Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 029
Chapter Title: Succubus Incident (4)
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Time approaching dawn, past the twilight.
Having finished her call with Ahn Su-ho, Min Chae-ryeong sank deep into her chair, lost in thought.
Succubus... The perpetrator of this incident, presumed to be one, knew Ji Ye-won. Not just knew her, but had even directly asked the victim if they knew the student named Ji Ye-won.
Ahn Su-ho had suggested the possibility that this was connected to the Dawn Corps. Min Chae-ryeong shared the same suspicion.
The chance that a succubus was collaborating with the Dawn Corps. Or perhaps a Dawn Corps member with similar abilities was the culprit.
As she pondered various possibilities in her mind, Min Chae-ryeong's gaze drifted to her desktop screen. It displayed an anonymous tip sent to the Academy a few days ago.
A tip revealing that Ji Ye-won was a Dawn Corps member.
The Dawn Corps had likely sent it to prevent Ji Ye-won from finding refuge at Green House. That was Min Chae-ryeong's guess.
And her guess was spot on. The tip had indeed come from the Dawn Corps.
In any case, the tip was too detailed to dismiss as a prank, so the Security Force had launched an investigation with some skepticism. If Min Chae-ryeong had noticed it first, she might have quashed it somehow, but by the time she tried to intervene, Team 7 under Oh Tae-seong had already begun their probe.
The tip's contents hadn't been confirmed as true yet, so only a handful in the Security Force knew about it, including Team 7.
However, with Ji Ye-won's name emerging from the victim's statement this time, others like Lee Tae-ho or Jo Yu-ri would soon focus on her through this tip.
That would inevitably expand the investigation's scope. With the possibility of Dawn Corps involvement in an assault case inside the Academy, the entire Security Force would mobilize.
And that wasn't all. Since it involved the Dawn Corps, local police intervention couldn't be ruled out either.
"...Hmm."
More people tracking Ji Ye-won's movements wouldn't be welcome for her. If things went wrong, it could expose that she was sheltering Ji Ye-won.
The Dawn Corps was a government-designated anti-government terrorist group.
Its members had to be reported to the police immediately upon discovery, and anyone who knowingly concealed or aided a member would face punishment under relevant laws.
What if it came out that she was hiding Ji Ye-won?
She could use her connections to bury the incident itself. If that weren't possible, she never would have taken Ji Ye-won in to begin with.
But the problem was that it would give those she mobilized a weakness: "Min Chae-ryeong is tied to the Dawn Corps." She didn't like handing out such leverage. It might be fine now, but the moment something went awry, her enemies would use it to tear into her.
Was Ji Ye-won worth that risk?
About two weeks ago, when she first heard about Ji Ye-won, she'd nodded without hesitation.
The Dawn Corps was a criminal organization shrouded in secrecy. Even for a traitor, securing an informant from them was a rare opportunity.
Information on the Dawn Corps offered her endless uses.
For instance, passing it to police officials needing achievements to earn favors. Or approaching Dawn Corps members, using reports as blackmail for side gains.
She'd sold info to rival criminal groups to build underworld ties, even siphoning off the Dawn Corps' dirty money in the process.
Impossible for an ordinary person. Only possible for Min Chae-ryeong, with her vast underlings and connections. Over the past two weeks, she'd profitably exploited the info Ji Ye-won spilled.
Sheltering Ji Ye-won carried risks, but she was worth it.
She had been worth it.
But now?
Ji Ye-won wasn't stupid. She knew her value lay in Dawn Corps intel. That's why she didn't spill everything at once to Min Chae-ryeong. She deliberately paced out her cards.
Even so, an individual's info would eventually run dry.
Min Chae-ryeong gauged how much usable intel Ji Ye-won had left. It was just an estimate. Weighing that against the risks and returns of continued shelter, she pondered.
'...It's iffy.'
Ji Ye-won's position in the Dawn Corps wasn't high. Her intel had natural limits.
