Chapter 73 – Surveillance

Kim Hyun-jun is a rookie investigator in the Hunter Association’s Crime Investigation Department.

He is also a hunter from the Black Sea Guild.

Logically, hunters don’t apply to the Crime Investigation Department staffed by ordinary people.

Because of the low pay.

But despite being a hunter, Kim Hyun-jun proudly entered the Crime Investigation Department by taking the exam.

However, no one in the team knew he was a hunter.

Naturally, they didn’t even know about the Black Sea Guild.

The reason this was possible was simple.

It was a fake identity.

Kim Hyun-jun’s real name is Lee Cheon-sik.

In fact, Kim Hyun-jun was one of the many people killed by the Black Sea Guild.

The Black Sea Guild appropriated that person’s identity and ordered Lee Cheon-sik to become Kim Hyun-jun.

It was to infiltrate the Association.

Following orders, Lee Cheon-sik made tremendous efforts to become Kim Hyun-jun.

He studied to pass the exam and even got plastic surgery to match the face.

As a result, people only knew him as Kim Hyun-jun.

Hunter Lee Cheon-sik became an identity used only within the Black Sea Guild.

Even he didn’t know forging an identity would be this easy.

Infiltrating the Hunter Association’s Crime Investigation Department wasn’t difficult either.

Anyone could apply and enter by taking the national exam.

After infiltrating the Association with this fake identity, he was given two directives.

One was monitoring S-grade items stored by the Association.

The other was reporting on Crime Investigation Department activities.

Recently, the Black Sea Guild issued one more directive.

To find the person impersonating the Black Sea Guild.

Fortunately, this directive seemed solvable soon.

Because the Association found a lead.

‘Min Do-jun, was it?’

The only hunter who visited the nearby columbarium on the day of the incident.

He became a prime suspect because his exit time matched the crime time.

‘He’s the one who killed Senior Cho Gyu-chan.’

Cho Gyu-chan was the one who taught and guided him when he first joined the Black Sea Guild as a novice.

A relationship like senior, mentor, and brother.

His feelings when he heard about Cho Gyu-chan’s death…

Grind-

Kim Hyun-jun, no, Lee Cheon-sik clenched his teeth.

‘Min Do-jun, that b*st*rd killed him.’

Though he only had circumstantial evidence, Lee Cheon-sik somehow felt Min Do-jun was the impersonator.

‘The guild’s been having headaches over the impersonator, so this works out well.’

Though there was no definitive evidence of guilt and the team showed skepticism after the team leader met Min Do-jun, Lee Cheon-sik held onto his suspicion.

‘I’ll judge whether he’s the culprit or not myself.’

For this, Lee Cheon-sik staked out in front of Min Do-jun’s house from early morning.

To tail him.

‘It’s my day off but that doesn’t matter. If I can prove he’s Senior Cho Gyu-chan’s enemy.’

Though surveillance alone couldn’t prove he impersonated the Black Sea Guild, he might find some small clue.

‘He’s out.’

He spots Min Do-jun leaving the apartment.

Lee Cheon-sik hid like an assassin.

He wanted to use stealth for obvious tailing but couldn’t.

‘He beat Senior Cho Gyu-chan and is now level 1,350, so stealth would be useless.’

Though reluctant to admit, his stealth at not even level 800 would be quickly detected.

He had no choice but to carefully follow from out of sight.

Lee Cheon-sik quietly followed Min Do-jun.

He maintained sufficient distance while following to avoid detection.

‘He probably has no idea I’m tailing him.’

Not just Min Do-jun, even the Black Sea Guild didn’t know about his surveillance.

Since he only had circumstantial evidence, he planned to report after finding proof.

‘I’ll report to the guild immediately if he shows suspicious behavior.’

Min Do-jun, who had been walking diligently since morning, entered somewhere.

‘A real estate office?’

Lee Cheon-sik pondered why Min Do-jun visited a real estate office near his home.

‘To buy land? Or to purchase commercial property?’

A hunter of Min Do-jun’s level earns 170 million won per day.

That calculates to 62 billion won annually.

‘It’s not strange to visit real estate offices since he wouldn’t invest all that money just in hunter equipment.’

He likely visited for land speculation or commercial property purchase.

Most B-grade hunters invest their excess money that way.

After waiting about an hour, Min Do-jun came out.

‘Where to next?’

Lee Cheon-sik resumed tailing like a stray cat.

Hoping to catch some useful information.

‘He took a taxi?’

When Min Do-jun disappeared in a taxi at the taxi stand, Lee Cheon-sik quickly caught the next taxi.

“Please follow that taxi.”

“Pardon? Why that taxi…”

“I’ll pay double, so just hurry without questions!”

At the mention of double pay, the taxi driver stepped on the accelerator without hesitation.

“Don’t follow too closely.”

“Yes sir.”

They followed at a distance to avoid detection.

When Min Do-jun got off at the street, Lee Cheon-sik also got off after a gap.

The surveillance continued.

Soon, Min Do-jun entered a Mercedes-Benz showroom.

Through the window, he could see staff respectfully greeting Min Do-jun.

