Leveling
Ch 249s

A sense of loss, strangely made me forget something important.

But no matter how much I think about it, I can't remember anything.

The more I tried to think about what I had lost, I could only find emptiness in my mind.

"What are you worried about, sir?"

"What's wrong?"

Ask the young detective, handing over the hot coffee he just picked up from the vending machine.

Woo Jin-cheol, lifting his shoulders as if it was nothing, then receives the proffered coffee.

"Thank you"

The fragrant aroma of coffee permeated the tip of his nose, and it filled a bit of the void in his heart.

Detective in the investigation department, Homicide Division, Detective Woo Jin-cheol, 4th year.

Although his life was not bad enough to be destroyed just by the wind, the feeling of loss that he began to feel suddenly three years ago made him tired.

If I told this to my friends, they would definitely mock me by telling me to have a family soon.

Woo Jin-cheol, who laughed bitterly after drinking coffee, quickly emptied the paper cup in his hand.

"What is a busy bee going to say it's too late to fight?"

"Yes?"

It is the best expression to express a depressed person due to depression.

At the end of the day, Woo Jin-cheol, who entered the office of the Murder Department, approached from behind the people sitting side by side in a single row.

Woo Jin-cheol, who squeezes the paper cup with one hand, then nods to salute the seated person.

"They?"

"Oh, them? That's-"

Woo Jin-cheol, who was listening to the voice of his subordinates feeling troubled, he then walked quickly and stood before the four people who were sitting.

'What about that?'

The four men who were sitting, white-faced, as if they had seen something that they should not have seen, they were also trembling like trees blowing in the wind, unable to stare properly.

Seeing their faces, Woo Jin-cheol gulps his saliva.

"Shadow monster again"

***

It is not unusual for thieves to come to the police station to confess their sins because they are afraid the police will find their tails.

And...

It is not uncommon for frightened burials to beg to be put in a cell.

But...

It's been the last few months, it's been going on in quick succession.

And everything always says.

“Shadow — shadow — appeared from the ground and told me.If I don't turn myself in twenty-four hours, I'll regret it for the rest of my life ... Detective, I'm wrong, please put me in jail!"

They always make the same statement in front of detectives.

When this happens repeatedly, the top has given the order to reveal the truth.

"So, have you all seen that shadow monster?"

"Yes, you saw it!"

Woo Jin-cheol, who has listened to the testimony of the thieves, sighed.

How am I supposed to report this again?

I've been too tired to think about having to report about this 24-hour shadow monster or curse.

Then - later

Tock.

I turned to that voice only to see my senior appear behind me and say.

"Jin-cheol, leave this to your juniors, for you, come to the boardroom"

What should I do in the meeting room, do they want to discuss the shadow monsters?

While still being filled with questions, Woo Jin-cheol goes to the meeting room.

"Tony, you'll take care of everything"

"Yes, I hope it works"

Woo Jin-cheol, who tells his junior to take charge of his duties, heads to the meeting room along with his senior detective.

***

"What's? Are we just gonna pull that monster out?"

"Hm! Let's do that, we'll arrest him by freeing the prisoner"

Woo Jin-cheol wonders what he heard, as if he can't believe it.

"What do you mean by that?"

"We won't release the prisoner, we'll just leave him outside and watch how the monster comes out in twenty-four hours"

The other detective who was listening to the conversation silently frowned.

"You know, they're just being stupid and talking nonsense, I think it's just a side effect of a new drug that might be called a shadow monster"

"But you didn't see the test results, did you? I've gone to NPS to check the result”

"Itu—"

"And is it possible just because of the side effects of the drug, all unrelated children see the same thing and turn themselves in?"

"...."

Finally, his comrades kept quiet while losing the debate.

The detective meetings continue.

"Aren't we not even getting clear orders from superiors for this case?"

The opposing detectives nodded, and looked at each other.

If everyone saw the same fantasy, something that might lead to something more than nonsense might actually come up.

"So we're gonna get them in a situation where they can't make shit."

"...."

Woo Jin-cheol, who keeps silent, then speaks.

"What if something really happened?"

"...?"

"...?"

The eyes of the detectives who turned to Woo Jin-cheol simultaneously.

And their mouths, which were staring at Woo Jin-cheol, opened slowly.

"Woo, do you believe in ghosts or what?"

