Pursuit (1)
A fair amount of stuff had gone down by then. After getting discharged from the hospital, I headed straight home. I considered talking to Yu-hwa about what had happened earlier, but then a call came in just as I was leaving the hospital. They urgently needed me back home, so I sent them off.
"Maybe it's Mom and Dad."
With everything that had happened at the office, it was only natural they'd be worried. I really should call them too. Remembering that, I dialed home.
About five minutes later, the call connected, and noisy sounds came from the other end.
"Heard the news. How's your body holding up?"
"No issues. I'm perfectly fine."
Dad had gotten the call first, but right as he spoke, Mom's voice chimed in from the side, shoving him aside with a groan.
"Jin-seok, honey, are you okay?! What did the hospital say? Have you taken your meds?!"
"Mom, calm down first..."
True to her worrywart nature, Mom bombarded me with health concerns. I insisted I was fine over and over, but after fretting for hours, she wasn't easy to rein in.
"Hey, you henpecked fool, let the kid rest. Why grill him like that?"
"But honey... we have to make sure about this..."
"Enough—go grab a snack!"
"Hahaha."
After suffering through that for a while longer, Dad finally intervened, freeing me from Mom's rapid-fire Q&A. Thanks, Dad. I'll get you a nice fishing rod.
"You okay?"
"Fit as a fiddle."
"Good to hear."
Just as that thought crossed my mind, a familiar voice came through my smartphone—my own flesh and blood, that spawn of Satan, my little sister. We weren't particularly close, but she was putting on a show of concern befitting a sibling.
"You actually worried about me?"
"I need stuff bought."
"You little shit."
Never mind. Turns out it wasn't concern—it was just her using worry as an excuse for her own needs. Still, with my magnanimous heart, I'd let it slide. The kid bombed her college entrance exam and was mooching at home like a total NEET, so as a proper adult, I'd understand.
"Something feels off. Did you just curse me?"
"Just your imagination."
"Hmm..."
Sharp as ever, that girl. Her instincts had always been spot-on. As I mulled that over, she abruptly hung up with a curt "click."
The screen went black, and I clutched the back of my neck, savoring the rare taste of irritation.
"Ugh, ack—my neck...!"
Lately, girls like my sister had been wearing on me. Shin-nim had been hanging out with Yu-hwa, so I'd forgotten for a bit, but women could be such aggravating creatures. That one's no human—just a lump of malice and pettiness.
[....]
"Trying to comfort me? Yeah, you're the only one for me, Shin-nim..."
As I had my little meltdown, the stone slab rolled over and wrapped me in a warm embrace. Ah, this is what a woman should be—this is healing. Living as husband and wife is pure bliss. Even if she is just a stone slab.
"Anyway."
Enough mushy stuff. I stood up, picked up the slab, and headed into the room. As if reading my mind, Go-seo was already open on the desk. I set the slab on the bed and dove right into reading.
"I need detection magic."
There was one reason I was poring over Go-seo: to learn detection magic and use it to thwart the Cheondo Association's plans in advance.
Of course, I wasn't doing this out of some sense of justice. I'm no altruist—just someone who looks out for myself and those around me.
"The scale's too big."
But the Cheondo Association had gone way overboard. Secret societies usually operated quietly, but these guys acted like there was no tomorrow, stirring up chaos. The spate of incidents in Incheon over the past month was probably their doing. If this kept up, something massive was bound to blow up.
"I'll stop it first."
Incheon had my home, my job, my connections. This was where I lived—my territory, if you wanted to exaggerate. And these Cheondo bastards dared invade my turf? No way in hell I'd allow that.
[Cool cool!]
You're liking this a bit too much, aren't you? See? Even Shin-nim agrees. Well, she just seems thrilled I'm charging ahead without hesitation, but whatever. No changing plans now.
"This'll be a long fight."
This battle wouldn't wrap up in a day or two.
****
After that incident, we got a long vacation. Most employees were still hospitalized, so normal operations were impossible. A headache for the company, but welcome news for me with other business to handle.
"Time to go."
A weekday afternoon—normally I'd be slaving away at the office, but instead, I was strolling downtown. It had been ages since I'd walked the sunlit streets. The warm sunlight and everyday bustle felt downright pastoral. Staring at it all, the chaos I'd been through seemed like a dream, as if anomalies didn't exist.
[Not a dream]
"Haha."
Fortunate or unfortunate? Shin-nim was still by my side, and the very real Cheondo Association threatened this peace. It could crumble tomorrow, so I headed into a dark alley, pursuing my goal.
"..."
The alley was dim and filthy. Towering buildings cast shadows, trash strewn everywhere. No normal person would enter, but my target wasn't human—these shady spots attracted their kind.
"Here it is."
A short walk in, I spotted an alley that felt off. Unlike the others, it was pitch black. Fog shrouded the far end, buildings windowless.
"Promising."
Obvious in daylight, but at night or drunk, someone might wander in. A nasty anomaly, but not enough to threaten me. I stepped inside without hesitation.
"Warm in here."
The air inside was oddly toasty. Winter outside—what gives? Could be the anomaly's trait, but I suspected something else. Like a heat-spewing monster...
"Jackpot."
Sure enough, navigating the twisted path, I found traces of my quarry: a charred corpse on the ground. Freshly smoked human, not long dead.
"Hmm..."
I approached to inspect. If an innocent victim, I'd handle it, but the blood reek and murky mana said otherwise—not a civilian, someone from our world. No need to bother. I kicked it into a corner.
"Anyone around~?"
Deeper in, the alley opened into a wider space—back doors of buildings, known only to insiders. Dim and creepy, but roomier than narrow paths. And there, I spotted a man.
"Hm? And who the hell are you?"
"..."
He wore black martial robes, spear on his back. Sleeves singed, blade glowing red-hot—like he'd just finished a fireworks show.
"That the guy?"
"What the fuck are you? Wanna die?"
His barking was just noise. Fact-check time: 99% chance he was my target, but that 1% meant confirming with an expert.
[Circle]
[Yup, that's him. Thanks for the assist.]
I tossed the question into the air, and a faint shape materialized from nothing, solidifying into form: one massive main eye, dozens of sub-eyes, balloon-like body floating, long tentacles circling to confirm—Searcher.
"Found him quick."
I'd scoured for magic to track the Cheondo Association, but no detection spells I could use. Plenty to nullify detection, but none to detect. Shin-nim loves offense...
Plan derailed, I was stumped—until Go-seo flipped pages on its own to the deep-sea entities section. That's where I found the Searcher: a scribe recording deep-sea events, but with top-tier detection. Perfect for borrowing.
"Ow, my head..."
First blood-fueled spell in ages—dizzy as hell. But worth it. What would've taken hours of chasing was a breeze with its guidance.
"Fuck...! What the hell is that?!"
"Hm. Our dear target is pissed."
He drew his spear, flames roaring, arms trembling, fire flickering—he was spooked bad. First real-world summon, huh? ...It'll be fine, right? Not the strongest, great stealth, so I wasn't worried. Probably wouldn't get caught.
"Who knows."
A twinge of concern, but I'd deal later. Priority: kill this Cheondo goon.
"Die, you monster!!"
"You first, asshole."
He charged with his flaming spear. I ordered the Searcher to attack. Spear clashing with tentacle—the first clash between this ability user and a deep-sea entity had my heart racing a bit.