A hunter refers to an awakened one who specializes in gate(Gate Raids).
Naturally, hunters are specialized in dealing with the “monsters” that come out of the gates.
On the other hand, they often show vulnerabilities when facing humans in “combat against people.”
Hunting monsters, each of which has a unique(strategy), is completely different from dealing with humans.
Methods for dealing with people, such as drugs, poison, sleeping pills, and traps, are endless, beyond just fighting.
“Russia” was one of the countries most famous for excelling in this area.
The Russian government’s radioactive tea was so famous that even the world knew about it.
They used such subtle methods that even if they failed, it was hard to notice.
Russia was also known for having a plan to cut ties in case of failure.
This was true even for the Russian Orthodox Church.
But…
“Isn’t the trace too obvious?”
The investigation team leader tilted his head.
The bodies found by the Orthodox Church revealed a weak connection with the Church.
They tried to hide it, but it was clumsy.
When they checked the call records and movements, the identity was quickly revealed.
“Seems like Russia doesn’t have good people these days. They’re using such clumsy ones.”
“Maybe the Russian Orthodox Church isn’t as terrifying as it used to be.”
“We might have found something good.”
“Haha! That’s true.”
The investigation team members celebrated their success with bright faces.
They had proven that, despite the Russian Orthodox Church’s power, the Korean Hunter Association was not to be underestimated.
However, questions still remained.
“By the way, who do you think killed them?”
“Not sure.”
In order to find the killer of the Orthodox Church priests, the association, a government-affiliated organization, mobilized professional profilers and the forensics team.
They even checked all nearby CCTV footage.
However, whether the killer soared into the sky or sank into the ground, they couldn’t find a trace.
The crime scene, where no clues could be found, was a first for the investigation team leader.
“Maybe a ghost passed through.”
“Maybe Jack the Ripper showed up.”
As the investigation team members exchanged jokes in frustration,
“It might really be Jack the Ripper.”
“Really?”
It was the elderly forensics team leader, who had been examining the body, who spoke up.
“Have you heard of the Crime Pub annihilation incident?”
“The Crime Pub? Isn’t that a 19th-century London gang? It was suddenly gone and became a topic of discussion.”
“That’s right. It was the first case Jack the Ripper appeared in.”
While the British government officially recognized only five murders of prostitutes as the work of Jack the Ripper, everyone who knew the case understood.
Jack the Ripper’s murders started with the Crime Pub annihilation incident, not the prostitute killings.
“It’s the famous unsolved case in Conan’s case notebook.”
“Why bring that up suddenly…”
“It’s just, the emotions in Conan’s notebook are exactly what I’m feeling right now.”
No evidence, no traces. It was a chillingly clean crime scene. All that was left was an abandoned old pair of scissors.
The current crime scene seemed eerily similar to the Crime Pub annihilation case recorded in Conan Doyle’s case notebook. Even the murder method.
It felt as if Jack the Ripper had appeared again, crossing over a hundred years of time.
“Forensics team leader, come on. Jack the Ripper was from the 19th century, right?”
“I know. I just said it because it feels similar.”
The forensics team leader chuckled.
It was nonsensical to think of a Victorian ghost in a 21st-century crime scene.
The forensics team leader erased the ghostly image that appeared in his mind.
“That’s it, let’s wrap it up.”
“Understood.”
In the end, the deaths of the Orthodox Church priests remained an unsolved case, labeled only as a drug overdose death in the media.
In a time when gates were frequently opening, it wouldn’t do to have an unsolved murder case stir up public unrest.
Three days ago, eight Russians were found dead in a residential area near Yeoksam-dong in Seoul. The police are expanding their investigation, suspecting drug-related deaths.
“….”
Vanessa, watching the news report on TV, turned her gaze away.
Choi Jeosun was in the living room, moving his fountain pen while looking at his laptop.
“Here you go.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Choi Jeosun continued his deduction while drinking the coffee Jeanne made.
However, the fountain pen only stopped, refusing to move properly.
He had heard about an artifact theft case, but it seemed there were not enough clues to continue the deduction.
“Should I go check it for you?”
“Thank you for offering, but it’s okay.”
Choi Jeosun shook his head at Vanessa’s words.
“It’s a mercenary group we’re dealing with. Of course, if it’s you, Vanessa, it wouldn’t be a problem, but we still need to be cautious.”
He declined but added words so that Vanessa wouldn’t feel bad.
“In this world, we have surveillance tools like CCTV. Even a small dispute can easily be caught. I don’t think you’d get caught, but you never know.”
“I understand.”
Vanessa smiled slightly at his words, which were meant to protect her.
The estimated time of death for the eight Russians was around 11 p.m. three days ago…
She decided to keep her dealings with the Orthodox Church a secret from Choi Jeosun.
If he knew, he would surely start worrying.
Vanessa didn’t want that to happen.
Among the gates, there are some that can only be entered if you satisfy certain attributes.
The Gonjiam Gate was one of them.
Only hunters with light attributes could enter this special gate.
I didn’t have the light attribute, but since Jeanne had it, I was able to enter.
Because the attributes of artifacts or historical figures included in the transcendent’s connection applied to me as well.
