Episode 26
When detective ‘Cho Kyung-yeon’ arrived at the scene after receiving a call from the association, the firefighters had just finished putting out the fire.
Seeing that most of the first floor was completely burned black, Kyungyeon Cho understood why she had been called here.
“Is this what the Hunter did?”
The junior who followed took out the notebook he had hurriedly brought and checked the report.
“Yes, yes. According to the report, a masked hunter used his skill inside the department store at approximately 11:34.”
“What skill is it?”
“It’s ‘Flame Storm.’”
“Are you that fucking American? You used that indoors?”
Kyungyeon Cho was assigned to a special department that mainly handled cases involving hunters.
So, I had a quick grasp of the skills that hunters mainly use.
Just by hearing the name, it was possible to immediately recall what effect it had and how powerful it was.
“What is the damage situation?”
“As you can see, the scene is in a state of complete burnt down, and there are 25 injured and 7 dead.”
“Fuck. You really brought a lot of companions along.”
Kyungyeon Cho took out an electronic cigarette from her front pocket and took a big puff.
The junior who saw that looked as if he had seen something new and showed an expression full of interest.
“Senior, when did you switch to electronic cigarettes?”
“I’m getting older now. I need to take care of my health too.”
“You should quit smoking instead. I heard that e-cigarettes are just as harmful.”
“Shit. Are you telling me to keep doing this without even a cigarette?”
Due to the nature of the department, the scene where Kyungyeon Cho arrived was always a disaster.
Having to face human corpses every day would probably send me into a state of stress if I didn’t at least get some nicotine to help.
“Stop talking nonsense. Where is the person who reported me now?”
“They say it’s behind the fire truck.”
“So which fire truck?”
“Uh… … That’s… … .”
The junior, who had not heard the details up to that point, began to hastily look over the fire trucks scattered around the scene.
The junior, who had been rolling his eyes diligently, was barely able to find a person who matched the description of the reporter.
“Hey, he’s over there. Behind the fire truck on the left.”
“I’m seeing this person for the first time… … That author caught the guy who did that crazy thing?”
“Yes. I made a really mess of it. Would you like to take a look?”
When her junior showed her the photos she had saved on her smartphone, Kyungyeon Cho frowned.
It was a natural reaction to see a dead body with its head exploded in broad daylight.
“Do you keep saving all those things that ruin your appetite?”
“Then it won’t work?”
“Well, as long as it doesn’t leak outside, there’s nothing that can’t be done… … .”
Most people feel uncomfortable and don’t save it on their personal phones.
However, this bold junior boasted that he had saved all the photos from the scene he had taken so far without missing a single one.
Judging from the fact that he followed me around without vomiting once from the first day he took office, it seemed like this job was a good fit for him.
“Flame Storm is a fairly high-level skill, so it’ll be difficult to deal with with someone of average skill level.”
The story was that the opponent was a magician of at least B rank or higher.
It took a considerable amount of ability to blow off the head of such a hunter with one blow.
It was a difficult task for a C-class or lower hunter whose face was not even well known.
“There are witnesses, so it can’t be a lie.”
“Of course. If he were in his right mind, he wouldn’t lie and say he killed someone.”
Working in this field, I’ve met a lot of crazy people.
But I didn’t feel any of that unique wit from the hunter who reported me.
He was a young man you could see anywhere, except for his slightly pale complexion.
“What did that guy say his name was?”
“Huh? You don’t remember that either?”
“Hey, Emma. Don’t you know I just came back from another case? You might not remember, but do you really have to say it like that?”
As Kyung-il half-jokingly grabbed the chestnut, the junior held his head with a sad expression.
“Oh my! But hitting me is too much!”
“Don’t be rude to your senior.”
“What the hell is that… … .”
The junior who had been talking kept his mouth shut and looked through his notebook, thinking that he might get hit again.
“The informant’s name is Kang Jin-hyeok. He was recently promoted to C-class.”
“Kang Jin-hyeok?”
It was a name I had heard somewhere.
Kyung-il Cho, who was carefully recalling his memories, recalled an internet article he had recently seen.
“That guy who caught a new type of monster.”
“Are you talking about the guy that showed up during the large-scale invasion that Titan was in charge of?”
“Yeah, that guy.”
It is the most threatening monster that has appeared recently, so there has been a lot of talk about it until recently.
“Actually, some say it’s not really a monster.”
“Over 10 A-class hunters were seriously injured over something so trivial?”
“But if S-class hunter Seo Sang-ho wasn’t an extreme close-range type, he would have been caught easily… … .”
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“Hey, you’ve picked up some brainwashing nonsense from some keyboard-type guy somewhere.”
If it had been a truly insignificant monster, the Titan, known for its pride, would not have asked the guild for help.
Those who belittle Kang Jin-hyeok’s expertise are merely narrow-minded people who are jealous of the attention that a C-class hunter receives.
Experts predicted that Kang Jin-hyeok had hidden abilities, but they did not disparage him for being a weak monster.
Kyung-il Cho was also one of those people.
It was a strange feeling to meet someone I had been interested in through an internet article like this.
“Let’s go and listen to the story.”
Kang Jin-hyeok, who had been quietly observing the scene of the crime, turned his head when he noticed two detectives approaching him.
When their eyes met, Kyung-il Cho showed the other person the criminal ID he had taken out in advance.
“Are you Mr. Kang Jin-hyeok?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
When Kang Jin-hyeok faced the detective, his expression and tone naturally hardened.
I couldn’t stand to be proud because I felt like I had some responsibility for this incident.
