129.
A luxury residential area in Seoul.
Even there, in a particularly large and sophisticated mansion, an old man’s voice suddenly resounded.
“Oh, brother!”
The old man cried out and woke up.
Early in the morning when it is not yet dark.
The old man who woke up in his bedroom sighed deeply when he realized that he had been dreaming just a moment ago.
“this… What is it?”
The old man muttered with a confused face.
What he saw in his dream was none other than his older brother.
For an old man who was an orphan even before he came of age, he was the only family member.
He was an older brother who sacrificed his body to take care of his younger brother, and even now, he is grateful and sorry.
However, it has already been decades since such an older brother became a guest during the war.
“Huh… ”
The old man’s sigh followed.
It was a difficult time to make a living.
Moreover, the older brother, who always worried about his younger brother rather than himself, left without leaving a picture.
I wasn’t even sure if he was dead.
He just went to war as a soldier and never returned.
After so many years, the old man couldn’t recall his older brother’s face properly.
But why?
The brother who appeared in his dream today was vivid enough to bring back his memory.
The old man engraved it into his memory over and over again so as not to forget it this time.
Then he suddenly noticed that his vision was blurry.
The old man’s eyes were already full of moist water.
“… Am I too old now?”
The old man muttered with a wry smile.
He was called a money ghost without blood or tears by his children.
To think that he was only dreaming and crying because he misses his family.
It’s probably something they couldn’t even imagine.
“… … ”
The old man got out of bed and walked to the window to control his emotions.
There he stood for a while, looking down at the residential area in the quiet dawn.
By the time the fluctuating emotions subsided a little, the morning sun was already rising.
A question popped into the old man’s head as he watched the sunrise.
“By the way… Why did my brother say that?”
It was because of the words his older brother left in the dream.
No, it wasn’t exactly a word.
that’s someone’s name.
His name was Jinwoo Kang.
“Why is that guy’s name… ”
If it was Kang Jin-woo, it was not the first time the old man had heard it.
There was a memory of receiving a word from Lee Hyun-ah, his granddaughter.
I heard that he is a talent to be actively recruited as an exorcist cop.
Even so, why did that name come out of my brother’s mouth?
No matter how much I thought about it, it didn’t make sense.
Is it just a coincidence?
As he tilted his head in doubt, the phone in the room rang quietly.
The old man’s eyebrows twitched.
These days, when smartphones are overflowing, it was a phone with a pretty anachronistic appearance.
However, it was intentionally installed by the old man so as not to disturb his private time.
The only hotline that his secretary is allowed to use only when important or urgent matters occur.
The fact that such a phone rang meant that something had happened.
So the old man, Lee Seong-min, chairman of the Chinese group, picked up the phone soon after.
“Sorry for this early time, Chairman.”
“done. Tell me about your business.”
Lee Seong-min, who had returned to his usual cool face, replied coldly.
But that composure never lasted.
“Yesterday at dawn, the dog tag of Lee Seong-hwa, the chairman’s older brother, was found.”
“what… what?”
After that, the secretary’s words continued for a while.
It was about where, how and who found it.
And there, the name Sungmin Lee had heard a moment ago was being repeated once more.
“Excavation work will begin around the place where the dog tag was found. It’s around the iron fence, but it’s not difficult if you negotiate with the government-“
The secretary’s explanation continued after that, but Lee Seong-min couldn’t concentrate on the story.
I just blankly remembered my dream from a moment ago.
And the three letters left by my older brother in that dream, the name Kang Jin-woo.
When I asked why did you mention that name, I thought something like this would have happened.
Numerous emotions swirled in Lee Sung-min’s eyes.
But they soon faded away, and soon a coldness settled in them.
“… President?”
Suddenly, the secretary finished all the words and was waiting for Lee Sung-min’s answer.
“… Yes, that’s how it’s handled.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
“and… Call Hyuna.”
“yes?”
“My granddaughter, Executive Director Lee Hyun-ah! As soon as I go to work today, tell me to come to my room!”
“Ah, yes!”
With the secretary’s answer, Seongmin Lee put the receiver down.
