The Civil Servant Who Concealed Their True Strength Turns Out to be a Master of Possession - Chapter 41

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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 041
Originally, I had planned to resolve this more quietly.
“Hey, Lee Yu-ji. You damn bastard!”
I never imagined someone would curse at me while pressed against a car door like that!
And she calls herself my partner.
But how can she point a gun at me like this?
Wait—the Quest penalty about getting shot to death… could that actually be from the Team Leader’s gun?!
Watching Pee So-won, who seemed genuinely intent on shooting me dead, already halfway out of the electric car door, I hastily pulled a jackknife from Seo Gil-su’s body.
“Are you insane? Do you even know what that is? Cut it! You crazy bastard!”
‘Ugh. He’s coming up soon, that maniac.’
I shouted toward Choi Woo-jin—or rather, the Gamer.
“Stop that guy for me!”
You’re the one driving anyway!
“Am I really just cutting anything randomly?”
I made a show of threatening to cut random wires, as if I were the criminal taking hostages.
But even with my threats, the Gamer’s response was this.
…zzzzzz
A fox’s form appeared on the display screen.
Commonly known as complete disregard.
‘Damn it. That punk.’
And this guy’s supposed to be the protagonist!
I cried out, clutching the back of my neck in desperation.
“Just help me this once, and I swear I’ll repay the favor next time! Please, just help me out this once!”
[How exactly will you repay this favor?]
His voice sounded intrigued.
I had no idea what he found so interesting, but—
“Anything. Whatever you ask, I’ll definitely do it for you.”
…I answered without hesitation.
The next moment.
Pee So-won’s hand moved away from Bus 316.
The Gamer had moved the car, putting distance between Pee So-won and the bus.
[You do realize this is absolutely insane, right?]
Choi Woo-jin said.
“It’s insane, so why are you even helping me?”
I’m genuinely curious. What could I possibly do that would be such a great help to Choi Woo-jin?
[I like crazy things. Always have.]
And the answer that came back was, as expected, completely unhinged.
‘Argh! In this whole story, the only sane person is really just Kwon Ik-seong!’
That was the moment I thought this.
[Are you really going to defuse the bomb?]
I heard Kwon Ik-seong’s voice.
I looked up at the CCTV camera.
Choi Woo-jin was probably streaming this CCTV feed to Kwon Ik-seong as well.
I spoke calmly toward the camera, as if to say there was nothing to worry about.
“Yes.”
[That’s insane.]
“Then why aren’t you stopping me?”
[If I could stop you, I would have. But looking at this now… I don’t think I can.]
I conjured up the image of Kwon Ik-seong’s face, invisible within the CCTV feed.
That face described so many times in the novel—that ‘indifferent and serene’ expression.
As I recalled that face, a smile somehow surfaced.
[Why… are you smiling?]
“No, it’s just. I thought you’d make that expression again. That pouty look of yours.”
I smiled faintly without realizing it as I spoke.
“But you always believe in others anyway. Absolutely.”
[….]
I glared at Pee So-won, who was cursing and saying she’d shoot me with a rifle, and added:
“…Unlike anyone else.”
With that, I looked down at the wires.
Then the countless black wires began to glow with different colors, one by one.
Red, blue, yellow wires.
And instinctively, I reached for one of them.
‘This is it.’
I lifted the jackknife.
[Hey! You really…!]
I heard Pee So-won’s voice. I spoke softly to her.
“Don’t worry. I won’t die.”

* * *
[No, it’s just. I thought you’d make that expression again. That sullen look.]
Upon hearing those words, Kwon Ik-seong caught sight of his own face reflected in the navigation screen he’d torn from the car and brought with him.
While wearing a communication device atop the helicopter.
Across from him sat the Equipment Management Team Intern, trembling violently with a headset on.
He was the bomb disposal expert I’d barely managed to find.
“Is this even allowed without approval from the higher-ups?”
He continued to tremble while staring at his smartwatch, which kept receiving incoming calls.
It was obvious the caller was Captain Hong.
Right now, Kwon Ik-seong was piloting the helicopter alone without flight authorization, and he’d even brought the Equipment Management Team Intern aboard.
Rather than answering the intern’s question, Kwon Ik-seong looked at Lee Yu-ji on the screen.
Lee Yu-ji on the screen smiled brightly at him.
Then—
[But you always trust others. Without fail.]
She raised a jackknife while speaking words I couldn’t quite grasp.
It was as if she’d been watching him for a long time.
Kwon Ik-seong held his breath.
Everything on the screen flowed like slow motion.
Her lifting the wire, the blade touching that wire, the rubber coating the wire peeling back gently as the blade made contact.
He concentrated on every sound and smell.
To confirm whether the scent of explosives was seeping through the thick aviation fuel smell.
He couldn’t fathom what good that would do.
He was aboard a helicopter chasing Bus 316, and he hadn’t arrived in time to save Lee Yu-ji.
Yet he simply focused on his senses. Like mere habit.
And that one second stretched into an hour.
Continuously.
Continuously.
“….”
[….]
[….]
Silence flowed through the communication device.
He looked at Lee Yu-ji on the navigation screen.
She tilted her head, staring at the severed wire.
[…It looks like the timer device has stopped?]
[What?]
The startled voice came from Pee So-won.
[Hehe. It looks like I disarmed it well.]
Lee Yu-ji smiled with satisfaction.
[Hey, wait a second!]
Despite Pee So-won’s protests, Lee Yu-ji casually removed Seo Gil-su’s vest.
But as expected, nothing happened.
[W-what did you do?]
[Well….]
Lee Yu-ji tilted her head thoughtfully before speaking.
[Photography?]
[….]
[….]
Silence fell over everyone.
[Oh, didn’t I mention? I’m actually really good at photography! Especially at extreme angles?]
Pee So-won’s thunderous voice poured out.
[This isn’t an extreme angle, you bastard!]
Kwon Ik-seong removed his communication device as he heard Pee So-won’s curses ringing out loudly.
Kwon Ik-seong spoke to the Equipment Management Team Intern trembling across from him.
“…The situation is concluded.”
“Pardon? Did the bomb explode?”
The Equipment Management Team Intern looked down with a bewildered expression.
He seemed to be searching for bomb smoke or something, but there was no way he could find such a thing.
“The bomb has been defused.”
“Huh?”
The Equipment Management Team Intern’s face contorted.
“Was there a Crafter-type Hunter there?”
Kwon Ik-seong hesitated for a moment before answering the Equipment Management Team Intern’s question.
“Just….”
“…?”
“Just photography.”
“Huh?”
The Equipment Management Team Intern’s voice cracked, but Kwon Ik-seong had something more urgent to attend to.
He finally answered Captain Hong’s endless calls.
[Hey, you crazy bastard! Why are you doing something you’ve never done before? Have you lost your mind? Flying a helicopter without flight authorization? Do you really want to get shot down? Why are you doing something only Pee So-won would do!]
The expected fury rang in his ears.
Something I’ve never done before.
He gave a bitter smile at those words.
Lee Yu-ji was wrong.
I didn’t trust her. I was doing something I should never do—acting alone without authorization from the higher-ups.
Something I had never done even once.
Breaking the rules as an investigator, violating my own principles.
I was doing that now.
Because I couldn’t trust Lee Yu-ji.

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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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