Jin Yun-ho stepped into the house and his mouth fell open.
Yun Mi-ri, following behind him, had a similar reaction.
"It's been a while... Whoa."
The cleaning wasn't finished yet.
The living room was still a complete mess.
Snapping back to reality, Jin Yun-ho's face twisted in anger.
"Were you attacked? Are you both hurt? No matter how much they covet rankers from other countries, this is crossing the line! What kind of lunatic would do this!"
"That's brutal. Attacking through the balcony? They've lost their minds, haven't they? Or maybe they're smart? There aren't any CCTVs that cover that route."
There was no chance to interrupt.
Jin Yun-ho and Yun Mi-ri dove into a heated discussion, debating how to catch and kill the intruder who came through the balcony.
Jin-hyuk, sweating profusely, quietly sank into the sofa.
'They look so down.'
If Jin Yun-ho and Yun Mi-ri kept ranting, he felt like he'd bolt for the balcony himself.
Se-yeon clapped her hands sharply.
Only then did the two stop their debate and turn their heads.
"The balcony..."
She briefed them clearly on what had happened that day.
"Ah."
"Oh... I see. So the one who broke the balcony was..."
They didn't look at Jin-hyuk.
They just cleared their throats awkwardly and stared off into the distance.
"The hunters are already at the scene you sent us earlier. The kids who were captured are under protection at the Player Hunter Agency."
"This is the document Jin-hyuk brought from the site."
"Hah... Look at this."
Yun Mi-ri let out a scoff.
The low-level zone players had been dying off one after another, causing a huge uproar.
The government had been calling every day, demanding they figure out the cause.
But to think it was all a plot by Japan—it was enough to make anyone's blood boil.
After reading through all the documents, Jin Yun-ho closed his eyes with a deep sigh.
"I offer my deepest condolences to the players who've already been sacrificed."
After a moment of silence, Jin Yun-ho looked at Se-yeon.
"And I'm truly relieved you're safe."
When he first heard it, he wondered if he'd heard right.
This was the 21st century, with science and AI advancing at a dazzling pace.
A curse? People dying because of that?
As someone without religion, Jin Yun-ho found it hard to believe.
But because of that unbelievable act, thirty people had died.
If Jin-hyuk hadn't stopped it, who knows what might have happened to Se-yeon.
"I'm in your debt again. Thank you so much."
Jin Yun-ho bowed his head to Jin-hyuk.
If Director Lee Chang-gi had been there, he probably would've rushed over and hugged Jin-hyuk on the spot.
That's how vital Ranker Cheon Se-yeon was as one of Korea's most important assets.
"Aw, debt? Come on."
Jin-hyuk waved it off.
As long as Se-yeon was safe, everything was fine.
"Onmyoji, curses, and living curses at that."
A case where proof was nearly impossible.
It wasn't unfamiliar.
In the era of the Great Awakening, with all sorts of abilities running rampant, things that defied common sense happened all the time.
But just because it wasn't unfamiliar didn't mean there was a good solution.
Especially this time, they had to hold another country accountable and demand compensation.
They needed ironclad evidence that couldn't be escaped, but he wasn't sure if that was possible.
"Jin-hyuk. This might be a bit sensitive to show."
Jin Yun-ho showed him a photo.
"Is this perhaps...?"
"Yes. That's the onmyoji."
"Let me see what she looks like. How dare she curse me... Urk!"
As soon as Se-yeon saw the photo, she gagged.
They called it an onmyoji, but this wasn't human-shaped.
It was twisted and wrung out everywhere, nothing left but skin.
Jin-hyuk quickly waved his hands at their shaking eyes.
"It wasn't me. The old lady overused her curses and got divine punishment. Karma, you know?"
"There's probably nothing salvageable here."
Forget the appearance—even fingerprints would be hard to get.
"This might help, or it might not."
Jin-hyuk handed over a drawing.
A composite sketch of the onmyoji granny.
It was a light sketch, but clear and detailed enough to recognize the features.
"Whoa...?"
Hot gazes focused on him.
This wasn't just "a little good" at drawing.
It was a level impossible without years of professional training.
"Did you learn drawing too, Jin-hyuk?"
"Yeah, a bit?"
He smiled awkwardly and scratched his head.
His conscience twinged.
It was actually Dark who drew it.
Se-yeon stuck out her tongue as she looked at Jin-hyuk.
What can't this guy do?
"Can I take this? It seems like it'll be a big help."
"Of course."
After handing over the drawing, he reflected inwardly.
If I'd known she'd end up wrung out like that, I should've taken a photo first. I let my guard down.
Tap-tap-tap.
The sound of furious typing echoed.
When had she sat down?
Yun Mi-ri was at the table, hammering away at the keyboard.
Multiple windows reflected in her glasses.
"The real estate Jin-hyuk found was recently leased. Same for the one in Cheonan. I'm tracing the money trail. I also requested the Immigration Office to check the list of recent VIP entries from Japan. And anyone who left after today's incident."
"Ooh..."
Jin-hyuk let out an admiring sigh.
It was like a genius hacker from a spy movie.
"Mi-ri's awakening ability is in this direction."
