Necromancer Survival

Chapter 156

Furthermore, Koo Hui-seo lost his mother to his half-brother, Koo Kyungman, shortly after coming home to recuperate.

According to testimonies, Koo Kyungman came to visit the mansion, but when he saw Chairwoman Shin, his voice grew louder and louder. At that time, Chairwoman Shin requested to move to another location, worried for Koo Hui-seo’s safety.

However, just a few hours later, Koo Kyungman had disappeared and Chairwoman Shin had been murdered–a broken neck in the living room. The police and the Dungeon Association, who were dispatched after receiving the report, hurriedly placed an arrest warrant for Koo Kyungman, but his tracks had gone completely cold. Only Koo Hui-seo had been left behind.

Naturally, an intensive investigation was opened on Koo Hui-seo, the only witness to this incident. Actually, there were often cases where a general investigation couldn’t uncover evidence of murder in conflicts between users. So, if the suspect was a User, a User investigator affiliated with the dungeon association would be dispatched. That person could use their skills to piece together the sequence of events.

In particular, Users classed as ‘Witches’ were mainly used in such investigations; they could see clues to the past through their crystal balls and beads.

However, this time, the Witch’s skills didn’t work.

‘We can’t tell whether or not Koo Hui-seo is lying with our ability. Chairwoman Shin’s power runs through his blood. It’s very old magic, and Chairwoman Shin, who has far superior ability than I, placed it on him herself.’

‘We can obtain nothing from Chairwoman Shin’s body. It is true that she died from strong force resulting in a broken neck…However, I cannot access the most important parts of her memories that confirm the suspect. It’s as if only that part had been cut out…’

‘There’s no way to find out what happened inside the living room either. Other Users have conducted an investigation, and nothing has come of it. The connection with Chairwoman Shin’s familiar has also been cut off.’

All three Witches, who were known to have a knack for looking into the past, raised their hands in defeat. Koo Hui-seo had also been questioned by the police, but, right in time, a lawyer affiliated with the [Red Dragon] guild came forth and replaced him as spokesperson for the defendant on this case; no accusations could be levied against him.

Eventually, Koo Hui-seo was released. He was the most suspicious suspect, but no evidence had emerged.

‘In any case, it’s obvious…Koo Hui-seo purged them. You know about that guy’s background, right?’

However, despite the lack of evidence, all those investigating the murder were convinced that Koo Hui-seo was the culprit. Eventually, as only Chairwoman Shin and Koo Kyungman disappeared, the one who eventually consumed and took over the [Red Dragon] guild was the one who benefitted the most from the fallout.

When Koo Hui-seo was released from the grasp of the legal authorities, he disposed of Chairwoman Shin’s assets, as if he had been waiting for this chance, and recruited loyal key figures to support his side within the guild. He took control as soon as possible.

Of course, this may have not happened if Koo Kyungman was caught and tried in court, but Koo Kyungman’s current situation was quite ambiguous. Furthermore, acquaintances accepted his disappearance without a trace as his death sentence. In lieu of Koo Kyungman’s sudden disappearance, Koo Hui-seo became something akin to a new king–his royal mandate proven through the blood that ran through his vessels.

Thus, even those that were Koo Kyungman’s limbs–his men–bowed their heads to Koo Hui-seo just a week after their former boss’s disappearance. [Red Dragon] quickly recovered within a month, as if Koo Kyungman had never existed.

At that time, Moon Issak judged that Koo Hui-seo used his brain well. If Koo Kyungman’s body was found, the guild could not have recovered as easily.

However, Koo Hui-seo had avoided even more intense scrutiny and accusations of murder by somehow evaporating Koo Kyungman’s corpse; since his brother was still considered a suspect, Koo Hui-seo, his only remaining family member, could dispose of Koo Kyungman’s property at will. In the end, Koo Hui-seo took control over [Red Dragon] quite simply.

Moon Issak was not in charge of the incident, so he heard about these details second-hand. During his meal with Bae Jaemin, though, this case came to mind. So, Moon Issak had started a personal investigation into the name Choi Lee-kyung, his only clue.

However, he found that ‘Choi Lee-kyung’ was simply the name of an uncommon [Necromancer], a C+ rated User, and someone living outside the Hub’s core. On paper, he was just another humble User.

Moon Issak felt like the winds beneath his sails had just escaped; no matter how he looked at it, someone of Choi Lee-kyung’s ability could not have sent an invitation to his room. In addition, he had been given another task that required his mental efforts and time, so he had to pause his investigation.

However, when looking through the surveys and flight records associated with Park Hoseok’s murder, the name ‘Choi Lee-kyung’ had caught his eye once again. Moon Issak requested more detailed boarding documents for the Necromancer.

