Chapter 290 – Part 2 – The Investigator

There are three continents in the world.

And the 8 Heroes divide and rule over them.

4 in Westland.

3 in Eastland.

1 in the Neutral Nation.

The reason these continental rulers are called heroes is none other than this.

They protected the world from monsters with their powerful strength.

But this is only the superficial reason – in reality, they’re not heroes but dictators who rule the world through force.

‘To think I have to assassinate all of these incredible beings by myself.’

It was certainly an insane level of difficulty, but there were advantageous aspects.

‘I was able to analyze them together with God.’

Their close associates, family relationships, skills, traits, tendencies, strengths, weaknesses, etc.

Before possession, Choi Seong-min studied the 8 Heroes with God’s help.

While looking down at the world from the dimensional passage, he pondered and pondered again how to assassinate them.

Through this, he was able to decide who to kill first.

‘Song Chi-hyeon, the Hero of Eastland. I need to kill this guy first.’

All 8 Heroes are renowned S-rank hunters, but only one, Song Chi-hyeon, is merely an A-rank hunter.

‘How did an A-rank manage to rise to the position of one of the 8 Heroes?’

By analyzing past footage with God’s help, he could understand the reason.

‘He was just strong.’

Despite being A-rank, he’s as strong as S-rank.

Especially, Song Chi-hyeon was incredibly strong in human-versus-human combat.

‘Looking at the footage, he’s relatively ordinary when facing monsters.’

This could be seen as the reason his growth was slower than other heroes.

‘But that also means his growth potential is infinitely vast.’

Unlike other heroes who had already reached the pinnacle, he could be seen as a hero still growing.

‘That’s why I need to eliminate him first. Before he grows stronger than now.’

Although his growth stopped at A-rank due to the dungeon seals, the dungeons would reopen when Choi Seong-min possessed someone.

‘Then not only I, but he too would be able to grow.’

So he decided.

To target Song Chi-hyeon of Eastland first.

‘But his trait is too powerful.’

Song Chi-hyeon’s trait is reading people’s thoughts.

‘Since thoughts are read, naturally he can achieve overwhelming victory in human combat.’

That was why he was ordinary against monsters but virtually invincible in human-versus-human combat.

‘A frontal confrontation is unthinkable. Any strategy would be seen through.’

Of course, one could deliberately hide thoughts or confuse by thinking different things.

But there was a simpler method than that.

‘No need to fight head-on. I can ambush him.’

The flower of assassination is, after all, ambush.

And among ambushes, the safest and most perfect ambush is…

‘Betrayal.’

Choi Seong-min decided to use Song Chi-hyeon’s trait against him to win his favor.

‘After gaining Song Chi-hyeon’s trust like that, if I betray him at the moment he’s most off-guard?’

He could kill him perfectly.

‘He’s an A-rank hunter with 600,000 combat power. Considering equipment and stats, even reaching B-rank should make an ambush work.’

To become a B-rank hunter, combat power needs to exceed 100,000.

It still felt distant, but there was no rush.

‘I’ll climb up step by step and handle it according to plan.’

Before possession, Choi Seong-min analyzed everything about Song Chi-hyeon.

In the process, he learned an important fact.

‘He likes simple people.’

Perhaps due to his trait, Song Chi-hyeon was wary of and disliked people with complex or hard-to-read thoughts.

Schizophrenia patients and psychopaths fell into this category.

‘In front of him, I need to appear as a simple person with clear thoughts.’

Therefore, Choi Seong-min looked at the masked man he suspected to be Song Chi-hyeon with wary eyes and thought.

Simply, as if appealing that he was a person whose thoughts were easy to read.

‘Who is this person? The mask makes him somehow suspicious.’

Do Eun-jeong beside him seemed to have similar thoughts, as she was equally wary.

“You’re Choi Seong-min and Do Eun-jeong, right?”

“Who are you?”

“No need to be wary. I have no intention of harming you.”

The masked man took out a business card from his chest.

The card had the name Investigator Lee Jun-hyeop along with the Association’s mark.

Choi Seong-min immediately knew it was a fake identity.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be wearing a mask.

He also knew from the beginning that only Song Chi-hyeon wore masks.

But even knowing this, he didn’t think about it internally.

If he let his guard down, it might be read.

He had to think simply, simply.

“Why would the Association’s investigation team…”

“An accident occurred in the Worwolf dungeon you entered today, right? I have a few questions about that, so please cooperate.”

Not complying with the Association’s request could lead to unknown consequences.

Therefore, the two had no choice but to nod.

“Let’s talk with one person at a time over here. Ms. Do Eun-jeong first.”

Do Eun-jeong went to a corner with the investigator.

‘It’s probably Song Chi-hyeon, not an investigator.’

A big shot like Song Chi-hyeon investigating under a disguised identity was partly due to his trait, but also because of orders from other heroes.

‘Song Chi-hyeon has the lowest combat power even among the 8 Heroes. He’s in a position where he has to bow to superiors.’

Naturally, hierarchy existed even among the 8 Heroes.

Song Chi-hyeon was the weakest among them and was in charge of rooting out rebellious groups in Eastland.

‘Of course, only I and the other heroes would know that Song Chi-hyeon personally conducts investigations.’

Only the other heroes know about Song Chi-hyeon’s trait too.

But they probably don’t know as much detail as Choi Seong-min.

‘He can only read thoughts by looking directly with his eyes. And only when within 30 meters.’

This was why Choi Seong-min could think freely now.

Unless he had eyes on the back of his head, he couldn’t read his thoughts.

“You’re Do Eun-jeong from Team Crush, right? Who joined two days ago.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“I’ll ask a few questions. You said a boss appeared in the Worwolf dungeon you entered today…”

The disguised Song Chi-hyeon asked Do Eun-jeong various things.