"I don't see it, but our Jin-cheol has more of an emotional side than I thought"

"Ha ha ha."

"...."

Of course, they were unwilling to accept such an absurd story like a shadow monster.

But...

If everyone sees the same fantasy, isn't there a reason for this?

Even if he doesn't know why.

Woo Jin-cheol feels discomfort as he realizes the gaze from behind the darkness in the statement of every thief.

We don't have to touch him.

That was the feeling Woo Jin-cheol felt.

The chairman then said,

"If I understand Jin-cheol's concerns, we should do it anyway".

"We're going to take one thief to an empty warehouse, and let's see how it goes, we're also going to send a strong detective looking after him, so how does he get away?"

Although he himself does not believe in the story of monsters or ghosts, Woo Jin-cheol nods his head because he cannot speak anymore.

The chief then laughed and said,

"I'm sorry, Jin-cheol"

"As per the plan, after twenty-four hours, the monster will show up and do what it's going to do, that's fine, isn't it?"

These Scouts were thugs who entered the house where the elderly lived, robbed, and even beat up an elderly couple who were fighting them.

They shouldn't be put in jail, and in fact, they deserve to get into the mouth of a monster.

The chairman then changed his tone to say a half-serious joke and said.

"Then I need a volunteer now."

The chairman then looks at Woo Jin-cheol and laughs.

"If you don't like it, you can stay at the base"

"...."

I've lived as a person who follows the social order, where maybe I'll just shut up because of this.

Woo Jin-cheol, who had been worried for a while, immediately replied.

"No, I'll go too."

***

“Detective! Me, I don't want to do it! I could die!"

"Shut up, I need you to check something"

"I'm going to die!"

"Hey, who's dead? Detective Kim, how long before the 24 hours are up?"

"I think we have another half hour"

"Oh, it's cold"

The cold spring breeze still made the breath that came out from the mouths of the detectives into white steam.

The empty storehouse was very quiet at dawn.

And the detectives continued to focus on watching the changes that would take place inside the warehouse.

And one of them.

Woo Jin-cheol, he is very wary of the surrounding environment.

‘Whoosh ..’

For some reason, the air around the warehouse changed from before.

Woo Jin-cheol feels that something is coming.

He hopes to be sure of his feelings.

Woo Jin-cheol then resets his breathing.

But........

Very slow, this half hour feels very slow.

"Un ... It's time."

"What?"

A detective stood up, as he looked at his watch.

"Quickly fast"

Twenty-four hours have passed.

'Then what happened?'

Nothing happened, nothing.

The impatient detective stared at the thief, and he saw that the thief was shaking.

"Uh ...?"

Nothing happened.

The detectives who confirmed it, hurriedly said.

"Calm down, we wait"

The thief, who looked around and blinked, scratched the back of his head and smiled after a while passed without anything happening.

"No, it's — we've seen it, when we were little instead, hahahaha"

When someone jokes by saying that.

Woo Jin-cheol, who is still focused on thieves, suddenly turns to the detectives and says.

"out! Lookie!! It's out!"

"What did you say?"

The detectives looked at Woo Jin-cheol with a strange face.

"Gee!"

Puffs!!

The detectives then became silent, not moving in the slightest, as if they were losing consciousness simultaneously.

Woo Jin-cheol, approach the detectives.

And his eyes remained focused on the shadow of the monster that appeared.

Those words did not come out.

"Oh—"

He cannot be worded.

That's not human.

It's an insect in human form, over its neck, that's an ant's head rather than a human's head.

Shadow monster.

‘Three such monsters ..’

The thieves did not fantasize or suffer from the side effects of the drug.

Their statements are reality.

“Oh, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"

Thieves surrounded by ants scream.

And it was the most terrifying scream that could come out of a human mouth.

He lived as if just to scream.

Then - later

Without hesitation, the ants began to bite the thief's limbs.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"

The screams did not last long.

After being eaten by the ants, only a little blood and a little flesh remained from the thief earlier.

Woo Jin-cheol continued to watch the scene in confusion.

Clang!

After eating, the two ants find Woo Jin-cheol standing blankly.

Woo Jin-chul turns around and tries to escape, but it's useless.

His legs were stiff and he could not move a bit.

'Tree'

Then - later

The large winged ant at the back stopped the two approaching ants.

