1501, Building 2, Haneulchae Apartments, Eunha District
Time remaining: 24 hours.
The numbers before Cheol-su Kim's eyes were steadily decreasing.
He headed toward the Haneulchae Apartments in the Eunha District, where the "Parking Villain" lived. His steps were light, but naturally, he approached via the rooftop rather than the main entrance.
He had been visiting consistently for several days, but the Parking Villain was never home. If he wasn't home this time either, Cheol-su would have no choice but to go out into the streets and kill someone—anyone.
Hoping desperately to find the man at home, Cheol-su pressed the doorbell.
Please, let him be here!
Ding-dong.
As soon as the chime rang, a coarse voice came from inside.
"Who is it?"
The rough voice crackled through the intercom. Somehow, just from the voice alone, Cheol-su could picture the man on the other side.
"Are you the one who parked your car sideways at the entrance to the parking lot?"
"So what if I am?"
"I came to ask you to move it."
Cheol-su spoke in the most polite tone he could muster. The Parking Villain opened the door and scanned Cheol-su from head to toe.
"What's with you? Are you a cop?"
As expected, he was hostile.
"No, I'm not. I just need you to move your car. My car is stuck in the lot because of yours."
Of course, it was a lie.
"Because of me? Me?!"
The man aggressively shoved his face toward Cheol-su.
"You little piece of sh—. You wanna die?"
"So you're saying you have no intention of moving your car, correct?"
"Get lost, loser. Or I'll beat the crap out of you."
Every action he took was just as Cheol-su had anticipated. As you could tell a person's character from their behavior, the Parking Villain was no exception.
I won't lose any sleep over this one.
The moment the Parking Villain tried to close the door, Cheol-su swiftly struck him in the jaw with his fist. Of course, he held back just enough not to kill him. The Parking Villain staggered for a moment before collapsing to the floor with his eyes rolled back.
I must have some natural talent for this.
Feeling a strange burst of confidence in his newfound skill, Cheol-su hoisted the unconscious man over his shoulder and sprinted toward the abandoned factory he and Saeya had pre-selected.
When he arrived at the factory, Saeya had already prepared everything for the live broadcast.
"Isn't this setup a bit too perfect?"
Cheol-su raised an eyebrow at her.
"You're so creative. You always manage to find new ways to complain."
"No, seriously. Aren't you supposed to be from another world? How do you know so much about our culture? Even locals wouldn't know this stuff."
Cheol-su gestured toward the tangled mess of electrical wires.
"Studying pays off. Unlike you, I'm smart."
Despite the obvious age difference, she continued to address him informally. It irritated him, but given their mutual need to cooperate, he swallowed his annoyance.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and start."
Saeya urged him impatiently.
"Yeah, yeah. Let's get started."
Cheol-su hurried to stand in front of the camera.
"You're really going to reveal your face to everyone like that?"
Caught off guard by her sudden remark, Cheol-su paused briefly to figure out what she meant.
"Oh! Right, the mask!"
He quickly grabbed the specially made mask to conceal his face, put it on, and stood in front of the camera.
The live broadcast began.
"Good evening, citizens."
Cheol-su bowed his head in greeting, only to realize his mistake immediately.
"Citizens?" What am I, a politician?
He noticed Saeya snickering behind the camera.
Go ahead, laugh all you want.
Ignoring her, he continued.
"I am the serial killer who has recently been making headlines."
The viewer count fluctuated between nine and ten. Considering he had only expected two or three, it was better than he'd hoped.
"But I don't see myself as a serial killer. I only target criminals or those who are morally corrupt. That makes me an Executor. That's what I've been, and that's what I'll always be."
He suddenly felt a lump in his throat and realized he never imagined introducing himself could be this awkward.
At that moment, some viewers began typing in the live chat:
└ Is this guy for real? This is insane.
└ Executor? Is this some new-age serial killer concept?
└ But why does it sound kind of cool?
└ I support you.
Reading the messages, Cheol-su cleared his throat and spoke again, feigning calmness.
"Excuse me. Anyway! Until the day I disappear from this world, I will faithfully fulfill my role. That is my promise to all of you."
The viewer count began to spike dramatically. Cheol-su dragged the bound Parking Villain into the frame. The man looked appropriately pitiful.
