Chapter 64. Though I Heard Little Detective Ryu Sea-ah's Request

Our daily routine didn't really shift despite hearing Little Detective Ryu Sea-ah's plea.

"Seunghyeon-ssi! We're heading out!"

"We'll be back by 3. Let's head home together."

"Sure! Take care out there!"

After greeting Chae Seunghyeon, we left headquarters. Just like always, the two of us headed into a gate together. Then at 4, we'd all clock out as a group. Back home, I'd sip chocolate milk—slurp slurp—have dinner, sip more chocolate milk—slurp slurp—and crash. That was it. All of it.

"Let's wrap up here and head back, Master."

"Yeah, sounds good. Hehe, the strategy guides are getting such great feedback lately—it's really motivating."

"Is that so? Glad to hear it. Still, please don't push yourself too hard."

"Yep!"

And so, we stepped into the gate for the final ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠scouting run of the day's quota. By now, I was so used to it that there wasn't even a hint of tension. Han Yuseol handled the monsters that appeared, while I called out orders from behind, navigating traps and such. I'd jot down the intel on my phone and we'd exit. That was the routine.

-Keeeeeek!

"Yuseol-ssi, take them out from a distance. They'll explode on death."

"Yes!"

At my command, Han Yuseol slashed them with sword energy from afar. The ghoulish things, shambling along slowly, erupted in massive explosions and turned to ash.

"There's a trap in this passage. Doesn't look destructible, so let's backtrack."

"Yes."

"AoE attack incoming! From the front!"

"I'll handle it—Master, get to the corner!"

I noticed it every time lately, but the gates were packed with all sorts of monsters and traps. Every run brought something new—it was almost ridiculous. Even with Han Yuseol by my side, there were moments where I'd think,

This one's a bit risky, huh?

Sudden wide-area attacks or monster swarms too big to clear instantly.

"That was close today."

"Yeah. I survived thanks to you watching my back, Yuseol-ssi."

"No, Master. I'd have been in danger without your directions."

"Then call it a draw. Between us."

"Hehe, agreed."

Still, we always pulled through together, conquering the gate.

Seeing today's clearance message pop up safe and sound, I let out a sigh of relief and prepped to exit.

"Gonna have a bit more to write up this time. Might take a while—is that okay?"

"Of course. Take your time. I'll handle perimeter scans."

"Thanks, then."

While Han Yuseol kept watch with her detection skill, I perched on a rock and casually fiddled with my phone. These were undead types, right? Hmm, undead in a forest—first time for that. Usually they showed up in apocalypse settings or graveyards. And even among undead, weaknesses varied by original species. New info. Gotta add this.

"Yuseol-ssi, all done... Huh?"

I finished writing, hopped off the rock, and approached her—only to catch a strange gloom in her eyes. Slowing my steps cautiously, I grabbed her sleeve. She looked down at me, startled.

"All done, Master?"

"Yeah. But your face looked off just now. You okay? Hurt anywhere?"

"No. I'm fine. Even post-awakening, I've never caught a cold."

Awakened folks don't get sick easily? Curiosity flickered, but that wasn't the point.

"Then something's bothering you?"

"……."

"Is it about Sea-ah-ssi?"

"...Yes, a little."

Figured. As she nodded, avoiding my gaze, I bobbed my head in understanding too. Han Yuseol had lost her family to some freak accident, after all. Seeing Ryu Sea-ah—who treated her guildmates like family—struggle with similar pain must have hit her hard.

"Yeah, she seemed really torn up. Enough to send that video..."

"Yes. Even showing it to us wouldn't help much... But I could feel her grasping at straws. It was a bit heartbreaking."

"Same here."

The video Ryu Sea-ah sent Han Yuseol last night was CCTV footage from when the three guildmates vanished. Specifically, the apartment hallway and balcony view where they lived. I'd gotten a copy from Han Yuseol just in case and rewatched it at home several times. It was utterly mundane—nothing happened.

I'd have thought, What are we supposed to do with this? But Ryu Sea-ah suspected Vendetta Guild. She must've sent it suspecting even the footage itself was tampered with. Grasping at straws, exactly.

"Nothing weird in your eyes either, right, Yuseol-ssi?"

"Yes. If it was an awakener's doing, I'd expect illusion skills... But CCTV would've caught it."

"Can't fool CCTV with illusions, huh?"

"Seems not."

Makes sense—illusions trick human eyes, not recording devices. Logical enough. But why the nagging unease? Like my brain kept whispering, Really? Questioning if this "answer" was 100% solid.

And yeah, we still knew so little about this world. Even gates we'd cleared a ton suddenly turned into new ones next visit—new monsters, new loot. What could we truly bank on? Just because no such skill had shown up yet didn't mean it couldn't.

"Yuseol-ssi, got a question."

"Yes, go ahead."

"What if there's a unique skill that fools recording devices?"

"Recording devices?"

I nodded.

"Then... pulling off a crime like this would be trivial. But I've never heard of such a skill."

"But you said the same about my buffs when we met."

"...!"

"So, isn't it possible someone's got a skill like that now?"

"True... You're right."

My point hit home—her eyes widened. She asked to borrow my phone, probably to rewatch the video. I handed it over without hesitation, and she scrutinized it intently.

"...Hmm, no good. I wondered if your buff lets us pierce illusions..."

"What do buffs have to do with it?"

"Illusion skills have partial immunity based on Intelligence. I was immune up ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to level 45 naturally, but your buff pushed it to 73."

"Huh? For real?"

News to me. Wait, then... status screen.

How far could I pierce illusions now? Curiosity sparked—I held out my hand to Han Yuseol.

"Yuseol-ssi, can I have my phone back?"

"Here."

I rewatched the CCTV from the start.

"...Huh?"

Then I spotted it. Outside Kim Chaerin's officetel window. A pedestrian who hadn't been there last night wandered by, leaped lightly up the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wall, reached the fifth floor, and—slide—pushed open the unlocked window. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Slipped right into her room.

It happened so fast, I wondered if I'd misseen. Wait, so how'd they kidnap them? To their hideout? But why kidnap at all? No contact since, she said. If it was a kidnapping, they'd leverage hostages for something. This didn't look like negotiation bait.

Assuming hostages weren't for bargaining... what would kidnappers want from them?

Vendetta.

Ryu Sea-ah's words echoed. That organization's name.

Vendetta. Vengeance. If it was purely revenge...

Torture methods aplenty, without dirtying their hands. The cleanest way to wrap it up for good...

"What's wrong, Master? Something off...?"

"Yuseol-ssi."

I called her in a voice so icy it startled even me.

"Once we're out, ask Seunghyeon-ssi for gate outbreak records in Seoul at the times I specify."

"Yes, understood."