[What's life, anyway? Just live as it comes]
[What's life, anyway? Just live as it comes]
Seeing Choi Ak—no, Raccoon Man—beat the kidnapper to a pulp, Su-jeong and Aram let out cheers.
"Nice! Beat him up more! Knock his teeth out!"
"Waaa!"
"......Are elementary schoolers like this these days?"
"My friends ask about my parents' well-being all the time, so isn't this at least better?"
"............."
The elementary schoolers Sion knew were, how should I put it...... she thought of innocent kids who dyed a streak of yellow in their hair, ate 500-won cup tteokbokki from a snack shop, and played with Yu-Gi-Oh cards with their friends, but it seems things are different these days.
Then again, with a new slang term like Gupsikchung emerging, what else could you expect? The advantage of an information society is that it's easy to get various information, but the disadvantage is that it's easy for even young kids to access unnecessary information.
Choi Ak finished him off and approached, saying to the kids:
"This Raccoon Man has beaten up the bad kidnapper who kidnaps kids, so don't worry!"
"Thank you, Raccoon Man!!"
As he shouted the catchphrase that was practically Raccoon Man's symbol, Aram responded in kind.
With the job seemingly finished, Choi Ak approached Sion, checking her body here and there and asking how she was.
"Are you hurt anywhere? Any scratches or scrapes? Do you feel nauseous or anything?"
"What am I, a kid?"
"Honestly, you're more like a kid than me. You like sweets, you like playing..."
"I don't know who's calling who a kid. You solve everything with force when you're angry."
"Hey, if someone saw that, they'd think I'm the type to throw punches the moment I get picked on. I look for the police-ajussi first, too."
Seeing the conversation between Sion and Choi Ak, Su-jeong and Aram, who were standing nearby, widened their eyes in shock.
"Um, Sion-unni. You knew Raccoon Man?"
"........How do you know?"
"If it's out, it's out. Let it be. I don't want to lay a hand on a kid over something like this."
Ever since they went on their honeymoon to Japan, he had given up on the idea of hiding his identity. He would hide it as much as he could, but he had no intention of laying a hand on a kid to keep it hidden.
Choi Ak's gaze turned to the kids. Two young girls, health condition good, no major injuries.
"Hang in there for a bit. If you call the police, you'll be able to meet your parents soon."
"Honestly, I couldn't use KakaoTalk or Facebook, but it was nice not having to go to the academy."
"How many academies do you go to that you kids are saying such life-weary things?"
"Piano, math, art, English, Chinese, about 5."
".......That makes sense."
He had subdued the kidnapper and found the kids and Sion. All that was left was to call the police and wrap things up.
"Raccoon Man-ajussi. What's your relationship with Sion-unni?"
"We're a married couple."
"We are a married couple."
"So it was true that Unni was an ajumma?"
Aram was a bit surprised that Sion was married but accepted it calmly, while Su-jeong looked at Choi Ak with a look of contempt.
An elementary schooler's look of contempt... in some industries, people might consider that a reward, but Choi Ak had no such hobby.
"Hey, hey, kid. My wife is older than me. I'm the younger one."
"Even so, isn't Raccoon Man-ajussi more dangerous than the kidnapper?"
"That's not something to say to the person who saved you, but you have a promising future."
"Honestly, a guy who kidnapped but didn't touch anyone versus a guy who saved us but is a pedophile is a close call."
But kids are best off by their parents' side. Even if it's hard, that's the best way. Because the only people who can love a child the most are their parents.
"Anyway, kids, if you see the police-ajussi, you can talk about me, but don't talk about my wife. Let's just say I happened to pass by and saved you. Okay?"
"What will you give us?"
"I saved you."
"That's that, and this is this. The police-ajussi doesn't get a reward for saving people. Are you trying to get a reward for what a hero saved?"
"Then are you planning to extort a hero? Kids these days are so shrewd, it's a problem. What do you want?"
"Give me your phone number. So if I get into a situation like this later, I can call and ask for a rescue."
"I can give it to you, but it's untraceable, so don't think about doing anything weird later."
"......Tch."
Sion would be taken by Choi Ak, and the kids would be handed over to the police along with the kidnapper; that would solve everything.
However, things in the world don't always go as planned. Just as Choi Ak turned his head at a bad feeling, Aram asked in a trembling voice.
"Um, Raccoon Man-ajussi, the kidnapper-ajussi seems a bit strange......"
The kidnapper's body was writhing and swelling up little by little. His twisted legs and arms were not only recovering but were changing to be much stronger and much harder.