"This man blocked the entrance to the parking lot at Haneulchae Apartments with his car, causing significant inconvenience to many. Based on my investigation, he has been doing this repeatedly and has ignored multiple complaints. Therefore, I will now execute his punishment."
Thwack. Squish. The sickening sound of bone and flesh echoed through the empty factory.
Without hesitation, Cheol-su crushed the man's skull with a single blow. It was his signature method of killing.
"In my executions, no one will be exempt. Money, fame, power—they're all meaningless to me. My executions will continue, so stay tuned."
[The live broadcast has been forcibly terminated by the platform administrator.]
The broadcast ended at the perfect moment.
"Are you sure about this? That this video will spread quickly?"
Saeya asked, her face skeptical. Cheol-su smirked.
"Guess coming from another world means you still have a lot to learn about social media."
***
"There's nothing left, Kang-hyeok!"
A Black Dragon gang member shouted urgently.
"All the stuff is gone!"
Cheol-su Kim had already moved out. Yet, Kang-hyeok didn't panic. He already knew how to find Cheol-su Kim and had prepared for the next step. No matter where Cheol-su Kim ran, it was only a matter of time before he was found.
***
Ding-dong.
The sound of the doorbell echoed, followed by the voice of a middle-aged woman from behind the door.
"Who is it?"
"Delivery."
"Delivery? At this hour? That's stra—"
The woman, opening the door, stopped mid-sentence the moment her eyes landed on Kang-hyeok. She froze, likely overwhelmed by the sheer intimidation radiating from him.
"Cheol-su Kim is your son, isn't he?"
Kang-hyeok asked.
"Yes… but why?"
Instead of replying, Kang-hyeok gave a curt nod. At his signal, the subordinate standing beside him quickly pressed a handkerchief to the woman's mouth.
"What are you—"
Her resistance didn't last long. The woman soon collapsed limply, and Kang-hyeok pushed the door open with one hand, stepping into the living room.
On the living room sofa, a man put down the TV remote he was holding and turned his gaze toward the unexpected visitor.
"Who are you people?"
"Must be nice, living so carefree life. Your son caused us some serious trouble."
With just those words, the man's expression twisted. Realizing the situation, he tried to get up, but it was already too late.
Kang-hyeok easily abducted Cheol-su Kim's parents and headed straight to the private warehouse used by the Black Dragon organization.
In the dimly lit space, Kang-hyeok picked up his phone. He was about to call Cheol-su Kim when, unexpectedly, an unknown number appeared on the screen.
Frowning slightly in curiosity, he answered the call.
"Hello?"
The moment he spoke, a familiar voice came through the receiver.
"Where are you?"
It was Cheol-su Kim.
For a brief moment, Kang-hyeok couldn't respond. Then, a slow smile spread across his face.
Hah, this bastard... How did he know?
***
As Cheol-su Kim was tidying up after the live broadcast, a piercing scream shattered the silence.
Startled, Cheol-su rushed to where she was. Her eyes rolled back, exposing only the whites, and her neck twisted grotesquely as her body convulsed violently.
So this is how her foresight ability manifests?
Cheol-su didn't panic. Instead, he carefully observed her every movement. Thanks to her prior warnings, he had been prepared for such a situation.
Saeya continued to groan and mutter unintelligible words.
"Darkness… ropes… screams… searching… for parents…"
Her voice was low and trembling, yet the words were disturbingly clear.
There wasn't much Cheol-su could do other than watch.
Several minutes passed before she gradually returned to her normal state, as if nothing had happened. However, her expression remained heavy and grave.
"What's with that face? You're scaring me,"
Cheol-su asked cautiously.
"I saw your parents being kidnapped."
Saeya's voice was steady but weighed down by the seriousness of her words.
"What? Kidnapped? When?"
Saeya's brow furrowed deeply.
"Now."
Her resolute reply left no room for doubt. Cheol-su immediately understood. He didn't need her to explain who could have done such a thing.
Stay calm. The more dire the situation, the more composed you need to be.
He quickly began organizing all possible scenarios in his mind, preparing for action.
They wouldn't harm his parents immediately. What they wanted was him.
Getting Lee Kang-hyeok's phone number wasn't difficult. Cheol-su recalled the number from the memories of Tae-su Jang. Without hesitation, he picked up his phone and dialed the number.
Tonight, everything ends.