Chapter 53: Choi Juwon, An idol taken hostage, Arrives the Broadcasting Station

As soon as Shim Ji-hyuk activated the dark artifact, a thick black mist began to blanket the area.

“What… what’s going on? It’s an ambush!”

Immediately, those inside activated their defensive artifacts.

-Ziiing
-Screeeech

However, the defensive artifacts emitted strange noises and then stopped working altogether.

“What’s happening? Report the situation!”

“The defensive artifacts are being interfered with by external magic energy—they’re not functioning!”

“Then set up a defense spell around the main data area immediately!”

The security personnel responsible for guarding the office where the station’s main data artifact was stored began to move swiftly. Shim Ji-hyuk observed them, marveling at the power of the artifact he’d just used.

‘This… this is unbelievable…’

The artifact had been given to him by Shin Yura. Since it consumed life force upon use, he hadn’t even tried it for a test run. But now that it was actually activated, the power was astonishing.

[Darkness] Hereic’s Poison Mist

• When activated, releases a dense magic mist in the vicinity.
• Artifacts exposed to this magic encounter major usage restrictions.
• Prolonged exposure causes status abnormalities, such as magic intoxication.
• Allows the user temporary control over the magic energy.
• Consumes life force proportional to the magic energy used.

The dark artifact, Hereic’s Poison Mist, was straightforward to operate. By simply channeling mana into it, a small lion-shaped artifact automatically began emitting magic mist, which also enabled the user to control it directly.

In a way, it had a similar effect to the dark artifact Baek Jooseok had used previously. Like any dark artifact, however, it consumed life force with every use.

-Fwoooosh

The mist, thick with magic, started spreading. Soon, the interior was filled with this fog, making it hard to see. The people inside desperately clung to their defensive positions.

“Ugh… everyone, don’t breathe it in! As soon as you inhale the mist, your mana flow will be disrupted. This isn’t ordinary fog!”

Prolonged exposure to magic for a normal person would lead not only to nausea and stomach pain but also to neural paralysis, eventually causing total cellular decay and death. Shim Ji-hyuk began running toward the people who were struggling in pain.

-Ratatatat
-Grab

He seized one of the men guarding the interior by the head and flung him.

-Whoosh
-Boom!

With his body reinforced by magic energy, Shim Ji-hyuk now possessed monstrous strength, enough to easily toss a grown man with just two fingers.

“This… is this my strength?”

He looked at his hand, the one that had just thrown a person. His hand was trembling. Shim Ji-hyuk was well aware that the magic consumed his life force, but despite that, he felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.

‘Could the Archmage have wielded this kind of power?’

Intoxicated by the magic erupting within, he felt as if he’d become a god.

“Aaahhh!”

The others began fleeing in terror as Shim Ji-hyuk picked up a man by the head and tossed him, the explosion echoing through the area.

Some fought desperately to hold their positions, but they ended up collapsing from magic intoxication after breathing in the mist, while others met their end from Shim Ji-hyuk’s attacks.

-Tap

Having killed multiple people, Shim Ji-hyuk once again moved through the mist, swiftly tracking down signs of life and heading in that direction.

-Grasp

He grabbed a fleeing man and spoke.

“Tell me the exact location of the station’s main data artifact.”

All Shim Ji-hyuk knew was that the main data artifact was somewhere near this office. Only those working here would know the precise location.

The man seized by Shim Ji-hyuk played innocent, as he’d been trained to do.

“I… I don’t know. Really, I don’t. It’s beyond my clearance level.”

But Shim Ji-hyuk, his senses heightened by the dark energy he wielded, noticed the man’s slight hesitation.

“Why did you hesitate? If you truly didn’t know, you’d have answered right away.”

“I-I was just nervous. P-please spare me.”

Shim Ji-hyuk, however, was not one to be easily convinced.

With the man in one hand, Shim Ji-hyuk sprinted forward, quickly grabbing another fleeing employee by the neck.

“If you know, you should speak up,” he said, staring directly at the man who hadn’t answered.

As Shim Ji-hyuk tightened his other hand, the person he was holding began foaming at the mouth and collapsed.

“Grrkk…”

Witnessing someone die so brutally right before his eyes filled the man with utter terror—he realized he could be next.

“P-please… spare me. I’ll tell you. Just… please, don’t kill me.”

When Shim Ji-hyuk nodded, the man pointed to the floor beneath a nearby desk.

“It’s stored just below that desk.”

“What’s the security measure?”

