Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 210

“Did you find anything?”Gu Young-don shook his head at Cha In-cheol’s question.”It’s too clean.””. . .Clean?””Yes.”Gu Young-don sighed.”We scoured the scene, starting with the CCTV, like we were licking it clean, but not a single fingerprint or strand of hair came up. There’s no trace at all.”
“How can nobody be caught on that trail’s CCTV? Did some ghost come and go, or what?””What can I do if it’s not actually recorded? The victim disappears from the screen right after entering the blind spot. And no one went in before that either.”
“Damn it.”Cha In-cheol slumped into a chair.He wasn’t disappointed because no evidence was found. It was because this confirmed that this could be the start of something bigger.”It’s exactly the same as last time. It seems like a serial killing.””. . .Now all that’s left is to get our asses chewed out.”Since a serial killing had occurred in the safest neighborhood in South Korea, it was obvious that the media and the higher-ups would roast them like beans in a frying pan [a Korean idiom for being severely criticized].Of course, they had to catch the killer, and they would do everything they could, but if the higher-ups, who were getting impatient, tried to take direct control, it would only make their work more difficult.This was because those higher-ups, who had never experienced the field, often ordered ridiculous investigations.”This is going to be a headache.”Cha In-cheol sighed.”A special team will be formed, right?””Probably.”Cha In-cheol asked casually.”What about him?””Him?””You know, the first discoverer.””…Senior, please stop. I’ve already collected and checked the store and the CCTV in front of it. Kang Jin-ho was in the store at the time of the incident.”
“Are you sure?””I’m not sure. Who knows? Kang Jin-ho might have manipulated the store’s CCTV and the CCTV in front of the store!””You’ve grown up? You can even be sarcastic now?””He really isn’t the one.”Gu Young-don said with a sigh.”If you suspect him that much, usually you’d poke at it even if I said the sky was yellow. But this time, it’s really not him. He’s clean.”
“Alright, you punk.”Cha In-cheol snapped, and Gu Young-don flinched. Who knew what would come out of that dirty temper again. Before Gu Young-don could get cursed at, he quickly changed the subject.”But this time, the culprit doesn’t seem like an ordinary guy. This is the first time I’ve seen someone pull it off so cleanly.””. . .It’s one of two things.””Yes?””Either it’s an intelligent criminal committing the crime with a perfect plan…”Gu Young-don nodded.”Or he’s a real psycho.”
“I understand the first one, but I don’t understand the second one?””You wouldn’t understand even if I told you.””It’s because you never tell me that I keep not knowing. Isn’t it one of the duties of a senior to train their junior?””You’re full of it.”Cha In-cheol jumped up from his seat and walked outside. Cha In-cheol, who went to the smoking area in the back, took out a cigarette.Click.Cha In-cheol lit the cigarette and took a deep drag, then slowly exhaled.‘There’s got to be something…’The thought that Kang Jin-ho was hiding something had now gone beyond suspicion and reached the point of conviction. But Cha In-cheol was also well aware of his position.The police in South Korea cannot corner someone based on suspicion alone without any evidence.And Kang Jin-ho’s alibi was solid, even to him. If so, he had to admit that Kang Jin-ho had nothing to do with this case.‘Maybe that’s the bigger problem.’A predator is not at its most cruel and ferocious when it is hungry. It is when another predator invades its territory.Cha In-cheol shook his head, trying to shake off the uneasy thoughts that were creeping into his mind. There was no need to get ahead of himself. Now was the time to focus on securing evidence and witnesses to narrow the investigation into the culprit.”Jin-ho, have you eaten?””I’m okay today.””What do you mean! You need to eat and gain strength, especially at times like this!””. . .Yes.”His mother, having learned about the situation, was worried about Kang Jin-ho. The problem was that her way of worrying was a little off.Cold sweat began to flow from Kang Jin-ho’s body as he looked at the food piled high on the table.”It looks like there’s more than usual?””People need to eat well when they’re stressed. Otherwise, they’ll lose weight. You’re already thin and unimpressive, what if you lose more weight?””Thin?”Me?Kang Jin-ho lowered his head and looked at his body. He had a lean body, so he might look a little delicate, but the dense muscles packed tightly inside his clothes were pulsating as if they were about to burst out.But thin.How far removed from reality was a mother’s view of her child?”Eat quickly. You have to go to work.””Yes.”Kang Jin-ho nodded and sat at the table.It was an ordinary morning, just like before.”Welcome.”Kang Jin-ho greeted the rare customers politely.The fact that the murder case had turned into a serial murder case had a greater impact than just a change in words. It was noticeable that the number of people walking around, even during the day, had drastically decreased.Especially in cafes, where the proportion of female customers was high, the emptiness was palpable. If Kang Eun-young had come to work as before, at least the male customers would have filled the seats, but now