The Legendary Reaper Hunter (3)

Han Min-ah extended her hand, and Yoo Wol-ryeong hesitated for a moment before handing over the Biman.

Han Min-ah flicked through the photos Yoo Wol-ryeong had taken, her expression turning subtly strange. It was the look of someone wondering, How did they take pictures like this?

"Hmm, I think I get the vibe you're going for anyway. Mr. Ju Kang-rim, why don't you head over to that railing?"

Han Min-ah naturally directed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Ju Kang-rim as she prepared to take photos. Caught off guard, Ju Kang-rim started posing as instructed again.

Han Min-ah moved around busily, snapping shots from every angle. She lay flat on the ground or climbed onto a water tank. Dust from the floor didn't faze her as she shot away diligently. Finally, with the satisfied grin of an orchard owner harvesting fruit, she returned with the Biman.

"What a rewarding model to work with! I think these turned out pretty good?"

Ju Kang-rim's attention snagged on the phrase "rewarding model to work with," but he first checked out the photos Han Min-ah had taken. He and Yoo Wol-ryeong were left speechless.

The shots made Ju Kang-rim look so cool he wondered if it was really him. His face was perfectly half-shadowed against the moon, and the flowing dopo robe captured the fabric's texture like swaying grass. How can the same camera produce such different results? Is this some kind of light-based sorcery?

Ju Kang-rim met Yoo Wol-ryeong's eyes. She seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"...Ms. Han Min-ah. We can't use these."

"What?! Why not?"

"We need photos that feel more secretly taken. These look like cosplay."

"What?! Then why'd they take that ID photo earlier?"

"No argument there. If it's okay, something like secretly stalking me—no, um..."

As ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Ju Kang-rim trailed off searching for the right words, Han Min-ah jumped in.

"Like a pervert?"

"Something secretive and covert, please."

In the end, Ju Kang-rim spent time getting suitable photos. Out of about a hundred shots, they decided to send the one Yoo Wol-ryeong selected as "the most pervert-like" to CyberPhantom.

Click, click.

That day, after uploading a few photos to the tip board, Ju Kang-rim devoted the entire day to digging into "CyberPhantom."

More active than I expected.

He wasn't the type lurking in shadows, creepily leaking info. He actively posted, commented, and even did the occasional YouTube livestream. His real-world social activity remained unknown, though.

What surprised Ju Kang-rim was that CyberPhantom didn't limit his activity to Ju Kang-rim's fan cafe. He was active on other sites too—mostly awakener-related ones. In the awakener networks, he was a so-called "big name."

If this guy's an immortal, he'd be the idlest one in the world.

Of course, if his job involved awakener analysis and tracking, that might change things. But a guy posting "Top 10 Awakener Power Rankings" didn't scream high-priority operative.

In other words, if Ju Kang-rim's hunch was right, CyberPhantom was just an awakener otaku with insane tracking skills and talent. And right now, his top obsession was Ju Kang-rim.

But these photos look like they were taken from ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠CCTV, not a camera?

Ju Kang-rim noticed most of the shots of himself were from CCTV angles. This turned his long-held suspicion into near-certainty.

CyberPhantom was a hacker. A damn good one.

Hacking public CCTV put him at National Intelligence Service level or higher.

This could be useful...

While browsing CyberPhantom's uploads, Ju Kang-rim paused at one post.

The photo showed foreign hunters walking into the airport. Exotic-looking men and women blended into the crowd, seemingly unconnected, but the camera focused precisely on them. Tall, fit builds and movie-star faces.

Vito Family.

No need to check—their faces screamed "Vito Family hunter."

Standing out was a flaw for assassins, but the Vito Family didn't even try to hide it.

"...If we don't find this guy fast, he's gonna die soon."

The Vito Family was as obsessed with flaunting beauty as they were with aesthetics. They wouldn't care about photos unless caught red-handed at a crime scene. The problem? Calling them "hunters" outright and posting online.

CyberPhantom had a good eye, but if the Vito Family saw this, they'd track him down and kill him on the spot.

Ding.

A message hit Ju Kang-rim's inbox. His cafe rank had gone up. Right as he checked it, another flew in.

The bait worked instantly. The target bit.

Ju Kang-rim adjusted his posture and thought up a reply.

Ju Kang-rim nearly jumped up. The photo had barely any clues.

Yet CyberPhantom nailed it instantly.

He considered playing dumb, but with pinpoint accuracy like that, it'd be pointless. He'd just look ridiculous. No choice—he had to track this guy down.

Making Han Min-ah and Ju Kang-rim's hard work for nothing, CyberPhantom didn't buy the photos at all.

Before the line went dead, Ju Kang-rim fired off quickly.

It was a bit of a gamble for Ju Kang-rim. If CyberPhantom dug in with "Fake's useless!", it wouldn't work. But Ju Kang-rim figured he knew the guy.

CyberPhantom was an otaku. One obsessed with the vaguely real "Legendary Reaper Hunter," a super-rare awakener with scant data.

If fandom was his farm, CyberPhantom would've withered away long ago. But now a high-fidelity fake appeared? Curiosity alone would reel him in.

Hooked.

Ju Kang-rim sent one more—another partially obscured shot from Han Min-ah.

He teased CyberPhantom like this, slowly drawing him out. When the mood felt ripe, Ju Kang-rim tested the waters.

The expected response. Meeting someone you only know online after one day was as risky as touching a zombie plague carrier.

Ju Kang-rim didn't want to rush either, but the longer CyberPhantom was alone, the higher the odds of Vito Family murder. No way they'd believe him if he warned them.

CyberPhantom changed the subject like dodging. Ju Kang-rim regretted the guy not biting easily but got curious about the "recent" photo.

If it was from the medical exam cleanup, that was Han Min-ah's officetel. Luca and Jeremiah had cleaned up decently, but since Ju Kang-rim hadn't done it himself, traces might linger.

Ju Kang-rim clicked the image file without thinking.

Instantly, the Biman screen went pitch black.

A chill ran down his spine. He frantically tapped the screen, but no response.

Only then did he realize he'd been hooked.

"Shit!"

CyberPhantom was an awakener otaku and a skilled hacker. Ju Kang-rim cursed himself for dropping his guard despite knowing that.

Chik, chiik.

Strange static burst from the Biman, with glitchy noise screens flickering on and off.

Ju Kang-rim hurled it aside hoping it'd shut down, but nothing.

A voice came from the Biman. A grotesque, machine-modulated tone.

"You bastard. If you don't wanna die..."

CyberPhantom taunted casually, then suddenly stammered in panic. Tapping sounds echoed from the Biman.

Ju Kang-rim felt it sounded just like when he'd been hacked.

Mad screams erupted ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from the Biman. Then a ripping sound, and silence.

Ju Kang-rim had no clue what happened. But soon the screen returned to normal.

A message from Yeomra waited.

Ju Kang-rim recalled seeing that as a kid with malware-infected computers. Maybe some viruses back then were actual ghosts.

Whether CyberPhantom disconnected or not, the Biman rebooted to normal.

But soon a new cafe message arrived.

Ju Kang-rim messaged Yeomra.

Honestly, Ju Kang-rim felt like letting it ride. Hacking a grim reaper's phone? Bold move. No one could've predicted it, but still annoying.

But he changed his mind quick. Cocky punks didn't deserve an easy death like suicide.

Ju Kang-rim messaged CyberPhantom.