“R-Really…?”
“Yeah. Of course. So come here.”
At Ban Noah’s beckoning, a man in his late 30s with an unremarkable appearance stepped forward.
“Wow…”
With hazy, unfocused eyes, the man trudged toward Ban Noah and stopped in front of him.
He took the red marble from Ban Noah’s hand with trembling fingers, reverently, as though he were receiving a sacred relic.
“This is… finally mine. Mine.”
He clutched the crimson orb, caressing it like it was the most precious thing in the world. Ecstasy gleamed in his eyes.
Just as I thought. Good thing that piece of trash was hanging around Jin Eutteum.
Tsk. Ban Noah clicked his tongue, making no effort to hide the sneer directed at the man who looked so thrilled after stealing someone else’s ability.
The man who’d just received the orb—who now stood beside Jin Eutteum’s lifeless body—was none other than Jin Yi-rang, Jin Eutteum’s cousin.
Jin Yi-rang was an E-rank Esper. Practically indistinguishable from a normal civilian.
His ability? The laughable power to recharge dead batteries with electricity. And even that, only enough to fill them halfway.
His Awakening had been a cruel twist of fate—a source of disappointment and despair.
As luck would have it, both Jin Yi-rang and Jin Eutteum had awakened on the same day, at the same time.
From that moment on, Yi-rang was constantly compared to his cousin.
“How can two people with similar abilities turn out so different?”
Compared to Jin Eutteum, who could wield lightning at will, Jin Yi-rang’s ability was utterly pathetic.
And with every year that passed, the comparisons from relatives grew harsher.
The more Jin Eutteum succeeded, the more famous he became, the more dungeons he cleared…
The more monstrous Jin Yi-rang’s inferiority complex and resentment grew.
Every time he saw Jin Eutteum, his mind boiled with ugly jealousy.
Why wasn’t I the one who got that power?
Watching his cousin bask in fame and adoration as a star Hunter, Jin Yi-rang’s heart twisted with hatred and bitterness.
Eventually, all that repressed rage turned inward, mutating into something warped.
If it weren’t for you…
If only you hadn’t existed… that power would’ve been mine.
Because of you, I ended up with this useless ability. You ruined everything.
It’s all your fault. ALL OF IT!
The delusions consumed him—but no one paid any attention to Jin Yi-rang.
Even his own parents were embarrassed by their E-rank son, barely speaking to him.
Relatives who once mocked and belittled him eventually forgot he even existed.
The only one they cared about was Jin Eutteum, the golden boy who brought prestige to the family.
If only you were gone… I could’ve been happy.
Twisted and bitter, Jin Yi-rang started lurking around, watching for any chance to drag Jin Eutteum down.
And then, one day, his opportunity arrived.
A striking young man in a jet-black suit approached him and made a devil’s offer.
“Ever wished you had Jin Eutteum’s power?”
“W-What…?”
“Don’t pretend you haven’t. We’ve already dug up everything on you. All the jealousy, the resentment, the admiration. You’re the one who trashes him online every day, aren’t you?”
“H-How do you…?”
Jin Yi-rang had secretly hoped someone might notice how he felt, but now that his vile thoughts were exposed, he was terrified.
“Are… are you going to tell Jin Eutteum?”
He was scared—he lived off Jin Eutteum’s kindness, after all.
Jin Eutteum, always the generous cousin, regularly sent him money as allowance. Yi-rang couldn’t say no. Without that cash, he couldn’t even afford to eat.
He was petrified that if Jin Eutteum found out, he’d be cut off.
“P-Please, I won’t do it again… Just don’t tell him, please…”
Ban Noah snorted at the trembling mess in front of him.
“Nah.”
“…What?”
“I’m not on Jin Eutteum’s side. I’m on your side. Who could understand the frustration of having no ability better than me?”
“What do you mean…?”
“I can give you Jin Eutteum’s power.”
It was ridiculous.
Jin Yi-rang was so shocked he couldn’t even speak. He opened and closed his mouth in silence like a fish gasping for air.
Ban Noah leaned in close and whispered.
“You want it, don’t you?”
That devil’s voice, dripping with temptation—Jin Yi-rang couldn’t resist.
“If… If I could… I’d take it. I want Jin Eutteum’s ability.”
