LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 77
Chapter 77: Morning Inspection
During the morning inspection, the Security Chief unexpectedly spoke up.
“We finally received the order for Kang Tae-eun to participate in the search operation.”
At the Security Chief’s words, the surrounding staff buzzed slightly. Until now, Kang Tae-eun, with his unique nature as an Awakened Being, had been in an exceptional position, and it was presumed that this would continue; however, the order had come down.
Lee Si-hyun also wore a completely surprised expression.
“What’s the personnel count?”
One of the Correctional Officers seated in front raised his hand to ask.
“Two.”
The Security Chief continued as if explaining.
“Though it’s said to be two, only Awakened Beings will be dispatched, so the expectation from above is that they will be able to cover more than ten regular Correctional Officers’ worth. Additionally, it’s also a way to share the burden of dispatching regular Correctional Officers a bit.”
The other teams were feeling the weight of their duties due to the dispatch of Correctional Officers. It seemed the Special Detention Center judged that showing some degree of shared responsibility was necessary. Furthermore, two Awakened Beings would undoubtedly be a much greater help than several ordinary individuals.
“First, we’ll take volunteers. Are there any among the daytime staff?”
The Security Chief inquired.
Only murmurs filled the room, and no one readily raised their hand. It was understandable, as being selected for the search meant they would have to leave their usual living environment and stay elsewhere. If they were lucky, Kang Tae-eun would be caught quickly; otherwise, they might end up living like that for months. Naturally, no one was eager to volunteer.
“None? If that’s the case, I’ll randomly select later, so bear that in mind… Oh, are you volunteering over there?”
The Security Chief’s gaze landed on Lee Si-hyun.
With his hand held high, Si-hyun answered clearly.
“Yes, I’ll volunteer.”
Si-hyun felt something odd about the flow of events. It might just be a simple coincidence.
However, he couldn’t help but think that this quest was related to the current situation. If he didn’t volunteer now, he might never get the chance to catch Kang Tae-eun.
“Understood. Then, Investigator Lee Si-hyun…”
The Security Chief took out his notebook and wrote down the name.
Then he asked again.
“Is there anyone else?”
“I’ll volunteer too.”
Kang Baek raised his hand.
“Investigator Kang Baek… Is there anyone else?”
The Security Chief noted Kang Baek’s name but this time no one raised their hand.
“None, huh? Alright. I’ll check with the night shift staff as well, and once a final decision is made, we’ll notify you separately. That concludes this morning’s inspection. Everyone, thank you for your hard work today.”
◈ ◈ ◈
“Why did you volunteer?”
After the inspection, Si-hyun asked before heading back to their post.
“Why? Is it not okay to volunteer?”
“It’s going to be tough.”
“How tough could it really be?”
Kang Baek replied nonchalantly, as if it was nothing.
“Confidence is great.”
“It’s better to have some confidence. Besides, how often does a Correctional Officer get a chance to be involved in an investigation? I wanted to try it at least once.”
“If that’s the case, you might as well join the police.”
“Come on, you know I can’t stand the sight of blood.”
“You might see blood this time.”
“Haha, no way. Oh, don’t scare me with strange words, hyung!”
Kang Baek laughed off Si-hyun’s comment, unaware that Kang Tae-eun had committed two murders even after his escape. Seeing this, Si-hyun decided not to mention the fact for now.
It was still a secret publicly, and with so many search team members involved, he doubted he would witness the scene of Kang Tae-eun’s third murder before it occurred, given the low probability.
“Surely there won’t be many volunteers in the night shift, right?”
Considering the atmosphere from the daytime staff, it didn’t seem like it would be different for the night shift either.
“Probably not.”
“We might actually be the only two selected?”
“That’d be fine.”
◈ ◈ ◈
That thought became a reality.
There were no volunteers in the night shift. For that reason, Si-hyun and Kang Baek were selected to join the search for Kang Tae-eun.
