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Chapter 33 – Ill-Fated Relationship from a Past Life #4
Tae-hyuk was holding a piece of paper in his hand with information on SY Capital written on it.
"It is five million won per sheet…"
Tae-hyuk had asked Big Mama to find out information on SY Capital. Exactly one day later, he knew everything about them.
First of all, their outward appearance was of a prosperous company that was officially registered as a business. It was a place where blue-chip companies listened to advice about taxes. However, that was just its outward appearance.
Behind them was an organization of gangsters who did all types of dirty work. Illegal debt collection. Gambling. Drug sales. There were also rumours of long-term smuggling.
Tae-hyuk bit his lip.
There was a politician behind them so the police were unable to do anything. Tae-hyuk saw the name of the politician and laughed.
"It is literally an ill-fated relationship from a past life."
With his skills alone, he wouldn't be able to fight SY Capital. Therefore, he came up with an idea.
"If I can't fight with my skills that I have right now, then I need to learn new skills."
Tae-hyuk knew most of the mechanisms to learn skills. If the opponent had a crime skill, then he would learn it. Then, it had to be perfectly used against the original owner.
The title [God of Crime] gave him this ability. Until now, he had taken advantage of it after acquiring the skills. This time, however, he would be able to predict what type of skills he would get in advance.
Tae-hyuk's gaze was fixed at one point on the report. It was about an illegal casino secretly operated by SY Capital.
'One billion won a day. Isn't that quite big?'
There were five dishonest gamblers in charge of it. The main events were Go-Stop, Go, Seven Card Stud Poker, Texas Hold'em…
'The events mainly consists of playing cards.'
This casino was different from the other casinos that were more focused on oriental games, making it a well known casino for those visiting from Russia or North America. Thus, foreigners chose events where they knew the rules.
'There are kids who play internationally.'
The minimum bet amount was one million, and ff people kept raising that amount by several times, then tens of millions of won would appear on the table.
Tae-hyuk was a perfectly normal high school student who had never tried playing cards.
Gambling was something that he had done with his roommates in prison. The bets were special foods that came with that day's diet.
Tae-hyuk grinded his teeth together as he remembered that time.
"Those damn cheating scum…"
It was normal for a full house and a straight flush to come out often. Tae-hyuk only got two pairs, and was deceived every day. Later, he learned that they were the nation's top dishonest gamblers who used their skills to get things like chocolate and drinks. Those days had been full of suffering. But now he had the crime skills!
Tae-hyuk muttered quietly.
"Then this time, will I get the Gambling skill?"
The goal was set. Now it was time for the preparations.
Tae-hyuk sipped a lukewarm hot chocolate as he waited for someone in a cafe. It was late in the afternoon, so there were few people inside.
The door opened and middle-aged man in a trench coat entered. Tae-hyuk got up and waved his hand.
"Hello. Detective Park Jung-bae?"
Park Jung-bae was a man with an impressive beard.
"Uh, are you Seo Tae-hyuk?"
Park Jung-bae sat in front of Tae-hyuk and ordered a glass of cold water.
"I can't afford a cup of coffee that costs 5,000 won."
He said while wiping his face with a wet towel.
"Did you hear the story from Big Mama?"
"Ah, Mama? I heard it! So, what can I do to help?"
"I am thinking of eating up the gambling place operated by SY Capital, and I want Detective-nim to watch from the sidelines."
"Hahaha! Eat up SY? You don't seem to be a dishonest gambler."
"Just wait and see."
Park Jung-bae's eyes flashed. Every time he laughed, a strong smell flowed out from his mouth.
"You know that I have a line with SY Capital?"
"Of course."
Park Jung-bae was a corrupt police officer, and took care of several problems for criminal organizations in exchange for money.
He was the complete opposite of Kang-suk. If Tae-hyuk wanted to team up with the police, then he would work with Kang-suk. However, Kang-suk had been working overtime lately due to a recent case.
In the end, he was forced to find another police officer through Big Mama.
'Besides, I don't want Kang-suk hyung to commit a crime. It is better off like this.'
Kang-suk had to be Ha-ran and Tae-min's protector until the end.
Park Jung-bae drank the cold water and said.
"So how much money can you give me?"
"That…"
Park Jung-bae chuckled with a satisfied face at Tae-hyuk's answer.
"Kuahaha! Yes. You are a person being nurtured. That should be enough!"
"The operation is in three days at the SY casino."
It was the day of the fight.
After finishing all of their preparations, Seo Tae-hyuk and Park Jung-bae headed out to the casino operated by SY Capital.
'Oh, isn't this a hotel?'
Park Jung-bae brought Tae-hyuk to the upper lounge suite of a hotel.
This was the destination.
The following scene was the first image he thought of when he heard that it was an illegal casino. There were fluorescent lights, boxes filled with money, and even bottles rolling around on the ground. Opening the door caused cigarette smoke to billow out, revealing many men with scars across their faces.
In reality, however, it looked just like any other casino.
Tae-hyuk clicked his tongue.
'Isn't this a place where I should be wearing a suit?'
People in uniform were busy wandering around the corridor.
Tae-hyuk was wearing the leather jacket and skinny jeans that he purchased not long ago. He gave off the feeling of a bad youth.
"Here it is."
There was a large door guarded by two men in sunglasses.
Park Jung-bae coughed as he stood in front of the door.
The guards deeply bowed.
"Detective-nim, you came!"
"Shit, Don't call me detective here. Call me Hyung-nim."
"Yes, Hyung-nim!"
They knew Park Jung-bae, so they opened the door without any fuss.
They passed through the door to the illegal casino.
There were dozens of tables with dealers handing out cards. At first glance, there seemed to be over 50 people spending enormous amounts of money. There were piles of money in front of the people, the total amount that circulated throughout the building amounting to over one billion won.
It was gambling at a colossal scale. Nobody cared about the appearance of new people, as they were too busy concentrating on their own hands.
Tae-hyuk clicked his tongue.
How much of that money was used on bribes?
'A recipient of those bribes is right beside me.'
Park Jung-bae was one of the police officers who received bribes from SY.
Tae-hyuk saw a familiar face among the dealers.
'During the day, he does illegal collection. At night, he is a dealer in a casino. He jumps well between jobs.'
It was the person who intimidated Ha-ran.
Han Sang-won saw Park Jung-bae and came running over.
"Uh, Detective Park! I told you not to come here. It is like decreasing the price of baby formula! I said I would contact you through our phones."
The people nearby murmured the moment they heard the word 'detective.'
Han Sang-won exclaimed to them.
"Haha, don't worry. He is someone watching behind us."
Han Sang-won's words implied that the detective was a dog that he had raised himself. The people started to play the game again like they understood.
"Ah. Chief Han. You don't need to go to so much effort. Today I just came to play for a while."
"Haha! Detective is too big for this. It is like going to one of the 100 won Go-Stop places in the neighbourhood."
Park Jung-bae tapped the head of Tae-hyuk who was next to him.
"No, today he will be playing. I came to watch."
"Hrmm? No, you…"
Han Sang-won noticed the presence of an uninvited guest and looked at Tae-hyuk.
"Chief Han Sang-won. You are busy day and night."
"Ah! You! Haha! I don't know why you came here. Did you want to win a jackpot to pay off your debt?"
Tae-hyuk laughed and replied.
"I hope to give you that much."
Han Sang-won laughed at his words. Then he whispered in Tae-hyuk's ears.
"No. This isn't a playground for kids. If you want to find a place for one million~two million won then I will introduce you to some places. Well, you might end up stripped of your organs in the long term… When that happens, feel free to come to SY Capital. Didn't I give you my business card?"
Tae-hyuk quietly opened the box of vitamin drinks that he brought with him. It was filled with 50,000 won bills.
Han Sang-won laughed as he saw it.
"This! You came with some money? Yes. Then please, feel free to jump in."
Han Sang-won guided Tae-hyuk and Park Jung-bae to a table.
The dealer and a few guests were playing poker.
"Hey. Let him play. He is surprisingly rich."
"I understand, Hyung-nim!"
Tae-hyuk sat at the table and the dealer started to play the hand.
He took out a set of cards and shuffled them. At that moment, Tae-hyuk noticed that the dealer took something out.
'From the very beginning?'
The intent of his actions was clear.
It was to let Tae-hyuk win recklessly in the beginning. At first, even if a person got a good hand, they wouldn't raise such high stakes. That would only happen after winning a few times. After they upped the ante, the dealer would manipulate the draw to suck away all of their money. The evidence of this was that most of the tables were lamenting more than cheering with victory.
The odds were overwhelmingly high for the dealer's side. Many of them were professional scammers prepared by SY Capital.
Tae-hyuk realized that this was an illegal casino and was prepared to deal with the cheating dealers.
He received a notification of a new crime skill.
Brr!
'Good!'
[Crime Skill: Gambling has been learnt.]
-You will become a dishonest gambler.
Tae-hyuk was at a loss as he saw the words on the Demon Revealing Mirror.
'W-What? This description…'
The contents were simple and easy to understand.
The dealer said.
"Guest-nim. Do you know Seven Card Stud Poker?"
Seven Card Stud Poker was a type of card game played with seven cards.
First, he would receive three cards and would reveal one card. Every time he received an additional card, he would have to make a bet.
Basically, except for the first two cards and the last hidden one, all the cards would be revealed.
Due to this, it was a game filled with various bluffs and psychological warfare.
"Of course. I bought the book yesterday and studied hard."
"… Haha, yes."
The dealer and other guests laughed.
Well, he did have the face of a beginner.
But after a while, he became the king of this casino.
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Chapter 34 – Ill-Fated Relationship from a Past Life #5
"This is something like a talisman. Can I put it on the table?"
Tae-hyuk pulled out the Demon Revealing Mirror. Now he was ready to play this game.
"A mirror? No, it doesn't matter."
"Thank you."
Tae-hyuk checked his hand, revealing Two aces and a King.
'They gave me very good cards.'
It was the best beginning, but also the worst one. He now had to reveal one of the three cards that he received.
Seven Card Stud Poker was a game where he couldn't get a lot of money based on only good cards. Most of the cards were revealed. If an opponent's hand was overwhelmingly stronger than one's own hand, then a majority of players would forfeit early. Even if he completed the hand, he wouldn't be able to get anything out of it but the most basic of bets.
He had to win while raising the stakes as much as possible. That was the way to get a lot of money.
'If I reveal the King in this situation, then it is like I am telling them that I have a pair of Aces. However, it is even worse to reveal the Ace here.'
The dealer gave this type of hand to check for Tae-hyuk's ability. In this case, skilled card cheats would boldly reveal the Ace. Tae-hyuk didn't care about his poker face as he showed the King, receiving his next card.
Once again, it was a King. With the fourth card, his two pairs were completed.
The dealer said,
"Please make a bet."
"Wow, that is nice. Hehe… I will go half!"
That meant that he would bet half as much as the current bet on the table.
The total amount was huge. There were five bundles of one million won on the table. In the end, Tae-hyuk added another 2.5 million won. If they accepted, then the stakes would increase tremendously.
However, experienced gamblers could completely predict the hand of their opponent just by looking at the open cards and the bet.
"Aigoo. I am being killed from beginning to end, so I will just forfeit."
"I will also forfeit."
"Forfeit."
With the exception of the dealer, all of the other players forfeited. In that case, Tae-hyuk would only receive the basic betting amount, even if he got a good hand.
The dealer said,
"You have a good hand, congratulations. I am curious about the completion, so I will stay with you until the end. I will bet."
It was one of the boss' privileges to ignore half-bets and to only add the base amount of money.
"Give me the next card."
In the end, Tae-hyuk received an Ace and finished with a full house. Tae-hyuk won seven million won in an instant.
'There is a trick of losing money to the opponent, and then taking their entire fortune.'
Tae-hyuk had been watching the other players on the table as soon as the hand started.
'I thought they were just guests, but everyone here is a card cheat. I will receive a triple whammy. Are they trying to make me into a beggar? By the way, the Gambling skill…is amazing!'
The Gambling skill alone had no power, but if he activated the skill along with all his other skills, then he would be optimized for gambling.
He literally became a card cheat.
'I can see the opponent's hand with the Spying skill, draw my desired hand with the Robbery skill, and put on a professional poker face with the Voice Modulation skill. In addition, with the Forgery skill, I can manipulate the cards in my hand…'
It would literally be a strange situation if he lost. However, the opponents were also card cheats, and Tae-Hyuk didn't know the extent of their strengths. He had to remain vigilant.
Tae-hyuk laughed exaggeratedly.
"Ahaha! I was lucky."
The professional gamblers made dying sounds.
"Aigoo! You are too strong."
"I have to try not to lose all my money."
The card cheats were all acting in order to receive money from Tae-hyuk. However, they weren't the only predators here.
Tae-hyuk said,
"Shall we start the next hand?"
With the use of Voice Modulation, Tae-hyuk simulated the voice of an excited, young man.
The game began.
"Half. Is anybody else coming along?"
"Kuoong!"
Tae-hyuk dominated the next four hands at the table. Two full houses and one four of a kind. He also got a straight. The other players couldn't follow through to the end, and most of them had to forfeit.
One cheater signalled to the dealer.
-What?Wasn't he supposed to lose for the first time?
The dealer shook his head desperately, meaning that that he didn't do it. He hadn't subtracted any cards, so it was just pure luck that Tae-hyuk had completed a good hand.
Was it beginner's luck? If they lost any more money, then the situation might become irreversible.
The cheaters eventually decided to use their techniques.
-It can't be helped.Give him a bad hand!
The dealer nodded.
He gave Tae-hyuk a 2, 4 and a 5. Next up was a 6. The opponent would keep calling to the end, hoping for a last chance. In the end, he would become bankrupt due to the incomplete straight.
The cheaters doubled and half raised the ante. Tae-hyuk followed along faithfully.
Finally, the last hidden card remained, with the pot closing up to 100 million. It was impossible to know if Tae-hyuk had completed the straight or not.
A cheater said,
"Hyung, should we eat from the same table as someone who is trying for a straight?"
"Hrmm. I'm sure I didn't complete the straight. Either way, I will call."
"T-This bastard…"
A curse emerged from the mouth of a cheater.
Tae-hyuk bluffed against himself. If it wasn't for the dealer, then the cheaters might have been deceived by his acting. However, all of the cheaters knew Tae-hyuk's hand. In the end, the straight wasn't completed.
There wouldn't even be a single pair, resulting in a garbage hand.
"I also call. Shall I now hand out the hidden card?"
The dealer handed each of the players a card. In the end, Tae-hyuk didn't forfeit.
The cheaters smiled with satisfaction. The three of them had joined together to trick the beginner. In the end, he would open the hidden card, and realize that his choices were wrong. He would fall into the swamp of despair.
The dealer said,
"Then everyone is waiting for their hidden."
One card from above. One card from above. And another from the bottom. The one card from the top again.
The dealer knew the order of all the cards in his deck, and could freely draw out the desired hand. He could give the opponent the hand he wanted. He wore a uniform, but the dealer was a skilled card cheat.
Each player checked their hidden card.
"Please disclose your hands."
The dealer declared. The players would declare their hand in turn.
One cheater scratched the back of his head and said,
"Ace two pair."
The one sitting in front of him touched his chin and revealed his hand.
"This guy. Aren't you unlucky today? I have a triple 3."
The last cheater shook his head.
"Tsk tsk. It seems like I have won. Straight 7's."
Then he moved to grab the money piled on the table.
Seo Tae-hyuk watched the cheaters with an emotionless face and opened his mouth.
"Wait a moment. You still haven't checked my hand."
The card cheats looked at Tae-hyuk with absurd expressions.
"Haha, I see. Sorry, Yes. Did you complete the straight?"
Their expressions indicated that it was absolutely impossible.
"I'm sorry about this. No matter what is publicly disclosed, it is impossible to do a straight 6."
"However, there is still a chance that my hand is a flush."
Certainly. Two of the four patterns were the same. If the three hidden cards had the same pattern, then it would be a flush.
"Hahaha! I'm sorry."
Then the dealer, who had been watching quietly, moved. He showed his hand to everyone.
"A flush of Aces."
Then cheaters started moaning.
"Kuk! Dealer-nim. This NPC is too strong! In this present situation, that hand is a foul!"
The dealer scratched his head with a sorry expression.
"I'm sorry. I was lucky."
He was smiling but his eyes were cold. With this, the newcomer would completely lose all of his money. He just needed to lose one or two more times, and he would be completely broke.
"Isn't gambling really fun?"
"Huh?"
For a moment, the people gathered at the table thought that they didn't hear Tae-hyuk's words properly.
Wasn't this a situation where all of his money was flying away?
"Sometimes this happens."
Tae-hyuk slowly revealed his hand. The cheaters who saw it sat down.
The dealers shrieked.
"T-that is ridiculous! How is your hidden card a 3?! I never…!"
Obviously, he had given Tae-hyuk the wrong hand. However, Seo Tae-hyuk had a 3 as his hidden card, and completed the straight 6.
The cheater who finished with the straight 7 shouted.
"T-That doesn't beat my straight! But, what is that expression?"
"Everyone is mistaken. My hand isn't a straight."
At that moment, Tae-hyuk's atmosphere changed. The mask he was using was broken, and the wicked smile of a cheater appeared.
"The straight is a hand that can evolve one step further. Now, take a closer look at my hand."
"Aaaaah!"
They hadn't cared about the pattern of the cards because they were worried about the completion of the straight.
The 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 straight cards all had the same pattern. Straight flush!
It broke through the odds of 1/649,740, and had appeared before them.
Tae-hyuk said quietly.
"However, why did you say that it was impossible for a 3 to come out? Do you have a hand injury?"
'I know what you are doing. but it couldn't stop me.'
Tae-hyuk seemed to be saying to the cheaters.
"This bastard… You are also a card cheat!"
They realized it. The person in front of them wasn't an easy mark. He was a card cheat like themselves. A monster with tremendous skill.
"But I think the Tee is a little old. There are marks all over it. There should be a duplicate Tee. Shall we use it?" (Tee= not sure but it seems to be a machine or holder that holds the cards.)
"Ugh. This bastard…"
Tee allowed them to remove a card from the deck. The one on the table was a specially made product. Without this, the dealer couldn't draw out his desired hand. If he rejected Tae-hyuk's request here, then it would be the same as confessing that he was a cheater.
In the end, the Tee was replaced and a new game started.
"I will make you lose."
The dealer lost the previous battle. The other cheaters started fighting Tae-hyuk with their own techniques in order to defend their final pride.
After exactly five games, they lost their money. Tae-hyuk's money had tripled in an instant.
His total cash stack amounted to 150 million, something he achieved in only two hours.Han Sang-won said,
"Hrmm. Everything was taken?"
Tae-hyuk wasn't playing against ordinary guests, and instead was playing against card cheats hired by SY Capital. If they lost money, then it would become SY's mistake.
Han Sang-won laughed.
He looked at the dealer kowtowing to him with a cold expression Hang Sang-won took off his suit jacket.
"I'm sorry. I thought he was a sucker… He was a card cheat hiding tremendous skills."
"Well, that might be the case. But you should be prepared to lose one finger."
"P-Please, just…"
Han Sang-won took out a phone from his pocket and started dialing a number.
"… It's me. Call Kim Shin-hyeong. I have a direct opponent for him."
Kim Shin-hyeong was the best card cheat that SY had.
He hung up after 10 minutes.
Han Sang-won wiped the bloody knife with a handkerchief. He opened the door to greet Kim Shin-hyeong.
"You wouldn't call me for an ordinary person. Who is it?"
"Seo Tae-hyuk."
"It is the first time I've heard that name. Is he a card cheat active abroad?"
"No, he's a high school student."
"Huh?"
Han Sang-won walked out with Kim Shin-hyeong, stepping around the dealer holding his bloody hand.
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Chapter 35 – Ill-Fated Relationship from a Past Life #6
Tae-hyuk looked down at the vitamin boxes, which had increased to a total of three boxes. The money that he first brought into the casino was 30 million won, the total amount of money that he had saved up. The total had now increased by five times.
The dealer and the players that he was playing with disappeared after someone called them away.
'SY lost a lot of money, so it isn't over yet.'
Han Sang-won's ability was being able to stretch out the profits. For example, he had led Tae-hyuk to a table with four card cheats, who had been waiting for the appropriate target to appear. If there was a mixture of regular guests, then there wouldn't be a large amount of profit. He was able to perfectly deceive them because they were card cheats.
A bellboy pushing a drinks cart passed by Tae-hyuk.
"Can I have a drink?"
"Of course, Guest-nim."
As the lounge of a luxury hotel, it offered free drinks. There was whiskey with ice in it, cocktails made with sweet fruity liqueur, and Vodka with kahlua.
They were easy and quick drinks. Drinking two glasses would make a person's self-control go away.
Tae-hyuk picked a cherry cocktail without any alcohol in it. He sipped it while watching the other tables before someone walked up behind him.
"Guest-nim, you are better than I thought."
"Ah, if it isn't Han Sang-won. However, where did the people playing the game go? I wanted to play for longer."
Han Sang-won smiled but his fingers were trembling.
"Everybody is busy. Um, I want to introduce you to another table. I don't think there are any more empty seats. If you don't mind, I have made a special place for you. How about it?"
"I don't care who they are today. It doesn't matter."
Han Sang-won asked me again to confirm.
"Where is Detective Park?"
"Well, he became very drunk so I told him to go and rest."
"Is that so? Then let's go."
Tae-hyuk didn't miss Han Sang-won's mouth going up.
'The protector is gone, so he can act as he like. But is that really the case?'
Han Sang-won led Tae-hyuk to the manager's room.
There was a dealer with a bandage around his arm and a man with sharp eyes waiting for him.
"Guest-nim. This is Kim Shin-hyeong. He is someone with some knowledge about how to play poker. I think it will be a good game."
"Han Sang-won, is this your idea? A one-on-one game is no fun unless the stakes are higher."
"… Haha. Don't worry. I will raise the basic bet to three million. Are you satisfied with that?"
It meant that he had no intention of drawing this out for a long time. In fact, Tae-hyuk was the same.
"The more the merrier."
Han Sang-won gritted his teeth at Tae-hyuk's appearance. He was a man who started at the bottom, and rose through the ranks to the position of manager of the branch office.
However, it was the first time he met a type like Seo Tae-hyuk. At first, he thought it was due to Park Jung-bae. However, that attitude didn't change, even after he had disappeared. What caused such self confidence?
This was their territory. The opponent hadn't realized that he walked into the mouth of a lion. If he just used a little strength, then he could kill this wannabe brat.
Han Sang-won trembled with a strange joy at the thought.
"Then let's get started right away. It seems like the dealer isn't feeling well, so I will deal the hands."
Tae-hyuk greeted Kim Shin-hyeong, who he would be playing a big game with from now on.
"Please take care of me, Ajusshi."
"Play well, child."
Kim Shin-hyeong's eyes were different from the other card cheats that Tae-hyuk had met so far. He seemed to relax after seeing Tae-hyuk's appearance.
'He has the eyes of a lion about to catch a rabbit.'
Tae-hyuk licked his lips.
Until now, it was just a simple massacre.
The game right now could be called the beginning of the fight.
The Seven Card Stud Poker game progressed quickly until the third hand. Tae-hyuk smoothly received the cards.
He had three cards in his hand, a pair of 7s and one Ace. In this situation, it was natural to open with the Ace and hide the pair. However he didn't do just that. On the next turn, if he got an Ace and got two pairs, then it would be difficult to raise the pot. Tae-hyuk didn't hesitate to reveal one of the 7s.
His eyes drifted over to Kim Shin-hyeong's hands. The latter had revealed a 2 earlier than Tae-hyuk, so it was likely that he was in the same situation as Tae-hyuk. He was probably holding either an Ace, King, or Queen in his hand, and had only revealed one of the pair of 2s. Tae-hyuk guessed that he was probably aiming for a higher two pair.
Even so, it was too early in the hand to confidently say so. It was almost at the same time that he received the cards. No matter how skilled a card cheat Kim Shin-hyeong was, it wasn't a judgment that could be made quickly.
Did he have a triple 2? Or, he might be making a bluff.
Tae-hyuk frowned. The opening hand alone could cause a psychological warfare. This was what the top-ranking professional gamblers were all about.
'Can I accept it as an acknowledgment of my abilities? Then, I am sorry, as I can see all of his cards.'
Tae-hyuk manipulated the Demon Revealing Mirror and used the 'Spying' skill. The cards that Kim Shin-hyeong currently had appeared on the mirror.
'It is also a pair of 2s.'
The hand wasn't that special, so he was probably trying to make it seem like a triple. Kim Shin-hyeong must have skills if Han Sang-won was so confident in bringing him to the table. Then Kim Shin-hyeong drew two successive 2s and took the victory.
Tae-hyuk's first defeat.
Color started to return to Han Sang-won's face. Tae-hyuk wasn't as good as he thought. Just as he was thinking this,
"Let's start the next hand."
After that, Tae-hyuk kept on forfeiting. That's how overwhelming Kim Shin-hyeong's hands were. It was like his clothes were becoming wet with rain.
In no time, 50 million won of Tae-hyuk's money had disappeared. The power of the default three million won bet was bigger than he thought.
Han Sang-won's expression kept getting brighter and brighter. Now, the only thing left was to take away everything Tae-hyuk had left.
He quietly issued new instructions to Kim Shin-hyeong.
Tae-hyuk looked at the cards in his hand. A triple Ace had come on the fourth turn.
Compared to that, Kim Shin-hyeong just had random cards. It seemed like the best he could get was a pair.
'It is a trick to make me think that I have good luck.'
Tae-hyuk grasped Han Sang-won's plan at a glance. This could determine victory. Tae-hyuk couldn't avoid the game.
"I will go half."
"Uh huh. This kid is good. Still, I'm pretty tough. I will take it on. Call."
The stakes on the table had become 30 million won.
On the sixth card, Tae-hyuk received another Ace and completed the four of a kind. Tae-hyuk had two Aces in front of him. It was a hand that he could bet all of his possessions on.
Kim Shin-hyeong had a 3, 10 and 4 exposed. Because the pattern of the 3 and 4 were the same, there was the possibility of a straight flush. However, for that to happen, all his hidden cards had to be a hit.
The probably was like winning the lotto. In a situation where only the last hidden card remained, Tae-hyuk confirmed his hand through Spying.
'The 5 and 6 of spades… It is also a straight flush.'
However, the hidden card had to be a 2 or 7 of spades.
Kim Shin-hyeong said.
"In fact, I still haven't completed my hand. Based on the showing cards though, you should have at least a triple. I will bet everything on the last hidden card and declare all-in."
He declared all-in before receiving the hidden card. If Tae-hyuk accepted it, then the two people's hands would be revealed and the hidden cards drawn.
Tae-hyuk bet 150 million won. With the 150 million won that Han Sang-won had prepared, the pot added up to a total of 300 million won. If he died here, then he would lose 30 million won. However, if he accepted then he would win 300 million won and would be a big winner.
Obviously, Tae-hyuk was in a favourable situation. Tae-hyuk already had four of a kind. On the other hand, Kim Shin-hyeong had to draw one of two cards to complete his hand.
Tae-hyuk immediately answered like it was a no-brainer.
"Call."
"Hahahaha! Your face hasn't changed despite possibly winning 300 million. It really is amazing. You have guts. I will pull out the last hidden card."
Tae-hyuk said.
"Wait a minute. I don't know what type of trick you might use, so put the card on the table. I will check the card first."
Kim Shin-hyeong declared.
"It doesn't matter."
Han Sang-won chuckled from where he was watching.
"Hahaha! Guest-nim! Surely you don't think there will be a trick at the end? I heard that Guest-nim also enjoys tricks. Won't you win even if you don't use it? Uhahahahaha! Let's see what will happen!"
In the end, their two hands were revealed. Kim Shin-hyeong had an unfinished hand, and needed to pull out a 2 or 7 of spades. Meanwhile, Tae-hyuk already had the Ace card that completed his hand.
Tae-hyuk pulled a card to stop any cheating and laid it out on the table. Kim Shin-hyeong then pulled out the next one on top and turned it over.
It was a 7 of spades! Kim Shin-hyeong completed the straight flush.
Han Sang-won started to laugh as he saw it.
"Bravo! As expected of Kim Shin-hyeong! Truly great to watch! Guest-nim, I'm truly sorry. This game seems to be our victory!"
Han Sang-won tried to gather the 300 million won that was piled on the table.
However, Tae-hyuk reached out and obstructed his actions.
"What? It's surely over. What is this? Do you want to do this? Try it, you fucker!"
"No. I haven't drawn my hidden card yet. The game isn't over."
"Kuhahahaha! What is this? Guest-nim! Your hand is a four of a kind! Four, of, a, kind! It has already been completed! Are you trying to draw a card to make a royal straight flush or something?"
"That still remains to be seen, so I'll pull a card anyway."
"Just try it! Even you can't win, unless you are a god!"
Tae-hyuk said.
"A god. The god of gambling. I have something similar. Then I will choose my hidden card."
Tae-hyuk pulled out a card and turned it over.
Then, he said.
"That reminds me, poker only uses 52 out of the 54 cards right? The two remaining ones are pitiful, so I mixed them in."
He pulled out a card from his sleeve.Tae-hyuk had chosen the joker card. It was a card with the potential to be anything.
"I will turn the joker into an ace. My hand will now have five aces, becoming the strongest hand. I think it is my victory."
"T-This bastard! Playing a prank…!"
Han Sang-won cried out with agitation.
"Don't think you can play around like this! Everybody, come in and pull out this crazy brat!"
Tae-hyuk shrugged.
Then he said.
"In fact, I already knew. It wouldn't even matter if I won 300 million, or even three billion. Han Sang-won wouldn't ever give me that money."
"Of course! You are crazy if you think I will give money to you! Fuck. Do you have eyes? Are you looking down on me? I will throw you into the ocean today. Shit! What are they doing? Come in and drag this kid out!"
However, no one replied to his calls.
"There is one thing. I definitely came with Detective Park Jung-bae, but what is he doing right now?"
"… He went to rest after becoming drunk… Wait a minute. Perhaps…!"
Tae-hyuk laughed.
"You were so focused on the game that you didn't even hear the fuss outside.""It seems that I should be the one say checkmate."
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Chapter 36 – Ill-Fated Relationship from a Past Life #7
Park Jung-bae did better than Tae-hyuk initially thought.
Tae-hyuk's purpose wasn't simply to win a large sum from gambling. Even if he won now, the threat of a predator wouldn't disappear, as long as SY existed. SY might strike again to take away something else that was precious.
In the end, he had to win the war, and not just the battle. To get rid of the predator, it was necessary to pull out its teeth and claws in order to weaken them. In the case of SY, their money represented those teeth and those claws.
'Destroy the illegal casino system itself.'
According to Big Mama's information, most of SY's operating funds were supplied from this casino. If it disappeared, then the organization would naturally die out in suit. It was the best way to get rid of the ghost from a previous life.
In order to do that, Park Jung-bae's cooperation was essential. Tae-hyuk had promised him 50% of the profits earned from today's events.
Han Sang-won murmured in a trembling voice.
"W-What is going on…?"
As if to answer his question, the door to the manager's room opened. A person in a suit burst in and shouted in an urgent voice.
"S-S-Sang-won hyung-nim. I-It is serious!"
"I told you to call me chief! Where is that bastard Park Jung-bae?"
"T-that…"
"What about it?"
"Hyung-nim should run away! The police are out there!"
Han Sang-won's face distorted in an instant.
"Son of a bitch! How much have I paid him in the up to now…?!"
Tae-hyuk started to take the money piled up on the table while Han Sang-won was distracted by the sudden appearance of the police.
It was 300 million in total. It was already lucky that he previously gained 50 million won. If not, he would have needed to mobilize 007 bags to move it.
He started out with 30 million won, and it had literally multiplied by around 10 times its original amount.
'The professional gambler fled, and has probably been arrested by the police officers guarding the exit.'
Kim Shin-hyeong could no longer be seen. His wits were incredible, since he gambled for a living.
"Seo, Tae, Hyuk!"
Han Sang-won glared at Tae-hyuk.
Tae-hyuk replied with a sudden expression of remorse.
"Ah, Chief. Doesn't Noona still owe you 250 million won?"
Tae-hyuk extended the money to Han Sang-won. Once the police came in, the money would be no different from toilet paper. He acted like this while knowing that fact.
"Kuock! T-This bastard!"
Han Sang-won couldn't resist the urge and pulled out a knife.
"Don't you have to run away? Kim Shin-hyeong has already escaped. Meanwhile, the police encirclement is narrowing."
The manager's room had a back door. Tae-hyuk thought it would be best for Han Sang-won to run away there.
Park Jung-bae, who was armed, would soon come here to receive the money that could be called the profits of this case. Before that happened, it would be more than easy for Han Sang-won to disappear.
However, more than three minutes had already passed by.
'This bad detective…! He is completely late!'
Thus, Tae-hyuk had to deal with Han Sang-won alone.
"Fuck. I'll kill you now, even if it means getting caught!"
Tae-hyuk felt sweat flowing down his back.
'I-Isn't this a dangerous situation…?'
There were loud sounds coming from outside the door. The guests who came to the casino had become mixed up in this mess.
At that moment, something unexpected happened.
[Crime Skill: Violence has been learnt.]
-Can use iron pipes.
Tae-hyuk stared at the Demon Revealing Mirror with an absurd expression.
'It is good that I received a new skill. What? Can use iron pipes?'
That was the end of it.
'If I have the Violence skill, then shouldn't I be able to win in a 17:1 fight? But what is this?!'
Despite how he felt, Tae-hyuk tried to use the skill. Then, as if it had always been there, an iron pipe appeared out of thin air. He caught it, since there were additional capabilities.
'The cold feeling in my hand. I can only wield it in moderation. This really is the end for me!'
Unlike his bad appearance, Tae-hyuk was a 'model student' who had never been in a fight before. Even if he had the iron pipe, he wouldn't be able to win in a fight against Han Sang-won, who was a gangster.
'Ah, I don't know! It is better than nothing!'
The agitated Han Sang-won rushed towards him and swung his knife towards Tae-hyuk's arm to try and cut a wrist artery. Tae-hyuk aimed the iron pipe towards Han Sang-won's head.
Kang!
There was a loud thud and the opponent's body shook.
'Uh, isn't this better than I thought?'
Tae-hyuk had never seen a fight between criminals. All he could remember from the movies were the protagonists attacking the enemies.
Even so, he was able to deal an intense blow to Han Sang-won's head. The iron pipe, summoned by the Violence skill, moved as it if was part of his body.
[With the effect of your stamina, you can deal stronger blows.]
[Agility will allow you to move more swiftly.]
'Wah, my stats are applied!'
Tae-hyuk was filled with admiration. Violence was a simple skill that allowed him to summon an iron pipe. But when he held it in his hands, his stamina and agility stats were reflected within, and he could make stronger and more agile movements.
While Han Sang-won was the master of the back alley fights, Tae-hyuk was unlikely to lose this one.
"This bitch!"
After being hit by the iron pipe, Han Sang-won ran aggressively towards Tae-hyuk.
Tae-hyuk stepped forward and calmlyswung the pipe towards the hand holding the knife.
Bam!
"Kuaaaak!"
Han Sang-won screamed and dropped the knife he was holding. Tae-hyuk confirmed it with the Demon Revealing Mirror. With the previous blow, he had completely learned the crime skill. It was the first time that he had received two skills from one incident.
"D, i, e! This bastard!"
Han Sang-won roared and ran to the table in the corner of the manager's room. He pulled out a pistol from the drawer, aiming it at Tae-hyuk.
'Crazy, this isn't America where guns are everywhere, you know?'
Tae-hyuk gave more strength to the hand holding the iron pipe. How could he fight against an enemy with a gun, instead of a knife?
At that moment, the reinforcement that he had been waiting for arrived.
"Chief Han. You keep acting poorly until the end. You lost."
Clink.
Park Jung-bae entered the room, pulled out a gun and aimed it at Han Sang-won's head.
"Detective, Park! This bastard dared betray me!"
"This… Don't misunderstand me, as we weren't on the same side in the first place."
"Have you forgotten that there is somebody behind this organization?"
Park Jung-bae laughed.
"I know. That person is politician Park Jung-hwan, who, for reference, was caught in a political scandal last month, and is now confined in a halfway house."
"Kuock!"
Han Sang-won grit his teeth.
Park Jung-bae knew everything, so his bluff wouldn't work. SY was an organization raised on the back of a politician, which was why the police weren't able to handle them properly. They pretended not to see the many criminal actions, but now it was different.
"It looks like you are saving money in order to make connections with other politicians. However, that is the wrong move. A few days ago, the name of SY emerged from Park Jung-hwan's mouth. You are now a walking bomb.""There is no one who will carry that bomb. It is the end of SY."
Han Sang-won lost his spirit and sat down.
Tae-hyuk, who had been watching the conversation between the two people, opened his mouth.
"Detective Park, you are completely late."
Park Jung-bae spoke while handcuffing Han Sang-won.
"I forgot to say the Miranda Rights because I was too busy talking. Chief Han, you heard it roughly."Saliva emerged from Han Sang-won's mouth.
"Things became a mess."
Park Jung-bae placed Han Sang-won in a corner and turned his attention to Tae-hyuk. He came here alone because there was something he wanted.
"By the way, why was he pointing a gun at you? Even if he is a criminal, isn't that overkill?"
"Does a corrupt cop care about that?"
"Ahaha…"
"Then, let's split the revenue."
Tae-hyuk showed Park Jung-bae the vitamin drink boxes containing money. There were four boxes with 50 million won each.
"Well, that is 200 million, and will be divided 5:5 per the contract. 100 million each."
Park Jung-bae received two vitamin boxes from Tae-hyuk. He checked the contents and made a satisfied expression.
He had completely swept up the bad guys, and had also got some extra income doing so. It was a rewarding day.
"It is surprising that Mama knows someone like you. I confess that I did some investigation, since it was a proposal from a kid."
"So it is like that. Well, it doesn't matter."
"You were the one who uncovered the crimes of Park Jung-hwan's son. Additionally, on the same day, Park Jung-hwan's wrongdoings were uncovered. Don't you think this is a strange coincidence?"
Tae-hyuk laughed.
Park Jung-bae was more competent than he initially thought. However, he wouldn't discover the truth of this case.
"Well, maybe we had a relationship in a past life."
"A relationship?"
"Probably an ill-fated one."
"Haha! An ill-fated relationship from a past life. Anyways, if you have another job similar to this one, then contact me again. I'll be waiting."
Then there was a signal from Park Jung-bae's walkie-talkie.
–Detective Park.The situation is ending.
"Yes. I am coming now."
Park Jung-bae pointed to the back door of the manager's room.
"Go out that way. I'll instruct them to release the net for a moment."
"Thank you. Then…"
Corrupt policeman Park Jung-bae.
Tae-hyuk left the casino, Park Jung-bae gazing after him.Tae-hyuk sighed with relief as he sat down on his bed.
The long day had ended.
"Detective Park. I'm sorry, but didn't you know about this?"
Tae-hyuk took off his clothes, revealing the wads of cash taped underneath. Today, he had earned a total of 100 million from SY Capital.
"It is too big of an investment to only regain half."
Ha-ran had 50 million stolen from her. He spent almost 20 million on the information. In addition, 30 million out of the 300 million was originally his. No matter how he thought about it, earning 100 million was a deficit.
'It was the right answer to hid some money in advance.'
In a situation where guns were pointed at each other, one mistake could cost a person their lives. In the midst of all that, Tae-hyuk had been concealing the money.
"In the end, I received 200 million?"
Tae-hyuk laughed.
Not long ago, he had been working as a delivery man at a Chinese restaurant for 10,000 won. Now, he had just earned 200 million in one night.
It felt strange.
However, he had promised to take back 10 times the lost money. It was a bit lacking.
"There are still gifts left. This time, please be satisfied."
Tae-hyuk whispered into Ha-ran's ears, who had fallen asleep waiting for him.
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Chapter 37 – Aid
"I'm really sorry… I should have been paying more attention."
Cho Kang-suk bowed from where he was sitting at the kitchen table, a heartfelt expression of regret on his face. Although Kang-suk had the face of a friendly neighbourhood hyung, he was actually a homicide detective.
He had been too busy these past three weeks. He only said that he had a case, and that he hadn't been able to catch the culprit yet.
Tae-hyuk put the cutlery down in front of Kang-suk and said.
"Hyung doesn't need to be sorry, because I know that you are busy with work."
"Still! Hu… No. I couldn't receive phone calls properly because I was in meetings every single day. I'll kill him."
Kang-suk became aware of the events that happened to Tae-hyuk and Ha-ran after everything was resolved. He truly seemed to be suffering at the fact that he was no help.
Kang-suk turned and looked at Ha-ran's back who was cooking food in the kitchen.
"… Ha-ran said that she wanted to go back to university."
"Yes."
"If I knew this, then I wouldn't have donated all of my monetary rewards."
Tae-hyuk laughed.
He felt like he was looking at a puppy that wanted to help its owner.
"Why don't you confess? I'll help you."
"W-What does that mean?! How could I say that to Ha-ran!"
"Hyung likes Noona, it's written all over your face."
Kang-suk's face turned beet red. The hulking bear easily became a simpleton.
"T-T-That isn't it! I have decided to first start as friends!"
"F-Friends? What is Hyung doing?!"
It was easy for even Tae-hyuk, who had no experience in dating, to know that Kang-suk was taking the wrong approach with Ha-ran.
"Anyways, have you been studying well?"
"Wow, what a change in subject!"
