Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Operation Name: It's the Police
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Jang Ho-seop brought in the hooded girl he'd locked in the room.
I needed to hear more details about the department store situation.
And cross-check the info we'd gotten from interrogation.
"But you're not really cops, are you, uncles?"
"Y-Yeah? Uh... well. Um..."
The hooded girl looked at Jang Ho-seop as she asked.
He stammered, not even able to meet her eyes.
"It's just weird. What kind of cop kills people like that?"
This time, she turned to me.
The Fundamental Skill told me it was tied to a person's disposition.
"Doesn't matter. Anyway... will you help us?"
She said it with a smile.
But the emotion coming through didn't match her smile at all.
'Fear makes sense. But loneliness and despair?'
The negative feelings were strong.
"Hey? Mr. Cop?"
She called out to me again when I didn't answer.
I signaled Jang Ho-seop.
Meaning: you talk to her.
"Uh... oh, right! Bro, you must be hungry. Wanna grab something to eat?"
Jang Ho-seop shot up from his seat.
He said he'd look for a quick snack and hid behind his mom.
Avoiding my gaze.
"Aigoo... you little rascal."
Kim Soo-jung shook her head.
No choice—I sat down across from the hooded girl.
At least her voice wasn't grating.
"What's your name?"
"Lee Yu-na."
"Age?"
"19... wait, is that important right now?"
It was.
Speech patterns, expressions, gestures.
You could learn a lot about someone from a simple chat.
"First thing I want to confirm: you experimented with awakening Fundamental Skills at the department store. True?"
"Yeah. While killing monsters."
"Results?"
"Not sure. Some awaken after one kill, others don't even after five."
It matched what the hooded girl—no, Lee Yu-na—and the axe guy had said.
Different people needed different numbers of monsters to awaken.
One thing for sure: no one awakened without killing monsters.
"Bro, looks like our guess was right."
"So far, yeah."
Jang Ho-seop chimed in from a safe distance.
His eyes fixed on me.
"What about attack skills? You said awakening those is tough."
"From what I saw, only crazy people awaken attack skills. That guy you killed earlier... he had six priors or something."
Matched Jang Ho-seop's hunch too.
"So you concluded attack skill awakenings are rare?"
"Yeah. Though... we didn't have that many awakened folks at the store either..."
The guesses Jang Ho-seop and I had pieced together from various situations spilled from Lee Yu-na's mouth.
We kept talking, focusing on changes in the world, then shifted to the main topic.
"Lee Yu-na, what kind of help can you give us?"
"Hmm... but why do you talk like that, mister? Just be casual."
"This is casual. Go ahead."
Lee Yu-na hesitated for the first time.
"I don't know..."
"Pardon?"
"I said I don't know. I'll do whatever you say, just help me."
I stood up and started undressing at her answer.
Took off the police jacket, grabbed the hem of my shirt to pull it off.
"Whoa? Bro! Hold up. No way..."
Jang Ho-seop scrambled over from rummaging in his backpack.
Grabbed my shirt tail.
"You too. Take it off."
"Huh? No, on first meeting? And my mom's right here."
"No time. Hurry up."
Kim Soo-jung and Lee Yu-na stared at me, dumbfounded.
I shook off Jang Ho-seop's hand and finished taking off my shirt.
"Ha... figures."
Lee Yu-na sighed.
The despair radiating from her grew stronger.
I handed her the clothes, thinking it odd.
"Clean the bloodstains first. With your skill."
"Huh?"
We needed a few things before heading to the department store.
Clean clothes were one.
Plus, test her usefulness.
"Laundry with your skill. What're you waiting for? I said you too."
"Oh... laundry. Laundry... haha."
Jang Ho-seop laughed hollowly.
Lee Yu-na gave me a look like I'd lost it.
"Can you do it?"
Jang Ho-seop blushed and took off his jacket.
"Bro... you know you're a bit weird, right? The way you talk..."
I had no idea what was weird.
"No matter how weird I am, can I top you?"
"Huh?"
Right now.
We weren't understanding each other at all.
I got the full rundown on the department store from Lee Yu-na.
Why she'd been running too.
'Agency rep, huh...'
Lee Yu-na was an idol trainee.
More precisely, a swimmer-turned-idol trainee.
Cataclysm day was her official debut on a music show.
