Chapter 25. Kidnapping (2)
“Hoo, if only I could use magic, these trash would…”
I was in a rush.
After knocking out the guard in front of the warehouse, I was about to move.
But then something suddenly bumped into my foot.
‘What is it?’
Looking down, I saw a mobile phone lying on the ground.
Come to think of it, I was so busy with the surprise attack that I didn’t notice a guard fiddling with this mobile phone earlier.
Did they drop it while falling asleep?
‘Perfect timing!’
Stealing is tough the first time, but the second time gets easier.
I picked up the mobile phone, which still had a lit screen, and pressed a button.
[Calling… 112☎]
I knew exactly who to call.
– “Yes, this is the police. What’s the matter?”
Digging through Kim Gi-ryeo’s memories, calling the police in a crisis is common sense on this planet.
“Uh, I’ve been kidnapped…”
I hurriedly opened my mouth.
But somehow, the following conversation didn’t go as I imagined.
– “Yes?”
“Yes?”
– “Hello?”
“Can’t you hear me?”
– “Speak louder.”
“I said I’ve been kidnapped!”
– “Hello?”
Why isn’t the officer reacting normally? It’s as if they can’t hear my voice…
“Could it be a broken mobile phone?”
I immediately hung up. If my voice isn’t reaching them, there’s no need to drag this out.
“The other functions should still be working, right?”
Alright.
If the call doesn’t work, then I’ll try sending a text.
I calmly drafted a message to the police.
I simply wrote that I was currently being kidnapped and didn’t know my location, so could they just come over?
Fortunately, the response was quick.
[Web Message Received]
[Reception completed, response may take some time. Please contact 112 immediately in an emergency.]
With this, even if my plan fails, I can get help.
Finally, I felt a bit relieved. But…
[How long will it take to get here? Should I just stay put for safety?]
I sent one more text to decide whether to escape or stay put.
[Web Message Received]
[Reception completed, response may take some time. Please contact 112 immediately in an emergency.]
But when I saw the returned message, I suddenly felt uneasy.
What is this, a mechanical response that looks like a copy-paste?
Did they even read my question? More importantly, is my initial report properly received?
‘I don’t know.’
No confidence.
So, I decided to take a small insurance policy.
I always remembered Ahn Yoon-seung Hunter’s number.
‘Okay, text sent.’
With the report done, it was time to proceed with the escape.
Even at this moment, the incense burner was emitting a gentle floral scent.
*
“What’s going on? The VIP and the boss are both here, and someone dressed like that is being told to leave…”
The large Earthling cut in.
“Huh? Did any of our kids dye their hair?”
Get out of the way.
“Ugh, aaah! Is that one of the Awakened we kidnapped? Stop! If you don’t stop…!”
What are you going to do?
“I said step aside.”
Bang! A high-pitched sound rang out again.
The resonating waves faded away like the sound of a singing bowl.
“This kind of magic tool is most effective when shoved up their nose.”
I thought, swinging the chain of the incense burner in my hand.
First, the plan was to escape this place crowded with kidnappers.
The problem is I don’t know the layout of this building at all.
‘The important thing is the direction of the exit. These guys have blocked all the windows.’
So, I looked for my own landmarks while trying to get outside.
Even a toothless Great Mage could track a wave this big, and it was outdoors.
‘Luckily, there’s a gate within sensing range.’
The Gate.
The hunting grounds for hunters are always outside human buildings, like hills or open fields.
So, I was moving towards the magic power of the nearest gate.
‘I guess kidnappers who prey on F-Class are not particularly strong.’
Anyway, thanks to the incense burner item, things were going smoothly.
“Ugh!”
No, let’s correct that.
Not smoothly. Kim Gi-ryeo had a fatal penalty, after all.
“Damn, I haven’t even run yet, and my legs are already…!”
Suddenly, the pain in my right kneecap began to feel like it was ripping apart.
This body can’t run. I have legs that can barely walk without excruciating pain.
Not to mention, as time goes by, strength slips away.
‘This sucks.’
I pressed on despite the tears.
I had to walk slowly even in this situation. It’s infuriating. Really.
“Ah! There it is! Over there!”
“Catch them!”
“Don’t let them get downstairs!”
But then, at that moment.
I heard a stampede of people’s footsteps coming from upstairs, and I ran smack into my pursuers.
‘Ugh!’
The gate is so close!
Escape was at a critical point. I had to push through them now.
“Huh? Wait, is that F-Class holding that…?”
“How are they carrying that!”
And just in time, I had something advantageous for dealing with multiple Awakened.
“Everyone, hold your breath! Who has the mask…”
At this point, it was too late to hold my breath.
I kept spinning the incense burner in my hand as I passed through the corridor.
Thanks to that, the incense smoke filled the air completely and was suffocating.
“Guh…”
“Huh!”
One by one, they lost consciousness and collapsed on the floor.
Some of them seemed to be holding out pretty well, but at that time, I shoved the incense burner straight into their face.
“Ugh…sleepy…”
Thud!
Before long, the last Awakened collapsed.
‘Did my mana run out?’
At the same time, the incense burner stopped functioning, its puffs of smoke cut off.
I threw away the now useless incense burner without a second thought.
