NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 27 - I'm Wronged (1)
Huuk, huuk. Jeong Ho-san deflected the iron ball hurled at him.
This training of deflecting the massive iron ball using only raw strength without tapping into the mana imbued in his body was something directly passed down to Jeong Ho-san by Kim Myeong-cheol himself.
-Relying solely on mana will eventually reach a limit. Like a tree with shallow roots getting uprooted by a typhoon, establishing firm roots is always the most important.
Recalling those words Kim Myeong-cheol had told him, Jeong Ho-san focused on the massive iron ball hurtling towards him.
Boooong, the iron ball that had been airborne began its descent, pulled by the earth’s gravity. Its potential energy was converted into kinetic energy as it rushed at Jeong Ho-san with tremendous speed.
Squeezing every muscle fiber in his body, Jeong Ho-san concentrated all that force into a single point.
Swoosh, struck by Jeong Ho-san’s fist, the iron ball soared back into the air. Without even a moment to catch his breath, Jeong Ho-san repeated this process.
Overloading and damaging the muscles and bones throughout his body, only to regenerate them again – it was a grueling training regimen that ordinary people would be unable to endure, essentially shattering every bone and muscle before reassembling them anew.
But for Jeong Ho-san, who could rapidly recover even from torn muscles and shattered bones, there was no better training method than this.
Today, Jeong Ho-san hadn’t come here solely for physical training.
As he punched away the iron ball threatening to crush his entire body, Jeong Ho-san’s thoughts wandered.
Had Kang Yi-sin really committed all those deeds?
Despite witnessing Kang Yi-sin there with his own eyes, Jeong Ho-san still couldn’t bring himself to believe it.
The Kang Yi-sin he knew wasn’t the type of person to do such things.
If it had just been an illegal gate mining operation, he could understand. But murder? Killing people?
While Kang Yi-sin had been evaluated as exceptionally vicious during their academy days, actually committing murder was an entirely different matter.
The Kang Yi-sin who had appeared before Jeong Ho-san that day had seemed so calm. Not at all like someone who had just done something as monumental as murder.
‘Could it have all been a misunderstanding?’
They said there were corpses inside, but there was no clear evidence that Kang Yi-sin had been the one to kill them, right?
What if someone else had committed the murders, and Kang Yi-sin had only rescued and escaped with those people?
Master Kim Myeong-cheol had said that Kang Yi-sin owed a tremendous debt. Upon investigation, records showed Kang Yi-sin had even borrowed 130 million won from a private lender.
It was a place no sane person would visit unless they were truly desperate, where a single mistake could ruin one’s entire life.
For Kang Yi-sin to have borrowed 130 million won from such a place.
What possible reason could there have been?
If he had needed money urgently, he could have come to Jeong Ho-san.
Of course, even as a 5-Circle hunter, Jeong Ho-san’s current circumstances weren’t good enough to readily provide such a large sum. He was still a probationary member of the guild and repaying the cost of the artifacts he had purchased upon joining.
But Jeong Ho-san was still a 5-Circle hunter. Arranging around 130 million won would have been possible. If Kang Yi-sin had truly needed the money urgently, Jeong Ho-san could have found a way to provide it, no matter what.
Yet without a single mention to him, Kang Yi-sin had resorted to borrowing from private lenders instead.
If Kang Yi-sin was here, Jeong Ho-san felt like grabbing him by the collar and demanding an explanation.
Why had he done such a thing? If only he could grab Kang Yi-sin like that and bring his friend back, how wonderful that would be.
To be able to face his friend again, how wonderful that would be.
Gritting his teeth, Jeong Ho-san threw a punch.
Swooosh.
The iron ball soared back into the air.
It had been when they were approaching graduation from the academy.
“Hey, congratulations. The
Jeong Ho-san couldn’t even properly look at Kang Yi-sin’s face as he spoke those words.
“Hey, why the long face? You look like a criminal.”
Until graduation, no guild had nominated Kang Yi-sin to become a hunter. It was only natural – he hadn’t been able to slay a single monster until the very end. Perhaps he could have become a porter, but no guild would employ him as a hunter.
Unlike Jeong Ho-san, who had guilds lining up to recruit him even before graduation.
“Should I not go?”
At Jeong Ho-san’s words, Kang Yi-sin let out a mocking laugh.
“How much of a loser do you want to make me?”
