Surviving Restructuring

Chapter 106. The Realm of Talent (3)

It had been ingrained in him since birth.

“You need to get used to commanding others. That’s not cruelty! It’s actually helping the less fortunate.”

He was used to selecting the capable ones, placing them in the right roles, and working them like extensions of himself. For Seung-Tae, that was as natural as eating or sleeping.

“You said your name was Ji-Woong, right?”

“Huh?”

“Can we talk for a moment?”

Therefore, while Eun-Ho led Ji-Woong away, Seung-Tae lowered his voice, careful not to be overheard. “Ji-Eun, was it? I think I caught your name earlier.”

“Yes?” Ji-Eun answered, wary.

“Heh... What a surprise. I never thought Ji-Woong’s sister would still be alive. I was honestly glad to hear it.”

His words drew the attention of the short-haired girl. She had been sitting with her head lowered to bind his wrists and ankles tightly.

“Didn’t Ji-Woong tell you about me? I hate to brag, but if it weren’t for me, he would’ve been deleted long ago.”

“What? You saved Ji-Woong?” she asked, startled.

“That’s right. You know how it is. He’s clever, but not exactly the strongest. My friends and I took extra care of him.”

Ji-Eun’s eyes widened, shimmering. “Really?”

She blinked her big, round eyes like a startled rabbit, and Seung-Tae couldn’t help but find the sight rather cute.

[Subjugation in progress... 32%, 33%]

The system message popped up.

“You’d know best, being his sister. Ji-Woong’s the type who buries himself in books, but doesn’t know the ways of the world. He needs to be looked after.”

“Ah... Yes, you’re right. He does need a lot of care,” she admitted softly.

[Subjugation in progress... 66%, 67%]

What an idiot, Seung-Tae thought.

Seung-Tae thought Eun-Ho was foolish to entrust him to such a naive girl. She had a pretty face and an appealing figure beneath that dress. This was practically handing over fish with spices and garnish, begging the cat to devour it whole.

“Why don’t you stay with me, Ji-Eun? Ji-Woong’s all you’ve got left in this world. No need for the siblings to be torn apart again, right?”

“... What?” she blinked.

“Why do you look so shocked? You’re not planning to abandon your only brother, leaving him an orphan, are you?”

Girls like her required no elaborate tricks. The innocent ones who listened all the way through to whatever anyone said were the easiest to sway.

She’d be safer with me anyway. It would be better than falling into the hands of lunatics. As long as she serves under me a little, we’ll both be happier.

Seung-Tae believed it wholeheartedly.

Ding!

[Subjugation has been completed.]

Right on cue, the system message notified the completion of Subjugation.

Perfect. This is too easy, Seung-Tae thought.

“From now on, you’ll follow me and do as I say. Understood?” he told her.

“Do as you say?” she repeated.

[Gaslighting(Lv. 6) has been activated.]

[Command input has been confirmed.]

Fwoosh—!

Another message appeared, and Seung-Tae’s lips curved in satisfaction. From now on, this girl would obey anything he told her. Sure, the effect had a time limit but once it wore off, he could simply trigger it again.

“That lunatic you’re tagging along with, ditch him. He didn’t look normal to me, waving that blade around like a mad dog.”

“... A mad dog?”

He imagined her untying him, then slowly bringing Eun-Ho’s companions over to his side, one by one. If necessary, he could make her bring Eun-Ho as well.

“Yeah, a lunatic. When I saw him fight earlier, the way his eyes rolled back gave me the creeps—”

“That’s not true,” Ji-Eun interrupted. “He only fought back because you attacked first. Eun-Ho was protecting us.”

Seung-Tae froze. “... What?”

Why is she talking back? Did my skill fail?

“Maybe you misheard me. Look into my eyes. I’m telling you—”

“How old are you?” she asked suddenly.

“Huh?”

“How old are you, to keep treating me like I’m younger than you?”

In that instant, a series of messages appeared in front of him.

Beeeep!

[Subject Kim Ji-Eun possesses abnormally high mental resilience!]

[Gaslighting(Lv. 6) has failed!]

Failure?! Abnormally high mental resilience? No, wait. There was such a thing as mental resilience? But... The skill activated, so why... Seung-Tae thought.

“How old are you, anyway?” Ji-Eun asked suddenly.

“T-twenty-six...” Seung-Tae stammered.

He was so flustered that the answer slipped out without thinking.

She smacked him lightly on the back. “Oh wow, we’re the same age!”

“W-we’re the same age?”

“That’s right, Seung-Tae!” she said brightly.

This is bad. Something’s definitely wrong.

He never imagined there could be someone immune to his skill.

“If you say something weird about Eun-Ho again, I won’t let it slide,” she warned.

“T-that’s... I mean...” he faltered.

Before he could gather his words, Eun-Ho had returned at some point.

“Ji-Eun!” he called the short-haired girl over.

“Eun-Ho!”

She darted toward him as if she’d been waiting for the chance.

“What if we try...?”

“You mean...?”

“... Yes?”

They huddled together, whispering, nodding at each other as if plotting something.