Choi Ak had seen such a sight before. The man who was the source of the incident during the Yeongdeungpo Department Store fire and didn't seem sane.
But the difference was that back then, he mutated from a human form into a monster, and now he was mutating from a monster into an even greater monster.
"Does a mutation occur if something goes wrong with the body?"
It seemed that even if they were fine, they mutated if they took damage above a certain level. There had only been two cases, but he was somewhat certain.
Choi Ak pulled the kids and Sion back. It would be more dangerous than before, and there would be no telling what would happen. Unlike before, the opponent had become a monster without a shred of humanity left.
His muscles became bulky, and strangely mutated spines protruded from his body, sprouting like wings. His head, which could at least be called a human face except for the horns, now had teeth protruding outward, and the horns had become even thicker, so his human appearance could no longer be found.
His fist, which had grown large enough to crush a person's head, slammed into the ground, digging into the dirt and becoming a support.
Udeuk, the sound of force being applied to the kidnapper's—no, the monster's—leg bones was heard, and at the same time, the leg muscles began to swell. After fixing himself with his arms and using his legs for propulsion, he was ready to charge using his horns as a weapon.
Just as a trained person is stronger even among Force Users, if one becomes a Force User with a monster's body, the amplification rate is unimaginable.
"Come on, you idiot."
Kwaaaaang!!!
With Choi Ak's provocation, the monster's massive body broke the sound barrier in an instant. The sound of air tearing echoed, and the branches of nearby trees were even broken.
Since Speed X Mass = Destructive Power, if such a massive body charges beyond the speed of sound, the impact is beyond imagination. A human body would be shattered into pieces of flesh without even a form left, but Choi Ak blocked the charge by grabbing the monster's head horns.
"People will flock here because of the noise. Let's finish this quickly."
Even if they couldn't communicate, if there had been some humanity left, there would have been room to go easy on him, but if he had lost his reason and become a complete monster, it was a more comfortable choice to just kill him.
While holding the horns of the struggling monster, Choi Ak examined its body. Just as there is a price for suddenly gained power, the power flowing through the monster's body, which had suddenly become several times stronger, was gradually reaching a point where the body couldn't handle it.
It was like a runaway train without brakes. It would never stop until it ran out of fuel or derailed.
Even if he left it alone, it would self-destruct, but even excluding the kids and Sion, this was the middle of a cultural heritage site. If it went out and rampaged, killing several people would be nothing.
All that was left was to kill it here.
"Goodbye."
Choi Ak raised his hand without any room for mercy. He intended to hold it up like a knife hand and use his strength to cut off its head in one go.
The moment he brought his hand down, the monster's body blurred. It changed into a state between liquid and solid, like jelly, and slipped out of Choi Ak's hand.
"Etherealization? It's incomplete, but it uses something unique."
The monster that escaped Choi Ak's hand regained its form. It didn't seem suitable for combat because it took time to return, but anyway, when even an incomplete Etherealization is cast, it's impossible to deal a fatal wound with ordinary attacks.
The guy who returned to the monster's body again let out a monster's cry and swung his fist at Choi Ak. It was a very simple movement from top to bottom, but if a monster with a giant gorilla-like appearance did it, it had enough power to turn a person into mush.
Choi Ak likewise threw a punch to deflect the monster's fist, which was coming down like a hammer. Then, after kicking its stomach and knocking it down, he climbed on top of its stomach and stomped down on its neck, aiming for it.
It contained enough power to crush even monster muscles like tofu, but the guy escaped by using Etherealization once again.
Since it ran away every time he delivered a finishing blow, Choi Ak was slowly getting pissed off. He was angry enough to get up from his seat and move to catch a mosquito after failing to catch it while sitting.
Killing Intent Filling the Heavens.
Murderous Intent Filling the Heavens.
Body of Death Merging with the Heavens.
He went through a three-stage process to forge his killing intent into a weapon. He raised his killing intent, condensed his murderous intent, and then combined the two to achieve the Body of Death.
A concept that reaches the extreme can interfere with higher concepts. Just as a black hole distorts time and space, the compressed killing intent approaches the concept of 'death'.
"Fierce Emperor Crushing Fist"
Jjeureureureung!!!
A tearing sound like glass breaking was heard. The monster's body, which was hit by the killing intent that had neither form nor presence, rapidly returned to its original state from the Etherealization state.
"Kuaaaaaa! Keukaaaaaaak!!!!"
Choi Ak's main technique, Fierce Emperor Crushing Fist, is literally a finishing move. Because it is a technique that must kill, even if it is possible to defend or dodge, it drives the opponent to death when it hits.
