In This World, the Police Officer Became Part of the Violent Crimes Unit(6)

Police work is like turning gears, going round and round.

When a crime occurs, we chase the criminal. And around the time we catch one criminal, another crime occurs.

I think people call us the people’s cane because we roll around in this cycle every day.

Isn’t a cane something you throw away when it breaks? Has anyone ever taken a branch they picked up in the forest all the way home? If so, that’s scary.

The repetition of police life like a wooden cane that wouldn’t be strange to break at any time. It’s no different in the Violent Crimes Unit or the Traffic Division. But it’s better than the Special Investigation Team.

They say humans are creatures that rank even two sticks, but the Violent Crimes Unit is certainly better than the Special Investigation Team.

At least there’s no getting hit at invisible speeds when I swing my fist, or my fist hurting in return.

With such relief in my heart, I swung my fist at the bastard in front of me.

“Hey! Hey! That guy is a dangerous ba- stard who almost became a national judo player, but he’s beating him so well.”

“If he had the skills to become a national player, he would have made it! He didn’t make it because there were flaws in either his character or skills!!”

“Th-that’s true? Right.”

Do you think I’d be intimidated just because he’s a former judo player?

I snorted at the Violent Crimes Unit detectives panting as they followed behind me.

I also learned judo personally to become a police officer. And I was often told I had enough talent that I should consider going that way instead. That’s how much talent I had, they said.

Come to think of it, I should have chosen to become an athlete then. Then, wouldn’t I be living better now?

Is there ever a time when I curse my habit of narrowing my vision to focus on just one thing when I set my mind to it, because I’m so stupid, more than now?

I channeled my regret into slamming Ma Cheong-woo to the ground, using his attack against him as he grabbed my collar and arm joint, trying to do a shoulder throw.

“Gak?!”

“Ooh! Is that the shoulder throw he did to the ‘market’?”

Ignoring the nonsense from the side. He couldn’t get up from his face-down position on the ground, probably not expecting to be slammed down in reverse.

My body may be butter-soft to superpower users, but it’s not weak enough to lose to guys who aren’t even superpower users, you bastard.

Moreover, I could tell when I roughly tested his strength. His body was firm like someone who exercised, but his condition was strange, as if he had done drugs or alcohol.

With his pale complexion, trembling arms, and what looked like needle marks on his arms, it was clearly visible what he might have done after quitting sports.

Well, trash who only hurts and kills weak kids wouldn’t have properly managed their body. I wiped my sweat and looked around.

Because this guy ran away, we crossed Han River Park and came to a place where people don’t often come.

We came by police car, but it’ll take forever to go back to where we parked the car.

“Uurgh! You cop bastard! Persistent bastard! Tenacious son of a bitch!”

“Why do they all use the same repertoire when I catch them? Did all criminals go to the same school?”

I lift up the criminal bastard who’s struggling and cursing and hand him over to my other colleagues. In the process, I pretended to make a mistake and slammed his head on the ground.

My Violent Crimes Unit colleagues received him with a smile, saying that level of mistake can happen.

Oh my, today it seems both I and my colleagues were unlucky, as we accidentally dropped him and he hit his head on the ground while receiving him. And Ma Cheong-woo stopped moving after that.

Thanks to moderately building my body during the suspension period, my stamina has returned a lot, but if a person runs at full speed for 15 minutes and even gets into a physical fight, I should be allowed to rest a bit, right?

“Wow, crazy. This bastard shook off three local police officers who rushed at him together, you’re really tough. I heard you arrested that Justice guy with pure strength. As expected, the rumors-“

“Do you happen to have a paper cup in the car now?”

“Come on! Let’s clean up! Get up, you criminal bastard!”

Was what I did with the paper cup so shocking? As soon as I mention paper cups, the guys who were spouting nonsense shut their mouths and escort the suspect.

I watched the backs of those colleagues, and only then could I look around this area.

A place where the research institute where the incident happened before can be faintly seen as a dot. How far did we run?

We were investigating eyewitnesses near Amsa-dong, but to come all the way to a position where that research institute can be seen even from afar. We must have really run like crazy.

…More than that, it looks like snakes might come out here.

The tough reeds where even a step ahead can’t be seen properly give an inexplicable ominous feeling that wraps around my body, as if a snake might appear from under my feet and bite me hard as I cross through them.

It’s probably just meaningless anxiety, but – I scratched my chin while looking at the reeds swaying tall even in this winter.

Well, snakes and such should be hibernating so they won’t come out, but it’s true that you have to be careful of snakes in places like this.

Suddenly I thought this was a strange delusion, but it seemed this thought suddenly came because I had watched on YouTube a few days ago about how dangerous snakes are as animals.

Sometimes videos I watch mindlessly on my phone remain clearly in my mind, and it seems the snake video I watched this time was like that.

“Tsk. Let’s go eat.”

We caught one bad guy today, so the food should taste good.

