Chapter Title: Intimidation and Favor
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Jeon Yeol unwittingly unleashed that energy, sending it straight at the two guys sprawled on the ground.
The moment he did, Kim Chan-hyeong and Yu Dong-jae—who had been struggling to get back on their feet—froze solid.
"...!"
"...!"
A crushing pressure suddenly bore down on them, leaving them unable even to twitch a finger.
In their eyes, Jeon Yeol loomed like a colossal mountain.
They could swear they'd never felt anything like it in their lives.
Even the terrifying Yong-sik had never pinned them down with sheer presence alone.
Their breaths came in ragged gasps.
Jeon Yeol had no idea what he'd just done.
But he knew for sure he'd blasted them with that intimidating pressure.
That's when the face of Caesar, one of the Miracle Emperors and the Tamer, flashed in his mind.
In an interview with the media, Caesar had said:
'My ability is a bit different from other espers. Everyone else uses aura or mana, but I use Spirit—mental energy. With it, I subjugate animals, alien races, or divine beasts like the Phoenix. Of course, I could make people my slaves too. But if I did that, I'd get taken out by other espers before any aliens could touch me, right? Haha. Anyway, my physical prowess is nothing special, but that mental power is what put me in the Miracle Emperor seat.'
Caesar had divided his mental power into two main types.
One was Intimidation, which cowed opponents into submission.
The other was Favor, which sparked goodwill and made them follow willingly.
The Spirit Jeon Yeol was using right now was Intimidation.
Finally realizing his own state, he took control and intensified the pressure.
Kim Chan-hyeong and Yu Dong-jae's limbs began to tremble uncontrollably.
But it was just extreme fear—nothing like a lifelong vow of obedience.
Jeon Yeol's ability wasn't that advanced yet.
Still, the reason they couldn't move was their unstable mental states.
People often misunderstood thugs who lived by their fists as having ironclad minds.
But Jeon Yeol knew better.
They struck first out of fear precisely because they lived in that world.
It was the same logic as small dogs barking out of terror.
Someone with true mental fortitude didn't need to glare or swagger.
Their innate strength kept others at bay naturally.
Kim Chan-hyeong and Yu Dong-jae weren't like that.
They were green, the lowest rung on the ladder.
They thought they were tough, but to Jeon Yeol, they weren't even third-rate punks.
Plus, they were always on edge, knowing the organization could ditch them anytime they screwed up.
Any random passerby would withstand the pressure better than these two.
Jeon Yeol eyed the pathetic pair on the ground.
They were already scared witless—no need for more beatings.
"Wanna leave quietly, or get half-killed here?"
At his question, Kim Chan-hyeong and Yu Dong-jae answered in eerie unison, as if rehearsed.
"We'll just go!"
"Three seconds. One. Two."
He barely reached two before they scrambled up like they'd never fallen and jumped into the car.
The black sedan roared off, peeling out of the apartment complex.
They'd return empty-handed, no doubt, and Yong-sik would beat them senseless.
The boss loved testing new recruits.
Spot promising talent early—that was his philosophy.
That's why he'd occasionally thrown jobs at Jeon Yeol, who wasn't even official yet.
He'd lent his own car to boost their swagger, but with zero results, the punks were in for a bad day.
Jeon Yeol headed into Building 103.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Ding-dong—
He pressed the intercom for Apartment 203, and a gruff middle-aged man's voice answered.
—Who is it?
It was Ji-woo's father, the so-called Kim Boss.
"Hello. I'm from Future Loans."
That was the name of Yong-sik's loan shark operation.
Something about cracking the top 100 richest in the world someday.
Total bullshit.
In the future, everyone dies.
No response from the intercom.
"Could you open the door, please?"
Jeon Yeol said again.
Then came Kim Boss's awkward voice from the speaker.
—The house is a bit... How about we talk somewhere else?
"No rowdy stuff, I promise. I'm not demanding cash right now. I just want to brainstorm ways for you to get through this crisis."
Jeon Yeol hoped his sincerity reached the man.
Suddenly, a strange energy stirred in his mind again, morphing into Caesar's Favor technique.
Having just experienced something similar, he stayed calm and projected it outward.
The warm, goodwill-filled energy slipped through the closed door, gently enveloping Kim Boss.
Kim Boss felt his inner anxiety melting away.