Tae-hyuk realized something after the Rosario theft and the SY Capital incidents. He couldn't take care of Ha-ran and Tae-min alone.
'In addition, I will have to start fighting the blacklist members in earnest.'
Kang-suk was a protector, who he could ask for help when things got dangerous.
Tae-hyuk believed that was enough, but it turned out that wasn't the case.
Therefore, Tae-hyuk prepared a big plan to change the future, which was to decrease the gap between Kang-suk and Ha-ran. He could trust Kang-suk with Ha-ran. At the very least, he was a man who would shed his own blood before making a woman cry.
'Besides, he likes Noona.'
Even Tae-hyuk could tell that his sister was nice and pretty, so it wasn't unusual for Kang-suk to fall for her.
'Hum hum. Will he actually become my hyung?'
According to Tae-hyuk's memories, Kang-suk was an old bachelor in his 40s. Kang-suk wasn't a popular type among women. In addition, he spent most of his youth running around, catching criminals. In the end, he attended a matchmaker to find a marriage partner; however, his dates would run away upon seeing Kang-suk. A big bear sitting down in a suit. It was quite a shocking sight. Kang-suk started to say that he was married to crime. In the end, he abandoned dating.
'Hyung is charming when he laughs…'
Tae-hyuk lowered his voice to avoid Ha-ran hearing and said.
"Kang-suk hyung. This is a gift."
Tae-hyuk handed him an envelope with a smirk.
"Eh? Are these planetarium admission tickets?"
"Go with Noona when you have some time on the weekend, she likes to see the stars. Say it is between friends. Can't you go and play with that?"
Kang-suk coughed unnecessarily loudly.
"Cough. I appreciate it. I have work this weekend though…"
"Then go next week! These tickets last for a month anyways.'
"I'm sorry, but my weekends won't be free until this incident is over! Sob… I like the stars as well."
Kang-suk lowered his head.
Tae-hyuk felt a strange protective instinct emerge as he saw the hulking bear with a dispirited expression.
'While Hyung looks after Noona… I feel a strange maternal instinct!"
Tae-hyuk knew the truth about the two people.
Ha-ran would be entering a dormitory cram school next month. Prior to that, Tae-hyuk wanted for her to go on at least two or three dates with Kang-suk.
'In order for that to happen, I need to solve Hyung's murder case.'
Kang-suk had been working seven days a week recently. Even if he wanted to get closer to Ha-ran, there was just no time to.
Tae-hyuk asked in a small voice.
"By the way, Hyung. What case is it now?"
"Well, I'm sorry but I can't say. Now that the mass media has caught wind of it, special instructions have come down."
"Special instructions?"
Kang-suk mimed zipping his mouth closed.
Tae-hyuk found out a few facts from Kang-suk's words.
First of all, there were at least two possible incidents if it needed to be kept secret.
The media was more likely to make a fuss about a serial murder case. Or, if they didn't want the media knowing, then it might be a terrorist attack that would cause a huge blow to the economy.
Obviously, Kang-suk was responsible for one of two things.
Cho Kang-suk said.
"Anyway, let's eat."
In front of the two people, there was the delicious smell of cooked mackerel."I have to do this for Kang-suk."
Tae-hyuk grumbled as he used the 'Violence' skill on the roof of a house.
In order for Kang-suk and Ha-ran to go on a date, Kang-suk's serial killer case had to be resolved. He wouldn't have any time to spare before it was resolved. Tae-hyuk was going to use his crime skills to help Kang-suk.
In the end, Kang-suk's job would be to take care of Ha-ran.
"First of all, let's check the performance of this skill."
The previous criminals that he met until now hadn't been all that dangerous. He had to figure out exactly what he could do. Cho Kang-suk, a homicide detective, had been struggling for a few weeks, so it obviously wasn't an ordinary criminal.
"Maybe it is one of the blacklist members."
Tae-hyuk organized the list of criminals that he had written down. He memorized the dangerous criminals' names, what they were doing, and how they got caught.
It was all listed in the blacklist.
"Hrmm… So far, I've met five?"
But one day, he would meet all of them. Tae-hyuk was sure of it.
He had met Yoo Cheol-ho on the day he received the future memories. Tae-hyuk had then helped put him in prison. Less than three weeks later, he got involved in the incident with Park Jung-hwan's son, Park Sung-kwang. Not long after that, he met the thief Moonlight Flower and Big Mama.
They were all criminals that Tae-hyuk remembered. Wasn't this too much to be dismissed as a coincidence? It seemed like they were pulling him towards them.
"Either way, this criminal isn't a joke. Who is it?"
The prosecutors wouldn't be so desperate to conceal it if he wasn't a cruel person.
Anyway, Tae-hyuk felt confident now that he had acquired the Violence skill. Unlike in the past, he could now physically overpower the opponent. It gave him a strange confidence.
Tae-hyuk grabbed the iron pipe created by the Violence skill. It allowed him to use his strength and agility.
Tae-hyuk wielded the iron pipe on the roof to rest how strong he was.
"Certainly, my body moves well, but I still don't think it is enough to fight 17:1."
Tae-hyuk was obsessed with the number 17:1. Among Tae-hyuk's current stats, the lowest one was agility at 24 points.
Therefore, the movement of the iron pipe didn't appeal to his spirit. If he could attack a little quicker…
"Anyhow, I can summon an iron pipe any time I like. Isn't this surprisingly usable?"
The pipe was dented, and there was a handprint on it. At first, he was worried that moving it incorrectly would cause the pipe to bend. However, testing showed that it was very hard. It didn't get any scratches, even when he pit all his weight into it. He would be able to use it as support in emergency situations.
Tae-hyuk put the iron pipe on his shoulder and pulled out the smartphone in his pocket. It was a phone that he had newly acquired after the last incident.
"The time for restoring is almost over."
He checked and there were still a few minutes remaining.
The smartphone used by Kang-suk stored most of the data on its own server. If he had the ID and password then he could download it to his own smartphone. He could see everything from the contacts to the messages Kang-suk sent.
Tae-hyuk asked Kang-suk for help with purchasing a new phone.
In the meantime, he had been using Ha-ran's old folder phone. In other words, it was a natural monument compared to the advanced technology of the smartphone.
Kang-suk made an enlightened expression, like an American missionary visiting Korea, and started his lecture. In the meantime, Tae-hyuk grabbed Kang-suk's smartphone and obtained the ID and password. It was that simple to obtain Kang-suk's personal information.
"I'd like to see some information about the investigation. Please don't let me get nudes by mistake."
First, he decided to be satisfied with this much. After a few moments, the restoration of the phone was completed perfectly. A smartphone with the same information as Kang-suk's was born.
"Then shall I check his messages?"
Tae-hyuk skillfully navigated the touch screen to check the messages and mailbox.
"Wah. I feel nervous when there are no apps. By the way, he hasn't linked his mail account yet? He uses a smartphone like an old phone."
Tae-hyuk clicked his tongue. Kang-suk acted like a primitive person. But Kang-suk was like a caveman.
Kang-suk only used three things on his smartphone.
Telephone calls. Text messages. And the map.
Anyway, he was able to get a clue about this case. Then he muttered with a blank expression.
"Wait a minute. Is Hyung part of this bastard's case?"
He was one of the five worst criminals recorded in the blacklist.
The watering hippo. That was his nickname.
Tae-hyuk stared at a bathroom from far away. One officer was standing guard. (TL: Bathroom in this case seems to refer to the public baths or sauna in Korea, not toilets)
'Perhaps this is where the incident happened.'
Tae-hyuk referred to the blacklist as he chased after the trail of the hippo. But there was one strange thing.
The hippo he remembered didn't start now, but three months later. Then why were there already victims? But looking at the method and frequency, the criminal was clearly the hippo.
'There are already two victims.'
There was a common point about the days when the hippo committed a crime.
It was a day with a full moon. He murdered every 29 days.
Tae-hyuk looked up at the sky.
There was a round man with a slight dark edge in a corner. There was three days to the next full moon.
Before that, he had to find the trail of the hippo.
"Let's make a connection."
Tae-hyuk took out his phone and called the officer standing guard.
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Chapter 38 – Aid #2
Tae-hyuk first needed to check the crime scene to know his opponent.
'The cop… cop…'
Kang-suk's address book contained almost 800 people. Despite his appearance, Kang-suk was a meticulous person. Therefore, his contacts were organized by category.
"A total of 19 people."
It was more than he thought. First, he had to find out who was protecting the entrance to the bathroom.
'I would be nice if he had a badge with a name on it. Do I need to check them all?'
Tae-hyuk called the cops in Kang-suk's contacts.
Dururu-
-Who is it?
"Is this Hae-un's phone?"
-No.
"Ah… I'm really sorry."
Tae-hyuk repeated the same thing 10 times before he found the right cop. As the phone signal rang, the phone of the cop in front of him started ringing.
'He is Kim Jong-wook!'
Tae-hyuk imitated Cho Kang-suk's voice using Voice Modulation.
"Kim Jong-wook? It's me, Detective Cho Kang-suk."
–Eh!Detective Cho Kang-suk!What is going on?
Tae-hyuk inwardly cheered.
'Indeed, a cop should know the police officers in charge of this case.'
"I think I left my phone behind while investigating the crime scene, can you take a look at the counter?"
-Yes, I understand.I will do so straight away!
Kim Jong-wook followed Cho Kang-suk's instructions and disappeared in the direction of the bathroom.
He was holding a flashlight. It looked good from a distance.
'Then, let's go!'
Tae-hyuk avoided the cops' eyes as much as possible as he stealthily crept up to the crime scene.
'By the way, their salaries… What about their pensions?'
He moved on to thinking about happy things for Ha-ran's future. The bathroom where the murder took place had crime scene tape all around the entrance.
Tae-hyuk laughed.
He was wearing a leather jacket and skinny jeans, with an iron pipe in one hand. He had the perfect appearance of a criminal.
Once the 'Violence' skill was activated, his physical abilities increased according to his physical stats. He couldn't help but wonder what would happen.
"Uh, I don't want to be arrested as the criminal right now."
Despite having little to no knowledge of criminal profiling, Seo Tae-hyuk knew one fact.
It was something frequently covered in crime novels and movies: a criminal always goes back to the scene of the crime! This was why the police were stationed at where the second murder took place. Therefore, he had to hide if he didn't want any unusual misunderstandings to take place.
Tae-hyuk looked at the iron pipe that he was holding.
"Well, hopefully I won't have to use this."
The body was found was in the women's bathroom. There was a strange atmosphere, due to it being a place where a person had died. The evidence collected by the police left a dust trail.
However, according to the blacklist, there was definitely one thing remaining.
The bathroom was empty of water. Instead, the shape of a person crouching down was drawn with a white spray.
Tae-hyuk felt goosebumps as he saw it. Three weeks ago, someone had died in the exact same position as the picture.
Tae-hyuk took out a notebook from his pocket and used the Forgery skill to draw the crime scene as a reference. At that moment, a strange illusion emerged in front of Tae-hyuk's eyes.
"Ugh… W-what? Aaaaack!"
There was a naked woman with her arms tied behind her back, her body was trapped in a bathtub full of water. Her neck was tied up, and she couldn't move her head. Still, she was able to breathe due to the long tube in her mouth. And the tube…
"Heok… Keok!"
Tae-hyuk started breathing roughly. He couldn't even understand what he had just seen. He had just used the Forgery skill, so why did that image appear?
Tae-hyuk pulled out the Demon Revealing Mirror.
[The Forgery skill has found an intense image.]
[The work has been completed through automatic mode.]
Tae-hyuk looked at his notebook, as if he was enchanted by something.
There was a picture of a dying woman that had been created by the Forgery skill in less than a minute. The picture was drawn with a pen, and yet it seemed so real.
"Uck…!"
At that moment, Tae-hyuk bent over as he felt some nausea. Fortunately, he hadn't eaten dinner yet. He just felt a little sick.
Tae-hyuk knew extrasensory perceptions were similar to this.
"It was psychometry…"
The ability to see images from objects and places. The Forgery skill was similar to that.
However, he couldn't rejoice. The image of the person dying was intensely burnt into Tae-hyuk's brain. It seemed like the scene would emerge every time he closed his eyes, like a curse.
Tae-hyuk bit his lip.
He had come here to confirm if the killer was truly the 'hippo.' It wasn't to see a woman dying.
This had happened almost one month ago, he wouldn't be found right now.
'… First of all, let's finish up here.'
Tae-hyuk shook his head to forget the scene he just saw. He entered the bathroom. If the killer was truly the hippo, then it had to be here.
Tae-hyuk leaned down towards the floor. He started to carefully search it. Sometimes there was a white powder visible in the water. It was creepy, but he licked it.
"This…"
It was salt.
No matter how good the police were, it wasn't easy to find it mixed in with the water.
"The murder tool is salt water…"
Tae-hyuk was reminded of that person.
"… The hippo."
Originally, he was a serial killer who would start his activities in three months. He was one of the worst five criminals in Tae-hyuk's blacklist. He had awakened earlier than scheduled.
Tae-hyuk then had a sudden realization: he was currently the only one in the country who knew the Hippo's identity.Cho Kang-suk looked at his watch with an anxious expression. 15 minutes had passed since the promised meeting time.
"This is why punctuality is a problem in Korea!"
He pulled out his phone and checked the message that had arrived 30 minutes ago.
–Sunbae.I am leaving now.I'll be there in 10 minutes.
"That was more than 10 minutes ago."
Kang-suk finished his lukewarm coffee and went to the counter to get a refill.Thanks to his younger brother, he realized that this cafe was a very good place for meeting people. He had been using it often since then.
Kang-suk took out the envelop that Tae-hyuk gave him as a gift. It was a planetarium admission ticket that was available for one month. On the back was the phone number of a French restaurant with a good atmosphere. It meant to eat here after seeing the stars.
Kang-suk couldn't help laughing after seeing it.
"Who wouldn't want to go? If only I didn't have to catch this criminal."
Kang-suk said and put the tickets back in his pocket.
Who knows? Maybe the serial killer would suddenly be arrested and he could go out with Ha-ran.
"There is time left. If I send a message to Ha-ran… But what if I am an annoyance? Ohh…
Kang-suk grabbed his head as his body trembled.
The other guests at the cafe started looking at him.
–Ah, doesn't he look like a gangster?
–Looking at his phone and then trembling…Don't tell me?'
-Shhh! Be quiet!He will hear!
Kang-suk laughed. Today, he had come to meet a guest. Therefore, he was wearing a suit that didn't fit him well. He had a large muscular body and was over 180cm tall. He had dark sunglasses. At first glance, it was natural for others to misinterpret his strength.
Then the man sitting near Kang-suk spoke.
"Excuse me, excuse me… Cho Kang-suk hyung-nim?"
Cho Kang-suk looked at the person.
The man was wearing casual attire and had glasses.
"Who?"
"Oh, sorry for introducing myself so late. I am Shin Se-ho, a PD at ABS Station."
Shin Se-ho pulled out a business card from his wallet.
"You are a new PD."
"Haha. You don't need to emphasize it. I'm familiar with you. Detective Cho is very famous among my colleagues. The detective who caught Yoo Cheol-ho. This meeting was due to chance. Then can I hear the story about that time?"
Cho Kang-suk clicked his tongue. What chance? He knew the PD had been following him for a few days. Shin Se-ho seated himself in front of Cho Kang-suk.
Kang-suk knew why the PD was following him.
He smelt the hippo case.
"I'm sorry, but today I came to meet a junior, not to work. If you want an interview then please fill out the official forms."
"Aish, don't be like that. Anyway, I'm here as a customer. So I will just drink hot chocolate from the sidelines."
Kang-suk noticed the microphone in Shin Se-ho's pocket.
He suddenly felt fatigued. It was hard to fight crime. Now he had to pay attention to the media as well.
Kang-suk whipped his hand like he was killing a mosquito.
He would receive media persecution if he tried to kick the reporter out of here. He needed to be careful.
"Well, do whatever you want."
"Haha. Yes. I understand."
Then the door opened and someone entered the cafe. The person was a little taller than Kang-suk, with an intellectual air about him. He was wearing a Rolex watch and an Armani suit. A BMW key was hanging from his fingers.
Cho Kang-suk clicked his tongue. He was wearing at least 20 million won, and had their air of a rich person.
"Joo Hyun-ho! Over here!"
"Uh, Sunbae. Aren't I a little bit late? I'm sorry."
"What is a little bit? I refilled my coffee five times while waiting."
"Aish. I was only a few minutes late. There was nowhere to park."
Joo Hyun-ho smiled and sat down in front of Kang-suk.
Joo Hyun-ho had the appearance of a celebrity in a high class suit so the eyes of the females sitting nearby started to light up.
They wanted to talk to him but stopped themselves when they saw Kang-suk sitting opposite him.
Joo Hyun-ho was a junior from Kang-suk's university days. He majored in criminal psychology and worked in the criminal behaviour analysis team.
The so-called profiler. In this field, he was one of the three most influential profilers in the country.
Kang-suk muttered in a small voice.
"There is a reporter next to me, so speak softly. I know that you are busy with a lot of cases right now. There is a crime scene that I want you to look at."
"You know that I don't handle straight murders."
He would only take the cases that attracted his interest.
Kang-suk hit him on the head.
"Hey. This is a mystery that we have no clue about. Be serious. Just listen to me. I didn't want to call you. But he is a completely crazy guy."
Hyun-ho's eyes shone.
He was a man who became a profiler because he liked things like this.
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Chapter 39 – Aid #3
Kang-suk gave a brief outline of the hippo case.
Shin Se-ho would just follow him anyway if he moved to another place. The dangerous part was having a conversation without any sensitive information leaking out.
"… Wah. So they drink water until they die. They weren't forced to do it?"
"Hey! Keep quiet! There are ears listening."
"Aigoo. Sorry."
Hyun-ho bowed exaggeratedly.
Kang-suk laughed. Although it had been more than seven years since they graduated from university, Shin Hyun-ho was still the same old Shin Hyun-ho.
The two people had met at a university reasoning club. Cho Kang-suk and Joo Hyun-ho liked reasoning out mysteries, and won the TV program 'Mafia Game.'
Hyun-ho was the so-called 'chaebol' who owned several buildings in Gangnam. By only breathing, he could earn hundreds of millions of won in a month.
Kang-suk always wondered why Hyun-ho became a profiler. Hyun-ho had responded to that question with:
–I can't be satisfied with only fiction, Sunbae.
Kang-suk felt goosebumps when he thought of the Hyun-ho of that time.
"Hyun-ho. These are my personal thoughts."
"Yes?"
"I'm glad that you became a profiler. In many ways."
"Ahaha! Thank you for praising me, Sunbae."
After exchanging some conversation, Kang-suk and Hyun-ho rose from their spot.
Kang-suk went to the counter and paid before saying.
"Hyun-ho, start your car now. Run away!"
At Kang-suk's words, Joo Hyun-ho ran out.
Shin Se-ho, who had been watching the two people at ease, was amazed. Cho Kang-suk and Joo Hyun-ho had suddenly disappeared from right in front of him.
Today's scoop was over. However, this wasn't enough to make Shin Se-ho give up.After the cafe, Kang-suk and Hyun-ho headed to the bathroom where the second murder occurred.
Kang-suk sat in the passenger seat and stretched out. If this case were ever to be exposed to the media, then it wouldn't just end with him taking off all his clothes and begging.
Hyun-ho turned on the police signal since he wanted to see the scene quickly.
Cho Kang-suk said.
"Oh, have you eaten lunch? Let's go to eat after seeing the scene. Hyung will pay!"
"Ey, you're just going to eat jajangmyun again. Furthermore, I'm not hungry. From now on, I will be seeing something truly delicious."
Hyun-ho laughed like he was truly having fun.
"Sometimes I wonder if you're either a genius or a psycho."
"Genius is right, Sunbae."
"Aigoo… Ah, that is the bathroom."
Kang-suk sighed and pointed to a building across the street.
"The poor owner, it seems like it was just recently built. Now that a murder has happened, he will need to sell it. Even so, there aren't many public baths or saunas in the area."
"I agree."
After parking the car in the area, Kang-suk headed to the scene of the crime. The policeman on guard stared at the gleaming BMW with wide eyes. Then he nodded with a convinced expression after seeing Joo Hyun-ho exit the driver's seat.
"Detectives, you've worked hard!"
"Jong-wook as well."
"No! Then come in!"
All the evidence had been collected from the scene of the incident, including the dust.
Kang-suk pulled out the investigation file from his bag. The evidence was placed according to where they were found.
Hyun-ho scanned the investigation file and pointed to where the body was.
"Then I'll be looking at this. Sunbae should recreate how the body was found over there."
"Hey! Why should I recreate it?"
"It is needed for the investigation."
"Sheesh."
Kang-suk grumbled, but reluctantly followed Hyun-ho's instructions. If Hyun-ho didn't become a police officer, then he would be a criminal. However, Kang-suk had to recognize his abilities.
Kang-suk lay down on the floor in the same shape that was drawn, bending his arms and body as much as possible.
Hyun-ho couldn't hold back his laughter.
"Hahahaha! Sunbae! You look like a deep fried shrimp."
"… This bastard."
Kang-suk got up and put Hyun-ho into a headlock.
"Keeek! I-I surrender! Give up!"
"I knew you would be like this. Are you a complete pervert?"
"B-But I think I know how he killed them."
Kang-suk freed Hyun-ho.
He knew how the victims had died. They had drunk a large amount of water, causing their breathing to be blocked and their internal organs to rupture. However, the mystery of how it happened was still unsolved. Yet, Joo Hyun-ho had solved it after only five minutes.
"It seems like I did well to bring you over. Yes, Joo Hyun-ho brain cells are still working."
"Yep. Now leave it to me!"
Joo Hyun-ho noted some of the evidence.
First of all, the victim had been biting a long tube until she died, with leather straps tied around her neck. Finally, there was a bucket filled with various foreign substances.
"The victim was in an immovable state with her arms tied behind her back."
"That's right. He then forced them to drink a lot of water… Ah, damn. Crazy bastard. I will surely put him in jail!"
Kang-suk directed some killing intent towards the criminal. However, Joo Hyun-ho's reasoning was just beginning.
"Their neck was tied down with a leather strap, and the water was in the bathtub?"
"… I said it in the car."
"Then that means that her head was completely submerged. If that was the case, then she should've immediately drowned."
"But she didn't die straight away."
"Yes. She was able to breathe in a certain amount of air through the tube, which could be referred to as a lifeline."
There was a long, plastic tube found in the evidence, the victim holding it until the moment of her death. There were the clear teeth marks on one side.
"So, she struggled in a tied state…"
The victim's body was full of small wounds.
The coroner said that she was probably floundering about.
"Yes. It seems like the perpetrator blocked the tube connected to the victim's mouth and then released it, in order to enjoy her suffering."
Crunch.
Kang-suk broke the file he was holding.
"Of course, the culprit wasn't satisfied with just that, so he used this."
Hyun-ho pointed to the bucket next.
The capacity was one litre.
"The victim drank water desperately. Why? Well, just imagine it. The victim's eyes are covered and her body is tied up. The culprit then blocks the tube to make her choke."Kang-suk's face turned red as he desperately tried to hold back.
"Then the bucket appeared. There was clearly liquid in here. Water wasn't the only liquid in her body, was it? Milk, soy sauce… There was also cooking oil. This is the reason why."
Hyun-ho put the tube in the bucket.
"One litre. She had to desperately drink it all in order to breathe."
First was milk. Then there was soy sauce. Finally, the cooking oil. He gave her increasingly hard things to drink.
Despite being nauseated, she had to drink in order for her to breathe. Desperately…
"If she drank it all, then she could breathe again. That's why the bucket was empty at the moment of death. And…"
This time, Hyun-ho put the tube in the bathtub.
"Lastly, the hippo placed the tube here. The victim started to drink litres of water that she couldn't finish. In the end…"
The stomach became engorged, and the victim drank water until the moment of death.
All this was done in order to live? If she drank one litre of water then she could breathe. Just one more sip… If she took one more sip, then she could breathe. She believed in something that hadn't been promised, and drank the water in the bathtub. And in the end…
The desperate act of trying to live drove herself to her ultimate death.
"This crazy bastard!"
Kang-suk howled like a beast at the terrible truth. The hippo used the victim's will to live as a murder tool.
"My reasoning is up to here. Uh, by the way, there is salt. Then, the last thing the victim drank was salt water? What was he thinking when he made her drink that? Sunbae…? Um. I will tell you my profile after you calm down a bit."
Kang-suk was ready to shoot a gun if the hippo appeared in front of him.
Eventually, he settled down after 30 minutes.
"I'm sorry. I was a little excited."
"No problem, Sunbae. I'll tell you what I've figured out about the hippo now."
Hyun-ho gave his rough profile containing the hippo's age and personality to Kang-suk.
After finishing, Hyun-ho said.
"My job is over. Now it is Sunbae's turn. Please catch the killer. Ah right. This is a personal favor. Once you arrest him, can you leave the psychological analysis to me? I'm interested in the criminal called the hippo."
Hyun-ho laughed like he was happy.
Kang-suk replied.
"… That isn't hard. But I don't know if the bastard will be able to speak properly."
If Kang-suk caught him, then there would be a punch in the face.
Kang-suk's eyes were filled with killing intent.There were only two days left until the next full moon.
Tae-hyuk knew who the hippo was, his job, what he looked like, what he liked, all of those things.
The problem was that he knew the hippo too well. He knew information that only the hippo would know. If he wasn't careful, then he might be framed as the hippo.
"I have to avoid being falsely accused, no matter what."
Tae-hyuk laughed bitterly as he thought of the identity of the hippo.
Tae-hyuk knew where he was. If he beat the hippo's head with the iron pipe and took him to the police station, then the murders would no longer happen. However, there was no evidence that he was the hippo, meaning there would be no reason to hold the hippo.
The most obvious thing to do was to catch him attempting to commit a crime.
He had packed a few hidden cameras from the voyeur incident a while ago so they would be very useful.
Tae-hyuk smiled at the hidden cameras on the table. Then he would go and install these at the hippos' third crime scene…
At this moment, Tae-hyuk realized that he had forgotten one important thing. He couldn't remember the exact place of the crime.
"Wait a minute. Obviously the hippo killed the third time at the… Ugh, damn. It was definitely an aquarium. I don't remember the exact aquarium!"
Tae-hyuk looked at the blacklist. The exact name wasn't written down.
"Well, there aren't many aquariums. Eh? Wait a minute. Aquariums are even open at night. It isn't a place to commit a crime, even if there are no customers.
The hippo didn't kill the victims instantly. He enjoyed watching them die slowly. If so, doing it in an aquarium would be impossible.
Tae-hyuk connected to the Internet on his smartphone and searched for an aquarium that wasn't open. There was only one place.
Tae-hyuk checked the location.
The aquarium was approximately five kilometres from his home.
"… Isn't this closer than I thought?"
It was around 15 bus stops away. In such a nearby place, a bizarre murder would take place two days later.
"Then tonight, I will go and install the trap."
Tae-hyuk had no intention of ending it with the camera alone.
He had the crime skills to help him.
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Chapter 40 – Aid #4
The serial killer called the Hippo.
Tae-hyuk thought of Yoo Cheol-ho while he was eating.
'I was very lucky.'
It was only three months ago.
The events from back then felt like a long time ago, causing Tae-hyuk to sigh. He woke up with memories of the future, and received the crime skills.
He pretended to be as calm as possible, but that was just a facade.
'Hyung bought me some ice cream, but I only ate a little bit of it before throwing it away.'
At that time, his only crime skill was the 'Robbery' skill. At the time, he still had no idea about his abilities and titles. If Tae-hyuk had come across the Hippo at that time, then he wouldn't have even a single thought about catching him.
However, Yoo Cheol-ho was so infamous that he appeared on the front page of the newspapers every single day. Every single person knew his face. Tae-hyuk could catch him just by knowing his hiding place and reporting it to the police.
'The Hippo is different.'
Only two people in this world knew his identity. The Hippo, who was the killer. The other person was Seo Tae-hyuk, who had memories of the future.
The police saw the Hippo as a serial killer, and created a dedicated team to catch the criminal. Tae-hyuk could see how Cho Kang-suk was desperately working every night.
Surprisingly, the arrest rate of criminals in South Korea was quite high. By default, the country's size was small, so there weren't many places to hide. The fact that every person's fingerprints were stored as data was a tremendous advantage in investigations. The CCTV were well spread out and installed in buildings, so it was a difficult country to commit a crime in.
South Korea also had a high awareness of the world of scientific investigation, so they used advanced investigation techniques during crime investigations.
A blood smear expert could reconstruct a crime scene based on only the location and size of a blood drop. A fingerprint expert used fingerprints, as well as palm prints. There were even profiling experts who approximated the criminal's psychological state of mind.
They used more advanced investigation methods than the past method of searching around the victim's body.
In the case of accidental murders, most perpetrators were quickly caught. However, it was difficult to identify a serial killer who killed indiscriminately.
Thus, the scientific investigation methods were a tremendous aid. No matter how perfect a criminal was, there was no incident where they didn't make a single mistake.
One common mistake was drinking from a cup or paper cup, then throwing it away. Others included: Leaving even one strand of hair behind at the crime scene, and unintentionally spitting and leaving saliva. Experts could even extract the DNA of the criminal from fingerprints or saliva left behind on the victim's body.
There was no killer that didn't leave behind a trail of evidence. However, unlike his ridiculous nickname, the Hippo was a perfect killer. He didn't leave behind any evidence.
It was why the investigation gradually became a labyrinth. That was why there were rumours that a demon was killing people.
'… The Hippo will kill 10 people over the next year. His modus operandi will also remain the same. Feeding the victim a great deal of salt water. Why on earth has he started his activities earlier than scheduled? I need to strengthen my crime skills and help Kang-suk hyung's and Noona's love affair.'
Tae-hyuk was completely different from when he first caught Yoo Cheol-ho.
He now had the 'Robbery', 'Voice Modulation', 'Spying', 'Forgery', 'Gambling', and 'Violence' skills, making a total of six crime skills.
Thanks to An Eun-young's studying skill, his intelligence stat rose greatly. He could also make a wide variety of props using the Forgery skill.
It was different from when he was forced to call the police for Yoo Cheol-ho. He could fight the Hippo.
Tae-hyuk intuitively sensed it. Until now, he had used a single crime skill at a time in order to catch the criminals. It was a condition for acquiring the skill.
"But this time, I can't afford to not use all of my skills."
This time, he would have to use all six crime skills in order to deal with the Hippo. That was his hunch.
Tae-hyuk looked in front at the things that he had prepared. Paints, plaster boards, ropes and glass beads. There were many other things piled up.
He put them in a big bag, and thanks to his stamina (61), Tae-hyuk was able to carry it. He raised it up and over his shoulders.
"Ugh. Heavy!"
However, every one of the items inside were necessary things that couldn't be removed. From this moment on, he would go prepare the trap to catch the Hippo before he murdered someone tomorrow.
Obviously the victim…Tae-hyuk moaned as a fact suddenly rose in his head.
He suddenly recalled the name of the third victim killed by the Hippo. Of course, that didn't mean anything would change, since they were alive today. The victim wouldn't believe it even if he said anything.
Above all, he had to prepare the crime scene to catch the Hippo. Therefore, he had to let the crime of kidnapping the victim be committed.
But the person the Hippo hoped to kill tomorrow was someone who Tae-hyuk knew.
"… Jung Yuri."
Tae-hyuk realized why Jung Yuri wasn't in his memories. He had gotten a job as a security guard at Sungjin Group five years later. At that time, Jung Yuri wasn't alive.
She was supposed to die tomorrow to the Hippo. Savagely murdered.
Tae-hyuk didn't do anything for a while before opening the window and looking up at the night sky. The moon was almost full, but it was covered by the dark clouds so nothing could be seen. There was just darkness.Jung Yuri's legs didn't work. She had been weak from birth. The muscles of her lower half slowly stiffened.
Nevertheless, she never once thought that her life was difficult or uncomfortable. She had a sister who was born a year earlier. The two of them were always together.
By the time she entered primary school, Jung Yuri's legs were no longer moving. She had to ride a wheelchair from then on.
It was her sister who pushed it. Her sister always helped her move forward.
"Unni…"
Her sister had died three years ago. She was brutally murdered at the hands of the serial killer, Yoo Cheol-ho.
When Yuri met him, he smiled and felt regret that he couldn't kill her. Yuri spat on Yoo Cheol-ho's face, and he said,
"Kuhuhuhu… Just wait. I will be sure to escape and kill you."
Yoo Cheol-ho really did escape. She still had goosebumps when she thought of that time.
However, she was different from her sister. Jung Yuri's father was now the vice president of a large company. She was also working under him, so she was able to set an enormous bounty on Yoo Cheol-ho.
A few days later, he was caught. This time, he was trapped in a place where he could never escape.
"Hu…"
Her whole body was wet with sweat from pushing her wheelchair. Jung Yuri pulled out a handkerchief from her handbag and wiped her forehead.
She was on the way back from a meeting with a client. The driver said he would give her a ride, but Jung Yuri said that she wanted to go on her own.
No one had pushed her since her sister had died. Now, she moved forward with her own strength.
She desperately exercised and raised her physical strength, her complexion improving dramatically. She became more beautiful every day. She even received suggestions to become an advertising model.
"Ahum… This will be difficult."
Jung Yuri looked at the hill that appeared in front of her. It was a moderately steep slope.
However, she vowed to live strong after her sister's death. Jung Yuri prepared to put her hands on the wheels of her wheelchair.
It was at that moment that someone started to push the wheelchair from behind. Jung Yuri was startled and looked back.
"It will be hard on your own. If you don't mind, then I would like to help."
A friendly looking man smiled at her.
"Ahaha… Thank you. By the way, have I met you somewhere before? Your face is really familiar."
The man said.
"I was with the one who came for a bounty. Cho Kang-suk… Do you remember?"
"Ah, that person!"
The man laughed.
Then Jung Yuri was pricked in the neck."Uhh…"
In the darkness, the dazed Jung Yuri opened her eyes.
She couldn't see anything. Her eyes were covered with leather. Her legs couldn't move in the first place, and her arms were tied behind her back.
She couldn't do anything other than sweat.
"Oof! Oof!"
Her body was in a place like a glass box.
She wriggled her toes and something cold.
'Water…? I-It is filling up!'
She would die in this way.
Jung Yuri recalled the man who kidnapped her. It wasn't Yoo Cheol-ho. However, he had the same eyes. It would be not just her sister, but Jung Yuri herself would also be killed by someone.
Tears flowed down through the blindfold.
'I, am I going to die? U-Unni. S-Save me… Unni…!'
The water had already risen to her head.
Jung Yuri couldn't breathe.Joo Hyun-ho was drinking a cup of milk in his room.
Classical music flowed from speakers that cost over 20 million won. Chopin Etude Op.10-4, also known as 'Chase'. It was his favorite piece.
What was it? No matter how hard he thought, he felt like there was something in the corner of his mind that he was missing.
He wondered what it was. What on earth had he missed?
Joo Hyun-ho looked at the case file scattered across the floor. Everything about the Hippo incident was written there.
"The first murder occurred on October 8th. The second happened on the 5th of November, and today is December 3rd…"
And then suddenly…
"October 8th was Chuseok (Korean holiday). November 5th…"
Chuseok always occurred on the full moon. The second murder also happened on the day of the full moon.
Then surely…
Joo Hyun-ho was amazed as he had a thought. If his idea was correct, then the murderer was probably preparing for his next kill right now.
"I-I need to call Kang-suk sunbae!"
Joo Hyun-ho contacted Kang-suk. However, the phone call didn't connect.
"Damn."
Joo Hyun-ho was forced to look for a place where the Hippo could commit the crime.
He mobilized all of his connections.
First, he sent a group text.
–Confirm if there is a bathhouse, aquarium, or swimming pool that isn't open and check them out! The hippo might be working right now!
How far ahead was he?
Joo Hyun-ho couldn't stay in the house. In the end, he put on a coat and left his house.
Ding!Ding!Ding!
At that moment, the clock chimed, indicating that it was 12:00.
December 4th. It was the day that the Hippo would kill.
He used the map application to look for a place with a lot of water near his house. The Hippo took a long time to kill, so it should be a place that wasn't open right now. There was only one place nearby that fit the conditions.
H Aquarium.
Joo Hyun-ho smirked. He was so thrilled that he couldn't stand it. He had always seen profiles of criminals from his desk, but this time, he might even be able to face them himself.
"Sunbae… Sunbae… Pick up your phone. Let's go hunt the Hippo."
As Kang-suk didn't answer his calls, Joo Hyun-ho started the BMW.Tae-hyuk looked at his work with a satisfied expression.
He took advantage of his six crime skills to create an amazing trap.
"It is perfect for my guest."
Tae-hyuk was at the entrance of an aquarium. It was a place that didn't feel the need to employ more than one guard when it wasn't daytime.
Tae-hyuk also confirmed that the guard was sleeping in front of the TVs in the office.
He checked the time.
It was 12:09 a.m. on December 4th.
The Hippo would be waiting inside the aquarium.
Creak.
Tae-hyuk entered through the back door of H Aquarium.
It was time to hunt the Hippo.
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Chapter 41: The Hippo Hunt
'First of all, draw the hippo to the prepared stage…'
H Aquarium was split into two areas. Area one was where various aquatic creatures could be seen underwater. It was what people imagined when they thought about aquariums.
Area two was a venue where shows of cute animals could be seen. The space contained an area where audiences could be seated, and the stage was where the handlers and animals would perform. In addition, there were underground facilities such as convenience stores, car parks, shops, and restrooms.
However, area two was meager compared to area one. The hippo was in the performer's waiting room in area two. It was where the murder would take place.
'Isn't this turning out well?'
Tae-hyuk had installed more than 10 small cameras in three places. The hippo's work was being recorded in 1080p high definition. It would perfectly prove that the Hippo was the serial killer.
The safest method was to retrieve the cameras and then help Jung Yuri escape. The police would then take care of the rest.
'The problem is that Yuri noona will be uncomfortable.'
There was no wheelchair in here to transport Jung Yuri. He would have to carry her somehow as he escaped. It was much slower than running alone, so he wouldn't be able to run away from the Hippo that would chase in pursuit.
Even if he had the 'Violence' skill, there was a possibility that a dangerous situation would occur. If things went wrong, then Jung Yuri could possibly be used as a hostage.
That's why Tae-hyuk lured the House over to his prepared stage with a plan to win over him there.
Tae-hyuk pulled a bunch of keys from his pocket. This was the master key for the aquarium. He would be able to open any door and go anywhere in the aquarium with this.
Tae-hyuk licked his lips in anticipation as he looked at it.
'Yes. 'Robbery' was originally used for things like this!'
At first, it was a useless skill that just stole underwear. However, after the cheating incident occurred, it strengthened and he could steal the things he desired. Thus, this was possible.
Tae-hyuk stole the master key from the guard patrolling during the day. He quickly made a copy frame using clay and plastic. He was able to do it without much difficulty due to both the 'Forgery' skill and his dexterity.
'Then I picked up the keys that had fallen to the ground and received the duplicate key.'
The material had changed from metal to plastic, but other than that, it was exactly the same as the original.
Dururu!
"Hik!"
As Tae-hyuk was lost in thought, he received a phone call. He pretended to be unconcerned, but he was going to have to fight a crazy killer soon. It was strange not to be nervous.
The caller ID read 'Seo Ha-ran.' Once she saw that Tae-hyuk was gone in the middle of the night, she became worried and called. Tae-hyuk sighed and picked up the phone.
"Uh, Noona. Did you wake up?
–Yes, where are you?I got up and went to check on you.You weren't there.
"I couldn't sleep, so I went out for a walk."
–I see…It's good because I can hear Tae-hyuk's voice.Hehehe.
Tae-hyuk realized that he almost never talked to his sister over the phone.
"I'll be back soon. Don't worry."
-… You aren't doing anything foolish are you?
Was this a woman's intuition? Ha-ran was always showing her siblings a smiling face. However, she would occasionally say piercing things.
"Don't think too much. Ah right, will you be free this weekend?"
–Yes.
"There will be something good soon."
–Really?What is it?Should I look forward to it?
Tae-hyuk didn't say anything as he inwardly thought. That smile couldn't disappear from his sister's face. Therefore, the Hippo needed to be caught.
Ha-ran suddenly said in a serious voice.
-Seo Tae-hyuk.Don't forget that I am by your side no matter what you do,so don't get a cold from staying out too long.Then, I will hang up.Tae-hyuk closed his phone.
His sister's words were still ringing in his ears. His sister was always on his side. Tae-hyuk had heard the same words from Ha-ran when she came to visit him in jail. He was able to endure the desperate situation due to those words.
"Cough!"
Tae-hyuk coughed and slapped both of his cheeks. He could be emotional after catching the Hippo. He decided to only think about this right now.
After finishing the call with his sister, Tae-hyuk went to the broadcasting room.
'First, I need to make the Hippo leave his spot. Then, I need help Yuri noona to a safe place.'
Tae-hyuk imitated the voice of a security guard with the 'Voice Modulation' skill.
He changed the settings so that it would only be broadcasted to the area where the hippo was, and turned on the microphone.
"All guards. There is an abnormality in the drainage pipe today, and an inspection is scheduled. Please don't use any water if you are in the building."
He threw the bait, and now it was time to wait for a bite.
If things went as planned, he would be able to catch the hippo without anyone getting hurt.Joo Hyun-ho was surprised as he arrived at the entrance of the aquarium. A familiar shadow stood in the area where his headlights shone.