“Inside, the ghosts of dead patients are wandering. It’s dangerous above the third floor, so you should avoid going up there if possible.”
The bishop, who was managing the Gonjiam Gate, warned me.
“Especially, never go into Room 406.”
“What’s in Room 406?”
“It’s the ghost of a high school girl who died from a medical accident. She’s an ‘evil spirit.'”
The bishop strongly advised me not to enter Room 406.
“I must go in.”
Of course, it sounded like a must-enter request to me.
The higher the difficulty, the more likely it was to get a ‘slot’ as a reward.
I had the confidence to do so because I trusted Jeanne.
“Do not use the elevator.”
“I understand.”
I still decided to use the elevator.
Taking the bishop’s advice carefully, I entered the Gonjiam Gate.
[Entering Gonjiam Gate.]
A creepy hospital hallway stretched out.
—Kya-ha-ha…
Ghosts in white clothes were flying through the hallway.
They were undead, “specters,” which I had seen in the Vatican.
The difference was that these ghosts were wearing patient gowns and had long black hair.
The Vatican’s specters were brown-haired.
“It seems their appearance changes depending on the country.”
I summoned Jeanne and Vanessa.
“This must be the Gonjiam Gate.”
“Yes, you have to go up to the 4th floor.”
Jeanne quietly clasped her hands together.
Whoosh.
“Kyaaah!”
The specters that had been flying through the hallway all ascended to the afterlife at once as the stigmata shone.
There wasn’t even a need to use the flag.
‘…Somehow, it feels like she’s getting stronger and stronger.’
I clicked my tongue at the hallway that had been purified in an instant and moved forward.
At the end of the hallway, the elevator that the bishop had mentioned stood with its doors wide open.
“Let’s get in.”
As soon as we entered the elevator, the doors closed as if they had been waiting and it began to ascend.
Ding.
[4th Floor]
The elevator stopped precisely on the 4th floor.
‘So this is why they told us not to take it.’
They had warned that the higher the floor, the more dangerous it would be, but since the elevator took us directly to the 4th floor, they must have wanted us to use the stairs instead.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, a rotten zombie arm stretched inside.
Slash.
Suddenly, the zombie’s arm was neatly severed and fell.
Beyond the open elevator doors, the hallway was filled with zombies.
“Eun-gong, could you please step back for a moment?”
“Yes.”
Vanessa held a golden pair of scissors in her hands.
She was the one who had just cut off the zombie’s arm with a snip.
Whoosh!
The dark energy surrounding the zombies dissipated under the holy light.
At the same time, Vanessa dashed forward.
What followed was like a scene from an action movie.
Swoosh~!
Vanessa ducked under a zombie’s swinging cleaver and slashed her scissors horizontally.
Slash—
The zombie’s head fell off.
The next zombie swung a baseball bat, but Vanessa stepped on it to propel herself upward and kicked the creature’s head.
Thud!
In that brief moment, a fire extinguisher was hurled toward her.
Vanessa spun like a top to evade it.
Golf clubs, emergency carts, syringes—various weapons flew at her, but none posed a threat.
She ran along walls, blocked, dodged, slashed, and stabbed…
Her movements were almost supernatural.
Slash, slash, slash, slash.
Countless cuts followed.
With each snipping sound, zombies crumbled without fail.
Thud.
When the last zombie collapsed, silence filled the hallway.
“It’s over.”
“Hm, well done.”
I walked through the now-deserted hallway and opened the door to Room 406.
On the hospital bed, a frail ghost was clutching a doll tightly, muttering in a terrified voice.
“I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die…”
“Jeanne.”
“Yes.”
Rustle, rustle.
[You have cleared the gate.]
[Gonjiam]
[Clear Rank: SSS]
Only three gates remained until the slot rewards.
As we exited the gate, I tilted my head at the doll Jeanne was holding.
It was the same one that the ghost in Room 406 had been hugging.
“Why did you bring that out?”
“You’ve been working so hard to make money, I couldn’t just stand by. I thought this might be useful.”
I think I’m the one who’s just standing by…
But still.
“Useful?”
“Yes.”
In that moment—
Whoosh.
Jeanne’s holy energy briefly engulfed the doll and then disappeared.
“Please check it.”
“What’s different…?”
I tilted my head as I took the doll from Jeanne, and then I suddenly fell silent.
My eyes widened as I looked at the doll.
“…Huh?”
It was unbelievably clean.
Not just in terms of dirt or stains—
The ‘impure magic’ that had covered the doll was completely gone.
‘This was possible?’
Among the relics used by monstrous beings, some had powerful effects.
But all of them were considered worthless or cursed, so they were discarded and destroyed.
Any object used by a monster for too long became ‘contaminated.’
—Magic Contamination.
But the doll Jeanne handed me showed no trace of contamination.
I could only sense pure, untainted magic.
Had she… purified it?
Jeanne asked cautiously.
“Do you think it’s worth money?”
“Of course, this is a jackpot.”
I clasped Jeanne’s hands and smiled.
“As expected, Jeanne is the best.”
Jeanne, who had been anxiously waiting for my reaction, bloomed into a bright smile.