Se-yeon lowered her voice and pointed to her head.
"Her IQ is over 300 or something. Her brain works insanely fast."
"That's incredible."
What kind of world is inside a head with an IQ of 300?
Thud!
Yun Mi-ri finished her work and looked at Jin Yun-ho.
"I've sent out the requests. Marked as top-priority emergency. Replies should come soon."
"We can only hope they slipped up somewhere."
"They will."
Yun Mi-ri smiled.
"Anyone bold enough to pull this crap in someone else's country must be disgustingly arrogant."
Jin-hyuk nodded in agreement.
Totally.
That onmyoji granny was the same.
She only sensed Camella's energy after firing off her curse, when it was too late to turn back.
Before that, she was the epitome of arrogance, thinking she was the best.
"You must be exhausted coming straight back from England. From here on, the Player Hunter Agency will handle the pursuit."
He stood up from the sofa.
There wasn't much more he could do by staying.
Time to head home.
"I'll see it through to the end. I won't be satisfied until I smash them to pieces."
Se-yeon cracked her knuckles, grinding her teeth.
How dare they throw a curse at her without fear.
She'd make them regret it properly.
"Jin-hyuk, you should go ahead. I'll update you on the situation from time to time."
"Yep. I'll head out then. Let me know if you need help anytime."
Jin-hyuk bowed his head and walked toward the front door, not the balcony.
"But Hunter Cheon Se-yeon, have you been smoking lately?"
"No? I've never smoked in my life. Huh? Now that you mention it, there is a smell. What is it? You don't smoke either, Jin-hyuk."
"Right."
He answered calmly, but sweat trickled down his back.
It was Camella.
She must've puffed a few while he was off beating the onmyoji.
"Does getting cursed make you smell like this? Whatever."
Jin-hyuk, who was about to leave for real, stopped in his tracks.
Curse, curse.
Even facing him head-on, the onmyoji hadn't flinched.
Instead, she'd acted relaxed and thrown a curse at him.
It backfired because of Camella, but she had more than enough power to harm someone else.
There was no guarantee another person—or Se-yeon—wouldn't end up in the same situation.
Rubbing his chin, Jin-hyuk turned back to Se-yeon.
"Can I use a room for a bit?"
"Uh... Sure. As much as you want."
"I'll take one farther away."
He slipped into a distant room.
Jin Yun-ho, Yun Mi-ri, and Cheon Se-yeon exchanged glances.
He was always full of question marks, but today even more so.
Some time passed.
After a lot of rustling, the door opened.
Jin-hyuk emerged carrying a stack of something.
"Take one each."
The three, taking them in surprise, widened their eyes.
Talismans?!
"Carry them with you at all times. Got it? Always. Don't leave them behind thinking, 'Eh, it'll be fine today,' like in those horror movies."
"I'll stick it right on my body."
"I'll put it in my necklace. Won't take it off even to shower or sleep."
"I'll tuck it into my watch right now."
It wasn't just because it was Jin-hyuk saying it.
He was a runner, after all.
A being with absurd power and abilities.
If someone like that was insisting this much, who'd dare leave the talisman behind? They'd have no excuse if they got cursed and suffered.
"I made extras. Hand them out to the investigators too."
"Understood. As team leader, I'll make it mandatory to carry them."
Jin-hyuk gave a thumbs up.
Then, with a much lighter step, he headed out the front door.
Making all those talismans in such a short time—Camella had complained her arm was about to fall off.
He'd have to give her a massage when he got home.
Click.
The front door closed.
The three stared blankly at it for a moment before breaking into small smiles.
Yun Mi-ri pushed up her glasses and spoke first.
"He's a good person."
"Warm-hearted, too."
"Really."
It wasn't just because of their professional relationship as runner and Player Hunter Agency.
Person to person, he was someone you couldn't help but like genuinely.
Se-yeon let out a soft sigh.
He shouldn't be like that with just anyone, she thought—then wondered why she was even worrying about it.
The site where Onmyoji Kurone died.
A group in hoods appeared at the place the hunters had swept through.
"No abnormalities. The hunters seem to have all withdrawn."
After the report, a short while later.
A sports car arrived.
Out stepped Revolutionary Party Congressman Sato Tsubasa.
"Ugh."
Tsubasa clamped his nose shut as soon as he got out.
The horrific stench of rot and blood.
In the middle of a neighborhood infamous for high land prices in Korea, no less.
"Congressman. It's not good to stay at the scene long, just in case. The Korean Player Hunter Agency and police are on high alert right now. If your visit's purpose isn't clear, they'll dig in."
"I suppose so. Even if they were low-level, thirty budding players died. And they tried to mess with a ranker. It'd be weird if they weren't flipping out. They'll come looking for me soon. They probably know I entered the country."
"Then head back now. To Japan."
"No need. I've got nothing to hide."
Waving off the suggestion, Tsubasa approached the building.
He closed his eyes and focused.
Traces of various lingering scents began to scatter into the air.
"!!!"
Tsubasa's eyes widened as he examined the traces.
A smile spread across his lips.
'...Found you.'
He'd been here.
The culprit who killed Roniya Group's chairman, Hosaka Judo.
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T/N:
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