Joo Hyun-ho parked his BMW and waved.
"Uh, Sun-bae!"
Cho Kang-suk replied with a face that showed he was tired of waiting.
"… You came. At least I don't have to enter alone."
"As expected of Sunbae. You thought of the same thing as me."
Joo Hyun-ho explained why he came here and asked for Kang-suk's opinion.
"No, my detective senses just told me that this place was suspicious."
"Hahaha…"
"At any rate, I don't think anyone else is coming. Let's go. By the way, did you send a request for support?"
"Yep."
"If we catch him then I'll buy all of you dinner."
"Hahaha! Then it needs to be a beef dinner."
"Wah. There are 100 people. Furthermore, don't you eat a lot?"
"Well, I have a lot of money. That reminds me, there was a cute new girl in the traffic department earlier. Please introduce me."
Hyun-ho said with a smirk. Even though he was going to arrest a murder suspect, he acted like he was going to an amusement park. Kang-suk made a disgusted expression and put Hyun-ho into a headlock.
"Cough! S-Sunbae! Spare me! By the way, what if the Hippo is in the aquarium right now?"
Kang-suk laughed and pointed to his waist.
There was a gun in a holster.
"I see."
Hyun-ho raised a thumb.
The two men entered the dark aquarium. Then they stopped at a fork in the road.
"… What do we do?
H Aquarium was divided into area A and B. It was too wide to search through the whole thing.
"It can't be helped. I'll check the aquarium side. You will take the venues."
"Yep. Should we use our phones?"
"Is that possible? My battery died so I ended up buying a portable charge from the convenience store to charge it."
That's why Kang-suk stood at the entrance without going inside.
"Hahaha! I understand. Then I will contact you if I find the Hippo."
"Yes. Please."
Hyun-ho felt his heart beat faster. It had been almost seven years since he worked with Kang-suk.
"It is the return of the strong alliance after a long time."
The two of them had won a program called Mafia Game. Whenever they teamed up, they would be called a strong alliance and would become an object of fear. The one who captured the criminal in the Mafia Game was always Kang-suk. Even after seven years, Hyun-ho was still dissatisfied with this. Thus, he decided to catch the Hippo by himself this time.
"Let's start the Hippo Hunt."
Kang-suk hit Hyun-ho on the head.
"Hey. If you don't move then I will catch the Hippo."
"Then I'm going to hunt.""Oooh!"
Jung Yuri's temperature was going down due to the ice cold water. The current weather was cold, even when she wore clothes. She had been in cold water without any clothes for almost an hour now. It felt like she would freeze to death at any moment.
"Hu… "Hah…"
A narrow tube was in Jung Yuri's mouth. It was her only lifeline since her entire body was covered in water. She could barely breathe using it.
"Oof!!"
But that was it. The kidnapper was probably blocking the tube at one minute intervals, preventing her from being able to breathe. The terrible thing was that the time intervals where he blocked the tube was different.
10 seconds. 40 seconds. 5 seconds. Sometimes it would be over a minute. At that time, her head would turn blank, and she really couldn't think.
There was something even more terrible.
"Ohuhu…"
Someone was watching her suffer. They would often laugh at the sight.
She had goosebumps.
Jung Yuri was covered in water with her hands and feet bound together. She couldn't even scream out. She was going to be killed. She was going to be murdered by that man.
It happened just when she found the courage to walk alone. She had decided to live for her sister who died miserably, but all of that was now wasted.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought about it. However, she desperately fought to hold the tears back. If she cried, then it felt like she would be broken.
"Oof!"
Once again, her breathing was stopped. How long would it be this time? 30 seconds? One minute?
Or…
Jung Yuri was going crazy with fear at the thought of the death that would approach her at any moment.
'Unni… Unni…'
However, she didn't get the help that she hoped for.
"Puah!"
After 70 seconds, she was able to breathe again.
'D-Die… This is really…'
It was at that moment. Jung Yuri heard the sound of a broadcast.
-All guards.There is an abnormality in the drainage pipe today, and an inspection is scheduled.Please don't use water if you are in the building.
The man, who had been laughing, clicked his tongue.
"Sheesh. There are still people left? Well, I guess I have to kill them."
Jung Yuri was blindfolded, but she realized that the man was looking at her. He was licking his lips.
Ddubeok ddubeok.
There was the sound of footsteps fading away.
'Kill me now… I said to kill me!'
How many hours would he keep her alive? When she thought about it, the tears that she had endured came pouring out.
'I'm sorry Unni… I'm really sorry.'
Had her sister felt like this when she was killed by Yoo Cheol-ho?
Ddubeok.
Ddubeok.
Once again, someone's footsteps were heard. This time it was getting closer, not further away.
'Did he already kill them? Then this time… Ah, p-please!'
The footsteps stopped. Then she felt someone touching her body in the water tank.
A soft touch. It didn't feel the same.
Then she heard a different voice.
"C-Cough! I have no choice but to do this to pull you out. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not touching because I want to."
"Oof! Oof!"
"Ah, I'll release the restraints."
Jung Yuri realized that he was pulling off the restraints one by one.
Was she being rescued?
"E-Even taking off the clothes… Ah, I'm going crazy. I should've thought about bringing a towel."
The unknown voice didn't seem that old. At most, he was in his early 20s or so?
"Y-Yuri noona. I closed my eyes. I didn't see Noona's naked body!"
Why was the voice so familiar? Who was it?
Yuri slowly opened her eyes and looked at the man who saved her. Black hair and a leather jacket. One hand was holding a thick pipe.
Jung Yuri remembered where she had seen him before. The high school student who came to collect the bounty on Yoo Cheol-ho. He was unusually quick and clever for his age.
"S-Seo Tae-hyuk?"
"Have you recovered your spirit? P-Please wear this."
Tae-hyuk took off his leather jacket and handed it to Yuri. He was unable to look straight at Jung Yuri due to her nakedness.
Yuri turned red the moment she realized that she was naked.
"H-how?"
She never imagined that he would come to her rescue.
Tae-hyuk was still looking away from her as he spoke.
"I captured Yoo Cheol-ho last time and got a reward. I felt a little sorry that I only received a few portions, so…""This is the Hippo service."
TL Note: I actually felt better a few days ago but being sick has made me fall really behind on my schoolwork. There is still a bit left, so the schedule for the rest of the week will be irregular. Basically, whenever I finish a chapter. The regular schedule will resume starting from next week.
If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.
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Chapter 42: The Hippo Hunt #2
"T-thank you…"
Jung Yuri accepted Tae-hyuk's leather jacket and started to put it on. She wasn't wearing any clothes besides the jacket she had just put on.
In the end, she wasn't even wearing any underwear. She was quite tall for a woman so even with a jacket, parts of her body were still exposed. If she didn't pull her clothes down with her hand, then her butt would be seen.
However, her upper body was more serious. Her chest was big enough to cause every man to take a second look. Thus, the buttons on the jacket could only be done up partway.
"Hah…"
A moan escaped from Jung Yuri's pale white lips. She hugged herself to warm up her body even a little bit.
She looked so pathetic that Tae-hyuk felt strangely dizzy for a moment. Tae-hyuk stretched his hand out to Yuri and said.
"Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to touch your chest."
"Uh… yes."
Tae-hyuk exercised tremendous self-control as he turned his gaze away from the chest that was visible through the leather jacket.
When he touched Yuri's forehead, he could feel that it was as cold as ice.
"Haang!"
Yuri shrieked as Tae-hyuk's hand touched her forehead; however, she didn't resist.
'Cold… Still, there doesn't seem to be any risk to her life. Once her body warms up…'
Severe hypothermia was a risk. The muscles of her body would be stiff and she would feel extreme fatigue.
"Wipe the water from your body."
"Haang… Yes…"
Tae-hyuk looked around, but he couldn't find anything resembling a towel. In the end, he had to take off his t-shirt so that Yuri could have something to wipe her body down with.
"Hum hum. I do laundry everyday so it shouldn't smell of sweat."
"… No. It seems good."
Tae-hyuk looked at Yuri's complexion.
A red glow was starting to appear on the previously white face. Her body temperature was rising, but it was still dangerous.
"Can you get on my back? If we go to a concession stand, then there will be a heater. You can warm up there.
Yuri nodded.
Her lips were blue and her whole body was shaking. Occasional moans couldn't help emerging from her mouth. The first thing to do was to take her to a safe place, since her legs didn't work.
Tae-hyuk knelt down in a good posture. Yuri couldn't support her body properly and fell on his back. Tae-hyuk e felt a heavy weight…
Mulkeong!
"Heok!"
There was something as soft as a marshmallow touching Tae-hyuk's back. Yuri relaxed her grip on the leather jacket and clung onto Tae-hyuk. In the end, her breasts were touching Tae-hyuk's back.
'C-Cold… But very soft… N-no! Wake up Seo Tae-hyuk!'
"Haaang…"
Tae-hyuk's back was very warm, so a pleasant moan emerged from Yuri's mouth. She was naked on the back of a man who she didn't know well. She would've been terribly embarrassed if she was in her normal mental state.
However, was it due to the sense of relief from her survival? Jung Yuri couldn't feel any shame. It was comfortable, as if she was on her father's back.
Tae-hyuk was more embarrassed about being hugged from behind than Jung Yuri was embarrassed form being on his back. Her legs didn't move, so he carefully held her thighs with both hands. The soft texture was conveyed directly. Strangely, she smelled good.
'I-I don't know who is doing a service for whom!'
Jung Yuri was 170 cm tall, a height that was similar to Tae-hyuk's. It was harder than he thought to lift up Yuri.
'But what if I use the Violence skill? I can do it with my stamina!'
Tae-hyuk used the Violence skill. Both hands were holding Jung Yuri's thighs, so he had to put the iron pipe in his mouth.
Tae-hyuk and Yuri headed to a concession stand. He had to stop once in awhile due to the sound of Yuri's breathing getting too close. Then he had to calm something excited down."I am a man. A man who is made for this job!"
Joo Hyun-ho hummed as he walked around the performance venue. Kang-suk was looking at the aquarium, while Joo Hyun-ho's task was to check this place. There was no one on the stage and in the audience seats. The only place left was the performer's waiting room. There was a bathtub where animals such as seals and penguins could be washed. If he were the Hippo, then he would commit the crime there.
Joo Hyun-ho was holding a handgun.
"I just picked up a gas gun. It isn't real like Sunbae's. Still, isn't it better than nothing?"
Joo Hyun-ho majored in criminology and psychology and became a profiler. However, in order to serve as an investigator, he completed two years of basic education at the police academy. He knew the perfect method to hold a gun. Furthermore, unlike his frail appearance, he was a master of judo.
"Bang bang! Haha! Isn't this good?"
Joo Hyun-ho aimed towards an imaginary criminal. He didn't seem like a genius investigator at this moment.
Hyun-ho released his finger from the trigger and spun the gas gun around.
"That's enough playing. Then let's start searching in earnest!"
He walked towards the place where the Hippo was hiding with a serious expression. As he arrived at the back of the performance venue, a door with STAFF ONLY appeared.
'Here.'
Hyun-ho looked at the door with a serious expression and kicked it open with his foot.
Bam!
The closed door opened with a loud sound.
"Hands up! If you move then I will shoot!"
Hyun-ho knelt down and aimed the gun forward. Then he looked around.
"Sheesh. There is no one here."
The room only contained a large fish tank, rope and buckets.
"Uh, wait a minute."
Hyun-ho put the gun away and approached.
"Here… Someone was clearly just here."
There wasn't anyone here. However, the evidence still remained. The fish tank was half filled with water. He checked it by hand and the water was ice cold.
"Let's think like Archimedes. The tank is half full. This means there was something in the water. Roughly…"
Hyun-ho calculated the volume of the tank and the amount that it was empty.
"…. It sound be one person who weighs around 50 kg."
There was a lot of water on the floor. It meant that someone had pulled out another person from the fish tank.
Joo Hyun-ho looked around.
There were rope and several buckets filled with liquid. Hyun-ho checked the contents of the bucket.
"Milk, soy sauce and cooking oil…"
There was only a one metre long tube near the fish tank.
"I should be glad since my reasoning is correct. It is amazing, even if the culprit is gone."
Hyun-ho touched the surface of the fish tank. Water was splattered from someone leaving the fish tank.
"This means the person was in here until recently."
The surface of the fish tank was smooth. Even if the water splashed, it would flow down to the ground after 10 minutes.
Joo Hyun-ho swallowed his saliva.
"… This is the Hippo's workshop."
And the Hippo was gone. His victim was inside the fish tank.
"Has he killed her already?"
It couldn't be. The liquids used for the murder were still inside the buckets.
This meant…
Joo Hyun-hos face turned white.
"… Sunbae is in danger!"Cho Kang-suk stood in the dark aquarium. Whether it was from tiredness due to the continuous overtime, Kang-suk's face was stiff, as if he were a wax doll.
Then someone approached him. Cho Kang-suk felt it and turned around quickly. It was someone that Cho Kang-suk knew.
"Ah. Kim Jong-wook? Have you come to catch the hippo?"
Kim Jong-wook was a police officer working in the jurisdiction. Whenever a murder took place in the area, he was a cop who would take turns guarding the crime scene. Kim Jong-wook was responsible for the bathroom where the hippo committed his second murder. The location wasn't far from here. It seemed he rushed here after hearing the request for reinforcements.
Jong-wook yelled with a pleasantly surprised face.
"Ah Detective Cho Kang-suk! What's going on here? The hippo…"
Cho Kang-suk replied.
"I received a tip that the hippo was here so I came to check. It's been a bust so far, as there's nobody here. Ah, I need to catch the hippo as quickly as possible. This whole day seems to be all a waste."
Kang-suk's face was covered with a dark shadow.
"Haha, indeed. I ran here after suddenly receiving an order."
"Kim Jong-wook should take a break."
"Haha! Isn't this our job?"
Cho Kang-suk stared at Kim Jong-wook with a blank expression.
He was dressed in civilian clothes. He had one hand in his pocket, and his pants were all wet.
"Was it raining outside? Your clothes…"
Jong-wook gave a deep sigh.
"Aigoo. It just suddenly rained. Did you bring an umbrella?"
Kang-suk sighed.
"I didn't bring one. When I leave then I'll just use a newspaper. I'd like to call a taxi, but I can't. You should know. The salary of a detective is poor."
"It seems so. You must have suffered."
"Anyway, I think that the tip is likely to be a joke. Then, I will look around the performance venue. Do you want to come?"
Jong-wook nodded.
"That seems best. By the way, are you alone?"
Cho Kang-suk paused for a moment before asking in surprise.
"Why do you ask?"
Jong-wook slowly approached Kang-suk and laughed.
"That is…"
The two of them were now close enough to touch if he stretched out his hand. Jong-wook's mouth twisted oddly. There was a sharp knife in his hand.
"I need to know how many people I have to kill!"
Jong-wook stepped forward and plunged the knife into Kang-suk's chest.
Puok!
"Keok!"
Kang-suk screamed.
The attack was so unexpected that there was no resistance at all. He instantly fell down.
Jong-wook giggled like he was enjoying the scene and said,
"Ohuhu… I wonder how you knew I was here. Will you listen to me before dying? Huh? Detective Cho Kang-suk. Please say something. Uhahahaha! That's correct. I am the Hippo."
Jong-wook… No, the hippo grinned brutally as he twisted the knife stuck in Kang-suk's chest.
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Chapter 43: The Hippo Hunt #3
"So what?"
Cho Kang-suk's voice rang out in the darkness.
Kim Jong-wook's eyes widened in shock, and was unable to understand what was happening right now. Kang-suk, whom he stabbed in the heart, was still alive and talking. Was this an illusion or something? Maybe this was…
"There is no magic that moves the dead."
Kim Jong-wook looked at his right hand that was still holding the knife. It had obviously been stuck in Cho Kang-suk's chest.
"Perhaps a bulletproof vest… No, I definitely pierced his chest!"
Jong-wook had felt it through his fingers. The knife had clearly pierced his target's heart. The evidence was that a red liquid had emerged from Kang-suk's chest. His hands were sticky with blood, but there was plenty of water to wash it off.
Jong-wook didn't like using knives, as it caused the other person to die too quickly. He couldn't feel the ecstasy, the rush of watching the person die. Therefore, he avoided killing with a knife as much as possible.
It was the same feeling garnered from eating delicious food all at once. The best delicacies were those that were enjoyed very slowly. But this time, it couldn't be helped.
Jong-wook's opponent wasn't an herbivore that he normally preyed on. It was a beast with sharp teeth and claws. If he didn't kill the other person first then he would be in danger. Therefore, he had stabbed the other person when they were off guard.
Yet he didn't die. He was alive and taunting Jong-wook. Jong-wook got goosebumps.
Kang-suk continued speaking with a knife in his heart.
"The hippo's prey are all vibrant women in their 20s. The stronger the will to live, the better the prey. You think that Jung Yuri is the best delicacy. She took on her sister's role and moved with her strength. She is currently in the most brilliant moment of her life."
"Uh, how are my though-…!"
"Well, I know why you approached Jung Yuri. The first time you met her, she was the family member of one of Yoo Cheol-ho's victims and you were a cop in the precinct. Jung Yuri was like a living corpse at the time though, so you didn't choose her as prey.Jong-wook's eyes widened as he listened to Kang-suk's reasoning. It was surprising. It seemed like Kang-suk was looking into his heart.
"Then you met her again. You were fortunate when Cho Kang-suk caught Yoo Cheol-ho. You went along with him as a representative of the jurisdiction. In the few months since you saw her, Jung Yuri had completely changed. It was like a tree sprouting. Don't you think?"
"… Y-You! What the hell is this?"
"At that moment, the monster called the Hippo, who was sleeping in Kim Jong-wook's heart, opened his eyes. You were filled with a constant desire to kill Jung Yuri. However, it wasn't easy. She is the daughter of the vice president of a large corporation, after all. There were even secret body guards. So you first killed other victims while aiming for her. Eventually, you got what you wanted. This is my reasoning. How is it? Isn't it accurate?"
Jong-wook grit his teeth and said.
"You, you're not Cho Kang-suk!"
"Ahaha. That is the right answer."
Kang-suk replied with an expression that was still blank. No, he hadn't made any expression from the beginning.
Jong-wook tried to withdraw the knife from Kang-suk's chest, but couldn't.
"W-What the?"
What he thought was blood was actually sticky glue. Jong-wook's hand was stuck to Kang-suk. Jong-wook hit Kang-suk's body with his free left arm.
Bam! Bam bam!
However, it was like beating a sandbag. When he hit Kang-suk's face with all his strength, the eyeballs popped out. After a few more hits, the head spun around. However, Kang-suk was still laughing.
Jong-wook finally realized what was going on.
"What, this? A doll!"
It was a very elaborately crafted wax doll. In the aquarium, all lights were turned off except for dim lighting. Thus, he failed to realize that the other person wasn't a human.
"… This, my… you know…"
The microphone of the phone was damaged by Jong-wook's attack, and Kang-suk's voice started to be cut off.
"F-fuuuuuck! What is this?"
Jong-wook roared wildly. However, his right arm was still stuck to the wax doll. After a few more hits, the annoying voice was no longer heard. The doll was completely quiet.
"… Aigoo, I lost my phone. That cost one million won, and I don't even have a job. A new one… Maybe I should charge Yuri noona for the expenses?"
Instead, the grumbling voice of Cho Kang-suk started to approach in the darkness.
"Aaaagh!"
Jong-wook frantically thrashed about, but he was stuck due to the glue and couldn't get away from the doll.
Cho Kang-suk said.
"Ah, you should be careful. If you make a mistake then you might peel off your skin."
Jong-wook looked in the direction that the voice was heard. He saw a high school student wearing a wet t-shirt and an iron pipe in his right hand. He was holding something like a walkie-talkie in his other hand. It seemed to have transmitted his voice through the smartphone that he placed inside the doll.
"W-What the hell is this?"
Kang-suk… No, Seo Tae-hyuk, who acted as Kang-suk using the Voice Modulation skill, replied.
"Hello Hippo. Is this our first face to face meeting? There's no need to know who I am. Just think of me as someone who doesn't like you.
Jong-wook yelled.
"I-I won't let his go! I will kill you!"
"You remind me of a young brat from my past."
Tae-hyuk ran to Jong-wook and wielded his iron pipe.Tae-hyuk was lucky.
His first plan was to draw a picture to lure the Hippo. However, he still felt anxious. His opponent wasn't simple. He was a serial killer who murdered several people. That's why it was necessary to prepare a better trap. If he missed even a 0.0001% chance, then someone might be victimized.
Then he received a message that he got one affinity point, due to the birth of a new relationship after saving Jung Yuri.
Tae-hyuk pondered on how it could be used as effectively as possible. He could strengthen his crime skills using the affinity points, but he still didn't have enough points to do that right now.
In the end, he decided to try the Instant Enhancement on the second tab of the skills page. It consumed one affinity point to give a temporary effect.
Tae-hyuk found a large amount of wax candles prepared for a later performance in the warehouse. He made a crude doll of Cho Kang-suk using it. The result was beyond what he expected from the Forgery skill.
A special feature was produced, due to the added affinity point. It wasn't possible to make big movements, but the doll could move like a person. He put the smartphone inside and could talk through it.
It was unreasonable to give an expression to the doll with just one affinity point. It was stated that 10 points were required to create a doll with personality. Of course, that there was just like reaching for a pie in the sky.
Still, it was good enough for hooking the Hippo. He put a large amount of glue inside the doll. A device was installed so that if the throat or heart were ever pierced, the glue would spurt out.
There were a few risky moments. But as he thought, he could completely limit the behaviour of the Hippo. Now the Hippo was literally a punching bag.
"Keook!"
Jong-wook moaned as he was hit by Tae-hyuk's iron pipe. He bent over at the waist. He used his left arm to guard his weak points, but there was a limit.
Bbuduk!
In the end, Jong-wook's left arm was broken.
"Eh? You are still fine. Well, I should do successive hits…"
Tae-hyuk swung the iron pipe at Jong-wook again. It made a cheerful sound in the air.
"Kuak! Ugh! Eek! W-wait a minute!"
"Why? Again."
The Hippo bent over again due to the pipe.
"I-I lost. Hand me over to the police if you want! But do you want to know why a police officer became a murderer?"
"Hrmm."
Jong-wook started to talk about how the hippo was born.
"When I was in high school…"
"Did I ask? Let's keep going."
"Cough!"
Tae-hyuk wasn't curious about what he would say and just kept on quietly doing his work. In the end, he lost consciousness after a few more minutes of being beaten by the iron pipe.Tae-hyuk threw the iron pipe on the ground.
Clink!
After a while, the iron pipe disappeared. It was a complete crime. This was the end.
"Once a serial killer is caught, they always tell the same story. He was abused as a child. The lack of affection… I've seen a lot of people like that. So I came to one conclusion. A madman is just crazy. Is that a story? Absolutely ridiculous."
Tae-hyuk stripped off the clothes on the doll of Kang-suk. Then he tied up the hippo.
"So let's give an anonymous tip to Kang-suk hyung. Good night, Hippo."
Tae-hyuk pulled out a bag containing the SD card with the video of the hippo's crime and put it in the hippo's mouth.
"… Should this be sufficient for a promotion? If Hyung wants to marry Noona then you should at least be an investigator."
Tae-hyuk disappeared into the darkness."A-are you alright?"
After exiting to find Kang-suk, Joo Hyun-ho discovered a half-naked woman in a concession stand. She was Jung Yuri, the victim.
Hyun-ho took off his trench coat and covered Yuri with it.
"… Yes. Although it is freezing cold, my body is warm due to the heater. I can bear with it."
Jung Yuri explained how she was grabbed in a calm voice.
"As expected, the hippo is here… Still, I'm glad that you are okay. I will call an ambulance once away."
"Yes… Please."
"Detective Cho Kang-suk is here. I will immediately contact him to arrest the hippo…"
"The hippo is probably already caught."
"Huh? That…"
Jung Yuri raised a finger to her lips and said.
"I'm sorry. I've decided to keep the details a secret."
Jung Yuri smiled as she recalled the man who saved her.
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Chapter 44: The Hippo Hunt #4
"Pant… Pant…"
Kang-suk was running through the dimly lit aquarium. Something was strange about this place. It took him more than five minutes to run to the other side, yet the path had yet to end.
"… What? Wasn't this here earlier?"
Kang-suk was breathing roughly. After running around for a while, he realized that he had returned to his original place. There was clearly only one path among the tanks. He felt like a rat trapped in a maze.
While this was happening, the hippo might be killing another innocent victim. Kang-suk took a deep breath and started running towards the other side of the aquarium again. Colorful fish were swimming in the tanks. However, Kang-suk couldn't afford to think about it.
"… Here again!"
There was a dreamlike coral reef tank in front of Kang-suk. He had once again returned to the starting point. He had to get out of this aquarium. But when he tried to go to the opposite passage, some mysterious power sent Kang-suk back to the origin.
"Is this the hall of the nine-tailed fox?"
Kang-suk suddenly recalled the old story about the nine-tailed fox. As someone walked through a dark mountain trail, a beauty appeared. The man followed her deeper into the mountain. By the time he recovered his spirit, he was standing in front of a deep cliff.
This situation was just like this.
'It can't be…'
Kang-suk shook his head. It was unlikely that this was the same as the legend. He was probably overthinking it. Now he had to just think about going through the aquarium that had become a maze. At that time, he heard a rustling sound.
"Uh, is this the sound of paper?"
It was coming from the other side of the aisle. It was a place that wasn't blocked by the maze.
"There is someone in here!"
Kang-suk clenched his teeth and ran. The maze wasn't the problem.
He just couldn't delay any longer.
"Do you think this maze will stop me!"
Kang-suk decided to go to the other side of the aquarium, even if he had to smash through something. His senses were telling him that the hippo was there. In the end, there were around 10 incidents of vandalism. How many months salary would that be?
But there was no need to do so.
"Uh…"
Kang-suk stopped moving. There was definitely a large tropical fish tank. However, it was still far away. He could also see someone collapsed on the far side.
"… Is this the real hall of the nine-tailed fox?"
Kang-suk pulled out the handgun that was hanging from his waist. He loaded it so that he could fire at any time.
The first round was a blank. But from the second round, there were real bullets. He was prepared to fire if he met the hippo.
"First of all, I will aim at his feet… Maybe I should accidentally miss? The groin…"
Kang-suk took a deep breath and stepped forward. He had worked for seven years in the field, but his fingers were shaking at this moment. The aquarium was dark so he couldn't tell who the other person was until he got close.
A person tied up with clothes… The shadow was familiar. Kang-suk ran forward without thinking and confirmed the man's face.
"K-Kim Jong-wook…!"
Why was he collapsed here?
Kang-suk could only think of one possibility.
"… Is he here to catch the hippo?!"
Kang-suk recalled that Joo Hyun-ho had asked for assistance from the police nearby. There was a high chance that Kim Jong-wook had come here to catch the hippo. First, he had to check if Jong-wook was alive. Kang-suk touched a finger to Jong-wook's neck.
He found a vein and looked for a pulse.
"A-Alive! Eh?"
He turned Jong-wook's forehead and revealed something that had previously been hidden. There was something written on it. It was written with felt tip pen, and his forehead was sweaty so it was hard to read at first. But once he concentrated, he thought he could read the letters.
Kang-suk slowly read each character out loud.
"… This, bastard, H, hippo?"
Then there was a long arrow pointing to the mouth.
"It means there is something in his mouth."
Kang-suk opened Jong-wook's mouth and checked for what was inside. Jong-wook was completely unconscious so there were no signs of his eyes opening.
"SD card?"
Everything would become clear once he checked the contents. Kang-suk pulled out his phone and tried to call Hyun-ho. By the way, there were a lot of missed calls.
"Eh? That Hyun-ho brat. He called me a lot."
He had forgotten that it was on vibrate and hadn't realized that there were calls.
"Aigoo… He will be very angry."
Kang-suk sighed, entered Hyun-ho's number, and pressed the call button.
Dururu.
The signal connection and Hyun-ho's excited voice was heard.
–Sunbae!Why are you only calling me now!Right here…
"Stop nagging. Come to the aquarium. I think I caught the hippo."
–Huh?
Kang-suk hung up and looked up at the ceiling.
Something extraordinary had happened while he was wandering in the maze. Had the nine-tailed fox really appeared here?
Kang-suk couldn't understand it."Hrmm so this is how he slowly killed his victims."
"Oh! Son of a bitch!"
Kang-suk cursed as he watched the video on the SD card. Kim Jong-wook had trapped the woman inside the tank and tortured her.
Hyun-ho found the scene of the hippo killing someone very interesting.
"Kim Jong-wook is the hippo."
The SD card was undeniable proof. Kang-suk narrowed his eyes as he glared.
"Hyun-ho. Can I hit him once? It will be fine if you pretend not to see anything."
"Hold on, your hands will get dirty."
"That bastard brutally…"
Kang-suk couldn't stand his anger and made a fist. There was a loud sound as his joints cracked.
"Fortunately, the video was cut off in the middle. Perhaps the victim is still alive?"
"Yes. I found her and called an ambulance. She has hypothermia. However, there appears to be no risk to her life."
"Well done!"
Hyun-ho suddenly recalled something as he stared at the video and said.
"Ah, Sunbae. I figured out why he used salt water."
"A-All of a sudden…? We caught the culprit so it is all over. We just need to write up a report."
He didn't want to hear any more horrible stories.
"Aren't you curious as to why he used salt water?"
"Hrm."
Kang-suk didn't answer.
Hyun-ho started talking on his own.
"It turned out to be simple. People drink water to maintain the concentration of ingredients in the blood, such as sodium. On the other hand, if they drink too much water, then the kidneys can't handle it properly. The concentration of components in the blood will become very thin. This osmotic phenomenon will cause the body's cells to absorb the moisture and swell up. Then the organs and brain will fail!"
"Fuck. What does that mean? What?"
Kang-suk rubbed his knuckles against Hyun-ho's head. Hyun-ho laughed and continued.
"In order to feed the person as much water as possible, he needs to feed them salt water in order to maintain the body's salinity. A large amount isn't needed. It's why the coroner couldn't find the salt. The blood maintained the same salinity so he couldn't find anything suspicious. It is because the hippo wanted to feed them to drink as much water as possible."
"Crazy bastard…"
Kang-suk spat on the floor. He felt like he wouldn't be able to drink water in a while.
"Then… Who caught the hippo? Isn't it the same person who saved the victim?"
Kang-suk questioned.
First, he had to deal with the hippo who had been placed in the corridor.
"Anyway, let's call the investigation headquarters. What would the inspector say after hearing that the hippo was finally arrested?"
"Won't he look like a boiled octopus?""Sunbae, you just imagined it!"
Joo Hyun-ho held his belly and laughed. Kang-suk sighed. Even if he was skilled, Hyun-ho was too frivolous.
"But what do we report about how the hippo was caught?"
"Cough. That's right. I'm going to report that something struck the hippo and suddenly disappeared."
"But who are they? They realized the identity of the hippo before the Sunbae and I did. He was caught in a way I never imagined. Maybe he is the God of Investigation?"
Kang-suk slowly thought about the person. No matter how he looked at the evidence, he couldn't tell who it was.
Then he said.
"No, he isn't the God of Investigation. The video taken on the SD card was from a hidden camera. Also, look at the state of the hippo. He wasn't caught in a legitimate way."
"That's right."
"Ah, I'd rather call him something else."
"Well, did you think of a better nickname?"
"… God of Crime."
"Puhaha! Sunbae! Have you been reading too much manhwa?"
Joo Hyun-ho chuckled again.
Kang-suk responded with a red face.
"God of Investigation isn't the same?"
20 minutes after reporting, they heard the sound of sirens. Kang-suk and Hyun-ho's work was over.
Inspector Kim Do-shik rushed into the aquarium. His eyes shone as he heard that they caught the hippo. In particular, his face turned red after hearing that the hippo's identity was a policeman. Kim Do-shik was more agitated than usual as he tried to calm his excitement.
"Hahaha! Detective Cho! Investigator Joo! I knew the two of you could pull it off! Well done! Bravo! Hooray for Detective Cho! I'll make sure to tell the chief that Detective Cho resolved this case!"
"Ah, thank you. Still, the criminal is a police officer…"
"Well, the media doesn't have to know. We can handle this quietly. You have suffered a lot in the meantime. Take a rest for the next few days."
"Yes. I understand."
The incident was resolved, but there was a bitter aftertaste.
Hyun-ho, who had been watching Kim Jong-wook, approached Kang-suk.
"Sunbae. I want to talk to you for a bit."
"Eh? Really? Inspector. I'm sorry but…"
"Uh, go!"
Kang-suk followed Hyun-ho to another place. Once they arrived in a place with no one present, Hyun-ho opened his mouth.
"The hippo gained consciousness, but his words are a bit strange."
"What did he say?"
"A person who didn't die when stabbed with a knife. Changing the voice at will. An iron pipe appearing out of thin air. What the hell is that? The contents are really strange."
"Perhaps…"
It was all ridiculous. If all of that was possible…
"The person who caught the hippo would truly the God of Crime, Sunbae."Tae-hyuk was watching the police from a place far from the aquarium. With this, Cho Kang-suk would receive tremendous acclaim as the one who arrested the hippo. As the identity of the hippo was a police offer, it wouldn't be known to the mass media but it was certain that he would get a promotion.
Tae-hyuk was reminded of his sister Seo Ha-ran. She became the head of the family at a young age. She gave up her dreams to take care of her family. Rather than love, she had to do the housework on the weekend. He wanted to find a good partner for such a sister. He would do anything to see the two people living happily.
In order to do that, Kang-suk's status should rise a little more. Simply catching criminals in the field was insufficient.
Principal investigator… No, shouldn't he at least be a police commissioner?
Tae-hyuk laughed. That seemed too far in the future.
"Shouldn't they go on their first date first? Ahu. How can I turn the bear into a gentlemen?"
Kang-suk's dating plan was created in Tae-hyuk's mind.
Brr!
At the same time, a vibration was heard in two places. Tae-hyuk checked the Demon Revealing Mirror first.
"Oh, 10 affinity points! A-Amazing!"
He acquired 10 affinity points all at once. Tae-hyuk grinned from ear to ear. With this, he would be able to strengthen two skills.
"Then the phone…"
The smartphone was cracked due to the hippo's strikes. Still, it was possible to receive calls.
"Hello?"
-Uh, Tae-hyuk.Sorry for calling you late at night.It is Mama.
The caller was Big Mama. Tae-hyuk lowered his voice.
"… Did something happen?"
–This is about your commission from the other day.The results are out.But it is a little strange so I called to deliver the results right away.
Tae-hyuk had commissioned information from Big Mama three weeks ago.
It was about Park Jung-hwan, whose death Tae-hyuk was framed for. Then he found out that Park Jung-hwan was prying into Tae-hyuk. It was strange. So he wanted to find out where Park Jung-hwan was and check it out for himself.
What was the reason? He felt like there was a huge hidden conspiracy. Therefore, he had given 10 million won to Big Mama to find Park Jung-hwan's whereabouts.
It took a bit long but the results had now come out.
"… Where is Park Jung-hwan now?"
–He is dead.
"Huh?"
–It occurred two years ago…
Tae-hyuk dropped his phone.
Park Jung-hwan was dead? He was framed four years later for killing Park Jung-hwan. But now he was already dead?! It was also two years ago? What the hell was this?!
Then who was digging for information on Tae-hyuk? It had clearly been Park Jung-hwan.
Tae-hyuk stared at the sky with a bemused expression. The truth, which he thought would be uncovered to a certain extent, just got further away.
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Chapter 45: The Family's Condition #1
Tae-hyuk took out the Demon Revealing Mirror in front of Big Mama's pawn shop.
He felt tense whenever he had to meet her. Tae-hyuk checked his abilities every time he came here. He needed to know what he could do, and where it was possible. That way, he would have confidence while dealing with Big Mama.
After the Rosario incident, their relationship had become a type of partnership. However, he always had to be ready for any type of deception coming his way.
'Then first, the crime skills…'
He tapped on the Demon Revealing Mirror and pulled up his current learned crime skills. Robbery, Spying, Voice Modulation, Forgery, Gambling, and Violence – all of these made up for a total of six skills. He also had 10 affinity points that could be used to strengthen those skills. Every one of them had a type of charm.
'I'd like to raise them but I'll save them, since I don't know what I will need.'
Next, he confirmed his stats.
Stats: Stamina (59), Intelligence (47), Agility (24), Dexterity (39)
Tae-hyuk had used the Forgery skill quite a lot during the Hippo case. He also consumed an affinity point for a temporary special ability. His dexterity had gone up by five points. Three of his stats were close to the condition necessary for the upgrade. In the near future, he would be able to reach the second rank 'Noble.' As a Commoner, there were a lot of restraints on his abilities, so he wanted to reach the next rank sooner.
'It is difficult with the abilities I currently possess'
Last night, Tae-hyuk had fought against the Hippo, and had to mobilize everything he had in order to win. The Hippo was a crazy guy, but just based on strength, he wasn't the strongest on the blacklist.
Among the criminals he would meet in the future, there were those with superhuman abilities, or those who used bombs to kill hundreds of people. In addition, a pseudo-cult with thousands of followers.
Tae-hyuk would soon meet them. Prior to that, he should at least upgrade to the Noble rank.
'I don't know how much stronger a Noble is, but it should still be better than my current rank.'
Currently, he had met six people on the blacklist. Oddly, the counter raised, despite not causing Moonlight Flower and Big Mama to be arrested.
In the case of the Moonlight Flower, he caught Kim Sang-hyun. And after receiving Rosario from Big Mama, a notification had popped up on the Demon Revealing Mirror. It seemed like catching them wasn't the only condition.
'Anyway, there are 14 people left!'
To do that, he needed to maintain his close relationship with Big Mama. Anyway, the important thing was to find out about Park Jung-hwan's death. Big Mama raised dozens of snakes in her belly. It was dangerous to believe everything she said.
"… Anyway, today I should clearly find out."
Tae-hyuk firmly opened the door of the pawn shop.
"Omo. It is Tae-hyuk. Did you come for the part time job?"
Big Mama looked up and asked. Tae-hyuk's mouth twitched.
'Saying this after making such a bombshell announcement… Ohh. Indeed, a scary woman!'
"Let's continue the conversation from yesterday. I want you to give me the proper information about Park Jung-hwan."
It was reasonable to ask after paying the information fee.
"Ohoho. Of course I've prepared it."
Big Mama went into a room in her store and came out with a paper envelope.
"Read it."
Tae-hyuk accepted it and confirmed the contents. It contained everything about Park Jung-hwan: Where he was born, what school he went to, his school marks, the names of his close friends, and even the university clubs that he joined. It was miraculous how Big Mama managed to investigate so much.
"It is a bit later than promised. I'm sorry so I arranged the important parts as a special service. Do you want to hear it?"
"Yes."
"Park Jung-hwan is a native of Gangwon-do. A so-called self made person. As you can see from the materials I prepared, he studied well and exercised hard. He was popular due to his bright personality. This style is called…"
"Mother's friend's son?" (Wiki link explanation)
"Yes. He is literally the perfect image of that type. However, Park Jung-hwan had one unusual characteristic. Listen to this."
Inside the envelope was a tape recorder. Tae-hyuk put the earphone into his ear and pressed the switch. Then he heard a conversation over a lot of noise. It was a conversation between a man with a deep voice and a middle-aged person.
-Can you tell me more about the habit of Park Jung-hwan that you mentioned before?
-…Yes.Jung-hwan has a habit.It can be called a type of tick?The sides of his mouth twitches when talking…Strangely, the habit doesn't happen on test days or election days.Then the next day, it will occur several times in one minute…
Big Mama said.
"Listen to the next track."
Tae-hyuk manipulated the tape recorder and fast forwarded through the conversation. This time, it was a conversation between the man with the deep voice and an elderly person.
–What do you mean, Park Jung-hwan often forgets things?
–So…He is very good at what he does.But after a few days, when I asked him about it again, he completely forgot what happened.He is already forgetful at such a young age.Ah, but his brain is truly great.He never missed being on top at school.
Tae-hyuk looked at Big Mama after listening.
"Those are interviews about Park Jung-hwan."
"Yes. All of them have known him since high school. I became aware of a shocking fact. That is… Do I need to say it?"
"Two years ago, Park Jung-hwan died."
"Yes. I learned of this fact by chance."
"What exactly happened?"
Big Mama laughed and raised a finger.
"Tae-hyuk. Sorry, but the investigation is up to here. That was exactly 10 million won. If you want to know more, you have to pay extra."
Tae-hyuk's eyes twitched. He had to pay more money if he wanted to know? This wasn't a three part porn ad, it was too much. Unfortunately, Tae-hyuk needed to know.
"… So how much more do I need to pay?"
"This is enough."
Big Mama emphasized the one finger that she had raised.
"Ten million won. Yes, I understand."
Tae-hyuk sighed.
He was glad that he had enough money saved. Although it was a large amount of money, Big Mama's investigative abilities were worth it. In addition, the future report would certainly be beyond imagination.
"You set the limit too low. It is 100 million."
"Huh? 100 million?"
"Think of it as the information having that much value. Right?"
Tae-hyuk narrowed his eyes.
Big Mama had really great insight. The information about Park Jung-hwan had to be obtained, even if he needed to pay a lot of money.
"I'm sorry, but I've spent the 100 million I received with Rosario."
"Hoh. But you made some money from SY."
Big Mama knew about it. However, he couldn't do that. It was the money for Ha-ran. He couldn't touch it.
"You will have to wait a bit for the money."
