Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 016
Chapter Title: Cleanup (2)
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Response Special Task Force conference room.
The team leaders from each division sat with weary expressions, discussing the recent surge in bizarre incidents.
Bizarre incidents were a given, of course.
But Korea was one of the safer places compared to other countries when it came to such events.
Fewer deadly cases with human casualties, and they happened less frequently.
Yet lately, the anomalies had spiked dramatically. And it wasn't just that.
A photo appeared on the presentation screen: an elderly white man with a stern face, dressed in black, walking down the street.
The agent giving the briefing let out a groan.
"Edward Coffin. A necromancer from the UK, wanted on an international warrant. We've confirmed he's entered Korea."
The agents' faces darkened. Park Team Leader grimaced and spoke up.
"...What the hell is that lunatic doing here?"
"We're speculating he might be connected to the recent spike in bizarre incidents."
A black-haired woman with a calm demeanor listened quietly.
Shin Sion, team leader of Division 3, pressed her fist to her lips in thought.
The other agents' gazes subtly turned toward her. Park Team Leader looked at Sion and asked.
"Got any theories?"
"...No, it's still just my imagination at this point."
"No answers anyway. Spit it out."
Sion stood from her seat and spoke in a steady voice.
"It might not be a perfect analogy, but do you know how black holes form?"
"Let's assume this table is a flat plane. Right now, it's balanced taut because of the cups in front of each of you. But—"
Sion picked up the cups from the people beside her and placed them in front of herself.
Three cups now gathered before Sion.
"What happens when three cups gather in one spot?"
"The balance collapses. The weight pulls it down into a dip."
Sion nodded.
"Yes, and then the other cups get sucked into that dip."
"That's..."
The agents understood what Sion meant, their brows furrowing.
"A massive mystery suddenly converged in one place, drawing in the smaller ones."
Sion continued calmly, pulling out some documents.
"Following the Book of Raziel the Angel kept by the Holy See, the recent report of a grimoire held by rabbis."
"Both have gone missing. The rabbis deny it, but the confused murmurs suggest it's true."
One agent cautiously raised a hand and asked.
"The Book of Moses VIII is...?"
"It's a ten-volume set. Volumes 1 through 5 are straightforward accounts of Moses's life, but from Volume 6 onward, it's grimoires detailing the plagues and miracles he wrought."
"Explanations later."
Park Team Leader cut in with alarm.
"So you're saying two grimoires have found owners and popped up somewhere in Korea?"
"No, at least three."
"...What?"
Sion spoke carefully.
"It's a hunch, but... the culprit behind the university professor murder might be a grimoire owner too."
A government official interjected then.
"No, that's settled. It's quiet now, and not relevant to the current crisis anyway."
"...I see."
Sion narrowed her eyes briefly before wrapping up.
"I judge the increase in bizarre incidents as a natural phenomenon drawn by the powerful magic of these grimoires. It'll resolve itself over time, but..."
The agents' eyes turned to the photo of the elderly wizard on the presentation screen.
"The problem is the wizards who'll come sniffing after those grimoires."
The meeting ended.
As Sion rested in the break room,
a rookie female agent approached and handed her a coffee.
"Team Leader Sion! Great work out there!"
"Ah, thank you."
Sion smiled faintly, took a sip of the coffee, and went back to reading the documents on the table.
"Is that from the meeting?"
"No, it's about the demonic possession at painter Smith's mansion recently."
Sion showed the documents to the female agent.
"It's resolved, but it's been nagging at me personally."
"There were casualties, but isn't it just a standard evil spirit case?"
"Yes, but... putting together Mr. Smith's statements, I suspect it might've been a Boogeyman, not an ordinary evil spirit."
"Boogeyman, right? No appearances in Korea yet, but abroad, once they show up, the damage is massive..."
The female agent skimmed the documents, tilting her head slightly.
"There were murders, but it got exorcised by a nun's prayer, so probably not a Boogeyman."
"Just an evil spirit, right? Real Boogeymen wouldn't leave so few victims."
Shaman Park Minhee, Pastor Go Juwon, college student Kim Suhyeon—killed by the Boogeyman.
A tragic case with three deaths, but compared to the grotesque foreign Boogeyman incidents, three seemed too few.
It didn't sit right, but Sion nodded.
"True enough."
"...Sorry if I overstepped."
The female agent glanced nervously, but Sion shook her head.
"No. No need to worry about that. Opinions don't need permission."
Sion gave a gentle smile, then focused back on the documents.
She reviewed the autopsy reports of the victims.
Park Minhee and Go Juwon had each been crushed by falling chandeliers, their heads smashed against the wall—instant deaths.
But Kim Suhyeon, beyond the broken neck from falling over the railing,
had fractured ribs and damaged organs.
As if something had struck her hard...
'Feels subtly different from the other two deaths.'
And what troubled Sion most
was her gaze lingering on the name 'Kim Yohan' in the documents.
She'd spotted the name by chance
and borrowed the files from the neighboring team.
At first, she thought it was just a coincidence of names,
but it matched the person in the lecture hall during the professor murder.
Sion's eyes narrowed.
She brought her fist lightly to her lips.
This is just delusion... a delusion, but...
If Yohan is a grimoire owner, why stay hidden so well until getting tangled in this incident?
"...I wonder what he's thinking."
Sion murmured softly to herself.
Yohan thought as he headed to the meeting spot at the café.
In the end, he hadn't faced much scrutiny and even made some money, but anyone with half a brain in a secret government outfit would peg him as suspicious quick.
Honestly, no amount of cash was worth the risk; he should've turned down Smith's commission for safety's sake.
But what was done was done.
And he'd learned magic worked better than expected.
So, he planned to go full-on exorcist.
This situation called for it.
He needed to get tangled in bizarre incidents.
Why hide a tree in the forest, right?
Someone spotted repeatedly at scenes of ongoing bizarre investigations? Suspicious.
But if that person turned out to have been in dozens of bizarre incidents? Just one of those unlucky types who attracts trouble.
Like how a murder happens whenever a detective shows up, but he's not the killer.
Well, it might be like smearing ink to hide a black stain...
No better ideas came to mind.
And if things went south later, he'd need quick cash to bolt abroad.
So, this was the plan for now.
Ding-a-ling—
He pushed open the café door.
Ellie spotted him and gave a small wave. He approached and sat down.
"Yohan, doing well?"
"Yeah, hanging in there. You?"
After brief pleasantries, he got to the point.
"Smith said he had something for me."
"Yes, he meant to hand it over at the airport, but it finished late, so he asked me instead. Here."
It was a small box containing a wad of paper and a letter.
'What's this?'
He pulled out the rectangular card. It was—
a cartoonish depiction of a startled, terrified Boogeyman.
His name and number were printed on it.
He opened the letter and read.
『Yohan, I wanted to thank you properly, but as a painter, not a wordsmith, it's hard to express. So I leave this small gift.
Thank you so, so much for saving Emily.
With gratitude, Ghostbuster』
He set the letter down and looked at the card again.
A business card designed by an artist who sells paintings for three billion...
Ridiculous Boogeyman cartoon, boldly printed "Ghostbuster."
"Ha!"
A smile tugged at his lips. Foolish, but
he didn't hate it.
"Thanks for passing it on."
He pocketed the card and stood. Ellie hesitated.
"Um... can I call you again sometime?"
He knew he'd regret it later but couldn't resist teasing.
He handed Ellie a Ghostbuster card.
"If something weird shows up around you, who're you gonna call?"
Ellie's eyes widened for a moment, but she played along.
"G-Ghostbuster."
"Haha, thanks for humoring me."
He left the café, humming a movie BGM softly as he walked home.