Min Chae-ryeong figured those limits were near.
'Yeah, I've squeezed enough out of her.'
Just as the investigation into Ji Ye-won was ramping up. Keeping her any longer might turn toxic for her.
Once that thought took hold, pieces of how to dispose of Ji Ye-won quickly fell into place in her mind.
'Handing her to the police now would be messy. She'd bite at me or the Security Force to survive. Even memory manipulation won't help—police have mind-readers too.'
...Maybe just kill her cleanly and be done with it.
The thought flashed through Min Chae-ryeong's mind.
Killing and hiding one person was child's play for her. And only her utterly loyal underlings—dependent on her for everything—would be involved. No weaknesses exposed.
Covering up after Ji Ye-won's exposure was hard. But killing and concealing first? Easy.
So she'd pick the easy path. Ji Ye-won still had value, but sometimes you cut returns to dodge risks.
'But...'
At that moment, Ahn Su-ho's face surfaced in her mind.
Ahn Su-ho. That enigmatic rookie had some connection to Ji Ye-won. A reasonable suspicion.
Min Chae-ryeong reflected. Who first brought her Ji Ye-won intel? Ahn Su-ho.
'I decided to help Ji Ye-won after hearing from Ahn Su-ho. But why did he come to me with it?'
People act on gains and losses. Her creed. By that logic, Ahn Su-ho gained something by saving Ji Ye-won through her.
The Talisman? Possible. But too many uncertainties.
She'd tested him once over the Talisman, and as he said, it landing in his hands was a miracle of coincidences.
Not his intended gain. So what was?
'Showing off his info network to me? "I can even sniff out Dawn Corps traitors"?'
No, too vague. She was already eyeing his intel after the Shin Jin-woo incident. No need to risk re-proving it.
'Or maybe he wants a Dawn Corps informant like I do?'
No. He already had intel on internal traitors. No need to protect Ji Ye-won for informant value.
'Then, inversely, handing me Ji Ye-won as an informant?'
This felt plausible. He'd guessed she'd use Ji Ye-won well and passed her over—like granting a favor.
Yeah. It made sense.
But was that the only reason?
Would Ahn Su-ho risk sheltering a Dawn Corps member just to grant her a small favor?
Helping Ji Ye-won meant aiding a designated terrorist. Would he propose that for such a flimsy reason?
No, not rational.
Min Chae-ryeong thought: If Ahn Su-ho's actions seemed irrational, two possibilities.
He acted on emotion or impulse, not reason. Or his actions were rational based on facts she didn't know.
Either way, conclusion the same: Some hidden link between Ahn Su-ho and Ji Ye-won. One forcing him to save her.
Judging he couldn't do it alone, he'd pulled in her—Team Leader Min Chae-ryeong, ambition incarnate.
Pure hypothesis.
But if dubious, prove it.
With the investigation heating up, Ahn Su-ho must know sheltering Ji Ye-won was risky.
If she said to cut her loose, and he refused without solid reason...
-Knock knock.
While refusing without clear justification...
"...Come in."
If Ahn Su-ho reacted that way, suspicion would harden to certainty.
Min Chae-ryeong narrowed her eyes at Ahn Su-ho entering the team leader's office silently.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Dark.
The view outside the window was dyed in the murky dusk after sunset. Dim indigo light filtering in hazily lit the team leader's office faintly.
Min Chae-ryeong waited for Ahn Su-ho without turning on the lights, steeped in total darkness.
Ahn Su-ho relayed everything he'd heard from Lee Young-han exactly. Including the full story on Ji Ye-won.
Having heard it all, Min Chae-ryeong stared at him with inscrutable eyes. A cold gaze like a serpent eyeing prey pierced between his brows.
Ahn Su-ho could guess what Min Chae-ryeong was thinking.
The succubus incident was no longer a big deal to him. And he figured the same for her.