Kim Representative was the president of her agency.
He'd been after her body.
She'd caught on quick and bolted.
"Actually... my dad was at the store with me."
"Your father?"
"Yeah. Came to cheer at the music show..."
Lee Yu-na talked while vigorously laundering with her skill.
The auntie had her sleeves rolled up, helping out.
"It's harder on Dad because of me. I thought if I just disappeared..."
Her father had awakened a Fundamental Skill too.
Craft-type, apparently being worked to death by Kim Representative.
Couldn't rebel or run, not with Lee Yu-na's safety on the line.
Oh, and Lee Yu-na had kept her own awakening hidden.
"Lots of people like that?"
"Yeah. Even among Fundamental Skill awakeners."
Family, lovers, friends.
Lots had faced the cataclysm with loved ones.
Kim Representative exploited that.
Held dear ones hostage to force loyalty.
He controlled people tightly too.
Even eating, sleeping, shitting.
"Bro. Not everyone's truly loyal to Kim Representative."
"Yeah. Same for others."
Lee Yu-na finished laundry quick.
Talking while her hands moved—water jets whipped the clothes like they were getting smacked.
Good at multitasking, huh.
"What I said earlier... I was just mad."
"Yeah."
"Please... even if not the president—no, Kim Representative—just save my dad."
Lee Yu-na backpedaled.
"Can't killing Kim Representative solve it?"
"That's not realistic. So..."
Odds better for just extracting her dad.
"Dad raised me alone, went through hell. Wanted to repay him once I debuted..."
From the mood, Kim Soo-jung agreed.
Assassinating Kim Representative seemed impossible.
But snagging just her dad wouldn't be easy either.
"If we quietly take out the night watch later tonight..."
"No. We'll grab Kim Representative too."
"Huh?"
No matter how I sliced it, Kim Representative was dangerous.
More I heard, more he seemed the type to do anything for gain.
Better handle him before he got stronger, before his faction grew.
"Awakener skills, what floors have what... tell me every detail you remember."
Lee Yu-na skill-sucked the moisture from the laundry.
Watching her solidified my resolve.
"Nice ability."
"Huh?"
"Level it up, it'll be amazing."
Over time, the store would fill with all sorts of wild skills.
That meant Kim Representative's power growing.
We reviewed his faction's status again, brainstorming ways to topple them.
"Bro. This ain't gonna be easy. No matter the method, they all drop everything at his word."
Jang Ho-seop grimaced.
"That group earlier. We beat 'em easier than expected."
"Yeah. 'Cause you're way stronger, bro..."
"They got careless. Why?"
"Uh... 'cause they outnumbered us?"
That was part of it.
"True. But also 'cause they thought we were cops."
"Oh? Yeah! They never expected cops to go full psycho... uh, sorry. Not saying you're a psycho..."
It seemed absurd, but I saw an opening.
"Nah, bro. Don't tell me the laundry bit was..."
I calmed Jang Ho-seop's freakout and explained my plan.
Prep done, we left the bank.
Kim Soo-jung followed and called me.
"Yi Hyun."
"Yes."
"It'll... be okay, right?"
Worried auntie.
Natural concern.
"Variables always pop up..."
They had diverse skills.
Even non-attack ones could threaten.
Human packs had variety unlike monster ones.
"Plus safely grabbing Yu-na's dad too..."
She trailed off.
I got what she meant.
"Mom. Don't worry, go inside. What if someone sees?"
"Sigh..."
She was fretting over Jang Ho-seop.
Her son heading into enemy central with me.
She'd held back from opposing earlier—a lot of restraint.
Now quietly pleading aside to respect my call.
"Worst case, we bail."
"Okay. Thanks."
She headed back in, satisfied.
Lee Yu-na and the auntie staying at the bank.
Monsters around here cleared by the store folks.
"Yu-na seemed to think vanishing would ease things for her dad..."
"Not sincere."
"Yeah, figured."
We crossed the street, chatting with Jang Ho-seop.
"Stay loose. Stick to the plan."
"Got it!"
Into the department store entrance.
"Huh? Cops?"
"Police here. Come to see Kim Representative."
One guy lounging on a folding chair.
"You know Kim Hong-sik?"
"Kim Hong-sik... oh, Team Leader Kim?"
"Yeah. He's at the station now."
Jang Ho-seop took point, talking to the guy.
