#31 Master of Cover-ups (1)
The next day, I headed to the living room. Han Seohyun toppled backward at the sight of me calmly brewing and sipping coffee.
"B-Boss! Y-Your arm!"
"Yeah, it's fine now."
"Why are you acting like it's no big deal! What the hell happened last night?"
At his words, I gazed off at the distant mountains.
So much happened. Looking back now, blowing out my mana circuits because they'd regenerate anyway was definitely insane.
—If super-regeneration hadn't kicked in on time, you would've died, you idiot.
'I know.'
But it really was a close call. I didn't want to waste time on that one tiny margin.
Han Seohyun stared at my pristine arm, now free of any scars, like it was some miracle.
"It really doesn't hurt anymore?"
"Nope, good as new."
"Whoa."
Kim Jaeho had appeared beside me at some point and was poking my arm. I shoved the two nuisances away.
Anyway, with my recovery wrapped up, it was time for cleanup. But first, one thing to check.
"Where's the Butcher's body?"
"That guy's corpse?"
"Yeah, we ditched it, right? Who picked it up?"
"Why the hell do you...?"
"Obviously for you. Do you know how hard it is to get a high-grade awakener's corpse? Plus, that bastard had no family. Should be easy for us to claim."
Han Seohyun had said his capacity increased from this incident—he could now handle three more skeletons. Might as well get him some top-tier material.
Once he realized why I wanted Park Sang-pyeon's body, Han Seohyun made a sour face.
"Ugh! I hate that guy."
"Still, he was a big shot in his day. Perfect for skeletons."
Han Seohyun nodded reluctantly despite his grimace.
"I'll look into it."
Rats swarmed to his side as he spoke.
"Whoa."
Before, it was maybe five or six at most. Now there were at least thirty. Proof of how much his skills had grown.
"Should know soon."
I nodded.
"First, we steal the body."
"Got it!"
—No kid would beam like that at the idea of corpse theft.
'Probably 'cause his worries are gone now.'
I decided to cut Han Seohyun some slack. He was clearly thrilled now that my arm was back.
"Quit groping it."
I told Kim Jaeho, who was still tapping my arm.
Kim Jaeho sheepishly backed off.
That night, we headed to the morgue Han Seohyun had tracked down.
"Faster than I thought."
"Info leaked everywhere. Whole country's watching this case."
Overhearing conversations pinpointed the location quick. Nothing beat Han Seohyun for sniffing out hidden spots.
Park Sang-pyeon the Butcher had no family. No one to claim the body. They couldn't just trash it—maybe more investigation needed—so it sat in the morgue.
Breaching the morgue security was a breeze.
It was just a corpse storage spot, so lax guards. Plus, our infiltration skills had leveled up big time.
I reached the door holding Park Sang-pyeon's body and opened it with telekinesis, lowering the corpse to the floor. A groan escaped me unbidden.
"Ugh."
The Butcher's body was a wreck at first glance. Impaled by dozens of ice spears, mauled by hounds, sliced by Kim Jaeho. Finally stabbed his own heart.
And topped off by that heavenly lightning strike.
Not a single intact spot on the mangled, charred remains.
"Can you make a skeleton from this?"
Han Seohyun nodded at my question.
"Bones are fine—no damage there. And the lightning hit? Worked out perfect. Residual mana soaked in deep. Could make something beyond basic skeleton."
"Really?"
"Yeah. High-grade corpses are the best."
Pretty inhuman chat over a corpse, but the guy in front of us massacred countless innocents.
Better to recycle him for world-saving than rot. Best use possible.
"But don't you need consent for skeletons?"
Problem was the contract required his agreement.
Unlikely after we killed him. Thinking of his living temper gave me chills.
"Yeah, but... I think I can persuade him."
"Fine, persuasion's your job. Bag it first."
I crammed the body into my lightweight pouch. Kim Jaeho, the muscle, handled transport—grumbling but obediently taking it.
Before leaving the morgue, I left our Beltsmets emblem and engraved a message.
Breaking our long silence.
You can't run away from Tod.
"Beltsmets showed up!"
Do Chae-hee dropped everything and rushed to the morgue. Details could wait. Rookie team member Kim Yongwon, still green, asked her on arrival.
"Why steal Park Sang-pyeon's body?"
"Beltsmets has a necromancer."
They'd announced it themselves—same signature from past scenes. Difference: a short English message below.
You can't run away from Tod.
"Can't run from Tod?"
A familiar voice translated behind Do Chae-hee.
"Ah, that. Sounds like German 'Tod'—death. So, 'you can't escape death.' Spot on. Park Sang-pyeon died, but they undeaded him and took the corpse."
Park Cheol-wan nodded curtly to greeting team members as he entered.
"So 'death' means Han Seohyun?"
"Likely. Capitalized—like a name. Tod. Probably her villain alias."
Park Cheol-wan added,
"Could've undeaded on-site, but hit the morgue to flaunt it."
A week after the duel, when interest in Beltsmets peaked—they dropped this bomb.
Do Chae-hee eyed Park Cheol-wan with admiration. His deduction skills shone, proving his career wasn't fluff. He wrapped the scene and concluded swiftly.
Park Cheol-wan sighed.
"Their game is obvious. Want to quash the spread, but..."
National obsession with Beltsmets couldn't be contained. This would explode.
Gossips would hype it, add their spin.
"Perfect sensational fodder."
"Yeah."
Despite a member wanted, Beltsmets showed no fear. Used Han Seohyun's poster to warn.
Almost like they waited for her info to spread.
If not, no one would've cared about the missing body. Now everyone knew.
What Beltsmets would do with it.
"Sigh."
Do Chae-hee sighed again.
"No CCTV?"
"Clean."
"Info leak source? How'd they find this place?"
"No clue. Like the auction."
Impeccably clean op. Rushed here for nothing—dead end. Do Chae-hee's eyes narrowed.
"Psychometry awakener still not here?"
"Tomorrow. Passed out now."
Psychometry burdened the user—unwanted info floods caused headaches, mental drain from horrors.
Rare talent, picky about scenes.
Secured for this high-profile case, but couldn't scan everything blindly.
Reading her mind, Park Cheol-wan spoke cautiously.
"Wonder if we need her here. Obvious they'd leave no traces."
"So we skip the obvious spot?"
"Who said skip? She's coming—keep your trap shut before you stab me."
Do Chae-hee finally clammed up.
"Yes, sir."
Still, maybe that psychometrist catches a break.
Do Chae-hee clung to hope.
As Do Chae-hee and Park Cheol-wan predicted, the news exploded nationwide.
Can't escape even death!
Using their necromancer like this!
Some called Beltsmets ruthless villains. Others shrugged—dealing with a villain, what's the issue?
Public found it creepy regardless.
But unlike the masses, some welcomed it gleefully.
"They're nuts!"
Tower elites cheered Beltsmets' move. Gemini especially saw genius in it.
"Like you and your puppets, right? They turn enemies into their own army."
The Puppeteer just nodded. Her eyes, long dead since losing Jeong Yeom, stayed sunken even now.
Gemini glanced unconsciously at the now-empty chair.
"Wish the old man would hurry back."
At that moment, the "old man" Gemini missed stood at the duel site between Beltsmets and the Butcher.
Cleanup efforts aside, less than ten days post-incident—battle scars remained vivid.
The black-robed figure moved his hand slowly.
Blood soaked into the ground rose.
Dried long ago, yet droplets gathering at Blood Demon Chumageol's fingertips gleamed fresh red.
Following his fingers, the drops drifted. Chumageol stepped slowly in their guided direction.