Big Mama said with a soft smile.
"If I don't receive the money, then there is no investigation. You should be aware of that."
'That old lioness… !'
Tae-hyuk's expression distorted.
No matter what, he needed the information about Park Jung-hwan. However, she might not give all the remaining information even after receiving 100 million. Unlike the Rosario incident, this time Tae-hyuk was caught on Big Mama's rod.
Thus, Tae-hyuk decided to use a trump card.
"… By the way, let me ask you one thing. Is there any counterfeit artwork that you need?"
Big Mama nodded with a warm smile.Kang-suk, who was sitting on the table, had a comfortable expression after a long time.Tae-hyuk asked from where he was sitting on the opposite side.
"It has been a long time since you came to dinner. Have you missed Noona?"
Kang-suk was startled and quickly replied.
"I came to see you!"
"Yes, yes."
Tae-hyuk nodded with a convinced expression.
"I was super busy with an awful case. Somehow it was solved. I have some time to rest."
"I don't know what happened. Well, I'm glad that you did well."
"Yes. In fact, I didn't do anything. It is a little awkward since it somehow became my achievement. Tomorrow, I will formally report to the higher ups."
Kang-suk's expression was serious.
At that moment, Tae-hyuk felt a knot in his chest. It was a serial murderer case with two bodies and one victim. Solving it would be a big achievement for a detective. However, Kang-suk was trying to kick it away with his own feet.
'Ah, that person! It is the dinner I worked hard to prepare for him. Why is he going to spit it out! He is so upright that he is damaging himself!'
Kang-suk was truly a very nice person. However, such a person would only receive loss in the world. It seemed like Tae-hyuk would have to do some work behind Kang-suk.
Tae-hyuk spoke cautiously so that he wouldn't be heard by Ha-ran who was cooking in the kitchen.
"At any rate, is now the time? When are you going to ask for a date?"
"D-D-Date! C-Cough! We are just going to play…"
Tae-hyuk sighed. It seemed like he wouldn't be able to ask for a date until he was an old man. In the end, Tae-hyuk acted.
"Noona! Kang-suk hyung wants you to hang out with him this weekend!"
"Ya, ya, hey!"
Kang-suk was embarrassed but Ha-ran looked at him with an expression of astonishment. Then she looked at Kang-suk like she was waiting for something. In the end, Kang-suk surrendered and asked Ha-ran to go out.
"Uh, ugh… That's correct. Ha-ran. Do you have time to go somewhere with me this weekend?"
Ha-ran clapped with pleasure.
"Wah…! Hang out together? Then I'll prepare a lunch box!"
Tae-hyuk sighed as he glanced at Ha-ran and Kang-suk.
It was their first date since first meeting each other three months ago. How long would it take for them to become a couple?
Maybe he should help them a little bit.The Hippo incident passed in a flash.
Tae-hyuk lay down on his desk in the classroom and groaned.
"… I need to make some money. I also need to support Kang-suk hyung. Ohh. Should I just skip school?"
An Eun-young heard Tae-hyuk's complaints from her seat next to him.
"T-Tae-hyuk… You can't skip school. Go home after school finishes."
"Ugh. Did you hear?"
An Eun-young said with a serious voice.
"Next week is the final exams. Have you prepared well?"Tae-hyuk stared dumbly.
Recently, he had been so busy that he didn't care about studying. The proof was that his intelligence stat hadn't risen.
"I guess not. You did seem strangely busy… If you take the test properly, didn't you say that you would be first in the school?"
"Hahaha…"
"Well, I can give you special lessons again this time…"
An Eun-young was strangely hesitant.
It seemed like there was something she wanted to say.
"Is there something?"
"Ah, no. Let's study together like last time. Will you come to my house this weekend?"
Tae-hyuk realized that An Eun-young was asking for help.
"Eun-young. Is something going on? If you don't mind then I am willing to listen to your story."
An Eun-young looked at Tae-hyuk with deeply touched eyes. Then she slowly explained the situation.
"T-Tae-hyuk… That… You know…"
An Eun-young had an older sister.
However, she recently got involved in a multi-level scheme and ran away from home.
Tae-hyuk was troubled after hearing the story. His head was about to burst just from his own matters. But now he needed to help An Eun-young's family matters as well? What benefits would there be?Tae-hyuk bit his lip.
He realized that he always made calculations before moving. It was the same with Big Mama. When he used the crime skill, he had the mindset of a criminal.
He had received enormous help from An Eun-young. Thanks to her studying skill, he could tremendously increase his intelligence stat. He could finally become a model student.
An Eun-young was now asking for help. How could he refuse just because there were no benefits?
Tae-hyuk thought for a moment. He was currently ranked third. Until he went to university, he needed An Eun-young's studying skill. If he helped her now then he could use her studying skills in the future. He was moving for An Eun-young's studying skill.
Tae-hyuk came to this conclusion and said to An Eun-young.
"If you don't mind then I will help you. Let's talk about the details in your room."
"Uh, yes… T-Thank you, Tae-hyuk."
An Eun-young was sincerely thankful. At that moment, Tae-hyuk felt something like a needle stabbing into his chest.
'Then there are three things that need to be solved. I'll be quite busy in the future.'
Tae-hyuk quietly looked at An Eun-young's face. He was really glad to see her smiling expression.
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Chapter 46: The Family's Condition #2
After eating An Eun-young's stamina food, Tae-hyuk looked around the house.
'It's a little strange that there's nobody at home when we're studying together.'
Tae-hyuk had studied at An Eun-young's house for a month now. However, he had never met her family even once.
'Was her father the director of a general hospital? Her mother is also at the hospital for treatment.'
She said that her father only came home around once a week. He understood why the two people weren't visible. But the problem was her older sister.
'Runaway…'
Tae-hyuk quietly looked at An Eun-young's face. She talked casually, but he could see the deep darkness within her eyes.
"Eun-jeong unni doesn't get along with my father. She isn't interested in studying, and goes out to play every day. Therefore, he forced her to enter a boarding school. That was the beginning of the incident."
Tae-hyuk sensed something and asked in a small voice.
"Did your sister go to L high school?"
"Yes. It is a prestigious school with a high placement rate."
"And your sister is 25 years old this year?"
"T-that's right. How did you know?"
Tae-hyuk closed his mouth. He hadn't thought there would be a relationship like this.
He had memories of the next 14 years. Most of his memories were about criminals and the prison. Then there was the moment when he was about to receive the death penalty.
The problem was the day before the death penalty. At that time, he had met something that wasn't human. It had gaping holes for eyes and a mouth that was ripped up to the ears. Whenever it laughed, red blood dripped down its face. In the end, Tae-hyuk didn't know who it was. He just remembered that he had made a deal with it.
It had talked about the deaths of Ha-ran and Tae-min. Seo Tae-min had become a lawyer to save Tae-hyuk, but he struggled to find evidence until the end, where he was murdered and sunk under the sea.
Seo Ha-ran was fired after it became known that her brother was a murderer. She had become involved in a multi-level marketing scheme with a friend. The result was her ruin. She lost everything and committed suicide.
This was the future that Tae-hyuk remembered. The reason he didn't want to be reminded of this was because the multi-level marketing scheme had caused the destruction of Ha-ran. Ha-ran was 25 years old this year, and she also went to L high school.
Was all of this simply a coincidence?
Tae-hyuk made a scary expression without saying anything, causing An Eun-young to wave her hands in front of his face.
"Oh, sorry I was thinking of something else. Continue the story."
Tae-hyuk said with a casual expression.
"Y-Yes."
An Eun-young resumed the explanation.
Her sister Eun-jeong thought of the school as a prison and went outside to play everyday. Then she met the leader of a bad group and they fell in love.
"… Unni left a letter saying she was sorry and vanished. She even took all of the gifts at home. Dad went crazy and removed Unni from the family register. It was the first time I've seen Dad so mad."
"But how did you learn that she was involved in a multi-level scheme?"
"Hmm, that was a few days ago. I was coming home and a man on a motorcycle came with a note for An Eun-jeong's little sister."
"Did you see the man's face?"
An Eun-young shook her head.
"He was wearing a helmet. This is the note."
Tae-hyuk took the piece of paper that An Eun-young gave him and confirmed the contents.
'An Eun-jeong is in danger of falling into a multi-level scheme. Tiwai International.'
It was suspicious, no matter how he looked at it.
"Did you tell your father?"
"No… He tore it up as soon as I give it to him…"
Tae-hyuk had a strange feeling when he looked at An Eun-young, who didn't care about her own safety. She believed in herself more than her parents.
He felt like he was chewing a mouthful of sand.
"Maybe this is better left to the police."
An Eun-young's hands started shaking at Tae-hyuk's firm answer.
T-that's right… S-Sorry. I-I just wanted to consult with Tae-hyuk so, don't, I don't want to be a burden."
Tae-hyuk felt a knot in his chest. Was it possible to end it this way?
A multi-level company was a seemingly legitimate business with no problems showing. If there was a report to the police, then they would say that it was wrong. What would happen if a full-fledged investigation was started? There would be little difference. A few people in charge would be sent to prison, but they certainly couldn't get a hold of everyone in the multi-level scheme. They would just move on to another company with a different name and sign.
Tae-hyuk sighed slowly.
'Yes. This is the deal. If An Eun-jeong is really Noona's friend, then I will plunge into this case. If there isn't a connection, then I will consult Kang-suk hyung.'
Tae-hyuk pulled out his phone to send a message to Ha-ran.
–Noona.Did you have a friend called An Eun-jeong in high school?
Beep.
He pressed the Send button. What answer would come back? Tae-hyuk swallowed his saliva. 30 seconds passed before there was a reply.
–Yes.Noona's friend.It has already been a few years since I've met her.Did she contact you on my old phone?Tell her to call me.
Tae-hyuk's mouth trembled. As expected, Ha-ran and An Eun-jeong were friends. An Eun-jeong had drawn Ha-ran into the multi-level company world. If he helped An Eun-jeong now, then he could shatter the future of Seo Ha-ran, who fell into ruin due to the multi-level marketing scheme.
Tae-hyuk looked at An Eun-young, who seemed like she was about to cry. What if he suddenly changed his mind and said he would help?
'Oh. Wait. There is that method!'
Seo Tae-hyuk was reminded of a game that could be called a man's romance.
"Eun-young, I'm bored. Do you want to play Rock Paper Scissors? If you win, then I'll help you with this case. Instead, if I win, help me with my newly developed magic…"
An Eun-young turned red with anger and threw out her hand to play Rock Paper Scissors.
Tae-hyuk, who was trying to lose intentionally by using the 'Gambling' skill, felt like crying. It was the door of truth that he never wanted to see!"Tiwai International… it's a multi-level company that was created 10 years ago, and will continue to operate for the next 14 years."
Tae-hyuk muttered as he looked up at the 15 story building in front of him. This building was all Tiwai International.Usually, a multi-level company had around 1,000 members, and had billions of won in assets. That's why it had such a great building. At least 10 times… No, more than 100 times.
There was a cardinal rule. If you don't make other people your co-worker, then don't bother going out. Maybe they were half trapped in the building.
'It isn't a building but a dungeon.'
The inside was illegally modified like a maze. People wouldn't be able to get out fully without knowing the way.
First, he came to look at the situation. But it seemed like he had to prepare properly before entering.
'There are janitors and security guards going in and out.'
Tae-hyuk suddenly came up with a good plan to infiltrate Tiwai International. He would pose as a janitor to go inside. In order to do that, he needed clothes.
'This is when the Internet marketplace is useful. Let's see… The janitor uniform…'
In the old days, his guard uniform was commissioned from a uniform company. It took a lot of time.
Compared to that, Internet deals were easy and quick. A secondhand store selling janitor uniforms that boasted five million members caught his attention.
'… Should I trade with Wang Grandmother Uniforms? It has a truly unique flavour.'
He travelled a few stops on the subway in order to make a direct deal with the person. Tae-hyuk made the right deal. After 30 minutes, he was able to get his hands on exactly what he wanted.
'Then I'll change in the toilets.'
He dressed as a janitor in the subway toilets and made his head damp with water. He used cream to appear haggard and now looked like a janitor. Then he went back to the entrance of the building where he was stopped by a security guard.
"What are you doing?"
Tae-hyuk used Voice Modulation to sound older.
"Kim-ssi's body isn't good so I came to replace him."
The guard looked Tae-hyuk up and down.
"Hrmm. I didn't hear about such a thing."
"That's why I came to tell you."
"Oh, is that so? Then go in."
"Yes, keep up the good work."
In a building of this size, there were at least 10 janitors going in and out. At least one of them would have a surname of Kim.
Tae-hyuk shrugged and entered the building.
'The beginning is good. The problem is where to find An Eun-jeong.'
The building appeared to have many rooms on each floor. But there were 15 floors. It would take a few days to search through each room. There was a loud noise from the entrance.
"I-I-I'm sorry. I'm late for a new employee seminar."
A woman in a suit was talking to a security guard. Tae-hyuk smiled as he looked at the scene from afar.
'An Eun-jeong has showed up in the wild.'
He found the person he was looking for. It was a more mature face than the one he saw in the photo. She was wearing a khaki suit and had makeup on his face. She literally felt like a new employee. But when he looked closely, he could see some similarities to An Eun-young.
An Eun-jeong took the stairs on her high heels. Surprisingly, this building didn't have an elevator. It was so that the members couldn't run off easily.
Tae-hyuk slowly followed behind her.The seminar sat down the new people that the employees had brought and explain the company's system. A middle aged man turned on a projector and was giving a speech.
Tae-hyuk snuck through the back door and casually sat in the back. He had changed from the janitor clothes to normal clothes.
In the seminar room, dozens of men and women of various ages were sitting. An Eun-jeong was among them.
'Is she a frivolous person?'
A person with this type of mentality. Everyone in the room responded together, even if they didn't understand. Obviously, more than half the people in this room had frivolous characters.
The middle-aged man spat out.
"Remember the IMF in 1997? Do you know what caused it?"
People raised their hands.
"People buy and sell foreign goods. Doesn't everything overseas look luxurious?"
The man said.
"Do you all know? Some will teach you from the textbooks. But I won't. In fact, it is something that all big companies and the government can't do."
The man shook his head and plausible graphs and interviews with experts appeared on the projector.
"In the end, the big companies will wrong people in order to save money. But what will happen to them? All those who work are forced into early retirement. Their business goes into debt and they commit suicide. Your siblings living at home will have to clean the kitchen. It is due to overconsumption? People want to travel abroad or have foreign cars. How will you get your hands on these?"
The people in the seminar room were all quiet.
"So, you have to put survival above other people's lives. Regardless of the labour reform, people do what they can to live as cheaply as possible. If you say that it is hard then your efforts aren't enough. Let's compromise. Share the pain. Squeeze them more. Who will defend the salary of more than two million won that you will receive here?"
No one raised their hand.
"Do you know why? It is because things aren't distributed properly? Distribute it. Is it distributed properly? That is the question. You should get paid as much as you can. So we have developed a new marketing system for you. Now, please pay attention to the screen."
The people who had been distracted 10 minutes ago, started listening to the man. Tae-hyuk stared at the man who caught the crowd's attention. His eloquent words sounded plausible. His charisma overpowered the audience.
'Choi Sung-yeol. You were here.'
One of the blacklist members. The scammer Choi Sung-yeol was here.
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Chapter 47: The Family's Condition #3
Choi Sung-yeol's words contained a strange eloquence. He blended one lie among 10 facts. That way, it sounded like he was just telling the truth.
The contents of Choi Sung-yeol's words were simple. Large corporations regarded their employees like slaves. In addition, they bribed politicians to try to pass labour reform laws. No matter how hard someone worked, they could be thrown away like a used tissue. They would never be rewarded for their efforts.
However, Tiwai was different. By default, in order to join the company, a person had to purchase a certain amount of shares. It wasn't a relationship between an employer and employee, but one where everyone was an owner. If there were tangible results, then their rating would go up. The higher the rating, the greater the distribution.
'Well, it sounds like a plausible story.'
Tae-hyuk clicked his tongue.
It was no use if people were owners. In the end, the exploitation targets just changed to a higher grade.
However, Choi Sung-yeol was extremely good at cajoling the new members. There were men and women next to him, all decoys planted by Tiwai.
The old people praised him by using their years of experience. The young ones said they had a burning passion. There were those who didn't have proper jobs, and were now living well. Every one of them spoke words of praise. The praise, that was as smooth as butter, poured out of their mouths and were caught in the people's ears.
While the sense of confidence increased, the final blow was dealt. If they joined now, then they could go up to a higher grade. They could reach the status of other people, who had worked for a few years, in an instant.
In that way, the participants were persuaded. Interviews with members of Tiwai were broadcasted on the screen. The attendees looked at the screen with flushed faces.
"Look at this. Many people are making more than five million a month. Are you willing to do that? Do you lack experience? Or is there a lack of enthusiasm?"
A person who earned around 800,000 a month would become someone who earned more than 10 million won in the first three months. A man, who said he was in his first year of employment, took out the key for a foreign car from his pocket and shook it.
Now everything was gathered for the perfect situation.
Tae-hyuk laughed.
'It is like taking off the label and replacing it with one from a deluxe brand. Furthermore, that isn't a key no matter how I look at it."
It was a fake made for use as a movie prop. It was made elaborately so that it couldn't be distinguished from the real thing. However, Tae-hyuk had the ability to grasp the authenticity of an object, due to the Forgery skill improving his discerning eye.
Tae-hyuk wondered if he would receive a new crime skill and checked the Demon Revealing Mirror.
'Um. There is no new skill.'
So far, Tae-hyuk had met seven blacklist members. However, except for Big Mama, he didn't receive any of their crime skills. Was it necessary to upgrade to Noble?
'By the way, what is An Eun-jeong doing? She isn't a decoy?'
She hadn't appeared with Choi Sung-yeol's party. Tae-hyuk looked around the meeting room and was able to find her. An Eun-jeong was sitting in a corner and writing down Choi Sung-yeol's notes in a notebook. She looked just like An Eun-young.
'… They are truly family.'
The other people were busy talking to each other. Tae-hyuk sat next to An Eun-jeong and asked.
"You have been writing really hard. What is the content?"
An Eun-jeong laughed and held out her notes.
"This? I was writing about Choi Sung-yeol sunbae. He really is great, and none of his words are ridiculous. The money he earns as well… I want to be like him someday."
An Eun-jeong was looking at Choi Sung-yeol with sincerely respectful eyes.
Tae-hyuk inwardly sighed.
She was completely deceived without knowing it. The good news was that she hadn't been completely corrupted yet.
'I need to discover how deep her feet are.'
"An Eun-jeong is working really hard."
"Uh, how did you know my name…?"
An Eun-jeong asked with wide eyes. Tae-hyuk pointed to the employee ID hanging around her neck.
"I saw the name hanging around your neck. Oh right, my name is Lee Cheol-su."
Tae-hyuk gave the pseudonym he used during the voyeur incident.
An Eun-jeong nodded.
"Oh, I see. Anyway, I am currently a silver member. If I can recruit 10 more people, then I can upgrade to gold… I need to work harder!"
An Eun-jeong took a fighting posture. She had a similar atmosphere to Ha-ran. It felt like he was watching a child.
Tae-hyuk lowered his voice as much as possible and said.
"That's amazing. Already a silver member… You must have spent a large amount of money."
An Eun-jeong hesitated before opening her mouth.
"… Yes. In fact, it was the money I had set aside to rent a room. I used it all but… I can make a lot more once I become a gold member!"
Tae-hyuk's head started to hurt.
She must have devoted millions of won into this. After becoming a part of the multilevel marketing, a person could easily obtain a higher grade if they spent a certain amount of money.
However, the problem was after that happened. They had already invested money, and now they couldn't pull their feet out. Once that happened, the appearance of the company would change by 180 degrees.
'Gather members. Bring in more money because your shares are low. Go out and sell new products.'
There was constant exploitation. At the end of the day, they wouldn't be able to sell enough.
An Eun-jeong was laughing with an innocent face.
'I thought she was moderately quick-witted…'
The woman in front of him never even imagined that she was being deceived.
"I'll ask you just one thing. How many people have you brought here?"
"Well… Two or three people."
A fool pulled in other fools. The multilevel scheme was truly scary.
Tae-hyuk asked with a heavy expression.
"So they all became part of Eun-jeong's shares?"
At that moment, An Eun-jeong's eyes shook.
"… It isn't like that. It will be given the next time I register a name."
"I see. The people Eun-jeong brought in received consultation from another person and was registered under their name. Next time, do better. Is that the method?"
An Eun-jeong looked at Tae-hyuk with a startled expression. Based on her expression, it seemed like he had struck the nail on the head.
"H-How did you know?"
Tae-hyuk told An Eun-jeong the truth.
"If you gather 10 more people, then you can reach the gold rank?"
"Yes…"
The confident voice from a few minutes ago had become smaller.
"That number will never go to zero. Eun-jeong also knows this to a certain extent."An Eun-jeong looked at Tae-hyuk with a shocked face. Tae-hyuk had stabbed her with the sword of truth. However, he needed to use this degree of shock therapy on Eun-jeong.
At that moment, a strange thing happened.
'Uh, what?'
Tae-hyuk noticed a strange smell spreading in the seminar room. It was a smoke with a sweet, floral scent. He felt light-headed the moment he breathed it in.
An Eun-jeong's eyes also became blank. Then suddenly, her eyes became animated again.
She spoke in a strong tone.
"T-That can't be. I can surely upgrade my rank if I work hard! Ah, that's right. Cheol-su! Cheol-su shouldn't think like that. Cheol-su is also in our company. We should work hard together to make a lot of money. Then my father…"
'Damn…'
He thought it was almost over. However, An Eun-jeong was completely possessed by this strange perfume.
Tae-hyuk bit his lip and pulled out the Demon Revealing Mirror to check his status.
"O-Oh my god! All my stats are being reduced at a tremendous pace!'
His intelligence, that was close to 50, was now near 40 points. Tae-hyuk realized that his judgment was gradually falling.
'Did they even use a hallucinogen?'
He grabbed his left little finger in order to regain his spirit.
Wooduk!
The twisting of the bones caused his stats to stop falling. Tae-hyuk inwardly screamed but persisted.
'This isn't a normal method for a multilevel company. Wait a minute. Didn't Choi Sung-yeol have a partner?'
He wasn't a criminal who worked alone. He committed his scams with an even worse colleague. The name of another blacklist member popped into Tae-hyuk's mind.
'… Producer Kim Joon-young!'
He was a famous criminal who produced bizarre shows, a producer. Then the fragrance with the hallucinatory effect… Perhaps there were three or more criminals gathered here.
'Damn. Now they are flocking.'
Scammer Choi Sung-yeol. Producer Kim Joon-young. An unknown perfume user.
Tiwai International was a lair full of criminals. Tae-hyuk was barely able to win against the hippo using all of his skills. Since then, he hadn't got any new skills or upgrades. Yet this place had three criminals. In addition, there was the unidentified man who sent the note to An Eun-young. Who was he?
Tae-hyuk bit his lip as he thought about it.'But the fact that the Producer is here…'
Unfortunately, there wasn't much written about him in the blacklist. However, he remembered about the Death Circus run by the Producer. It was a flashy show of human desire and betrayal.
Tae-hyuk thought about the structure of the building. The interior was much smaller compared to the size. It felt like there were secret rooms that couldn't be entered through a normal route.
Maybe the Producer was planning the Death Circus.
Tae-hyuk realized that there was only one way for An Eun-jeong to escape from here.
"Eun-jeong. If there was a way to raise your rating all at once, what would you do?"
"Huh? A-All of a sudden?
"It isn't gold but the platinum rating."
Eun-jeong covered her mouth with her hands at Tae-hyuk's words. It was the same rating as Choi Sung-yeol. He led the thousands of silver and gold members and gained a huge amount of money from what they earned.
"R-Really?"
"If you have any doubts, then you can ask Choi Sung-yeol."
Tae-hyuk didn't miss the fire blazing in An Eun-jeong's eyes. She really was an easily convinced woman.
"… If there really is such a method then I will do anything. S-Surely…"
"It probably isn't what you are thinking. You could die."
"How do you know such a thing? Are you not an ordinary member?"
Tae-hyuk smirked. Now she had noticed.
"I came for this. Do you understand?"
"Ah…"
"But I can't do it alone. How about it? Do you want to reach the platinum rating with me?"
An Eun-jeong gave a strange groan as she hesitated for a moment. And after a while. She came to a conclusion and nodded.
"I accept. I should put my life on the line to make money."
'Ugh. This woman! Does she even know what she is saying?'
Tae-hyuk inwardly screamed. The words made him feel like puking. He needed to show An Eun-jeong reality.
'… Yes. Let's try it. Death Circus. If I look at it directly then I'll discover what I need to know.'
"Can you wait a minute? I have something to say to Choi Sung-yeol."
"Yes."
Tae-hyuk walked towards the front of the room. Two people were talking without any worries to Choi Sung-yeol. Tae-hyuk smiled as he reached Choi Sung-yeol.
"What is going on? I saw you talking to An Eun-jeong. Is there an incident that you would like to document?"
"Oh, I wanted to join. I came when I heard that Kim Joon-young was here."
"Huh? You came to see Kim Joon-young…"
"An Eun-jeong wants to play. Both of us would like to join the Death Circus."
Choi Sung-yeol's mouth twisted strangely.
"Ohuhu… There are applicants. How did you court An Eun-jeong? Anyway, it is nice to meet you. The show is scheduled for tonight."
"I'm glad that I don't have to wait."
"But is it really okay? You are still young. Your lives will be ours the moment you apply to participate in the Death Circus."
"It doesn't matter. I will win."
Choi Sung-yeol smiled brightly.
At best, they were hoping to pluck tens of millions of won from pushovers. Yet he willingly participated in the Death Circus. Now they could get hundreds of million of won.
"That confident expression is good. Then I will introduce you to Director Kim Joon-young."
That night, the Death Circus was going to begin.
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Chapter 48: The Family's Condition #4
Tae-hyuk and Eun-jeong were guided to a VIP room by Choi Sung-yeol. Sitting in the lavishly decorated room was a middle aged man.
'Producer…!'
Kim Joon-young looked like an ordinary man with a good style. He wore a neat, tailored suit, and had cropped hair. He had the atmosphere of a high income professional. However, he was actually the criminal responsible for the production and distribution of dangerous videos for nearly 10 years.
His main product was snuff films, showing brutal murder scenes. He showed a wide variety of people being killed in order to earn a profit. The terrifying thing about Kim Joon-young was that he did nothing but prepare the situation. He made many murder videos without getting his hands dirty.
However, there was a limit to the profit he could get from snuff videos. People eventually wanted a stronger stimulus. People quickly got tired of the videos of people being brutally killed. In addition, there were rumours that he was being targeted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.
So Kim Joon-young started the 'Death Circus' business. It was a game where people risked their lives in extreme situations. People watched in real time through magic windows or surveillance cameras. It wasn't a recorded video — the situation was actually happening in front of them.
It was a tremendous sensation. Domestic as well as foreign conglomerates swarmed to the market, causing entry tickets to soar to hundreds of millions of won. The only problem was that the survival rate was close to zero, decreasing the participants. Thus, he needed to find new participants each time the Death Circus happened, but that wasn't easy.
Choi Sung-yeol then appeared with the multilevel company, Tiwai International. The multilevel scheme sucked out the blood marrow from the members. After being driven to their limit, they would be entered into the Death Circus and forced to play a game with their lives on the line.
The two criminals created such a devilish system, and approximately seven years from now… Choi Sung-yeol and Kim Joon-young were arrested and sentenced in accordance to the federal laws.
However, the system they created continued, and there was an endless number of victims. Perhaps Seo Ha-ran…
Tae-hyuk felt dizzy. This incident didn't end with simply catching the criminal. He had to destroy the very system they created.
Just before sitting down, Tae-hyuk sent a message to somebody. The stage where the Death Circus was held didn't allow radio waves in or out. Therefore, all his preparations needed to be completed before entering.
Seo Tae-hyuk and An Eun-jeong sat down as tea and refreshments were placed in front of them. At first glance, the food looked luxurious. However, Tae-hyuk didn't touch it.
Kim Joon-young quietly observed the two people before opening his mouth.
"Hello. I've heard that you want to join the Death Circus."
Tae-hyuk answered while secretly sending messages on his smartphone.
"That's right."
Next, it was An Eun-jeong's turn. She asked the most important thing for her.
"Is it really true that I can leap to platinum rating in one go if I participate?"
"Of course. In addition, if you are lucky enough, then you can make an unimaginable amount of money overnight."
"Wah…"
"Well, it is a little dangerous. But if you survive, you can earn a huge amount of money. In theory, assuming that you win all the games, you can earn approximately three billion won."
It was an enormous amount of money that could change a person's life. An Eun-jeong drank the tea with a rapt expression as Kim Joon-young said.
"You are called Lee Cheol-su. Won't you have some?"
"I ate some bad lunch so it hurts."
"Then that is serious. Now that you pledged to participate in the Death Circus, you won't be able to get out of here. Should I ask for some medication to be brought over?"
Kim Joon-young's words were obvious. Tae-hyuk shook his head and replied.
"It is okay. I will be fine after some rest."
"Haha. I'm glad. Then let's talk about contracts. Please look at this."
Kim Joon-young pulled out two pieces of paper from a bag. He seemed to be in a good mood.
Lee Cheol-su and An Eun-jeong were lively young people. Those who participated in the Death Circus were in such a serious crisis that they wanted to commit suicide. Their spirits were likely to be dead before participating in the game. A desire to live needed to be ignited.
However, this wasn't necessary for these two. In particular, An Eun-jeong's appearance was quite good. The customers would be satisfied if a girl like her screamed in pain. Maybe tonight, he would be able to get a record level of revenue. Kim Joon-young's eyes shone with greed.
Tae-hyuk looked at the piece of paper. In summary, it was a 'body waiver.' Those who participated in the Death Circus didn't receive any legal protection. Tiwai had the rights to the corpses.
It was ridiculous enough to be unreasonable. For the most part, the ones signing this were able to die anyway so it was their last gamble.
An Eun-jeong had already signed it. Tae-hyuk sighed and wrote down Lee Cheol-su.
Kim Joon-young made a satisfied expression.
"The details can be seen after entering the Death Circus. Good luck on receiving a jackpot!""Ohuhu…"
Kim Joon-young laughed as the two participants left to join the Death Circus. Tonight there were more participants than usual. In addition, the two people who entered…
The female was an employee of Tiwai International.
Kim Joon-young would have eventually convinced her to join the Death Circus. However, he had expected it to take 10 years. He remembered thinking that she was a girl who would have a lot of value in the future. It was a little quicker than expected, so tonight would be heated up. A young girl crying in pain was the best entertainment.
But the man was unusual.
"He is called Lee Cheol-su?"
He wasn't an employee of Tiwai, but he seemed to be familiar with the Death Circus. Perhaps he was a puppet prepared by one of the guests.
"It isn't unwelcome."
Kim Joon-young laughed.
He contacted some people and told them to pay attention to Lee Cheol-su. At first glance, the system of the Death Group seemed very fair.
Win money or lose your lives. However, this was just the stage that Kim Joon-young prepared. There were numerous traps for the participants. In the end, Tiwai would have the last laugh.
Kim Joon-young sat on a chair and watched the monitors. It showed all of the Death Circus. All he needed to do was relax and enjoy it.
There were numerous attractions and traps that were impossible to survive. It was impossible even for a god. Kim Joon-young was certain.A man in a black suit guided Tae-hyuk and Eun-jeong somewhere.
The building had a labyrinth-like structure.
Eun-jeong's face had turned pale.
"W-What am I doing…?"
She seemed to have realized that she had signed a waiver form, and that she couldn't run away from here. The only way to escape was to clear all the attractions, and use 200 million to purchase a platinum certificate.
The guide said.
"Once again, I'll explain the rules. All participants will receive 50 million won by default. The value of life… You can think of it as that."
The man explained while walking down the passage.
"And An Eun-jeong, you have shares in Tiwai International. That money will be given as well."
An Eun-jeong's expression brightened.
"The shares are obviously worth 100 million… So I will have that in addition to the 50 million?"
The man in the black suit shook his head.
"No. Ahn Eun-Jung's share is worth roughly 15 million won. The rest has been distributed to the upper ranks."
"Huh? T-That is ridiculous! I definitely bought 100 million in shares!"
"Have you forgotten that a portion of the shares would be transferred to the upper ranks?"
"T-That's right…"
If she recruited new members, then a portion of their money would be hers. Most people only thought about that. She didn't notice that her own shares would also be taken.
Tae-hyuk listened to the conversation between the man and An Eun-jeong.
'85% was taken from the beginning. You really evil bastards.'
It meant that the members absolutely couldn't climb up from silver rank. They would undergo the pain forever, and would eventually be forced to participate in the Death Circus.
The man stood in front of a firmly closed iron gate and contacted someone through a radio. Then there was a lumbering sound as the door opened.
"We have now arrived. My role ends here. I wish you will obtain a jackpot."
The black suited man bowed and disappeared back the way they came.
"U-Uh…?"
Eun-jeong made a confused expression as she looked inside. A game of life or death. She had imagined a dark basement place guarded by many men. However, the interior was completely unexpected.
It was almost like…
Tae-hyuk said.
"An amusement park?"
There were mascot dolls wandering around. There were also a few rides scattered here and there.
"Yes. Isn't this better than I thought?"
Tae-hyuk shrugged.
They looked like ordinary attractions, but she still didn't know the horror of this place. As the two of them entered, a mascot doll came up and gave them badges.
Tae-hyuk sighed and accepted it.
"Now it will really start."
Once he placed in on his chest, the badge showed the number 50. It meant that his current money was 50 million won.
"Just place it on the chest?"
An Eun-jeong copied him and the number 65 appeared.
The two people entered. Then an announcement was heard.
-Since there are two new entrants, I will explain it once again.Your e-money will be reduced by 10 every hour.Once it reaches zero, you will be automatically eliminated, so please be careful.Then I hope you hit the jackpot!
Elimination meant death. In addition, there was a 10 million won fee every hour. It was ridiculous.
Tae-hyuk tugged the hand of the despairing An Eun-jeong.
"There are some people playing Pirate Roulette over there."
Tae-hyuk pointed to a place that was slightly far away.
There were two people playing a pirate game. There was a pirate in the barrel, and people would insert their knives in order. The winner would be the one who caused the pirate to pop out. The barrel was made large enough for someone to enter. The man inside had a pale white face as he bit his lip. The person holding the knife outside was hesitating about which hole to insert it into.
There were 10 attractions in this place. Each one had a sign explaining how to play them. An Eun-jeong read the sign for Pirate Roulette.
"After entering, three knives must be inserted before leaving. If successful, you will be paid 10 million won. You can gain an additional 10 million won for each successive win. If you fail, then the money of the person with the knife will be recovered. Umm… There are nine holes in total. Take a good position. If your position isn't good then you might end up stabbed in the arms or legs."
"Well. Is it like that?"
The man holding the knife shouted.
"J-Just one more and it will be 90 million won! I'm sorry but just one more…"
The man inside the barrel shrieked, but the man holding the knife didn't stop.
"Ooooof!"
The knife entered the barrel and blood emerged. An Eun-jeong covered her mouth with both hands as she watched.
"This is the 4th failure… he has no luck."
"Failure? He was successful in one thing. The person inside didn't die yet."
"Huh? B-But the knife!"
"Only one out of the nine holes doesn't have a knife device installed. Any hole would stab the person inside with a knife. How could he survive so many stab wounds? This is the Pirate Roulette you are watching right now."
Tae-hyuk explained in a calm voice. However, the information was bloody.
"… R-Ridiculous, n-no… How is this…?"
An Eun-jeong sat down on the spot. From now on, the games they would have to play were far crazier.
Tae-hyuk said.
"Then let's go to the next attraction."
He pulled Eun-jeong up and walked to the next attraction.
Death Circus. It was a crazy amusement park where those who entered would die. It was systematically impossible to survive here.
However, Seo Tae-hyuk was different. He was certain of victory.
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Chapter 49: The Family's Condition #5
Tae-hyuk circled around the Death Circus and explained each of the attractions to An Eun-jeong one by one. The rules of the death game, spoken in a calm and cool voice, were imprinted into Eun-jeong's head.
The next place that they arrived at was a pool filled with water up to the knees.
"There is a cylindrical shaped cushion floating on the water. Perhaps this is an attraction where we have to make it to the other side."Tae-hyuk approached the sign and said.
"If successful, we will be awarded 30 million won. By the way, the liquid underneath is hydrochloric acid. If a person slips, then their bones will melt. But the worst thing is that the hydrochloric acid isn't very deep. It isn't enough to cause instant death. You will have to endure a few minutes where your feet is melting. The name of the attraction is the Bridge of Pain… Doesn't the name really match?"
It was a method that frequently appeared on TV entertainment programs. The red stain spreading in the hydrochloric acid looked like strawberry syrup. There was also a lump floating in one corner. Tae-hyuk spoke as he pointed to it.
"It seems like one challenger has already failed. Still, I think that this attraction has a better return on time than others. We are wasting money by just looking around. Why don't you try it?"
"I-I-I can't! How can I do that?"
Other attractions would only cause a loss of money if they failed. Even it it hurt, there wasn't a 100% chance of dying. However, the Bridge of Pain would cause death if she didn't recover instantly. Furthermore, the appearance of the red syrup and lump of flesh turned her off from the attraction.
30 million won could only be obtained from taking such risks. Tae-hyuk was reminded of entertainment programs again. An obstacle was placed on an ordinary pool and the contestant had to cross to the other side. If the contestant fell, then they would only get wet.
Even so, the success rate wasn't that high. Among them, the most difficult thing to run on was a cylinder. In other forms, they could grab onto the cushion if they lost their balance and fell. However, the cylindrical cushion was different. They would literally turn over and hit the water.
Falling meant death. It was hard to take one step in this situation, even if the person was strong. Moreover, this wasn't the end.
Tae-hyuk looked at the large fan that was installed in the middle of the pool. It was off now, but it was ready to operate at any time.
'In the first place, the Bridge of Pain is an attraction that can never be cleared.'
After seeing one failure, there wouldn't be anyone who could easily challenge this.
Tae-hyuk knew how Kim Joon-young would take advantage of this. The Death Circus had a closing time. At that time, those who collected close to the amount of escape might rarely come out. If they collected 20~30 million won each time, then they would eventually get 200 million won.
However, there wasn't enough time to play the games. Then this bridge would become the temptation for them to get enough money for freedom. Of course, it was just like a gun loaded with bullets. The participants inevitably put their feet on the bridge, and once they started crossing…
The result was that more strawberry syrup would be added to the pool.
"Then let's go to the next attraction."
An Eun-jeong grabbed Tae-hyuk's collar as he walked forward. She couldn't speak properly after such a great shock.
"I-I-I'm so…rry. T-Take a break for a moment…"
"There is still a lot to see. Time is also money. As you can see, most of the attractions engender conflict between people. It is better to move as much as possible."
There was no time to waste. An Eun-jeong replied in a squeamish voice.
"…I can barely move. 10 minutes… no, just five minutes."
"Then we will take a break for five minutes and look around again."
He saw a place where they could take a break. There were chairs and a table. Next to it was a vending machine.
"I-I'll get a drink…"
"I would strongly recommend that you don't drink anything here, despite being thirsty. Devices are prepared. There is a possibility that you might ingest something strange."
Eun-jeong bit her lip. She remembered the tea and sweets she ate before coming here.
"Then what I ate…"
"Well. It is possible. But you were the one who made the choice. I guess this is the big price you have to pay."Eun-jeong couldn't answer and looked down at the table. A small sob was heard. Tae-hyuk looked at the crying Eun-jeong with cold eyes.
She was the one who would drive Ha-ran to ruin. Of course, it was also due to the bad multilevel company Tiwai International and the Death Circus organized by Producer Kim Joon-young. However, this didn't mean that An Eun-jeong's sins had disappeared. She had already pulled several people into the multilevel company.
If he had to say some harsh words… Every person needed to be accountable for their choices. An Eun-jeong had signed up for the Death Circus, and now she was paying for it. But she still had something left. The sin of bringing in innocent people to the multilevel scheme. It was something that couldn't be easily repaid.
"Noona should know how many people suffered from her mistakes. How many people did you bring into this company? They will all meet ends like this."
"…I-I'm sorry. I am really sorry."
An Eun-jeong couldn't raise her head and started to apologize.
He lost his appetite. She was the enemy who drove Seo Ha-ran to ruin. He would rather hate her and act like she was a criminal, but that wasn't the case.
She was also a victim of the system. He couldn't forgive her but he decided not to blame her.
Tae-hyuk wanted to confirm one thing with Eun-jeong. It was the reason why she had joined Tiwai International.
"By the way, why did you need so much money?"
An Eun-jeong was lost in thought for a moment and didn't say anything. Then all of a sudden, she started talking.
"I have a younger sister and there is a distinct gap between us. I prefer to play around without much interest in studying, while she is an example of a perfect student. She always got first place since elementary school."
She had a younger sister who was a model student. An Eun-jeong had a huge inferiority complex towards her sister.
"My dad told me to marry quickly since I can't do anything else. He engaged me to a promising doctor… In the end, I couldn't bear it, so I ran away. But… But… I found out that my mother had leukemia. I wanted to be recognized. I wanted her to be proud of her daughter at least once before she died. Not the stupid daughter who ran away…"
Eun-jeong's voice trailed off and she slowly started to cry.
Tae-hyuk said.
"Eun-jeong wanted to be recognized as family?"
