episode_0001

All place names, names, and companies appearing in this novel are fictitious and different from reality.

“Ha, I have to go to work today too.”

Kang Chan got up from the bed and looked at the mirror right across from the bed.

I could see myself just waking up.

Swollen eyes, matted hair, and dark circles under the eyes from not sleeping for a long time.

It was extremely haggard to see him scratching his head while standing in a small studio with only his upper body raised.

“Two days as a holiday is too short.”

The two-day vacation that was given was quite a burden even for young Kang Chan.

“Off… … .”

He stretched out, picked up the remote control, and turned on the TV.

Beep.

-It has already been 10 years since humanity completely overcome the gate and monsters. Victory Day events commemorating this are being held all over the world.

Victory Day is a mess.

Kang Chan clicked his tongue.

For him, Victory Day was not always a happy and pleasant event like it was for others.

On that day when everyone was happy and happy, Kang Chan lost everything.

20 years ago, a gate opened in the sky and countless monsters poured out.

Kang Chan’s parents visited the shelter the day the gate opened and did their best to save him, who was 7 years old at the time.

A 10-year great war that put the fate of humanity at stake.

Kang Chan’s family somehow survived.

On the day when everyone rejoiced in humanity’s victory, Kang Chan’s parents were killed by an unknown villain.

Victory Day, it was also the anniversary of Kang Chan’s parents’ deaths.

“It’s today.”

I was so busy with my job that I forgot about it.

I never thought so much time had already passed.

Since I became a police officer, time has definitely become shorter.

The workload of patrols and other duties on duty was so much that it could not even be compared to when I was a candidate.

He went into the bathroom, washed himself to prepare for work, and slowly got dressed.

He was wearing a blue police uniform.

A Rose of Sharon was sparkling on his shoulder.

-This is news that a famous A-class villain was discovered near Gyeonggi-do. The CCTV footage of her… … .

While I was getting dressed, I kept my eyes peeled for the news on TV.

Victory Day, commonly called Victory Day, was a day of joy as humanity was liberated from monsters, but the remnants of the Gate still remained.

That’s a villain.

Unlike hunters who gained special abilities and used their power for the world, those who use their power for personal desires and commit crimes.

As the monster disappeared, villains began to run rampant.

As a result, hunters who were subduing dungeons and monsters formed a group to subdue villains, and the Hunter Police was created.

“I feel dizzy. I’m dizzy.”

Kang Chan sighed and turned off the TV.

It wasn’t good news, so I didn’t need to hear it for a long time.

Kang Chan, still in uniform, stood in front of his parents’ photo and bowed.

“I will go.”

The usual greeting.

However, my parents may have noticed that I put a little more effort into it.

I left the narrow studio apartment and went to work.

Kang Chan’s workplace is a small district in Yuri-dong, Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do.

As the gate was created and the world changed, the administrative districts also changed significantly. Various administrative districts appeared and disappeared.

Yuri-dong was one of them.

“Are you here?”

After finishing his duty, Captain Yoo Seong-tae nodded and said hello.

“Hello. Captain Yu.”

“You came early.”

“You have to go to work quickly.”

After hearing Kang Chan’s words, Captain Yoo Seong-tae licked his lips with a shocked expression on his face.

“Did anything happen last night?”

“Yes. It’s something you don’t have to worry about.”

“I see.”

Inspector Yu had an expression on his face that seemed awkward to deal with.

Despite Inspector Yoo’s blatantly dismissive attitude, Kang Chan ignored it as if it was no big deal.

Employees coming to work came in one by one.

It is Victory Day, a day off for everyone around the world, but police personnel were an exception.

Because today was the day when I couldn’t let my guard down more than ever.

Most of the members of the Yuri-dong district were mobilized to control events taking place in Seoul, so there were not many people left.

“Captain Yoo, thank you for your hard work.”

“Hello. Captain Yu.”

“Good morning.”

Everyone greeted each other, but no one greeted Kang Chan first.

As if you shouldn’t touch him.

“Are you here?”

When Kang Chan said hello, everyone looked at each other and smiled awkwardly.

Among them, the lowest-ranking police officer was the only one to greet them.

As if he were going to carry the gun himself.

“Inspector Kang, did you rest well too?”

“Yes, I had a good rest. thank you. Trooper Kim.”

After a brief greeting, the conversation did not continue.

Everyone just looked at me, and no one spoke to me first.

However, there was no one to do the work.

“You went to work today too.”

“So… … . Please stop now.”

“Are you oblivious?”

“I guess there’s nothing else to do other than this.”

There was a sound of them murmuring among themselves.

“Is that you? The bane of the Yuri-dong district.”

“Yes. Don’t get involved in any case. Because it’s getting annoying.”

“Why is that so?”

“You have to take care of everything, even that person’s business.”

“Ah.”

The bane of the Yuri-dong Rift Valley.

It was referring to Kang Chan.

I can’t do my job properly.

However, they are not strong enough to subdue criminals.

Since you can’t work, only your partner ends up having a hard time.

An F-level lieutenant who even hangs out in the middle of work.

However, his rank was so high that he was a sack of barley that no one except the district commander could touch.

“Hey, Inspector Kang.”

“Huh?”

“The district captain is looking for you.”

“… … Okay.”