‘I’m sorry.”
Looking at Jeong Ho-san, who still couldn’t meet his eyes properly, Kang Yi-sin said:
“You said you would prevent another gate break from happening, didn’t you? That you wouldn’t let any more people like us be created.”
It had been Jeong Ho-san’s goal since awakening to his talent, since realizing it was an A-rank talent, no less.
“What’s with that backward dream? Who do you think will appreciate you playing the hero? You know everyone only likes cool guys like Yoo Seon-je and Bing Mari. Lightning and ice mages, how cool is that? Just looking at them is dazzling and glittering. They’ve even landed a few CFs, you know?”
Glancing sideways at Jeong Ho-san, Kang Yi-sin continued with a pitying tone.
“And you? You’ve got nothing special. Just physical enhancement. Even if the potential is A-rank, there’s nothing flashy about it at all. No one will even take a second look at such a drab talent.”
While his words sounded harsh, there was not a shred of malice in Kang Yi-sin’s voice. Instead, a sense of pride could even be glimpsed.
“So I can’t help but cheer you on instead.”
“Yi-sin-ah.”
“If you really feel sorry for me, you should have just taken that huge contract fee the guild master offered and given it to me. Didn’t he desperately try to recruit you?”
“It was too much money for me.”
“Yeah, I figured you’d say that. Sheesh, you can’t even eat when someone tries to feed you.”
Patting Jeong Ho-san’s back, Kang Yi-sin spoke:
“Since you’re going anyway, do well. It might seem stupid and backward, but since it’s your choice, I’ll cheer you on no matter where or when.”
After saying he would cheer on Jeong Ho-san’s dream no matter where or when, why had he committed such acts?
The iron ball before Jeong Ho-san crumpled.
“Ah.”
He had unconsciously used his ability. With a flustered expression, Jeong Ho-san pulled his hand back. There was no one here to scold him, but he still felt sheepish.
Perhaps because he felt this too was his own fault.
This was enough for today.
Wiping the sweat from his face, Jeong Ho-san turned to leave when he sensed someone approaching from behind. Feeling the presence, he immediately turned his head.
A woman in her early-to-mid twenties wearing a police uniform was walking towards him.
Why had the police come looking for him?
Stopping before Jeong Ho-san, the woman calmly opened her mouth:
“Hello, Mr. Jeong Ho-san. I’m Police Inspector Do Chae-hee from the Awakener Crimes Team.”
At that introduction, a wariness surfaced in Jeong Ho-san’s eyes. The Awakener Crimes Team – it seemed he could guess the reason she had come to find him.
“If it’s about the gate incident from before, I believe the guild has already submitted all the relevant materials.”
At Jeong Ho-san’s words, Do Chae-hee silently nodded.
“That’s correct. But I need your help, Mr. Jeong Ho-san.”
“My help?”
“Yes, the situation has changed.”
The situation had changed? What did that mean?
Observing Do Chae-hee’s expression, Jeong Ho-san sensed it wasn’t a positive change.
“Han Jo-hee, who was rescued from the illegal gate mining site, was found dead at the hospital this morning.”
Jeong Ho-san knew of Han Jo-hee – he had been the only one at that site acquainted with Kang Yi-sin, so he had undergone special questioning.
That person had died? Momentarily startled, Jeong Ho-san soon understood.
“I had heard his condition was terminal due to mana poisoning, but…”
At Jeong Ho-san’s words, Do Chae-hee shook her head and spoke:
“His death wasn’t caused by mana poisoning. He was murdered. There were traces of torture all over his body. And the words ‘Punishment for running your mouth’ were carved into his abdomen.”
The longer Do Chae-hee spoke, the more Jeong Ho-san’s eyes began to tremble.
“Most crucially, the victim provided a statement right before his death, identifying Kang Yi-sin as the one who did this to him.”
At those words, Jeong Ho-san’s mouth fell open.
It couldn’t be. Those words slipped out instinctively, but he couldn’t bring himself to utter them before the police officer.
“Kang Yi-sin is currently a wanted suspect nationwide. In other words, he has already been branded a criminal. As you know, if an awakener fugitive resists arrest…”
“Immediate execution.”
Jeong Ho-san finished Do Chae-hee’s words. Although Jeong Ho-san, being much taller, was glaring down at Do Chae-hee with an intimidating gaze, she calmly continued without a hint of tension:
“Yes. And in Kang Yi-sin’s case, already a fugitive and now committing such crimes, we have no choice but to respond more forcefully.”