In addition, even if the opponent is in an avoidable state such as an illusion, a clone, or Etherealization, it is impossible to avoid it. Fierce Emperor Crushing Fist can be transmitted to the opponent and kill them if there is even the slightest connection of murderous intent.
Perhaps because its vitality was stronger than it looked, or perhaps because the damage was slightly less thanks to Etherealization, the monster struggled while screaming at the approaching death.
But soon, it died. The screaming stopped at some point, as if it had been dead from the beginning.
Choi Ak quietly looked down at the monster's corpse.
The person who had humanity left until just a moment ago had become a monster. It was not a being that could have been born or created in a normal way.
A creepy feeling crawled up his back.
Choi Ak approached Sion and the kids again and kissed them. Until a moment ago, Sion had tried to take them and escape, but the situation didn't allow it.
"Since we fought noisily, there are definitely people who heard it and witnesses. Rather than just escaping like this, it would be more natural and less suspicious if I also pretended to be a victim and then escaped."
"That's true, but...... will you be okay? There will be a lot of annoying things."
"Isn't it better than just sending the kids?"
Hearing the commotion, someone would call the police, or people who suspected it was an Enemy Species would contact KAMU. When they come, they will take Su-jeong and Aram, the victims of the kidnapping case, and it's obvious they will be bothered for a while asking this and that about the incident.
If so, it's better for Sion to go with them and deal with it from the beginning. Besides, if someone saw them if they rashly escaped with Sion, it would only raise suspicion.
Here, it's better to act thoroughly as strangers and behave naturally.
"If anything happens, contact me. Don't let the police push the kids too hard. If there's a bastard who crosses the line, call me. I'll beat them up."
"Don't worry. It's not like this is my first or second time doing this."
Choi Ak's absence from this place actually helps. That's why he left the scene before anyone could see him.
"Thank you, Raccoon Man!"
As Aram thanked him and saw him off, Choi Ak gave a thumbs up in response. At that, Aram smiled brightly and waved her hand.
Now that only Sion, Su-jeong, and Aram were left, they started to align their stories.
"Raccoon Man just helped out while passing by and is a stranger to me. You just have to align your stories like that. The police won't ask the kids too deeply anyway, so I'll take care of the rest."
"You're acting reckless, but you're trying to hide your identity—do you have something to feel guilty about?"
"I don't feel guilty, but I'm doing this because it'll be a big deal if I get caught."
"Isn't that the same thing?"
"It's different."
Let's say Choi Ak was caught being Raccoon Man.
At first, there wouldn't be anything special. People's attention would be focused, and because of that martial power, there would be offers to work for national security or offers from other countries. That much is fine.
But there would also be people who would try to scheme because he doesn't move as they want. He had never seen a case where there wasn't. There are too many people in the world who believe that there is nothing that cannot be done with money and power.
If such people were to touch Sion by mistake, Choi Ak would get pissed off and grind that person up, and since it's a murder case, the police would come, and there would be trouble again, and they would fight........then the military would flock, and he would beat them all up while dealing with a whole country, and they would even drop a nuclear bomb as a last resort, and since it wouldn't work, they would surrender, which had happened about five times.
Shouldn't he be careful so that at least the sixth time doesn't happen?
"I'll call the police right away. I'll do the talking, so I'd like you to leave it to me without worry."
"Can I meet Raccoon Man-ajussi again later?"
".......I'll consider that."
Unlike the slightly shrewd Su-jeong, Aram is still not tainted by the world, so adult talk doesn't work. Since he wants to protect the pure innocence of a child, it's hard to touch her rashly.
Sion called the police, and before long, they were dispatched quickly and were able to be protected safely.
Considering that the opponent was a Force User, the Special Violent Crimes Team, which had already been investigating, was also dispatched. Sion found a familiar face among them, and the other person also found her.
"Uh.....? Uh? By any chance, last time......?"
"Inspector Lee Yu-seong. I saw you the day before yesterday, did you forget?"
"No! I remember clearly!"
Even if her appearance was young, there was no way he could forget that she went all the way to the Chief's office for an interview back then. Besides, it wasn't a story from a long time ago, it was just a story from the day before yesterday.
What's important in living in the world is connections, academic background, and money. Among them, if it's connections, once it's proven, no matter how young the other person looks, one has no choice but to be polite.
"I talked about it then, but I didn't think I would become that victim."
"Are you okay? If you're hurt anywhere, at least go to the hospital first......"
"I'm fine because I wasn't kidnapped for long. It would be better to send the kids to the hospital before me."
