Damn System

Episode 27

Chapter 7 Murderer (2)

‘It’s calm.’

It was a very calm attitude for someone caught up in an unrealistic situation that suddenly occurred.

Like this, I have the boldness to contact you first.

Yang Jo-cheol responded calmly, grasping the man over the receiver.

“Can I hear your name?”

“Introduce yourself slowly. It would be nice if we could be sure that each other is safe.”

The impression made by the first word intensified.

Yang Jo-cheol decided not to provoke or urge the other person.

There was nothing good about provoking a person who was rational enough to have a good conversation.

‘These are people who are escaping the human realm.’

Yang Jo-cheol decided to treat this man more carefully.

“That sounds like a good idea.”

“I have a few questions for you, can you answer me?”

“Any question I can answer on my own.”

『Gwanak-gu yesterday, right?』

Yang Jo-cheol’s shoulders trembled for an instant.

However, he responded calmly as if nothing had happened.

“Yes, are you a party?”

『Cameras are widespread in CCTVs and black boxes, but don’t you know who did it?』

“… … He was a child.”

“You brought a gun.”

“It was to be prepared in case of an emergency.”

“Isn’t that what you intended to kill from the beginning?”

Yang Jo-cheol’s brow wrinkled.

At first glance, it sounded sarcastic and aggressive.

However, Ang Jo-cheol read the words contained in it, not what was revealed on the outside.

‘If we were sure that our purpose was to kill people, we wouldn’t have contacted them in the first place.’

So what you just said is more like pressure to clarify your position.

Yang Jo-cheol said in a calm yet determined voice.

“We are aware of the danger, but we have no intention of unconditionally killing our own people. We exist for national security.”

“Sounds like you’re going to shoot the players if they pose a threat to national security.”

“On the other hand, it also means that we will try harder than anyone else to protect the lives of our own people who become players, if they do not pose a threat.”

“That’s a really strong word. So what are you going to do with the child you missed yesterday? Do you know his name? Where do you live?”

Yang Jo-cheol’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He wondered what the person on the other end of the receiver was saying.

The little kid who used to kill animals is most likely a player.

And today, the person who identified himself as a player is paying attention to the child’s problems.

‘Are you trying to protect me?’

Yang Jo-cheol, who came up with a plausible deduction after a short thought, spoke in the softest possible tone.

“I cannot comment on the details of the investigation, but I have no intention of harming the child right away. Do you know where the child is?”

“Right now, it’s in a hard-to-find place.”

“Please trust that the focus is on protection, not arrest. If you also identify yourself… … .”

“The news I heard was too bloody for me to believe that.”

“May I ask what you mean?”

『Three days ago, they said that the three players they took there died.』

Yang Jo-cheol’s eyebrows twitched before the other person could finish talking.

When I remembered the disaster that had occurred three days ago, my jaw tightened.

But now is not the time to get hung up on that day.

Yang Jo-cheol, forcibly suppressing his agitation, recalled what he had just heard.

‘I expected rumors to spread among the players.’

Fortunately, this man used the word ‘died’ even after hearing the story. It had a different meaning than ‘killed’.

There is still room for clarification.

“You’re not saying that we did it.”

“It’s too important a matter to come to a conclusion by listening to only one side.”

It’s a good sign to try to assess the situation without prejudice.

Yang Jo-cheol calmly continued his explanation.

“It is difficult to say that we are not at fault, but we did not directly intervene.”

『Is it another player?』

However, before I could speak properly, the other side gave me the correct answer.

Yang Jo-cheol’s answer was delayed by a beat.

“… … yes.”

『Can you prove it?』

“All CCTV data from the time of the accident are still there.”

『I want to see it, is it possible?』

“… … To gain trust, of course, we are willing to give. How can I deliver it?”

『If you tell me the meeting place and time, I will go get it.』

The fact that he did not reveal his name means that he is reluctant to reveal his identity.

But are you going to come pick it up yourself?

Yang Jo-cheol interpreted the words of the unknown player in his own way.

“You mean leave it at the promised place and we should withdraw?”

“Do you have any thoughts on that?”

Even if he answered yes, he would not believe it.

“I don’t need to float it because I’m thinking of spreading it all over the place anyway.”

As expected, those who identified themselves as players did not yet trust them.

While contemplating how to say something, Han Seok-joon gestured toward Yang Jo-cheol.

‘depart.’

It was a signal that the location tracking was over and agents were on their way to the location.

‘5 minutes.’

Emergency personnel across the country were on standby in preparation for a case like today.

Thankfully, it didn’t take as long as I thought.

‘Five minutes is enough. I’ll have to wait a bit longer.’

Yang Jo-cheol nodded to Han Seok-jun and said.

“I was just trying to find out exactly which delivery method you want.”

“Let’s assume that. How long does it take to prepare materials?』

“There are quite a few procedures to go through to take them out.”

“Ah, you’re a civil servant.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

“Then tell me clearly exactly how much time you need.”

“… … I think it will take two hours.”

“I was going to hang up if you called me any more.”

There was a slight smile in the man’s voice.

‘Certainly, the wall is big.’

