Kim Soleum’s body sprinted through the maze-like, chaotic corridors of the studio.
Bam— Bam— BOOM!
The narrow indoor space shook with a deafening roar, yet Lee Jaheon traversed it at an impossible speed once again.
Even the original owner of the body, watching through the CCTV-like perspective, held his breath, his hands sweating from the sheer velocity and audacity of the movements.
And soon enough…
“The door.”
A pair of double doors came into view, marked with a sign:
Filming in Progress
Bang!
Beyond the doors…
– …!
…A vast studio set stretched out beyond, so massive that its sheer scale was overwhelming.
However, at the center, where the main talk show stage should have been…
It no longer seemed functional.
– ……
The once-glittering ceiling lights had already half-collapsed. Shattered lighting fixtures, twisted metal beams, and dust covered the stage furniture and floor in a chaotic mess.
Even now, through the gaps in the destruction, the ‘Sacred Fire’ bombardment continued to rain down.
The audience was murmuring in confusion. Trapped in their seats, they had initially found this entire disaster entertaining due to their contamination—but soon, they would start screaming for their lives.
Kim Soleum swallowed back a sigh.
– …The live broadcast is completely ruined.
The remnants of a shattered variety show lay before them.
And then.
[Oh.]
At the heart of the half-destroyed stage, a lone entertainer stood.
[You came of your own accord.]
The host.
Even as the stage was reduced to rubble, even as the ‘Sacred Fire’ bombardment fell like meteors, he merely leaned against his desk, illuminated by the very destruction raining down upon him. ŔℕÒ฿Ɛṣ
He already knew exactly who had dared to break the set. Yet, he did not scream in rage.
He simply stood there, gazing silently at the intruder who had stormed onto the stage.
And it was as if he already understood that the one moving inside that body was not his friend, but the mercenary summoned through the emergency beacon.
-……
For a moment, Kim Soleum felt as if his eyes had locked with the host’s through the screen.
He swallowed dryly.
– Squad Leader.
“Yes.”
– From here on out, something… completely absurd might just happen.
The host raised his hand.
As if he were still hosting the talk show—
As if the program was still going on.
[I am delighted to introduce the mastermind behind this catastrophe!]
Click.
One of the few remaining spotlights suddenly illuminated Kim Soleum.
[The one who destroyed the talk show set and caused chaos during the live broadcast… oh my, how shocking! It’s a member of the audience from the previous episode!]
[Please welcome him with applause! Ah, boos are an acceptable choice as well!]
He had immediately recognized Lee Jaheon for who he was.
[A villain who has committed such an atrocious crime must face a proper challenge—appropriate hardships and trials, and of course… PUNISHMENT!]
The stage grew darker and darker.
[Ah, yes. In the medieval era, executions were a public festival, weren’t they? Of course, our talk show wouldn’t do something as boring as a hanging!]
[Tonight, we introduce a surprise new segment! It’s called…]
The host’s silhouette raised both hands in the shadows.
And his shadow began to grow.
Larger—
Larger—
And larger still, until his shadow completely covered the wall behind him.
THUD.
The surrounding set walls vanished into darkness.
On the seemingly floating stage…
A massive, spherical TV head began descending.
T H U D !
A colossal CRT television, as big as the entire stage itself, crashed down—crushing the guest entrance beneath it.
The host’s gloved hand, now gigantic, rested beneath the massive TV as if propping up his chin, while the other hand pointed directly at Kim Soleum—as if firing a gun.
[A breathtaking performance! A dizzying thrill! Terrifyingly fun, and deliciously thrilling… ‘Punishment Acrobatics’!]
On the TV screen, a dazzling, flashing neon sign lit up with dozens of light bulbs.
Braun’s
Exciting Punishment
Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom…
A drumroll began.
The host’s gloved knuckles rapped against the ruined set, like a countdown to the show’s next act.
The sound of drums, like the prelude to a circus stunt.
– …He won’t try to kill me immediately.
Lee Jaheon lifted his gaze, listening to the words of the body’s original owner.
– It’s still a live broadcast.
The black TV screen—
Came crashing down.
[And now… the show begins!]
BOOM.
Kim Soleum’s silhouette was swallowed whole.
……
……
[Now then…]
The old-fashioned CRT TV lifted its head once more.
Inside its screen—Kim Soleum’s trapped figure was visible.
The audience, thrilled by the spectacle, erupted into applause at this fascinating illusion.
[Shall we take a look at his skills?]
The stage lights flickered.
A subtitle appeared.
Punishment 1
Happy Ending Teddy
Inside the TV, a horde of teddy bear-shaped monsters bared their fangs and lunged toward Kim Soleum, attempting to peel away his skin—just as they had done to the neglectful owner of the past.
But Kim Soleum’s body exhibited such unnatural strength, and he pried open the bears’ maws, forcing them to bite into each other instead.
He ran.
The TV’s background shifted, forming a new setting.
A city at night.
An alleyway.
A manhole cover.
Punishment 2
The Manhole Arms
From the sewer grates, grotesque arms burst forth.
Kim Soleum stomped on them, then swung onto a streetlamp like an acrobat, narrowly avoiding the elongated, skeletal hands that clawed toward him.
Every challenge mirrored a past guest that Kim Soleum himself had once suggested for the show.
Merciless and absurd, each punishment pushed him closer and closer to a dead end.
[Oh dear.]
But, Kim Soleum survived them all.
His left arm was fractured.
His forehead was split open.
Yet, as long as he wasn’t caught, the punishment wouldn’t end.