The Civil Servant Who Concealed Their True Strength Turns Out to be a Master of Possession - Chapter 264

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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A Civil Servant Who Hides His Strength Is Exceptionally Good at Possession – Episode 264

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A few hours later.
I found myself seated in an awkward position at Mo Jun-mi’s dining table.
Mo Jun-mi sat at the head of the table, with me on her right, Pee So-won on her left, and Kwon Ik-seong beside me.
Finally, Choi Woo-jin sat across from us.
“What brings you here? The hero who cleared an S-Rank Dungeon.”
Pee So-won had bandages wrapped around her shoulder, wearing a sleeveless shirt beneath a loose hooded zip-up jacket.
“Well, my dedicated healer happens to be here, after all.”
Choi Woo-jin smiled smoothly, glancing at Mo Jun-mi.
Mo Jun-mi responded with an awkward smile.
“Yes. I was worried anyway, so I called you over. This is what the Hunter Association is for—backing up hunters in situations like this.”
“Thank you, Hunter Mo Jun-mi.”
Choi Woo-jin offered a smooth greeting, then looked at me.
“Are you injured anywhere, Investigator Lee Yu-ji?”
I set down the spoon I’d been holding at his words.
It was difficult to look directly at Choi Woo-jin’s face.
I had heard far too many unbearable truths yesterday.
The protagonist Choi Woo-jin had tumbled through all his misfortunes because of my mother’s atrocities.
Yet Choi Woo-jin still believed I was the daughter of his benefactor.
Even with that relaxed expression now, he would surely resent me once he learned the truth.
“By the way, I infused mana into the Hundred-Year Pine earlier. Has it helped at all?”
Fortunately, while I hesitated, Mo Jun-mi cut in.
The Hundred-Year Pine.
That must have been the name of the small pine tree that had protected my resting place.
Mo Jun-mi looked slightly concerned about me.
Indeed, yesterday had been so chaotic that I couldn’t even remember how I’d entered the mansion.
There was no way that wouldn’t have shown on my face.
“Yes. It helped considerably. Team Leader Kwon even came by every thirty minutes to water it.”
“Water it?”
Mo Jun-mi tilted her head in confusion.
“The Hundred-Year Pine doesn’t need water. I inserted a healing potion into it.”
“Ah…”
I turned to look at Kwon Ik-seong.
That’s when Choi Woo-jin chuckled and glanced at Kwon Ik-seong.
“But why did you go in every thirty minutes to water it?”
At those words, Kwon Ik-seong set down the spoon he’d been using to eat soup.
He wiped his mouth with a napkin and spoke calmly.
“Because I wanted to see Investigator Lee Yu-ji.”
“…!”
So blunt? Really that blunt?
Pee So-won, who had been eating, choked and coughed.
I quickly offered her my water.
Regardless, Pee So-won scrunched her face and shot a glare at Kwon Ik-seong.
“This is abuse of authority or something! You bastard!”
“No. It doesn’t quite reach that level….”
“Then I suppose I should face disciplinary action. Please discipline me.”
Kwon Ik-seong answered simply.
At those words, Pee So-won’s face twisted further.
“Ha. You’re not even saying you won’t do it?”
“Correct.”
“Wow. You really deserve some serious discipline. Don’t you think so, Investigator Lee Yu-ji?”
Choi Woo-jin joined in as well.
All three of their gazes fixed on me.
As if I held the authority to discipline him.
I couldn’t meet any of their eyes.
Instead, I raised my hand and spoke.
“Um, excuse me. I have something to say too?”
“What.”
“Has the criminal who planted the Magical Stone in the National Assembly Building been caught?”
At those words, the intensity in all three of their gazes scattered.
Pee So-won sighed and answered.
“Yeah, we got him.”
Pee So-won clicked her tongue.
“Park Min-bae discovered an unusual ring-shaped Magical Stone through CCTV footage, and it turned out the person wearing the ring was current Opposition Party Congressman Lee Tae-seok. He claimed he didn’t know what the ring he was wearing was—”
“So that congressman has a connection to the Hunter’s Faith.”
Pee So-won nodded at my words.
“Right. Plus, that congressman was one of the people on the lobby list in Sa Gong-seong’s notebook. He hadn’t been responding to investigations due to parliamentary immunity until now.”
“Since he was apprehended at the scene, parliamentary immunity cannot be invoked.”
Kwon Ik-seong added.
“Furthermore, forensic analysis revealed that Lee Tae-seok was someone who regularly preached the importance of martyrdom within the Hunter’s Faith. He even sent messages to his family the evening before, saying he loved them and asking his wife to take care of the children.”
“….”
So he really intended to become a martyr.
Something felt off.
Whether it was my mother who committed all those insane acts for me, or Lee Tae-seok who resolved to become a martyr for the Hunter’s Faith, the thought that misguided beliefs destroy people crossed my mind—
Yet simultaneously, doubt crept in about whether I myself harbored such convictions.
‘Get a grip.’
I couldn’t afford to flounder any longer in thoughts of my mother.
With that resolve, I asked Pee So-won.
“I heard that Seol Ok-gyun’s location was identified. Has he been arrested?”
Pee So-won shook her head.
“No. It seems the information was false. We’re not even certain if he’s still in South America now. However, given that Seol Ok-gyun personally possesses an astronomical amount of money, he’ll continue attempting to withdraw it. There are rumors he’s deposited funds in Dubai banks, but we can’t get any cooperation from that side…”
Pee So-won furrowed her brow.
“Why is that?”
At Choi Woo-jin’s question, Pee So-won shrugged her shoulders.
“Because there are so many conflict zones there. Dubai has abundant natural magical stone resources. Since natural magical stones from the desert can function as a kind of token, Dubai essentially helps countries under mutual economic sanctions conduct weapons trafficking through back channels. In exchange, they take a commission.”
“I see…”
Choi Woo-jin seemed to be thinking about something, then pulled out his phone and began manipulating it.
“…What are you doing?”
“Ah. I know a Dubai Magic Stone Exchange. I looked into it just in case.”
He grinned and showed us his phone screen.
“Look here—a sapphire magical stone was just listed on the exchange. It’s priced a bit lower than usual.”
“How much is usual?”
“At this grade, around 500 million dollars?”
Was he insane?
I let out a hollow laugh.
Meanwhile, Choi Woo-jin casually took his phone back as if exchanging game currency and began placing an order on the exchange.
“Then shall we place a trade first?”
“Wait, wait—shouldn’t someone stop this?”
As I looked at Kwon Ik-seong desperately, he shook his head.
“The Great Guild Master should be able to spend around 200 million dollars.”
“And he’s buying it cheap anyway.”
Why were these two so calm?
I fidgeted nervously, watching Choi Woo-jin wait for a response.
And soon—
“Oh. The trade location has been set. It’s New York. Apparently there’s a secret dungeon near the Statue of Liberty.”
Watching Choi Woo-jin smile broadly, I let out another hollow laugh.
“It closes that quickly…”
“I had already deposited 100 billion dollars as a down payment at this exchange beforehand. Dubai exchanges have excellent credit after all.”
Good grief. So this is what money tastes like…
I looked at Choi Woo-jin with eyes full of relative deprivation.

