Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Contact from the Association
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Detective Jo Kyung-yeon arrived at the scene after getting a call from the Association, just as the firefighters had finished putting out the fire.
Seeing how most of the first floor had burned pitch-black, Jo Kyung-yeon immediately understood why he'd been summoned.
“That was a hunter's doing, right?”
The junior detective who'd followed him hurriedly pulled out his notepad and checked the report he'd received.
“Yes, sir. According to the report, around 11:34 p.m., a masked hunter used a skill inside the department store.”
“What skill?”
“Flame Storm.”
“Fucking lunatic. He used that indoors?”
Jo Kyung-yeon worked in the special division that handled hunter-related cases.
As a result, he was intimately familiar with the skills hunters commonly used.
Just hearing the name was enough for him to instantly recall its effects and power level.
“What's the damage report?”
“The scene is basically a total loss, as you can see. Twenty-five injured, seven dead.”
“Fuck. Took a hell of a lot of people down with him.”
Jo Kyung-yeon pulled an e-cigarette from his shirt pocket and took a deep drag.
His junior stared at him with wide-eyed fascination, like he'd spotted something rare.
“Senior, when did you switch to e-cigs?”
“I'm not getting any younger. Gotta take care of my health.”
“Why not just quit altogether? I hear e-cigs are just as bad.”
“Shit. You want me to keep doing this job without even smokes?”
Given the nature of their division, every scene Jo Kyung-yeon arrived at was a disaster.
They dealt with human corpses on the regular—without nicotine to lean on, the stress might drive him insane.
“Cut the chit-chat. Where's the guy who called it in?”
“Behind one of the fire trucks, they said.”
“Which one?”
“Uh… well…”
The junior hadn't gotten that level of detail. He started frantically scanning the fire trucks scattered around the site.
After rolling his eyes around desperately, he finally spotted someone matching the caller's description.
“There, over there. Behind that fire truck on the left.”
“Never seen the guy before… And he took down the psycho who did this?”
“Yeah. Turned him into mush. Wanna see?”
When the junior showed him the photo on his smartphone, Jo Kyung-yeon grimaced.
It was only natural—having his head blown open by a corpse in broad daylight would ruin anyone's appetite.
“You carry around shit like that and save it?”
“Is that a problem?”
“Nah, long as it doesn't leak outside…”
Normal people found that stuff too creepy to save on their personal phones.
But this ballsy junior bragged about archiving every crime scene photo he'd ever seen, without exception.
He'd never puked once since starting, always sticking close without flinching—clearly, this job was his calling.
“Flame Storm's a pretty high-level skill. Not easy to handle unless you're skilled.”
It meant the perp was at least a B-rank mage.
Taking out a hunter like that with one blow required serious stats.
No easy feat for a lesser-known C-rank or below.
“With witnesses, it can't be a lie.”
“Yeah. No sane person would lie about killing someone.”
In this line of work, he'd met plenty of crazies.
But the reporting hunter didn't give off that unhinged vibe.
Pale-faced, sure, but otherwise your average young guy.
“What's the guy's name again?”
“Huh? You don't remember that either?”
“Hey, kid. I just came from handling another case. Shit happens—why rub it in?”
Jo Kyung-yeon playfully flicked the junior's forehead, making him wince and clutch his head.
“Ow! Even if that's true, hitting me's too much!”
“Don't sass your senior, then.”
“How's that sassing…”
Worried about another flick, the junior shut up and flipped through his notepad.
“The caller's name is Kang Jin-hyuk. Recently promoted to C-rank.”
“Kang Jin-hyuk?”
He'd heard the name somewhere before.
Racking his brain, Jo Kyung-yeon recalled a recent internet article.
“The guy who took down that new monster type.”
“You mean the one from that massive invasion the Titan Guild handled?”
“Yeah, him.”
Among the recent monster appearances, that one had been the most threatening, and talk of it was still buzzing.
“Some say it wasn't a big deal, though.”
“A big deal? Over ten A-rank hunters got seriously injured by 'nothing'?”
“Still, if S-rank hunter Seo Sang-ho hadn't been a close-range brawler type, he could've taken it easy…”
“Pfft, swallowing keyboard warrior bullshit again?”
If it was truly no big deal, the prideful Titan Guild never would've called for backup from other guilds.
Those downplaying Kang Jin-hyuk were just jealous nobodies pissed a mere C-rank was getting attention.
Experts figured he had some hidden talent—not that the monster was weak.
Jo Kyung-yeon was one of them.
Encountering someone who'd piqued his interest from that article felt strangely fateful.
“Let's go talk to him.”
Kang Jin-hyuk, who'd been quietly surveying the scene, turned as the two detectives approached.
