Ch.63Chapter 63 – A Request

Understanding something incomprehensible often diminishes fear. As Henry Clark’s perception of his most shocking opponent was brought down to a comprehensible level, he shifted his attention to the relatively less shocking one.

“What happened to the other one? The guy I subdued. He was wearing that strange armor-like artifact all over his body, so he shouldn’t have been hard to find.”

Hearing the question, Jessica scratched her head awkwardly.

“Well, we found traces… With all that blood in the middle of a crater, it was impossible not to find it. The problem is, the culprit had already escaped.”

“What?”

“Judging by the empty glass vial rolling around nearby, it seems he drank a potion and fled.”

‘Damn, what a stupid mistake!’

Henry Clark cursed himself. In his haste to chase the fleeing opponent, he hadn’t considered the possibility that the man might be carrying a potion.

“That means he’s somewhere in New York…!”

It meant the one who had disrupted New York’s peace was freely roaming the streets. To Henry Clark, such a dangerous element was no different from a monster. A monster who had killed his wife, one who deserved to be torn to pieces.

As Henry Clark recalled his wife’s death, his heartbeat grew rough and his face flushed red. It felt like shattered glass fragments were thrashing inside his heart, piercing and tearing through every cell. He couldn’t let another citizen suffer the same pain he had…

In his agitated state, Henry Clark pressed on.

“Can’t we check nearby CCTV to see where he fled?”

“Unfortunately, the area where the fight took place was under reconstruction due to the Death Worm incident, so there are no CCTVs. The only lead we have is a hotel where residents reported disturbances, and my subordinates have gone to investigate. They should be finishing up their investigation about now…”

As if on cue, a phone rang a few minutes later. Jessica answered it.

“Hey, it’s me. Report. What? …You couldn’t find out? Why? Hmm… Try to sweet-talk the manager. I’ll report to the director.”

Jessica hung up with a sigh. Henry Clark asked urgently.

“What’s going on?”

“That was the agent investigating the hotel. When they tried to check the guest’s identity, the hotel refused to cooperate.”

“They’re refusing a CIA investigation? How is that possible for a mere hotel?”

“Well, this hotel is a bit special…”

“How so?”

“Um, that’s classified…”

Seeing that he would storm in himself if she didn’t answer, Jessica sighed again. Then, with obvious reluctance, she reluctantly opened her mouth.

“Well… I’ll just tell you. That hotel is operated by Gehenna, the largest criminal organization in the underworld, so even the CIA can’t touch it carelessly. They have such large and diverse business interests that if we upset them, who knows what the repercussions might be…”

It meant that if they mishandled the situation and provoked retaliation, it would be an international disaster, and they would be blamed for it. The organization seemed to be an uncomfortable opponent to pressure, both economically and politically. While surprised at the existence of such a massive criminal organization, Skyscraper pondered his options.

If he stormed in himself, it would only make things difficult for Jessica. But he was deeply concerned about the armored knight who might be casually wandering around the heart of New York like a Trojan virus.

‘I need to catch him… But how?’

Henry Clark’s self-confidence was at a low point. Even if he found the guy, he wasn’t sure he could handle him directly. The aftermath of last night’s battle still lingered in his body, and he had no weapons. It was difficult to create weapons that could withstand an S-class strengthening artist’s power. It would take months to craft a new greatsword. And by then, it would be too late.

Yet he was reluctant to fight bare-handed. The armored knight he had barely defeated had used various artifacts against him while he had a sword. What about without his sword? He wasn’t confident about who would be the last one standing if they clashed again.

‘But if not me, who can defeat him?’

Was there anyone besides himself who could defeat the armored knight? He was the only S-class in New York. And his opponent was merely an A-class level ability user who had fought against him.

Could the police or military arrest that superhuman if they were deployed? It didn’t seem likely. Someone stronger was needed. Someone as strong as him, or even stronger…

“Someone instead of me—”

Henry Clark, who had been muttering to himself, suddenly stopped. A face flashed through his mind. Another superhuman classified as S-class, but one with exceptional achievements even among S-classes. He was currently in New York, and was even Korean like the suspect.

‘Kim Jae-min! Since they speak the same language, he might be able to catch the culprit more easily…’

Henry Clark felt a glimmer of hope. Having made his decision, he asked Jessica.

“I want to meet Kim Jae-min.”

“Well, the welcome ceremony was canceled because of this terrorist incident, right? The profilers suggested that the perpetrator’s goal might be to attack a gathering of two S-classes.”

“What I want isn’t an official meeting. Personally, just the two of us.”

At that request, Jessica roughly guessed what Skyscraper was thinking. Having all events canceled and then arranging for two S-classes to meet went against the wishes of her superiors. But as a close partner who understood Henry Clark’s abnormal obsession with New York’s safety, Jessica sighed softly and nodded.

“…I’ll try to contact him. But you know it’s a waste of time if they refuse, right?”

“Yes, I know. But I have to try asking in person. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s my job.”

***

“Welcome! It’s still a bit messy since I haven’t finished cleaning, but please sit anywhere.”

Following Mephisto’s welcome, Shin Jaehyuk pulled up a chair and sat down.

“Ah, thank you…”

Everything had proceeded quickly after finding the business card in the alley. Shin Jaehyuk had no one else to turn to for help, and Mephisto was the only one he could contact. With a feeling of making a last-ditch gamble, Shin Jaehyuk had called the number on the card, and fortunately, the gamble had paid off.

Mephisto had answered the phone and was willing to help, so Shin Jaehyuk had arrived at the address Mephisto provided over the phone—Mephisto’s hideout.

“A bar? Is this where you work?”

“I rented it while on my business trip to New York. It has a secret escape route in the basement, which would be quite useful if someone barges in.”

After boasting about his hideout for a while, Mephisto sat down.

