#98
Hunter Management Bureau detention center. Currently there was exactly one in South Korea. It was located on the outskirts of Seoul, and from what he heard, one more was planned for construction. If the Management Bureau had a modern building feel, the detention center’s exterior was definitely the opposite. It was just a rectangular building with a few windows, and that was it.
Well, it was a detention center for housing criminals, so there was no reason to care about the exterior. Rather, that detention center building was much more familiar to Ha-seong. The Hunter Association building before dimensional travel had exactly that kind of feel.
Ha-seong looked up at that familiar exterior as he walked with Do-hyeok. Do-hyeok, who had relatively easily passed through the reporters and entered the building, let go of his hand as soon as they entered. Inside this detention center, the use of any items was prohibited, and all inspections were conducted with detectors before entry.
Befitting a detention center, the interior was quiet and bleak. Armed staff could be seen here and there, and notices were posted stating that skill use was prohibited for anyone other than authorized personnel.
Ha-seong followed Do-hyeok inside. Before using the internal stairs and elevator, they first had to complete an inspection. A staff member saw the two approaching and stopped them.
“How may I help you?”
“We’re here to see Team Leader Yoon Woo-bin of Management Bureau Team 1.”
“One moment please.”
The staff member returned to his station and checked something on the computer, then nodded.
“Are you Cha Do-hyeok-nim and Do Ha-seong-nim?”
“Yes.”
Even though the staff member recognized Cha Do-hyeok, he proceeded faithfully according to procedure. After checking both their ID cards, he pointed forward.
“Before entering, we’ll conduct one simple inspection. Please stand one at a time.”
Equipment similar to what was used for departure procedures at airports was installed. Do-hyeok went in first to complete the inspection, then Ha-seong was also able to pass safely. The staff member reminded them once more that skill use and item use were prohibited inside, then stepped aside from the two.
The two who had safely entered took the elevator to the 3rd floor. The 2nd and 3rd floors consisted of interrogation rooms where questioning could be conducted and conversations could be held face-to-face with criminals. Each door was thick iron, and the two went to the very last room and knocked.
“You’re here? You’re late.”
Woo-bin, who heard the knocking, greeted the two with a somewhat haggard appearance. Without needing to ask, it was clear he was going through quite a difficult situation because of this incident.
“Yeah. This hyung drives like shit.”
“You’re dead.”
Woo-bin looked at the two who were still the same and entered the room.
A scene like something from movies or dramas unfolded. The dimly lit room was divided into two spaces. One side was like an office with various documents and tables, and what was distinctly different from other rooms was on the side wall.
The left wall was a large glass window, and inside was the interrogation room. There was just a table placed alone in the center and a standing lamp. And there sat Baek Sa-jin alone. In front of him was steaming soup and rice, but Baek Sa-jin was just looking at it without moving a finger.
“As you can see, that’s his state. He won’t eat anything and barely talks.”
“He barely talks?”
Ha-seong asked as if puzzled. Surely when they first brought him in, he had talked readily about his father’s enemy and such.
“To be precise, he won’t open his mouth about topics other than the murder cases.”
As soon as Baek Sa-jin was transferred here, Woo-bin immediately began interrogation. He first asked about the detailed circumstances of the two murder cases, and Baek Sa-jin opened his mouth without difficulty. He confessed everything about the crime locations, times, methods, etc., so the investigation into the murder cases wasn’t very difficult.
“The problem is about the artificial gates.”
Woo-bin glanced at Baek Sa-jin, who still sat motionless, then spoke again.
“I turned off the recording and told him to confess about how he caused the artificial gates and everything he did 10 years ago, but he won’t say anything other than that he did it.”
For now, Baek Sa-jin was indeed the most likely suspect for that artificial gate incident. Just looking at the memo left at the scene showed that. Woo-bin briefly stood up, opened a drawer, brought a file, and placed it in front of the two.
“This is data from investigating the container box presumed to be Baek Sa-jin’s hideout and home. These are the contents I personally went and investigated today, organized.”
Ha-seong and Do-hyeok opened the file and carefully looked at the documents and photos taken. There were interior photos of the container Baek Sa-jin used as a hideout, and pictures of weapons he had including swords and firearms. And victim photos, personal information, and papers with a kind of crime plan detailing their movements were also found.
“There are no clues about the artificial gate incident in the hideout either. Except for that memo.”
Woo-bin said he didn’t assign team members but personally went to the hideout to conduct the investigation in preparation for any possible situation. Because clues about the artificial gates might have been found there.
“Then those memos that were at each scene?”
He showed a photo of several memos taken at the hideout. There were several more copies of the memo with that text that had been posted on the internet during the past artificial gate incident in Baek Sa-jin’s hideout.
“I compared the handwriting and it’s definitely Baek Sa-jin’s writing. When I asked if he wrote it himself, he said yes.”
