Ch.74Chapter 74 – Promise

“So, you’re saying you lost the culprit?”

Jessica shouted, tugging at her golden hair in frustration.

“Yes… I’m sorry.”

Jessica’s subordinate, who had rushed to the location Kim Jaemin had reported but found neither the culprit nor Kim Jaemin himself, nervously watched his furious superior.

“Eeek! Huff…”

Fortunately, Jessica didn’t blame her subordinate and just nervously chewed on her fingernails.

“Did he escape? Hunter Kim Jaemin wouldn’t have made a false report… Damn it, where did Hunter Kim disappear to after calling us?”

Jessica kicked a stray rock on the abandoned factory floor in irritation.

As soon as news arrived that Kim Jaemin had caught the culprit, Jessica had quickly dispatched special agents and an Awakened transport vehicle to the location he provided. Upon arriving at the abandoned factory, they found a scene filled with traces of combat and explosions, leading them to believe that Hunter Kim had subdued the culprit after fierce resistance.

However, after thoroughly searching the factory, all they could confirm was the inexplicable fact that both the culprit and Kim Jaemin had vanished. Not knowing what had happened, Jessica could only infer the situation from the traces they had left behind.

‘There were many traps set throughout the scene. Seems like they were set to target someone stronger than himself. Definitely traps aimed at Hunter Kim…’

As Jessica pieced together the clues at the scene, she considered one possibility.

‘Could it be a kidnapping? Was this really a crime targeting Hunter Kim?’

If that were true, it would be a serious problem. They had dispatched an S-rank hunter to a foreign country, only for him to go missing. It might be manageable if the other country had only one S-rank like Japan, but Korea was a nation that concealed another unidentified S-rank besides Kim Jaemin.

In this world where individual power could no longer be equated to a single gun, the number of Awakened was equivalent to national strength, and Korea, unofficially possessing two S-ranks, had an international standing beyond imagination. It meant that even if one S-rank fell victim to someone, another S-rank remained to avenge them. And in Jessica’s mind, that’s exactly what the current situation was.

‘We’re fucked… Messing with either one of them is like saying “I want to commit suicide”… And of all things, Kim Jaemin gets kidnapped while fulfilling Skyscraper’s request?’

It was an extremely delicate situation. One where conspiracy theories about America secretly eliminating one of Korea’s S-ranks to check their power wouldn’t seem strange at all. Given the clear circumstances, people wouldn’t simply dismiss this conspiracy theory as fake news.

Especially if the Korean president, who had been throwing his weight around in international society with Kim Jaemin as his sword, got involved.

‘Damn, and the president happens to be that Park Joo-gwan… That sociopath who thinks only in terms of profit and loss.’

The question of what such a sociopath could do with unlimited power had been answered repeatedly over the past few years. But this was a far greater incident than any previous one. She couldn’t imagine what political retaliation might come if she reported to the Blue House that Park’s favorite asset had gone missing.

‘Shit… The person in charge will definitely lose their head… Wait, that person in charge is me!’

And all of this started because she had relayed Skyscraper’s request to Kim Jaemin. Jessica felt like her vision was going white.

Just then, Kim Jaemin, who had hurriedly left after trying to finish off Kwak Tae-woo, reappeared at the investigation scene via teleport. Seeing the agents who had arrived at the scene, he looked around to check if Shin Jae-hyuk had been captured.

‘What about Kwak Tae-woo? Tsk, as expected, he’s already fled. I wanted to dispose of him in advance since he could be problematic… Still, it’s a small blessing that he wasn’t caught by the CIA.’

Kim Jaemin was in a bad mood after failing to track down the owner of a familiar presence he had been pursuing. If his suspicions were correct, this person was hundreds of times more important than a mere “regressor”…

‘Was it just my imagination? But the feeling was too intense to be an overreaction…’

At that moment, Jessica spotted Kim Jaemin and her eyes widened. Her worried expression instantly brightened.

“Ah! Hunter Kim Jaemin!!!”

Jessica shouted loudly, inwardly sighing with relief.

“Where on earth have you been?! I was terrified thinking you’d gone missing!”

Kim Jaemin erased his puzzled expression and replied nonchalantly.

“Ah, I apologize. I was briefly in the restroom.”

Leaving a captured culprit alone..! If one of her subordinates had done that, she would have fired them on the spot. But her counterpart was an all-powerful S-rank, and Jessica was just an agent. Though she wanted to question Kim Jaemin’s irresponsible behavior, she held back.

So instead of getting angry, she let out a small sigh and calmly asked about the culprit’s whereabouts.

“So where is the culprit..?”

“I left him tied up here. A man. Couldn’t you find him?”

“There was no one here…”

Kim Jaemin frowned in apparent difficulty.

“Hmm? I suppose he escaped.”

“W-what did you say?!!!”

Jessica couldn’t contain her anger this time.

“How could you be so irresponsible..! Letting a captured terrorist escape right under your nose! Damn it, this isn’t the time… Alpha team, search the surroundings! The culprit couldn’t have gotten far!”