Seung-Tae thought no doubt they were deciding what to do with him. Yet, his eyes gleamed.

Even better!

If things had come to this, he’d go for the main target right away. The girl was an anomaly, sure, but there was no way there’d be another case like hers. Surely.

“H-hey, look at me! Come over here for just a second! Let’s talk!” Seung-Tae shouted, fluttering like a fly with its wings torn off.

However, Eun-Ho only glanced at him sideways and muttered one line, “Why should I?”

You arrogant bastard! Hold it, Seung-Tae. Just hold it a little longer. Once the skill is activated, it would all be over.

He was ready to make Eun-Ho kneel, grovel, and lick his shoes. With that thought, Seung-Tae forced a smile onto his face, suppressing his boiling rage.

“I-I want to apologize!”

“Apologize?”

“Y-yes! It’s not like I attacked because I hated you. If that illegitimate brat hadn’t picked a fight first...”

“Hmm. Shouldn’t you be apologizing to someone else, not me?” Eun-Ho replied coolly.

Ugh, what a sly bastard.

[Subjugation in progress... 32%, 33%]

Eun-Ho wasn’t buying it, but that was fine. The progress bar was already rising.

“If you’re done talking, maybe we should wrap this up,” Eun-Ho said.

“W-wait!” He needed more time. “I’m ranked fifth in the nation! You know that right?! Ending it now would only hurt you. Think about it! It’s the national competition!”

“I’m fine. There are plenty of people here who are more reliable than you,” Eun-Ho replied flatly.

“Ha...”

[Subjugation in progress... 66%, 67%]

Hold it. We’re almost there. Just a little longer!

“M-money! What about money?” Seung-Tae blurted.

“Money?”

“Y-yes! You need it, right? I’ll share it with you! You saw the weapons those big guys had? I bought all of that for them!”

“Oh, you mean the money that you stole from others?”

“Uh... How did you...”

Eun-Ho gave a small, cold smile. Seung-Tae was sure that was a sneer, which made his blood boil.

[Subjugation has been completed.]

[Gaslighting(Lv. 6) has been activated.]

Beeeeep!

[Subject Lee Eun-Ho has been protected by a mental barrier skill!]

[Gaslighting(Lv. 6) has failed!]

Again?! Why isn’t it working? This had never happened before. Two people resisting my Gaslighting in one day just doesn’t make sense!

On top of that, Eun-Ho’s calm, confident question made Seung-Tae twitch involuntarily.

“Why? Is your skill not working? Well, I got lucky,” Eun-Ho said evenly. “The perks will be activated for another few hours.”

“What?” Seung-Tae blinked.

“Anyway...” Eun-Ho crouched down in front of Seung-Tae, who was practically kneeling on the ground. “I’ll give you a choice.”

“A choice?” Seung-Tae repeated.

“Option one is, you go to everyone right now and confess everything you’ve done.”

“... What?!”

“Option two is, I beat you up first, then you go confess.”

Cold sweat trickled down Seung-Tae’s back.

“Choose,” Eun-Ho ordered.

Even so, Seung-Tae averted his eyes and fired back, words spilling out like bullets, “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about! Confess what? I haven’t done anything wrong!”

“Ha...”

Eun-Ho exhaled, the sound sharp as frost. Seung-Tae flinched.

That breath was icy enough to freeze him in place, but he had no choice. That was because his skill Gaslighting, powerful as it was, had one fatal weakness. The moment he explained the skill to someone, he could never use it on them again.

However, Eun-Ho didn’t know that.

“I didn’t want to use this, but...” Eun-Ho muttered.

“W-what are you trying to do? I really didn’t do anyth—” Seung-Tae stammered.

Eun-Ho approached with a displeased look, his hand clapping down on Seung-Tae’s shoulder. Then he uttered five words, like driving in a spike.

“Severing Muscle and Dislocating Bone.”

The moment those words ended, a scream ripped out of Seung-Tae’s throat.

“Gaaaaah!”

The agony spread from the spot where Eun-Ho’s fingers touched his shoulder. It was pain so intense that he crumpled like a used tissue. He shriveled, then stretched, then shriveled again.

Crack! Crunch! Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!

Craaaaaack!

Stop! Stop! Stop! Please stooooooop!

“Stoooop!”

By the time he could no longer tell the difference between the screams in his head and the ones pouring from his mouth, he found himself admitting everything to Eun-Ho’s questions.

“What’s the skill’s name?” Eun-Ho asked coolly.

“Ga—”

Craaaackle!

“Gaslighting!” Seung-Tae howled.

“What are the activation conditions?”

“M-making eye contact! A-and talking for ten or more seconds!”

“How do you break it?”

“Time... It wears off with time! Or if I explain it myself, it deactivates!”

“Then list the names of everyone you’ve used it on.”

“B-big... Eight big guys, Kim Ji-Woong... A-Rin, Se-Rin, Min-Ji, Ji-Ho, Yoo-Ah...”

“That all?”

“So-Hye, Joo-Eun, Bo-Young, Joo-Hee...”

