# Chapter 2
The next day, for some reason, Iyeon woke up early. His muscles ached a bit, but his mind was refreshed. So this is why people exercise. Stretching his stiff body, Iyeon opened his bedroom door.
And found himself staring directly into a pair of eyes glaring at him amidst the murderous aura that filled the living room.
Fierce green eyes glowed alone in the darkness. It was known that people with strong superpowers sometimes experienced physical changes when their abilities manifested, and it seemed Je Sano was one such case.
His naturally sharp eyes emitting light gave him an extraordinary presence. Iyeon had thought he looked rather cold even yesterday when his eyes were closed, but that was a misunderstanding. With his eyes open, he looked a million times more ferocious. Iyeon was overcome with the feeling of shrinking involuntarily, like a frog before a snake.
At this level, shouldn’t he keep his eyes closed his entire life for the sake of people’s hearts around him? Had no one ever given him such advice? Iyeon tried to calm his secretly racing heart as he awkwardly lowered his arms. He was breaking into a cold sweat from embarrassment due to this unsociable guest.
“Uh… Good morning?”
There was no answer from the man. Didn’t he hear me? Wondering, Iyeon thoughtlessly took a step toward him.
In that instant, dozens of spikes extended from the walls and floor, aimed at Iyeon’s neck.
It happened so suddenly there was no time to react. Goosebumps rose belatedly on the back of his neck.
The surface of the countless spikes gleamed with a dull luster and sharp menace. They were close enough that the slightest movement would cause them to pierce him.
The intent of the threat was clear.
Only then did tension spread across Iyeon’s pale face. Suddenly, one of the dozens of rumors about Je Sano flashed through his mind like lightning.
There were stories that Je Sano had killed people.
Naturally, even for superhumans, killing someone was a crime. Since many superpowers could physically harm others, the laws were especially strict.
Like most rumors surrounding him, there were no details or credibility, but seeing him now, Iyeon understood why such stories circulated. Je Sano’s face showed indifference and boredom, but his eyes held a dangerous glint. Iyeon recognized this look. It was the aura of someone who would use any means necessary to achieve his goals.
Moreover, wasn’t Je Sano’s ability perfectly optimized for untraceable murder?
It wasn’t easy to maintain composure between the instinct to distance himself from danger and the pressure that any movement would lead to immediate attack. Blood vessels throbbed in his neck, which couldn’t move an inch because of the spikes. I need to get out of this situation. His brain worked frantically in this emergency.
Je Sano’s superpower was mineral synchronization. Simply put, it was the ability to transform his body into solid rock, or to create and use weapons from it. From the rare witness videos that surfaced, Je Sano’s main combat style involved flipping terrain to isolate opponents or binding them and piercing them with giant iron awls drawn from the ground.
These massive spikes surrounding Iyeon were those very awls. Strong enough to pierce human flesh in an instant.
One wrong move and he’d be on his way to the afterlife without being able to do anything.
The man continued to stare at Iyeon without even blinking. The spikes extending toward his neck were menacing as if they would stab him at any moment, but they weren’t quite touching his skin.
If he wanted to kill me, I’d already be dead. Stay calm, Jung Iyeon. Taking a deep breath to ease his tension, he felt the chilling killing intent. While Je Sano might not be planning to kill him outright, it was clear that any foolish move would result in instant death. Threatening someone with his ability so unhesitatingly was not the mark of a novice.
This was a moment that required extreme caution. Iyeon carefully observed the man in the darkness. While there wasn’t much he could do in this standoff, he needed to avoid making the situation worse. A tense silence hung in the air. The pressure filling the living room was so thick it seemed ready to overflow.
The silence was broken by a very low, slow voice.
“Name.”
Attempting conversation was a good sign. He probably wasn’t asking to call out Iyeon’s name on his final journey. Iyeon obediently opened his mouth.
“Jung Iyeon.”
At that answer, the man’s eyes suddenly turned cold.
“I said, Lee Jungyeon.”
Is he hard of hearing? After being caught in the rain, it was possible. While Iyeon was internally questioning the man’s auditory capabilities, Je Sano’s interrogation continued.
“Affiliation.”
“It’s not really a company, but I run a small office…”
“Tier.”
“…2nd tier.”
At those words, his thick eyebrows twitched slightly. Though his face suggested he had something to say, Iyeon just stared at him blankly, but Je Sano changed the subject without further comment.
“Why am I here?”
The suspicious look scanning Iyeon suggested he firmly believed Iyeon had brought him here with some ulterior motive.
This groundless suspicion made Iyeon feel a bit wronged. If he had actually done something wrong, he wouldn’t feel unfairly treated, but he had only slept and woken up, only to find his home forcibly remodeled with spikes sprouting from the ceiling, walls, and floor, and now his life was being threatened by this new interior design. It was a situation that could only make him angry.
