The Civil Servant Who Concealed Their True Strength Turns Out to be a Master of Possession - Chapter 3
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
A Civil Servant Who Hides His Strength Is Exceptionally Good at Possession – Episode 003
I’d known that Team 5 was a backwater assignment, but I hadn’t expected it to be this bad.
If this man was the “fixer” who planted the bomb, his audacity knew no bounds.
Dumbfounded, I tapped Byeon Gu-do’s shoulder.
He jumped in alarm and shielded the screen.
“Why—why are you here, Squad Leader?”
“….”
“What? There’s no one else around.”
“Um… when will the Team Leader arrive?”
“Why are you looking for the Team Leader?”
Why am I looking for him?
Because we need to find the bomb to survive. So you live, I live.
Setting that aside, it’s my first day—shouldn’t there be someone to brief me on my duties? Don’t departments like the Major Crimes Unit usually have morning briefings?
“Ugh… there’s nothing worth saving… what should I even discard….”
Byeon Gu-do muttered while staring at the screen, then spoke to me.
“The Team Leader doesn’t usually come into the office.”
“Pardon? Then how do you handle the work?”
At my question, Byeon Gu-do lifted his hands from the keyboard and looked at me slowly.
“Why would we do work?”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t worry. The Team Leader handles most of the cases assigned to our team.”
I glanced at the whiteboard on the wall.
This month’s results: 0 cases
By “handles,” I suspected he didn’t mean “solves.”
“So if you’re bored, you could do some self-improvement or something. Or clean the office. Ugh, seriously…. what am I supposed to throw away…. time’s almost up.”
I’d already cleaned the office earlier.
I’d thoroughly searched it in case there were any suspicious boxes, but all I found were dried-up ramen noodles from who knows when, socks of unknown origin, and….
‘Why is there a mushroom in the filing cabinet?’
It was a mushroom.
When I reached for it to throw it away, a message appeared.
You’ve harvested a ‘Mushroom Grown from Funny Powder Spores’!
Item ‘Mushroom Grown from Funny Powder Spores’
(Click for detailed description)
Huh? I’ve seen this in a novel before.
-Eating it makes you feel good and compels you to speak only the truth.
-Special effects are added when heated.
‘So it really is that mushroom.’
The mushroom that only grows in specific environments and temperatures.
I’d heard it grows in humidity where mold blooms—conditions so filthy that humans can barely survive….
‘How long would you have to go without cleaning for this to grow?’
I carefully picked up the mushroom with two fingers and tucked it into my pocket.
If I found the informant, I could feed them this and extract a confession.
‘So, who exactly is this informant…?’
I spoke to Byeon Gu-do, who seemed far too leisurely for a spy.
“Discard the seven.”
“What?”
“Discard the seven. Isn’t it a fresh hand?”
“Oh…? You’re right?”
Byeon Gu-do’s eyes widened as he looked at the screen.
After Byeon Gu-do discarded the seven, another seven appeared in his flipped hand.
“Godori!”
Byeon Gu-do’s eyes grew wide.
Cards gathered from the other players, and Byeon Gu-do’s victory was decided in an instant.
He turned to me with a grin.
“Oh, newbie~ you’re pretty good at go-stop?”
Of course I am.
‘How many citizens have I played go-stop with every time I made home visits….’
That was when it happened.
‘Byeon Gu-do’s’ favorability has increased by 5.
When favorability increases, afterimages become more vivid after possession.
…?
After possession?
I’ve already possessed someone, so what do you mean by possession? And what are afterimages?
Wait a moment.
Could it be….
‘Status window.’
Before I remembered possession, I was F-rank with not a single skill.
In other words, I was completely worthless.
But now my status window shows—
Name: Lee Yu-ji (F)
Title: Extra Possessor (Hidden) (NEW!)
Unique Skill: Your Body Is My Body, My Body Is Mine (EX) (NEW!)
Skill 1: Slot not yet created.
Skill 2: Slot not yet created.
!Abnormal Status!
‘Explosion’ time remaining 02:03:33
…!
I obtained an EX-rank skill!
An EX-rank skill, no less.
Even possessing a single S-rank skill would make me a top ranker in South Korea, yet my skill is rated ‘beyond classification.’
Why should I remain a mere civil servant teetering on the brink of annihilation? Let me rise as a top-ranked hunter in South Korea instead.
Hunting monsters, shooting commercials like the famous ranker Kang Se-han, paying off my 200 million won debt—
That’s when it happened.
My eyes caught sight of small text beside the skill window.
(Click for detailed description)
Right, of course.
I should check what this skill actually does.
I smiled contentedly and clicked on the detailed description.
Detailed Description: “Your Body Is My Body, My Body Is My Body” (EX)
-Can possess any living creature within a 10-meter radius. Can control the possessed target for 10 minutes.
-During possession, simple action directives can be given to the ‘original body.’
-Cooldown: 24 hours
An EX-rank possession skill? The applications are truly limitless, aren’t they?
I could possess a banker and transfer 200 million won to my account.
I could possess the president and have him give Lee Yu-ji a special promotion.
…Yeah, right!
‘No matter how I think about it, there’s no legal way to use this skill to my advantage!’
It’s awkward to use against monsters too.
That said, the skill wasn’t entirely useless.
‘If I possess whoever planted this bomb, I can disarm it immediately.’
Then I can avoid the explosion and escape my second death.
The problem is the cooldown on this skill.
If I can only use it once every 24 hours, that means I get exactly one use before the explosion.
So ultimately, even if I don’t know the bomb’s location, I need to narrow down the suspects and use it on someone who’s definitely involved—
Wait.
I had that, didn’t I?
I smiled slyly as I looked at Byeon Gu-do, whose favorability toward me had increased slightly.
“Um… I saw it while cleaning the office, but managing the detection dog is part of our team’s duties, right?”
I pointed at the whiteboard.
Feed detection dog Ruru.
Just a single line written in the important tasks section.
I pointed at it and spoke.
“I happen to like dogs. Would it be alright if I handled the dog feeding duties before the team leader arrives?”
That’s when it happened.
‘Ma Deok-ho’s’ favorability has increased by 10.
…?
Ma Deok-ho’s favorability, who had been sitting quietly, had risen.
What’s this?
* * *
Ten minutes later.
Pet Food
Dog Food Bag Ruru
I stood in the backyard of the Hunter Investigation Department Building, a sack of feed in my hands.
More precisely, in front of a large iron cage marked with a nameplate that read “Ruru.”
Hunter Investigation Department 5th Team
Ruru
“So you’re my direct senior officer?”
As I extended my hand, a Golden Retriever with golden fur bounded out through the slightly open kennel door, tail wagging enthusiastically.
Funny Powder and Bomb Detection Dog.
The Hunter Investigation Unit had a resident detection dog trained to sniff out not only “Funny Powder”—classified as a hallucinogenic among dungeon byproducts—but also the scent of bombs made from mana stone powder.
“So you’re the new investigator from Team 5. They’ve switched you out again.”
The Security Guard smiled warmly as he watched Ruru.
At his words—”switched you out again”—I offered an awkward smile.
“Yes. I’ve been reassigned.”
Ruru’s favorability has increased by 10.
Ruru’s favorability has increased by 10.
As I poured feed into the bowl and watched Ruru’s favorability skyrocket, the skill description came to mind.
-You can possess any living creature within a 10-meter radius.
It definitely said “living creature,” not “person,” right?
And our senior officer here can detect the scent of bombs.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————