Kang Eun-young was no longer coming to the cafe to focus on her drama.”Is it really a serial killing?””The methods are similar, they say.””But it’s such a big deal, why is the media so quiet?””They did report it, but it seems like they’re keeping it quiet. This neighborhood is so extreme. If the rumors spread too much and the land prices drop, there will be more than a few people who will riot, right? How are they going to handle that?””I guess so.”Kang Jin-ho approached the two women who were sitting down and said,”Would you like to order?””Yes. An Americano, and… what about you?””I’ll have a latte.””One cafe latte, please.””Would you like both of them hot?””No. Cold.””Alright.”Kang Jin-ho was about to turn around after taking the order when the woman sitting closer to him called out to him.”Excuse me.””Yes?””Is it true that the victim of the murder came here that day?”Kang Jin-ho didn’t answer.He didn’t know what to say.Whether to say yes or no.”I heard she was a regular here?””I don’t know.”Kang Jin-ho, who had vaguely evaded the question, turned around and headed to the counter.‘Is it gossip.’A person had died.But for them, such an event was nothing more than passing gossip.He didn’t intend to criticize them.Kang Jin-ho wasn’t someone who would sympathize with every murder case on TV either. If it wasn’t something that involved him, he wouldn’t have been any different from them.But….Clang.At that moment, the bell on the door rang, and a woman came inside. Everyone’s eyes turned to the door at once.Her old-fashioned attire and braided hair, which were almost anachronistic, were the reason why they couldn’t take their eyes off her. But she was used to such attention and didn’t panic at all, even with so many eyes on her.Step, step.She slowly walked towards the counter and stood in front of Kang Jin-ho.”Please have a seat, and I’ll come to take your order.””Kang Jin-ho.”Kang Jin-ho slightly narrowed his brows as he looked at the woman who had suddenly called his name.”Were you surprised? I’m sorry. I’m here because I wanted to have a conversation with you, Kang Jin-ho.”Kang Jin-ho, who had been quietly looking at the woman, opened his mouth.”I’m working.””Could you spare me a moment?””I said I’m working.””Is that so?”Even though he had refused her firmly, the woman smiled brightly and then subtly brought her face closer to Kang Jin-ho’s. Then, she whispered in a small voice that others couldn’t hear.”Don’t you want to know?””Who the culprit is in this case.”Kang Jin-ho didn’t answer.But the woman smiled as if she knew Kang Jin-ho’s mind.”Let me formally introduce myself. I’m Lee Hyun-joo from the Korean Martial Arts Association. I’d like to talk to you, Kang Jin-ho, about this case and other cases.”Her face was full of confidence. She was confident that Kang Jin-ho wouldn’t be able to refuse her any longer after she had said this much.”I’m working.”But Kang Jin-ho’s reaction didn’t change.”. . .Hey, Kang Jin-ho.”Kang Jin-ho’s hand lifted and pointed towards the door.”If you’re not here to have a drink, I’m sorry, but I’d appreciate it if you could leave. This is a business, not a place to have personal conversations.”Lee Hyun-joo looked at Kang Jin-ho with a dumbfounded expression.”The information I have is something you can’t get from anyone else. This could be a good opportunity for you, Kang Jin-ho.””If you have something personal to say to me, come after closing hours.””Hey! Kang Jin-ho!”Kang Jin-ho’s brows slightly narrowed.”I’m here to help you! Don’t you understand what I’m saying?”Kang Jin-ho slowly raised his hand and took off his apron. Then, he turned his head to look at his father and said,”Father.””Yes?””I’ll be back in a bit.””Okay. Don’t be too late. If your father serves, the customers will decrease.””. . .Yes.”Kang Jin-ho threw his apron inside the counter and walked out, leading the way. Lee Hyun-joo, who was dumbfounded at Kang Jin-ho’s sudden departure without a word, hurriedly followed him.”Hey!”But Kang Jin-ho didn’t even pretend to hear her and went to the side, then walked down into the dark underground parking lot, which seemed deserted.”What is he doing?”Lee Hyun-joo bit her lip. This was the first time she had been so thoroughly ignored. Driven by her competitive spirit, she followed Kang Jin-ho down to the underground parking lot.‘Why is it so dark here?’Even though it was underground, it felt excessively dark inside, even during the day. Lee Hyun-joo took a light breath to calm herself and went down to the underground.Click.A light flickered in the darkness.Kang Jin-ho, who had lit a cigarette in a corner of the parking lot, quietly looked at Lee Hyun-joo.”You said you wanted to talk?”Lee Hyun-joo couldn’t answer.She was about to say that she did, but her mouth was tightly shut as if it had been glued shut. It wasn’t just her mouth. Her body was completely still as if it had been paralyzed.‘What, what is this?’Only the burning cigarette and Kang Jin-ho’s eyes were shining brightly in the darkness.Different.It was the same person she had seen a little while ago.It was the same person she had been talking to just a moment ago.But it wasn’t the same person.He was just looking at her in the darkness, but the person in front of her now felt completely different from the person she had been talking to just a moment ago.It was like….“Talk?”In the darkness, he slowly began to approach her.