"Yes…."
"Then I'm sorry. They seem to think a little differently."Eun-jeong lowered her face with a really pained expression. However, Tae-hyuk's words didn't end there.
"In fact, I came here as a favor to someone.
"F-Favour?"
"Yes. Someone asked me to rescue Eun-jeong from here."
"W-Who…?"
"To be exact, it was your younger sister."
Eun-jeong's eyes widened as she realized who sent Tae-hyuk to this place.
"The conditions for being a family? Is there such a thing? It doesn't matter how wrong you were, nor how bad you are now. You are still family. Stop being a fool and come back soon."
"Ah…!"
An Eun-jeong sighed. Then she muttered in a low voice.
"Eun-young… I'm sorry…"
'Is the shock therapy over?'
Tae-hyuk sighed and patted Eun-jeong's hair. What would she look like if her sister was actually in front of her? He tried to imagine such a ridiculous thing, but it wasn't over yet. No, rather, it was starting now.
"The melodrama has now ended. Anyway, so far we've looked at roughly 70% of the attractions. You must have come to the conclusion that you can't get out of here."
"…Yes."
"This is just like human chess. If you lose, then you will lose a corresponding body part. If you are lucky and win consecutively, you'll only lose an arm or an eye. You don't want to leave here like that."
"Then what can I do?"
"From now on, Eun-jeong will have to entrust me with your money and life. If you don't like it, then you can move on your own."
An Eun-jeong bit her lip. It was a proposal that wasn't easy to accept.
"But what is your relationship with my younger sister?"
"Well. She was gracious enough to change my fate. That is all I will tell you."
He had become a model student because of An Eun-young.
Eun-jeong fell deep into thought. She seemed to be debating on whether she should believe the stranger in front of her or not.
Tae-hyuk waited until she answered. If the proposal was accepted then she would become a chess piece that could be used at will.
"Yes. I accept. I'll give you everything. So… Please take me to my sister."
"Then the contract is established."
"But is there a way to get out of here?"
Tae-hyuk laughed and started to slowly explain his plans. An Eun-jeong's eyes opened wider as she listened to his words.
"T-That isn't possible!"
It was really ridiculous.Cha Soo-hyun was looking around the Death Circus.
He understood the rules of this place better than any other participant.
A variety of attractions existed. However, there were two major types. Apart from completing some missions with given conditions, there was the PvP format where two people competed to take the opponent's money. Of course, there was a high percentage of the latter. In particular, the missions were fatal if there was even a small error. Only fools would be deceived by such things.
Cha Soo-hyun was a survivor, despite the survival rate being close to zero. He received a platinum membership card, but he wasn't satisfied with it. He had realized the pleasure of killing others.
It couldn't be done outside. However, it was possible here. In addition, he could also get extra income. He could earn more than 200 million overnight.
This was already the third time that Cha Soo-hyun had participated in the Death Circus. Of course, he had to change his face by using a simple cosmetic surgery, because he couldn't reveal his identity. Only a few in Tiwai were aware of this fact.
He would kill 10 people tonight. Their lives would be worth 500 million.
Cha Soo-hyun had already eaten two people. Now he had to find the next prey.
Then he found some cute rabbits hiding near the Bridge of Pain.
'A man and a woman.'
The woman looked like she would be a tasty kill. In addition, they seemed scared to challenge the attractions.
'Well, the man…'
Was he in his early 20s? He had bushy hair and a leather jacket. He seemed like a neighbourhood bum.
Looking at the nameplate on their chests, he was surprised to see that both of them had stayed above 50 million won.
Cha Soo-hyun licked his lips. Then he approached them with a face that was as innocent as possible.
"This is too much. It really is a crazy game… I don't think I was in my right mind."
"Who are you?"
The woman asked. The man just yawned with a blank face.
"Oh, I am Cha Soo-hyun. Haven't you tried any of the attractions yet?"
"Yes… So what?"
"I was looking for someone like that. I know a strategy where three people can win more than 50 million won. How about it? Do you want to cooperate and survive this crazy game?"
The woman tilted her head with confusion. Her expression was unsure. Then the yawning man opened his mouth.
"Sheesh. I guess so."
It seemed like this man was the one who made the decisions.
"Really? It's a surefire win. Really appetizing."
Cha Soo-hyun laughed.
The opponent was already halfway there. Now all he had to do was eat.
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Chapter 50 – Death Circus #1
A day before Tae-hyuk infiltrated Tiwai International. The 10 affinity points he gained from catching the hippo were still unused. Tae-hyuk was going to strengthen a few skills with it.
"But what is this platinum draw…?"
A message like this appeared.
[Platinum Draw Chance!]
-You can obtain various skills by using 10 affinity points.
-It is possible to acquire skills that aren't available due to the your low rank.
-The more you draw in a row, the more points you will consume.
In the beginning, you can draw a skill with 10 points. However, from the second draw, it will increase in increments of 10.
"Then the second draw will cost 100 affinity points…"
It seemed to imply that he could draw every time he raised his rank. Tae-hyuk clicked his tongue.
"Wow, isn't this completely like a mobile game?"
It seemed to be exactly the same, except affinity points were used instead of cash. It meant that there were also losing tickets.
"… Should I strengthen my skills? Or should I pick up a new skill…"
Tae-hyuk stood at the crossroads of choice. He thought for a while before coming to a conclusion.
"Yes. This is a man's romance! This time I will draw X-ray Vision!"
It was a skill that he had missed gaining. He decided to invest 10 affinity points in order to obtain the man's romance. Tae-hyuk pressed the START button and saw the roulette turn around on the Demon Revealing Mirror. There were cheerful sound effects as he received the message indicating that he got a new skill.
"W-wait a minute. This skill is…!"
Tae-hyuk's eyes widened as he gazed at the Demon Revealing Mirror.
The stage was at Tiwai headquarters where the Death Circus was being held.
The time left until the closing- 310 minutes."There is a winning strategy."
Cha Soo-hyun said with a confident expression.
"Really? A winning strategy sound really appetizing."
Tae-hyuk's eyes flashed as he gazed at Cha Soo-hyun.
"It has been less than an hour since the two of you participated. Um. You're Lee Cheol-su and An Eun-jeong."
Those who attended the Death Circus had name badges on their chests. It was a simple digital display that had two things written on it: the owner's name and the amount of money they possessed. The participants had to always wear it.
Cha Soo-hyun confirmed the money of Seo Tae-hyuk and An Eun-jeong. The two people had a combined value of 115 million won.
"I'll try to keep it simple. I currently have 85 million won. Do you want to check it?"
"That's okay."
"Indeed. The three of us have exactly 200 million. There are two major types of games in the Death Circus. You might already know after looking around for a while… There are various attractions where you risk your lives to win prizes, or you can gamble with other participants. These two types."
Cha Soo-hyun watched Tae-hyuk and Eun-young before asking.
"Uh, are the two of you lovers?"
"Did you notice? I won't deny it."
"Then you will surely want to escape from here together."
Tae-hyuk made an exaggerated glum expression.
"… The problem is that we need 400 million to do this. I didn't know it was such a crazy game. Nevertheless, I should at least send Eun-jeong out of here."
"Ah…! You are prepared to sacrifice yourself for your lover! However, there is no need to do this as my winning strategy means that all three of us can get out of here safely. I can get 200 million won per person."
"G-Great!"
Cha Soo-hyun licked his lips and swallowed his saliva. His prey was already halfway there, and all he had to do now was eat. He had come to this place two times already, and knew how to eat people. That was how he managed to obtained 85 million won in two hours.
"Let me explain the blind spot in the Death Circus' system. The ultimate goal is to get 200 million won and escape from this place.
"Um… We can definitely get out of here if we get 200 million won."
"Yes. In a nutshell, no one here has more than 200 million won."
Cha Soo-hyun started to explain with a serious expression.
His aim was to make money easily by taking it away from the other participants. He wouldn't risk himself with the dangerous attractions. By default, the majority of the participants wouldn't be able to live.
There were approximately 30 participants in the Death Circus. The total amount of money circulating throughout the circus was nearly two billion won. However, every time an hour passed, 10 million won would be taken out as the participation fee. In the end, the total amount of money of all the participants would keep decreasing.
It was literally a zero-sum game. In order to increase it, participating in the missions was necessary in order to get money from the organizer. In other words, there was still two billion remaining. If he continued to win at PvP, then he could reach 600 million, enough for three people.
"The most typical gamble here is Bluff Poker. If you lose the ante, then you will pay with money or a corresponding amount of blood. It is a rate of 10 million won per 100ml. If a human loses two litres of blood then they would die, even if they are a strong adult male. If we combine our assets, then it is 200 million won. When looking at the odds, we can draw two litres of the opponent's blood before losing all our money. I am confident in a fight against anyone. Will you believe in me and entrust me with your money?"
The 200 million was a carefully calculated amount that would create a dominate position in any gambles conducted inside the Death Circus. It would literally be a one-sided slaughter. The problem was that the audience didn't want to see such things. They wanted a fight where they didn't know who would die. Thus, anyone who collected 200 million would get a platinum membership and would be sent out of here.
Cha Soo-hyun's winning strategy was simple: an alliance between three participants. All the money would be given to one person who would play against the others.
If so, they would be able to win at Bluff Poker. Bluff Poker was a game played with money at first. After the money ran out, then the game would truly begin in earnest. The audience could watch as blood was drawn and as the person slowly died. But if someone had 200 million won, then they could boldly play without fear of drawing their blood.
"Bluff Poker is literally a game of deception. It can best be described as Indian Poker. Either way, if you have 200 million, then you can win."
It was a famous card game with the nickname Bluff Blindness. There would be a deck of 20 cards ranging from 1 to 10. Then a card would be placed on their forehead. The participant could only see the opponent's card without knowing their own. In that state, they would make bets. Watching a calm person lose their money and then start to draw blood was very funny. That's why it was one of the most popular games for the audience.
Tae-hyuk listened to the explanation before opening his mouth.
"This money represents our lives. How can we believe you?"
Cha Soo-hyun smiled and pulled a business card from his wallet. Written on it was the name of the famous poker player, Cha Soo-hyun.
"Can you keep a poker face when betting against a person holding a 2 of hearts? I can do it."
"Cough! Still, I can't completely trust Cha Soo-hyun. This is a place where our lives are on the line."
Cha Soo-hyun nodded with a grave expression.
"Yes, that's right, so I prepared this contract. Do you want to check the details?"
Tae-hyuk received the piece of paper from Cha Soo-hyun.
"Um. The person who signs the contract will share all funds. If the person violates the agreement, then legal action will be taken."
"Yes. If this exists then I can never betray you. How about it? Do you want to work together to escape this crazy game?"
Tae-hyuk made a worried expression. An Eun-jeong muttered in a small voice that she would leave all the decisions to him. Cha Soo-hyun didn't miss this.
Tae-hyuk nodded and held out his hand.
"I've come to a conclusion. You are a poker player, and will do a lot better than someone like me. I will trust Cha Soo-hyun."
"Hahaha. An excellent choice."
The three people signed the contract prepared by Cha Soo-hyun. Cha Soo-hyun smiled at them. Naïve people would end up deceived in a place like this.
The contract he prepared was certainly legally valid. However, that only applied on the outside. In here, it was just like a piece of tissue paper. Entrusting their lives to such a thing… They were a really stupid couple!
"But how can we hand over the money?"
"Didn't the person who gave it to you explain? They were probably busy and forgot. It's simple. The badges have a tiny microphone built in that allows the audience to hear all of the conversations here. You can pass over your rights by handing it to someone else. If you agree, then the money will be passed onto to the other party."
Cha Soo-hyun made the motion to hand something over.
"Ah! Indeed."
At that time, Eun-jeong dropped the badge that she had been holding. Tae-hyuk bent over, picked it up, and bumped into Cha Soo-hyun's body.
"Ah, I'm really sorry. Eun-jeong is a little clumsy."
"Haha. It's okay. Then, shall we exchange?"
Tae-hyuk first received all of the money from Eun-jeong. The badge on his chest now said 115. Now it was Tae-hyuk's turn to hand everything over to Cha Soo-hyun.
"… I will take care of it."
Cha Soo-hyun smiled after seeing Tae-hyuk's badge. Now he had to wait to receive permission from Tae-hyuk. Cha Soo-hyun made a satisfied expression after Tae-hyuk handed over his badge. Everything was going as planned.
"Yes. With this, the funds will be transferred to the other party. Do you agree?" Tae-hyuk's expression, that had been blank until now, suddenly changed as he asked the question.
At that moment, Cha Soo-hyun swallowed his saliva. He thought that this guy was a little bunny, but he was currently giving off the atmosphere of a predator.
It couldn't be… Was Cha Soo-hyun mistaken?
However, the other person's badge was in his hand. He was the one holding the knife, and there was nothing the other person could do.
"I agree. Then we are on the same team… As if! Hahaha! You were tricked by me!"
Cha Soo-hyun laughed. The calm and rational appearance that he had showed for a while disappeared. This place was a jungle of deception, and blindly believing in someone was akin to jumping off of a cliff.
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Do you still not understand! You were deceived! Now all of this money is mine!"
"B-But the contract…"
"It will be time to pay the fee in a few minutes! If you don't have 10 million won then you will be forced to cross the Bridge of Pain! Ahaha! Your bodies will melt into nothing!"
Tae-hyuk sank down with a blank expression.
"W-We were deceived?"
"N-No! I don't want to die!"
An Eun-jeong shrieked with a desperate expression.
"Hahahaha! The dealers are coming to catch those who can't pay the fee."
Cha Soo-hyun chuckled and waved towards the men in black suits. They were wearing masks to hide their identities.
"Hey, why are you so late? Finish off this couple. What type of scene will occur in front of the Bridge of Pain? Hahaha!"
At that time, there was an announcement inside the Death Circus.
–Informing all participants.In a moment, 10 million won will be deducted from the money you are carrying.If you can't pay, then please accept that you will be forced to pay.
This is the third hour out of the eight hours of the Death Circus.
At that time, anybody who doesn't have the money to pay will be publicly executed.
"Hahaha! It is time for a fun execution! W-Wait a minute. What are you doing now? You should be…"
Three black suited men grabbed the laughing Cha Soo-hyun. One of the men in black suits said,
"Cha Soo-hyun. Your current balance is zero. You can't pay the fee, so we will enforce it. Take him away."
"Yes!"
Cha Soo-hyun couldn't understand and started screaming.
"What are you talking about? I have money! It is 200 million!"
The black suited man explained with no emotion in his voice.
"You handed it to Lee Cheol-su's badge six minutes ago. Five minutes ago, you agreed to the statement that the funds would be transferred to the other person. It all belongs to Lee Cheol-su now."
"W-wait a minute. What the hell?! I-I obviously…"
Cha Soo-hyun's face distorted as he looked at Tae-hyuk. Tae-hyuk smirked as he pulled a badge from his pocket and placed it on his chest. It now had the number '180' written on it.
"I-I obviously received your badge! This bastard! Shit! What?"
Tae-hyuk said.
"Ah, you mean that? It was a fake. For reference, I stole yours earlier. You definitely agreed to transfer ownership to me. Is there a problem?"
"Waaaaaah!"
Cha Soo-hyun screamed. He had accepted the badge of the opponent and agreed that money would be handed over to the other person. However, the badge he received was a fake. He had definitely checked it a few times…
In addition, Tae-hyuk said that he stole Cha Soo-hyun's badge. When on earth did he do that? Then when Cha Soo-hyun agreed…
"Yes. You agreed to hand me your money. This money will be very useful. Thank you."
"Fuck! I was tricked! This bastard tricked me! What are you doing? Get that bastard! Catch him!"
The black suited men gagged Cha Soo-hyun before literally dragging him elsewhere. He would probably be forced to cross the Bridge of Pain.
Tae-hyuk spoke to Eun-jeong who was shivering behind him.
"Do you want to go and watch the Bridge of Pain?"
"No, I don't… But even if he is a scammer, trying someone and killing them…"
Tae-hyuk spoke casually.
"Anyone who wants to eat somebody should be prepared to have it happen to them."
An Eun-jeong got goosebumps at that moment. She felt a deep abyss in the eyes of the man in front of her.
"… I thought you were Prince Charming who came to save me."
Tae-hyuk answered naturally.
"Prince Charming? I'm sorry I didn't live up to your expectations. I'm not such an upstanding person. Well, it is easier to think of me as a criminal catching other criminals."
"A criminal catching other criminals…"
"Noona should be careful. You never know when you will be eaten by me."
Tae-hyuk said before laughing.
He had a winning strategy. It wasn't just the participants here. There were some criminals planted by Tiwai, like Cha Soo-hyun. They ate up other participants.
Tae-hyuk took out the Demon Revealing Mirror and checked the message. It was the name of his newly acquired seventh skill.
Crime Skill Counterfeit. The ability to make fakes. He used it to create a fake badge to trick Cha Soo-hyun.
Tae-hyuk watched the trembling Eun-jeong.
"Eh? It was just a joke… If you look like that, then I will really seem like a bad person. Ah, that's right. Noona. Do you want to see a magic trick?"
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Chapter 51 – Death Circus #2
'The performance is clearly good… But no matter how I think about it, I picked a losing ticket.'
Tae-hyuk checked the crime skill while An Eun-jeong was taking a break.
He had invested 10 affinity points to receive a random skill. The ability that emerged was Counterfeit, a skill that was similar to the Forgery skill that he already had. However, there was a crucial difference between the two skills.
First of all, he didn't need to make anything with the Counterfeit skill. Forgery was basically making something that already existed, and materials were needed to activate the ability. The more he knew about the original, the more complete the result.
Counterfeit was a skill that made something look different. He cut a piece of paper that was 15468 mm and activated the Counterfeit skill, giving birth to a counterfeit bill of money.
Tae-hyuk laughed.
'It is a big hit up to here…'
He had yelled with joy when he first saw the skill description. A perfect fake! If he used it well, then he could get a tremendous amount of wealth.
However, there was a problem. There were a few constraints on the Counterfeit skill.
'… First, the duration.'
He could make a counterfeit bill with the skill, making it look like ordinary money.
The holograms and ink were perfectly converted, and there were even many anti-fake devices included on the bill, such as hidden images. In addition, it was fluorescent when looked at through an X-ray. All counterfeit money makers would want his method of production.
However, once it left Tae-hyuk's hands, it would return to its original state after five minutes. So no matter how perfect the counterfeit money, he couldn't even use it to buy a pack of gum. Furthermore, there was a limit to how many times he could use the skill. He couldn't use it often, like he did with Gambling.
'But it is the best skill to deceive a person in front of me.'
Tae-hyuk had perfectly tricked Cha Soo-hyun using the Counterfeit skill.
The method was simple. Tae-hyuk first received the badge from An Eun-jeong and transferred all the money to his badge. Then, he used An Eun-jeong's blank badge to create a fake badge with the number 115 on it. He used Robbery to take away the opponent's badge and agreed to transfer the money.
Cha Soo-hyun was covering his badge with a thick coat because he was reluctant to reveal his name and current revenue. That ended up choking him. He never noticed the important moment when his badge was stolen.
Tae-hyuk had acted the part of a boyfriend until the end. The result was a complete success.
'Isn't it a surprisingly usable skill? But X-ray Vision…'
Tae-hyuk kept lamenting about his missed opportunities to obtain X-ray Vision.
Tae-hyuk looked at Eun-jeong who had been sitting on the table for 10 minutes. She didn't do it directly, but she had cooperated in deceiving someone. She seemed to have received a psychological shock.
Tae-hyuk exclaimed like he suddenly thought of something.
"Ah right. That reminds me, Noona's badge should have melted with Cha Soo-hyun by now. But I don't want to give you the money I borrowed. Then if Noona isn't next to me, then you can't pay the fee."
Eun-jeong flinched at his words. It was a fact that Tae-hyuk hadn't mentioned 20 minutes ago.Eun-jeong understood the point that Tae-hyuk wanted to make. Her life was now in Tae-hyuk's hands. If she did anything that was even a little annoying…
"I think that is enough rest. Would you like to gain some money? I have to pay for two people so I need to get 200 million won in an hour."
"… Yes, I understand."
"Then I will be going to Bluff Poker."
Tae-hyuk turned and started to check the map. An Eun-jeong had goose bumps as she looked at his back.
The man called Lee Cheol-su felt worse than any criminal that she had ever met.The atmosphere permeating throughout the room was not dissimilar to one of a masquerade ball. There were brightly shining chandeliers. The tables were filled with a variety of luxury foods.
Many guests dressed in colourful clothes were laughing. They wore a wide variety of masks.
A woman in an opera mask asked,
"Who will survive this time?"
Then a tuxedo wearing man with a lion mask replied,
"This stage has a small number of general participants and many wolves."
They were told that the wolves were experts in various fields that were prepared by the organizers. They were hidden among the general participants.
"How many people have fallen into the pool?"
"Five people."
"Omo, omo! Then it will just be a one-sided massacre!"
The reaction of the opera mask was natural. Wolves had experienced the Death Circus several times. If the general participants competed with them then it would just be a one-sided massacre.
"Yes. Do they know how much money we spent for this one night? There shouldn't be more than two wolves."
The lion mask sat on a chair and yawned like he was bored. Dozens of monitors were showing the Death Circus at the party. The crowd was gathered here to watch the Death Circus. The opera mask said with a sigh,
"I guess it can't be helped. I wanted to see a fierce fight for survival… Today I just have to drink champagne while listening to the dying screams."
"Well, I don't dislike that either. Haha!"
The Death Circus was a very enjoyable spectacle. Humans killing humans. They questioned each other and took away what the person had. It was a primitive pleasure that couldn't often be enjoyed.
They couldn't help but admire Kim Joon-young's attractions. They could see such a fun show, a privilege of the select few.
The opera mask and lion mask drank champagne while listening to the screams, not even bothering to watch the monitors. Then someone said,
"Uh, there was a tremendous ruckus right now. Is it okay not to watch it?"
The lion mask turned his gaze towards where the voice was heard. It was a young woman wearing a butterfly mask. She was in her early 20s or so? Long hair fell to her waist and her dress exposed her chest and shoulders.
"A butterfly…?'
"Ahaha. Is the mask cute? It is one of my favourites."
The butterfly mask saw that the lion mask was in his 50s. However, that was the extent of information that was allowed to her by his mask. He wasn't a CEO in his 50s, but a person wearing a lion mask.
"Um. Well, it looks good."
The lion mask looked at the face, where the butterfly mask only covered the eyes. The reason that guests wore masks was to hide their identity. Visiting the Death Circus wasn't a hobby that they could talk about proudly, which was why it was necessary to cover their faces. It was even more enjoyable if they could visit a place where they felt like extraordinary existences.
Kim Joon-young created a party that borrowed from a masquerade ball. There was no problem seeing the other people in masks.
Chaebols made up 0.1% of the population of South Korea. They often knew who a person was by the voice or shape of the body. In such cases, they pretended not to know the other person, and called them by the name of the mask they were wearing. It was a type of tacit rule.
The Death Circus had been going on successfully for two years. However, this was the first time that a person had worn a butterfly mask that barely covered their face. Wasn't it the same as going unmasked?
The lion mask looked at the appearance of the butterfly mask. She was a considerable beauty. In addition, her chest was big. It seemed like she could be an idol singer right now.
"Um. This is a big deal. Was there such a young girl?"
The lion masked person laughed. Unknowingly, he started trying to figure out the identity of the butterfly mask. This was a place where it wasn't necessary. He could just refer to the person by the name of the mask and leave it to his desires.
The lion masked asked with a confused expression.
"A ruckus? What's going on?"
He had been a member of the Death Circus from the beginning, and had seen countless situations that could be considered extreme.
A young lady brutally killing others. Someone embracing the person who betrayed them, and jumping into the acid pool together. Numerous incidents remained in lion mask's memory.
But a ruckus? No one would be surprised if a wolf was about to eat.
"The sheep ate the wolf. It was a great scene!"
"W-What?!"
The lion mask woke up. Such a momentous occasion had happened while he was drinking champagne?
"W-Who?! No, did they win by chance? Still, a sheep can't beat a wolf!"
Butterfly mask laughed smugly.
"Unfortunately, it wasn't recorded."
"S-Sob!"
He had missed such a great scene. The lion mask groaned unpleasantly.
"Is it that disappointing?"
"I-It is natural. A sheep ate the wolf. This is the first time that it has happened in two years."
"There is still a lot of time left before closing, so do you want to watch it now?"
The lion mask shook his head.
"No, this is a miracle that won't happen again. They are going against pros. The miracle that allows ordinary people to win won't come easily."
"Is that really the case?"
"Well, it's a good bet that the sheep will die. Butterfly Mask, do you know the name of the sheep?"
"Of course. Tae… No, Cheol-su."
"Hahat! Cheol-su? That is a name that appeared in a Korean book. Yes. I have to see how long he lasts."
The lion mask slowly walked to the monitor and searched for Lee Cheol-su. He was playing poker with someone at the table. The lion mask saw the face of the opponent and laughed.
"Haha. This is interesting. Is this the revenge of the wolves?"
The sheep Cheol-su was confronting another wolf.
"He has bad luck. I never imagined that he would meet two wolves consecutively."
Then the butterfly mask said.
"Isn't the sheep winning?"
The lion mask's eyes widened and he looked at the monitor.
He didn't see the moment that the first miracle happened. However, he saw the second one.
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Chapter 52 – Death Circus #3
Three hours had passed since the Death Circus started. Kim Joon-young frowned as he watched the progress on the monitors.
He didn't like it.
"This is a stage that is lacking in beauty."
There was no drama, nor was there a stunning victory. Usually, at least three times the amount of the current scenes would emerge.
All of this was due to that Choi Sung-yeol brat. Kim Joon-young had prepared the best stage and produced a variety of situations that would pull out human instincts and selfishness. Choi Sung-yeol's role was to gather the participants. It was a divided structure that took full advantage of both people's skills.
He usually put a wolf among 29 general participants before opening the Death Circus. However, the number of regular participants was exceptionally low this time. In the end, only 25 people were gathered. Two people entered shortly after it opened. In the end, he was forced to call five wolves in.
The result was this: nine people had already died, but none of the proper scenes came out.
In particular, Cha Soo-hyun was the worst. He cheated the opponent with his words and took their money away. It wasn't fun or impressive.
Kim Joon-young wanted to see participants challenging the attractions. Betraying those who believed in them to take the money away, or people risking their lives on a last gamble for revenge. Kim Joon-young wanted such drama.
Humans were filled with desires, selfishness, and greed. These emotions were the best seasonings for the Death Circus. If Cha Soo-hyun was left alone, then he would completely ruin this stage.
This had to stop. Kim Joon-young pulled out his phone to deal with Cha Soo-hyun.
For him, sheep and wolves were both consumables. The most important thing was to create the best stage, and it was necessary to get rid of Cha Soo-hyun in order for that to happen.
Kim Joon-young suddenly got a good idea. If Choi Sung-yeol didn't act properly, then Kim Joon-young would recruit the participants. Most of the people prepared by Choi Sung-yeol were those on the verge of ruin due to their debts. There was a bitter taste and they lacked freshness.
What if he lied to a young woman on the street about becoming a model in order to make her follow him? Maybe he could abduct a child and force their parents to participate. That way, a drama that was several times better than the current one would be born.
Kim Joon-young decided to try it next time.
Then the phone was connected.
"It's me. Replace a player. Take Cha Soo-hyun out right now."
–S-Sorry but he has already been sent off…
A thick vein throbbed on Kim Joon-young's forehead.
"Who told you to send him off?! This stage is mine. Without my permission…"
–It wasn't me. He was forcibly ejected by another player.
"What?"
–He was deceived by a man called Lee Cheol-su and handed over all of his money to the other party.
Kim Joon-young's face distorted. It was really unexpected, but Kim Joon-young decided to think of this as another opportunity.
"Hahat! That's right. Isn't a situation like this fun? Indeed, he was a black sheep."
It was slang for a criminal hiding amongst the sheep. Kim Joon-young's thoughts started to move rapidly. He had to take advantage of this situation and turn it into a great drama. It was the only way to save the stage that had been ruined.
"Yes. Deliver a message to all the wolves on stage right now. I will give a special bonus to those who hunt the black sheep."
–Yes!I understand.
Cha Soo-hyun was the smallest of the wolves, since all he could do was move his mouth.
Kim Joon-young started laughing. How long could the black sheep last against the wolves, armed with solid teeth and sharp claws? He couldn't stand the anticipation.Hunt the black sheep.
This instruction was issued to the wolves. A special bonus would be given to the one who was successful. A huge 100 million won bounty. That was 50% of the sum that they needed to earn.
The wolves' eyes flashed. Although they were experts in various fields, this was the Death Circus, a place where they never knew what would happen. There wasn't a 100% guarantee that they would be safe. Even so, they decided to participate for the sake of making money. Of course, there were some wolves who liked the taste of sheep, but they were few in number.
'I will get 100 million by catching Lee Cheol-su!'
That thought popped into the heads of all the wolves. If four wolves converged on the black sheep at the same time, then he could be easily eliminated. Of course, they had no intention of doing that.
The Producer would be angry that the spectacle that he created had been suppressed. Everything they did was in the name of the entertainment of the guests.
The remaining four wolves prepared to catch the black sheep.There were monitors of various sizes in the ballroom. They could see images from hundreds of cameras. If they chose a place that they wanted to watch, then it would be displayed.
The guests could pick the participant that suited their tastes. But now, the same person was showing on every monitor. All the masked people wanted to see him. In the end, they all assembled at the biggest monitor to watch the showdown between the black sheep and a wolf in Bluff Poker.
The opera mask said,
"For those of you who just arrived, I will briefly explain the situation. The sheep on the screen has just eaten a wolf. His name is Lee Cheol-su."
The masked people were dismayed.
"The younger one?"
"Yes. It seems like he hasn't even gone to the army yet."
"Looking at those clothes, he looks like a good-for-nothing neighbourhood punk…"
"Did he really eat a wolf?"
The opera mask clapped, forcing everyone else to fall silent.
"The game if Bluff Poker, everybody's favorite game. Lee Cheol-su has 180 million right now. Let's see, the wolf… He has 90 million."
"What? Isn't that close to 200 million? What's going on?"
The opera mask's eyes narrowed at the question from another masked person.
"I was surprised at first as well. Such an amount means that he will have an overwhelming lead over the wolf. However, that isn't the case. In fact, the game hasn't even started yet. This is the result of taking that woman and Cha Soo-hyun's money."
Those who had questions were convinced and nodded.
"He looks like a punk, but it is kind of good? By default, he has the advantage in Bluff Poker."
"With this amount, then he might win again."
The opera mask refuted the people talking.
"Do you think the Producer wouldn't take action?"
Opera mask manipulated the monitor to see the wolves. There were two men in their 30s. The masked people shouted as they remembered their faces.
"The Park Tae-soo and Park Dae-soo brothers!"
"Yes. The brother wolves have gathered to catch the sheep."
"T-This is a jackpot!"
The masked people shrieked.
The Tae-soo and Dae-soo brothers were famous card sharks known for working together.
"Yes. Each brother has 90 million. They always go against another person and win. It might be the same in this situation."
Tae-soo was known for his poker face that never lost its calm, no matter the circumstances, while Dae-soo had a keen eye for reading the opponent's cards. Of course, dexterity was a basic thing for both of them. If the two of them combined their strengths, they became a team that no other card shark could compete with. It was a confrontation between the sheep who took Cha Soo-hyun's money and the gambling brothers.
A huge battle was about to happen. The opera mask manipulated the monitor towards the viewpoint of the table.
"The game seems to be started straight away."
A time limit existed in the Death Circus. Thus, all the games were fast paced. Bluff Poker needed a dealer so a man in a black suit came and started to mix the cards.
It was two sets from 1-10. That was a total of 10 games. The number of cards meant it was relatively easy to count the cards.
It was Tae-soo who participated in the match. The lion mask sat on a chair and stared at the screen in front of him as he spoke. The opera mask next to him was in charge of commentary.
"This match is important, so the brother with the good poker face emerged before the other one."
"That's right."
"The basic bet is 10 million."
"Hoh. Isn't it usually one million?"
"They know that the opponent has a lot of money. It's an action designed to end this quickly."
The opera mask laughed.
"So if they run out of money, they will need to bet 100ml of blood. One litre of blood might be pulled out."
"Haha! I am looking forward to it. It will be a really exciting match."
The card was placed in front of Cheol-su and Tae-soo. The two men put the card on their forehead. They could see the opponent's card but not their own. Betting or withdrawing would now begin.
"Cheol-su has a 3 of spades, and Tae-soo has an 8 of clubs."
Cheol-su bet 10 million, even though his opponent's card was quite high. Tae-soo maintained his poker face and followed the call. In the end, Tae-soo won. In a time that was shorter than a minute, Tae-soo had won 20 million.
"Indeed, a professional gambler. He figured out his opponent's playing style, and is playing calmly."
The next game immediately started. The masked people sighed as they saw the cards on both foreheads.
Cheol-su had a 10 of spades. The strongest card. It would win no matter what card the opponent had. However, this was Bluff Poker. Only the opponent could see the card.
"Oh my god… Tae-soo pulled a 9 of clubs. I think this game is over."
The situation was very fun.
And 9 of clubs and a 10 of spades were going against each other. Tae-soo saw the opponent's 10 of spades and had to decide if he would bluff or forfeit. If he chose to bluff, then he would have to risk a high bet. In the case of Cheol-su, he might withdraw when seeing that the opponent had a 9 of clubs. The game depended on whether Tae-soo bluffed or forfeited.
Indian Poker, the base of Bluff Poker, had a special rule. Those who forfeited after drawing a 10 of spades would have to pay 10 times the base money.
The masked people listened to what Tae-soo would do. Each participant had a miniature microphone built into their badges. They could hear the conversation through it.
-I will bet 100 million.
"Ohh! Bluff!"
Tae-soo had drastically raised the ante by 10 times. If this occurred, then the opponent had to hesitate. If Cheol-su called, he might lose more than two thirds of his money. In addition, Tae-soo's face hadn't changed the moment he made a bluff. He was a person who could fool a lie detector.
The lion mask said,
"Cheol-su will withdraw. The experience itself is too different."
"That's right. Eh? Cheol-su is saying something instead of withdrawing!"
The lion mask swallowed his saliva and listened.
-You are called Tae-soo?You aren't pretending to be a regular participant but aren't you actually a card shark?
Tae-soo looked at Cheol-su with an expressionless face.
–Have you heard of someone called Kim Shin-hyeong?
Tae-soo finally opened his mouth.
-I've heard rumours.He is a pretty good gambler.
-In fact, I've fought against him.
–Hrmm.
–You aren't curious about the result?
–I would have heard if you won.
Cheol-su… No, Seo Tae-hyuk said with a smile.
–I'll tell you right away.I won perfectly.Then I will call 100 million.
Wodangdang!
All the masked people watching the monitor stood up in shock. The food in their bowls fell to the ground. It was a completely unexpected situation. He bet a large sum of money, despite the opponent holding a 9 of clubs. A person would never agree to that call, unless they were confident they had picked a 10 of clubs.
But how…?
Tae-soo got up and threw the chips that he was using as money at Tae-hyuk.
–This bastard…You are cheating.
–Let's move on.By the way, it is amazing.I will pick another 10.
–Shit.You're barking nonsense.I will definitely find out what trick you used.
The dealer handed out the cards. Tae-hyuk also pulled a 10 this time.
The crowd cheered as they watched it. The ballroom had become a complete mess. Thus, they didn't realize that the butterfly mask, who informed them of Cheol-su's existence, had disappeared.
[TL Note] For those who want to watch Bluff Poker (Indian Poker) in action, I've included a link below.
It is from a Korean variety show called the Genius, with the participants being Kim Gura, a famous Korean comedian and Hong Jin-ho, a former pro Starcraft player under the alias of YellOw and is famous for always coming second to BoxeR.
For those interested in watching the series, here is a youtube link for the first season. It is very good variety show so please watch it if you are interested.
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Chapter 53 – Death Circus #4
Tae-hyuk looked calm, but he was inwardly sighing with relief. He made SY Capital suffer through the casino, which was their main source of revenue. He intended to break Tiwai in the same manner.
However, infamous criminals, Choi Sung-yeol and Kim Joon-young, were behind Tiwai. The scale itself was different. He couldn't solve this case alone. He needed to work inside and outside the Death Circus at the same time. He needed reliable allies. They needed to have courage and the ability to deceive others.
Tae-hyuk confirmed that the identical screen on the Demon Revealing Mirror was still open. His ally had sent him a message.
'Well… I think that Moonlight Flower is better…'
At first, he thought about getting Big Mama to help. She would perfectly fulfill the role, but Tae-hyuk still couldn't trust her. She was a woman who could betray him at any time, so he chose Moonlight Flower instead.
There was a little bit of insecurity, but once Tae-hyuk compiled all the information he knew, at least she wouldn't betray him. The biggest problem was that it was impossible to communicate with people from inside the Death Circus.
It was for the sake of confidentiality. If a phone could be used inside, then anyone would ask for help. In order to maintain the Death Circus, it was absolutely necessary to stop that from happening. In the end, a space was built that didn't even allow radio waves through.
However, Tae-hyuk had the crime skills. With the Spying skill, he could see the state of an object from a remote place. He used passwords to enable simple communication.
'The A8, K9, and T4 panels are broken, meaning that there are two wolves remaining.'
Tae-hyuk started a simple stretch to relax.
Moonlight Flower bought a ticket to the Death Circus through Big Mama. She appeared as a guest and told Tae-hyuk the entire situation. If he had something to say to Moonlight Flower, then he would do a pre-determined action on camera.
All of Tae-hyuk's actions were recorded on camera. He took advantage of this. This was only possible for Tae-hyuk who had the crime skills.
If Tae-hyuk raised a finger, then Moonlight Flower would tell him the cards of the both of them. It would be a strange situation if he lost.
For this, he invested his remaining affinity points and bought a trait for the Spying skill. The palm-sized screen that was projected into the air was the new ability of the Spying skill.
'It is easy since I can see the contents without looking at the Demon Revealing Mirror.'
It was unfortunate that he spent all of his 13 points in a day, but the utilization was endless. The Demon Revealing Mirror looked like a strange mirror on the surface. In order to use his crime skills, he had to manipulate it directly. This was no problem if it was a usual situation, but in a situation where even one small act could arouse suspicion, it served as a big penalty.
In the match against Kim Shin-hyeong, if he had any doubts about the Demon Revealing Mirror, then Tae-hyuk wouldn't have been able to win.
The game that Tae-hyuk was playing now was Bluff Poker. Placing the mirror on the table was like declaring that he could see the card on his forehead.
That's why he had invested three affinity points into the screen. If he concentrated his mind, then he could project a simplified image into the air. Now he didn't need to look into the mirror.
'I won't be treated as a pervert holding a mirror.'
Tae-hyuk laughed and started provoking his opponent in Bluff Poker.
"Tae-soo. Do you want to raise your bet even though you are holding a 9? Um. I think my card is a 4. Is that right?"
His opponent trembled, as Tae-hyuk knew his exact card. Park Tae-soo clenched his teeth. It was the first time that his poker face broke.
"This bastard…"
Without realizing it, Bluff Poker had reached the mid-game. The card that Tae-hyuk placed on his forehead was exactly a 4.
Tae-soo didn't know how his could find out his card. Was it because he counted the remaining cards? That seemed like the most likely option. However, that didn't explain the consecutive 10s. What trick…?
Moreover, were his words before just a bluff? Or did he really have the number 9? The two 10 cards were already gone. Having a 9 meant unconditionally winning, but it would be impossible to turn the situation around if it was a lie. In the end, Tae-soo gave up this game.
"Aigoo. Thank you for the 10 million won."
Tae-soo wanted to pull away Cheol-su's laughing expression. However, this was one of the few places where violence was banned in the Death Circus. Tae-soo wanted to quickly check his hand for a second.
A 2 or a 3… It would be easy for Cheol-su's 4 to beat it. The opponent was bluffing. He sensed it using his insight.
"Kuaaaaak!"
Tae-soo screamed as he saw the number 9 card.
Then Tae-hyuk said again.
"I wasn't lying earlier. If you feel doubt, then you will self-destruct. Why don't you believe your opponent for once?"
Bluff Poker was a game to deceive the opponent. With bold bets, they could make the other person die even with a strong hand. However, Tae-hyuk didn't bluff once and still achieved a complete victory over Tae-soo.
Tae-soo had accumulated pride in his skills as a card shark over his long life. In the end, Tae-soo completely collapsed. He still had 20 million left, but he gave up the match.
Tae-hyuk looked at the older brother, Dae-soo.
"In cases like this, the older brother normally gets revenge for messing with his younger brother. What will you do?"
"Kuock!"
Dae-soo's face distorted.
Both people had started the game with 180 million. But at 10 times the stake, 150 million was lost in just 20 minutes. There was only 20,000 left. The next fee payment time was approaching, and the 20,000 was their last resort. In addition, if they ran out of money then they would have to bet with their blood. It was suicide if he didn't know the method the opponent used to read the cards.
Dae-soo suppressed his anger and said.
"Don't think that this is over. This stage is just starting. I would find out what trick you're using and beat you with my own hands."
"Well, you spoke long words but are you surrendering? I have suffered a lot. Anyway, I am quite busy."
Tae-hyuk pointed to his badge that had increased to 340 and left the Bluff Poker stadium.
What? Suffered a lot? The gambling brothers howled out Lee Cheol-su's name."W-What did you do?"