From nob le mt l. com
Jinwoo Kang.
Of course, he would have to repay him with no regrets.
However, Lee Sung-min’s thoughts did not end there.
There is no way that my older brother appeared in my dream just to repay me or to do it right.
“If not… ”
There was a slight wrinkle between Lee Seong-min’s forehead.
Coincidentally, recently, Sungmin Lee had a problem.
A worry with a great danger that not only him but also the entire Chinese group might be in danger.
It was exactly one incident.
And I needed a reliable police officer to investigate the case.
“You mean that’s this guy?”
Sungmin Lee muttered softly.
Of course, you can’t just believe in dreams.
So, intending to do a minimum investigation, he asked to see Lee Hyun-ah, who had first mentioned Kang Jin-woo’s name.
“… … ”
The old man looked out the window again and was lost in thought.
Before I knew it, the pleasant morning sun was warmly shining into the room from the window.
* * *
“thank you.”
I left the convenience store with a flat part-timer greeting and the ringing of a bell.
What I had in hand was a few drinks and snacks.
I, who had been lounging around at home for the holidays, came out to change my mind.
The moment I want to take a walk for a while like that.
“hmm… ?”
I saw a level mark of 31 in my eyes.
On top of the head of someone just passing by on the street, casually.
that was a man
Are you an exorcist?
It could be.
If you are an exorcist from a regular institution, a foreign organization or a company, you won’t be able to distinguish yourself from other people on the outside.
But the problem was if he wasn’t an exorcist.
If it wasn’t an exorcist, it meant a demon.
“… … ”
For a moment I thought about the response.
Should I check if that person is a Mine?
That’s what I thought.
In fact, it wasn’t difficult to determine if it was a demon itself.
I just need to reveal my identity to him.
If you’re a demon, you’ll naturally have hostile feelings towards me, the exorcist cop.
Then, the level display will turn red due to the ‘Human Hunter’ attribute effect.
But that didn’t make it easy to talk to.
This is in the middle of an ordinary street.
If that’s a demon, and if that demon pretends to be crazy and attacks.
In addition to causing damage to the surroundings, there is also a problem with the secret of the exorcism.
That’s why the method I’m going to take is to follow that man quietly.
When they reached an unpopulated place, they tried to talk cautiously.
but.
“… It’s annoying.”
That was no big deal on this golden holiday.
so… After thinking for a while, I decided to just pretend I didn’t see it.
Yeah, isn’t it a holiday?
It must be that an exorcist belonging to an institution is spending a leisurely weekend like me.
I believe so and want to turn around.
“Tsk… !”
Suddenly, the quest button flashed.
Seeing that, I clicked my tongue.
All in all, a quest at this timing.
That man was a demon, the quest button was shouting.
however… When I opened the quest window and checked it, it was a slightly unexpected quest.
＜Character Quest＞
Target: Choi Eun-young
Choi Eun-young’s second character quest.
However, Choi Eun-young is not even visible to me right now.
That means… What kind of relationship does that mine have with Choi Eun-young?
I immediately activated the navigation function of the quest.
Then, the body of the demon walking a little forward was immediately highlighted.
“after… ”
I had a job that I didn’t even expect on a holiday, so I sighed briefly.
If possible, come out on the way to work tomorrow.
But still, I couldn’t cut his throat here, so I quietly followed Mine.
He walked for a long time from where he met me and arrived at a building.
It is a small commercial building located between old residential areas.
Mine went down to the basement.
There were several amulets attached to the entrance to the basement.
“Is it like a barrier?”
I couldn’t figure out the identity of the sorcery just by looking at the amulet, so I had no choice but to guess that way.
Probably to prevent public access.
I easily ignored it and went downstairs.
The basement door was locked in the meantime.
bang!
I kicked it and broke it in one fell swoop.
Then, with a roar, the hinges were ripped off and the door collapsed inward, revealing the interior of the cellar.
In the basement, where the concrete of the floor and walls were exposed without any interior decoration, five people and a level sign were visible.
not individual… Was it a mine organization?
“What is this bastard!”