“So, why did you contact me?”

Mephisto asked, handing over a glass of water. Shin Jaehyuk took it and drank it in one gulp. He was extremely thirsty, having had nothing to drink since regaining consciousness.

Once his thirst had subsided a bit, Shin Jaehyuk began.

“Do you know about the commotion last night?”

“Of course! What kind of information broker would I be if I didn’t know about such a major incident? Two Koreans and Skyscraper fighting each other, and one of them being you—I know all about it.”

Mephisto replied casually while uncorking a bottle of wine. As expected of an information broker, his news was fast. He seemed to have completed his own investigation.

The fact that he had invited Shin Jaehyuk to his hideout despite knowing he was one of the causes of the disturbance probably meant he was willing to help actively. Recognizing the goodwill hidden in the other’s words, Shin Jaehyuk set aside his burden. Before making his request, he explained the whole situation.

“Then this conversation will be easier. I was suddenly attacked by a criminal named Kwak Taewoo early this morning, without knowing the reason. While fleeing from him, Skyscraper intervened, resulting in a chaotic battle. Now I’ve barely managed to escape.”

“Hmm, as I expected. Just as I roughly predicted.”

Mephisto placed his hand on his chin and nodded. He seemed lost in thought for a moment, drumming on the armrest, then spoke.

“So what do you want? Should I help you secretly escape to Korea?”

‘…That would be the normal choice, but.’

Shin Jaehyuk pondered. He had been contemplating this issue on his way here but still hadn’t reached a conclusion. The question was: Would going to Korea now solve his problems? Shin Jaehyuk thought not.

Currently, Shin Jaehyuk had three problems: Skyscraper, Mr. B, and Kwak Taewoo. Three individuals who were likely desperate to find him now.

At least Skyscraper didn’t know his identity, so there was some room to avoid him, and if he fled to Korea, Skyscraper wouldn’t pursue him there.

But what about the other two?

He didn’t even know if Kwak Taewoo had survived the battle with Skyscraper, but if he had, Kwak Taewoo, who was cooperating with Mr. B, would quickly find Shin Jaehyuk. Given that he was working with Mr. B, the world’s premier broker and information dealer, it was only a matter of time before his location was exposed and he was captured. In this situation, going to Korea would only endanger those around him.

‘I can’t put Seongha noona or Lee Yujin in danger when they know nothing about this.’

There was another reason he hesitated to leave New York. Shin Jaehyuk still didn’t know why Mr. B had betrayed him. And as far as he could think, there was only one way to find out: capturing and interrogating Kwak Taewoo, Mr. B’s accomplice.

Shin Jaehyuk dismissed all these concerns with a single request.

“I want to meet Kwak Taewoo.”

“Kwak Taewoo?”

Mephisto frowned. His expression showed he didn’t understand. Shin Jaehyuk’s request seemed quite unexpected. Well, without knowing the backstory, it would be puzzling.

“Why? Wouldn’t it be better to return to Korea? With police everywhere, it doesn’t seem necessary to take such a risk.”

“No. There’s a reason why I must do this.”

Shin Jaehyuk briefly explained that he suspected Mr. B, the boss of Gehenna, and Kwak Taewoo were conspiring against him, and that returning to Korea would only complicate matters further.

‘I see. So that’s the misunderstanding he’s been having.’

After hearing the explanation, Mephisto, or rather Mr. B, understood Shin Jaehyuk’s concerns. Him betraying Shin Jaehyuk! It was an absurd assumption, but from Shin Jaehyuk’s perspective, it made sense.

Listening to Shin Jaehyuk, Mr. B also saw flaws in his own plan. Being busy lately, he had handled things carelessly, resulting in a less thorough plan. He pondered.

‘Should I let them meet? They’ll just fight again.’

Mr. B calculated the pros and cons of that scenario. It didn’t seem too bad.

In the current situation, the power difference between Shin Jaehyuk and Kwak Taewoo was clear. Kwak Taewoo could barely match Shin Jaehyuk only because of the artifacts he had collected specifically to target him. But the Dragon’s Roar would no longer affect Shin Jaehyuk, who had adapted to it, and the power suit had been destroyed in the battle with Skyscraper. If they clashed again, Shin Jaehyuk would certainly win.

In that case, while interrogating Kwak Taewoo, Shin Jaehyuk would learn that Kwak Taewoo was pursuing him due to a personal grudge. And he would realize that Mr. B had merely provided his location, not tried to kill him.

‘But what if another unexpected situation occurs like last night? …Still, it shouldn’t be a problem.’

Last time, he couldn’t intervene because he was being cautious of Kim Jaemin. But now he could. The US government, alarmed by last night’s terrorist incident, was rushing to send VIP Kim Jaemin back home, so Kim Jaemin would leave New York today.

Without Kim Jaemin, there was nothing to worry about. His power was extremely potent, and even if it was Shin Jaehyuk or an S-class, they couldn’t detect the exercise of an ability whose specialty was stealth…

Having checked his newly formulated plan, Mr. B concluded.

‘Then I’ll arrange for them to meet tomorrow, and if an urgent situation arises, I’ll intervene and mediate somehow. Afterward, I’ll forcibly separate them. Anyway, once Kwak Taewoo realizes after a proper confrontation that he can’t kill Shin Jaehyuk with his current strength, he’ll retreat obediently to prepare for the next opportunity….’

“Can you help me?”

Shin Jaehyuk asked again to the deeply contemplative man. At Shin Jaehyuk’s request, Mr. B, or rather Mephisto, smiled.

“Of course! I’ll definitely help. But it will take some time, even for me. Kwak Taewoo must be hiding from the police. The investigation will take about a day. I’ll likely have to do some legwork. So I’ll contact you again tomorrow morning. In the meantime, make yourself comfortable here…”