Chapter 55
“This time it’s a man.”
Sitting across from me, Baek Doha said as we were having dinner at the table.
I might have heard it from Shin Shawol, but I wonder where Baek Doha gets such good information from. It’s becoming surprising at this point.
“With that kind of strength, they should be killing monsters instead.”
Cha Si-hyeon was the first to react to Baek Doha’s comment. Watching Gi Da-in nod in agreement, Jin So-yul asked,
“But are we sure the murderer is human?”
“It can’t be a monster.”
Baek Doha said definitively.
“If you look at the corpses, they all died from strangulation, and the marks left on their necks were from human hands.”
Above all, there’s no monster here strong enough to consistently kill multiple people silently without any announcement of the start of Stage 3.
Cha Si-hyeon, listening to this, clicked his tongue and said,
“Whether it’s a monster or not, we shouldn’t go outside for a while.”
Agreeing with that, I nodded as well.
“I’ve heard the same thing. Lee Cheong-sin, you should stay inside too.”
I passed a mushroom to Jin So-yul, who was sitting next to me, and added,
“That goes for everyone else as well.”
“I don’t like mushrooms…”
Jin So-yul pouted.
“Eat a balanced diet.”
“The faction leader isn’t eating them either.”
“I’m already grown up.”
It’s absolutely not because I don’t want to eat them.
I turned my head slightly at Jin So-yul’s dubious expression.
Well, at least the rest of the food was delicious, except for the mushrooms.
As it’s a space where people live, there was a kitchen and dining table.
We always ate separately due to conflicting schedules, but with the consecutive reports of murders, we refrained from going out and ended up eating together for the first time.
It’s not bad having the table full.
Thinking that, I stuffed my mouth full of meat.
I’ve gotten used to monster meat now.
‘It’s even delicious.’
Surprisingly, Lim Yuchan and Du Mansik were good cooks. It was a bit funny to see two large men bustling about in the kitchen, though.
Lim Yuchan even slept through the entire Stage 2 as if catching up on all the sleep he missed, after confirming he didn’t need to step up.
To think that the reason he finally moved after resting comfortably in the dungeon was to prepare our meals.
It was both absurd and typical of the always-relaxed Lim Yuchan.
Of course, he was able to sleep peacefully because he trusted Cha Si-hyeon and Baek Doha.
“What are we going to do when the third stage starts?”
Gi Da-in asked, interrupting my quiet chuckle.
“Hmm…”
I put down my fork, thought for a moment, and answered,
“Then we’ll have to go out.”
We have to kill the boss, whether it’s murder cases or whatever.
“We can’t just stay here doing nothing.”
“Wouldn’t it be better for the three of you to rest here, just in case?”
Baek Doha added, suggesting that we could rest for Stage 3 since we’ve worked hard so far. But I firmly shook my head.
We must go out.
[SYSTEM] Main Quest-13 [To a Higher Rank]
▸’Protecting the Faction from External Intruders – Stage 3′ will begin soon. Become the 1st place in this round!
▸Time until ‘Protecting the Faction from External Intruders – Stage 3’ starts: 22:09:34
▸Reward: Hint about the next boss
▸Failure: Death
It’s been a while since a quest arrived, after all.
Reminding myself that I needed to score high this time, I resolved to definitely get first place.
According to the quest, Stage 3 is set to begin tomorrow evening.
To properly complete this quest…
‘I need to wrap up that murder case today.’
💎
On a night when all the lights were out. I descended the stairs alone, heading towards the central hall.
I walked forward, relying only on the moonlight coming through the open windows for visibility.
‘A flashlight would be convenient.’
I was thinking that as I was about to open the door.
“Where are you going?”
“…..!”
A chill ran down my spine. Turning my head creakily at the familiar voice…
“I followed you because you looked suspicious. Where are you going?”
Cha Si-hyeon was looking at me with calm eyes.
“You, make some noise when you move.”
I was really startled. My heart was still pounding.
As I clutched my chest, he casually said,
“Let’s go together.”
“What?”
I blinked, wondering if I had misheard.
“I said, let’s go together.”
“How do you know where I’m going…?”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it? You’re trying to wrap up the murder case before Stage 3 starts.”
Because we can’t proceed with Stage 3 comfortably if there’s a murder case. I blinked blankly at Cha Si-hyeon’s additional comment and asked,
“You’re not stopping me?”
“Would you stay even if I tried to stop you?”
…How did he know?
I guess he realized it’s useless to try and stop me now, given my past actions.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed at becoming stubborn, I scratched my head, and he asked,
“Aren’t you going?”