The results were shocking. He had arrived at Jeju Island just a day before Park Hoseok’s murder, carrying a pass that Koo Hui-seo had personally issued.

This reeked faintly of rot.

* * *

After a few days, the news coverage of the Jeju Island incident had gradually decreased. There had been no news of the suspect’s capture, but, even if the murder was such a shocking incident, people’s interests would wane a little after it dominated the headlines for weeks.

The hot topic, ‘Which ranker killed Park Hoseok,’ which reigned the conversation day by day had also withered with the news that the criminal had probably been part of a team instead of a lone agent.

According to the news, there was a suspicious overflow of skills used near the scene of the crime; a barrier had been erected to block the victim from escaping outside.

My heart galloped whenever new information was reported, but it was indeed true that people’s interest in the incident had decreased significantly. Thus, news-related stress had diminished slightly. To be fair, Bae Jaemin wasn’t the one who killed him, and Park Hoseok wasn’t very well-known in the first place–he was still a bit unfamiliar to ordinary folks.

So, these days, I started feeling more confident in leaving the house little by little. Starting today, Kim Sangyoon and I would begin dungeoneering again. I needed to level up quickly and summon a new guild member.

In order to cultivate levels as fast as possible, we planned on entering the [Snack House] dungeon, which was a bit more difficult that [Aule’s Ghost Ship] and had little merit other than funneling experience to the Users. We planned on monopolizing all of [Snack House]’s monsters since other Users would most likely raid a more efficient dungeon.

Ding Dong–

The only downside to [Snack House] was its location–outside of the hub–and Users needed transportation to access it. But, since we had Kim Sangyoon, that wasn’t a problem.

As soon as he heard we needed to clear [Snack House], Kim Sangyoon said he would bring his car to the front of my house and pick me up before I even requested that from him. And, today, about 10 minutes before the scheduled time, the doorbell rang. I had been waiting behind the front door, so I opened it immediately and stepped out.

In front of the house lay Kim Sangyoon’s red sports car. Its black-tinted windows rolled down as I approached. Within the car, Kim Sangyoon sat–his hair slicked back–and he wore a tacky, black, brand new combat suit. The Warrior greeted me with a smile.

‘B-Burdensome…’

For some reason, his smile was intimidating, so I hugged Lackey tightly within my arms.

[Clack Clack Clack!]

“Hello!” Kim Sangyoon chirped.

“Hi, hi…” I said.

“Why’s he wearing his clothes so tight like that?” Jung Garam bluntly voiced my thoughts before entering the car. I felt somehow embarrassed to look at Kim Sangyoon, so I clamped my mouth shut and opened the passenger seat door.

However, when I sat in the passenger seat, the overwhelming perfume scent almost made me motion sick. Since it was mixed with the scent of air freshener, the smell almost gave me a headache. Does Sangyoon-ssi usually wear perfume like this…? I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, wondering, but, I have no idea since when he’d been looking at me, we made eye contact.

Kim Sangyoon smiled awkwardly before starting the car; I cautiously lowered the window. Like that, we drove silently for a while.

“Hyung-nim. I…Could I listen to some music?”

“Yes, please be comfortable. I’m alright with it.”

“Thank you!”

[I like Oppa~ Why don’t you don’t you don’t you know my heart~] ¹

“No! This isn’t it…”

A popular idol girl-group song flowed out from the radio; Kim Sangyoon looked visibly embarrassed and tapped at the console screen several times.

The music he turned on after that was similarly noisy and chaotic. Kim Sangyoon wrestled with the radio with a nervous face, but, soon after, a sweet acoustic band song that seemed vaguely familiar began to play. Only then did Kim Sangyoon relax and brighten his expression. It seems he was searching for this song.

By that time, the intense scent had somewhat dissipated, so I leaned my head against the headrest and closed my eyes. Since the journey would take approximately an hour and half by car, I wanted to sleep.

However, Kim Sangyoon engaged me in conversation. “Um, Hyung-nim, am I right in thinking that you use this song for your ringtone?

“What?”

“I-Is this not it…?”

“Ah…”

Is it? I can’t check my ringtone when I’m calling someone else… But, come to think of it, the melody does sound familiar…

“I think so…”

“Do you like the guitar?”

“Mm…Well I don’t dislike it.” I opened my eyes and looked sideways at him, wondering if he was playing that song for me.

Kim Sangyoon mumbled like each of his words were laden with some double entendre, “I..actually, I used to play some classical guitar in the past.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Actually, I was a bit awed and thankful. This was the first song I’d ever practiced…hahaha!” The warrior began to ramble. At first I wondered why he was acting like that, but then I reasoned he probably prepared some topics of conversation so the long car drive wasn’t made awkward.

TL: Moon Issak is so close!! And our hapless protagonists have little idea T_T

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