Su-jeong had been kidnapped for 2 weeks, and Aram for 1 week. They seemed to have eaten well, but it was better to go to the hospital just in case.
"But to think it's an Enemy Species, I haven't heard of an Enemy Species that kidnaps people, they only kill them, so it's a unique case. KAMU seems to be interested in it too......"
"It wasn't an Enemy Species from the beginning."
"Yes?"
"At first, it was at least human."
He kidnapped the kids, but he just kept them, and he brought them food regularly so they wouldn't starve. If they tried to run away, he would catch them again and bring them here, but at least he didn't kill them.
That's proof that humanity remained in the kidnapper.
Inspector Lee Yu-seong's eyes showed an expression of disbelief. The dead corpse had a fierce appearance that was enough to call it an Enemy Species no matter how you looked at it. He would have to investigate the details to know, but it was difficult to believe it rashly.
"Please go and talk about the details. Will you be okay?"
"I'm fine. I'll give the statement, so please let the kids get checked first and meet their parents."
"It's not a matter I can decide, but I understand for now."
"Otherwise, it will be like that time again."
"........."
Inspector Lee Yu-seong knew very well what that time Sion mentioned meant.
Experiencing the Chief trying to hit him with a nameplate while shouting, 'I want to see you get fired!' was enough for one time.
The three people, including Sion, were able to move according to the police's guidance. First, the kids decided to get checked at the hospital, and only Sion decided to move to the police station to give a statement and then get a separate checkup there.
"See you later, Sion-unni."
"See you later, ajumma."
The kids were transported to the hospital in separate ambulances. They parted ways, promising to meet later.
Arriving at the police station, Sion first had her personal details verified, and some police officers couldn't hide their shock.
"Twenty-three with that appearance?"
"Lived in the US, then moved to Germany for treatment due to illness. Then naturalized in Korea and married......married?"
People who had already heard about this incident knew that the kidnapper only kidnapped young girls, but when they found out that one of them was actually a young girl in appearance and was actually an adult married woman, they were surprised.
"Could the husband be a pedophile...... ugh! Hey, what are you doing!"
"Inspector Kang. There are things you can say and things you can't. Who do you think is the reason I got chewed out by the Chief yesterday?"
Inspector Lee Yu-seong said, covering the mouth of the person called Inspector Kang. And he pointed at Sion with a subtle glance.
"I put handcuffs on her husband the night before last thinking he was the culprit of this incident, and that's what happened. It was almost midnight then, but the Chief got a call, and yesterday I almost got beaten up by the Chief with a nameplate because of that."
"Is she an acquaintance of the Chief?"
"It didn't seem like that level."
If they were just acquaintances, he would have told them to handle it quietly, and there wouldn't have been loud voices. But judging by the Chief's attitude, it's not just an acquaintance relationship. It feels more like a person who has caught a weakness or someone whose mood shouldn't be offended.
That's why he had to be careful. If he touched the wrong person, his neck would be gone in an instant.
"I'll take the statement. It's better if someone who knows the face does it."
"......Yeah, let me know when you're done organizing. I'll go check if the kids are okay first."
Inspector Lee Yu-seong took Sion's statement. There was nothing particularly unusual. Honestly, it was true that she went out to take out the trash in the morning and got kidnapped, and it was a coincidence with no artificial elements involved.
But suspicion arose at the part where Raccoon Man appeared.
"Raccoon Man?"
"Yes, he suddenly appeared and saved me."
Everything in the world has a cause and effect, and if you are a police officer, you definitely trace that cause and effect. Unless it's a random murder, there is a motive and means for the crime.
It's the same now. She says Raccoon Man suddenly appeared and saved her, but then why was he quiet when the kids were kidnapped, and why did he appear and save them now of all times?
Inspector Lee Yu-seong's suspicion was valid. Raccoon Man is treated like a masked geeky superhero in public perception, but inside, he is just a criminal who is an unregistered Force User, to the extent that a separate task force is being created for him now.
Even if the team is different, it's true that he is a person who should be caught if seen in front of him.
"Isn't it strange? Why did he appear and save you at that timing?"
"Well, I don't know either. How would I know why he just saved me? And since coincidences can overlap in life, can't something like this happen?"
Of course, there is no guarantee that such things won't happen in life. Didn't Sion herself get kidnapped suddenly today?
Suddenly, as his thoughts reached that point, the hand of Inspector Lee Yu-seong, who was writing the statement, stopped.
