LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 74
Chapter 74
Ding ding.
The alarm rang.
Lee Si-hyun reached out with sleepy eyes to turn it off.
“Yawn.”
Stretching his body, he recalled how he had earnestly pitched himself at the Security Department Head and the Deployment Manager during last night’s gathering.
Perhaps due to the large amount of alcohol he had consumed, his head was pounding. He wasn’t sure if his appeal had been effective, but at least the atmosphere had been good. It felt comforting to think that everything would work out.
Si-hyun slowly sat up in bed.
Today was a holiday. He didn’t have any particular plans and was thinking of relaxing at home, maybe watching a movie.
At that moment, a notification ping echoed. Si-hyun checked his phone.
– Do you have time today?
It was a message from PD Han I-seol.
Ever since discovering that I-seol’s younger sibling was involved with the Black Cross incident, he found it hard to feel at ease as before.
But it wasn’t easy to bring up that incident either. After all, it was a matter involving the Black Cross. If her younger sibling turned out to be one of their members, I-seol would definitely not stay silent. Just knowing that put them in an overwhelming situation of danger.
Anyway, there was no sharp solution at the moment.
[Yes, I do.]
Si-hyun replied honestly. It wasn’t that he was avoiding her; he just felt uneasy approaching her like before. There was no reason for that, though. The one who had wronged him was her sibling, not her.
– Then would you like to have lunch together today?
I-seol sent another message.
Si-hyun tilted his head slightly. She wasn’t the type to arrange meetings on the same morning. She usually contacted him at least a day in advance.
What prompted this change?
[Sure. Where shall we meet?]
– Ganghwa Island.
[Ganghwa Island?]
That was unexpected. He had anticipated her to suggest a meeting in Seoul.
– Yes. Actually, I’m heading to Ganghwa Island right now.
[Oh, really? What business do you have there?]
– Yes, I heard from Senior Jun-cheol that if you go to Ganghwa Island, a correctional officer will treat you to grilled eel.
[…Seriously?]
Si-hyun chuckled lightly.
[That’s impressive, really. All the rumors go through him, huh…?]
– Hehe, that’s just how the world works. Anyway, I’m flying to Ganghwa Island now, so please wait a bit.
[Hmm, why would you want to squeeze a public servant’s thin wallet instead of having flea’s guts? Especially from someone like the public broadcast PD?]
– Oh, but isn’t level 7 still considered 6th rank nobility, even if you’re not of the highest class? Whining in front of the commoners!
[Ah, really, PD-nim…]
– Just know I’m serious, not joking. I’m coming to meet you.
◈ ◈ ◈
Si-hyun and I-seol met at the famous eel restaurant.
“You dyed your hair.”
Si-hyun remarked looking at I-seol’s new hair color. He always saw her with her dark hair tightly tied back, but now it was a bright brown with long wavy locks.
“Yeah, do you like it?”
“It suits you well. You look a bit brighter too.”
“I’m glad I did it.”
I-seol smiled. She wore a white see-through blouse that slightly revealed her cleavage, paired with a tight black skirt that accentuated her curves.
Thanks to that, Si-hyun had to struggle to keep his gaze on her face instead of her body.
They chose a seat by the window. It was cooler there, and the view was nice, giving a refreshing feeling.
“What do you like? Salt? Sauce?”
Si-hyun asked before placing their order.
“Salt, please.”
“Looks like we share similar tastes.”
Si-hyun preferred salt over sauce as well. Both were tasty, but too much sauce could become overwhelming.
“Sir, we’ll have two with salt.”
Si-hyun placed the order.
“Oh, you’re not drinking, right?”
“We can’t drink and drive, can we?”
“No, it’s not about drinking and driving, but can you send a message while driving?”
“Actually, I was just about to leave.”
“Of course, I suspected that.”
“You sure know me well.”
I-seol continued with a teasing smile.
“How’s life on Ganghwa Island? Isn’t it a bit stifling?”
Having moved from a big city to the countryside, it was natural to feel somewhat confined due to the drastic change in surroundings.
“It’s better than I expected. Nowadays, with the internet, it’s fine.”
“Ah, no wonder you seem so cheerful.”
“Am I smiling?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe it’s because work is easier now.”
“Is it convenient?”
“Yeah, compared to where I used to be, the number of inmates has drastically decreased, so it’s definitely less busy.”
Even with Awakened Beings, as long as the Iron-Blooded Guard was present, there wasn’t much trouble in handling them, and with the decline in inmate numbers, it was natural to feel more at ease.
“Just thinking about it, dealing with Awakened Beings must not be easy… but you must be handling it exceptionally well, right?”
“Well, I am.”
Si-hyun crossed his arms, purposely showing a haughty expression.
“Oh my, our correctional officer got a level 7 position and is full of himself now. Won’t you cut ties once you hit level 5?”
I-seol winked, throwing in a joke.
“Of course. Please don’t look for me then.”
“Hehe, this is rather pitiful; I should hurry to get a promotion too.”
“You should indeed.”
As they chatted, the grilled eel was prepared.
Since it was known as a famous restaurant on Ganghwa Island, it was delicious even after multiple visits without losing its charm.
I-seol raised her thumb, claiming it was tasty.
“I knew my eyes weren’t deceiving me.”
She opened her mouth.
“Really?”
“I felt it when filming the documentary; I thought you would become someone significant, correctional officer.”
“Ah, well, I was just lucky to awaken; otherwise, I would’ve still been a level 8.”