An Eun-jeong asked in a careful tone. The Death Circus was a place where people risked their lives to gain 10 million won. Yet Cheol-su had gained 160 million in just 20 minutes. She couldn't believe it despite seeing it with her own eyes. It felt like a dream.
"Ah, perhaps…"
An Eun-jeong pinched herself just in case. In fact, it didn't make sense. A death game couldn't be happening in South Korea.
"Ahat!"
But unfortunately, it was a reality.
Tae-hyuk pointed to Eun-jeong's badge and raised a finger to his lips before speaking in a small voice.
"I have to keep it a secret.
"Ah… The badges are fitted with microphones. Yes, I understand."
Eun-jeong sighed with regret. The masked people listening to their conversation through the monitor responded in the same manner.
Tae-hyuk nodded with a thankful face.
"Then now what? We already have 360 million… Just a little bit more and the both of us can escape together…"
Eun-jeong spoke in a stammering tone. She wanted to get out of here quickly. But Cheol-su shot that down.
"We can't get out of this place just yet. From now on…"
Tae-hyuk paused and pulled out a notebook from his pocket. He kept his back to the camera so they couldn't see what he wrote.
An Eun-jeong's face turned pale as she saw what he wrote.
It was different for the guests wearing the masks."What, what? What just happened?"
"He doesn't intend to leave just yet?"
"What the hell is his reason?"
"Oh, why isn't he saying? Bring that Kim Joon-young bastard here right now!"
"Eh? The woman's face is turning white! I think she read something great!"
"Oh, I want to know as well!"
"Please let me hear it!"
The guests were frustrated. They had been like gods watching everything that happened in the Death Circus, yet these gods were being fooled by the man called Lee Cheol-su. Unlike the other excited people, the lion mask withdrew for his own analysis.
"Maybe he knows the system perfectly. In addition, he has tremendous skills. Who the hell is he? Hrmm. He is called Lee Cheol-su?"
The lion mask decided to use his power to find out the identity of Lee Cheol-su. He pulled out a phone from his pocket. Right now, dozens of people were being mobilized in order to find out information on Cheol-su.
He would just relax and wait. Political power was useful for incidents like this.
The lion mask smiled with satisfaction and leaned back in his chair.An Eun-jeong raised her hands to her mouth as she read the content listed in the notebook.
It was so surprising that Cheol-su had conveyed it in writing. There were exactly two sentences written.
–The other people.
–Save all of them.
Many people still remained in the Death Circus, yet Cheol-su was saying that he would save all of them. Just two people alone needed needed 400 million to go free. In the first place, all of the money that entered the Death Circus was one billion.
The reduction of 10 million won an hour was no joke. It was a situation where Cheol-su had already obtain half of the money present. All of the money in the Death Circus was being used to extend their own lives, and they could barely think about escaping. Although everyone in the Death Circus basically started with 50 million won, the eight hour fee alone was 80 million won. It was a situation where money was being consumed just by resting.
This place was designed like that from the beginning. In the end, only one or two people would be able to get out alive. For the most part, they were the wolves that Kim Joon-young hired.
Cheol-su had come here to help her, yet he wanted to save the remaining people? It was an impossible task.
An Eun-jeong felt dizzy at the thought. Tae-hyuk looked at Eun-jeong with a relaxed face and declared.
"I'm sorry, but Noona can't return home yet. The night has just begun."
200 million won was enough to get Eun-jeong out of here.If it was just that much money, then he would have chosen an attraction that he was familiar with, one that he knew how to beat.
However, he couldn't finish it with just escaping. He had to smash the Death Circus and Tiwai International in order to save Seo Ha-ran and An Eun-jeong. As a bonus, he would catch the two criminals, Kim Joon-young and Choi Sung-yeol, who were on the blacklist.
There were still two wolves hiding in this place. Maybe one of them was the criminal that made the perfume that confused the senses. There was still a huge amount of work to do here.
He felt sorry towards An Eun-jeong but he needed a little more time.
Until the closing of the Death Circus – 260 minutes.
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Chapter 54: Black Sheep Exodus #1
The participants in the Death Circus had a moment when they wished they had refused to join.
It was the time when the fee needed to be paid every hour. Of course, it wasn't pleasurable to risk their lives by challenging difficult attractions or by paying money to other people. But it was a choice they could make with their own will. At the very least, it was their money, not their lives, that was being taken away.
If they knew that there was this nonsensical system in the first place, then no one would have signed the application. But most of them had been thinking about suicide because they didn't have the money to pay off their debts. Some were fooled by the idea of making big money from this.
Yoon Jong-hyun was stuck here for a similar reason.
"I can't die until I kill that Choi Sung-yeol bastard!"
The Death Circus was a hell that appeared in reality.
Yoon Jong-hyun had a fairly good head. He realized that based on the rules of this place, most of the participants would die. In the near future, he might end up suffering from a painful end. Thus, it would be better to commit suicide with his own hands early on.
However, Yoon Jong-hyun's hatred for Choi Sung-yeol kept him alive. Sometimes vengeance was a driving force in life.
But now it was the end. The remaining number on his badge was 5. Five million won. It was the cost of living comfortably for a few months on the outside. However, in here, it wouldn't even keep him alive for an hour.
So instead of getting revenge on Choi Sung-yeol who lied to him, 20 minutes later he would be challenging the attraction of death. Just when Yoon Jong-hyun was in the midst of despair, someone spoke to him.
"I guess you don't have enough money to pay the fee."
Yoon Jong-hyun replied in a loud voice.
"Yes. Are you asking that after seeing the badge on my chest? Stop joking…"
Yoon Jong-hyun trailed off as he saw the badge on the opponent's chest.
"3…300 million!"
If his eyes were wrong, then 360 was clearly written on there. The money needed to get out of here was 200 million. A huge amount of 160 million would remain after he escaped. Yoon Jong-hyun realized that the young man in front of him could save his life.
Yoon Jong-hyun literally fell to the ground. Then he grabbed the pants of the other person.
"P-Please. Can you give me a little bit of money? No, please help me. 30… No, if you lend me 20 million then I will pay back double the amount. Please…"
His life was at stake. Yoon Jong-hyun looked at the person's badge. It stated that his name was Lee Cheol-su.
"Teacher Cheol-su…! It is a request!"
Tae-hyuk coughed a few times and said as smoothly as possible.
"You don't need to do this. First of all, listen to my words."
"W-what…?"
"If you do a few things for me, then I will pay your fee. How about it?"
Yoon Jong-hyun didn't answer right away, since Cheol-su could be trying to trick him. Furthermore, even though he didn't have any money, he might be a bait to deceive others. This was the Death Circus after all. It wasn't easy to trust a person in a place like this. But even so, there was nothing else he could do in his rotten situation.
"I know what you are thinking. You can listen to my words and not do it if you don't like it. I want you to collect all the people who are in danger because they don't have enough money. Of course, we don't want them to play the final game."
"This means…"
"Yes. I will pay all of their fees. If you look at the money I have then you know that it is possible."
"O-Oh my god… God…"
"At any rate, there isn't much time remaining, so please hurry. I will explain more once the people are gathered here.""You can treat me as a scammer, but there is no other choice."
Yoon Jong-hyun nodded as he looked at the face of his saviour.
"Yes! I-I understand!"
Yoon Jong-hyun thought about it as he ran around. If the other person had used more plausible words then he wouldn't have trusted them. However, the man called Cheol-su said that Jong-hyun could doubt him as much as he wanted. It strangely gave him a sense of trust. It was the opposite of Choi Sung-yeol's method of luring people with sweet words.
Tae-hyuk confirmed the time as he was left alone. He had said the same thing to three people apart from Yoon Jong-hyun. If they moved in a hurry, then it wouldn't be too late to gather the people. Every minute and second was precious.
Tae-hyuk looked at the camera and laughed.10 minutes ahead of the payment time, six people were gathered in front of him. They were all people in danger because they didn't have enough money for the fee payment. They looked at Tae-hyuk like he was their saviour.
Tae-hyuk said.
"You were deceived."
There was a huge uproar.
"W-What?"
"Are you deceiving us now?"
"T-This bastard…"
However, Tae-hyuk's 360 million didn't change. They couldn't do anything but count down the minutes.
Tae-hyuk replied with a smile.
"I had decided to give the fee to you. But in the end, that idea isn't enough."
"W-What do you mean?"
"First of all, let me tell you my purpose."
Tae-hyuk briefly looked at the six people. Most of them were men in their 30~40s. They had little or no money. They swallowed their saliva and waited for Tae-hyuk to speak.
"I want to escape from the Death Circus with everyone."Tae-hyuk had collected six people using the bait of 10 million won.
The reason was simple. Right now, there shouldn't be a wolf hiding in this group. It was a collection of specifically selected people.
There were two conditions.
They should have no money. A person who couldn't do anything before the thought of death.
The people who satisfied these conditions absolutely couldn't be wolves. The only woman among the gathered people raised her hand. She was a timid-looking woman in her early 30s.
"W-Will you really save us?"
"That will be the result."
"Ah… Thank you… Thank you very much…!"
The woman bowed until her head was touching the ground.
'…Ugh. H-Her chest all of a sudden…'
At that moment, Tae-hyuk's conscience showed itself. It wasn't simply through goodwill that Tae-hyuk wanted to help these people escape. It was so that he could break the Death Circus and Tiwai. He gathered this crowd as part of his plan.
'You are being used! Don't look at me with such expressions of respect! I'm a bad person!'
Tae-hyuk wanted to shout those words, but he stopped himself. The rules that Kim Joon-young created for the Death Circus were absolute. There were many masked witnesses watching.
However, if the death penalty ended and all guests disappeared, then this promise would be discarded. No matter how much money he made here, he wouldn't be able to take it outside. It would just turn into a piece of data on the badge.
In the end, he had to finish everything while the guests were still here.
Those who didn't know that Tae-hyuk was plotting a wicked conspiracy spoke with touched expressions.
"I-I really want to escape from here…"
"Bringing out all the participants…"
Yoon Jong-hyun, who was mixed among the people, opened his mouth.
"If this succeeds then it will be a miracle like the Exodus.
"Exodus?"
"Yes. The Exodus from the bible. Moses received a revelation from god and took those who were slaves to escape from Egypt. He took them to a land of paradise. Doesn't that seem like the exact same situation now?"
"Ah…"
"Hmm."
Tae-hyuk coughed at Yoon Jong-hyun. He was now treated as Moses. However, no matter how many crime skills he had, he couldn't split the sea in two.
There was only one thing he could do.
"Then I will give each of you 10 million won and put you in Group A. After this fee settlement is over, I want you to spread this fact to others in the Death Circus. Everybody has a means of escape."
"T-That is all you need?"
"Yes. The next instructions will be in 20 minutes."
"I-I understand."
Those who received money from Tae-hyuk bowed their heads and ran to other places in the Death Circus.
"Hu…"
There was a way for all participants to live. That information would surely spread around the Death Circus in an instant. It was what Tae-hyuk was aiming at.
The participants would no longer need to take part in dangerous attractions or gambling. They had a new hope that they could leave this place alive.
Once that happened, the remaining wolves wouldn't be able to hunt. They would hide their identities and approach Tae-hyuk.
Thus, he invested 20 minutes to gather the Group A. People who couldn't hurt others despite being in a dangerous situation. They absolutely weren't wolves. They would be the main axis for the Exodus.
Tae-hyuk finally contacted Moonlight Flower, who was the most important figure of this operation. He smiled at the surveillance camera and made a shooting motion with his fingers.
It meant to report the current situation. Of course, it also provoked the people watching him.
The reply arrived in seconds.
[P1 Panel]
-It was destroyed by a strong shock.
Tae-hyuk smiled as he saw the message on the Demon Revealing Mirror. The content of the message sent by Moonlight Flower was simple.
-No problem!
Tae-hyuk was inside while Moonlight Flower was outside. The operation to crush the Death Circus was progressing gradually.The wolf hid among the sheep.
Of course, it was in order to eat the black sheep.Tae-hyuk looked at the gathered people.
Group A had done well and almost all of the living participants of the Death Circus were gathered. There were exactly two people missing.
'Indeed, the Tae-soo and Dae-soo brothers aren't here.'
Wounded wolves would be eaten by other wolves. Maybe they already…
"I think you know why I gathered you here."
Then one participant shouted.
"Are you really going to save us from this place?"
"It could be as a result."
"What do you mean?"
"I am going to escape from the Death Circus from now on. I will take all the people here with me. But there is something you have to do for that to happen."The gathered people started buzzing again.
"You can't escape from here using normal methods. In order to get out, you need to collect 200 million according to Kim Joon-young's rules. I'm not a saviour. I'm just going to give you a definite path."
It was at that moment. The wolf hiding in Group B walked forward.
"Doesn't that mean we have to participate in dangerous attractions after all? How can we believe you? Aren't you a spy sent by the organizers of the Death Circus? Everybody is deceived by that man. If you follow him, then you will die."The words were plausible.
The man who was throwing suspicion towards Tae-hyuk. Tae-hyuk confirmed his name.
'Kim Jun-tae.'
It was strangely similar to someone's name. Tae-hyuk narrowed his eyes and looked at the other person.
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Chapter 55: Black Sheep Exodus #2
He was a man who gave off a sharp impression. Jun-tae continued to point out the loopholes.
"He might be leading you down a path but it might be heading towards a cliff."
At that moment, someone who had been listening quietly sneered at Jun-tae.
"Then are you saying you have a better idea?"
It was the only woman in Group A, Jeon Mina. Mina showed complete trust in Tae-hyuk.
"No, but… I want to see more tangible evidence."
"Is that so? I know people like you. You can't help but feel envious when you see someone doing well. In the end, you will ruin everyone because of your pride."
Jun-tae's face distorted at Mina's acidic tone.
"I saw all of you moving together! Perhaps this is a plan to screw everyone else?"
"I-Isn't he a wolf planted by Choi Sung-yeol?"
In no time, the crowd split into two groups and started fighting. It was clearly an urgent situation. There was an internal conflict in the group when they should be trying to escape.
Tae-hyuk sighed and intervened between those who were fighting.
"Mina. Jun-tae. Both of you calm down. First of all, listen to my plan before you make a decision."
Jun-tae looked at him and shouted.
"So that plan can kill all of us!"
"Why are you so suspicious? You should trust someone for once. Cheol-su used his own money to save those of us who were in a life-threatening situation. Let's see… Omo. Do you have 70 million right now? That is why you are so relaxed. Ah, perhaps…"
Mina eyed Jun-tae suspiciously before walking over to Tae-hyuk and whispering something in his ears.
"Isn't it obvious that there would be a wolf planted by Tiwai here?"
Tae-hyuk nodded quietly.
"Then isn't he the most suspicious? He has a lot of money and he's also planting suspicion. No matter how I look at it, he has to be the wolf. It would be better to get rid of such people before going through with the Exodus.
"Hrmm…"
Tae-hyuk paused for a moment before answering.
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. While there are definitely wolves among us, if we are suspicious of each other then it is what the wolf wants. First of all, I am thinking of taking everyone with me."
"Oh, then the wolf…"
"I said I would take them all."
Mina's protests died down at Tae-hyuk's strong will.
"Yes… I understand."
Tae-hyuk activated the Voice Modulation skill.
[Voice Modulation has been used.]
-You can imitate the voice of Kim Bum-soo.
Kim Bum-soo was an actor who often appeared in historical dramas. He mainly played the role of the king. It was the charismatic voice that really made him seem like a king of the Joseon Dynasty.
There were two groups in front of Tae-hyuk's eyes. In order to bring them together, he would use Kim Bum-soo's voice.
"Please pay attention. Right now, there are those who believe in me. There are also those who feel doubt. The two groups exist, and I can understand both. I was afraid after entering the Death Circus. All of you can't be sure that the path you are walking on is correct. Therefore, I will walk in front. Right now, I am going to challenge the 'Puzzle House.' After that, you can decide whether to follow me and clear it, or to give up. I'm just suggesting a path."
"Y-You will challenge first? We won't be used as sacrifices to identify the winning strategy?"
"Yes. You can also choose the order that you desire. Anyways, I am planning to escape with everyone. "
"Ah…!"
The contents absolutely weren't trivial
This was something that often occurred at military training grounds. A demonstration by a skilled assistant.
However, his voice was overflowing with charisma. The combination of the voice and the words gave them a strange sense of trust. This guy could help them leave with their lives. Such sentiments formed in the minds of the gathered people.
"By the way, Boss! All of a sudden, your voice has changed, making it seem like a god!"
Someone suddenly called Tae-hyuk 'Boss'. Tae-hyuk released the Voice Modulation skill.
"Haha. I took some classes on eloquence in the past, and I tried to use some of it just now."
"I see. At any rate, I believe in Boss. Show us how to escape."
Tae-hyuk slowly nodded. Jun-tae's expression showed that he couldn't understand it as he muttered.
"It's just one speech…"
As the wave of suspicion disappeared, Jun-tae was forced to follow quietly. Mina looked at him with suspicious eyes until the end. The root of the problem still hadn't disappeared.The Puzzle House, one of the most notorious Death Circus attractions.
In a sealed room, there was a structure that kept displaying puzzles on a monitor. The problem was the level of difficulty. One by one, the levels were manageable. However, a person had to challenge a few times in a row. There were also hundreds of patterns.
If any mistakes happened, then a guillotine would fall and one part of the body would be cut off.
First, the fingers. Then, the arms. In the end…
There was no dropping out in the middle.
The most terrible thing was to confirm the right answer with a body part in the guillotine. That body part would be cut off if the answer turned out to be incorrect. Body parts were cut off without any anesthesia. A pronounced shock that led to death would often occur.
The Puzzle House was a large glass box, so it was a structure that completely showed what was happening inside. The Puzzle House's prize was 50 million won. All they needed to do was come out of it alive. The amount was overwhelmingly high compared to other attractions.
At first, there was a man who challenged the Puzzle House. He was a Mensa member with an IQ of higher than 140. He focused and made it to the middle part of the puzzles. However, he made a mistake with one puzzle.
The five fingers that he placed in the guillotine were cut off. The funny thing was that he would remain alive as long as the injuries were treated. Of course, this wasn't because they cared for the participants. It was to make sure that the participant didn't die easily so that the guests could enjoy it for a long time.
The treated man looked stunned. However, if he concentrated, then he could clear the rest of the problems without losing anything other than his fingers.
But that wasn't it. The man knew it. If he made a mistake, then he would die. This thought weighed down on him like heavy shackles on his body. He collapsed in an instant. He was worried that the right answer was too obvious and chose the wrong answer.
Arms… Legs… In the end, his neck…
He was one of the best participants in the Death Circus and he lost his head. After witnessing that, no participants challenged the Puzzle House.
After three hours passed, a second challenger appeared.
Seo Tae-hyuk. As Tae-hyuk entered the Puzzle House, he saw a bearded man sitting in a corner.
"Are you going to challenge?"
"There are many people waiting. Let's start straight away."
"Haha…"
Tae-hyuk sat on the chair in the middle of the Puzzle House and placed one arm in a small guillotine. It was a tool for cutting off the fingers. Guillotines made for cutting off the arms, legs and heads were also inside the room.
As he sat down on the chair, the first problem appeared on the wall-mounted monitor. The first problem had a simple level of difficulty.
Question 1) 22*2=
Tae-hyuk put his brain into full operation and came up with the answer. He manipulated the panel and chose the number 6.
The terrible Puzzle House began."T-The right answer once again!"
"Oh my god!"
"How many problems has it been so far?"
"27…28!"
The crowd outside cheered as they saw Tae-hyuk solving the problems. They were dubious at first but their voices gradually rose as Tae-hyuk solved the problems one by one. The great thing wasn't that he was solving all the problems. He was doing everything at a tremendous speed.
"Uh, how could he solve that problem in one second?"
"B-Boss is a genius! No, it isn't a genius level. It's like he knew all the problems already!"
"A-Amazing!"
They could live. If they followed the Boss then they could get out of here. Hope filled the faces of the participants.
"A-All 30 questions are correct…! The Puzzle House is cleared… He did it without getting hurt at all!"
For the first time, cheers rang out in the Death Circus.
"Waaaaaaaah!"
Tae-hyuk got up and spoke to the bearded man.
"Please prepare for the next guest."
"Huh? Oh, yes!"
The bearded man replied with a stunned expression. He had been responsible for the Puzzle House for two years, yet this was the first time he saw a person clear this place. He was sure that it would never occur again in the future.
Tae-hyuk slowly walked out of the Puzzle House and said,
"How is it? Simple right?"
"Wahhhhh!"
50 million won in 10 minutes.
There were some who shed tears at Tae-hyuk's tremendous achievement. However, Jun-tae still had a sour expression on his face as he spoke.
"This is even more suspicious. It seemed like you knew all the problems. You are in fact a spy planted here by the organizers… hup hup"
The person next to Jun-tae blocked his mouth.
"Boss! Never mind this brat. Then a second person will enter right?"
"That's right."
"Then who…"
"I would like someone to volunteer."
"Cough! Who wants to enter the Puzzle House next?"No matter how overwhelming Tae-hyuk's victory was, no one was willing to go. Once another person entered the Puzzle House, Tae-hyuk planned to tell them the right answers. However, if Tae-hyuk was truly a spy, then he would likely reveal his true colours with the next participant. The third was less likely than the second…
While everyone was busy thinking…
Someone walked forward. It was An Eun-jeong who was hiding in the crowd.
"I will be the second person."
"Ohh! This young lady? Fighting!"
Sighs of relief were heard.
An Eun-jeong had infinite trust in Tae-hyuk, just like Mina. She had been quiet, but now it was her turn. Eun-jeong swallowed her saliva as she looked at Tae-hyuk.
"Uh…?"
However, Tae-hyuk had a strange look on his face.
"I want to say something before An Eun-jeong enters."
"Huh? W-what…?"
Tae-hyuk looked at the other participants. There was obviously a wolf in sheepskin among them.
"Tiwai has planted spies in here, famously known as wolves, and I know who the spy is."Eun-jeong's eyes widened.
She couldn't understand why he was saying this. Yoon Jong-hyun then opened his mouth.
"Is there really a spy?"
"Yes. And if the wolf doesn't confess right now… I won't tell the correct answer to the wolf. Then we can handle it simply."
"Ah. Then it doesn't matter if we aren't a wolf."
"Indeed. Of course, if you are one of them then please raise your hand quietly."
Tae-hyuk looked at them with an expression like he knew everything. Of course, the wolf didn't reveal their identity.
"What, no one came out? Then I will tell the wolf this. Surely you don't think that I didn't notice such suspicious behaviour?""Then I will proceed immediately. Ah, right. I have something to say to Eun-jeong noona. Take a look at this once you are sitting down."
Tae-hyuk handed Eun-jeong a small folded note.
"Y-Yes…"
An Eun-jeong nodded quietly.
The second person entered the Puzzle House. The bearded man greeted her with an interested look. It was the first time a female participant had entered this place.
"Are you going to participate?"
"Yes."
An Eun-jeong looked at the note Tae-hyuk gave her with an uneasy expression. What did it say?
In a flash, five of her fingers were placed in the guillotine. Even if Tae-hyuk told her all of the correct answers, it was natural to feel nervous. Eun-jeong felt cold sweat drip down her back. Before solving the puzzle, she had to check the note Cheol-su gave her..
"I will read this first."
"Do as you like."
"Yes."
Right now, Eun-jeong couldn't move. The only thing she could do was move her left hand to manipulate the panel. Eun-jeong unfolded the note from Tae-hyuk and started to slowly read it.
This was what was written:
–Noona betrayed those who trusted Noona.Noona should know the pain that they experienced.In fact, I'm not sure who the wolf is yet.However, I should give confidence to the others,so I am going to make Noona a wolf.Everyone can live by sacrificing one person.Then I wish you luck.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Eun-jeong was furious.
Betrayal. Tae-hyuk's betrayal.
Now she would die here. Her limbs would be cut off in a gruesome manner.
Eun-jeong shook her body to get out of the chair. However, she was already stuck. She couldn't get away.
The first problem flashed on the screen.
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Chapter 56: Black Sheep Exodus #3
"Oh my god… A plan to lead all the participants and escape is unprecedented. Have we ever had such a participant? If this happens then it really will be like the miracle of Moses!"
"How many participants are remaining now?'
"17 except for the wolves…"
"I-If the plan is successful then that's a huge sum of 3.4 billion won!"
The party guests had already heard of the Black Sheep Exodus plan.
Sheep hunting wolves.
That was surprising enough. However, that wasn't the end. The black sheep started leading other sheep to escape the circus.
Most of the guests listening to the plan thought it was a carefully planned fraud. He and a handful of other people were deceiving the participants in order to survive. If successful, it would be the best scam since the Death Circus started.
That alone made the masked people watch the monitor while sweating. It was the charm of an addictive show.
"This show alone is worth a few billion. Immediately scout Lee Cheol-su as a wolf!"
There were comments about wanting Cheol-su to appear as a wolf in the next Death Circus. Every time Cheol-su solved a puzzle, there would be a loud sigh.
"H-Hoo! H-He perfectly cleared the Puzzle House!"
"T-That is ridiculous! How can he solve it so quickly?"
"I-I already missed nine questions…!"
The extraordinary scenes continued. The black sheep solved all of the problems and received the prize money with a casual expression.
–How is it?Simple right?
Tremendous cheering shook the ballroom. The atmosphere was like the Korean national soccer team scoring a goal from behind!
The only one who remained silent was the lion mask. He was quietly waiting for his sources to figure out Lee Cheol-su's identity.
A clear photo of his face. His name. The age was in the mid-20s or so.
If they had this information, then all the details could be discovered in 30 minutes. He pressed the call button as the call he had been waiting for arrived.
"It is me. So what did you find out?"
–That…So.No matter where I looked, there was no information matching the person you described.
"W-What? You can't even find him with that much money! You incompetent bastard!"
-I-I'm really sorry.I thought his name might be an alias, so I tried searching the resident registration cards of adult males.Indeed…
"Then he would be a ghost!"
–I-I am ashamed of myself.
The lion mask roughly hung up. In the end, he couldn't identify the black sheep. The lion mask looked at the image of Seo Tae-hyuk on the monitor. He murmured in a trembling voice.
"You… Who the hell are you?"
Then he shut up again.
There was another person on the monitor. It was the woman called An Eun-jeong who had been attached to the black sheep from the beginning of the Death Circus.
She read the note from the black sheep and suddenly screamed. Unfortunately, they couldn't see the contents because of the camera angles.
The masked people clamoured loudly.
"What is that?"
"I'm feeling dizzy. Please show the note."
"Damn. Call the Puzzle House manager right now to check it out!"
Unexpected developments followed.
The lion mask swallowed his saliva and stared at the monitor. He was curious about the following contents so he couldn't afford to think of anything else.Tears flowed from An Eun-jeong's eyes. Her heart throbbed, and it felt like her heart had been cut into twelve pieces.
At that moment, she recalled a sentence that Cheol-su wrote.
'Noona should know the pain that they experienced.'
"Ah…"
A moan emerged from An Eun-jeong's mouth.
She betrayed her family and ran away before falling into the corruption of a multilevel company.
Father… And her little sister… Did they feel like this? It was the feeling of being betrayed by someone that was completely trusted.
"I'm sorry. Daddy… I'm sorry… Sorry Eun-young… Mama… I can't return…"
She would soon die. The guillotine would cut off her limbs and she would die an awful death.
At that time, the appearance of her family emerged. The appearance that she had hated so much came to Eun-jeong's mind. If only she was given one more chance… She wanted to apologize to them for her mistakes.
"Sob sob…"
Eun-jeong slowly started to prepare her mind for death.
At that moment, the bearded manager of the Puzzle House approached Eun-jeong and said,
"Did you have a fight with your lover? By the way… The man who just left told me to say something to you."
"U-Uwaah…"
"I don't know what the situation is, so I will just say it."
He threw some words at her before returning to his seat.
"That note is a joke."
"…Sob… Huh?"
She was so amazed that the flowing tears dried in an instant.
"What's up with that look? I received money so I just did what I was told."
The bearded man started to count the money that he had received from someone.
"D-Don't tell me…"
Eun-jeong wiped her eyes with her sleeves and looked out of the Puzzle House. She saw Cheol-su smiling innocently at her. He waved his hand when he caught her eyes.
In the end, Eun-jeong couldn't resist screaming.
"Hey, you jerk!"
She wanted to do something truly unpleasant right now but she couldn't."H-How can t-t-this person d-do this!"
An Eun-jeong was able to solve all the puzzles and earned 50 million won.
As soon as she came out, she demanded answers from Tae-hyuk who was waiting. Tae-hyuk replied with a satisfied expression.
"Wasn't it a moderately tense attraction? Now, don't betray the faith of your family again."
An Eun-jeong bit her lip. It was terrible enough to make her want to beat him up. But thanks to him, she was alive like this. In the end, Eun-jeong agreed.
"Yes…"
"If you betray them once more then you will see me again."
"H-Hik!"
An Eun-jeong's face turned white. Meet this demon again? She didn't want to imagine such a terrible thing.
"Come now. There is no time. The next person should enter. I will tell them the answers."
Although there was some trouble, An Eun-jeong answered all of the puzzles and earned the prize money safely due to Tae-hyuk telling her the answers from outside. The participants who saw it raised their hands.
"I'll do it."
"No, me first!"
Tae-hyuk put them in a suitable order and smiled as he nodded.
'Like this, hasn't Eun-jeong noona's spirit become determined?'
She obviously wouldn't enter a pyramid scheme again. The plan to mentally fix An Eun-young and Seo Ha-ran ended safely. Now the only thing left was to thoroughly defeat the Death Circus.
'But I never thought it would be helpful to memorize all these problems.'
There were a total of 150 problems in the Puzzle House. And the questions were random. In order to find all the problems, a person would have to participate at least five times. In the worst case, they might challenge the Puzzle House 21 times. It was impossible for all the participants to challenge the Puzzle House to figure out the questions.
But it was possible for Tae-hyuk who had memories of the future.
He was trapped in a prison cell for 10 years. They weren't pleasant memories. However, Tae-hyuk had knowledge of many crimes thanks to that experience.
Nights in the prison were long. The prisoners who didn't fall asleep easily would quiz each other. The problems at that time were the ones written by the Producer. Tae-hyuk heard prisoners solving the problems every night.
He became really tired of hearing it. It was to the extent that he knew the answer just by hearing the first word of the question.
Due to that, this ridiculous winning strategy was possible. Tae-hyuk laughed and muttered.
"Now it is time to catch a wolf.""W-We really can get out of here alive!"
"It is all thanks to Boss!"
An additional 10 people cleared the Puzzle House for a total of 500 million won. The time remaining was approximately 150 minutes. They would be able to collect the target amount before closing.
'Of course, I don't have to do anything.'
The wolf laughed.
Their job was simple: Interfere in the work of the black sheep. Then they could get out of here. They could obtain the bounty.
The wolf's plan was simple. The total amount of money that the group of sheep had was 900 million, with most of the money belonging to the black sheep. Furthermore, the next three payment fees meant that more than half of that money would be gone.
In the end, the number of people who could get out would be reduced to two. In other words, if they didn't make money anymoren then the sheep would fight against each other.
'The method is really simple. There can only be one person in the Puzzle House. That is the rule. Once inside, I won't answer the questions for as long as possible so they won't be able to proceed. In other words, I will waste all the time.'
It was a simply way to destroy the sheep.
The wolf smiled. It was their turn to enter the Puzzle House.
'You didn't notice my identity even at the end. Yes. This is my victory!'
The wolf slowly walked towards the puzzle house."Wait a minute."
"Huh?"
Tae-hyuk blocked the person about to enter the Puzzle House.
"I think we should change the order of entry. You can enter after everybody has already obtained 200 million won."
"W-Why all of a sudden? Didn't you set the order beforehand?"
"That's right."
Tae-hyuk slowly took a step forward and whispered in the other person's ear.
"Because you are a wolf."
"W-What are you talking about? I'm not a wolf. You should know. The people gathered in Group A absolutely can't be wolves!"
The only woman belonging to Group A, Jeon Mina, shouted with confusion.
"If you aren't a wolf, then it doesn't really matter. The order is just changed. There will only be a little bit of boredom from waiting. In the meantime, you can talk to Eun-jeong noona."
"I-I'm innocent! I believed in Boss from the beginning! Ah, yes. Kim Jun-tae! He is the wolf. It is obvious no matter how you look at it. If Boss asks for everyone's opinion…"
Tae-hyuk ignored Mina and called Yoon Jong-hyun over.
"Ajusshi. Could you capture this person?"
"I-Is Mina really the wolf?"
"You will know by the end."
"Yes. I understand."
Yoon Jong-hyun picked up the rope and started to bind Mina's body. Mina shrieked.
"Ah! It hurts! A little softer! So unfair! I'm really not the wolf!"
Mina was on the verge of tears.
A few participants who saw her were swayed.
"I don't think she is…"
"Why is Boss being like this?"
"We have to believe in Boss. Let's watch."
Tae-hyuk was immovable as he laughed at Mina.
"Mina. No, Wolf. The plan for wasting time in the Puzzle House is now useless. It is your defeat."
Mina glared at Tae-hyuk. Then all of a sudden, she started laughing.
"Ahhahahaha! …How did you know? My acting was perfect."
Mina's atmosphere instantly changed, making her seem like a different person. The participants watching got goose bumps.
Tae-hyuk raised two fingers.
"You made two mistakes."
"Mistakes?"
"It is simple. The other participants are looking for some way to live. But the wolf will try to kill others. I clearly remember that you were trying to kill Kim Jun-tae."
"Kuoock…"
Mina gave a strange groan.
"And in a situation like this, it's normal to doubt the other person. A person who blindly believes in me is rather suspicious. Kid. Practice acting some more."
Tae-hyuk stroked Mina's head like she was a cute baby.
"Now. Come. The interference has disappeared."
The fourth wolf, Mina, was captured. The last of the remaining wolves, the fifth one had disappeared.
There were no longer any wolves in this group. Tae-hyuk nodded slightly at everyone gathered.
"Then we will take the money and smash the Death Circus."
The Black Sheep Exodus plan had reached its final phase.
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Chapter 57: Black Sheep Exodus #4
Tae-hyuk checked the badges of the participants with a serious expression. Most of them had the number 200 or more on the display.
'A total of 3.67 billion won…!'
He was able to collect the target amount 40 minutes earlier than expected. Originally, he was supposed to search for the fifth wolf and reunite with the gambling brothers.
However, they were hiding. Maybe Kim Joon-young had issued some instructions. As a result, he could save more than 30 minutes.
There was now a cheerful atmosphere around the group as Yoon Jong-hyun walked out.
"Boss. What will you do with the wolf?"
It was an expression that indicated he would do anything that was ordered.
"Oof! Oof!"
Mina's face turned white. Her life now depended on Tae-hyuk's words, and she couldn't even defend herself because she was gagged.
"I said that I would take everyone out of here."
"Ah, even a traitor?"
Tae-hyuk immediately answered like it was a no-brainer.
"Of course."
"…Yes. I understand."
"I want to talk to her for a bit before that."
The other gathered people disappeared and Tae-hyuk approached Mina with a satisfied expression.
"Are you surprised that you're still alive?"
"Oof!"
"I want to hear some information from Mina noona. Do you know anything about the fifth wolf?"
Mina's face changed from white to purple.
"I'm asking you to tell me right away. I'm a little bit interested in who he is."
Tae-hyuk had smelled a familiar scent while walking around Death Circus. He checked the Demon Revealing Mirror and all of his stats were decreasing. Fortunately, his concentration didn't decline as fast as before.
Anyways, there was definitely a criminal who used psychedelic fragrances in the Death Circus. They were clearly a wolf, and not a regular participant. Then another wolf, Mina, was more likely to know his identity.
Tae-hyuk pulled a syringe containing clear liquid from his pocket and stabbed it in Mina's arm.
"I'm not a professional at this, so please understand."
"Oof..!"
Mina fiercely struggled but her body was tied up and resistance was impossible.
"Are you curious about what this is?"
Tae-hyuk tossed the syringe and said. Mina looked at him with shaking eyes. There was a black and red butterfly stain at the place where he injected her."Ah, don't worry. The stain will disappear in a moment."
Tae-hyuk started to explain with an emotionless face.
"However, if you don't receive the antidote within a week, then blood will pour out from every hole in your body and you will die… Ah, it is unfortunate that I won't be able to see it directly."
Tae-hyuk shook his head with a grim expression. He truly felt sorry.
"U…! Ooof!"
'Poison?
Did you inject poison just now?'
An ominous energy was coming from the black butterfly on Mina's arm. In addition, blood pouring from every hole in her body…This was the first time she heard of this poison.
"Well, think of it as an offering."
"Ooooof!"
Tae-hyuk turned around and walked to the place where everyone else was gathered.
Mina realized that the moment she left this place, she had to mobilize all of her power to find that man. If she didn't, then she would die.'Wow. Isn't this really usable?'
Tae-hyuk looked at the screen of the Demon Revealing Mirror. It stated the remaining number of times he could use the Counterfeit skill.
[Counterfeit skill 1/3]
'In the end, it is three times a day?'
Counterfeit had the ability to make tangible things look different. It was particularly useful because it didn't need materials to be used. Instead, he could only use it three times a day.
Tae-hyuk recalled Mina's expression. She looked at him like she was seeing a monster.
'Aigoo. Today is the day when I am hated by females.'
Tae-hyuk received information about the fifth wolf. In order to do that, it was necessary to trick Jeon Mina.
'Well, that was just water so don't blame me.'
Tae-hyuk shrugged.
The Bluff Poker table had a bunch of syringes to draw blood. He had taken one, filled it up with water, and injected it in Mina. Then he triggered the Counterfeit skill. It made her feel like the drug had turned her skin black. Moreover, the duration of the Counterfeit skill was five minutes, so it would return to its original state.
Tae-hyuk took full advantage of this to deceive Mina. Thinking about it again, his acting was really plausible. Now she would try everything she could to meet him in a week.
"Then it is time for the Producer to call."
All of the participants had the 200 million won needed to clear the circus. It was something that Kim Joon-young would need to react to. The participants, who didn't know what Tae-hyuk was plotting, were talking among themselves.
"Then we'll become platinum members of the company now?"
"Of course! We cleared the Death Circus!"
"Ohhhh!"
They were purely delighted.
Tae-hyuk licked his lips.
The guests were still here, so there couldn't be any nonsense. Anyway, they had achieved the goal in accordance to the rules of the Death Circus. But would 17 people really get the platinum membership card?
That Choi Sung-yeol?
At that time, an announcement was heard inside the Death Circus.
– Bravo!Congratulations on clearing the Death Circus!All of you will receive Tiwai International's platinum membership certificate.Then please follow the guide outside.There will also be an award ceremony for Lee Cheol-su as the representative of the participants.
After the announcement ended, all of the participants threw their badges into the sky and cheered.
Only An Eun-jeong and Yoon Jong-hyun were watching Tae-hyuk.
A platinum member of Tiwai. It meant becoming part of those who tried to kill them. In addition, there were currently 15 platinum members in Tiwai. If they upgraded all 17 people, then it would double in an instant. If a person thought calmly, they would absolutely never receive the compensation. No, they might not even survive this place.
Tae-hyuk just spoke with a relaxed smile.
"They called. Don't you have to go?"
In no time, dozens of men in black suits were surrounding the participants. Their waists were bulging, as if they were wearing something underneath.
"Then follow me."
A black suited man gestured to Tae-hyuk. The other participants stepped closer to Tae-hyuk with uneasy eyes. If they followed him then they could at least live. However, the men in black suits stopped the participants from walking forward.
"The other people, please wait here. We will bring Lee Cheol-su first."
Tae-hyuk looked back at the participants and followed the black suited man in silence. Producer Kim Joon-young would obviously be waiting for him.
The remaining An Eun-jeong muttered something.
"The exodus hasn't ended yet? What…""Oh my god, I never thought you would really clear the Death Circus. You showed me many great things today."
Kim Joon-young headed towards Tae-hyuk with a welcoming pose. The place that Tae-hyuk was guided to was the Producer's office, furnished with a big monitor and luxurious furniture. He would watch the Death Circus using this monitor.
Kim Joon-young touched a chair and indicated for him to sit down.
"Then let's get into the specifics."
Tae-hyuk sat down in the chair and Kim Joon-young opened his arms.
"Congratulations. With this, you have become a member of Tiwai International."
Tae-hyuk replied with an impatient look,
"I'm not one of the players. Aren't you tired? Won't you cut to the chase?"
Kim Joon-young looked at Cheol-su with an expression of interest.
"Haha. Indeed, I know it all. Personally, I think that you are a mysterious expert brought by one of the guests."
"It is something similar."
"Indeed! Then I will be blunt. I would like to scout you. I will try to match your conditions as much as possible. If you become the head of the wolves, then I'm sure the Death Circus will become the best show in history."
He thought that Tae-hyuk's actions in the Death Circus were to show off his skills.
"So how much money can you give me?"
"Haha. Please wait a moment."
Kim Joon-young took out a tablet PC and showed a neatly organized table. It was a contract stating the terms and conditions.
Scamming and ruining one person was worth 20 million won, while a frontal match was 30 million won. And if he created a show like this one, then he would get 200 million in incentives.
Tae-hyuk pushed away the contract and said.
"I will only appear twice. Additionally, if I kill more than 10 people then the payout is doubled."
Kim Joon-young's fingers trembled.
"Cough. Double?"
"Yes."
Kim Joon-young briefly thought about it, but he realized the value of the man in front of him.
"I understand. Then let's sign a formal contract."
Tae-hyuk raised his hand as Kim Joon-young was about to hand him the contract.
