Chapter 15: The codename is Police. (2)

It seemed Level 6 was considered high.

The man in the suit looked at me with a confident expression.

‘Jang Hoseop is Level 9….’

The fact that he readily revealed his level first.

The fact that he approached an adult man wearing bloodstained clothes without hesitation.

And on top of that, his arrogant attitude.

It seemed the man in the suit didn’t even consider the possibility that I might harm him.

‘Or maybe he was trying to intimidate me.’

It was something I couldn’t understand.

Anyway, I decided to take advantage of his carelessness.

“May I ask one thing?”

The department store in front of us is very large.

Such a building stands firm despite the earthquake.

How many people could be inside there?

This group had a high probability of being the largest group of survivors I had seen so far.

“When you say ‘attack skill’… what kind of skill are you referring to?”

I asked, raising both hands to gather information.

The man in the suit snorted.

“Huh… This guy knows nothing.”

“Yes. I don’t know much.”

This attitude of mine made the man in the suit even more triumphant.

At the same time, it dispelled even the small suspicion he might have had.

“You shouldn’t ask things like that so carelessly.”

The man in the suit now blatantly used informal speech.

He swept back his rain-soaked hair and replied as if annoyed.

“Officer. You can go now. Ah, and don’t think about going to the department store.”

He waved his hand and turned his body.

He wasn’t a complete idiot, it seemed.

“Lee Yuna. Let’s go quietly without wasting energy. Don’t be a nuisance.”
(TL Note: The man in the suit calls the hooded woman ‘Lee Yuna’. This is the first mention of her name.)

Too bad.

It could have been easy.

‘There are more people to ask.’

The man in the suit reached out to the hooded woman.

The hooded woman was caught limply, like someone who had given up on something.

Looking at me with somewhat vacant eyes.

“Yeah. What’s the point of running? It’s not like you have anywhere to go, right?”

I looked around.

The group of men still surrounded us.

There wasn’t a hint of tension on their faces.

Whooosh

I swung the metal rod lightly.

Suddenly, without any preparatory motion.

Thwack—

The end of the rod struck the back of the man in the suit’s head.

I swung it lightly with one hand, but there was enough power.

Thud

The man in the suit collapsed as he was.

“Huh?”

For a very brief moment, my eyes met the hooded woman’s.

Her expression was one of not being able to understand what had just happened.

Tat

It was the same for the other men.

They just stood there with wide eyes and dazed expressions.

Stab

I rushed at a man who was close by and thrust the metal rod.

The tip of the rod, having pierced his chest, exited through his back.

“Uh, uh? Crazy!”

Only now did the men start moving in a hurry.

Someone pulled out a small hatchet from his belt.

Another thrust out empty hands and opened his mouth.

One man immediately threw himself at the hooded woman.

Swish

I was faster.

I dropped the metal rod, spun my body, and threw off my backpack.

Thwack!

“Ugh!”

The man who had thrust his empty hands forward screamed as the heavy backpack hit his face.

Was it because of the memory of the Goblin shaman?

I judged him to be more dangerous than the man who pulled out the hatchet.

“Sh*t!”

After throwing the backpack, I rushed forward, and the man with the axe cursed and swung his arm widely.

His movements were so large it was like he was telegraphing how he would swing.

Whooosh

I dodged it lightly and continued running.

The man hit by the backpack raised his empty hands again.

I swatted his hands away and slammed my rear hand into his jaw.

“Kkeureup….”

The man’s eyes rolled back as he collapsed.

At the same time, I felt Jang Hoseop take down one of them.

‘I need to keep that one alive.’

The man with the axe stared blankly at his falling comrade.

Meeting his gaze, I pulled a small knife from my pocket.

Stab

I slowly plunged the knife into the neck of the unconscious man.

“Surrender?”

The man dropped his axe.

---

We won without any damage.

We captured the axe man and dragged him to a bank building across from the department store.

“Really? Tell me in detail.”

“The representative selected people. He kicked out the children and the elderly….”

I’m extracting information from him.

I even considered torture, but the man’s attitude is very cooperative.

“So you’re saying you already have an organizational structure?”

“Yes….”

“Awakened people belong to the hunting team… How many are there in total?”

“There were twenty, but now there are eighteen left.”

He said there are close to 100 survivors in the department store.

Originally, there were many more, but a man named Representative Kim kicked most of them out.

Representative Kim is the president of the company this man used to work for.

The basis for being able to do that was the Awakening of Fundamental Skills.

Representative Kim and his loyal employees Awakened Fundamental Skills, and they took control of the department store by recruiting other Awakened individuals.