"Ahn Su-ho. Just one question. Why did you try to save Ji Ye-won?"
"It was a chance to get a Dawn Corps informant. I couldn't let it slip."
Min Chae-ryeong shook her head with a faint smile at his immediate reply. Just as she'd expected.
"Is that so? But you already have a Dawn Corps informant. Enough to get intel on internal traitors—no need for a new one, right?"
"I wanted to hand one to you too, Team Leader. You'd make good use of her intel."
She shook her head again. Again, as expected.
"True. As you said, Ji Ye-won was very useful. Thanks to her, I had some fun these past two weeks."
But.
Min Chae-ryeong added, speaking to Ahn Su-ho.
"You know our situation's getting risky, right? If this incident triggers a full probe on Ji Ye-won, we can't hide her forever. If her location leaks and the Security Force or police link you and me to it..."
Min Chae-ryeong's eyes narrowed. Ahn Su-ho swallowed dryly amid the creeping tension squeezing his chest.
"...You know what happens then?"
The Dawn Corps was a government-designated anti-government group. Members had to be reported immediately, and knowing that yet concealing or aiding them brought legal punishment.
Common sense in this world, and Ahn Su-ho knew it.
"You probably don't know, but the Monday after that weekend fight in the abandoned building, an anonymous tip arrived at the Academy."
Min Chae-ryeong turned her desktop screen toward Ahn Su-ho. It showed a tip claiming Ji Ye-won was Dawn Corps.
"A tip outing Ji Ye-won as a Dawn Corps member. Too detailed for a prank, so Team 7's already investigating. It was fizzling out with no leads, but now her name's in the statement—expect it to reignite. Hotter than before."
"No way..."
Ahn Su-ho, unaware of the tip's existence, was stunned.
Whether Dawn Corps sent it or not didn't matter. What did: the Security Force now eyeing student Ji Ye-won.
"Even if the Security Force goes full throttle, they won't sniff it out easily. My handling was perfect. No traces pointing to her being with me."
"Then—"
"But the other team members are pretty capable too, if not quite my level. That bugs me a bit?"
Bugs me. Yet Min Chae-ryeong's face showed no anxiety—rather, amusement.
"Sure, we might dodge it. But we might not. It's a risk. Weighing risks and returns on Ji Ye-won, I think cutting her loose is rational now?"
"Cut loose meaning...?"
Hand her to police? That naive thought crossed Ahn Su-ho's mind.
But Min Chae-ryeong was meticulous, unlike him.
In the darkness, her eyes narrowed. A smile. Ji Ye-won's exposure wouldn't please her, yet she grinned serpentine, amused by something.
Face full of deep smile, Min Chae-ryeong murmured low.
"Kill her. Cleanly."
Kill Ji Ye-won.
Min Chae-ryeong's expression held no emotional fluctuation.
Moral revulsion to killing? Not a chance. She'd excised such useless humanity long ago.
Ahn Su-ho gleaned that from her cold smile. She'd kill Ji Ye-won without hesitation if needed. He sensed it instinctively.
"But—"
A reflexive word. Incomplete fragments swirled in Ahn Su-ho's mouth.
She mustn't kill Ji Ye-won. He had to say it.
But before Ahn Su-ho could speak, Min Chae-ryeong preempted, as if reading him.
"Opposing killing Ji Ye-won? Fine, give me a good reason, and I'll hear it."
"But don't try convincing me with her intel value. I've already weighed what she knows against the ongoing shelter risks."
"Also, no worries on risks of killing—like her resisting or evidence cleanup. If I decide, she's gone before she twitches. Erasing one body's trace is nothing to me."
"And don't even think of trotting out weak morals or ethics. 'Can't kill people'? Not now."
"So."
"Any other reason against killing her, besides what I just ruled out? Speak."
Ahn Su-ho couldn't answer. No way he could.
Before he could fabricate excuses, she'd sealed every avenue. He realized she'd prepared thoroughly.
