Chapter 9: One-Man Army

Dan Ga-yeon (3)

Dan Ga-yeon couldn't understand Comet.

What on earth was her intention? Was she offering to help destroy the video that would prove her guilt? That didn't seem right.

Comet had taken the initiative to secure the videos. She even found things that Dan Ga-yeon had missed.

"Oh, look over there! There's one inside the shopping center too. I'll go get that one. Officer Dan, can you check if there are any other cameras?"

Comet smiled brightly and went inside the shopping center.

"...Yes."

Unlike her reply, Dan Ga-yeon stood there blankly, watching Comet's back. The air felt chilly, and her fingertips trembled.

What was the intention of that strange being? Was she planning to kill her after collecting all the videos? But if that were the case, she could just kill her now. The investigation was over, so if she killed only her, it would be over.

With such a difference in skill and Stats, what was she afraid of that she was hesitating? Public authority? She could kill her and run away if she thought she'd be caught. What was Comet, who had survived the Imperial Execution Order in the game, afraid of that she was hesitating?

A gun?

Dan Ga-yeon thought of the Rankers under the government. The combat data and analysis videos she had seen while joining the Disaster Response Committee flashed through her mind. The top Rankers could block bullets even with a low Assimilation rate.

Or was she planning to lure her to a deserted place after dark because they had accidentally run into each other during the day? That was possible. She wouldn't want to be wrongly accused. Then why did she spare her during their sparring match last time? Why did she protect her in the mountains?

Comet came out of the shopping center, shaking a portable storage device, and then stopped. Her expression changed to one of concern.

Why is she being so kind?

"Are you alright? You seem out of it since earlier."

It's because of you.

"...I think I might be a little anemic."

Dan Ga-yeon, unable to say what was on her mind, pressed her forehead and gave a plausible reason.

"Then let's rest for a bit. Securing the videos is important, but Officer Dan's health is more important. You seem to have forgotten, but you were discharged from the hospital today."

"Haha..."

Dan Ga-yeon wanted to get rid of the being in front of her for the sake of her mental stability. However, it was too strong to do so, making it unrealistic.

"Aren't you busy, Comet?"

"I'm just a civilian. I don't have a job or anything to do. It might be surprising, but I don't usually go around helping people."

It wasn't surprising at all.

Dan Ga-yeon headed to a nearby bench. Comet followed beside her. The thoughts of figuring out and guessing her intentions made her head a mess.

Dan Ga-yeon, feeling like she had nothing to lose, tested Comet.

"Actually, before coming here, I told one of my colleagues at the Committee to take care of things if I die. I wrote down a likely suspect for them to review."

It was a lie. With the suspicion that Chairwoman was siding with Comet, she couldn't trust the Committee, and it was too dangerous to ask family or friends.

"You did well. It's comforting to have someone to entrust with things."

Comet simply nodded.

"...Aren't you curious?"

"I wonder."

She should be curious about either the name of the Committee colleague or the name of the likely suspect. Why wasn't she asking? If she wanted a complete end to the investigation, even if it meant killing Dan Ga-yeon, then the colleague should also be a target. On the other hand, if Comet was really cooperating, there was no reason not to ask for the name of the suspect, now reduced to one person.

Perhaps Chairwoman would take care of the Committee colleague, so Comet herself was focusing only on Dan Ga-yeon.

Too many suspicions were piling up. The weight of the accumulated suspicions pressed down on Dan Ga-yeon.

"I'll look at the videos while you rest. Can I open your bag?"

Comet took the laptop out of Dan Ga-yeon's bag and turned it on. The storage device containing the surveillance camera footage was plugged in, and the video played on the laptop screen. It was night, and the quality was poor, as with most surveillance cameras.

Now, she had to capture the few seconds in that day's footage where the culprit appeared and then backtrack their route. Then the culprit's residence would be revealed.

It would take hours, but the police had already done the initial work, so the time of the crime was certain. She just had to rewind to that time. The police had stopped there because they couldn't waste manpower to catch one murderer, but now Dan Ga-yeon would continue from there.

"I found it. Don't you think I'm quite capable? Maybe I should have pursued a career in the prosecutor's office or the police instead of accounting."

Even though Comet, the likely suspect, was the one doing it.

The video Comet stopped showed a blurry figure wearing a coat. It looked roughly like Comet's build.

Dan Ga-yeon couldn't understand Comet. Why, now, here, like this, was she being so kind?

Comet took a map out of Dan Ga-yeon's bag.

"We just need to draw a line from the convenience store, which is the crime scene, to the place where we got this video, right?"

"...Yes."

A red line was drawn on the map.

Dan Ga-yeon blankly thought. Could she be misjudging? Had Comet not committed the crime and was simply helping?

"It's a little crooked. We should have drawn it on a flat surface."

Comet looked at the map with regret and then looked at Dan Ga-yeon. Her black bobbed hair swayed, and her red eyes crinkled. Her smile returned.

Dan Ga-yeon stared blankly at Comet. There's no way someone this kind could be the culprit. A whisper rose from a corner of her mind. It was a kind of escape. An escape of the mind that wanted to feel comfortable in the face of something incomprehensible.