Though obviously car shopping, Lee Cheon-sik didn’t understand.

‘With so many more expensive sports cars, why specifically Mercedes?’

Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, etc.

B-grade or higher hunters usually own at least one of these cars.

He was the same.

Though he used public transport for his Hunter Association job to maintain his low-salary act.

‘Is he short on money? No. With his two days’ income he could easily afford it.’

Yet why choose Mercedes over more expensive cars?

‘Is it for a second car?’

Though Min Do-jun took taxis, it seemed unlikely he didn’t already have a car.

Even he sometimes called taxis when lazy about driving.

‘He probably already owns sports cars and is buying another as a hobby.’

That was the most likely possibility.

Many hunters owned multiple foreign cars.

Min Do-jun came out receiving staff greetings and caught another taxi.

Following by taxi again led to Min Do-jun’s home.

‘He spent the morning on real estate investment and buying a second car.’

Now it was time to surveil the afternoon.

But Min Do-jun didn’t come out until late night.

‘What’s he doing at home to stay cooped up all afternoon?’

Lee Cheon-sik waited until 11 PM just in case.

He might go out for late-night drinks with friends.

But it was futile.

‘All that waiting for nothing?’

Lee Cheon-sik turned away disappointed.

He gave up his precious rest day for surveillance but gained nothing.

‘No point waiting longer.’

He needed to go home, shower, and sleep to work at the Association tomorrow.

‘I’ll have to tail him again next time.’

Thus ended Lee Cheon-sik’s surveillance for the day.

But he didn’t know.

That a new surveillance was beginning.

* * *

[Wang wang!]

The ghost wolf ran over and barked at Min Do-jun as if warning.

“Did the guy tailing me leave?”

[Wang!]

“Okay.”

Min Do-jun immediately put on his coat and left home.

It was to counter-track whoever had been tailing him all morning.

‘Whoever you are, you picked the wrong target.’

Min Do-jun noticed the tail when he took a taxi after visiting the real estate office.

‘I might not have suspected normally, but I was recently under suspicion.’

Having been suspected by the Hunter Association days ago, Min Do-jun was on high alert thinking they might surveil him.

‘Good thing I was alert, or I might not have noticed.’

He suspected being followed when he saw someone hurriedly taking a taxi after him.

The same happened when returning home by taxi.

Though he didn’t look back, he felt someone following.

‘Little brother, bark once if someone’s following me, twice if not.’

Though they couldn’t converse, the ghost wolf understood and executed all his commands.

This was due to the ghost wolf’s unique characteristic of bonding.

The ghost wolf returned after confirming the tail behind Min Do-jun.

[Wang!]

‘As expected.’

Afterward, Min Do-jun stayed holed up at home.

Instead, he gave new instructions to the ghost wolf.

‘Little brother, watch him outside and let me know when he’s about to leave.’

[Wang!]

Thanks to the ghost wolf keeping watch until late night, he could now counter-track like this.

‘I’ll tail you just like you tailed me this morning.’

Min Do-jun followed at a distance, just as the other had done.

Though using tracking skill would be easier, he didn’t.

‘If I remember him, it might erase Kim Petro’s scent that I’m currently remembering.’

Tracking skill could only remember similar scents, or one scent at a time.

It couldn’t remember two specific people simultaneously.

‘No matter. I don’t need tracking skill for you.’

Seeing him take a taxi, he caught one to follow.

And tracked similarly.

The taxi enters an apartment complex.

Seems to be his home.

Min Do-jun got off outside the complex to avoid detection and quickly entered.

He sees the guy entering the security code at the entrance far ahead.

He approached closer.

To see information through weakness detection.

At a certain distance, the desired information window appeared.

[Lee Cheon-sik]

– Description: Hunter born 1996. Currently level 788. Black Sea Guild member, occupation assassin.

– Combat Method: Hiding then using shadow stepping for throat-cutting from behind. When not hidden, maintains distance and throws daggers.

– Weakness: Monotonous attack pattern. Vulnerable to low attacks.

‘He’s a hunter?’

This was unexpected for Min Do-jun, who thought the Crime Investigation Department was tailing him.

Since the department consisted only of ordinary people.

‘If not the Association tailing me, then who?’

Min Do-jun read more information, leaving Lee Cheon-sik who had already entered.

Then he discovered shocking information.

‘Black Sea Guild?’

His heart sank for a moment.

‘How…?’

If the Black Sea Guild was tailing him, there could only be one reason.

‘Have they already discovered I’m the impersonator?’

Min Do-jun soon shook his head.

‘No. That’s impossible. The Black Sea Guild couldn’t have found evidence the Hunter Association couldn’t.’

Moreover, the fact they were tailing proved they hadn’t discovered yet.

If they were certain about the impersonator, they would have organized a combat team for ambush rather than having a sub-800 level guild member tail him.

‘They must be at the stage of suspecting I might be the impersonator. That’s why they’re tailing.’

Anyway, he’d know more details when day breaks.

‘Knowing where he lives is enough.’

Now it’s Min Do-jun’s turn to tail him.