“Did you directly witness the supervisor being killed by the boss?”

“No. I was knocked unconscious by the boss, so I didn’t see it.”

“Then how did you know about the supervisor’s death?”

“A colleague who saved me told me.”

Generally ordinary questions, so she just had to answer based on what she saw and heard.

But there were also difficult questions.

“How did you injure your wrist?”

“Ah, this is…”

In front of the investigator’s interrogation, Do Eun-jeong had to suffer severe conflict as if she were a criminal.

‘What should I do? Tell the truth? Or hide it?’

Her hesitation was so obvious on her face that the investigator smirked behind his mask.

There was no need to read her thoughts.

“Let me ask again. How did you injure your wrist?”

“…”

“It would be better to speak honestly.”

“Well…”

Do Eun-jeong eventually confessed that the supervisor had tried to rape her.

In a way, it exposed the Association’s shame, so it could be viewed unfavorably, but ultimately it was a good choice.

If she had lied in this situation, she would have been caught immediately and faced severe punishment.

“Hmm, so that happened. I understand.”

“Am I… what will happen to me…”

“What do you mean what will happen? The investigation is over, so you may go now.”

“Ah…”

Do Eun-jeong had worried that revealing the supervisor’s crime might cause problems, but that wouldn’t happen.

Song Chi-hyeon’s reason for coming to investigate was solely to identify the culprit who killed the supervisor.

‘That would be me.’

When Song Chi-hyeon looked this way, Choi Seong-min immediately hid his inner thoughts.

“Next, Mr. Choi Seong-min. Please come this way for investigation.”

While Choi Seong-min was coming over, Song Chi-hyeon stared intently and read his thoughts.

-I haven’t done anything wrong, so what’s this about?

‘Hmm. Looking at his thoughts, he doesn’t seem to be the culprit…’

He’d need to question him in detail to know for sure.

“Could you state your affiliation, name, and combat power?”

“I’m Choi Seong-min from Team Crush. My combat power is 3,011.”

Song Chi-hyeon quietly read Choi Seong-min’s thoughts.

Sometimes there were types who hid their combat power.

-Even asking about combat power. How thorough.

He was just puzzled by being asked about combat power; no other thoughts were read.

‘If he had hidden his combat power, it would have shown in his thoughts somehow. It must be real.’

Song Chi-hyeon, dismissing his slight suspicion, began asking questions in earnest.

“Could you explain the situation when the boss appeared in the dungeon?”

-I just need to explain what I saw and heard.

Thinking this, Choi Seong-min explained the situation he witnessed without hesitation.

Of course, a false situation.

“So you’re saying that while you and Team Leader Kwon Ho-jun were wandering the forest together, the boss suddenly ambushed, and when you went to ask the supervisor for help, you were ambushed again?”

“Yes… I didn’t intend to, but I seem to have unknowingly led the boss there…”

“Hmm.”

“If I hadn’t foolishly led it there, the supervisor wouldn’t have been eaten like that…”

Looking at Choi Seong-min bowing his head in guilt, Song Chi-hyeon thought.

‘It seems the boss appearing is true. His statement and thoughts match, and seeing him deeply reflecting.’

Song Chi-hyeon took note of Choi Seong-min.

‘Choi Seong-min, was it?’

Before coming to investigate, he had somewhat grasped information about him.

‘A case of going from commoner to hunter?’

Usually commoners harbor resentment toward supervisors, but the young man before him was actually feeling sorry.

‘He shows no resentment toward the government and seems to show some loyalty to superiors. His thoughts are simple too.’

Song Chi-hyeon knew this type was perfect to have as a subordinate.

‘I thought he might be a psycho since he graduated from training camp in just one week, but he wasn’t.’

In Song Chi-hyeon’s experience, most people with some talent showed psychopathic tendencies.

The 8 Heroes were representative cases.

That’s why Song Chi-hyeon had thought Choi Seong-min might have killed the supervisor.

Even with 3,000 combat power, if he ambushed well, he could definitely harm a D-rank.

‘But I guess I was wrong.’

Song Chi-hyeon completely dismissed his suspicion of Choi Seong-min.

The more questions he asked, the more he thought he was suitable to be a subordinate.

“That’s all for the questions. Thank you for your cooperation.”

“Ah, is it over?”

“Yes, you may go now.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Investigator Lee Jun-hyeop. Then I’ll be going…”

Choi Seong-min, who had turned around, smiled secretly.

Seeing that he was letting him go without issue, it seemed he had escaped suspicion.

Moreover, seeing that his tone had become softer compared to the beginning, it seemed he had successfully made a good impression as planned.

It had to be so.

He had generously shown actions and thoughts that Song Chi-hyeon would like.

Song Chi-hyeon’s strength and weakness was reading thoughts.

Song Chi-hyeon doesn’t judge people by their exterior.

Having seen countless people whose exterior and interior were different.

Therefore, he believed only thoughts were truth and judged solely by them.

The point of blindly trusting thoughts.

That was Song Chi-hyeon’s fatal weakness.

Anyone who knew about his trait could show intentional thoughts if they set their mind to it.

Just like Choi Seong-min right now.

“Seong-min, are you done?”

“Yes. We can go now.”

Just as Choi Seong-min was about to walk with Do Eun-jeong again.

“Ah, let me ask just one more thing.”

Song Chi-hyeon stopped the two people’s steps.

“Where were you two headed?”

“We were going to Eun-jeong’s house here.”

“Is that so?”

Song Chi-hyeon stared intently at Choi Seong-min who had answered.

In this unexpected situation, Choi Seong-min had to fill his mind with hastily made-up thoughts.

Having read his thoughts, Song Chi-hyeon grinned.

“I understand. Then have a good time. Hehe.”