Chương 76: QUIET ALLEY (2)

Jimin was just about to lose his consciousness. But he gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. Forcing himself to stay conscious. I'm dead… I'm dead, if I faint. Blood was gushing out from his mouth, sliding down his chin. The veins underneath his forehead revealed themselves, pulsing with strain. Meanwhile- The man was on his knees, groaning in pain. His breathing was rough and uneven. His earlier confidence had already shattered.

"Ugh…" he muttered. Damnit. Who's this bastard? He completely messed up my legs. He spat blood onto the ground. His hands trembled. Hit me right at the moment my punch landed. My punch should have put a hole in him… But something weakened my punch. His eyes narrowed slightly. Doesn't matter… It should still wreck him. The poison wore off. He had already pulled one dagger out of the back of his right knee. Then, he took another out of his left ankle.

Blood dripped onto the concrete, forming small dark patches, while he groaned And one remained stuck in his back. Just let me catch my breath, you cunt. Right then- Jimin slowly placed his hand on his torso and immediately activated 'Heal'. Faint golden halo began to form around his hand. And warmth seeped into his wounds, dulling the sharp edges of pain. But his expression didn't show any signs of relaxation. My lower ribs are cracked. And my innards feel like they're gonna burst…

'Heal' can't fix bones or internal wounds. It won't do much. The man saw it. And his expression twisted instantly.

"You can even heal yourself!" he shouted. His voice cracked with disbelief and rage.

"Who the hell are you bastard? What are you?" But Jimin didn't respond. He just stared. Straight into the man's eyes, with his eyes wide open Then- He immediately took out his two vials of health potion from inventory and chugged both of them down at once, all while maintaining eye contact. A warm sensation started to spread through his body almost immediately. Slowly easing his pain. His cracked ribs somewhat stabilized. Breathing became easier. That should do for now.

The man's face twitched at this sight. The man started visibly shaking, burning with rage.

"Youuu…" he growled. He immediately reached into his storage ring. Also taking out a vial of potion But just when, he was about to drink it- CRACK! The potion vial suddenly exploded in his hand, as a beam of fire hit it. The man screamed as flames caught his mask, glass shards stuck in its fabric.

"GAAAH!" He dropped backward, rolling on the ground. Jimin's extended hand remained pointed at him. The man grabbed his mask and instantly ripped it off in panic, revealing a big square jawed face and black hair underneath. He gasped and started rubbing his face violently as he rolled on the ground. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. By then, Jimin had somewhat stabilized himself. I can't take it easy anymore. I was overconfident.

Should've used Daze when he got close. I thought I could neutralize him and then interrogate… His eyes brimmed with intent and focus. I need to be ruthless with these types. Should've started with intent to kill. I wouldn't be in this state, if I did. The man finally stopped rolling. Slowly, he lifted his head. His face was red, revealing micro burns and a few cuts.

"You…" he whispered. His bloodshot eyes locked onto Jimin.

"I'll kill-" he muttered but froze midway. Because what he saw, made his voice die. Jimin was already staring at him. An intense death stare. And beside him- A chakram spun in the air. And a lance's head rotated, its tip glinting under the dim light. Both aimed at him. The man's throat tightened.

"-you," he finished his sentence quietly. Jimin's eyes didn't shift.

"Don't move an inch, motherfucker," he said in a serious tone.

"Unless you want holes instead of cuts." The chakram spun slightly faster.

"Maybe lose a few limbs as a bonus." The man's pupils dilated, as a drop of cold sweat slid down his temple. Panic was clearly visible on his face this time. I'm fucked.

"I want answers," Jimin said.

"And you will give me what I want." His tone became more intense.

"Who do you work for?" The man clenched his teeth.

"Fuck you!" he shouted. Jimin didn't hesitate for a second. He immediately cut all of the man's joints, rendering him unable to move. While the man just screamed, "AAAAAGH!!" Yet, he didn't ask for mercy once. I won't say shit. They will kill me and my family.