In crisp clean police uniform, cap pulled low, brazen as hell.
Acting like he was the real deal, bantering.
"Even so..."
"You keep blocking, that's obstructing official duties, you know?"
The store had a big central hall.
Oval-shaped, shops around it.
Like stacked squished donuts.
Up to eight floors.
"Rep's on the second floor."
"Got it. Mind guiding us?"
"Uh... can't leave this spot."
"It's urgent. Please."
Persistent begging from Jang Ho-seop, guard relented and guided.
'Entrance cleared...'
Interrogation info.
Plus Lee Yu-na's story.
Combined: Kim Representative no pushover.
Decisive guy.
But not everyone's like that.
Some actively sided with him, others just went along.
That's why this plan.
'Operation name... Police.'
Jang Ho-seop named it.
People still stuck in pre-cataclysm thinking—we'd exploit it.
'Fighting everyone risky, sure...'
No need.
Goal: face Kim Representative first.
"But... what's this about?"
"Can't say."
Escalator up, gatekeeper guy asked.
Obviously walking—power out.
"Ah... okay."
He didn't know their guys were dead yet.
Worth hurrying.
"Where's everyone else?"
Second floor, heading to a corner.
Jang Ho-seop asked casually.
"Civilians five floors up. Why...?"
Matched Lee Yu-na's intel.
Expecting another quake maybe.
Kim Representative and close aides on lower floors.
Probably to trap folks too.
"Person Kim Hong-sik asked as witness."
"Witness? Uh... Team Leader Kim in trouble?"
Jang Ho-seop glanced at me.
I nodded.
"Nothing big. Minor dispute."
"Huh? But needing a witness..."
"One more favor."
"No, gotta get back to the door..."
Jang Ho-seop's tone grew smoother.
"Find a guy named Lee Jang-su?"
"Jang-su? He's awakened, on three..."
"Yeah. Busy, I know. Please."
Stoic-faced Jang Ho-seop.
But I felt his emotions.
'He's enjoying this...'
Thrives in the field, huh.
Second floor corner.
Presumed Kim Representative's room.
Originally an office, looked like.
Thick steel door blocking us.
"What? Why're you up here?"
"Uh, cops asked..."
Not just the door.
Guard sighed.
"Hello. From Yeongdeungpo Station."
Jang Ho-seop stepped up smooth.
I pulled the fidgety gatekeeper back.
Asked again to find Lee Jang-su.
"Sure..."
He bolted after agreeing.
Lucky he played along.
"You came all the way from the entrance?"
"Yeah. Inside..."
"That make sense? If cops were doing their jobs..."
Entrance guy looked young.
This door guard: thirties.
Not swayed easy by Jang Ho-seop.
Planted firm in front, palm out.
Ready to skill if needed.
'This is Choi Manager.'
One of the attack skill awakeners Lee Yu-na mentioned.
"Smoke?"
I patted Jang Ho-seop's shoulder, stepped forward.
Slowly pulled cigs from my pocket.
Pack I'd pocketed whenever Jang Ho-seop eyed one.
"What the—cigs all of a sudden?"
He didn't budge as I neared.
Expectancy from him.
Tempted by the smokes.
"Got a lighter too."
"Whatever you're here for..."
I peeled the plastic in front of him.
He stopped mid-sentence, hand out.
Not for a skill.
"Uh... hold up. Lemme just have one..."
I smiled, handed him a cig.
Tap tap tap tap
He smacked it on his palm.
His last act alive.
Stab stab
Pretended lighter, pulled knife, stabbed.
Covered his mouth and nose with my hand.
"Whoa... bro, your hand was a blur."
Laid him down.
Dead quick.
"Not that much."
"Little exaggeration. That fast~ right?"
Pre-cataclysm, he smoked like a chimney, Jang Ho-seop said.
Post: Kim Representative rationed 'em.
'Two inside...'
Dealt with easy.
Checked auras in the office.
Two right by the door, close together.
"Two."
"Yep."
Jang Ho-seop at the door.
I nodded ready—he knocked.
Knock knock
No response.
Knock knock knock
Louder this time.
Still nothing.
"Uh... sleeping?"
Not napping.
Auras trembling faintly.
Signaled: just open it.
Creeeak
Jang Ho-seop turned the handle.
Door opened with a small noise.