And without delay, I headed downstairs.
‘Now that I’ve been discovered escaping and lost the incense burner, it won’t go easily next time.’
As I pushed myself, my knees screamed.
But I didn’t stop walking. Thanks to enduring the pain, I finally found the exit.
‘Ah!’
Finally arrived at the first floor of the building.
Beyond the massive double doors at the end of the corridor, I felt the presence of the gate.
With such large doors, it had to be the first-floor entrance. That’s usually how architects in this world design things.
Excited, I approached the door half-running.
‘It’s not even locked!’
Finally, this historical moment of stepping out of this stinky abandoned building was upon me.
…or at least it should have been.
“Boss! There’s a radio saying an Awakened is escaping down to this floor…!”
Bam! As I swung the door open, an unimaginable scene unfolded before me.
A shabby room of about 20 pings made of illegally constructed paneling.
In the center of the room stood a glowing blue gate.
And stepping out from the gate was an old man leaning on a staff and Kang Chang-ho.
“Huh! Already here!”
“You weren’t fleeing, were you? You were looking for the boss?”
Even though I hadn’t used water magic, beads of cold sweat were running down my back.
‘Huh?’
The gate is…inside?
“What’s with that guy? How poorly did they manage the products that he escaped!?”
An elegantly dressed elderly man shouted. He looked like the highest-ranking person here at a glance.
However, I had no time to focus on what he was saying.
‘If Kang Chang-ho was outside the gate, he would have sensed my magic and fled.’
Chasing what I thought was an exit turned out to be where the organization’s boss was.
“Protect the boss!”
Apparently, this indoor gate was a significant location for them.
The sorcerers here were of a different quality than the riffraff I had encountered before.
I hadn’t moved yet since I was still in shock, and the enemies looked at me with curiosity.
“F-Class! How did you shake off all those Awakened that were sent to catch you?”
“…”
“Since no one has come down this late, could it be…”
I didn’t exactly feel like answering the kidnapper’s questions.
I felt no need to engage, so I kept my mouth shut. Then the expression of the hunter guarding beside the boss turned pale.
Why?
‘Did I say something wrong?’
Now that I looked closely, their whole attitude seemed off.
Instead of trying to subdue an escaped F-Class, they were all flinching.
“Wait, is that guy not an F-Class but a false reporter?”
“…!”
Ah, that’s it.
It seems they didn’t know that I had used the incense burner to knock out their subordinates.
They must have assumed I took them out by some means.
‘Hah, cowards! If I’d known I just had to act tough, I could have escaped easily!’
I stood relaxed.
Dropping my shoulders and taking a relaxed stance. Seeing this, the kidnappers murmured indeed and got tense.
But this wasn’t really a show of bravado.
‘I’m done for.’
I had genuinely lost all strength in my body.
Pretending I could escape by acting tough was a possibility only when that person wasn’t around.
“Ah, I’m sorry, Kang teacher. Just as a crucial deal was about to be finalized, to have such a fiasco.”
The leader of this organization adjusted his fedora and apologized to Kang Chang-ho. Then he proposed.
“I know it’s an ungrateful request, but could you help us for a moment?”
“Help?”
“I’m asking you to catch that hunter. A transporter is scheduled to arrive at midnight.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Of course, our guys can handle it, but with an S-Class hunter involved, it would be much more certain and quicker, don’t you think?”
That shameless bastard is pushing the work onto the VIP.
“Of course, we should help each other since we’re all in the same boat.”
And our VIP didn’t hesitate.
“Hahaha! Indeed, that’s you. Oh, and I mentioned that we also need that appraiser? I’ll give you a nice discount this time.”
They were engaging in light negotiations in front of people.
Even though it was extremely unpleasant, I couldn’t say a word in reply.
“Kim Gi-ryeo, you heard that? He’s giving you a cheap price.”
“…”
“Looks like this gentleman knows some products might break after a few uses.”
The gap between an F-Class and an S-Class hunter is something that can’t be compared to eggs and rocks.
I’d probably be shattered if Kang Chang-ho’s attack just brushed against me. How could I possibly stand up to him?
‘What do I do? When is the police coming? Are they really coming? Yoon Seung-ah, are you awake? Did you see my text?’
I hid my trembling hands in my pockets and maintained my stance.
Then Kang Chang-ho calmly walked out.
“You’re standing around too much. How about running away right now?”
A soft smile lingered on his lips. An artificial grin.
“By the way, the back road is wide open, and if you run your best, I might let this slide this time.”
Hey, does he think I’m not trying to run away?
“Kang Chang-ho Hunter.”
I halfheartedly relayed the truth.
“Have you ever seen me run?”
Hearing that, Kang Chang-ho fell into a brief contemplation.
You must find it weird too.
“No, you…”
When I first met an S-Class hunter.
When I was chased by the black wolf inside the gate.
Even at this very moment.
“Never. I’ve never run.”
As he reminisced about the past, Kang Chang-ho’s expression grew more rigid.
The smile that lingered on his lips had completely vanished.
“Not even once.”
Kang Chang-ho’s eyes widened, and he stared at me intently.
As he remained silent, an explosive tension filled the room, ready to burst at any moment.