From hearing his report on the statement—or earlier.
She'd long been timing when to discard Ji Ye-won. The thought struck him.
'Too complacent. Thought we'd be fine for a while.'
Not a bad judgment. Without Ji Ye-won's name in this case, Min Chae-ryeong wouldn't have considered killing her.
'What now?'
He had to oppose this somehow. If Ji Ye-won died, so would he.
But he couldn't speak. Tension-fogged brain couldn't muster a plausible excuse. Seeing him freeze, Min Chae-ryeong softly prodded.
"Silence means agreement? Or..."
Her words trailed. Gaps widened between them. The clearer her voice echoed in his ears.
"Do you have some unspeakable circumstance with me?"
"That's—"
Her piercing words sent cold sweat down his spine.
Min Chae-ryeong's eyes curved like crescent moons. Attitude screaming she knew.
'No way she knows.'
No matter how sharp, how could she grasp system penalties? But she already sensed he had secrets.
'Tell her outright about the system? "If Ji Ye-won dies, I die from penalty"?'
He shook his head instantly. She'd never buy such absurdity. It'd shatter built trust.
'Or play mysterious? "I need her alive, but can't say why yet"?'
Shook again. Dodging works once or twice. Persistent evasion would breed needless suspicion. Or was it already there?
Ahn Su-ho sighed. Like hitting a dead end.
Tense silence stretched between them. Min Chae-ryeong eyed him leisurely, as if daring him to speak. Ahn Su-ho's lips moved wordlessly.
Silence flowed.
Quiet pervaded.
Stillness filled the space.
No words from either, minutes eternal.
And the next moment.
"Pfft!"
Silent till then, Min Chae-ryeong suddenly laughed.
A laugh unlike prior smiles, bursting uncontrollably.
"Puhahaha! Ahahahaha!"
Min Chae-ryeong laughed. Laughter spilling into guffaws.
Ahn Su-ho was baffled. He didn't know why. No laughing matter. Yet why was she roaring, shaking the office?
Meeting his bewildered gaze, Min Chae-ryeong casually said it was no big deal.
"Don't look so grave. The killing talk? Just testing you."
"...Pardon?"
"Joke. Pure curiosity on your reaction."
She'd laughed so hard tears welled. She wiped them with a finger.
Ahn Su-ho remained flustered. Confusion deepened over time.
'A joke? All that?'
Nonsense. Doubting his ears, he asked skeptically.
"...A joke? So you won't kill her?"
"Yeah. I said my handling's perfect. Confident Ji Ye-won won't be traced to me. Even if sniffed out, I can cover it."
"You're serious?"
"Of course. Would a Security Force team leader joke about casual murder? Puhuhu."
Still chuckling at some private joke. Ahn Su-ho gave an awkward smile. Awkward outside, seething inside.
Flustered. Confused. Fading to rising anger. 'All that was a joke? How seriously I took it. Toying with me?' Thoughts flooded him.
Anger faded, cold reason returned with questions.
She called it all a joke. But was killing Ji Ye-won really just banter?
'No way.'
He shook his head. Impossible. When she said it, conviction and force screamed sincerity.
Min Chae-ryeong had seriously considered killing Ji Ye-won. Seriously grilled him. So why the 180 to "joke"?
With reason restored, Ahn Su-ho easily guessed her intent.
'...Letting it slide this once.'
Their suspicious ties. She could probe endlessly. But she'd pass this time.
Why? Ahn Su-ho couldn't know. Whim? Favor? Or some wild reason beyond imagination.
Only Min Chae-ryeong knew.
"I'll let this slide once."
What amused her so? Delighted her? Joyed her? Tickled her?
Smile thickening, unable to contain laughter.
"You owe me one today. Got it?"
Owe me. She emphasized oddly.
That instant, red glint flashed in her eyes.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Meanwhile, at Yeongnang Lake Park near Green House.