“Attack skills?”

“We only have four people who’ve Awakened attack skills. One was a former mixed martial arts fighter….”

To prepare for any contingency, I asked the man in detail about the situation in the department store.

How the people in the department store were living.

What skills and levels the Fundamental Skill Awakeners had, and so on.

“Today is a day off, you said?”

“Yes. The representative told us to unwind today….”

I finished the interrogation and stood up from my seat.

“Sir… Teacher? Then, I now….”
(TL Note: “선생님 (Seonsaengnim)” can mean teacher, but also a general polite term of address for someone, like ‘sir’ or ‘mister’. Given the context of interrogation and the power dynamic, ‘sir’ feels more appropriate.)

Stab

I killed the man and came out of the room.

Jang Hoseop and his mother were sitting on a lobby chair.

“Mom, I told you it’s okay.”

Jang Hoseop spoke quietly to his mother.

The hooded woman was staring blankly into space in a corner.

“Hyungnim made the best decision. You can’t approach this with common sense from the old world.”

“But….”

“I know you’re scared right now. But what if Hyungnim hadn’t done that? He did it to protect everyone, you know?”

It seemed Aunt Sujeong was deeply shocked.

It was probably because Jang Hoseop and I had killed people.

“So, look in the mirror here and use your skill. Tell yourself Hyungnim did it to protect me and Mom. That it’s okay. That there’s no need to be scared.”

I approached them.

Jang Hoseop saw me first and stood up.

“Ah, Hyungnim. That is….”

“It’s okay.”

Aunt Sujeong looked back at me.

But her face was surprisingly calm.

Just from hearing what Jang Hoseop was saying, I thought his mother was having a very hard time.

“Mr. Ihyun.”

“Yes.”

“I have something I’m curious about. May I ask?”

Aunt Sujeong asked, looking me straight in the eye.

She didn’t seem scared of me.

“Were you trying to help that person?”

“No.”

“Then why did you kill them? In my eyes, those men didn’t seem like they wanted to fight.”

Her voice didn’t tremble either.

The strongest emotion I felt from Aunt Sujeong was still gratitude.

“I can feel the opponent’s energy and emotions.”

“Yes.”

“I felt killing intent from that man.”

I lowered my voice so the hooded woman couldn’t hear.

“Killing intent? You can tell things like that?”

“Yes. Displeasure, killing intent, annoyance. I felt these three emotions, so I thought it might lead to troublesome things later.”

It was only a possibility.

Ordinary people don’t always act solely according to their emotions.

I knew that too.

But a cataclysm had befallen the world.

And I, of all things, had gained such a skill.

I changed my standards accordingly.

From the pharmacy until now, I had acted in ways that wouldn’t create disadvantageous situations for myself.

“I see. I understand. Hoseop, Mom needs the mirror.”

Without hearing any more, Aunt Sujeong used her skill.

She told herself there was no need to be afraid of me.

“Mom? Did you… understand what Hyungnim said?”

Aunt Sujeong shook her head.

Then she looked at me again and spoke.

“Mr. Ihyun, you are very different.”

“Yes.”

“But right now, what’s important to me is that Hoseop survives.”

“Yes.”

“To do that, I will help you, Mr. Ihyun. You understand, right?”

“I understand.”

Aunt Sujeong needed a basis to judge whether I was a crazy person or not.

That was more important to her than the fact that I had killed people.

“Phew. That’s a relief.”

Jang Hoseop, who had been listening to the conversation beside them, let out a sigh of relief.

“Then, can we talk about the department store now?”

Aunt Sujeong nodded.

Then she stepped back slightly so Jang Hoseop and I could talk.

“Hyungnim. What happened?”

“Bartering seems like it will be difficult.”

“Oh no.”

If there were people who had claimed the department store first, I was thinking of obtaining various goods through barter.

According to the information I obtained through interrogation, that seemed difficult.

“It seems there’s someone among them who can fly.”

“Ah… Then they must have a good grasp of the situation?”

“Yeah. They’re extremely closed off. They won’t be willing to give up supplies.”

I shared the information I had heard.

Jang Hoseop frowned.

“Then it would be safer to just pass by, wouldn’t it?”

There are two options.

Either pass by as Jang Hoseop said, or at least try to barter.

“That’s a shame. It won’t be common to find a place where we can get as many supplies as this department store….”

“It is a shame… but that guy, Representative Kim, has too much control.”

It would have been fine if people were just loosely gathered together.

The fortunate thing is that they don’t know about our existence yet.