The big ants, holding their shoulders, looked at Woo Jin-cheol with a strange look and laughed.

"...?"

Are the ants laughing?

No. gabe.

It's ants, an agaripulan.

How do I know if it is a smiling face?

But, strangely.

In this frightening situation, Woo Jin-cheol feels nostalgic.

It was as if there was a time when he had gotten used to this situation.

"Hey, hey! Wait!"

However, despite Woo Jin-cheol's desperate thoughts, the ants disappear into the shadows.

When Woo Jin-cheol runs and stands the shadow of the ants disappears, he is unable to find any trace.

The ant has really disappeared.

"...."

Again, Woo Jin-cheol felt a void from an unfamiliar corner of his heart, and slowly thought of the shadow ant that had appeared before.

When and where?

"Nm ...."

Woo Jin-cheol, who keeps silent, worries his colleagues.

"Hey, are you okay?"

However, until the called ambulance arrives, Woo Jin-cheol's gaze continues to be directed into the shadows for a long time.

***

"Great work! Nice work!"

Detective Chief is approaching.

At present.

He was really curious about what was going on inside the warehouse.

As the chairman stared at the two treated detectives, he turned to look at Woo Jin-cheiol.

"Woo, you?"

"...."

“You called an ambulance, right? Do you remember anything? ”

"... I'm sorry, I just woke up and I saw my colleagues faint"

"Oh!"

The chairman sighed, his chest pounding in frustration.

“This case is closed.You are injured, so rest?”

"Yes"

"Yes sir"

This case is over.

The murder case was temporarily frozen.

“You look happy, Mister.Is there anything good going on?"

The junior detective gives Woo Jin-cheol the hot coffee he just picked up from the vending machine.

"Well"

Woo Jin-cheol, who shrugged as if it was nothing, received the coffee.

But it's not wrong.

That day, after meeting the monster, Woo Jin-cheol felt a strange feeling that filled the empty space in his mind.

'Something.'

That's vivid.

The feelings of a veteran detective, or a Woo Jin-cheol, tell him if there's anything between him and the monster.

The junior detective asks when he sees Woo Jin-cheol writing something in a small box book.

"Na? Huh huh? Hey, are you still using that? You— "

"I know, I just saw it in person"

Woo Jin-cheol, who is talking to his junior, secretly drinks coffee.

"Many criminals have surrendered themselves after being approached by monsters"

"Yes"

"Hm ..."

Junior asked, while looking at the contents of the notebook the eyes stiffened.

"Well, the number of crimes dropped sharply from late February to early March?"

"Why? Is there a problem with that? "

"Oh, not much, that's just the beginning of me carrying this little book"

"...and?"

“I always remember when a kid who just came out of school started crying if he didn't

want to do this job.Ha ha.Isn't that really a big deal?"

His junior, scratching his back, is shocked to see Woo Jin-cheol, who writes his words in his notebook.

"Hmmmm?"

"What?"

Enrolment season.

Six monotonous letters with no changes were added to Woo Jin-cheol's notebook.

***

SMA XXX'S.

Ahead of the new student admission ceremony, at a busy time, the head of the school secretly invites the student caretaker to the principal's office.

"One of the troublemakers will be at my school tomorrow"

"Yes?"

The headmaster then reached out the student files that had been prepared beforehand.

The student manager, who looked at the profile of that student, tilted his head.

"His father was a fireman, his mother was an ordinary housewife, and I don't see any problems with her grades"

"Well, this guy is quite a hassle, look at the bottom of the information"

"...!"

Two years of running away from school in the first year of junior high school.

Of course, he was expelled because of that.

But, after completing a high school course with a GED, did he enroll in this academy?

‘Not just from his school, but he also two years away from his home after leaving elementary school?'

The eyes of the student administrator, who instinctively felt the powerful appearance of the file, trembled.

The principal then asked.

“How about that? Can you handle this student? ”

Tak.

Student manager closes files of troubled child.

"You know why I'm called a snake, don't you? Leave this matter to me, and I won't get you in trouble"

His eyes were full of confidence.

The headmaster then nodded.

"All right"

The headmaster's face became relieved after he heard the promise from the student steward.

The student manager who was staring at the headmaster's face, smiled gently.

The battle is tomorrow.

The heart of the student steward was excited as he was determined to sink this shitty ship at the entrance ceremony tomorrow.