His face twisted into something grotesque, reflecting the rot in his soul.
And when that darkness was laid bare, Ban Noah grinned.
“There it is. Now that’s honesty. Beautiful.”
Time to reward the good boy.
His voice dropped into a low, syrupy murmur, and slowly, Jin Yi-rang’s eyes turned cloudy—like a mountain disappearing into the mist.
“R-Really…?”
“Of course.”
Jin Yi-rang didn’t realize what was happening—that Ban Noah’s brainwashing ability had taken full hold, slowly erasing his will.
Once Ban Noah confirmed he had completely infiltrated Jin Yi-rang’s mind, he dropped the nice-guy act and issued the order.
“Okay. If you really want Jin Eutteum’s power like I promised, do exactly as I say. I’ll be the one to kill him, but you’ll get the red orb—his ability, distilled. It’ll be yours.”
“Then…”
“From beginning to end, you’re the one who committed every crime. You killed Jin Eutteum. You stole his power. And all those other ability users who were murdered before? You did that too.”
You’ll carry all of my sins for me.
It was an insane trade, but Jin I-rang nodded without hesitation.
“I’ll do it…”
Blinded by brainwashing and decades of inferiority, he didn’t even realize what he was agreeing to.
Now, in the present…
Jin Yi-rang stood beside Jin Eutteum’s corpse, just like Ban Noah had instructed, clutching the red orb containing his cousin’s stolen power.
Ban Noah gave an order to the empty-eyed man.
“You stay here and greet the guests I invited.”
“What do you want me to do…?”
“Confess to everything. Say it was all your doing—and then die.”
With that merciless command, Ban Noah pushed his brainwashing ability to its limit.
Eyes unfocused, Jin Yi-rang murmured blankly.
“It was… all me…”
“And if you can, say it viciously. Say you’re not even the real Jin Yi-rang—just a monster wearing his skin.”
“…Okay.”
Leaving Jin Yi-rang behind, repeating the order like a broken doll, Ban Noah activated his concealment artifact and vanished.
This should keep that bastard Hyun Je-ha off my trail.
He held his breath, waiting for the relentless pursuers to arrive.
***
Moments later.
The Baekho Unit arrived, moving like shadows around the abandoned factory.
Ha Ri-ra, carrying a limp Samoa on her back, asked,
“This the place, Samoa?”
“Yeah… It’s definitely here. Ugh…”
Fighting off the nausea from her earlier ability use, Samoa weakly pointed at the factory.
“Jin Eutteum’s body is in there. I’m sure of it.”
At her words, Hyun Je-ha—who had taken the lead—kicked off the ground and leapt into the air.
“If you’re sure, then there’s no reason to wait.”
“Captain?”
“You all surround the area. Don’t let anyone escape.”
CRASH!
Hyun Je-ha smashed through the decaying roof with brute force and landed cleanly on the factory floor.
Dust stung his nose. Under the flickering lights, two figures came into view.
Jin Eutteum—stone-cold dead.
And next to him, grinning like a maniac, stood Jin yi-rang.
“It’s mine… This is finally my power… The ability I reclaimed from Jin Eutteum…”
Is he out of his mind?
Hyun Je-ha used telekinesis to slam Jin Yi-rang against the wall.
A massive invisible force pressed him down like a hammer, flattening him like a bug.
“Aaaaagh!”
Jin Yi-rang screamed in agony, but Hyun Je-ha was unmoved.
His face was a mask of fury as he demanded—
“Where’s the red orb?”
“K-Keek… What’re you gonna do with it if I tell you…?”
“That orb was created by murdering an ability user and extracting their power, wasn’t it?”
“So what if it was? What are you gonna do about it? Jin Eutteum’s already dead!”
Hyun Je-ha’s brow twitched.
Totally unafraid—still under the influence of brainwashing—Jin Yi-rang kept babbling.
“It’s mine! My power! No one’s taking it from me! It’s mine!”
Shrieking, he struggled under the weight of Hyun Je-ha’s telekinesis and clutched the red orb tightly in his hand.
Suddenly, the orb emitted a faint yellow glow.
Crackle—
A surge of electricity burst from Jin Yi-rang’s palm and lashed out at Hyun Je-ha.