While frantically issuing orders through her radio, Jessica pressed Kim Jaemin.

“Hunter Kim! What did the culprit look like? Please answer quickly!”

“Well… Just an ordinary Korean man in his twenties. Hard to describe since he had no distinctive features.”

“Shit, how am I supposed to find someone with such a vague description..!”

Kim Jaemin responded calmly. Jessica cursed at his strangely uncooperative attitude while continuing to issue orders through her radio. Meanwhile, Kim Jaemin could guess what had happened during his absence.

‘This trace amount of mana pattern… Seems like they used a teleport scroll.’

It appeared that the two had safely left this place. Kim Jaemin wasn’t particularly worried. Apparently, his ally had escaped without issue, and if he wanted to contact him later, he could get his contact information through President Park Joo-gwan.

However, the matter of Kwak Tae-woo still left him feeling uneasy.

‘Tsk… It would have been easier to silence him by killing him. Well, Shin Jae-hyuk didn’t seem stupid, so he’ll probably make good use of him.’

Kim Jaemin had sworn to prevent Shin Jae-hyuk from being captured, and since Kwak Tae-woo’s capture could implicate Shin Jae-hyuk, he had no choice but to conceal Kwak’s identity as well. While grumbling inwardly, Kim Jaemin continued to give vague answers to Jessica’s questions to hide the identities of the two fugitives.

‘Does he have no intention of cooperating with the investigation?’

Just as Jessica was beginning to question Kim Jaemin’s motives due to his continued evasiveness, Skyscraper belatedly arrived at the scene.

“Jessica! Have you caught the fugitive culprit?”

“Ah, Henry! …Unfortunately, it seems we’ve lost him.”

Jessica shook her head and shot a glare at Kim Jaemin. Kim Jaemin apologized readily.

“I’m sorry. I caught him, but he escaped while I was in the restroom. He must have used an artifact, as I couldn’t sense his presence in the vicinity. It seems he’s already gone far away.”

Hearing this, Henry expanded his sensory perception. There was nothing to detect.

“…It can’t be helped. If you couldn’t catch him, it means I wouldn’t have been able to catch him either if I had come. Thank you for at least trying.”

Honestly, we also lost the culprit because our personnel arrived late – he added.

“So we’ve completely lost him?”

“…Yes, probably. To escape so quickly, he must have had an ability or artifact that enables teleportation. Or perhaps an ability to conceal himself. Either way, it’s practically impossible to track him further…”

Jessica said dejectedly when no news came from the agents who had gone to search the surroundings, despite her repeated radio calls. Skyscraper patted her back comfortingly with his large palm and said:

“Hmm… Kim Jaemin? Though the conclusion ended so anticlimactically, I express my gratitude for your cooperation and hard work. Of course, my gratitude is not just words. My promise still stands. Call on me whenever you need me. I will grant you one request without fail.”

Kim Jaemin nodded gratefully.

“Then, you must be tired from pursuing the culprit, so please return to your lodgings and rest. We’ll handle the rest here.”

***

“Hunter Kim Jaemin has just returned to his lodgings after circling downtown New York. He says he couldn’t sense the culprit anywhere in New York and believes they’ve already left the city.”

“…I see, understood. When the Foreign Ministry finalizes the return plans, I’ll inform our distinguished guest as well.”

“Yes, understood. J.”

“Alright, good work.”

Jessica hung up the phone.

Jessica and Skyscraper were still at the scene in case the culprit reappeared. They had thoroughly searched the factory but hadn’t found any meaningful clues to identify the culprit.

“It’s unfortunate. Though I suppose we should be grateful that the terrorist has left New York.”

Skyscraper muttered, hiding his unease. He had learned a lesson from this incident.

‘The world is vast, and indeed, there are many strong ones.’

Had he unknowingly become arrogant after gaining fame as an S-rank? His recent struggles against hunters of lower ranks than himself had become an opportunity for Skyscraper to reflect on himself. Lately, he had focused only on wielding his power, neglecting serious training to improve his skills. He felt the need for training.

“Hmm, perhaps I should ask Kim Jaemin for a sparring match next time we meet.”

“Hunter Kim Jaemin?”

Jessica was horrified. Not only was it shameless to ask for another favor after this incident, but conflicts between S-ranks were strictly prohibited by the Association. Each S-rank was akin to a natural disaster, and their clash would be a catastrophic confrontation. Even in sparring, there was too great a possibility that one of them would be crippled if two S-ranks fought…

Skyscraper guessed her concern and reassured her.

“Don’t worry. Nothing terrible will happen. The greater the skill difference, the safer the sparring. If he and I were to fight, ten out of ten, a hundred out of a hundred times, I would be subdued.”

“What?!”

“He seems to have many hidden abilities… Like overwhelming mana, or spatial movement abilities. I can’t even begin to guess where his limits lie.”

“-?!”

Jessica was shocked by Skyscraper’s words. Skyscraper thought she was surprised by Kim Jaemin’s hidden powers and smiled slightly. But Jessica was in no mood to smile. She was recalling how Kim Jaemin had instantly disappeared and reappeared during their exploration of New York.