Upon hearing the district captain’s call, Kang Chan lifted his heavy hips and entered the captain’s office.

“Loyalty, did you call me?”

When Kang Chan entered and saluted, the district leader sat on his office chair and glared at him.

The intense light of a fighter was alive in his face and eyes as he had spent longer in the field than anyone else.

“Hey, Inspector Kang Chan.”

“Yes, District Commander.”

“Why are you doing that?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The district captain sighed and threw a file at Kang Chan.

The yellow pile iron hit his chest and fell.

“Kang Chan, an excellent talent who entered the police academy at the top of his class, never lost first place throughout the school, and took first place at graduation and the commissioning exam. Even for the first three months after taking office, he worked harder than anyone else to catch criminals and was passionate about his job.”

The district captain’s voice was full of anger toward his subordinate who seemed inadequate.

“But what now? A nuisance in the Yuri-dong district, a sack of barley thrown in, a warning for neglect of work?”

“… … .”

“Do you have anything to say?”

Kang Chan bowed his head at the district captain’s words.

“No shame.”

“Is there anything you want to say other than that?”

“I just realized the reality.”

“Have you realized reality?”

“Yes. After all, isn’t it the Hunter Police, not us, who solve the real problems currently rampant in the city?”

“What?”

“We believe that this is nothing more than a bait to buy time for the Hunter Police to act.”

“… … .”

There was no hesitation in Kang Chan’s words.

The district commander looked at him as if he were dumbfounded by a comment criticizing the police’s position.

Since the creation of Gate and the creation of hunters and villains, there have been many cases where the power of the police is less than before.

If the person who committed a violent crime was an awakened person rather than an ordinary person, all the police could do was contact a nearby guild and receive support from a hunter.

It was the same even when the gate disappeared.

It just changed from guild to hunter police.

Just as Victory Day was meaningless to the police, the disappearance of the gate did not improve their position.

“So you’re going to quit the police?”

“That’s not it.”

“But why are you doing that? Since you became a police officer because you had your own thoughts, shouldn’t you do well?”

“I have nothing to say. I don’t think it will make any difference just because I am good at it.”

“Ha, this bastard… … .”

The district commander grabbed his head.

You damn bastard… … .

You don’t know how happy I was when I first heard that there was a guy who entered and graduated from the police academy at the top of his class and also passed the commissioning exam at the top of his class.

However, within a few months of being commissioned and assigned, I became a burden to the district unit.

“This bastard… … .”

However, there was no way to handle personnel matters.

Even if he was transferred to another place, the person itself would not change, and his performance would only suffer.

The district captain immediately sighed.

“Now that you understand, go back. and… … .”

He left a message to Kang Chan, who was about to leave.

“No matter what it may seem like, there are definitely people who need us. Hunters aren’t the only ones who commit violent crimes. So, do your best at every moment.”

“… … I understand.”

Kang Chan bowed his head and went out.

“How did a perfectly good guy end up like that?”

The district leader looked at Kang Chan’s profile that he had thrown.

-Kang Chan.

-Has potential and overflows with a sense of justice. He is a talented person with a promising future.

In the early days when Kang Chan was assigned here, his own evaluation of Kang Chan was clearly written.

***

“… … .”

Most of what I said to the district commander was true.

There was nothing the police could do with the power they had now.

The power of individual police officers was insufficient, and their authority was now very limited.

There was nothing they could do.

‘I’m helpless.’

The whole reason Kang Chan became a police officer was for revenge.

When humanity escapes the threat of the Gate, to find the villain who killed his parents.

It was to find the villain and bury him.

Why did you kill your parents?

I wanted to ask why I destroyed my only happiness.

I thought that if I became a police officer, I would be able to find clues about the villain who killed my parents.

But even if he became a police officer, there was nothing he could do.

There was nothing to find.

This is because the authority to view information about villains exists only for hunter police officers, not the police.

Kang Chan’s hopes that things could change even a little were dashed at that time.

It was from then on.

That it shouldn’t stay like this.

That other methods are needed to overcome the limitations of the police position.

and.

In order to do things in a different way, you have to give up one thing.

This was the reason why he ended up like a sack of barley on the earth.

To use a method that can achieve the real justice he concluded.

“Inspector Kang, are you okay?”

Police officer Kim, who was behind the wheel, said, not knowing what to do.

Did you say that it hasn’t been long since you were commissioned?

He was the only member of the district team who had a hard time with himself in a district that everyone thought was a waste of money.

Maybe this guy will ignore him in a month too.

‘I can’t help it.’

This was the path Kang Chan chose for himself.

Becoming everyone’s villain.

So there were no hard feelings towards them.

A teammate who was not helpful, or worse than non-existent.

If it were me, I would have done the same thing.

“I drive comfortably. Don’t worry about me. It’s just patrolling anyway.”

“Okay.”

It was when I sat in the passenger seat of the police car, laid back lazily and looked out the window.

“Hmm?”

Kang Chan, who was looking out the window, made a meaningful sound.

“What’s going on?”

“… … Trooper Kim.”

“Yes, Inspector.”

“Don’t you want to eat snacks?”

“Didn’t you hear correctly?”

“Don’t you want to take a break?”

Police officer Kim looked at Kang Chan, not knowing what to do.