Their eyes met, and Jo Kyung-yeon flashed his badge.
“You're Kang Jin-hyuk, right?”
“Yes, that's me.”
Facing the detectives made Kang Jin-hyuk's expression and tone stiffen involuntarily.
He felt partially responsible for the incident, so he couldn't act nonchalant.
Jo Kyung-yeon mistook that tension for fear over killing someone.
Hoping to reassure him, he spoke up.
“What you did was self-defense, so no need to be scared.”
“Self-defense…? Can killing someone really be that simple?”
Kang Jin-hyuk's doubt was understandable.
Even for a villain, it wasn't the police who'd done it—it was private vigilantism.
Strictly speaking, self-defense needed court validation.
But cases like this were exceptions.
“Keep one fact under wraps, and you won't even need a trial.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Hunters have clear proof on their side.”
“Clear proof?”
Kang Jin-hyuk couldn't guess what the detective meant.
What evidence was so ironclad it skipped court?
To clear it up, Jo Kyung-yeon posed a question.
“You killed someone, but no 'Villain' title popped up, right?”
“H-How did you…”
“Self-defense kills don't trigger the Villain title. It's an open secret in our circles.”
Kang Jin-hyuk looked stunned.
He'd thought it was his private discovery—turns out detectives all knew.
“So, you're asking me to keep that quiet?”
“Exactly. If it gets out, things get messy.”
Killing always grants the 'Villain' title.
It acts as a leash on hunters.
If word spread that self-defense bypassed it, some might play hero vigilante.
That would unleash private justice everywhere.
The government and Association wanted hunters hunting monsters only.
No movie-style heroes.
“I see…”
Hearing the details, Kang Jin-hyuk nodded in understanding.
The Association prioritized stability.
When monsters first appeared and hunters emerged, the Association had fought hard to rein in the chaos-loving ones.
They had no desire to relive that anarchy.
Even well-intentioned rule-breakers bred disorder.
“I'll keep it in mind. Won't tell a soul.”
“…I'd love to take your word for it, but this is too critical.”
Verbal promises broke easiest.
Following protocol, Jo Kyung-yeon handed Kang Jin-hyuk a small brooch-like device.
“Carry this from now on.”
“What is it?”
“Straight up? A monitor. Speak any of three taboo words, and it pings us.”
“Taboo words?”
“Yeah. 'Murder', 'Villain', 'self-defense'. Memorize them, or I'll be visiting often.”
Kang Jin-hyuk took the device but couldn't wrap his head around the policy.
Word filters were easy to bypass with writing.
For a government op, it felt sloppy.
“Is this all? Can I go home?”
Hoping no other trackers, he asked—but got the green light.
“Of course. Take it easy for a bit; shock like this hits hard.”
Jo Kyung-yeon skipped mentioning its writing filter.
Most hunters dismissed such tech as impossible, letting their guard down.
If Kang Jin-hyuk stayed vigilant and kept quiet, he'd be deemed trustworthy and get the device back within a year.
Try spreading it in writing? Surveillance ramps up, restrictions follow.
Even with the omissions, Kang Jin-hyuk vaguely caught on.
'The government and Association wouldn't half-ass this.'
They only slipped up with the rich or connected.
Dealing with commoners like him? Meticulous as hell. This couldn't be the end.
'I'll have the dwarf uncle check it later.'
Unclear if the dwarf handled man-made gadgets, but nothing to lose.
“One question before I go?”
“Sure. What's on your mind?”
“…Besides no Villain title from self-defense kills, any other effects?”
“Why ask that?”
“First time with something like this. Just curious.”
Jo Kyung-yeon sensed Kang Jin-hyuk was hiding something.
But he let it slide.
Hunters always had a secret or two.
He didn't peg him as a criminal type.
“From what I've heard, no other effects.”
“Ah, got it. Thanks for letting me know.”
Kang Jin-hyuk bowed politely, then hurried off the scene.
His fleeing-like exit drew suspicion from Jo Kyung-yeon's junior.
“Guy's hiding something, right?”
“If even you think so, it's probably nothing.”
“…Am I that harsh a judge, senior?”
“Prove me wrong—rack up some real results. Stop chasing ghosts.”
With the interview done, Jo Kyung-yeon moved to inspect the scene himself.
During the investigation, the junior kept yapping: “I smell crime,” “What if it's a self-staged play?”
Jo Kyung-yeon had felt something off about Kang Jin-hyuk too—but not crime.
Experience told him hunters acting like that usually had one reason.
'Probably got a hidden class or skill.'
No way he'd tip off this blabbermouth junior—he kept it to himself.
Sure enough.
The first thing Kang Jin-hyuk did upon reaching home was check his newly acquired hidden class and skills.