Kyungyeon Cho thought that Jinhyeok Kang’s attitude was because he was scared because he had killed a person.
So I opened my mouth to try to reassure her.
“What you did was self-defense, so you don’t have to be so scared.”
“Self-defense…? Can you get away with killing someone so easily?”
Kang Jin-hyeok’s doubts were natural.
Even if he was a villain, the fact that he, who wasn’t even a police officer, killed him was no different from a personal punishment.
In principle, in order to be recognized as self-defense, a trial had to be held.
But this time, something like this was an exception.
“If you just keep quiet about one fact, we can end this without having to go to trial.”
“Is that true?”
“Of course. Because the hunters have clear evidence.”
“Clear evidence?”
Kang Jin-hyeok had no idea what the detective was talking about.
What is the evidence that is so clear that it doesn’t even need to go to trial?
Kyung-il Cho asked a question to Jin-hyeok Kang to resolve the doubt he had.
“Even though you killed a person, you weren’t called a ‘villain’?”
“Uh, how did you… … .”
“It’s an open secret on our side that actions taken in self-defense don’t earn you the title of villain.”
Kang Jin-hyeok looked surprised.
What I thought was a secret was actually widely known among detectives.
“Then is this really the truth that you want me to keep quiet about?”
“That’s right. It would really bother me if this fact became widely known.”
If you commit murder, you will definitely be given the title of ‘villain’.
This served as a chain to bind the hunters.
If only some hunters, who knew that self-defense wouldn’t work, would act like apostles of justice.
That’s when private sanctions will begin to take effect.
The government and the association wanted hunters to hunt only monsters.
I didn’t want any of the heroes that only appear in movies.
“okay…….”
Kang Jin-hyeok nodded in understanding after hearing the detailed explanation.
The goal of the association was stability.
When monsters first appeared and hunters showed up, how hard did the association try to control the hunters who were about to run wild?
As an association, we never want to experience that kind of chaos again.
Even if it is an act of good intention, the increasing number of people breaking the rules will only ultimately cause chaos.
“I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll never tell anyone else.”
“… … I would like to believe those words, but it is such an important matter.”
There is nothing more easily broken than a promise made only in words.
Kyung-il Cho handed Jin-hyeok a small brooch-shaped device as per procedure.
“Please carry this with you from now on.”
“What is this?”
“To put it bluntly, it’s a surveillance device. If you utter three taboo words, a signal will be sent to us.”
“Taboo word?”
“Yes. There are three: ‘murder,’ ‘villain,’ and ‘self-defense.’ If you don’t remember them well, you’ll often come across them.”
Kang Jin-hyeok received the device, but he had difficulty understanding the policy.
Even if you filter out words, it will end up being announced in writing anyway.
No matter how I think about it, the government’s efforts are just too sloppy.
“If I just get this, can I go home?”
I asked if there were any other devices, but the answer I got was positive.
“Of course. It must be a big shock for you, so I recommend that you rest comfortably for the time being.”
Kyungyeon Cho didn’t necessarily mention that the device had a function to filter handwriting.
Hunters usually let their guard down because they don’t think such a feature is technically possible.
If Kang Jin-hyeok keeps his secret without letting his guard down here, he will be considered a trustworthy person and the device will be recovered within a year.
If you try to inform them of this fact in writing, the surveillance level will increase further and your life will be restricted.
Kang Jin-hyeok had been vaguely aware that Jo Kyung-yeon had intentionally hidden these facts.
‘There’s no way the government and the association would do things this sloppily.’
They become sloppy when their opponents have a lot of money or connections.
They are the ones who are more meticulous and careful than anyone else when dealing with commoners like themselves. It was clear that it wouldn’t end with something like this.
‘I’ll have to ask the dwarf uncle to look after it later.’
Dwarves may be able to handle man-made objects, but for now, it’s a case of losing money.
“Before we go there, can I ask you one thing?”
“Of course. What are you curious about?”
“… … Is there any other phenomenon besides the fact that when a hunter commits murder in self-defense, he is not labeled a villain?”
“Why do you ask that question?”
“This is my first time experiencing something like this, so I’m just a little curious.”
Kyungyeon Jo instinctively realized that Jinhyuk Kang was hiding something.
But I didn’t ask about that.
Hunters always had a secret or two.
Kyung-yeon Cho decided to leave it at that because Jin-hyeok Kang did not seem like the type of person who would commit a crime.
“From what I’ve heard, there were no other phenomena.”
“Oh, okay. Thanks for letting me know.”
Kang Jin-hyeok bowed and greeted them, then hurriedly left the scene.
Kyung-il Cho’s junior looked at him with suspicion as he looked as if he was running away.
“Does that look like something?”
“Since even you see it that way, I’m sure it’s nothing serious.”
“… … Don’t you think my evaluation is a bit too harsh, Senior?”
“If you feel wronged, then try to build up some achievements. Don’t just keep making excuses.”
Now that the investigation into Kang Jin-hyeok was over, Kyung-il Cho headed to the scene to see for himself.
During the subsequent investigation, the junior kept talking nonsense, saying things like, “I smelled a crime,” and “Isn’t this actually a staged scene that he made up?”
Kyung-il Cho felt something toward Jin-hyeok Kang like a junior, but it was definitely not the smell of a crime.
From my experience, most hunters who reacted that way had one reason.
‘You must have acquired a hidden class or hidden skill.’
Kyung-il Cho kept his worries to himself because he knew that if he told this loose-lipped junior, he would start talking nonsense.
As expected.
The first thing Kang Jin-hyeok did when he returned home was to check the hidden classes and skills he had acquired.