They stood in front of the Security Department and were issued one K5 pistol and ten live rounds each. Although it seemed pointless to use a handgun instead of a long-range rifle for Awakened Beings, they had no choice but to comply with orders from above.
After receiving handcuffs and keys, the officer in charge of the armory told them to go see the Security Chief. They proceeded straight to the Security Chief’s Office.
“Sit down.”
The Security Chief instructed.
As Si-hyun and Kang Baek took their seats on the sofa next to the reception table, the Security Chief settled across from them.
“You know why you volunteered for this, right?”
“I heard it was about the search for Kang Tae-eun.”
Si-hyun responded.
“That’s right; this isn’t just any ordinary task. Regardless, it’s also true that the responsibility for the escape lies with our Correctional Headquarters.”
“…”
“Of course, that doesn’t mean you need to feel too much pressure. If you have that kind of mindset, you won’t be able to do your job properly. However, there’s one thing you should know.”
After that, the Security Chief began to talk about the two murders Kang Tae-eun had committed after his escape.
Si-hyun managed to stay calm since he had already heard the story, but Kang Baek turned pale.
“Uh…”
His muted groan and fidgeting suggested he was regretting having volunteered.
“Why does your expression look like that?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I’m fine.”
As the Security Chief inquired, Kang Baek forced himself to respond positively. It was a situation where retreating now would be awkward.
As Kang Baek strained to smile, the Security Chief continued explaining.
“Originally, each Awakened Being was assigned to a specific area where they operated. But after the incident in the capital region, everything changed. Naturally, we need to concentrate personnel around the capital.”
“Yes.”
“Moreover, both murders occurred in the mountains. So, the Special Investigation Department is monitoring the mountains located around the capital.”
“Yes.”
“The area assigned to our Special Detention Center is related to that. We’ve been tasked with patrolling the mountains in Paju City.”
“Excuse me?”
Si-hyun, who had silently been listening, now wore a look of disbelief at the last statement.
“Patrolling the mountains in Paju? Just the two of us?”
He understood that Paju City was quite large. Consequently, how many mountains would that entail? Being asked to patrol such vast spaces was baffling.
“Ah, of course, we’re assigning a few specific mountains for you to patrol. Let’s see… Bihaksan, Nogo-san, Wolongsan, Bongseosan, Papyungsan.”
The Security Chief pulled out a note and read off the names.
At that moment, Kang Baek turned ashen. He had imagined that search operations would involve a patrol car cruising around the city or walking through the streets, but mountains…
It felt like being struck hard in the head with a hammer.
“Starting with Bihaksan, you’ll patrol one mountain per day. Do you understand? Ah, and also…”
“Yes?”
For some reason, every time the Security Chief continued his explanation, a sense of unease grew within Si-hyun.
He waited with a stern expression for the Security Chief’s words.
“Those two murders happened at night, not during the day. So, the critical time is the nighttime, not daytime.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“During the day, you’ll be spending your time resting freely, but at night, you’ll be going up those mountains and laying in wait. Generally, most Correctional Officers handle daytime patrols, but since you’re Awakened Beings, you’ll be taking on more important and arduous tasks.”
“At night in the mountains?”
Kang Baek asked back with a look of horror at just the thought.
The mere idea reeked of immense hardship.
“Exactly. But why does your expression look like that? Are you okay?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Hahaha.”
“Really? Then that’s fine.”
The Security Chief shifted his attention back to Si-hyun, then handed him a note with the names of the mountains listed.
“The number at the bottom is the phone number for the Special Investigation Department regarding the Kang Tae-eun escape case. If anything happens while you’re on standby, contact them.”
“Understood.”
Si-hyun took the note and tucked it away.
“If there are any changes, you’ll be informed first by the Awakened Beings.”
“Yes.”
“Okay, you won’t need to come to work here starting next Monday. As I mentioned earlier, you’re to go to those mountains and do standby duty. You don’t need to wear your uniforms while on duty, but don’t forget to have your firearms and handcuffs on you.”