One of them broke down the door and looked at me as I entered.
By any chance, there’s a possibility that I’m not a Mine, so I dared to mention my affiliation.
“I am Inspector Kang Jin-woo of the National Police Agency’s special division.”
Then, like ghosts, their level indicators all turned red.
They exchanged urgent glances with each other, and immediately they drew their weapons.
“How did the police get here?”
“What does that matter! Kill me now!”
And the guys ran.
It seems certain that it is a demon.
To counter this, I had to take up arms too.
All I had in my hand was a convenience store bag containing coffee and snacks.
but…
“At that level, I don’t even need a knife.”
Most of the mines were level 30 to 40.
And all they held in their hands were cold weapons such as spears, knives, and axes.
of course… It was all made of metal.
“uh?”
One of the demons made such a stupid noise.
Because the spear he was holding didn’t move as if it were stuck in the air.
But it wasn’t just his weapon that stopped moving.
All weapons in the hands of the demons stopped at this moment.
For a while, the guys were taken aback by this.
“what is this! Oh, oh my!”
The next moment, I snatched the weapon from their hands.
The power of the white tiger controls all metals with an output comparable to my physical strength.
That’s why it can’t exert great power against monsters with ridiculous power or demons with level 7 or 80.
If the enemies were at least level 40, they could be disarmed just by looking at them.
“… … ”
Those who were stolen by the invisible power of their weapons quickly became empty-handed.
The demons looked at their weapons floating in the air with eyes that couldn’t help.
The sharp blade is now pointed at the owner’s neck.
I was about to end it as it is.
“No.”
I changed my mind a bit.
Actually, Mine didn’t just follow me because I saw her on the road.
So I still don’t know what exactly these guys were doing here.
So at least one guy to dig up information on, it’ll be easier to deal with it if you keep it alive.
“First come, first served.”
I said so.
The demons who did not understand my words showed different reactions, such as frowning or ignoring them altogether.
But one quick-witted guy.
The man who brought me here raised his hand.
“I… Me.”
with that answer,
Chow!
The weapon that was aimed at the other four pierced the owner.
Red blood flowed down the desolate basement floor.
The only surviving Mine saw it and widened its eyes.
If your answer is late… Well, that’s probably what he was thinking.
I asked him while extracting the souls of dead demons to be used as feed for Keng-Kengi.
“What have you guys been doing here?”
At my words, the man’s expression turned strange for an instant.
Like, why are you asking that now?
But as the four blood-dripping weapons approached him, he began to pour out words as if his mouth had a motor.
* * *
The next day, Monday afternoon.
Seo In-na called Choi Eun-young and me to the meeting room separately.
“Oh, are you here? sit here Now, coffee here.”
Seo In-na placed a can of coffee in front of us.
Then he looked at me and smiled lightly.
“Our Superintendent Kang has good skills. You said you solved the case again over the weekend?”
“… Are you kidding me?”
“Are you kidding me? It’s really great. I’ve never been caught at a convenience store. He is truly a police officer. Isn’t that right, Eunyoung?”
“yes? Oh that… Yes… ”
Surprisingly, Seo In-na didn’t seem to have any intention of sarcastic.
It was simply praising the passion of his subordinates who worked even on weekends.
But I didn’t have that kind of passion, so for some reason it sounded sarcastic.
“Anyway, I called this time because of the case Inspector Kang solved yesterday. You said you captured a mine?”
I nodded.
As she said, he was captured by the police yesterday, which is unusual among demons.
The reason was because the information he had was secretly important.
“According to the demon’s testimony, the organization itself was a small, insignificant organization.”
The guys I visited yesterday belonged to the lowest class in the criminal organization society of the demons.
Those who belong to subcontractors among criminal organizations who do not take the lead in doing anything, but rather help with the work of larger criminal organizations or handle their requests.
“But, unexpectedly, there was a connection with a pretty big man. So the upstream plans to conduct an investigation into him. but… It’s not that side of things that fell to us, it’s something else.”
Seo In-na’s gaze moved away from me and turned to Choi Eun-young.
“One of the requests they received was about you, Eun-young.”