Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Body Snatcher (1)
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“Plus, with all those cops swarming outside, how exactly do you plan to mobilize people?”
From the first floor, the outer wall had blocked the view, but now we were on the second. Through the shattered window, I could look down on the exasperating scene beyond the fence.
“Jeong Cheong-ho! We’re here for you! Open the door and cooperate with the Administration Bureau!”
Yang Seo-ho’s voice boomed through the megaphone.
A quick glance showed the hulking gangster who’d been blocking her way... lying on the ground. He hadn’t just decided to take a nap out of the blue, so she must’ve decked him while I wasn’t looking.
What a wild woman.
“Ah, got it. Then... I’ll send someone over.”
With that, Cheong-ho suddenly started patting himself down in a panic. Muttering things like, ‘W-where’d it go? Hey, where’s that thing?’ he yelled at his men. Time’s ticking, and this... sigh.
“There was a smartphone on the living room floor earlier, half-broken and rolling around. Is that what you’re looking for?”
“Ugh, must’ve thrown it earlier. Hey, give me the phone, the phone!”
“I think sending Chae Tae-won would be best. He’s still there. He can move out right away.”
“Oh, Tae-won? Sure.”
[! Time Limit: Jeong Hyun-ah will die in (1) hour. !]
A new message window popped up in front of me, updating Jeong Hyun-ah’s remaining lifespan. All the interference from various people had eaten up an hour before I knew it.
While checking the situation outside the window, I reached toward the few drops of blood left amid the shards of broken glass. The blood had dried up hours ago.
No big deal. I drew up my mana and infused the bloodstain with additional properties. The dried blood began to wriggle and move like a living amoeba, full of vitality. It gathered into a single point, forming one drop of blood.
[Binding]
I created a tiny barrier to lift the droplet. Then I activated a new spell to extract the information contained in the blood.
[Discern]
The blood’s owner... female, around 18 years old. Good, it matched Jeong Hyun-ah. If I wanted, I could pull more—like her unique traits, stats, eating habits, and other body info—but I didn’t need that now.
The quest info alone let me infer her location, but if something unexpected happened, I could use this blood to pinpoint exactly where its owner was.
“No time. I’ll leave the call to you.”
I rushed down to the first floor, grabbed the board I’d left outside, and leaped toward the fence.
[Leap]
Hurry, hurry.
[Invisible Hand]
In midair, I used telekinesis to pull the board to my feet. I landed and immediately rolled onto it, heading straight for Chae Tae-won’s car.
“Branch Chief, did you get the Chairman’s call?”
“Not yet, but... get in first.”
Only after I hopped in did Chae Tae-won’s phone ring. It was Cheong-ho. The chairman sure was slow.
“The location’s not far. Head to the publishing district area.”
“The publishing district?”
“Yeah, you know the place? Where all those publishers that went bust about ten years ago clustered. She’s probably in one of the warehouses there.”
We’d found a book cover in Jeong Hyun-ah’s room. From a book that never hit shelves because the publisher folded before release. Normally, you’d scour clues from that cover to eventually reach the publishing district—that’s the standard route.
“Got it.”
“No time... so if you could speed a bit.”
At my words, Chae Tae-won flashed a slight smile.
“Then... I’ll push it for a bit.”
Screeech!! Vroooom!!
His car shot off with even more ferocity than before. Sudden acceleration, followed by a drift-level sharp turn. I nearly lost balance in the back seat. If not for the posture-correction spell I’d cast earlier for the leap, I’d have toppled for sure.
It wouldn’t take long to reach the publishing district from here. Roughly 20 minutes? No, about 10.
Our car blasted down the road, completely ignoring traffic laws at insane speeds.
Overtaking cars ahead, blowing through lanes....
Drdrdrdr—.
The sound of lane divider stakes scraping the car.
‘Driving a car this expensive like this.’
Vrooooom—.
“By the way...”
Only after we hit a clearer stretch did Chae Tae-won, who’d been driving with a serious expression, finally speak up.
“I don’t know the girl’s current state, but is just you and me enough, Wizard?”
“Oh, the kidnappers?”
“Yeah. A lot of our guys are tied up with the cops right now, but we’ve got people scattered inside and outside Paju looking for her too. We could contact them... or pull in others from the Three Heads’ branches.”
Sure, if Cheong-ho went all out, he could muster hundreds. Just borrow manpower from the other heads.
But I didn’t need it. I’d turned down Cheong-ho’s help to hog the rewards from wiping out the kidnappers myself and maximize my payout. If I was just gonna guide them and call it a day, I wouldn’t have taken the job.
“It’s fine.”
“Hmm... still...”
“And I’ve got someone else to help.”
As I said that, I rummaged through the backpack on the seat next to me. Something inside squirmed faintly.