"Wait. Before that, I want to say hello to the audience as the main character of the Death Circus. If I'm lucky, then can't I get tips?"
Kim Joon-young nodded.
"I wanted to ask you that. Everyone wants to meet you."
"This… Today I made a lot of money. That reminds me, what about the other participants? Surely you won't give all of them a platinum membership card."
Kim Joon-young's eyes shone. He asked, so naturally the answer was obvious.
"Of course, 20 drums will be dumped off the coast tomorrow."
"Haha, indeed! You truly are a bad person."
"Thank you for the compliment. Then let's go greet the guests."
Kim Joon-young completely believed in Tae-hyuk.
His gait, his gestures, his expression, and especially, his tone. Everything about Tae-hyuk showed that he was the best criminal around.
However, it was all just acting. Tae-hyuk followed behind Kim Joon-young and confirmed the message from Moonlight Flower.
–Everything is ready.
Tae-hyuk smiled widely.There was an uproar as Tae-hyuk entered the ballroom. It felt like he had become a Hollywood star.
"Ohh! You are the main character of the Death Circus right now!"
"Great skills!"
"Yes! Truly a wolf candidate."
"Wah. I am already looking forward to your next stage!"
Tae-hyuk entered and greeted them. Applause rang out here and there.
"Hello. I am Lee Cheol-su."
People gathered around him. They were holding something in their hands.
"Today's performance was so good. This is a tip."
It was a 10 million won check.
"This is a platinum card. You can use up to 100 million freely. Have this glass of wine as well."
In an instant, Tae-hyuk's hands became heavy with gifts.
"Thank you. By the way, I have something I personally want to say to you."
He caught the attention of the masked people. Were the tips too burdensome?
As Tae-hyuk gestured, the woman in the butterfly mask came out from among the masked people with a bunch of documents.
"Noona. Thank you. I will definitely pay this back."
"Bah. You didn't keep your promise from before. Still, it was fun."
As the two people conversed, the lion mask and opera mask came forward.
The lion mask said.
"…As expected, you know this person!"
The opera mask said.
"That's right…"
Tae-hyuk took the bundle of documents and skimmed through it.
Then he said,
"Wah. The one wearing the lion mask. Aren't you Sung Won-jin, the chairman of the Tae-sung Group? You have a hobby like this. Ah, then the opera mask, you are the daughter of the president of Taesung Group? I thought you were married. An affair like this…"
Tae-hyuk started to slowly reveal the identity of the masked people. The inside of the room became frenzied.
"W-What is this? Fuck, block his mouth right now!"
"Aaaaack!"
"What is this bastard doing?"
Tae-hyuk smiled and raised a hand as if to block the masked people rushing towards him.
"Stop moving! If you don't want to die then stay still."
"Crazy bastard. Are you pranking us right now? President Kim. Send that bastard out right now!"
"Yes!"
Kim Joon-young was furious.
He had been feeling good about finding a worthy wolf after a long time. The Death Circus would flourish with him as a wolf, but now everything was messed up.
Lee Cheol-su was revealing the identity of the guests. Now they wouldn't come to see his show again. Kim Joon-young thought about how he could painfully kill Cheol-su and called out to the suited men waiting outside.
The men armed with guns approached.
"What? Stay still if we don't want to die? Let's talk after there are a few more holes in your body. Shoot him!"
Then Tae-hyuk took off his coat. Dozens of primed explosives, dynamite, could be seen around his body.
"Huh? Didn't I say to stop moving?"
"Aaaack!" It's a bomb!"
Everyone in the room screamed.
TL Note: Please read this
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Chapter 58: Black Sheep Exodus #5
"P-President Kim! What are you doing? The contract wasn't finished?"
"L-Lee Cheol-su…!"
The guests were completely overwhelmed by Tae-hyuk. They had only watched the slaughter on the monitors from a safe place. However, now the danger had neared them.
It was like going to the cinema to watch a horror movie and having a ghost popping out of the screen. It was a crisis that they had never anticipated. The guests fell to the ground to avoid the explosion. No one had the courage to stop Tae-hyuk directly.
Kim Joon-young kept his composure and asked,
"…Is that real dynamite?"
Tae-hyuk licked his lips and detached a stick of dynamite from his body and held it up in the air for everyone to see.
"Why? Do you want to experience it directly with your body? Ah, I see that there is no fire. Does anyone here smoke?"
"Hiiik!"
The guests on the ground shook their heads desperately.
"In anybody wants to experiment then tell me. I'll let you feel it with your body. Oh, please don't move carelessly. My coworker has installed the same thing all over the building."
"Me, me! I did it!"
The butterfly mask raised her hand as if to appeal to the audience.
"Keok! Already…"
Kim Joon-young moaned.
Tae-hyuk smiled as he looked at the dynamite around his body. It was a fake bomb made using the Forgery skill. Crude chemicals were combined to create something with 1/20th of the original explosive power. The only person who would die was the person holding it. If there was an explosion here, then Tae-hyuk would be the only one killed.
He increased the realism of the fakes through the Counterfeit skill. Fake dynamite was created by combining Forgery and Counterfeit.
How many people here could do this? There was no one. No matter how coarsely a fake explosive was crafted, it would still explode if set on fire. Tae-hyuk had participated in the Death Circus all night while keeping it on his body. His mental state absolutely wasn't normal.
'Well, there is no detonator, so the wick needs to be set on fire directly. That is safe enough.'
Break the Death Circus.
In order to do that, it wasn't enough to get rid of Kim Joon-young. If he didn't destroy the guests, who were the consumers, then a second and third Death Circus would appear.
That's why he asked Moonlight Flower to steal their information. When he asked if it was possible, Moonlight Flower nodded with a casual expression.
It was an absolute secret that must never be leaked. It was protected by digital security from a professional company with several layers of passwords which unfortunately belonged to her family.
'Moonlight Flower… No, Yoo Ha-yang. The 3rd generation daughter of a huge security company…'
Once coincidences were repeated, it become inevitability. In the end, Choi Sung-yeol and Kim Joon-young themselves leaked all of the information to the security company that they believed would protect them.
'Well. No one would've thought about Ha-yang noona.'
Tae-hyuk looked at Yoo Ha-yang, who was smiling thoughtlessly.
'I need to pay off this debt.'
Tae-hyuk bowed to Ha-yang who played a key role in destroying the Death Circus. Moonlight Flower just laughed with a strange expression.
Tae-hyuk confirmed the number of people in the room. There were approximately 15 masked people. Kim Joon-young had five bodyguards in black suits. There were also seven black suits in the Death Circus. If he added Kim Joon-young and Choi Sung-yeol in the count, then it was exactly 29 people.
"Didn't you sign the contract? You said that you would participate in the next Death Circus as a wolf."
"Betrayer!"
"Ah. What bad manners. I intend to follow the contract. But unfortunately, I am a busy person. Therefore, I would like to proceed with the next Death Circus today."
Tae-hyuk smiled happily.
"Aren't all the new participants gathered here?"
The guests who realized what he meant screamed.
"Well. Isn't it enjoyable to be the protagonists of a stage at least once? Ah right. Of course, I'll participate. The contract states that I'll get 10 million won for killing one person. Furthermore, if I kill more than 10 people, then there will be an incentive. So how much money can I make this time?"
Chairman Sung Won-jin was lying on the ground and he grit his teeth together in anger. What? They would participate in the Death Circus from now on? If he had a chance then the first thing he would do was to kill Lee Cheol-su. If he worked with all the guests gathered here…
"Oh, that lion mask over there. You seem to be plotting something. Is it really possible? Don't I have this?"
Tae-hyuk tapped the dynamite on his body.
Sung Won-jin screamed. He had forgotten for a while but Lee Cheol-su had the dynamite. It would be impossible to harm him, even if they attacked as a group. If so, in a 1:1 match…
Wait, they had to fight that monster? No! They absolutely couldn't win! Before, they had been enjoying his actions through the monitor, but now they had to go against him in reality.
Sang Won-jin's face distorted with despair. Then he shook his head. It was his complete defeat.
"Aaaack!"
The guests who realized that they would have to fight a monster fainted.
"Then let's start the second one."
Until the closing of the new Death Circus –
480 minutes."Ugh… Tired."
Tae-hyuk stretched as he watched the sun rise and asked An Eun-jeong, who was quietly standing beside him,
"Are you sorry that they won't be killed?"
Unfortunately, it hadn't been possible to open a new stage with the guests who came to watch the Death Circus. It was due to the police who received a report and arrived on the scene.
Seo Tae-hyuk and An Eun-jeong were able to escape the building safely with the help of Moonlight Flower. That woman truly ran very fast. Moonlight Flower had reminded Tae-hyuk that he made a promise to go to the amusement park with her. Then she waved her hand and disappeared.
An Eun-jeong bit her lip until it was bloody and said.
"…No. I am just lucky to have survived. Then what will happen to them now?"
"They will be judged by the law. I left a lot of evidence behind."
"I see. Then running away like this…"
Tae-hyuk had removed all evidence that An Eun-jeong had worked for Tiwai. The fact that she was involved in this incident would disappear from the world.
Tae-hyuk laughed and replied.
"You should thank the fact that you have a good sister."
"Yes…"
"Never let tears flow from the eyes of your family because of your actions again. Otherwise I will punish you."
Tae-hyuk turned and started heading somewhere. An Eun-jeong smiled at his retreating form and shouted.
"Thank you so much! Saving my life and my family… Ah! This man! Listen until the end!"
An Eun-jeong sighed and returned home. The things she experienced that night felt like a dream.
Exactly one week passed by.
She had a proper job, not an illegal one like the multilevel scheme. It was a cashier job to calculate the goods that the customers purchased. It was a hard job where she had to stand for eight hours a day, but it felt like heaven compared to life in the Death Circus.
At night, she went to a cram school to prepare for her entrance exams. She wanted to go to university.
If she worked hard every day without doing illegal work, would she someday be recognized by her parents?
Yes. She would go and greet her parents on New Year's Day. An Eun-jeong laughed at the thought."Clothes OK. Gift OK."
An Eun-jeong turned around in the mirror. It was the first time she wore a suit since working at Tiwai. That salary was twice what she was receiving now, but she felt like she had been doing something wrong. And in the end, she had to participate in the Death Circus.
What would have happened if she hadn't met Lee Cheol-su?
"What is he doing now?"
In the end, she didn't know anything about Lee Cheol-su. He had tremendous skills. Was he using it to capture other criminals? It was apparent that he was doing a big job.
A strange confidence rose now that she was wearing her best clothes.
"Yes! Eun-jeong fighting!"
An Eun-jeong gave a small shouted and headed out. She was returning home, where her family was gathered, for the first time in ages. It was only her sister and father but she felt full of something.
"I-Is it really U-Unni? Unni!"
Her tearful sister threw open the door. Eun-jeong embraced her sister and stroked her hair.
"Ah, I can finally see my little sister…"
She had cried when she thought that she would go to hell without seeing her family. Eun-jeong remembered the face of that man and laughed.
In the end, she was able to meet her family again. He was like a hero of justice who beat the villains and then disappeared.
"I am entering. Is Father home?"
"Yes. But… I have a friend over. I called him to eat because he said he would be alone on New Years…"
Eun-young mumbled with a strange expression.
"Yes. My little sister. Is he your boyfriend?"
At that moment, Eun-young's face turned red. Eun-jeong gently patted her sister on the head. She was already big enough to bring a boyfriend home.
"Ah, no! He is just a friend that I study with!"
"Ahaha. I see. I understand. I will trust you."
At that time, the voice of man was heard.
"Eun-jeong came? It's been a while. It is cold. Come in quickly."
She was back after running away from home a few years ago, but her family acted like it was natural for her to come here. Eun-jeong's eyes turned red. From now on, she would make sure to act like a daughter to her father. She vowed to do so.
Eun-jeong walked towards the room where her father was waiting.
"Eh? A guest?"
Her father and Eun-young's friend were playing chess.
"Ah. Eun-young's friend. This guy. You are very wily. It is a lot of fun playing chess with you."
Her father chuckled with a smile on his face. Her father was being overwhelmed as he said those words. It was over. The opponent obviously had the skills of a semi-pro. Well, perhaps… He did it on purpose.
Eun-jeong looked at her sister's boyfriend. There… He rose slowly and bowed his head.
"Hello. Nice to meet you. I am Seo Tae-hyuk who is studying with Class President."
Unlike what Eun-jeong knew, his face and gestures were calm. But he obviously…!
Tae-hyuk smiled and raised an index finger to his mouth and quietly said,
"It is a secret. Noona."
Cheol-su…! Eun-jeong couldn't understand why that fearsome monster was in her house. Ah, yes. He said that he came because of her little sister. Eun-jeong sat down with a frightened face and started to cry.
"I-I'm really sorry…! I was wrong… Please forgive me…!"
The confused father of the two sisters said,
"…E-Eun-jeong. Father has already forgiven you, so you don't need to apologize. Yes? Don't do this in front of a guest. Isn't our Eun-jeong good?"
"No, that's not it…"
In the end, Eun-jeong was forgiven by her father.
It was a happy ending on the first day of the new year.
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Chapter 59: It seems like something is going on #1
Tae-hyuk finished his shower and looked in the mirror. He could see a half-naked man with a rotten smile.
"Eh? Did I look that bad?"
In fact, he didn't have a good impression of his looks in the past. However, now he felt like he went beyond the 'not bad' level.
"It feels like more characteristics have arrived. Surely it isn't a side effect of the crime skill…?"
As he gained more crime skills, Seo Tae-hyuk became aware of his stats. It was directly reflected on his body. As intelligence rose, his brain became better, while as agility went up, he could move faster. Perhaps the crime skills affected his appearance as well.
"Aish, it can't be."
Tae-hyuk smiled as refreshingly as possible, forcing out the freshness. The mirror showed a miraculous reflection of how much effort he put in.
"Hmm hmm. Handsome."
It seemed like he looked the most wonderful after having a shower. Tae-hyuk looked at himself with satisfied eyes.
He himself was aware that his personality had changed considerably from the past.
He was doing this because he was now going to meet Yoo Ha-yang. They were going out to play, but it was technically a date. He had to maintain the basic courtesies.
"Well. Noona helped me out this time."
Tae-hyuk smashed the Death Circus exactly 70 hours ago. In addition to that, he got two blacklist members and a huge 20 affinity points.
[Current affinity points in possession: 20]
Just seeing it caused a smile to appear on his face.
He gained points if he managed to establish a relationship with a person he didn't know in his past life, or if he saved someone who should've died. It was the first time he got 20 points at once. It meant that Kim Joon-young and Choi Sung-yeol killed a lot of people in the future.
As they were caught, the atrocities of the Death Circus became known throughout the country. The shocking thing was that dozens of chaebols were involved in the case.
Like hyenas finding rotten meat, the media started biting at them. Wouldn't it be a case that shakes the country for a whole month?
After finishing his shower, Tae-hyuk wore his now trademark leather jacket and skinny jeans. They weren't clothes suitable for a date with a woman.
Tae-hyuk smiled with satisfaction and left his house.The plan was simple. First, they would eat likely before stopping at a marine theme park for a few hours.
The two people were eating at a restaurant that Tae-hyuk had previously reserved. However, Ha-yang's expression was strange. It was the first time he had seen her look like this.
Tae-hyuk spoke as he ate spicy pork stir-fry.
"Uh, Noona. You don't like spicy pork stir-fry? Then you can buy something else. There are many things
on the menu here. I am paying, so you can eat at will."
Then she shook her head with a flustered expression.
"Ah, no. It's the first time I've been here. Wah… You can have the side dishes. Let's go to the amusement park after eating."
The place where the two people were eating was a branch store selling kimbap for 1,500 won. There were dozens of dishes sold at low prices, so it was Tae-hyuk's main restaurant.
Come to think of it, Yoo Ha-yang was a chaebol. She wasn't well-matched with common places like this. Tae-hyuk felt sorry at that moment.
Ha-yang had been a big help in solving the Death Circus case. In particular, he was able to secure information about the guests with her ability. Wouldn't it be better to reward her with a more luxurious restaurant?
'But I don't have the money.'
He could barely afford the theme park admission fee.
Tae-hyuk earned over 100 million not long ago at the casino. However, rumours of a subway being built near his house were circulating and the price of the house had increased by 60%. There were also the living expenses and school expenses for his brother and sister. In the end, he didn't make any money.
This was why he had to catch one or two more people like Yoo Cheol-ho. Furthermore, he didn't earn one cent from the Death Circus. Rather, he had to spend money for Moonlight Flower to enter the masquerade party. It was literally a deficit.
'Ohh. This is really dangerous. First, I need to get some money.'
It was possible if he used the Gambling and Forgery skills in the right way. If so, what should he choose? It needed to be a low-risk and high-return method. He needed to seriously consider this.The two people ended their meal and went to the newly opened marine theme park. It was an amusement park that was a combination of an aquarium and an amusement park.
"Wah! I wanted to come here!"
Ha-yang enjoyed the trip like a middle school student on a field trip.
"Then what do you want to see?"
"Dolphins!"
At the moment, Tae-hyuk remembered that the hippo incident had taken place at an aquarium. It was a completely different place from here, but he couldn't help but think about it when he saw the water tanks filled with water.
'Eeit! I've been hanging around criminals too much. I just want to relax today. What could possibly happen?'
Tae-hyuk thought and nodded.
Then why?
He had an ominous feeling that something was going to happen. At that time, Tae-hyuk heard the conversation of a couple passing by.
"Did you see today's news? A huge number of chaebols were arrested for watching a slaughter show."
"Oh, I did! At first I thought I was watching the ad for a new movie!"
"Then did you know that there was a man who saved those who were captured? They were all people who would've died, but he used his great abilities to lead them to escape."
"Wow, great! So what happened to him? Did he receive any commendation?"
"No. The person who saved them suddenly disappeared."
"Wah! How perfect! What is his identity? An FBI agent?"
The couple didn't know that the person they were talking about was right next to them. Ha-yang heard their conversation and paused,
"Ah, over here! He is actually he… Oof!"
Tae-hyuk blocked Ha-yang's mouth.
"N-Noona. You shouldn't say that!"
"…Ah. Indeed. Sorry. But Tae-hyuk saved everyone. The fact that no one knows this…"
Tae-hyuk answered with a small sigh.
"Noona knows. Isn't that good enough?"
Then Ha-yang smiled widely.
"Ah, yes!"
Tae-hyuk used all types of illegal activities to catch criminals, so if he got caught by the police then he would be handcuffed, not rewarded. He would also repeat the same thing until he was promoted to the Noble rank. He had 12 people left to catch on his blacklist before he could be promoted to Noble.
Before that, he absolutely couldn't go out into the spotlight. There was a need to be as careful as possible.
'I shouldn't expose my face now.'
It wasn't uncomfortable. He would take advantage of it to make a profit.
Tae-hyuk licked his lips and looked at the huge water tank in front of him. The escalator they were riding passed the tanks towards the basement. The place where the dolphin show was being held was the fourth underground floor.
The Atlantis Theme Park was a huge dome shaped building, and various rides could be enjoyed on the ground. The building was over 30 metres tall, so it was incredible. The marine park, which extended all the way to the fourth basement floor, was very popular because it gave the feeling of being under the sea.
Tae-hyuk got off the escalator and looked around. There were huge tanks holding thousands of tons of water. It was shaped like a donut, and the audience could see various sea creatures in the hole in the middle.
"Tae-hyuk, look at that! Moray. It looks exactly like you!"
"We're completely different!"
Tae-hyuk's mouth twitched. He looked just like the fish passing by him.
"But what happens if all of this breaks?"
Yoo Ha-yang tapped the water tanks. It was very thick, but she still had a hazy expression on her face.
"Ahaha. There is no need to worry."
A female guide wearing a uniform approached the worried Ha-yang. Ha-yang replied with shining eyes.
"Huh? Really?"
"Yes. Our Atlantis Aquarium boasts an extraordinary water tank made of a special acrylic that has ultra-fine fibres of 90cm in thickness. It can withstand a water pressure of 500,000 tons, and won't break, even when shot."
"I-I see! Then I can look around with confidence!"
"It is natural to feel uneasy. But don't worry. As long as a bomb explodes in front of it, the tanks absolutely won't break."
"This is the middle of the city so there is no need to worry about bombs. Right Tae-hyuk?"
Ha-yang smiled at Tae-hyuk.
"Eh? Seo Tae-hyuk?"
But Tae-hyuk was muttering something with a serious expression.
"Water Theme Park Atlantis. The super large tanks…"
Ha-yang tilted her head to one side.
"What are you doing?"
However, Tae-hyuk still seemed to be thinking of something.
"Cracked, collapsed, submerged… The cause was a bomb explosion!"
Tae-hyuk managed to remember. Atlantis suffered a tremendous accident half a year after it was opened. The water tanks in front of him were destroyed and the entire underground area submerged. Hundreds of people died and it was a huge disaster. It wasn't a mere accident, but a bomb attack.
The culprit…
'Bomber Kim Tae-sung!'
Tae-hyuk looked at the guide with a serious expression. She would know the exact fact.
"How long has it been since the first opening?"
Obviously, if his memory was correct, a tremendous disaster would occur here. It also wasn't too far in the future. Maybe this was the source of his ominous feeling. The guide kindly gave an explanation of the history of Atlantis.
"Yes. Three years ago, the Water Theme Park Atlantis started…"
Tae-hyuk cut in and stopped a long story.
"So when did you open?"
"Ah, yes! As of today, it is 91 days. Why do you want to know?"
"It is three months. Huu…"
Tae-hyuk sighed with relief.
"Did something happen? That reminds me, you said something about a collapse. What relation…"
Tae-hyuk shrugged. Anyway, it was going to happen three months later. If he spoke now then he would be called a fraud.
"Oh, nothing. Just a mobile game story."
"So it is like that! At any rate, what you see in front of you is called the Milky Way of the sea…"
The guide started explaining as she descended the escalator. Other guests were listening to the story as well. But something was wrong. The disaster would happen three months later. He knew the criminal was a blacklist member so he would be able to stop it from happening but that uneasy feeling didn't disappear. It was like he had closed his eyes and was walking towards the edge of a cliff.
This feeling became clearer every second. It was at that moment.
Biiiik!
Unlike usual, the Demon Revealing Mirror started vibrating violently. It seemed to be a warning. Tae-hyuk projected the screen of the Demon Revealing Mirror in front of him.
[Caution!]
-The Spying skill has detected a danger.
-The special ability has been triggered and 20 affinity points have been reduced.
-Amount of time remaining until Atlantis collapses:
-00:00:29'
Tae-hyuk trembled as he saw the message in front of him.
20 affinity points had disappeared in an instant. But the danger was right in front of him.
Tae-hyuk stopped thinking. First, he had to move to as safe a spot as possible to avoid this.
"Noona. You trust me right?"
"Huh? Yes?"
"Then run! From here…"
The time was dwindling as the two people talked.
27 seconds.
26 seconds…
Tae-hyuk gritted his teeth. He grabbed the wrist of Yoo Ha-yang and the guide and started running.
"Ah, G-Guest-nim! If you act like this here…!"
"I don't have time to explain! Escape right now!"
"Huh? All of a sudden, what…?"
Tae-hyuk gritted his teeth.
Tae-hyuk activated the Violence skill. People were watching, but he couldn't afford to worry about that.
[You have activated the Violence skill.]
-Muscle strength and agility are strengthened.
Suddenly, Tae-hyuk was holding a long iron pipe in his hand.
And he ran.
If he stayed here any longer, then he would be crushed by the falling tanks. Tae-hyuk started to run towards the point where the escalator ended, holding both people's hands.
-00:00:01'
There was the sound of a huge explosion.
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Chapter 60: It seems like something is going on #2
"Uh, get down!"
Kuwaaaang!
Tae-hyuk leaned down reflexively at the explosion. The bomb had already exploded. After a few seconds, the aftermath of the explosion would hit. Fortunately, Tae-hyuk's stats were reinforced by the Violence skill, making it possible to move beyond humanly possible speeds.
Tae-hyuk bit his lip. Moonlight Flower was one step ahead of Tae-hyuk and was hiding her body in a safe place.
However, the problem was the guide. She thought that there was some accident, and was standing still like a broken mannequin. Therefore, she would get caught in the explosion and receive a big injury.
A person who received a great shock would be frozen in place. If they were able to cope with the situation then they could live. But if they were in a blank state and couldn't do anything, leading to their deaths. She was in such a state.
Tae-hyuk reflexively kicked her leg.
"Kyak!"
She screamed as her body curved like a bow. Tae-hyuk grabbed the falling guide and rolled down the stairs in a hugging position. They rolled a few metres in an instant.
Kukukukung!
A little later, the shock wave hit the surprised people. Fortunately, he had fallen down considerably and could avoid any direct hits. Flames appeared just above his head. The surviving people started to scream.
It looked like Hell had arrived on Earth. Tae-hyuk had seen a similar situation before. It was just a few days ago, when he had participated in a death game where dozens of people could die.
However, that was an area where human nature caused the deaths. What was happening here was far beyond that. If he didn't know anything then he would've lost his life.
Tae-hyuk bit his lip as he rolled across the ground. The good news was that he was somehow spared. It was a result of the warning from the Demon Revealing Mirror.
'A hidden ability of the Spying skill…'
It consumed a staggering 20 affinity points in order to warn of a crisis. There were still many things about the crime skill that he didn't know yet. The problem was that it wouldn't be mentioned unless the conditions were met.
'Perhaps there are conditions like collecting more than 20 affinity points.'
His affinity points had disappeared in an instant, but he didn't feel regret since it had saved his life.
'…Well. In fact, it is a waste. Damn!'
Tae-hyuk moaned with a pained expression.
Anyway, he once again realized how valuable affinity points were. This wasn't a game, but was like having an extra life in reality. If he could afford it then he would have to stockpile over 20 points.Tae-hyuk let go of the unconscious guide and stood up. Yoo Ha-yang, who was hiding behind a protruding structure, came out from hiding. She was looking around with eyes that were as wide as a meerkat. She smiled brightly as soon as she found Tae-hyuk.
"Wah, you're alive!"
Tae-hyuk shrugged and said with a strict, but sincere expression.
"You are also alive. Did you hide alone in a safe place?"
"Hehehe…"
Tae-hyuk sighed.
He couldn't hate a woman like that.
"Let's get out of here. Soon the water tanks will collapse and the water will pour out."
"Hup!"
Yoo Ha-yang closed her mouth and nodded. Tae-hyuk inwardly exclaimed.
Moonlight Flower – Yoo Ha-yang. She showed more speed than him, despite Tae-hyuk being enhanced by the Violence skill. Maybe she could have survived even without his warning. She had a foolishly pure personality, but he had confidence in her physical abilities.
Tae-hyuk said quietly.
"We will go down first."
"Do you know a safe place to go?"
"Yes. For now."
Kukukung!
Tae-hyuk confirmed the status of the huge tanks. There was a lot of cracking as if the water would pour out in that moment.
There was a room down there. It couldn't completely stop the water but it was better than outside. Tae-hyuk closed his eyes for a moment before running towards the door while carrying the guide.[Agility has increased due to your rapid actions beyond your limits.]
Stamina (59), Intelligence (47), Agility (29), Dexterity (39)
The message from the Demon Revealing Mirror flashed in front of Tae-hyuk's eyes. He had definitely exceeded his limits. If he hesitated for even a moment, then he would've been caught by the water pouring down from the tanks.
"W-What the hell is going on?"
Yoo Ha-yang asked with a serious expression.
"It's what it sounds like. A bomb."
"Ah… I always thought that such things were on the news. But I still managed to live. Ahaha… What a disaster movie."
Ha-yang was laughing in these circumstances. Tae-hyuk was shocked and he was starting to doubt her mental state.
The guide was still unconscious.
Tae-hyuk examined the area that they were currently in. It was a passage with dim lighting, a place that led from the 4B floor of Atlantis to the amenities. If he kept moving along the passageway, then he would find places such as restaurants and arcades.
Outside of the door was water, and this place also wouldn't last long. He didn't have to worry about breathing due to the ventilation system, but he couldn't wait forever.
"Let's go inside. This place won't hold out for long."
Tae-hyuk tapped the firmly closed door with his finger.
Ha-yang nodded.
Water was already seeping through the cracks. They had to move to a deeper place to avoid the water coming in here. The passage, which led to the theater and various facilities, was as complicated as a maze.
Tae-hyuk sighed. The outward passage was already blocked by water. They were like trapped rats.
Ha-yang started to search the passage with a serious expression. Then she said,
"I think there is only one way to get out of here."
"Is it the ventilation ducts?"
"Eh? How did you know?"
Ha-yang gazed at Tae-hyuk with wide eyes. In fact, Tae-hyuk knew what was happening now.
The Atlantis sinking incident. It was a famous disaster that was the prelude to the appearance of the bomber, Kim Tae-sung. The bomb that detonated and caused dozens of casualties was just the beginning.
The more vicious thing was that he installed it in the place with huge water tanks, containing thousands of tons of water. They were made of special material that didn't break even when shot. However, they were unable to withstand the high temperatures of the explosion and shattered. In the end, the enormous amount of water hit the survivors.
The original architecture had a place built underground to escape from a situation just like this. But for some reason, it was missing. After the accident occurred and hundreds of people died, people started calling for punishment. In the end, the culprit was a senior official who received hundreds of millions in bribes from large corporations. The bereaved families even held a hunger strike. However, it ended without any proper punishment.
'The conclusion was that hundreds of people died due to two criminals.'
He lost his appetite.
Tae-hyuk sighed as he confirmed the message in front of him. He was able to gain one affinity point for saving the guide. Many people died in this incident, but that didn't mean that there were no survivors. Tae-hyuk knew how they survived. They escaped through the vents.
Then he replied to Ha-yang.
"In movies like this, the people would escape through the vents."
"That's right! Most underground facilities are linked to the outside. In the end, we need to find the way there…"
Ha-yang was a thief so she was familiar with the layout of buildings. She paused briefly with a troubled expression.
"…The problem is that this is an unnecessarily complex structure. If I had enough time then I would be able to find a way out, but… Well, I think I am lacking time."
"That certainly is true. The time limit should be around 30 minutes."
Ha-yang nodded at Tae-hyuk's words.
"I don't know the structure…"
Tae-hyuk's eyes flashed at those words.
"Noona. If you know the structure of the place, will you be able to get out?"
"O-Of course! I am a thief as well."
Tae-hyuk knew a way to understand the structure of this place. It was to use a crime skill.
'I can analyze this place using the Spying skill. Then create a map using the Forgery skill…'
Tae-hyuk manipulated the Demon Revealing Mirror to examine the details of the Spying skill. He could reinforce the skill by investing affinity points. There was something that would be useful right now.
'Extend Spying range…!'
It was necessary for Spying to be used on the whole building. But he didn't have enough points for that. Tae-hyuk currently only had one affinity point. He needed 10 points. In order to get it…
Tae-hyuk looked at Ha-yang. He said with a serious expression.
"The details are hard to explain but there is a way to get an overview of this place. But in order to do that, you need to save others. I need Noona's strength."
He couldn't talk about the crime skills. But Yoo Ha-yang knew that Tae-hyuk had some special abilities. He might be her only hope of getting out of here.
"Ahaha. Staying calm even in this situation… In fact, despite my words… I'm really scared right now… This is the first time. I joked around but there really was a bomb… Furthermore, I don't know when the water will come in here. Then the vents will be dangerous. I didn't even think about what to do until just before. But do you really have a way to get out of this place?"
Ha-yang was smiling brightly. But her eyes were shaking.
Tae-hyuk didn't miss this. He nodded without saying anything.
"If so, I will help you. Like you saved countless people from the Death Circus, can you save me?"
"It is over when I get my date home."
The tension disappeared from Yoo Ha-yang's face.
"Ahaha. Even in a situation like this… At any rate, I'll do it. Give me instructions."
Tae-hyuk laughed. Of course he meant his words.
Besides, it didn't end when he escaped from here. The bomber Kim Tae-sung had appeared three months early. In order to fight him, Yoo Ha-yang's help was needed. He couldn't let her die in a place like this.
Tae-hyuk quickly and accurately issued instructions.
"Cell phone?"
"Yes. However, the radio waves don't work."
"That is enough. As long as you can check the time. There are certainly a few survivors in this space. Find as many as possible and direct to the…"
Tae-hyuk recalled as much of the structure of this place as possible. He remembered the place that the water didn't reach until the last moment. He told Ha-yang that place.
"I understand. Then I'll be there in exactly 600 seconds."
"Yes. At least three people… No, I would like four or more if possible."
"Yes! Leave it to me!"
Ha-yang disappeared into the darkness. Her animal senses would surely save a lot of people.
He gazed at the affinity points showing on the Demon Revealing Mirror.
Tae-hyuk sighed and looked at the guide. He needed to deal with her then look for other survivors."Have you recovered?"
Tae-hyuk asked after slapping the guide on the cheek.
"Uh, yes… A-Am I alive?"
The guide tearfully said. She had been in shock and lost her mind for a moment.
"But if you don't get out of here in a hurry then it will probably be flooded."
"Ah…"
The guide looked around. They were in a deeper place, not outside.
"Then I am going to find other survivors. Go to the underground game centre and wait there."
The guide's face instantly paled. It looked as though she thought that Tae-hyuk was abandoning her.
"N-No! Are you trying to run away alone? I-I'm going to follow you!"
"In such a state?"
The guide's feet were shaking. It seemed like she wouldn't be able to walk properly without receiving any support.
"I-I will still follow. P-Please…"
"I'm not really throwing you away. Please just wait. I will come to pick you up soon."
He didn't have time to keep talking like this. Tae-hyuk turned around to look for other survivors.
Deopsseok!
The guide threw her body and grabbed Tae-hyuk. She clung desperately to his body. It was like she would die right away if she let go.
"Ugh… Really frustrating."
"I-I am Oh Soo-ah. P-Please take me along. I'll do whatever you want."
"I mean, just wait a minute!"
"Then you will go away!"
There was no end to this. Tae-hyuk eventually decided on something. He pulled Soo-ah up from where she was holding on to his right leg.
Then he said with a smile.
"Soo-ah noona. Do you want to see a magic trick?"
"Huh? A-All of a sudden?"
Tae-hyuk clapped and raised his palms in front of his body. Then he shouted.
"This is the only magic that I know!"
Tae-hyuk pulled apart his hands and revealed the underwear she was wearing. Soo-ah's face turned red at the familiar piece.
"Kyaaack!"
Tae-hyuk gave a rotten smile while holding the black lace underwear.
"I wanted to end it with only one thing but you tied up my arms and legs…"
He absolutely didn't steal this. It was made from magic!
Tae-hyuk removed Soo-ah's arms and moved to find another survivor.
"Fortunately, there were no witnesses. Ohuhu… It was completely a crime!"
Soo-ah was left being with a red face. However, the lace underwear wasn't enough to break her.
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Chapter 61: It seems like something is going on #3
The affinity points could only be obtained from people related to the blacklist. In other words, he wouldn't get anything if he saved people not related to the blacklist.
Tae-hyuk had smashed the Death Circus and saved the lives of hundreds of people, but had only gotten 20 affinity points. In other words, those 20 points represented the number of victims Choi Sung-yeol and Kim Joon-young would've killed in the future.
They didn't kill the participants directly; they only crafted extreme situations to make people kill each other. Most of the victims died at the hands of other participants, which why he didn't get as much as he hoped after saving a lot of people.
However, this time he was sure. The culprit was an IED, a mass killer on the rampage with bombs.
Tae-hyuk clearly remembered from the blacklist. If he saved the victims of this case then he could gain a lot of affinity points.
Tae-hyuk remembered everything he could about the disaster at Atlantis. He was able to guess the situation to a certain extent because it had been blasted on the news every day. The water in the tanks completely filled up the third underground floor and slowly overflowed, eventually reaching the fourth floor.
Fortunately, it was just recently opened so most of the audience was gathered on the first and second basement floors. If the capacity of the tanks was slightly larger, than the damage would have been several times greater. There were perhaps around 30~40 people here, and he had to get them out as soon as possible.
"Kuoong."
But it wasn't as easy as he thought.
Tae-hyuk found someone hiding in the dining room and tried to persuade him.
"Staying here is dangerous! I know a way out."
"There was definitely an announcement to stay where I am!"
'Damn…'
Tae-hyuk clicked his tongue.
Someone had broadcasted a message that a small problem had occurred and that they were trying to recognize what it was. Therefore, don't move and remain at your current position.
The one who made the announcement was probably Kim Tae-sung.
'It turned out like this.'
Tae-hyuk bit his lip.
When a person received conflicting information, they would always choose the more reliable one. The announcement was more reliable than someone who looked like a gangster. In the end, he wouldn't be able to save anyone here if they didn't believe him.
Yoo Ha-yang was probably suffering for the same reason.
'I need to confront authority with authority.'
Tae-hyuk headed to the broadcasting room in a corner of the 4B floor. The door lock was firmly locked. Tae-hyuk smiled and muttered,
"I'm sorry, but I have a key to open any lock."
Tae-hyuk grabbed his iron pipe with both hands and swung it using all his strength.
Kang!
Iron hit iron and sparks emerged. He was able to confirm that the lock had loosened.
"Um. How about one more time? Well, I will keep going until it works!"
Tae-hyuk took advantage of his centrifugal force to open it. The attack that burst out had great destructive power, thanks to the Violence skill. In less than 10 seconds, the iron lock was shattered and Tae-hyuk was able to enter the broadcasting room. It was an unauthorized intrusion, but Tae-hyuk wasn't going to worry about such things.
"Isn't it enough if they don't notice?"
Tae-hyuk entered the room and looked around.
"It is simple."
There were several chairs and machinery for broadcasting. Tae-hyuk could make an announcement. But then he saw a strange device installed on the machine, a recorder connected to a clock that was attached to the timer switch of the broadcast device.
That only meant one thing.
"Crazy…"
Tae-hyuk quickly realized what it was supposed to do. It was the identity of the person who made the announcement.
"Shit. Who installed this?"
Tae-hyuk separated the recorder from the machine and pressed the power button. Then a voice was heard, mixed with some noises.
–This is the management.The park is currently experiencing a small trouble and we are investigating the cause of it.Although it is somewhat noisy now, please wait where you are.
The timer showed that it was broadcast exactly six minutes ago.
"In the end, people died because of this broadcast without even knowing it."
Tae-hyuk sighed.
He didn't like it. There was only one way to counter this. He manipulated the Demon Revealing Mirror at lightning speed to activate Voice Modulation.
[Voice Modulation has been used.]
-You can imitate the voice of Kim Tae-sung.
'That bastard Kim Tae-sung…'
The identity behind the voice was Kim Tae-sung, and the timer device attached to the recorder was obviously something used for his IEDs as well.
'Well, I will be releasing that firecracker soon.'
Tae-hyuk looked at his body. There were bruises on the area where he had rolled around less than one hour ago. Furthermore, he continuously used the Violence skill. All his muscles would be in hell tomorrow.
Tae-hyuk manipulated the broadcasting device and turned on the power. The practice he had in speaking would be useful.
Tae-hyuk coughed a few times to check that the voice was correct before speaking.
"This is the management. It has been confirmed that the cause of the disturbance is damage to the water tanks. All of the fourth floor will likely be submerged within 20 minutes. Please gather in the central plaza and evacuate in the manner provided by the guide."
Tae-hyuk turned off the microphone. Now he no longer needed to argue with people to save them.
He checked the time and there were four minutes remaining. How many people could he save?
He would go to the places that he thought would have people. He could probably save seven or eight people. The only thing left was to see how many Yoo Ha-yang could secure.
"Anyway, let's get another rise in agility today…!"
Tae-hyuk started running again beyond his limits.In the end, Tae-hyuk headed to the central plaza with nine people. Those who listened to the broadcast followed Tae-hyuk obediently. Thus he could gather more people than he previously thought.
Yoo Ha-yang just needed to rescue one person for him to gain enough affinity points to have his plan succeed.
'Isn't it almost time?'
Tae-hyuk looked at the floor. Without realizing it, the water was up to his thighs.
Nevertheless, there were still people waiting for the next instructions. The water would gradually rise until they could no longer move. Most people were gathered in the same space so he could rescue nine people in four minutes.
No one sensed any danger as they followed him. Everyone else was quiet so they should do so as well. In addition, there was the broadcast. Even if it seemed a little dangerous, everything would be fine; it was that type of crowd psychology.
Kim Tae-sung used the bomb to exploit that.
A sound emerged from Tae-hyuk's mouth as soon as he got to the central plaza.
"1-17?"
Yoo Ha-yang brought almost twice his number. Tae-hyuk cut through the people and said to Yoo Ha-yang.
"Noona. How did you collect so many people in four minutes?"
"Huh? It wasn't four minutes. It was 10 minutes."
"So… People followed you before the broadcast?"
Yoo Ha-yang was baffled.
"Ah, that broadcast was Tae-hyuk? But people just followed me because they wanted to go with me."
"Eh?"
Tae-hyuk realized that the vast majority of people here were men. Yoo Ha-yang's looks were pretty enough for her to become a celebrity right now. It was natural for men to not refuse to go with Ha-yang. He couldn't help laughing. When he thought about it, he had been defeated by beauty.
Tae-hyuk imitated Kim Bum-soo's voice using Voice Modulation. Then he shouted towards the people gathered.
"All of you were suddenly assembled here so I don't think you understand the situation. However, this is a very urgent situation. Thank you for your understanding."
Then a big man opened his mouth.
"Is this place really flooding?"
"That's right. The proof is the water on the floor."
