Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Another Corpse on Maebong Mountain
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Maebong Mountain's mid-slope, a place untouched even by hikers where nature thrived in its raw state.
Ever since the hiking trails were established, people stuck strictly to those paths.
Nature was reclaiming its pre-human form.
"Man, this place is something else."
A trail off the beaten path, one that would normally see no human footsteps.
An elderly man ventured there, nimbly navigating the rugged terrain as he blazed his own route despite the harsh mountainscape.
The man's name was Kim Bong-nam.
Having worked as a photographer for over twenty years, he carried a camera and camera bag slung over his shoulder.
"They weren't kidding when they said just straying a bit from the trail reveals stunning views."
Kim Bong-nam unpacked his gear from his bag with an excited grin—camera, lenses, tripod, the works—and set it all up.
A few days earlier, a friend had tipped him off about a prime photo spot, drawing him here.
He'd been a little wary about leaving the marked trails, but that hesitation vanished the moment he arrived.
A crystal-clear waterfall cascaded down, its waters reflecting off the piled snow like a natural reflector.
Under a naturally formed rock bridge, icicles hung alongside flowers braving the cold, peeking out defiantly.
It was the epitome of winter's charm, and Kim Bong-nam dove in with glee, snapping away through his lens.
"It's rare to catch a scene like this on a low mountain."
If he had to sum up the vista before him in one word, "wilderness" fit perfectly.
Sure, human touch had reached here somewhat, so it wasn't pristine wilderness.
But the lack of human grime preserved nature's pure beauty.
After wandering and shooting for a while, Kim Bong-nam spotted a perfect vantage and settled in, focusing intently through his lens.
All for "her," the woman who loved nature shots—he was determined to gift her the most beautiful scene.
That's when it happened, as Kim Bong-nam lost himself in his lens.
Rustle.
A sound from behind.
But deep in the zone, he dismissed it as a bird or squirrel and pressed his eye closer to the viewfinder.
"Just a bit more..."
He wanted the sunset reflecting off the snow and stream.
Capturing the icicles transparently in that frame? A masterpiece.
But his hopes shattered quickly.
Thwack!
A dull thud echoed as Kim Bong-nam pitched forward.
An unidentified red liquid oozed from his head, and a ringing filled his skull.
"Uh... ah...?"
Dizzy and disoriented, he couldn't process what just happened, mumbling incoherently.
Thud.
Kneeling amid crumbling fallen leaves and twigs, he finally realized he'd collapsed.
The man who emerged behind him smirked and raised the bloodied baseball bat again.
Crack!
Another impact reverberated through the mountains.
The blow to his shoulder sent Kim Bong-nam tumbling across the ground, and instinct took over as he screamed.
"P-please... spare..."
"......"
No response.
Just a chilling, cold sneer curling the assailant's lips.
Crack! Thud!
With each swing, blood splattered from the gore-slicked bat.
Crimson stained the fresh snow.
The clear stream turned murky, dyed like ink in water.
The birds that once chirped peacefully had long fled.
"......"
Kim Bong-nam's clothes soaked red.
His puffer jacket tore open, scattering crimson feathers into the air.
As his body turned ever redder, the killer's smile deepened.
Clatter.
Only after twisting the victim into a mangled heap like a discarded mannequin did the assailant lower his bat.
Satisfied, he spoke.
"Crawling all the way out here like you were begging to die."
No remorse, no pity, no regret for the atrocity.
A flat, emotionless tone.
With that, the bat's red hue intensified.
Kim Bong-nam's final expression was one of utter bewilderment—why him?
The camera he'd clutched to the end rolled across the ground.
The killer glanced at the corpse, chuckling mockingly, then picked up the fallen camera.
"Disgusting prick. Should've been snapping pics of your kid instead of wasting time here."
He muttered, hurling the camera aside.
Then he headed to the waterfall, methodically washing his hands and the bat.
He stowed the cleaned bat in his bag.
Don't forget to change into spare clothes—check.
With everything tidied, the killer strolled away as if nothing happened.
Clunk.
His foot kicked the orphaned camera, sending it tumbling down the steep slope.
* * *
In the end, Lee Jae-hyun and Park Dae-hyung had to head back down the mountain to the funeral home.
No alibi, and he'd even lied about it.
Sure, he was still a college student—everyone fibs sometimes.