A bewitching woman sat on a bench along the deserted lakeside path.
Her name: Park Ji-hyun. Dawn Corps Gangwon Branch executive—and the true culprit behind what the Security Force called the "Succubus Incident."
Contrary to their guesses, she—not a succubus—had assaulted the men in the Academy. Her goal: track Ji Ye-won, as Min Chae-ryeong and Ahn Su-ho suspected.
Gazing at the eerily still lake, Park Ji-hyun spoke into her phone.
"Annyeong. Grandpa. Up late? They say old folks sleep light evenings—not you, huh?"
-Tsk. Skip the nonsense. Report progress. How's the search?
The voice on the other end was Yoo Hyun-ho, another Dawn Corps executive. At his question, Park Ji-hyun licked blood from her lips.
"No real gains yet. Just grilled someone close to Ji Ye-won. No clue where she is."
-How many so far?
"Five. Two first day, three today."
-Too many. Security Force smells it—go low profile. Flashy rampages risk exposure.
"Ahahaha! Worry not. Invisible travel always, strikes only sans CCTV."
-Don't assume CCTV's their only tool. Security Force is investigative. Superpowers for tracking? Plausible.
"Got it. I'll watch. Such a nag—"
-Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk.
Then, distant footsteps. Park Ji-hyun paused the call, turning.
Far off, a man jogged her way along the path. Night jogging? Dismissing it, she still eyed his approach.
Distance closing, his form sharpened.
About 185 cm. Hoodie and sweats. Hood shadowed his face, but exposed jaw suggested her age.
Eyes met. Just met. He looked away; she felt no interest, turning back.
Tried to.
Until spotting the blue-gem ring on his right hand.
He passed her. Park Ji-hyun chased his back with shocked eyes, fixed on that hand.
She rose slowly. Red mist seeped from her body.
"...Found you."
-Found? What—
Next instant, Park Ji-hyun shot toward him like an arrow.
-Boom!
Red mist scattering, she closed in instantly. Claws slashed his throat.
-Thud.
"...Huh?"
But the ambush failed spectacularly. Her thrust blocked emptily. Right arm gripped, Park Ji-hyun gasped in surprise.
"Hm?"
He blocked but was surprised too. His gaze slid from her right hand to her face. A question furrowed his brow.
"...Who? New face."
"Kgh!"
She yanked her arm—immovable. Bone-crunching grip; wrist bones ground audibly.
-Crunch!
"Grk?!"
Agony. Her body dissolved to red mist, slipping free. Rematerializing ten meters back, wrist healed.
"Oho."
Man eyed her curiously, shedding hoodie.
A gentle handsome face emerged. Looks to snag women's stares passing by. But below: rugged muscles clashing with it.
-Crack. Crack.
Knuckles popping. Approaching slowly, he asked.
"Neat power. What are you?"
"...And you? Why do you have the Talisman?"
"Huh? This? Pretty lady left it with me weeks ago. Ah, here for it?"
He flaunted the ring. Her eyes flicked; he smirked.
"Guessed right. But tough luck. She said hold till she returns—no giving away."
"...What?"
"Attacking out the gate? Figure I got it. Not her ally, huh?"
He lowered into stance, fists forward.
-Whoooosh!
Talisman glowed blue. Bluish aura swirled around him. Ominous pressure; Park Ji-hyun edged back, asking.
"...Who the hell are you?"
"Ryu Tae-hyun."
He grinned, stating his name casually.
"Freshman who just started today."
"Ha."
Her hollow laugh at the incongruous reply. She posed arms forward, claws gleaming moonlit.
Sudden battle. Yet the man—Ryu Tae-hyun—stayed unflapped.
Ryu Tae-hyun.
The true protagonist of Era of Superhumans.
A world's protagonist handles surprises like this.
"You struck first—so now it's self-defense."
Next instant, Ryu Tae-hyun vanished.