We arrived at our destination soon enough.
The neighborhood once called the Paju Publishing District. Of course, after Paju changed like this, there was no point running a business here anymore. Ironically, in a city overrun by monsters and outlaws, land prices had skyrocketed.
The small factories and companies that used to be here had migrated south to safer, cheaper spots. Their places were filled by shady, wealthy megacorps that could handle the dangers or exploit the city’s resources.
The publishing district was the same. Locals still called it that, but not a single publishing-related business remained.
“Stop around here.”
We’d covered what should’ve been a 20-minute drive in just over 10.
The reckless speeding and rough driving had my stomach churning, but I shook it off and scanned the surroundings.
A cluster of buildings nearby—some operational, some not.
More precisely: suspicious factories churning out who-knows-what despite being abandoned shells.
Secret secure warehouses hiding god-knows-what.
Buildings turned into homes for bizarre, unknown clans.
Not as feral as Tan-hyeon, but somehow more dangerous and unsettling.
“Better not get too close. If there are lookouts, it’ll be a headache.”
If they spotted us approaching, who knows what they’d do in a panic.
I explained that to Chae Tae-won as we parked the car a bit away from the warehouse.
From here, even they couldn’t see us.
“I’ll come with you.”
Hmm... Chae Tae-won? What to do...
“Sure, why not. But I’ll scout first. I’ll signal you, so follow slowly.”
“Got it.”
I left Chae Tae-won in the car and got out alone.
A quick deep breath. Ugh, motion sickness.
Then I activated my buffs.
[Faint Presence]
[Fox’s Reflexes]
[Cat’s Grace]
[Eagle’s Eye]
If I can use them, no reason not to.
‘Mana’s overflowing anyway.’
I habitually checked my manacore.
Mana hadn’t decreased a bit.
Not my first quest like this.
But with all its randomness, I couldn’t let my guard down.
If I’d had more time, I’d have chatted up NPCs or done recon to figure out what waited ahead or any traps. Didn’t get the chance.
‘Doesn’t seem like regular criminals.’
Yang Seo-ho showing up was the hint. Illegal immigrants—not just shady foreigners sneaking in, but otherworldly beings slipping through surreal barriers onto Earth.
My level could probably handle most, but if an abyssal entity drawn by [Feast’s Offering] threw a wrench in, things could spiral. Once they linked up, whatever waited could turn unmanageable.
That’s why...
‘A wizard can’t overprepare.’
[Protection Ward]
[Distortion Field]
[Detection Jammer]
I layered more protections on myself before heading to the warehouse.
Leaning against the wall of a unrelated warehouse for cover, I checked the entrance.
‘Lookouts.’
One guy and one woman slouched against junk at the warehouse door, resting.
Looked like they’d just finished work and were chilling, but what work happens in an abandoned ownerless warehouse?
‘And their outfits and builds? Not criminal material, not even manual labor.’
At best, desk-jockey types?
Didn’t fit for this kind of gig.
To check inside, I raised my mana.
‘Sixty mana signatures inside the warehouse exactly.’
One stood out strong, but most were weak.
‘Outside... huh?’
Weird.
At the entrance... those lookouts.
Visibly just two humans, but four mana sources.
‘What the hell.’
Something hiding?
[Invisibility Detection]
Not even that picked it up. No cloaking either.
‘Tch, oh well.’
Widening the scan further risked detection.
If there were real pros, wizards, or sensors, they might spot me...
‘Can’t stick my head in a pit without knowing the dangers.’
[Mana Detection], [Thermal Detection], [Soul Detection], [Life Force Detection], [Sound Detection], [X-Ray Vision]...
I fired off a barrage of detection spells.
Then I understood.
‘Illegal immigrants, as expected.’
They looked like single people to the eye, but they weren’t.
Each body hosted a different lifeform with alien mana—a parasite.
‘[Parasites].’
Or ‘Body Snatchers,’ as they’re called. One of the monsters popping up worldwide, like Mi-go.
They burrow into human brains, eat them out, then puppet the body freely.
‘Yang Seo-ho’ll love hearing this.’
They’re one of the ‘illegal immigrants’ the Immigration Bureau regulates.
The other invaders pouring from other realms are trouble, but these slip in unnoticed and multiply like roaches—practically mortal enemies of the Bureau.
Anyway, one worry down.
‘As long as I don’t make noise, they won’t spot me right away.’
No special magic or detection skills.
They had other annoying traits, but nothing to sweat immediately.
Assessment done—no more hesitation.
I clasped my hands and cast.
[Living Flesh]
Ziiip...
The backpack zipper opening.
From the gap, a creepy pink lump crawled out.
Squish... squish... splat...
“Alright, today’s helper—launch.”