“Ah, yes. Yeah, let’s go…”
Though I felt dazed, I went down the stairs leading outside the faction with Cha Si-hyeon.
I’m not sure if it’s good that Cha Si-hyeon is coming along. It’s reassuring, but somewhat unsettling.
As we were walking down the outside corridor with an inexplicable anxiety, that’s when it happened.
“H-Help—!”
A small death cry was heard from the far end of the corridor.
‘What’s that?’
After briefly looking at Cha Si-hyeon, we both ran towards the source of the sound without hesitation.
Just before entering the left corridor, I hesitated upon seeing a black silhouette.
‘It’s not human.’
[No, there’s no scent…]
“P-Please, spare me…”
A woman trembled as the monster sniffed at her shoulder.
Somehow, an unapproachable aura emanated from that sight.
“You stay here, I’ll go—”
I covered Cha Si-hyeon’s mouth as he was about to move immediately. His eyes widened instantly.
[No. It’s not you…]
Leaving Cha Si-hyeon behind, I listened to the creature’s muttering voice. A chilling voice that gave me goosebumps.
[You’re not the one…]
An aura that felt on a different level from the ones we met before.
“Hic, h-please, please spare me. Please.”
The woman begged, shedding tears while her neck was held by the monster.
[Shut up…]
The monster muttered, then suddenly, with a crack! It tightened its grip on the woman’s neck with sharp claws and shouted,
[Just die!]
Long black hair, frighteningly pale skin, and a small stature.
Wrapped in black cloth and wandering around, it looked so human-like that at a glance, one couldn’t tell if it was a child or a monster.
However, if there was one thing different.
[Die, die…]
A voice that was clearly not human.
“Ugh, h-help…”
Emitting that eerie and unpleasant voice, it was strangling the neck of an unfamiliar woman.
As Cha Si-hyeon, watching this, was about to reach out his hand.
‘No, don’t.’
I grabbed his hand.
We shouldn’t go.
Cha Si-hyeon blinked blankly, seemingly confused by my action.
Ignoring that expression, I listened intently, holding my breath.
[I have to find it, I have to find it.]
The creature moved on, leaving the dead woman on the floor without paying any attention to her.
Very quietly, without making a sound.
[I have to find it…]
And then it disappeared.
Only after I was sure its figure was completely gone did I release Cha Si-hyeon’s mouth and wrist.
Cha Si-hyeon watched my hand move away, then his lips moved and he asked abruptly,
“What was that?”
“What?”
“Why did you stop me just now?”
I think this is the first time I’ve seen him speak so directly.
After quietly looking at Cha Si-hyeon, I parted my lips.
“Do you have any guarantee that you won’t be in danger?”
“What? Did you forget I’m S-rank?”
“That’s exactly it. S-rank or whatever, do you have any guarantee that you won’t be in danger?”
As if it was the first time he’d heard such a question, Cha Si-hyeon’s expression went blank. Seeing him looking so confused, I bit my lip hard.
I closed my eyes for a moment, trying not to look at the woman’s corpse sprawled on the floor.
In the quiet night, only Cha Si-hyeon’s breathing filled my ears.
A person had died, yet it was so quiet.
‘I know that if we leave it like this, there could be more victims.’
Maybe if we had rushed in, we could have killed the monster and saved that woman. But…
“You’re my priority.”
I opened my eyes and raised my head to look straight at Cha Si-hyeon.
He stared at my eyes for a moment, then said quietly,
“You know something.”
“No.”
“You’re lying.”
I raised my head, hearing his voice full of certainty.
[Using skill ‘Peek (S)’.]
[Unable to confirm information!]
[Using skill ‘Peek (S)’.]
[Unable to confirm information!]
[Using skill ‘Peek (S)’.]
Due to the skill I had used several times on the monster just before, the system window was filled with the same messages.
I quietly bit my lip.
[Unable to confirm information!]
It’s the same as then. The same notification as with the man I met in the iron cage.
That man didn’t attack me then, but I instinctively realized he was an opponent I couldn’t beat.
So that thing is strong. Maybe even stronger than Cha Si-hyeon.
“Are you not going to tell me this time either?”
Even if I want to, I can’t.
As I lowered my head while biting my lip hard, I heard a sigh from above.
“I won’t ask.”
As I slowly raised my head, Cha Si-hyeon suddenly put his hand to his ear.
Before I could ask what he was doing, he took out one of the two piercings he had always worn in his ear since we first met.
Then he pressed it firmly into my ear.
Without even a stinging sensation, something settled in my ear.
“Don’t forget, you’re also my priority.”
💎
Thank you for reading! ♡