"Hah."
Sighs emerged here and there.
"Isn't rescue coming?"
"The third underground floor is completely immersed in water. Perhaps the earliest time will be in one hour. However, we will be completely covered in water in 10 minutes."
"T-Then we are going to die!"
"There is only one way to escape. It is through the vents in the ceiling."
"But if we go to the wrong place and head to the third underground floor then we can't go back."
"That…"
Tae-hyuk paused for a moment, then continued in Kim Bum-soo's distinctive charismatic voice.
"Fortunately, I know where the blueprints to this place is. I plan to check it for a safe route and then we will escape."
"Oh!"
Exclamations popped out. Tae-hyuk took a deep breath.
'Now give me the points! Don't make me dizzy waiting!'
Obviously he should get affinity points for the people here. He fiddled with the Demon Revealing Mirror. Then he received the notification message he had been waiting for. Perhaps it was caught in a lag.
[26 affinity points have been acquired.]
[You can use the affinity points to enhance crime skills or activate hidden attributes.]
'T-That's great!'
Tae-hyuk inwardly cheered. Along with the one point from Oh Soo-ah, he had 27 points.
"Then wait a few minutes and I will bring back the blueprint."
He couldn't use Spying and Forgery with so many eyes on him. Just as Tae-hyuk was about to move, a man asked sharply.
"Ah, I am Yoo Tae-soo. By the way, if there is no time then why didn't you get the blueprint in advance?"
Tae-hyuk smiled lightly as he replied,
"A few minutes is enough. I don't think there will be any problems."
"I am just wondering if we can all escape within the time limit. If you made a mistake by not getting the blueprint in advance, will you be responsible if someone else dies?"
Yoo Tae-soo felt like an enemy.
"If that situation comes up then I will be the last one to leave. So are there any problems?"Yoo Tae-soo closed his mouth.
Tae-hyuk hurriedly moved to a place where he could avoid their eyes.He first invested 10 affinity points into buying the new attribute for the Spying skill. Among the items, he selected the 'Extend Range' one and there was the sound effect of success.
[A new attribute has been given to the Spying skill.]
-The area that can be detected has increased.
Now he had 17 points remaining. Tae-hyuk boldly used 15 points to strengthen the Forgery skill.
'Rapid Production.'
It was an attribute that increased his production speed.
"This isn't the salary of a worker… By affinity points fell to two in an instant."
Both of them boasted a tremendous performance so they cost a lot of points.
"Now, Spying!"
Tae-hyuk manipulated the Demon Revealing Mirror and activated Spying. At that time, it felt like pain like a hot iron was poking him in every nerve.
"Kuaah… Oof!"
Tae-hyuk hurriedly covered his mouth with both hands to block the scream that escaped. He wasn't far from the place where everyone was gathered, so he couldn't show them anything strange. His senses expanded by hundreds of times to cover all of Atlantis.
"W-What is this…?"
His brain was burning from the pain! It seemed as if his body couldn't withstand the crime skill, but he had to hang in there.
Tae-hyuk gritted his teeth and shoved all the information in his head.
9%…
'Crazy, it is only 9% done?'
Tae-hyuk watched the progress on the Demon Revealing Mirror. It was 10 seconds of hell. It might be because his stats had already exceeded the limit. His eyes turned bloodshot.
"Ah, I still have a step left!"
Now it was time to draw the blueprint using the Forgery skill. He used trembling fingers to manipulate the Demon Revealing Mirror and activate Forgery.
Then the world was accelerating. Time flowed in milliseconds. Then nanoseconds and so on…
As time flowed thousands of times faster, Tae-hyuk saw a hallucination where everything was broken into pieces. The two minutes felt like eternity.
"Cough…!"
Tae-hyuk puked up something black as soon as it finished. His intestines were clearly damaged, and therefore he knew that the skill he used now wasn't possible with the body of a Commoner.
At the very least, Noble…
No, he had to be a King in order to use it effortlessly. However, he had used it with a Commoner's body. And it was a success.
Tae-hyuk looked at the blueprint in front of him. Everything was perfectly contained in a 841mm by 594 mm piece of paper.
With this, they would be able to go anywhere. Everything needed for the escape from Atlantis was prepared.
Tae-hyuk wiped off the blood at his mouth with his sleeve and laughed. He repeated a line of dialogue from a famous artist.
"How is it? Simple, right?"
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Chapter 62 – It seems like something is going on #4
"Pant… Pant…"
Tae-hyuk started breathing roughly. The status of his body wasn't good because he had used extreme crime skills.
"But I finished…!"
Tae-hyuk deliberately erased Atlantis from his mind. If he kept remembering it then it felt like his brain would burst. Either way, there was no time left. Tae-hyuk grabbed the blueprint and returned to where the people were gathered.
"Uh, he is here!"
It was less than five minutes but there was a lot of nervousness on people's faces. Their lives were in Tae-hyuk's hands.
"T-The blueprint?"
"Here it is."
Tae-hyuk pulled out an A3 paper out of his sleeve and showed it to people. It contained everything about Atlantis.
Yoo Tae-soo, who was watching from the side, started to scoff.
"It isn't printed but hand-drawn. Is this correct?"
Tae-hyuk shrugged,
"If you don't have faith then you can go where you want."
"Cough."
Yoo Tae-soo had a worried expression but he didn't have any other options.
He poured out his doubts towards Tae-hyuk towards the other guests.
"Can we really trust him? All of a sudden, he suddenly got a nice blueprint of this place. The contents are also doubtful."
At that time, a middle-aged man walked forward.
"I am an architect. If you feel doubt then I can show you the certification in my wallet. Can I take a look at that blueprint?"
Tae-hyuk's eyes narrowed.
The water had already reached his waist. It would be a close call, even if they started to escape now. But what would happen if he refused?
Right now, only Yoo Tae-soo was suspicious; however, it might spread even more. It was better to take a little time then to escape with non-cooperative people.
"Take a look."
"I'll do it as quickly as possible."
The architect put on glasses and started to examine the blueprint created by Tae-hyuk. After one minute, he said with wide eyes.
"It is a perfect blueprint. The scale, perspective and marks are all unquestionable. It is made so well that I want to employ the architect who drew it. Most of the time, it isn't good to draw by hand. It reminds me of how I used to work a long time ago."
"Ohh!"
Those who were watching sighed with relief at the architect's words.
"I know it is made well. Is there evidence that it is the exact design of this place?"
Yoo Tae-soo still had a doubtful expression on his face. Tae-hyuk spat at him.
"Yoo Tae-soo, I don't know why you are so dissatisfied, as there is already no time. Stop. If you feel doubt then it doesn't matter if you stay here. I don't have a mission to save everyone who is here."
Tae-hyuk said, causing Yoo Tae-soo to laugh.
"Look at this! How shameless! Do you believe him?"
Tae-hyuk narrowed his eyes and glared at Yoo Tae-soo. He wouldn't feel troubled about saving that guy now. If Tae-hyuk's body condition was a bit better, then he would've hit him with a steel pipe. However, he didn't have enough stamina to use the Violence skill. He was at his limit due to the extreme crime skills.
At that time, Yoo Ha-yang glared at Yoo Tae-soo and scolded him.
"You. Don't you know that Seo Tae-hyuk is struggling and risking his life to save people?"
"Huh?"
"I-I don't know what happened but his body has turned into a mess."
Yoo Ha-yang stared at Tae-hyuk with moist eyes before asking in a trembling voice,
"T-Tae-hyuk, are you okay? What happened? You sound like you are dying…"
Tae-hyuk sighed.
She was a really good girl.
"I'm fine. First, let's think about escaping."
"…Yes. I understand."
Yoo Ha-yang's words showed an authenticity that couldn't be acting. The people felt confidence and started yelling at Yoo Tae-soo.
"What are you doing now? Do you feel good? Why aren't you trying to save us?"
"If you can't take responsibility then stay quietly in a corner!"
"If you are so disgruntled then go on your own!"
Yoo Tae-soo instantly became isolated. However, he showed no signs of concern on his face at all. He leisurely pulled out a gun, like he was taking out a business card.
"I was already thinking about that."
Yoo Tae-soo smiled as he aimed the muzzle at Tae-hyuk. The people around him paled.
"It would be nice if you didn't move. Ah. I will correct myself. Feel free to move, and then you will suffer."
"W-What are you doing?"
Yoo Tae-soo said with a sneer,
"I am in a difficult situation right now, so I have to live alone."
"D-Don't tell me…!"
"That's right. I am in charge of this place. And if you guests live then I will have to go to jail. Hah! I can't allow you to appear on TV as you like. Staying still? I never issued such instructions. But why is this all my responsibility?"
"Then you want to kill the rest of us so you can live?!"
"Of course. I can manipulate everything that happened here at will."
"What? You completely crazy bastard!"
"Haha. Don't worry. I will make sure that the public knows about your sacrifices. And you will live forever in their hearts."
"Fuck! How many people are here now? Can you deal with this many people alone? Everyone pounce!"
A man angrily rushed towards Yoo Tae-soo. Yoo Tae-soo fired at the man with a calm face.
"Kyaaak!"
Sparks flew as the man collapsed."I won't stop those who want to go to the other side with him. There are a limited number of bullets and only 10 minutes remain, so first come first served."
In the end, sacrifices were needed in order to overthrow Yoo Tae-soo. But how many people would be able to do that for something they met today? In the end, no one moved and the strange standoff continued. In the meantime, water was constantly rising so they could tell the limit.
Yoo Tae-soo aimed the gun at Tae-hyuk again and said,
"Hand me the blueprint unless you want to die right now."
Tae-hyuk made a slightly difficult expression. Then he spoke loud enough for others to hear,
"I can be a hero if I use my body to subdue that person now. Of course, I will die from a hole in my body but others will be saved."
"What? Do you really want to do that? Do you want to demonstrate such a great sacrifice?"
Tae-hyuk laughed,
"But I'm not a hero. At best, I am just a criminal. Yes. I understand. I will hand the blueprint over to you."
Then the people shrieked. If so, all the people remaining here would die. However, no one else rushed forward. Going forward meant they would be killed by Yoo Tae-soo's gun. One person had already died. If 10 people sacrificed themselves, then the rest could live. However, the ones that went forward…
There was only one person. Yoo Ha-yang approached Tae-hyuk while there was a ruckus and spoke in a small voice.
"…I will get that person's attention. Meanwhile, you will knock him down."
"Aigoo. No matter how great your physical abilities are, even Noona can't avoid all the bullets."
"B-But somebody should do it."
"Noona. You will die."
"…It's okay. No, it doesn't matter. I made up my mind after listening to Tae-hyuk's words. If somebody has to be a hero, I will do it. Remember that."
Yoo Ha-yang smiled brightly. It was the face of a hero who decided to sacrifice herself to save others.
"In the end, it will be Noona who dies here alone. Is it really okay?"
"Yes."
Tae-hyuk stared at Yoo Ha-yang. Her eyes were filled with a strong will.
According to his memories, she was a weird thief who stole from chaebols. Was there a reason for this?
Tae-hyuk couldn't understand it. But he couldn't let Yoo Ha-yang die here.
"I would rather you walk away from here than me. In fact, I have a plan to deal with Yoo Tae-soo."
Yoo Ha-yang's face turned red.
"W-What? If you have something like that then say it quickly! If you plan to hit him alone…"
Tae-hyuk raised a finger to his lips. Yoo Ha-yang closed her mouth with amazement.
"Yoo Tae-soo I understand. Here is the blueprint. Instead, you can't hurt anyone else here. You have to promise."
"Hahaha! It is understandable. Humans are selfish. There aren't any fools who would sacrifice themselves for others!"
There was one such fool. Tae-hyuk looked at Yoo Ha-yang and smiled.
"N-Now we will all die!"
"N-No! I don't want to die!"
"P-Please spare me. I'll do whatever you want!"
The people started begging for their lives. They were thinking extreme thoughts.
Tang!
Yoo Tae-soo fired at the ground.
"Kyaaaak!"
There were no longer any protests as Tae-hyuk handed the blueprint to Yoo Tae-soo.
"I would like to thank you for using Atlantis Theme Park today. You can't come back. Enjoy your remaining time."
Then Yoo Tae-soo quickly entered the vents. He left with one last remark.
"I will tell the world that there was a stupid hero who wanted to save everyone here but couldn't do it. Wuhahaha!"
"C-Catch him!"
He couldn't shoot his gun as he entered the vent. From now on, they were safe. In the end, there were those who moved to catch Yoo Tae-soo. However, they couldn't move quickly because of the rising water. They missed him.
"D-Damn…"
"We're all dead!"
Tae-hyuk looked at the corpse of the man with a gentle expression. He took a moment of silence. The man had died in order to save everyone, but there was no one mourning his death. In front of the hero, Tae-hyuk slowly bowed his head.
When he raised it, he was the criminal Seo Tae-hyuk.
"The hero died alone, and only the culprit survived."
Tae-hyuk pulled out the real blueprint.
"W-Wait a minute. T-That!"
"T-That!"
"Another blueprint?!"
The people shrieked in glee.
"I thought it would be like this so I made a fake."
"Ahaha! Amazing. We're saved! We can live!"
Tae-hyuk knew that his physical condition wasn't good, and from his previous memories, he remembered that there was only one survivor on the fourth underground floor, the floor that had the most victims.
Yoo Tae-soo, the owner of this place. The reason he survived then wasn't too different to the situation now.
Tae-hyuk muttered in a small voice.
"You don't know that map is wrong and will be moving towards hell. Once I get out, I will tell the story about the clown who tried to kill everyone here."
Tae-hyuk hurriedly led the people out. They couldn't even waste one second.Tae-hyuk first passed the blueprint to the architect. He was skilled so he would lead the people from the front.
"W-What will you do?"
"I will look at the situation and follow when suitable."
"Yes. Then I will definitely lead people from the front. R-Really… Thank you!"
The architect bowed humbly. Tae-hyuk clicked his tongue.
"Say thank you if you survive. Now hurry."
"Yep!"
The people calmly followed Tae-hyuk's instructions.
The water was already up to their chests. Furthermore, the speed was getting faster. It was obvious that this space would be completely covered in water in a few minutes. Under these circumstances, more than 20 people entered the vents.
Was it due to the sacrifice of the nameless hero? No one fell into panic.
There were only five people remaining. Tae-hyuk told Yoo Ha-yang who was helping the people.
"Noona. Stop now and escape first. I will follow right behind you."
"W-What? Follow right… Do you want to see my underwear? It's too fast. That's it. I will send people until the end. Go first."
Tae-hyuk sighed. There was no time to argue.
"Then I'll go first. Noona, be sure to come along."
"Yes."
Yoo Ha-yang laughed at him.
Tae-hyuk didn't look back as he entered the vent. That was a man. So she liked it.
"Now, everybody hurry! I will kick your butt if the distance increases!"
"U-Understood."
The people remaining escaped one by one. Yoo Ha-yang remained until the end, pushing them from behind to allow them to enter the vent easier.
"N-Now I will get out…"
At that last minute, the place where she was present was completely submerged in water.At first, she thought he was just a kid. But he wasn't like that. It was amazing to see him bargain with Big Mama and finally recover the thing that he wanted. In addition, she saw him saving many people from the Death Circus.
It was the appearance of a hero that Yoo Ha-yang longed for.
–Daddy.Why did you fire the employees?
–It is in order to live.
–Then the fired employees…
–Ha-yang.Don't forget that you will also have to live this way.Something popped up in Yoo Ha-yang's head.
Signs of her life, words she remembered. She felt everything so vividly. Was this a kaleidoscope?
–F-Father.Why is the security so easy to penetrate?If something goes wrong then their personal information might be leaked and they might become the victim of voice phishing or card fraud!
–It doesn't really matter.It will never happen anyway.
–We have to prevent such a thing.
-Don't pay attention to it.Anyway, it's not the people giving us money whose personal information is stolen.
–T-That…
–No matter what we do, it won't change.Yoo Ha-yang.Get rid of the illusion that you are a hero.You are just a security company employee.Aren't you parachuting off me?Yoo Ha-yang hated chaebols. The people sat on their thrones and hated ruling over so many people. She wanted to show them a spicy taste.
Therefore, Yoo Ha-yang decided to become a thief who only stole from chaebols. She was confident in her physical abilities. She also had extensive knowledge from working at the security company.
But in the end, she didn't do anything right and would die like this… Strangely, she didn't feel regret.
In the last minute, she had become the person she had been longing for.
Yoo Ha-yang felt something warm before she lost consciousness."…Ha-yang! Yoo Ha-yang! Steady yourself!"
Tae-hyuk shook Ha-yang's body and called her name. At the same time, he slapped her cheeks.
"U…Uh…"
She groaned as water poured out from her mouth.
Ha-yang slowly opened her eyes.
Tae-hyuk's face was right in front of her. He was the first thing she saw. He looked confused. Was it because she almost died?
By the way, her name came out from his mouth. She had obviously never given him her real name.
"H-How did you get my name…?"
"That isn't important now! I was really worried because you didn't open your eyes after artificial respiration!"
"Ah… artificial respiration…"
Ha-yang raised a finger to her lips, which were wet with someone's saliva.
"My first kiss…"
"Aigoo. This Noonim… I rescued you from dying and crossing Jordan River, so it isn't your first kiss."
"Ahaha… I-I lived."
"Of course! What did I say? I saved Noona's life didn't I?"Seo Tae-hyuk had obviously rescued her. Yoo Ha-yang faced turned red as she remembered a warm touch. Had he been waiting near the entrance of the vent because he was worried about her?
"At any rate, reporters and police are outside. Noona and I don't have to meet those people. Let's just run away."
"Yes. Then…"
Yoo Ha-yang realized her own heart when she was prepared to die. He was a little young but obviously…
Tae-hyuk said.
"Oh right, I need Noona's help with something."
"Yes. I'll help you with anything."
"I want to catch the culprit of this bombing case."
Bomber Kim Tae-sung.
Tae-hyuk licked his lips. From now on, Tae-hyuk would move to catch him. It would be a bonus if he could learn a new crime skill. As Tae-hyuk thought about Kim Tae-sung, something on the Demon Revealing Mirror caught his eyes.
[Two affinity points have disappeared due to the destruction of the bond.]
"…Eh?"
Tae-hyuk's eyes trembled.
Come to think of it, there were two people who didn't escape. The man who threw his body in order to stop Yoo Tae-soo, and Yoo Tae-soo himself. In the end, his relationships with them had vanished.
As Tae-hyuk was upset over the loss, Yoo Ha-yang hugged his arm.
"Then let's hurry. I am confident in running away! Believe in this Noona!"
Tae-hyuk sighed.
He decided to forget about the points that were blown away as a soft texture stimulated his arm.
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Chapter 63 – Bomber #1
It was late in the afternoon when an unidentified courier delivered a package to Gangdong Police Station. The first person to find it was a new policewoman from the city traffic department, who was cleaning when she found the box in a corner.
"Eh? Who is this for?"
Then an officer returning to work spoke to the policewoman.
"Isn't it Detective Oh?"
"Ah, good job Sunbae-nim! Detective Oh?"
"Yes. He receives orders here because he can't get them at home."
It was one of the good things about not being married. Speaking of which-
Detective Oh was walking down the hallway when the new policewoman waved her hand.
"Detective Oh! Did you order something?"
Detective Oh stopped with a confused expression.
"What do you mean? My wife found my savings so I couldn't even if I wanted to. Aigoo. That fishing rod…"
"Ahaha…"
The courier package wasn't for Detective Oh. The policewoman looked at the courier box with suspicious eyes.
"Hrmm…"
"Something is fishy…"
Looking at the details, the recipient seemed to be Team 2 of the Kangdong Police Station. The sender address was written, but it wasn't an actual address when they searched it up. The name written on the package was also fake.
The police officers groaned. Perhaps they had discovered something immense.
"What is going on?"
The policewoman's eyes widened as a man's voice was heard. A recently popular detective, Cho Kang-suk was glancing at them curiously.
"Ah, Detective Cho Kang-suk!"
He was the biggest celebrity at Kangdong Police Station. He threw his body at Yoo Cheol-ho, the escaped prisoner, who had the whole country in an uproar. Not long ago, he played a crucial role in arresting the hippo. Furthermore, he had recently been paying attention to his appearance, and was now like a wild detective from a movie.
The policewoman couldn't understand why he was still single. If he wasn't meeting anyone…
Her face turned red at the thought.
"Can I take a look at it for a moment?"
"Yes, yes! Take a look!"
The police officers raised their voices, as if they had met a famous celebrity.
Kang-suk coughed and eyed the courier box suspiciously.
The size seemed to be the smallest one available among the post office boxes, and the edges were slightly crushed from the delivery. He sniffed it but there weren't any smells coming from the package. That was all that could be seen from the outward appearance.
Kang-suk looked serious when he was told that this was left behind by a courier. It meant that moving it wasn't dangerous.
"Something heavy?"
He carefully lifted the box and noted that it had a considerable weight.
"Something is shaking. Is there liquid inside?"
Kang-suk thought back to the devices that he learned of back at the police academy. He might be making a fool of himself, but it wasn't bad to be careful. Kang-suk put the box on the table carefully and called Kim Do-shik.
"Inspector, it is Kang-suk. It seems like a bomb might have been delivered to the police station. Can you call EOD?"
Kang-suk asked Kim Do-shik to officially dispatch the explosives squad.
–What?I understand.Don't touch it!
A lazy afternoon.
There was an uproar among the police officers working in Kangdong Police Station.
IED.
A bomb was delivered."Be careful! Be careful…! If there is any wrong shock or jostle, then the entire police station could go flying away!"
Kim Do-shik gave instructions to the crew who specialized in handling explosives. There were various tools ranging from liquid nitrogen to shock absorbers on the table.
There were various forms among the homemade bombs, such as exploding when a certain impact was given or exploding when the box was opened. The most famous was the time bomb that was connected to a clock and exploded at the appointed time.
"It is opened."
"Well done!"
The lid of the courier box was carefully opened so that no vibrations would be transmitted inside. Kim Do-shik's eyes widened in an instant.
"T-This…!"
It was a plastic bowl filled with red liquid, with wires intricately connected to it like blood vessels connected to a heart.
Kim Do-shik's eyes flashed at the sight. He knew what this was all too well.
"…Liquid bomb!"
The explosives agent started to carefully explore what the liquid was.
"Fortunately, it doesn't seem to be methyl nitrate. It seems to be nitromethane."
Kim Do-shik's expression changed slightly.
Methyl nitrate exploded by mixing with other liquids, even if there wasn't a detonator. However, nitromethane didn't burst unless there was a very strong impact.
The agent said carefully,
"This amount is enough for an entire street to fly away. However, there doesn't seem to be a detonator."
"Hrmm? Detective Cho, did you find this? Is there another?"
Then Cho Kang-suk scratched his head and said.
"No. The two who found it were from the traffic department. I just found it suspicious."
"Haha. You aren't an expert, yet you realized that this is a homemade bomb."
"It was also taught at the police academy… It was because I had a feeling."
"As expected from Cho Kang-suk's senses. At any rate, process that with the utmost care. Detective Cho will be responsible for finding the source and route of the courier.
Cho Kang-suk scratched his head as he heard Kim Do-shik's words.
"Yes. I understand."
Kang-suk wondered about the intentions of the perpetrator who sent this bomb to the police station, but he wasn't Hyun-ho who majored in psychology. He just needed to catch the culprit. It seemed like he would have to work overnight again for a while.
At that moment, one woman came up in Kang-suk's mind. He had his first date with her a while ago, and soon, they would meet again. Although it would be difficult for a while. He would confess at that time…
"Uh, can I see the courier box for a moment?"
Kang-suk noticed something strange.
"Sound recorder…?"
There was an old voice storage device placed in a corner of the box. Kang-suk asked the explosives disposal personnel.
"Is it okay to touch?"
"Yes. The detonator is removed. Even if there is a device that responds to vibration, it won't break."
"Hrmm…!"
Kang-suk carefully grabbed the tape recorder. He tried to check for the culprit's fingerprints, but it had been wiped clean.
"What on earth is this?"
The homemade bomb looked mysterious to Kang-suk. It seemed like the culprit was an IED expert, which was rare in Korea. However, if they provided a tape recorder then they were clearly planning something. Kang-suk discovered the cassette tape in the recorder.
"Inspector. Let me check the content."
Kim Do-shik nodded.
He clicked the button and heard a noise.
-Hello, police officers who are trying to implement justice today.
The voice sounded ridiculous, like the person had inhaled helium gas.
–You have seen my work.If you have the right experts then you will understand how powerful the bomb is.
At the moment, all eyes were focused on the explosive ordnance disposal personnel. The agent said carefully.
"If the bomb explodes in the city then I think there will be at least a few dozen deaths."
"Haha…"
Kang-suk pressed the recorder that had been stopped.
–I have prepared a fun game for you.From now on, I will hide nine identical bombs all over the city center.If you can find them all, then it is your win.Of course, you know what will happen if you miss even one.
"C-Crazy bastard…"
Kang-suk punched the wall. This wasn't a game to him. The culprit was literally declaring that they would bomb the city center. They also sent a bomb to the police like it was a challenge.
–I hope that the courier didn't arrive too late.The first bomb is scheduled at 10 a.m. on December 2nd.The place…
Kim Do-shik shouted.
"Fuck! That was four hours ago! Call and ask what the situation is like at Atlantis right now!"
But there was no need to do so. A person who had been speaking on the radio approached Kim Do-shik with a pale face.
"I-Inspector. There was a support request from Gangseo-gu right now"
"What? Wait a minute, that is where Atlantis is!"
"T-That… A huge explosion occurred at the marine theme park and hundreds of guests were using it…"
Kim Do-shik couldn't resist hitting the table with his fists. As the tape said, one bomb exploded. But the serious thing was that there were still eight remaining.
–Then I'll give you a hint about where the second bomb is hidden.If you want to give up the game then deposit 15 billion won into the designated account.Then I will tell you the location of all the bombs.Then I wish you luck.
At that moment, the Kangdong Police Station was turned upside down.As soon as Tae-hyuk and Ha-yang got out of Atlantis, they headed for a family restaurant in a remote location. Once there, they had a simple meal and discussed future plans.
"Do you know how upset I was? I was really prepared to die."
"Yes, and you almost died. If someone hadn't saved you…"
Tae-hyuk laughed as he looked at Ha-yang. Yoo Ha-yang's face and ears turned red.
"Uh, anyway. In return for my help, you should tell me everything this time."
It seemed like she didn't like the fact that he didn't tell her about the fake blueprint.
"I have to fool my allies to fool my enemies."
"B-But!"
Ha-yang was too embarrassed to speak and wriggled her fingers.
"…I am different. It isn't the same."
"Aigoo…"
Tae-hyuk answered with a small sigh. It seemed the clumsy thief had misunderstood something.
"I understand. I will tell you as much as possible."
"Yes!"
Tae-hyuk took out a notebook and wrote down Kim Tae-sung's name.
"This is the culprit that caused the bombing. A crazy bastard."
"Umm. By the way, I was wondering something. How do you know this?"
The question emerged.
He had to tell Ha-yang something to explain all the strangeness. Tae-hyuk made a sincere expression so she didn't think his words were a joke.
He raised his hand and said.
"That is because I am a tremendous genius."
"G-Genius?"
"I have an IQ of more than 200 that surpasses Einstein and with my tremendous sense of reasoning, I can penetrate into the present and the future.
"…The present and the future? Reasoning?"
"Yes. Can I open the door of truth? It is simple to analyze human psychology and study the pattern of criminals.
"Wah. Amazing. If you have that ability then it is natural to hide it. I'm sure that there would be many people who want to use Tae-hyuk.
Tae-hyuk shrugged. It was a plausible lie, even to him.
"Yes. So Ha-yang noona should also keep it a secret."
Ha-yang blinked and nodded.
"I-I see… Then that is how you know my name?"
Tae-hyuk pulled out his phone and showed his address book.
"I asked you to give me your number and you wrote it down. There was no need for any reasoning."
"…Ah."
"Anyway, Yoo Ha-yang. I think it is a name that really suits Noona."
"Hehehe… Really?"
Ha-yang shook her head and started to twirl her fingers with embarrassment. Only Yoo Ha-yang would be deceived by such an obvious lie.
'It is a perfect name for Noona, who is a fool.'
"Either way, I'll go over Kim Tae-sung future movements with you. This isn't the end of his bombs. There are eight more."
"E-Eight?"
"And Kim Tae-sung asked for 15 billion won to prevent it. Of course, there isn't an easy amount of money to give. In the end, the police will put a large number of people to find the bomb."
"Yes."
Tae-hyuk stopped and thought.
From now on, the words Ha-yang would hear would be shocking. Maybe she would betray him and become associates with Kim Tae-sung.
But according to his previous memories, there was no contact between Yoo Ha-yang and Kim Tae-sung. It would be Tae-hyuk's fault if they were brought together. However, Yoo Ha-yang deserved to hear the truth.
"But his purpose is completely different. He doesn't want money nor to kill discriminately." He…"
Tae-hyuk spoke quietly as he began to describe Kim Tae-sung's purpose. Then Yoo Ha-yang suddenly burst into tears.
"Uhhh, sob… T-Too much… Why did you tell me such things… Aaahhh!"
Tae-hyuk stroked Ha-yang's back as she started to cry like a child and spoke in a soft voice that seemed to calm Ha-yang down.
"I'll ask Noona once again. Do you still want to be my ally?"
"…Sob… My cowardice, this situation…"
"It's okay. Noona and Kim Tae-sung is different. Noona will never be Kim Tae-sung. If you do then I will stop it."
Did those words move Ha-yang's heart? Ha-yang slowly nodded at Tae-hyuk's words.
Tae-hyuk sighed with relief. If he hadn't saved Ha-yang's life then she might have betrayed him now.
Kim Tae-sung's purpose that he told her. It was to kill the chaebol who drove his family to their deaths.
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Chapter 64 – Bomber #2
The hint of the location of the second bomb was hidden in a riddle. The police groaned after hearing it, but the remaining time was tight. They had to solve this mystery…
If they couldn't cope with this then they would be helpless like in the Atlantis situation. These words were said just before the tape ended.
–Oh right.Isn't it courteous to leave a nickname for you to call me?You can call me the Bomber.Then I wish you luck.
In the end, this incident was called the Bomber case. Kim Do-shik asked the police who were standing around.
"Fuck. Do you know where this is?"
"I-I'm really sorry…"
"I'm not sure."
Cho Kang-suk sighed slowly. He knew of a professional at these types of things. Although Kang-suk was reluctant, he was confident in that person's abilities. It seemed like this time as well, he would have to ask that brat for help.
"Inspector. Let's ask Investigator Joo Hyun-ho for advice."
"Ah, yes. Where is he now!"
"Due to the hippo incident, he was dispatched to Kangdong Police Station."
"Don't report everything and call him immediately!"
Joo Hyun-ho arrived where everyone was gathered in exactly three minutes.
He was wearing a trench coat and seemed to have come in a hurry. It was the same style as Detective Columbo, whom he admired. He had run here as fast as he could. It was like watching a high school student going to the athletic field during P.E.
"Hahaha! I am qualified in this case."
Kang-suk had given a rough overview of the case over the phone in advance. Kim Do-shik's eyes flashed as he spoke to Hyun-ho.
"Investigator Joo. Just like you got the hippo last time, please solve this case!"
Kim Do-shik's eyes were full of trust. Joo Hyun-ho scratched his head,
"As I wrote in the report, someone who Kang-suk sunbae and I don't know was the one who caught the hippo. We just happened to be there."
While he was the type of person who treated investigations as a game, he wasn't the type to claim another person's merits.
"But it is true that you were in the place where the hippo committed the crime and saved the victim. That is good enough."
"Thank you. First, let me focus on this case."
"You two are the best talents in our Kangdong Police Station. I believe in you."
Kang-suk laughed as he was combined with Hyun-ho. Hyun-ho touched his glasses and read the memo containing the clue of the bomb. Then he spoke not even a minute later,
"I solved it. I know where the bomb is placed. Request assistance straight away."
"What, already?"
The riddle almost completely filled the A4 paper. That wasn't quick enough to read everything written there. Yet he had solved it? Kim Do-shik looked at Joo Hyun-ho in disbelief.
Joo Hyun-ho pulled a pen from his pocket, highlighted a few words and handed it to Kim Do-shik.
"It's mostly junk information that's designed to blur what really matters."
Immediately after that, Kim Do-shik asked for support from SWAT and the special bomb disposal squads.
Then Hyun-ho explained.
"28 devices not connected refers to these words, not the bombs. Do you know what I mean?"
"Ah! Hunminjeongeum?" (Google Link. Hyun-ho is probably referring to the 28 letters of hangul, the Korean alphabet that was created)
"And words are created. In the end, this sentence points to King Sejong. And the next words are bank, learning and Confucian scholar. That means Sungkyunkwan University."
"Ohh…!"
"The sentence itself is roughly a middle school grade inscription pun. The important thing is that at least three or more words per paragraph point to the same thing."
"T-That's right. Then the bomb is hidden at Sungkyunkwan University? Do you know the exact position?"
The university was incredibly large. In addition, it wasn't in one place but spread across various regions. There was the humanities and social sciences campus of Sungkyunkwan University in Myeongyun-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. The natural sciences campus was in Suwon.
If it was the latter, then it would be hard to cope with the problem from Seoul. They needed to know the exact location.
"There is a word in the middle of the sentence 'the wind blows, the tree blossoms in spring.' It looks to be pointing to a tree, but it is actually talking about the blue dragon. Among the five attributes, blue means wood, spring and wind. And as a symbol of Sungkyunkwan University's bank is a blue dragon."
Kim Do-shik's eyes widened at Joo Hyun-ho's tremendous reasoning power. A police officer heard it and asked.
"But isn't that also referring to Sungkyunkwan University? So there is no change."
Joo Hyun-ho shook his head.
The blue dragon clearly meant Sungkyunkwan University, but there was something different.
"Of course, we can also see it like that. But to be precise, it is the symbol of Sungkyunkwan University's bank. There is a legend related to the blue dragon. Therefore, it is considered symbolic to have a blue dragon statue. It is a symbol but isn't a symbol, but that isn't what it means. The place with a blue dragon statue. The bomb will obviously be there."
"W-Where is that?"
"Wait a moment. I don't know everything."
Joo Hyun-ho laughed and pulled out his smartphone to look it up. It took 10 seconds for the information to appear.
"I have sent the exact location to your phone."
Kim Do-shik saw the result of the search on his phone and issued orders in a loud voice.
"Call the Myeongnyun personnel right now! The bomb is in the blue dragon statue at the front gate!"
"Yes, I understand!"
Kang-suk was ready to move. By the way, he couldn't see Joo Hyun-ho, who usually followed him like a puppy.
"Eh? Hyun-ho. You're not following."
Hyun-ho had taken off his coat and was sitting in a corner with the tape recorder.
"Ah, Sunbae. I think I have to take individual action this time. I want to try an analysis of the tape."
Kang-suk nodded. Unlike himself, who specialized in jumping in, Hyun-ho was an expert in analyzing the opponent. They had to do what they did best.
"I'll let you know if there is anything else. I'll call you on your phone."
"Uh, yes. Please do so."
The police moved in search of the bomb."Everybody, please evacuate according to the instructions!"
Hundreds of police officers came to Sungkyunkwan University. There was a frenzy among the university students walking around the school.
"What? What? Evacuation? A-All of a sudden…?"
"Is this some type of army reservist training?"
Then armed police rushed through the hall and told the students.
"It is real. Please evacuate now."
"Haha… What, is this a war?"
"It is similar. I can't tell you anything else. Please hurry up!"
"…Yes, I understand."
No matter how weak the public perception, the dignity of the uniformed police officers was enormous. There was no student who resisted. Although it was a little cluttered, the evacuation was carried out without any problems.
"Now, now, there is no need to shove. Please stand in a row over here."
The reservists who shone at this time. Using their experience in evacuation training that they received in the army, the reservists took action and led the other students.
Cho Kang-suk sighed with relief as he watched the scene.
"…No students will be damaged. It is fortunate."
Usually in movies, the people in the area would be evacuated if there was a bomb threat. By the way, an explosion would occur even before the time limit was reached. Did this bomber have some conscience remaining?
Fortunately, due to Joo Hyun-ho's reasoning, there were still 10 minutes until the scheduled explosion. It was enough to deal with the bomb. He hoped that there would be no damage.
At that moment, the SWAT team started approaching the blue dragon statue.
"There is a bomb!"
Kang-suk sighed.
All he had to do was catch the criminal. He would leave the bomb to the professionals.
Kim Do-shik looked at the SWAT team with an expression of trust.
"Can you do it?"
"Yes. We are professionals. Leave it to us."
When a bomb was found in movies, there were often wires that needed to be cut. However, that was only to increase the tension. In fact, if a bomb was found, it was to be put in a state where it couldn't explode with liquid nitrogen or shock absorbers, then moved to another place to be handled. That's why they were called the disposal squad, not the disassembly squad.
"Uh, Inspector! This bomb has no primer!"
"What? It is a seedless watermelon?"
"Fuck, again?"
Kim Do-shik spat on the ground.
The bomb installed here was the same as the one delivered to the police station. It was a bomb that had the power to destroy a whole building if it exploded. But the primer had been removed, as if the bomber was teasing them. It seemed like an armed demonstration.
Kim Do-shik approached the SWAT team leader and asked.
"Is there a tape recorder?"
"Please wait a moment. Is there perhaps a tape recorder in the box?"
"Eh? There is!"
The SWAT team leader pointed at the tape recorder that was where the primer should be.
"It is the same as the bomb delivered to the station. It would be best to listen to the contents of the tape recorder at once."
"Yes. That's right."
Kim Do-shik handed it over to Cho Kang-suk.
"Should Detective Cho listen?"
"Oh, you want to listen?"
It was burdensome but everyone knew about Kang-suk's achievements, so the SWAT team leader gave it up to Kang-suk. The SWAT team leader carefully pressed the switch of the recorder.
-By listening to this message, you have found the safe bomb.Isn't the tutorial fun?
The people who were listening spat. He mobilized hundreds of police for what? Practice?
-I showed you this much to make you realize that I'm not joking.Then I'll give you the next mission.This time it is real so you better hurry.
"Fuck…
This wasn't training anymore. Kim Do-shik instructed Kang-suk.
"Tell Joo Hyun-ho to come here right now. Crazy."
Only Joo Hyun-ho could solve the mystery. They had to do this seven more times? Furthermore, if they were late, then a deadly disaster would occur. The nation's top specialists were gathered here, but tired faces had already emerged.
The sky was almost yellow.
It was at that moment. Kim Do-shik received a phone call.
"Who? It if is a prank call or spam call then I will smash them!"
He roughly pressed the call button and brought the phone to his ear and heard a familiar voice. Unfortunately, it wasn't a spam call or prank call.
-Hello,Inspector Kim Do-shik.
"Y-you…!"
It was the Bomber's voice on the phone!
–You sound pretty surprised…But unfortunately, I'm not the Bomber.Just then, the person's voice changed. This time, it was a young woman's voice.
–Kukukuk.I'm getting goose bumps so I guess I have to use the Bomber's voice.Don't judge me by my voice.
There were machines that could change one's voice, but that usually resulted in an unnatural mechanical sound. The person on the phone wasn't like that. His voice had definitely changed while speaking. Was the other person a voice actor?
Kim Do-shik gulped and asked.
"This doesn't seem like a prank call. W-What is going on?"
–I'll speak briefly.Right now, you…And those who are gathered are in a difficult situation.Oh, can you tell the SWAT team member next to you not to do that?
"…Hup!"
The other person spoke as if he knew the situation going on here. The even more amazing thing was that he knew the SWAT team leader was listening to the call.
Kim Do-shik started sweating.
-I want to help you.I will cooperate in helping you find the bombs.Of course, it isn't for free like when I caught the hippo.
The hand that was holding the phone trembled. The hippo was a secret that only the police knew about. But this person knew…
"H-Hippo…! Did you catch him?"
–It was my first service.If you are suspicious then I will tell you about the marks that I left behind.
The other person briefly explained how the hippo was arrested, and he knew exactly about everything unusual that occurred. Only a handful of police officers knew that.
"Y-You…"
–I'll tell you where the next bomb will go off.By the way, the next one isn't a seedless watermelon.
"H-How…!"
Kim Do-shik stared at the phone in his hand with surprise. He was a veteran who had been with the police for 30 years. He was familiar with dealing with people.
"Track the one I am on the phone with! He is a key witness in this case!"
"Yes, I understand."
Then he casually brought the phone to his ear again.
–Ah right, the tracking will become strange so don't waste your manpower.Don't you have to worry about labour costs?
"…Hup!"
It was like he installed a listening device here. Kim Do-shik felt fear towards the other person on the phone. He seemed to know everything. Surely he hadn't planted a spy? But Kim Do-shik trusted everyone here. Besides, none of them had sent a message anywhere.
–The bomber asked for 15 billion.But I am not so greedy.150 million won per criminal.That is a reasonable price.How about it?Sign a contract with me.
Kim Do-shik's eyes flashed.
The other person was asking for money in return for catching criminals. Moreover, the amount was only 1/3 of what it cost to move hundreds of SWAT teams. However, he wondered if the person could really catch the Bomber.
-You feel doubtful.It is understandable.I would be the same.Then I will find the next bomb for you.Will you believe me then?
"Y-You… What the hell is your identity?
The voice replied.
-A criminal who catches other criminals.Then- I am called the God of Crime.
Thus, the God of Crime revealed himself to the Korean police.
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