CTMP 14

Chapter 14

Congratulations! You have successfully completed possession. A special skill has arrived!

I deliberately ignored the flashing status window in front of me and looked at Kwon Ikseong, who was sitting beside me.

Right now, I was in the passenger seat of an Investigation Unit sedan, covered with Kwon Ikseong’s jacket.

For reference, the forensic team that had arrived on scene was cleaning up the site.

“Are you really sure you don’t need to go to a healer hospital?”

“Huh? Well… I don’t think it’s a big problem.”

Aside from my skin stinging a little.

Probably…?

“I’m asking because it doesn’t seem like ordinary slime poison.”

As he said that, Kwon Ikseong pointed toward the slime in the backseat, which was chewing apart the car seat.

The slime, as if realizing they were talking about it, stopped tearing the seat and quietly fastened its seatbelt.

‘It got smarter after becoming a King Slime.’

But its size had shrunk.

Since a King Slime could freely adjust its size.

“…I’m fine. I don’t think that guy is actually that strong.”

I answered while looking at the slime pretending not to notice.

Then a notification appeared.

The King Slime’s affection has increased by 5.

…Did it understand what I said?

Even buying affection from a slime felt bizarre.

More than anything, the sensation of swallowing the protagonist of this world was still vivid, and that made me uncomfortable!

‘…He had a really sharp, spicy taste.’

I recalled Choi Woojin struggling inside me.

For reference, Choi Woojin and Kang Ilyeon had been placed in a different transport vehicle.

Still wearing handcuffs.

Both were A-rank or higher Hunters, so naturally neither had any physical issues.

The real problem right now was me.

I’d been caught entering the subspace—
and the person who found out was Kwon Ikseong of all people!

“By the way… why aren’t you asking how I got into that subspace?”

“I was planning to ask after you recovered—”

Screech.

Before the light even turned red, Kwon Ikseong hit the brakes at the yellow light.

The car stopped perfectly at the line.

“If it’s something I’m allowed to ask now, then I’ll ask now.”

…Great. I’d stirred up trouble for myself.

“How did you enter that subspace?”

Looking at Ikseong’s profile, completely expressionless, I gave the explanation I’d prepared.

“While examining the belongings of murder suspect Kang Wolyeon, I found a keychain connected to that subspace. Somehow… while fiddling with it, I ended up connected to the subspace.”

“Somehow…”

Kwon Ikseong repeated my words as if weighing them.

I know! There are way too many coincidences and somehows!

The only thing I could rely on was that nobody else could even imagine a skill like possession.

But instead of questioning the coincidence, Kwon Ikseong focused on something else.

“If you knew it led to a subspace, was coming back impossible?”

“Rather than impossible—”

I hesitated before speaking.

“I found a child there who looked exactly like Kang Wolyeon, and… I thought it might help the investigation, so I stepped in…”

Important details were missing, but technically I wasn’t lying.

Except for the part where I had already suspected the relationship between Kang Wolyeon and Kang Ilyeon.

Still, seeing Kang Ilyeon’s face would make anyone guess they were twins, so maybe it wasn’t a problem.

“It could have been dangerous.”

“Yes, I know…”

“What I mean is, your life could’ve been at risk. That place was full of weapons. Even I’m fully armed right now.”

Kwon Ikseong showed me the revolver holstered at his waist.

The slime behind us whimpered softly.

Kyuu…

How badly had it been traumatized to react like that?

Was I feeling sorry for it because I’d once been a slime myself?

‘Damn it.’

“Still… I had to bring Kang Ilyeon out.”

At my words, Kwon Ikseong’s expression turned strange.

Was he still suspicious?

But just like in the novel, his face was so calm it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Like a deep lake.

Well, I’d somehow explained everything else, and the only remaining issue was me shooting the slime with a water gun—

“So you used that King Slime while forcing yourself to rescue Kang Ilyeon?”

“No. More accurately…”

I looked back at the slime, which was acting pitiful again.

“I wanted to bring that guy out too. It was evidence of illegal trading, and… it seemed pitiful. I didn’t know how else it might be used there, so I thought I had to help. So I bought an item and used it.”

“A slime water gun.”

As if he knew exactly what a slime water gun did, Kwon Ikseong frowned slightly.

“Did you have enough money to buy that?”

“…I had savings from before. Before joining the Hunter Investigation Unit, I ran labor dungeons several times to save up for my younger sibling’s college tuition.”

A heavy silence followed.

I knew exactly how this sounded.

I’d basically said I burned through 100 million won—money earned through brutal labor—just to save a slime.

And depending on how you heard it—

‘It sounds like I planned this from the start. Otherwise who would believe someone spent 100 million won impulsively in there?’

I swallowed nervously and waited for Kwon Ikseong’s judgment.

“…You may need to write a report. Investigation Unit officers are supposed to operate in pairs during deployments. And—”

Because Kwon Ikseong was a strict believer in rules and principles.

Naturally, all kinds of disciplinary actions could be waiting for me.

A rookie investigator barging into a subspace alone to catch a criminal.

Anyone would think this was the reckless stupidity of a newbie obsessed with reward money.

“I’ll try to help. So there won’t be disciplinary action.”

…But.

Ikseong came to a different conclusion.

Surprisingly, he trusted me.

Without asking a single additional question.

Only then did I remember another reason I’d loved Kwon Ikseong in the novel.

Because he was someone who believed in other people’s kindness through the goodness of his own heart.

“……”

That was it.

Over.

Everything ended absurdly easily.

I looked at Kwon Ikseong’s profile.

‘As expected… my favorite character.’

There was no way not to like him.

I smiled faintly.

At least until Kwon Ikseong said this next.

“We’ll cooperate with Team 5 on the Geumho-dong illegal weapons trafficking case. For now, start by interrogating Choi Woojin.”

“…What? Me?”

At my reaction, Kwon Ikseong made a subtle expression.

“…As soon as Choi Woojin woke up, he invoked his right to remain silent and specifically requested Investigator Lee Yuji. He said he would only be questioned by Investigator Lee Yuji and wouldn’t talk to anyone else.”

One of his eyebrows twitched.

An unusually obvious display of emotion.

‘Damn it.’

And what that meant was that part of the weapons trafficking case assignment would now go to Team 5 as well.

“Right. Our rookie has brought another case assignment to us.”

If you’re angry, please just say you’re angry…

I looked at Pi Sowon, who was staring up at me with an unreadable expression.

No, seriously—was it wrong for an investigator to bring in a case?

Is this normal? Is it?!

“…Interfering in a case that wasn’t even under our jurisdiction.”

Yeah.

That was wrong.

Civil servants absolutely had to respect each other’s areas of responsibility. Crossing boundaries caused huge problems.

‘Because accountability gets messy.’

I immediately accepted that and shrank back.

“I accidentally touched Kang Wolyeon’s belongings…”

“You touched a suspect’s possessions without permission?”

Bang!

Pi Sowon slammed a folder down in front of me.

Seeing the change in her eyes, I finally understood.

‘She’s angry… our team leader is angry.’

“What if there’d been magic imbued in it? How could you touch it carelessly? Don’t you know investigator protocols?”

“How would I know… nobody taught me…”

I answered weakly, and Pi Sowon’s brows furrowed slightly.

This is the spirit of an MZ-generation investigator!

…Though in reality, faced with Pi Sowon’s terrifying expression, I lowered my eyes in complete fear.