How can you afford to even joke while talking on the phone with a group with concentrated public power?

Yang Jo-cheol became curious about this player he didn’t even know his face.

But right now was not the time to satisfy curiosity.

Because the man was still talking.

Immediately set a time and place for an appointment.

It did not stop there and meticulously delivered future action guidelines.

Yang Jo-cheol copied the man’s words and repeatedly confirmed them.

It was just to take a little more time.

『Since you talked about trust, I would think you wouldn’t play pranks like location tracking. Then see you later.”

“Wait, how would you like to contact us later?”

“hmm… … .』

The man was silent for a moment.

However, it wasn’t long before I heard a peek and a laugh from over the receiver.

Just then, Han Seok-jun gestured toward Yang Jo-cheol again.

‘Arriving soon.’

Yang Jo-cheol held his breath involuntarily.

“Well, it’s better to know than not to know. Can you give me a number that can directly connect you to the captain?”

“All right.”

When I called my work cell phone number, a calm voice continued over the receiver.

“Let’s understand that each other is cautious and move on. Just as it is natural for that person to come out with a gun yesterday, it is difficult for me to believe that person who has public power.”

“I understand.”

There was nothing wrong. Yang Jo-cheol felt chills running down his spine whenever he thought of the player.

It was only natural that I saw the disaster right in front of me.

The other person who heard that someone died must be in the same situation.

“thank god.”

However, it was not possible to unconditionally accept the other party’s demands just because they understood.

This is because we have to maintain national security and social order.

The process of controlling risks and preparing for them was absolutely necessary.

Securing the player’s identity was just the beginning.

So Yang Jo-cheol decided to wait a little longer for the soon-to-be-arrived agents.

“There is that much flexibility. We want to be discreet, not suppressive.”

But no more answers came back.

“hello?”

I tried talking again, but all that remained was silence.

At that time, Han Seok-joon, who received the cell phone that rang silently, looked at him and shook his head.

“Tsk.”

Yang Jo-cheol, who understood the meaning, clicked his tongue.

『Captain.』

A field agent’s call came through the receiver.

The man left before agents arrived.

“Secure the CCTVs and car black boxes of nearby shopping malls. He was talking to me just now, so he wouldn’t have gone far.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The phone hung up soon after. Yang Jo-cheol gestured to Han Seok-joon and added words.

“Send an investigator in case there are any fingerprints left.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Until then, Yang Jo-cheol knew that he would be able to quickly find a player he did not know his name or face.

But when I checked the CCTV footage recorded at a nearby convenience store, I realized how complacent that thought was.

Suddenly, in an empty place, the handset moved by itself and settled on top of the body of the phone.

And dial number 1 moved three times.

That was all that was captured on video until field agents got there.

Obviously, I called the caller number of that public phone, but there was no one in the booth.

Yang Jo-cheol pressed his throbbing head and closed his eyes.

It seems that it is difficult to see the face of the man who spoke with her on the phone.

* * *

While my younger siblings went to school, I changed my clothes and came out.

I even hand-washed myself in case the bloodstains were discovered.

The morning passed quickly after I did some cleanup.

It is now 11:50 am.

I arrived at a large franchise cafe located in Gangnam.

It was the place where we were supposed to meet Director Yang Jo-cheol.

‘No, the word meeting is absurd.’

Because I have no intention of showing myself in front of them.

Arriving at the cafe earlier than the promised time, I looked around while using the invisibility.

‘One, two, three… … First of all, there are five people that caught my eye.’

There were five people who had a strangely different feeling from ordinary people in their posture, behavior, and gaze.

Among them, there was one person I saw when I ran away with Nam-gyu last night.

Five people caught my eye, but it wouldn’t be strange if there were more people who didn’t catch my eye.

The reason why I chose a place with a lot of people was simple.

‘I wouldn’t be able to threaten with a gun here.’

There are too many civilians for that.

Instead of going straight inside, I looked around the cafe and waited.

10 minutes like that, when the promised time came, I was able to see the person sitting by the window get up from his seat.

He raised both hands up, put something from his pocket on the table, and sat down again.

It was as promised to me in advance.

‘That’s Captain Yang Jo-cheol.’

He was a man with a rather sharp impression and a reliable physique. Age is around early to mid 40’s.

After checking on him, I followed the customer entering the cafe and passed through the automatic door.

I had no intention of wasting time.

After all, they will guess that I can hide.

‘He must have checked the CCTV around the pay phone.’

After confirming several magical powers that were quickly moving in my direction, I left.

I saw several of them enter a nearby mall or meet up with the owner of a vehicle parked nearby.

So, you must be mindful of unrealistic abilities or circumstances.

It is not a problem at all to reveal one’s abilities while hiding one’s face.

Because that’s the group that knows about this crazy game.

Even if an unrealistic situation occurs, the cause can be easily inferred.

By the same principle, it doesn’t matter if it is known that I am Kei.

‘The important thing is that I am not known as Kang Hyeon-woo.’

I, invisible yet clearly present, stood next to Director Yang Jo-cheol on foot.

Shockingly, it seemed as if he had heard my footsteps.

I watched him carefully and tapped the table lightly.