On and on, the names spilled out. Finally, Eun-Ho’s hand lifted away.

“Haaah...”

Seung-Tae’s breath came in ragged gasps. He felt hollowed out, as if his soul had been ripped away. He was numb and his head a blank sheet of white.

“Thanks for explaining everything so thoroughly,” Eun-Ho said.

What is he talking about?

Seung-Tae didn’t understand. He could only stare up blankly at the man’s face.

“Huh?”

“You look good on screen,” Eun-Ho remarked.

Following his gaze, Seung-Tae turned to realize that in the middle of the field stood a massive stage. On that stage was a giant screen, being watched by a hundred thousand people.

[Many observers are intrigued by this unusual stage setup!]

[The Top Seller of the Day from the Sales Department says this is their first time seeing sector 13 theater with their eyes shining!]

[Countless observers are calling for a satisfying dose of poetic justice!]

His face froze in a slack, stunned expression. The screen above was filled with a live chat, comments scrolling faster and faster.

***

“Oh my, is that woman the second young master’s mistress? They said she even brought a child! Turns out it was true!”

“Why couldn’t she just live quietly? What could she possibly hope to gain by crawling in here...”

It had been that way since the day he was born.

“What should we play with today? I want to play Superman!”

“Sorry... My mom said I shouldn’t play with you. She says you’re filthy...”

His very existence was someone’s shame, someone’s proof of sin, and a target for children’s ridicule.

“Hey! I heard your mom seduced a married man and made her fortune that way! She must’ve been really pret—”

“Shut it! You son of a bitch!”

Therefore, he’d grown thorns to shield himself, sharp enough to keep anyone from coming close. Whether out of fear or disgust, no one dared to approach.

Yet, perhaps deep down, he had wished to be counted as one of them, and to fight back-to-back with comrades like heroes in the movies.

“It’s your turn,” Eun-Ho said to Swear-Master.

As he spoke, he stepped behind Seung-Tae, covering his eyes with a blindfold.

“Curse,” Eun-Ho said softly to Swear-Master. “As much as you want. Let it all out.”

Has there ever been anyone like this before? Someone who looked at me just as I am and acknowledged me?

If he could be recognized by Eun-Ho, and by the others who remained, he was ready to drag up every foul word from the gutter if he had to.

“You rotten bastard... You look like a rotten fish, and your shitty little tricks are just as disgusting as your face.”

[Many observers nod at the spot-on comparison!]

[A donation of 1,000 Welfare Points has been made!]

“Otherwise, who would ever stay by your side? Everyone would’ve run away long ago.”

“Shut up! You uneducated brat, who do you think you are to lecture me?!”

[The parameters required for skill activation are being calculated.]

[Strong emotional drive has been detected. Data collection speed is increasing.]

“Uneducated? Fuck off. You’re the one who lived off million-won tutors your whole life. Didn’t they ever bother with character lessons? You’re still the same pathetic elementary school bully you were back then.”

“Y-you little!”

[Some observers look forward to even harsher words!]

[A donation of 3,000 Welfare Points has been made!]

“Why are you so damn confident about being the son of an affair?!”

“Fuck! Was I the one who had the affair? Did I?!”

“Like mother, like son!”

[The Smiling Angel from the Bureau of Public Affairs wonders aloud if this is the infamous melodrama of sector 13.]

[The Hook from the Bureau of Investigation nods in agreement, saying a birth-secret twist is essential.]

[Some observers light up at the trashy drama development!]

[A donation of 5,000 Welfare Points has been made!]

“Without your daddy’s backing, you couldn’t even go take a piss alone without wetting yourself!”

“What did you say?”

“#$%^%#*&@$!”

“You little—!”

“*#$&@^$^#$!”

“Dammit!”

[The Smiling Angel from the Bureau of Public Affairs gasps, claiming they’ve never heard such vulgar words before!]

[The Hook from the Bureau of Investigation praises the creativity at the very bottom of the gutter!]

[Some observers are thrilled by the flavorful swearing!]

[A donation of 10,000 Welfare Points has been made!]

“What the hell is wrong with you crazy bastards, getting off on this?!”

[The Smiling Angel from the Bureau of Public Affairs blushes, saying this is the first time someone has treated them so roughly!]

[A donation of 3,000 Welfare Points has been made!]

“Shit! You people are completely insane!”

[The Top Seller of the Day from the Sales Department begs for more!]

[A donation of 5,000 Welfare Points has been made!]

“Ugh! You disgusting freaks! Shut the hell up already!”

[Some observers awaken to new tastes!]

[A donation of 30,000 Welfare Points has been made!]

“Enough!”

Amid the chaos, when everything had devolved into a mess, the long-awaited message rang in Swear-Master’s ears.

[All the parameters required for skill activation have been collected.]

[Congratulations!]

[Based on the memories of insults etched into your sharp tongue, the venom that always runs ahead of your heart, and the petty rage you’ve hurled at the world, you have unlocked a Unique Skill.]

Petty rage? What the fuck?

[You have unlocked a Unique Skill, Insult(Lv. 1)]