“Eye… eye recognition.”

“Hm… Should I just rip out your eye and use that?”

Shim Ji-hyuk was crossing a line that no human should—he was descending into madness, intoxicated by the dark energy and losing his humanity.

Those who borrow power from dark artifacts like these often experience the same side effects, similar to how Baek Jooseok had unleashed a meteor in the heart of the city, rapidly losing his sense of self and judgment, even erasing any guilt.

“Take me with you. It won’t unlock with just my eye. There’s a code we employees know that must be entered first.”

By now, the office was nearly deserted.

For security, the broadcasting station’s underground office was completely sealed, and the air circulation depended entirely on artifacts.

This enclosed environment had actually worsened things, exposing people to dark energy faster and amplifying the artifact’s danger.

Shim Ji-hyuk’s captive quickly entered the password and used his eye for recognition before the artifact could malfunction from exposure to the dark energy.

“Authentication in progress. Please infuse mana for identity verification.”

Annoyed, Shim Ji-hyuk cursed.

“Damn, how many authentication steps are there? Just hurry it up, you bastard!”

“All… all done!”

As the final lock disengaged, a large padlock with two eye-shaped icons in the center appeared.

“T-This is the last step. Two employees must use one eye each to verify at the same time. It’s to prevent any single individual from acting alone…”

Shim Ji-hyuk grabbed the body of a man he’d killed earlier, pried open his eyelid, and forced it against the recognition device.

“Authentication complete. Data is now accessible.”

After completing the elaborate authentication process, the main database finally opened.

But all the data was encrypted, rendering it incomprehensible to Shim Ji-hyuk. He ordered the trembling employee beside him.

“Find and access the folder with the whistleblower emails.”

“That… that’s…”

With a sickening crunch, Shim Ji-hyuk shattered one of the man’s legs when he hesitated.

“Aaaargh!”

The man screamed in terror, tears streaming down his face as he spoke.

“P-Please let me go… Please…”

He fumbled with the controls several times, and soon, tip-off emails started popping up one by one.

Among them, one caught the eye of Shim Ji-hyeok.

[Subject: Reporting Video of Masked Instructor’s Forced Entry into the Black Gate]

Below the video, there was a special note.

Special Note: NATUBE mega creator Jang Hye-na. Low possibility of false report.

Click-click

Shim Ji-hyeok had finally figured out the tipster’s identity.

Clack-clack-clack

Shim Ji-hyeok quickly left the office, still holding the man in his hand.

‘This bastard needs to be used as a hostage.’

Even though he was using the Dark Artifact, security personnel, including hunters and mages, would soon swarm the place. It would be impossible for Shim Ji-hyeok alone to fight them all. That’s why he decided to use the hostage to escape.

Clack-clack-clack

He ran quickly, reaching the ground stage.

Then, from afar, he heard another man’s voice amplified by a speaker artifact.

“Shim Ji-hyeok, stop causing trouble and surrender immediately. If you don’t, we will shoot you.”

Shim Ji-hyeok raised the man in his hand and shouted back.

“I’ve got a hostage. If you don’t care whether this bastard lives or dies, feel free to attack me!”

He then grinned.

The mages on the other side hesitated, unable to attack.

“Grrrr…”

Then, a strange sound came from the front.

‘Sh*t…’

The hostage Shim Ji-hyeok was holding had died from magic poisoning. It seemed that staying in the office for too long earlier had caused it.

‘No wonder he was still alive… why now…’

Then, the speaker blared again.

“Shim Ji-hyeok has killed the hostage. Everyone, attack immediately!”

BAM BAM BAM!

Countless magic attacks poured toward Shim Ji-hyeok in an instant. To escape, he broke through the wall.

BAM BAM BAM!

“AAAHHHHHH!”

The spot where Shim Ji-hyeok had been was now a hole in the back wall of the stage. Panicked idol performers were preparing to evacuate as quickly as possible. It seemed like an evacuation order had just been issued.

“W-Who are you?”

The idol, who had been preparing to evacuate, looked at Shim Ji-hyeok with a confused expression.

Shim Ji-hyeok grinned and grabbed her head with one hand, shouting.

“She’s a hostage! If you don’t want to see her die, open the way right now!”

Meanwhile, Choi Ju-won arrived at the broadcasting station.

“AAAHHHHH!”

Upon arriving at the station, Choi Ju-won saw people fleeing in panic, sensing that something serious was happening.

‘What the hell… what’s going on here?’

Choi Ju-won rushed inside.