“I brought you here because you were collapsed in an alley nearby.”
But his middle-class self kept his words moderate. If only he wasn’t ranked number one…
“Haven’t you learned not to help strangers?”
Je Sano was right. This was Chohosi, teeming with all kinds of power users. It was a neighborhood where even a person’s tiny bit of malice could easily put others in danger.
But.
“It was raining.”
Being a superhuman didn’t mean immunity to disease. Since superhumans were fundamentally human, they could die, get injured, or catch colds. Even a human who could instantly create mountains and turn his skin into steel was no exception.
“How carefree of you.”
Je Sano didn’t even snort. The man who spoke as if Iyeon was ridiculous approached. The hem of his long black leather coat fluttered, gleaming with a dull luster, and several spikes that hindered his movement retreated into the walls as if they had never emerged. Thanks to this, Iyeon had gained a little breathing room, but before he could exhale, a large shadow covered his crown.
In an instant, the distance between them had shortened.
The atmosphere, which had briefly relaxed, tightened again as if it had never loosened. As his field of vision darkened with the shadow, Iyeon felt a different kind of pressure than when he was being threatened with spikes. Unconsciously, Iyeon swallowed at the force of the gaze looking down at him with a tilted head.
“So.”
It was no coincidence that at that moment, the phrase “eliminating evidence” flashed through Iyeon’s mind.
If Je Sano made up his mind, killing Iyeon, who stood just within reach, would be nothing. He could even provide the service of burying him beneath the ground. If that happened, it would just be… the end. No one in the world would ever find Iyeon.
To end his life with just one statement about rain… Even a weather forecaster wouldn’t leave such a testament. Iyeon lowered his gaze with a gloomy face. A low ultimatum fell over his round crown.
“So you’re my benefactor.”
Je Sano had a talent for making anything sound threatening. Because of this, it took time for the exact meaning to register with Iyeon. As the confused silence lengthened, Je Sano kindly added an explanation.
“Seems like you need another hole in your ear.”
Thanks to this touching consideration, the time was somewhat shortened.
“…Benefactor? You’re talking to me?”
Iyeon asked dubiously. Wait, you were looking at me like you were going to kill me and now I’m your benefactor? …Does “benefactor” have some different meaning that I don’t know?
“You saved my life.”
It seemed Je Sano’s dictionary wasn’t wrong after all.
“Well… that’s not incorrect, but.”
“I’ll repay the favor.”
“…Why?”
From the way one person’s pace was completely mismatched with the other’s, it would be a stretch to call this a normal conversation. Je Sano quietly raised his hand while staring at Iyeon’s face as he muttered incomprehensibly. Iyeon caught a glimpse of the spikes in front of him moving toward his ear. His brain, detecting the crisis, finally started working.
“That’s not necessary!”
At the urgent denial, Je Sano’s eyes narrowed. Oops. As the atmosphere grew hostile again, Iyeon provided additional packaging service.
“No, I mean, not that you’re unnecessary, but you must have a lot of things to do.”
“I happen to be free right now.”
It was an absurd claim. How could the number one ranked superhuman have free time?
“Do I seem to be lying?”
When Je Sano clenched his fist, a new spike from the wall flaunted its presence. Iyeon protested with an aggrieved face.
“What are you saying? I didn’t say anything.”
“Your face looked annoying.”
“…”
It was unfair and petty, but Iyeon had nothing to say. He wanted to tell Je Sano that his face was annoying too, but first, the living room was still covered with spikes, and second, Je Sano was so handsome that such a comment would have absolutely no impact.
“Don’t you want to rest? You should rest when you can.”
“That’s why I’m offering to let you rest.”
“I like working.”
“Then I have a proposal in a different direction.”
“…”
It wasn’t something he particularly wanted to hear.
Whatever Je Sano’s ulterior motives were, in the current situation where he held absolute power, there was no way for a common citizen like Iyeon to win against such firm determination. Refusing would only open up endless possibilities of becoming a hedgehog.
Isn’t this blackmail? Shouldn’t I report this to the police? Though he felt wronged, it didn’t seem like the police would be able to arrest Je Sano either.
Fine, he’s not saying he’ll harm me, just that he wants to repay a favor. Iyeon sighed and asked,
“How exactly do you plan to repay this favor?”
The corner of Je Sano’s mouth raised almost imperceptibly. A faint smile appeared on his previously expressionless face.
“I have abilities, you know.”
Iyeon blinked. Strangely, even though it shouldn’t be possible—
“I thought I could help you with them.”
He looked somewhat pleased.