* * *
After finishing our meal,
Pee So-won received a summons from the Blue House.
“There are three fatalities in total. All three were aides to the Congressman who stood right beside where the Magical Stone opened, or fellow Congressmen, it seems. I can’t say it’s fortunate, but….”
Pee So-won ground her teeth as she spoke.
“…No, it is fortunate. These bastards are likely accomplices too. It seems there were no casualties among innocent civilians.”
That truly was a stroke of luck.
I nodded, recalling the terrified young students.
“Let’s finish treating your shoulder first. That means we need to head straight to the briefing site, right?”
“Yes. The Dungeon has been cleared, but since it’s a Dungeon created by this unusual Magical Stone, additional investigation is necessary. There’s no guarantee it isn’t a regenerating Dungeon….”
Mo Jun-mi stepped forward to provide more healing to Pee So-won’s shoulder.
In doing so, she suggested I take a walk through the glass greenhouse in the mansion’s backyard.
“You still don’t look well. I think absorbing some mana there would do you good.”
“Ah…. That’s really not necessary.”
At my words, Choi Woo-jin gently gripped my shoulder and forced a smile.
“You should listen to what people say, you know?”
I let myself be dragged along by Choi Woo-jin to the glass greenhouse.
Kwon Ik-seong appeared to be taking a call from the Heonsu Bureau…
And so, in the end, I found myself alone with Choi Woo-jin.
“By the way?”
And there, inside the enormous terrarium-like glass greenhouse, I heard the shocking words that Choi Woo-jin uttered.
“I’ve been quite irritated about something.”
Choi Woo-jin, sitting beside me on the bench, turned his head to look at me.
His face drew closer to mine.
“I think I’ve watched you die right in front of me twice. Or did I? Or is it just my dream? I clearly remember one of them. One was definitely at the Hospital. But the other one…was it at the Apartment?”
…?
Seeing my bewildered eyes, Choi Woo-jin narrowed his gaze as though genuinely disgusted.
“Why do you keep….”
His face hardened.
“dying in front of me?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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