But lying about his whereabouts when his own mother had just died?
That screamed something off.
Both Lee Jae-hyun and Park Dae-hyung knew it, their faces taut with unease.
"...Nah, it can't be."
"Who knows."
Park Dae-hyung glanced at Lee Jae-hyun, who was driving, but got only a shrug and a vague reply.
They soon pulled up to the funeral home.
A different one from before—this was for the female half of the murdered couple.
The husband couldn't leave, but the college son apparently could.
Or maybe he'd stepped out to talk with the detectives.
Either way, there he stood, smoking in front of them.
Lee Jae-hyun frowned at the kid's slouched, cocky stance.
"So, you lied because you didn't want your dad finding out?"
"Yeah, that's what I've been saying. How many times do I have to repeat it?"
Irritation laced the kid's response to the detective's question.
In his black mourning clothes, something about him...
'Build matches what we saw before.'
Lee Jae-hyun narrowed his eyes, imagining him in black clothes and a black cap.
It lined up more than expected.
Especially the developed traps and delts, common in baseball players, stood out.
Of course, suspicion and similar build weren't enough for an ID.
Lee Jae-hyun moved to summon Serhen and check the kid's evil karma.
But then—
Thud thud.
Someone came running.
"Another body found on Maebong Mountain! Signs of blunt force trauma."
The detective announced the second incident from Lee Jae-hyun's memory.
His shout snapped everyone to attention.
"Hey, everyone—to Maebong Mountain!"
The cops mobilized fast.
Lee Jae-hyun shot a glance at the dead woman's son, then turned away.
* * *
"Unbelievable."
Park Dae-hyung muttered under his breath.
Lee Jae-hyun, behind the wheel, glanced over.
Seeing Park Dae-hyung seething quietly, he clicked his tongue softly.
'I get why he's pissed.'
How long after the first murder? Not even a full day.
The second hit before the first victim's funeral even wrapped.
Families still raw with grief.
Yet the killer mocked the investigating cops with another crime.
'...And I'm furious too.'
Lee Jae-hyun gripped the wheel tighter.
What did human life mean to this guy?
Cheap as bugs, disposable at whim?
'Been a while since I got this heated.'
He exhaled deeply.
Letting anger rule wasn't smart.
It clouded rational thought.
"Inspector Park."
"We here?"
"Yeah."
Park Dae-hyung's question got a nod from Lee Jae-hyun.
"Park and come out."
"Got it, Inspector."
Lee Jae-hyun quickly parked the squad car and followed Park Dae-hyung out.
Another mountain killing.
Off the trail, like the adulterous couple.
Under a waterfall pouring clean water lay the body.
Relief? Or just more rage?
A man's corpse.
Brutally mangled.
Just like the first couple—head smashed.
One difference: this victim had bones shattered everywhere, not just the skull.
Limbs twisted grotesquely, like beaten with a bat all over— the scene felt unreal.
Grind.
Park Dae-hyung ground his teeth beside him, glaring at the body.
It'd been ages since Lee Jae-hyun saw him this mad.
As he approached to examine the victim, a familiar face neared them.
"Dae-hyung, you made it."
"Min-seok, what happened?"
Oh Min-seok, team leader at Ilsan West Police Station.
He glanced at the body and scowled before answering Park Dae-hyung.
"A hiker found him like that. Exact state when discovered."
"......"
Oh Min-seok explained calmly.
Lee Jae-hyun turned to Park Dae-hyung.
His face rigid as stone, but his eyes blazed.
Problem was, it was too soon for rage.
"That's not all."
Lee Jae-hyun and Park Dae-hyung whipped toward him.
What Oh Min-seok said next left them stunned.
"The real kicker? This bastard took photos, like displaying a trophy."
"...What?"
What did I just hear?
Lee Jae-hyun's eyes widened.
Oh Min-seok meant the killer photographed the murder scene.
"See for yourself."
He handed over a few prints.
From the camera.
Shots of the victim's corpse.
"Victim's camera."
"Son of a bitch."
Park Dae-hyung growled.
Even Lee Jae-hyun couldn't hold back now.
This was blatant mockery of the victim.
Using the dead man's own camera to immortalize him.
'This fucking asshole.'
Lee Jae-hyun clenched his jaw.
The killer was taunting the victim—and toying with the police.