“Have you not heard the saying that luck is also a part of skill? Those who reach the top in any field not only have skill but a lot of luck too.”
“Yes, I’ll try to think positively.”
“Just you wait and see. You’ll understand when the time comes.”
I-seol spoke with a confident expression.
After that, various conversations continued. Then unexpectedly, the topic arose about ordering another grilled eel when the conversation shifted to the escaped serial killer, Kang Tae-eun.
“Is that true?”
Si-hyun asked, startled.
He hadn’t anticipated such news.
“Yes, it’s certain that he’s still in the country.”
I-seol replied with a serious face once again.
“Is there even a reason for him to be here?”
It had already been over 8 months since Kang Tae-eun escaped.
However, no trace had been found during that time. The reward for his capture had surpassed an astonishing 1 billion, with tremendous manpower deployed, yet there were no results at all. Thus, a theory circulated online that he had likely received help to flee abroad. That’s why they hadn’t even caught a single trace of him.
Si-hyun agreed with that notion. So he was shocked to hear I-seol mention he was still in the country.
“Of course, I must have had a reason to say that, right?”
“What is it?”
Si-hyun prompted her for an answer, curious.
“Are you aware that Kang Tae-eun kidnapped and murdered 8 women?”
“Yes, I know.”
That case had been so notorious that it was hard to forget.
“I see. Then do you know if Kang Tae-eun’s crimes had any particular characteristics?”
“I can’t quite remember…”
“Clearly, that would be difficult to recall.”
When Si-hyun admitted he didn’t know, I-seol began explaining.
Kang Tae-eun’s serial killings had several characteristics.
First, only women.
This was a trait shared by many serial killers who target weaker victims.
Second, the murders were always stabbings.
All victims had been killed with sharp weapons stabbed into their necks.
Third, the bodies were always dismembered. Only their faces remained.
The bodies of all victims had their heads severed by sharp instruments.
Fourth, there were no signs of sexual assault.
This led profilers to predict a high probability that the perpetrator was a eunuch. However, the caught Kang Tae-eun was not a eunuch.
These four characteristics became public knowledge regarding Kang Tae-eun’s crimes.
“Now that you mention it, I do remember hearing about that.”
Si-hyun nodded after listening to I-seol’s explanation.
“But why are you suddenly mentioning the characteristics of the crimes… Could it be?”
As if realizing something, Si-hyun looked at I-seol with heavy eyes.
Before I-seol answered, she glanced around to ensure no one was listening. After confirming, she spoke again in a soft voice.
“Yes, that’s exactly it. In the past three months, two women have been murdered in the exact same way.”
“Impossible… Isn’t this a copycat crime?”
Even a madman wouldn’t commit murder again under such circumstances, with the military, police, and correctional officers on high alert searching nationwide. Plus, especially with a huge reward on his head.
It was hard to believe.
“No, the police have definitively concluded from the very beginning that it’s Kang Tae-eun’s work.”
“Just because the crime characteristics match?”
“It’s not just that.”
I-seol took a sip of water and continued.
“In fact, it is said there is one more characteristic of Kang Tae-eun’s crimes that was not disclosed to the press.”
“Really?”
“And that characteristic also matches. That’s why the police are convinced it’s Kang Tae-eun’s doing.”
“Wow.”
Si-hyun’s face grew serious. Not only had he escaped, but now he had committed yet another murder. This was no ordinary situation; it could turn the country upside down.
“Why hasn’t this enormous incident been reported yet…?”
Si-hyun lowered his voice.
“The fact that murders occurred has been reported. However, the government requested an embargo on any information related to Kang Tae-eun. Since nothing is certain yet and it could interfere with investigations, they are asking for cooperation.”
“…”
“If more murders occur, the government won’t be able to hold it back any longer. Then, it will truly be chaos.”
I-seol spoke with a genuinely concerned expression.
“We need to catch him fast.”
“Yes, we really should.”
Si-hyun bit his lips.
He was indeed a terrifying madman. Such a worst-case scenario madman being loose in the world meant the correctional headquarters would have to bear significant responsibility. Deep down, he wanted to contribute his strength to capture that guy.
There were many correctional officers who were working hard to search for Kang Tae-eun as well. Nevertheless, the Special Detention Center continued its operations unaffected by that matter. For now, they could only hope he would be caught soon.
◈ ◈ ◈
Tick.
A man was sitting with his feet on the table, clipping his toenails. He had a face defined by sharp lines, giving off a blade-like impression.
He trimmed his toenails neatly to the point of being blunted.
Squeak.
The sound of a door opening echoed, and a strong-looking man with scars walked in. It was Baek-wol from the Black Cross.
“What’s going on?”
The man who was clipping his toenails asked first.
“Hyung, you said not to do unnecessary things.”
“Yeah, I heard that.”
Kang Tae-eun, whose appearance had completely changed due to plastic surgery, looked at Baek-wol with confusion.
“Then why bring it up all of a sudden?”
“Just hold back.”
Baek-wol said with a neutral expression.
“How ridiculous. You act like I’m doing something unnecessary. There’s no way I would do that!”
“I clearly conveyed the meaning to hold back.”
“Oh, you are truly frustrating. Go ahead and talk however you want. I don’t know what nonsense you’re rambling about.”
Kang Tae-eun shifted his attention back to his toenails.
Tick.
And he began grooming them once again. As he quietly stared, Baek-wol eventually turned and left.
“What an annoying bastard.”
Kang Tae-eun muttered with a chilly expression.