Just as I took a step to follow my Violent Crimes Unit colleagues who had left first with a satisfied smile – something brushed past my ankle.

I froze at the sensation of something cold, long, and with a plastic-like texture brushing past my ankle.

No way, a real snake appears at this timing? Did I step on a snake’s den or something while running?

Terrified, I looked at the ground. I saw a huge black snake thicker than my thigh crawling around me.

“Oh-“

Fuck!

I stop the curse that’s about to burst out by covering my mouth.

I hadn’t heard that snakes have good hearing, but it felt like I should do that.

No, damn it, what is this snake? Does such a huge snake roam around in winter?

No, more than that, is there a snake in Korea, and in the Han River area at that, as thick as a person’s thigh and so long its length can’t even be estimated?

As I blinked in shock, that snake started moving strangely. Making a hissing sound, the snake slowly gathered its body and stood up, meeting my gaze.

Do sna- snakes stand up straight like this and meet people’s eyes?

As I was chewing over the contents of the snake documentary I had seen a few days ago at this bizarre sight, the snake made a hissing sound.

I don’t know if it’s waving its tail or making a sound with its tongue.

The sound that had been coming steadily started changing in pitch, and the snake’s hissing cry soon became human speech.

“[Though it’s the first time meeting you directly. You don’t seem like anything special. I don’t understand why that monster took interest in you.]”

“What the.”

The snake starts talking. It was a bizarre action incomparable to the trick of swaying to the sound of a flute. But I was conversely relieved.

Right, it’s strange for a snake to be moving around in this season. And there’s no way such a black and huge snake exists in Korea. It was just a superpower user.

“I thought it was something, but it was a superpower user… Haa, what’s the matter? Do you need help? I’ll take your case report when we return to the station, will you follow me?”

I had thought it was good that people recognizing me and asking for help had decreased significantly compared to before, thanks to mentions related to me on the internet or anywhere recently decreasing, but I guess I wasn’t completely forgotten yet.

As I was letting out a sigh trying to rise from deep in my chest. Instead of answering my words, that snake started making a sound like laughter with a snake’s characteristic metallic sound.

“[Kuku… You have good courage. Good. Then, let’s get to the point. My name is Snake. I’m the one who serves the woman in your house.]”

• • Sai’s subordinate?

So that crazy bitch’s plan is finally starting. I moistened my dry throat with saliva at the fact that something I had already steeled myself for in a corner of my mind was starting.

But the words that guy said next were – somewhat strange.

“[No, it would be correct to say I used to serve her. From now on, I will take everything that woman had. Even her life. If you want to save this woman, come find me. Detective Lee Munsu.]”

Of course, he left a threat saying he would kill everyone I know if I didn’t follow, then disappeared by digging into the ground, that huge black snake.

And in the place where that snake had been, a single piece of paper with a familiar address written on it was left behind.

Let’s see. A black snake that suddenly appeared.

I don’t know if it’s a superpower user who transformed or if the snake is a superpower user, but the important thing is that guy claiming to be Sai’s subordinate is luring me now.

That snake guy seems to have staged a coup aiming for Sai’s power and strength while Sai has lost her memories.

From what that guy is saying, it seems he has already kidnapped Sai, and for some reason, it looks like he intends to catch me too.

…Did Yagi get caught? It’s hard to admit, but that woman Yagi is very capable.

If Sai acknowledged her abilities and called her her right hand, is any more explanation needed?

Strong and capable too. It’s really shitty that such a person is a criminal, but – I don’t think such a woman would have been caught so easily.

For now, I’ll need to check what state Yagi is in.

Before that, I tried contacting Sai who should be at home, but she didn’t answer.

Someone who usually answered before the third ring tone even finished not answering the phone clearly means something has happened, right?

I chewed on my lips and then let out a sigh.

I thought something might happen because suddenly someone watching the house appeared yesterday, but I didn’t expect something like this to happen.

I was anxious from top to bottom about the current situation because I wondered how and from where Sai had planned things.

But there’s one question.

If he’s Sai’s subordinate, it means he’s quite strong, and I remember all the dangerous people both from my past life memories and as a current police officer, so why don’t I know anything about that black snake guy?

If he’s able to betray Sai and defeat Yagi, it means he at least has the courage and ability to do such a crazy thing…

When it comes to ability users related to snakes, there’s none except for the criminal with the alias Viper who confronts the protagonist after the Great Chaos incident.

But that guy summons and controls a snake with six heads.

As far as I know, he’s an ability user who summons and controls a monster that spits poison and doesn’t die unless you cut all six necks at once.

But I remember he doesn’t control living snakes like this. And that guy’s name isn’t Snake.

As I was mouthing that name I had never heard even as a villain alias, I put the paper with the address written on it that had fallen to the ground in my pocket and moved forward.

Whatever it is, the incident has started. It means Sai’s scheme has begun.

I frowned and pushed through the reeds to move forward.