"Do… Your worst… But you… can't match them," the man said meekly, as he lay completely flat; his head, back and ankles touching the ground. His breath turned ragged.

"Do… your worst…" he muttered meekly.

"But you… can't match them in torture." Jimin narrowed his eyes.

"Who?" But the man didn't mutter a word. Jimin then placed the spinning lance right above the man's right eye and said, "I'll shove it into your mouth… then pull it out of your ass… Or would you like it the other way?" The man's lips trembled.

"Just… Kill me." Jimin became extremely frustrated at this. This isn't working at all. He isn't answering anything… The other guy might also join anytime now. He took a deep breath. If there's no way, I'll just have to create one… His eyes exuded confidence. Skill creation window.

Meanwhile- The van's interior, license plate, everything had been cleared of evidence. The driver had just hit the streets, leaving the van right behind him. He sprinted casually, wearing a different grey hoodie and just a normal mask. He looked calm on the surface. But- I saw them entering an alley. The boy definitely seemed to be in a bad condition for a while. I sensed it… Just what is that bastard doing? He just has to kill the boy and loot his gear to make it look like a normal robbery…

It's not supposed to take this long. The police will be here soon. His grip tightened on the gun, hidden inside his hoodie pocket. The gun pressed coldly against his palm. In the worst case scenario… I hope it's effective on that low-level.

Inside the alley- Jimin had finished forming a new skill. This is it.

[Skill: Interrogation] Category: Passive Type: Control Rank: Rare Level: 1/50 Description: Activates when asked with enough intent. Forces targets with lower enough PSY stat than the user to comply and tell the truth. Requirement: Target's PSY stat must be lower than 70% the User's PSY. Scaling: Reduces the required stat gap scale with level. Output: Forces absolute truth during questioning. Cooldown: None Cost: 10 PE Required LP: 280 【Create】 【Edit】 [Draft] 【Delete】 He immediately created the skill.

A notification appeared.

[Skill Successfully Created]'Interrogation' – Acquired. Total LP: 1827 He could feel the skill settling in for a moment. Without wasting any time, he looked down at the man.

"Who are you?" he asked with serious intent.

"Go to he-" The man tried to spit out. But something stopped him mid-sentence. His body stiffened for a fraction of a second. An indescribable feeling washed over him. As if a mysterious force was compelling him to be honest. An irresistible urge to tell the truth.

"I…" the man's voice trembled.

"am Park Ba-reum." The man's expression twisted immediately. As if, he felt shocked and panicked at the same time. What just happened? Why did I answer? No, no… This is bad.

"What did you do, bastard?" Ba-reum shouted.

"Stop it!" His voice cracked with frustration, struggling against something unseen. But Jimin didn't respond at all. This seems to be working. Now… His gaze sharpened.

"Who do you work for?" he asked. Ba-reum tried to resist again.

"I said-" But it happened again. That invisible pressure. That forced compliance. His lips moved against his will. Jimin's focus locked in instantly, eagerly waiting for the answer. But no answer came. Ba-reum opened his mouth, as if he was even trying to say something. But it seemed like he had lost the ability to speak. It didn't move at all. His eyes widened in horror as if his own body had betrayed him. No words came out. Not even noise. Jimin blinked, confused. What's happening?

"Hey-" he muttered. But right then- The white part of his eyes started turning red. And suddenly, blood started leaking from his eyes. Thin steam rolling down his cheeks. His breathing turned uneven. Jimin's expression tightened instantly.

"What the hell…" Ba-reum's hand trembled as it lifted toward him. Jimin instinctively raised a telekinetic barrier. But- The gesture wasn't an attack. It was… unstable and desperate. Like a drowning man asking for help. It seemed as if Ba-reum was yearning for help. But then- His body began to darken suddenly. A deep purple hue spread across his skin and a faint blackish-red aura began to seep out. Jimin suddenly had chills. What is this ominous energy? What the hell's happening?