“We’ll do that. Oh, but could I ask a few questions?”
Si-hyun spoke up.
The Security Chief nodded.
“Go ahead.”
“Does ‘at night’ mean that other personnel will be assigned to patrol during the day?”
“Yes, there’ll be staff assigned during the day. However, they’ll be doing search patrols, not standby duties like you. You know there are a lot of military bases in Paju, right? The soldiers are putting in their efforts.”
The soldiers must be going through tough times too. Being dragged along unwillingly was unfortunate enough, but now they were being mobilized for the search of an escaped death row inmate.
“What are the specific shift times?”
“You need to enter the mountains by 7 PM. Then come down by 7 AM the next day. It’s okay if you come down a little earlier, but please try to adhere to the times.”
“Got it. Understood.”
“Alright, you’ll have a lot of hardships, but since you volunteered, bear with it and do your best.”
◈ ◈ ◈
“Ugh… What is this?”
The moment they stepped out of the Security Chief’s Office, Kang Baek exclaimed with a shocked expression.
“Seriously.”
Si-hyun also smirked wryly. They had volunteered actively, but he never imagined they would be assigned such tasks. Not that he was fond of hiking, but it seemed he was about to be doing a lot of it now.
Kang Baek wore a gloomy expression, seeming to regret his decision to volunteer.
“…I hope they catch that guy quickly.”
“I agree.”
Si-hyun genuinely agreed with that statement.
◈ ◈ ◈
Si-hyun and Kang Baek secured some accommodations in Paju. They considered commuting from Ganghwa Island, but realized that doing so for an extended period would be tough, so they decided to just book a place to stay. This way, it would be easier to scour the mountains in Paju while on standby duty.
Since he had become a 7th-grade civil servant, his salary had increased significantly, and he still had money saved up from past raids, so there was no major economic burden.
“Let’s make sure we prepare properly.”
Si-hyun said.
The night mountains had a completely different nature compared to during the day. Even experienced hikers couldn’t confidently claim they could find their way in the dark.
For an ordinary person, climbing a mountain at night could be quite dangerous. A misstep could lead to falling and serious injury. Plus, if one lost their way and ended up stranded, it would be tough to receive help due to the darkness.
Because of this, certain mountains even had signs requesting that hikers refrain from climbing after 8 PM. Of course, since Si-hyun and Kang Baek were Awakened Beings, their circumstances were a bit different, but it wouldn’t hurt to prepare thoroughly.
“Absolutely, hyung.”
Kang Baek packed a thick jacket. It wasn’t quite cold enough for such clothing yet as it was still early winter, but the night in the mountains was different.
The night mountains were cold. The higher they went, the chillier it became. Bihaksan stood at around 450m above sea level, which wasn’t exactly a high mountain, but it wasn’t low either. Additionally, they would have to endure the night with nothing but clothing for warmth, so a thick jacket was essential.
“I’ll bring the flashlight.”
Just because they were Awakened Beings didn’t mean they could see perfectly in the dark. While there were Awakened Beings with that capability, it was an exceptional case. A flashlight was a necessity.
“Let’s be careful not to lose our firearms… or it’ll be a disaster.”
Kang Baek reminded himself.
Losing a weapon wouldn’t end quietly; it would lead to severe consequences.
Si-hyun was also checking to see if his pistol was securely in place.
They planned on having an early dinner and leaving right after, but as they gathered their gear, it was already pitch dark outside.
“Let’s go. We’ll be late.”
Si-hyun opened the car door. They had packed a lot, but there might still be things they forgot.
However, those gaps in their preparation had to be learned through direct experience. It was impossible to be perfectly prepared from the start.
“Yes, hyung.”
Kang Baek followed suit, getting into the car.
And thus, they headed towards Bihaksan in Paju for their first standby duty.