He'd been grinding his teeth moments ago—what was this?
And the young man on the monitor looked genuinely trustworthy, stirring unexpected fondness.
"Trust me."
Finally swayed by Jeon Yeol's calm voice, Kim Boss made up his mind.
Click.
He unlocked the door and let Jeon Yeol in.
The living room was empty except for Kim Boss.
But Jeon Yeol knew his wife and Ji-woo were hiding in the master bedroom.
In his past life, they'd burst out when he beat and threatened Kim Boss.
Jeon Yeol and Kim Boss sat facing each other on the living room floor.
"Kim Boss, this must be tough for you, huh?"
Jeon Yeol kept sending waves of Favor as he asked.
Kim Boss nodded with a bitter smile.
"Yeah... it is."
The sight stabbed at Jeon Yeol's heart.
It hadn't happened yet, but in his past life, this family had been ruined because of him.
Just sitting here face-to-face filled him with guilt.
"Drop the formalities. I'm only 22. Way younger than you."
"Nah, it's fine. A debtor clinging to pride like that loses everything."
Words born from hard experience, no doubt.
Jeon Yeol nodded and got to the point.
"Like I said, no demands for money today. But you do owe it, and it has to be paid eventually. I'm sure you considered worst-case scenarios when you took the loan."
"I did, but I never thought it'd hit rock bottom like this."
"Be straight with me, Kim Boss. Any chance for a comeback? Some lifeline?"
Kim Boss hesitated.
But only briefly—exposed to Favor, he spilled the stock tip Jeon Yeol already knew.
That's when it happened.
The master bedroom door flew open, and Kim Boss's wife Hye-mi and Ji-woo rushed out.
"You idiot! How could you spill everything to these sharks?! Don't you see they're sweet-talking you to steal our hidden stash?! You said you'd handle it alone, but you told us to hide so you could screw it all up!"
Hye-mi pounded her chest and collapsed in tears.
Ji-woo comforted her, then shot a resentful glare at her father.
Her eyes turned even sharper toward the loan shark who'd invaded their home.
But then.
"...Jeon Yeol?"
She jolted in shock upon recognizing his face.
Then hatred surged up.
Jeon Yeol might not remember, but Ji-woo had gone to middle school with him.
He was already infamous as a delinquent scum back then.
So while he didn't know her, she knew him.
He only learned of her existence after they ended up in the same high school class.
Ji-woo gave him that predictable look.
Jeon Yeol caught her gaze and turned.
She expected some embarrassment. But no—he brazenly offered a faint smile and a greeting.
"Hey, Ji-woo. You live here?"
"What the hell are you doing? You were trash in school, and now you're pulling this crap?"
Same words as in his past life.
Kim Boss blinked, looking between them.
"You two... know each other...?"
"Yes, Kim Boss... I mean, Ji-woo's dad. High school classmates."
"Shut your mouth and get out!"
Ji-woo exploded.
Jeon Yeol looked at her, trying to send her some Favor too.
But he couldn't.
For some reason, the energy cut off abruptly.
'Is this my limit?'
Even espers had limits on their powers.
He'd inherited the Miracle Emperors' abilities, but in their rudimentary forms—like a baby's first steps.
His Spirit depleted, he couldn't use Intimidation or Favor anymore.
Best to leave before Ji-woo got more worked up.
Some psychologist had said men calm down by understanding, women understand once calmed.
No point talking now—she wouldn't hear it.
Jeon Yeol stood, bowing politely to Kim Boss.
"Thanks for being honest, Ji-woo's dad. And yeah, Ji-woo, I was a total punk kid.
I only knew fists back then, so this is where I ended up. But I've turned it around. Gonna sort everything out and live right from now on.
And that ten million you mentioned? Future Loans won't touch it. Don't pick up if they call. I'll be going now."
Jeon Yeol hurried out of the house.
His departure left the family in a tangle of conflicted emotions.
'Why did I do that?'
Kim Boss couldn't fathom trusting a loan shark and blabbing everything.
'Is he for real, or just fishing? What the hell?'
Hye-mi couldn't tell if Jeon Yeol's words were genuine.
'...Why's he acting like that? Is it really the same Jeon Yeol I knew?'
Ji-woo was stunned by how different he seemed.
But.
'He's got some ulterior motive.'
She knew people didn't change that easily.