“Woo-bin-ssi, what about accomplices?”
Surely on the day Ha-seong was shot, someone was with Baek Sa-jin, and Baek Sa-jin even had a necklace that appeared to be a communication device.
“I first sent the necklace Ha-seong-ssi told me about for analysis, and it indeed had a communication chip embedded in it. But the analyst said it was already dead and couldn’t be used. I tried to trace it back somehow, but unfortunately it was impossible.”
“They noticed and cut communication.”
“I think so too for now.”
“Then the only evidence that he’s the culprit of the artificial gates is his own confession.”
Woo-bin nodded weakly.
“Yes. And what’s most surprising is that Baek Sa-jin was a civilian. Not a hunter.”
Do-hyeok and Ha-seong’s eyes widened. They had suspected it might be the case, but hearing about his identity made the situation feel like it was falling into even more incomprehensible territory. Could a civilian who wasn’t a hunter affect gates? Or was even that the bastard deceiving them?
“What somewhat fits the situation is that since Baek Sa-jin started killing hunters, that is, since the first incident until now, not a single case presumed to be an artificial gate has occurred.”
If Baek Sa-jin was really the culprit, it was a conceivable story. But there was no decisive evidence.
“May I meet him directly?”
“Yes, there’s no problem with that.”
Then Do-hyeok lightly grabbed Ha-seong’s sleeve.
“I want to go in too.”
“You can’t.”
Then Woo-bin and Ha-seong said simultaneously as if they had planned it. Do-hyeok narrowed his eyes and showed deep dissatisfaction.
“I don’t want to fight with you twice.”
“I also decline to clean up after you.”
Ha-seong and Woo-bin shook their heads as if they were sick of it.
“I won’t do that anymore.”
“Yeah right. Ha-seong-ssi, it probably won’t be long, about 10 minutes should do.”
Woo-bin simply ignored Do-hyeok’s words and unlocked the door connecting to the interrogation room with a key. When the door opened and Ha-seong entered, Baek Sa-jin slowly lifted his head. He looked slightly more tired than when they saw him yesterday, his expression much more lifeless than before.
“We meet again.”
“You said you were just some unemployed bum. You came looking again.”
“Because you won’t open your mouth.”
Ha-seong pulled a chair and sat across from Baek Sa-jin. The warm, savory aroma of the soup and rice filled the room, but Baek Sa-jin didn’t seem to have any intention of picking up his spoon.
“Why don’t you eat? Considering the remaining investigation ahead, you have a long way to go.”
“…”
But Baek Sa-jin didn’t answer. He just sat like a wooden statue with his handcuffed hands politely folded.
“Are you really a civilian?”
“…That’s right.”
“And you’re also the main culprit who caused that artificial gate incident 10 years ago and recently too?”
“I’ve already told that Management Bureau bastard several times. It was all my doing.”
Baek Sa-jin said with bulging eyes. It seemed fatigue had accumulated considerably from being caught by Ha-seong’s group since dawn and being transferred here in the morning for investigation. Ha-seong slowly scanned that sensitive face.
“But it doesn’t make sense. Someone who couldn’t awaken as a hunter interfering with gates?”
“Isn’t that something you guys should figure out directly?”
“Now that you’re already caught, wouldn’t it be nice if you opened your mouth easily? You already confessed everything about the murder cases anyway. But why are you being stingy with words only about the artificial gates?”
Baek Sa-jin didn’t answer and just narrowed his eyes. It seemed he had no intention of opening his mouth to this question.
“I hate hunter society. That’s why I caused the incident 10 years ago to destroy this world.”
“Then why did you directly go around killing hunters in the middle? Did you change your plan halfway through opening artificial gates?”
“The government and Management Bureau perfectly blocked all content about artificial gates. Most citizens probably don’t even know why that incident happened 10 years ago. So I used hardline tactics. To give you guys a warning by directly killing hunters myself.”
Those words had some logic to them. In fact, the main information about artificial gates was limited to key Management Bureau figures like Woo-bin, Do-hyeok, and Ha-seong. In other words, no one else knew that the incident 10 years ago wasn’t a tremendous misfortune but something caused by someone’s actions.
That appearance might have looked like a false hunter society to Baek Sa-jin. If he changed methods to break that, it made sense in its own way, but still no decisive evidence could be found.
“10 years ago, I definitely gave a warning. But the idiots dismissed my writing as mere bluffing and ignored it.”
Was he talking about that post that went up on the internet before the incident 10 years ago?
“To show them reality, I chose murder even if I had to bear some risk.”
“So you absolutely won’t talk about the detailed circumstances?”
“Try figuring it out with your abilities.”
Baek Sa-jin leaned back in his chair as if mocking them. Whether this was really to test them or if there was some other scheme was difficult to determine at this point.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