Dan Ga-yeon realized that her mind had somehow found balance. The fact that this person might not be the culprit made it easier to accept the current kindness. It was a temporary, false reprieve, but it gave her room to act.

Regaining her composure, Dan Ga-yeon took the laptop and checked the videos herself. Lines were drawn on the map several times, and before she knew it, it was past lunchtime. Dan Ga-yeon stopped by a nearby soup kitchen, asked for their understanding, had lunch, and then went around getting videos along the culprit's route.

It wasn't easy. The culprit wasn't just moving for the sake of murder; they also circled the same areas and went back the way they came. Each time, Dan Ga-yeon had to rewind the videos she had seen and check if she had missed any sections in between.

"Why did they wander around so much?"

"The purpose would be to collect souls. They wouldn't have come out just to commit murder at the convenience store. And maybe they took a stroll to see the neighborhood in between?"

Comet kindly gave her opinion from the perspective of a Necromancer.

"If the goal is to obtain souls, why didn't they kill just anyone? They encountered passersby several times."

"It's easier to kill just anyone. Even if massacres are difficult because the government is watching, killing little by little would be fine. But that's indiscriminate murder."

Dan Ga-yeon became increasingly sad. The returned opinion was mixed with subjective views. Just now, Comet had naturally added explanations as if she were the culprit.

A day passed, and another day passed, and a long red line was drawn on the map. As the backtracking continued, the culprit's suspected residence was getting closer to Yeouido. Comet was still kind, and Dan Ga-yeon slowly wavered.

Was this strange being just trying to enjoy seeing her fall into confusion? Was she creating the current moment just for the sake of interest and enjoyment?

"...Could the culprit have found pleasure in murder? Not for the sake of souls, but to enjoy people suffering. There are many people like that. People who encourage others to suffer and laugh behind their backs."

"That's unlikely. If they wanted excitement, they would have caught a Monster, and if they wanted screams, they would have tortured someone. What value is there in murder in an era where murder is common? Don't think too much. Officer Dan, you're doing what you need to do, and such questions only add to the confusion and are meaningless. Look. We're almost in Yeouido. We've already come this far."

The red line was drawn back and forth inside Yeouido. When one red line finally reached the culprit's residence, Dan Ga-yeon had to admit it.

"How is it? Are you convinced?"

Comet asked with her hands behind her back.

This strange being was the culprit.

She was still kind and still smiling.

Dan Ga-yeon couldn't understand Comet.

Dan Ga-yeon blankly stared at Comet, then slung her bag over her shoulder and started walking. Comet didn't follow.

Her steps continued, and before she knew it, she had arrived at the Chairwoman's office. Dan Ga-yeon looked at the Chairwoman with a confused expression. The Chairwoman leaned back in her chair and silently watched Dan Ga-yeon.

When Dan Ga-yeon's mind cleared and she felt the weight of her bag, she opened her mouth.

"I'm sorry. I think I came to the wrong place."

"That can happen. You're on vacation, so go back and rest well and come to work when the day comes. When the day comes."

"Yes."

Dan Ga-yeon returned to her accommodation. Dan Ga-yeon was just a low-ranking member of the Committee. She didn't know enough and lacked experience to doubt the Chairwoman's judgment. It was difficult to guess what the Chairwoman was acting for.

During the early morning hours, the laptop was turned on, and the suspicions were organized into documents. The route and residence were added, and the documents were printed.

Dan Ga-yeon gathered the documents and left her accommodation. She inquired about Comet's location and found her on the rooftop of a building.

The sunlight was coming down, and the blue sky spread wide. Comet, who was alone on the rooftop looking down at the city, turned to look at Dan Ga-yeon.

Dan Ga-yeon, simply as a citizen, handed over the documents and bowed her head.

"Please turn yourself in."

Comet accepted the documents. The sound of paper turning was heard.

"It's neatly organized. You used your time tightly, you're very talented."

"Please turn yourself in."

The documents that had been turned were neatly arranged again.

"Raise your head. You don't need to bow your head to someone like me."

Dan Ga-yeon looked straight at Comet.

"Please turn yourself in."

Comet smiled.

"No."

A short refusal returned.

Dan Ga-yeon's shoulders trembled.

"Then, why, on earth, why."

Emotions surged. If this was going to happen, why did she help me so kindly? Does she enjoy seeing people struggle? Is it so fun to laugh in my face? Does she find happiness living that way?

"Look at the sky. It's so clear and bright. Isn't it a shame to be miserable on a day like this?"

Dan Ga-yeon continued to glare at Comet.

Comet smiled bitterly and threw the stack of documents into the air. Dan Ga-yeon's gaze followed the documents as they soared into the sky.

Black flames engulfed the paper, and ashes scattered before disappearing. Beyond them, the clear sky was visible.

"See? It's a beautiful day, isn't it? You did what you had to do, and I refused. Now, shake it off and go for a walk. It's your vacation. You should rest."

Dan Ga-yeon stared blankly at Comet.

Dan Ga-yeon couldn't understand Comet.

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