“Those men earlier were in charge of this entrance. Just slipping away should be fine.”

“Yes. It can’t be helped.”

It’s not like there’s absolutely no way.

Not everyone in the department store is cooperative with Representative Kim.

But I thought there was no need to take a risk.

The opponents are human.

Even if their level is low, they can be more dangerous than monsters depending on the situation.

“Um… Officer.”

Just as we were reaching that conclusion.

The hooded woman, who had been staring blankly in the corner, spoke to me.

“Representative Kim. Can’t you kill that person for me?”

Was it because an unexpected person made an unexpected remark?

Jang Hoseop’s eyes widened.

“Please. Please help me.”

The hooded woman stood up from her seat.

Then she headed towards the window.

Screeech

She opened the window, and rain began to pour in.

“Then I’ll help you too, Officer.”

Suddenly, the hooded woman waved her hand in the air.

Surprisingly, the pouring rain gathered at her gesture and formed a stream of water.

“Wow. Crazy… Water Style?”

Jang Hoseop exclaimed in admiration.

The hooded woman was someone who had Awakened a Fundamental Skill.

---

Jang Hoseop and I quickly reached the same conclusion.

“She’s talented.”

“Indeed.”

The woman briefly explained her Fundamental Skill and her situation.

After hearing her story, we confined her to a room.

“As a fellow human being, I think it’s right to help her.”

“A fellow human being?”

“Yes. That’s what I think. It’s too pitiful.”

Jang Hoseop changed his tune.

Earlier, Jang Hoseop had also said we should just pass by the department store.

“However! Hyungnim wouldn’t think that way, right?”

“What do you think I would think?”

“Just ignore her even if it’s pitiful? Because it’s dangerous. There are too many people in the department store… and anyway, she’s a stranger.”

I nodded.

Then Jang Hoseop, excited, said more.

“But then again, as I’ve been following Hyungnim, it seems like that’s not the end of it.”

“Then?”

“If that person joins us, it’s a benefit to us, isn’t it?”

Water is essential for survival.

It’s fine for now, but water will become scarce later.

This was a shared opinion between Jang Hoseop and me.

When that moment comes, wouldn’t that woman be helpful?

“So, it also seems like you might mercilessly slaughter the department store people to acquire that woman….”

Aunt Sujeong looked at Jang Hoseop with a worried expression.

Did she not like her son’s choice of words?

“So, what’s the conclusion?”

“I don’t know. How could I dare to guess Hyungnim’s thoughts?”

I was a little surprised.

Jang Hoseop knew more of my inner thoughts than I expected.

“However, Hyungnim.”

“Yeah.”

“That person is absolutely necessary for our party.”

“Why?”

“She’s a mage! Water attribute, one of the four great elements! For party balance, of course….”

Jang Hoseop finished strangely.

Anyway, he had reached the same conclusion as me.

“Alright. Let’s hear her story in more detail and move towards helping her.”

“Huh? Yes? Really? No, why?”

“What do you mean, why? Didn’t you say we should help her as a fellow human being?”

“Yes? No, Hyungnim, you?”

Jang Hoseop asked, his eyes wide.

Aunt Sujeong lightly tapped his thigh.

“That person, Representative Kim.”

“Yes.”

“He seems very greedy. This place is also close to our home. It’s just across a bridge, so it’s quick.”

Representative Kim is a businessman.

He apparently also ventured into the entertainment business and is said to be a man of poor character.

I heard it from the axe man.

How many people he had driven to their deaths in the past few days.

“Hmm, so he has villainous tendencies?”

“Yeah. A villain. We can’t live with such a villain as a neighbor. We need to nip it in the bud before he gets stronger.”

Jang Hoseop clapped his hands.

“Kiya~ I don’t know who’s calling whom a villain, but anyway, I will follow Hyungnim!”

Jang Hoseop said, smiling.

I felt flustered for the first time in a while.

“It seems you’re comfortable around me now.”

“Of course. I’m Hyungnim’s right-hand man.”

I was at a loss for words.

But I wasn’t angry either.

“Hyungnim. But I’m not trying to pick a fight… still, isn’t it too reckless? It feels like it would be more dangerous than monsters?”

“Why are you going back and forth like this?”

“Hehe. Right? The department store forces are too big.”

Even in this situation, Jang Hoseop’s emotions consistently showed only goodwill.

“We need to find a weakness.”

“Yes. Ah, should I call that person?”

“Yeah.”

The people at the department store still don’t know about our existence.

On the other hand, we have someone here who knows them well.

We began to prepare for a fight against a large group.