At those words, Jeong Ho-san’s face contorted. The verdict had already been decided.
“The reason I’m here is to give you a chance to save your friend.”
Hearing that, Jeong Ho-san clenched his fists tightly.
Just what had he done, Yi-sin-ah?
Do Chae-hee spoke:
“There weren’t many people who knew Kang Yi-sin. But those who did all mentioned you. That you were his closest friend?”
“Yes.”
A bitter taste filled his mouth. His closest friend, yet he had been completely unaware of these recent events.
“They said you came from the same orphanage, attended the same academy. And that academy was none other than Babel… I was honestly surprised, as I never expected he had attended Babel.”
‘The disgrace of Babel’ – those words always seemed to follow whenever Kang Yi-sin was mentioned. Although he had stubbornly persisted without failing or dropping out, no one had a favorable opinion of Kang Yi-sin.
“They said he displayed an unusually violent tendency even from his school days.”
“No, that’s not true.”
“There were over five students who ended up in the infirmary during combat training sessions with Kang Yi-sin?”
The excuses that had surfaced in his mind vanished again. At a loss for words, Jeong Ho-san was met with consoling words from Do Chae-hee:
“I think Kang Yi-sin thoroughly deceived you. He pretended to be a good friend while doing such things behind your back.”
“Why?”
“Because his relationship with you was beneficial.”
Do Chae-hee continued coldly.
“You’re an A-rank potential hunter, Mr. Jeong Ho-san. Currently only a 5-Circle, but you’ll likely reach 6-Circle soon, perhaps even 7-Circle. Just being acquainted was advantageous, they said. I heard you teamed up with him, someone everyone at Babel avoided, numerous times. Thanks to your help, Kang Yi-sin repeatedly avoided failing out.”
“Even without my help, Yi-sin would have managed well. He didn’t become friends with me for such reasons.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Yes.”
Jeong Ho-san nodded firmly. Looking at him with a pitying gaze, Do Chae-hee clicked her tongue.
“Alright, think whatever you want. But I don’t believe Kang Yi-sin is a first-time offender. Your friend must have committed such acts, at the very least murder, numerous times before.”
There had been quite a few occasions when contact with Kang Yi-sin was cut off. From the start, gate conquests lasted anywhere from 2-3 days at the shortest to months at a time, so there was no way to know what Kang Yi-sin had been up to during those periods.
Had he really been committing such acts during that time?
Yet he had still met up with Jeong Ho-san, laughing and chatting as if nothing was amiss?
“The reason I came here was to ask if you had ever noticed anything suspicious while meeting Kang Yi-sin, no matter how trivial. Anything at all.”
At Do Chae-hee’s words, Jeong Ho-san clenched his fists tightly. It wasn’t to protect his friend that he remained silent.
He truly knew nothing at all.
Observing Jeong Ho-san’s expression, Do Chae-hee let out a sigh.
“For a moment, I wondered if you knew everything but were trying to hide him. But it seems you really don’t know anything. It’s almost a relief. Consider that person was never your friend.”
Could he simply discard Kang Yi-sin, his closest friend since their snot-nosed childhood days, with just those few words?
No, he couldn’t do that.
“How is the investigation proceeding?”
At Jeong Ho-san’s question, Do Chae-hee narrowed her eyes. Originally, investigation details couldn’t be divulged. But seeing his utterly dejected expression as if he had lost everything, the words slipped out unconsciously:
“It’s still at a standstill. As you know, we’re always short-staffed, and there’s too little information. Your friend is quite elusive.”
“Can I assist?”
“Pardon?”
Do Chae-hee’s eyes widened at Jeong Ho-san’s words.
“If you’re short-staffed, I’ll help.”
Just as Do Chae-hee was about to shake her head dismissively, Jeong Ho-san quickly added:
“In a situation where victims have emerged, any claims that my friend couldn’t have done it won’t be convincing. But I need to hear it. When did he start having such thoughts? Whether we were truly friends at all.”
Biting his lip, Jeong Ho-san declared.
“I’ll go anywhere, anytime.”
For a moment, Do Chae-hee suspected he might be trying to help his friend evade capture, but this was still an offer from an A-rank hunter.
She had no reason to refuse.
“Alright.”
The two shook hands.