Upon arriving in Yeongdeungpo, Suho followed the directions from his phone to an old villa.

    “Another semi-basement, huh.”

    In both the past and present, semi-basement apartments symbolized poverty.

    Shaking his head, Suho stood before the single semi-basement unit in the building and pressed the doorbell.

    No sound.

    “Broken?”

    He knocked instead.

    Thud, thud, thud—

    Still no response.

    Knocking again, he called out:

    “Nam Hae-won, are you home?”

    Silence.

    “No one’s home?”

    No, that wasn’t right.

    According to Nam Hae-won’s schedule, he should have left the rehab center and returned home by now.

    Despite being a drug addict, Nam Hae-won was surprisingly punctual. He was genuinely trying to quit and attended the rehabilitation center regularly.

    Realizing something was off, Suho activated a skill.

    [ Magic Detection activated. ]

    As the skill took effect, Suho sensed the surrounding mana.

    Then, with a faint smirk, he noticed something.

    A dense concentration of mana lay beyond the door.

    “I knew it.”

    Nam Hae-won wasn’t absent; he was deliberately keeping quiet, hiding inside.

    Focusing further, Suho discerned the presence of multiple signatures.

    “One, two, three... Four people total.”

    Three uninvited guests.

    Suho gripped the doorknob—an old, lock-and-key mechanism rather than an electronic one.

    With a sharp tug:

    Crack!

    The knob broke off in his hand.

    With Suho’s strength nearing the orange rank, a standard lock posed no challenge.

    The door creaked open, revealing a disheveled Nam Hae-won pinned beneath a burly man, while two others stood nearby.

    “Sigh...”

    Suho exhaled heavily at the sight.

    Before he could speak, one of the standing men barked at him:

    “Who the hell are you?”

    “What’s it to you?”

    “What did you say, punk?”

    “Shut up.”

    Calmly stepping forward, Suho closed the distance.

    One of the men moved to block his path—only to be met with a slap.

    Smack! ...Thud!

    The man dropped instantly, sprawling across the floor.

    His companions’ faces froze in shock.

    Ignoring their reactions, Suho turned to the next man.

    [ The Ring of Emotions reacts to the target’s strongest emotion: Black. ]

    [ Absorbing the target’s emotion. ]

    A black mist rose from Nam Hae-won, dissipating into the ring.

    His trembling subsided, his breathing steadied.

    Suho spoke softly:

    “Feeling better now?”

    Nam Hae-won nodded weakly.

    “Good. I believe you. Those guys were with the Changshik Gang, right? I know them well—they force drugs on people to extort money and abilities.”

    “T-the Changshik Gang?”

    “Yeah, that’s their name. Scum like them always get what’s coming.”

    Nam Hae-won managed a shaky nod.

    Suho continued, “You’re attending a rehab center, right? Don’t worry. What they did to you is a serious crime. I’ll make sure they’re dealt with.”

    “Really? Thank you! Thank you so much!”

    Nam Hae-won bowed repeatedly, tears streaming down his face.

    Suho stood and offered him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

    “I’ll check back on you soon. For now, take care of yourself, alright?”

    Activating Recovery once more, Suho ensured no lingering drug effects remained.

    Nam Hae-won gazed at him in awe.

    “You’re... a healer?”

    “That’s right.”

    After wrapping up the healing session, Suho rose to leave.

    “Wait! Who are you? Can I know your name?”

    Suho smiled.

    “I’m Ahn Suho. Just a hunter.”

    As Suho left, realization dawned on Nam Hae-won.

    “Ahn Suho...? Could it be... that Ahn Suho?!”

    His jaw dropped in disbelief.

    At the Changshik Gang’s Hideout

    Suho stood outside a dilapidated building in Mullae-dong.

    The gang’s HQ doubled as a front for illegal activities.

    The building’s sign read “Golden Maiden Hand.”

    Suho clicked his tongue.

    “Such a pretentious name for a bunch of thugs.”

    Ascending the stairs to the second floor, Suho encountered a lone guard lounging near the entrance.

    The man squinted at him.

    “Who the hell are you?”

    Suho replied flatly, “Where’s Changshik?”

    “What?”

    “I’m asking where your boss is, idiot.”

    The thug’s eyes narrowed.

    “Wait... You’re Ahn Suho, aren’t you?”

    Smack! Crash!

    The guard slumped unconscious.

    Suho stepped over him, heading upstairs.

    “Recognizing me won’t save you.”

    Ahn Suho advanced toward the heart of the Changshik Gang’s territory.