‘I thought he was just moving so fast that I couldn’t see him… But that was teleportation?’

As new information was added to Jessica’s mind, existing clues began to fit together like puzzle pieces finding their places. The culprits caught by Kim Jaemin had escaped far enough that an S-rank couldn’t detect their energy during the brief moment Kim Jaemin went to the restroom. How?

‘Teleportation…! Could it be that Kim Jaemin released the culprit?’

Once she began to doubt, suspicion spread like ink dropped in water. The casualness of going to the bathroom after capturing a culprit, the way he artfully evaded questions about the culprit’s appearance. All circumstantial evidence pointed to Kim Jaemin having released the culprit.

The issue was motive. Why? What reason could Kim Jaemin possibly have for releasing the culprit and hiding their identity?

‘Is the culprit an acquaintance of Kim Jaemin? Or was there a reason he had to release them? If so…!’

As she continued her reasoning, Jessica’s sharp mind grasped one possibility and lit up.

A hunter with skills capable of matching Skyscraper, a Korean whose identity Kim Jaemin had reason to conceal.

‘Korea’s second S-rank…!’

Having reached this shocking conclusion, Jessica silently screamed inside.

‘It must be. That S-rank shrouded in mystery! But why would an S-rank be in New York?’

According to Skyscraper’s testimony, the person presumed to be an S-rank was fighting with another unidentified Korean. That Korean wouldn’t have attacked an S-rank, so the S-rank must have targeted the Korean. Jessica formed a hypothesis.

‘Is that S-rank Park Joo-gwan’s hunting dog? Yes. There was information that he belonged to Park Joo-gwan’s secret special forces. I thought it was just a rumor since it couldn’t be confirmed, but it was the truth…!’

With this assumption, everything seemed to fit together like clockwork. Jessica didn’t realize she was barking up the wrong tree and continued to develop her scenario.

If Kim Jaemin was Park Joo-gwan’s subordinate operating in the open, then ‘that S-rank’ was Park Joo-gwan’s henchman operating in the shadows. A fixer who handled various illegal activities like assassinations or kidnappings. He had visited New York on Park Joo-gwan’s orders to assassinate some Korean hunter, and while pursuing his fleeing target, he was spotted by Skyscraper…

‘If this reasoning is correct, Kim Jaemin’s reaction makes sense too. As Park Joo-gwan’s subordinate, Kim Jaemin would be acquainted with that S-rank. So he staged a show at the abandoned factory to hinder our investigation aimed at capturing him.’

Though it was a flimsy deduction, in Jessica’s mind, her reasoning was taking shape and solidifying into belief.

As Jessica fell silent, stroking the rosary on her wrist as if deep in thought, Skyscraper cautiously asked:

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”

“Ah, I was just thinking…”

Jessica closed her mouth. Should she tell him?

After calculating the pros and cons internally, Jessica decided to remain silent. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss…

‘Even for Skyscraper, it would be troublesome to build up enmity with Korea, which has two S-ranks… It’s much more beneficial to maintain a friendly relationship with Kim Jaemin while remaining ignorant of the truth, as we are now.’

This was a matter to be resolved politically. And politics wasn’t the job of a shining hero like Skyscraper, but of shadow operatives like herself.

Jessica let out a small sigh, imagining her future where she would write detailed reports on ‘what benefits could be gained by pressuring the Korean president’ with the cards she had deduced. Then she lightly clenched her fist and playfully tapped Skyscraper’s chest.

“As if I’m not already working myself to death, more work keeps piling up… You should be grateful to me.”

“…? Well, of course, I’m always grateful.”

“You really know what to say… Hehe.”

Skyscraper’s puzzled expression looked quite amusing and cute despite his size, causing Jessica to burst into laughter. The rosary on her wrist jingled along with her laughter. A rosary with a cross.

“By the way, is that a Buddhist prayer bead? My wife, who was a Buddhist, used to wear a bracelet like that.”

“This? It’s a rosary.”

“You have a religion? I thought you were non-religious like me.”

“I got it recently. It’s like a CIA agent welfare benefit? Mental care service? The director strongly recommended it, so I went once and they gave it to me as a souvenir. When I went, what did I do… Anyway, it seems to have a good psychological effect, making my mind more peaceful, so I keep going regularly. The rosary design isn’t bad either, so I keep it with me.”

“I suppose in a world like this, turning to religion isn’t strange.”

“Are you interested? Want to come with me next time?”

Religion. It didn’t particularly appeal to him, but it felt wrong to flatly refuse Jessica’s offer when she had always been helpful. So he nodded lightly.

“Well, if I have time, maybe once.”

“Is that a promise?”

“Yes, yes. Anyway, it seems we’re done here, so let’s head back…”

The two walked side by side, chatting about trivial matters. The sun had already set steeply, casting a red glow across the sky. The elongated shadows of the giant and the agent covered the land that Death Worm had swept through, and the inverted cross on Jessica’s wrist gleamed ominously, bathed in the sunset’s light.