There was no one around. Only he, who was left to write the statement, was there, and everyone else was running around to preserve the scene or secure evidence. Even Inspector Kang, who was with him, had moved for the safety of the kids who went to the hospital.
"Sion-ssi."
In his head, he compared Raccoon Man's physique with Choi Ak's physique, whom he had met the day before yesterday. It's difficult to be certain with just that, but in conclusion, the physique was similar.
"By any chance, is Raccoon Man......."
"Leave it at that."
Sion looked straight into Inspector Lee Yu-seong's eyes and cut off his words. Her expressionless eyes felt like looking at a lifeless doll, giving him a creepy feeling. It was like the Uncanny Valley, where the discomfort revealed when something that is not human clumsily imitates a human felt like fear.
Inspector Lee Yu-seong is a Force User of the Special Violent Crimes Team. Because he basically does the job of catching Force User criminals, he can be proud that he has experienced much harsher things even as a police officer.
But when Sion, with an appearance that looked like she would break if touched, stared quietly, he felt an indescribable sense of fear.
"Inspector Lee Yu-seong. If there were other people, I would have pretended not to know. Because you are the only one who has met him in person."
If there is a majority to agree with, you can make them an ally and make one person a fool. In a world of the one-eyed, the two-eyed are monsters, and you would only hear nagging about what you are talking about to Sion, who is in the position of a victim.
But now, there are only two people, Sion and Inspector Lee Yu-seong.
It is a situation where he can ask Sion honestly, but conversely, it is also a situation where Sion can shut him up.
For someone who has suspicion, shutting them up is more comfortable than pretending not to know.
"For now, what you are thinking is correct."
"As expected......!"
"So what are you going to do?"
Sion is a good person, but not a kind person. She follows basic ethics and morals, but she is a person who breaks them if necessary. It's just that, unlike Choi Ak, her line doesn't go as far as murder.
"If that fact is revealed, at best, being imprisoned is all. He has only killed Enemy Species so far, and he has never harmed a person."
There was a commotion in Japan, but there were no deaths. If you don't die, there is nothing in the world that money can't solve. And Sion had more than enough money to solve that.
"Please don't make me retaliate with my own hands against a police officer who was just doing his job."
".......Are you threatening a police officer?"
"It means that the person being threatened will no longer be a police officer."
Sion tilted her head and continued.
"Do you think I only know that Chief of yours in the police?"
"........."
If Sion makes up her mind, firing just one inspector is nothing. It's just that the process is a bit annoying because he is a Force User.
"......What do you want?"
"I would be grateful if you would just keep your mouth shut. The connection between me and Raccoon Man will disappear if only you, Inspector, keep your mouth shut."
If it weren't for Inspector Lee Yu-seong, people would all dismiss it as a coincidence. There might be some people who are a bit suspicious, but people's eyes were focused on the kidnapper now. Because it was a monster that was neither an Enemy Species nor a human, it was actually gathering all eyes there.
"I'm not asking you to do it for free. I will give you a reward you will be sufficiently satisfied with."
"Are you trying to give me a bribe? It's a big deal if a public official receives a bribe."
"Isn't it fine if it's not money?"
Sion tore a piece of paper that was on the desk and wrote down six numbers.
He wondered if it was a safe password, but it was a different number.
"It would be good for you to buy a lottery ticket for this round. Anyway, this one is a small amount of money after taxes, so it's just right."
".......Yes?"
Is she saying this is a winning lottery number right now?
That couldn't be. It's not like an ancestor told him the winning lottery number in a dream, and she just wrote it down in front of his eyes as if it were nothing. It was so confident that it was actually unconvincing.
In the first place, it is the police who manage the machines in the drawing method. Police from different stations even check and watch the machines. There was no room for artificial elements to enter there.
"It's natural to be suspicious. Then how about this? If you don't win with this number, I won't care if you tell people around you the fact you know. But if you do win......you just have to receive the prize money legally and keep your mouth shut. I'm not asking you to do anything, but conversely, I'm asking you not to do anything."
It was an offer he couldn't refuse. She was showing the carrot and the stick at the same time and guiding him to take the easy path.
Inspector Lee Yu-seong swallowed his saliva. In his heart, he was shouting that he shouldn't give in to injustice.
"I......"
At his answer, Sion smiled faintly.
After finishing the statement, Sion moved to the hospital to get a checkup just in case.
Inspector Kang, who returned from the hospital, and Inspector Lee Yu-seong, who finished writing the statement, met in front of the coffee vending machine.
"Inspector Kang."
"Why? Ah, did you finish writing the statement?"
"Do you happen to know how much the prize money for this lottery is?"
"........?"