The suppression operation began, and the next afternoon, Comet was called out by the chairman while resting in his room.
Upon arriving at the Disaster Response Committee, Comet saw that Dan Ga-yeon was talking with the chairman in his office.
Comet paused to gauge the atmosphere before knocking and entering the chairman’s office.
“Just in time.”
Dan Ga-yeon, who seemed about to say something, closed her mouth with a sulky expression.
“I gave you work to keep you from being bored, but I hope it hasn’t been too much pressure.”
“Rather than pressure, it’s interesting since it’s my first time. It’s not even my job, so I didn’t have to feel burdened.”
Saying this, Comet looked back and forth between the chairman and the quietly seated Ga-yeon.
“So, what’s the situation?”
“The pursuit of the raider group just ended. There were many targets we missed, and it seems the suspected necromancer escaped too.”
Comet thought about whether it would have been better if the necromancer had been shot dead and made a regretful expression. It was good news.
“A wicked criminal has gotten away.”
The chairman chuckled softly.
“These things happen. That’s why I just told Officer Dan to close the investigation.”
“Close the investigation…?”
“Comet! Are you sure that necromancer is the culprit?”
Dan Ga-yeon suddenly asked, unable to hold back after waiting.
Comet blinked silently.
“The forensic results aren’t out yet, and there’s no physical evidence?!”
As she said this while looking at Comet, she glanced at the chairman at the end of her sentence.
“Physical evidence. Evidence is important. It really is.”
The chairman pointed to the translucent screen surrounding the office. Beyond it, the busy committee could be seen.
“We’re not in a position to waste personnel chasing after a single piece of evidence. Our suspicion has solidified, so that’s enough. We can take our time to apprehend the suspect with a warrant.”
“But waiting for the forensic results without closing the investigation isn’t that difficult, is it?”
“How many cases do you think the forensic department has piled up right now?”
The chairman leaned back deeply in his chair.
“Do you think they look free enough to move just to catch one clearly suspicious murder case?”
Dan Ga-yeon hesitated without answering, then suddenly turned to Comet. Her long black hair swayed.
“Comet! What do you think? Is it right to close the investigation?”
The speed at which she gave up on the chairman was quick. It seemed that she had already exchanged similar questions with him before Comet arrived.
Comet tried to gauge the chairman’s hidden intentions while twisting a strand of hair.
Then she slowly opened her mouth.
“Well, I’m not very familiar with this field. What do you think, Officer Dan?”
“It feels too… to end it like this.”
“That’s just your feeling.”
Dan Ga-yeon’s shoulders drooped.
Then, not long after, she looked back and forth between Comet and the chairman.
The change in her gaze seemed to indicate a shift in thought. The chairman let out a hollow laugh and pulled out a cigarette from his pocket. The lighter clicked on.
“Officer Dan, you can close the investigation, and Comet, you’ve worked hard. You can leave now.”
Comet followed Dan Ga-yeon out of the chairman’s office.
Ga-yeon, looking dazed, turned back.
“Have you eaten?”
“Yes.”
“Uh… I haven’t eaten yet.”
“You should have eaten slowly. The menu at the small restaurant was quite nice today.”
“Then, how about coffee…?”
Comet blinked as she looked at Ga-yeon.
Ga-yeon smiled awkwardly.
“Coffee sounds good. Though I’m not sure how well it’ll sit on an empty stomach.”
“Even on an empty stomach, it’s fine.”
“I see.”
Comet followed Ga-yeon, and they arrived at a coffee shop inside the National Assembly building.
She ordered an iced Americano.
“I’ll have a caramel macchiato.”
“That doesn’t really match your appearance.”
Dan Ga-yeon murmured hesitantly.
“I drank canned coffee so much during my school days that now I’ve gotten used to sweet coffee.”
Comet smiled deliberately, her red eyes momentarily hidden. Ga-yeon let out a quiet gasp.
Seeing this reaction, Comet chuckled softly.
After that, no further conversation was exchanged while waiting for the coffee to be ready.
Dan Ga-yeon seemed hesitant, perhaps unsure how to broach the topic of coming to the coffee shop without having eaten. Comet quietly watched her while lost in thought.
When the coffee was finally handed over, Dan Ga-yeon belatedly started speaking.
“Comet, you’ve known the chairman for a while, haven’t you?”
It was quite an abrupt question.
Comet twisted her hair.
“Yes, we were in a game together as a shop owner and a customer. It was hard to find a consistent alchemy supplier because of NPC reputation issues, so I mainly traded with the chairman.”
Dan Ga-yeon swallowed nervously.
Comet became curious about how Dan Ga-yeon would react if she pulled out a knife but decided against it.
Dan Ga-yeon nodded to herself, then her expression suddenly shifted to one of embarrassment, as if realizing she had made a blunder.
It seemed she had just understood that her direct questioning style was a bit too obvious.
In a hurried attempt to change the topic, an awkward conversation followed.
#
Comet continued her nighttime activities without hesitation. After a few days, she began to sense someone was tailing her.
Turning down an alley, the presence still followed closely. What was initially uncertain became clear as it persisted.
Comet circled around a block without purpose.
After repeating the loop a few times, Dan Ga-yeon gave up and sat on a bench, waiting for Comet.
Comet hesitated for a moment before deciding to pass by, pretending not to see Ga-yeon. As she walked past, Ga-yeon hurriedly got up and followed her.
“Comet!”
“Hello. Fancy seeing you here at this hour.”
Ga-yeon hesitated, unable to continue speaking.
She likely wanted to ask why Comet had been walking in circles but didn’t seem eager to admit she had been following her.
It didn’t matter much either way.
“It’s nice to see you even at night. By the way, Officer Dan, you’re in charge of a different task now, right?”
“Ah, yes.”
Her voice sounded tense.
Comet pondered for a moment and then turned toward a nearby open space.
“You’ll be participating in the monster extermination, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Let’s see what you’re capable of, then.”
“Huh?”
“Someone I’m familiar with is taking on dangerous work, so I’m worried. To ease my mind, let’s spar.”
“…But I only have experience hunting?”
“That’s perfect.”
Dan Ga-yeon’s face turned pale. It seemed she was scared of sparring with a prime suspect in the middle of the night.
In the corner of the empty lot, construction materials and tools were piled up, as if the site was on the verge of becoming a building site.
Comet kicked an empty can. The can flew off with a crisp sound, hitting another can.
A loud noise echoed, followed by silence.
“Haha…”
Dan Ga-yeon awkwardly laughed, looking around. Under the moonlight in the deserted lot, only a knife was being drawn.
Comet held the knife up slowly with one hand, as if telling Dan Ga-yeon to watch. Under the moonlight, the blade gleamed coldly as spiritual energy filled it.
Dan Ga-yeon drew her sword with trembling hands. Comet smiled slightly and adjusted her grip on the knife. Then, with her bare hand, she pointed at Dan Ga-yeon.
“Shouldn’t we decide who goes first? You can make the first move.”
“Haha…”
“No need to be nervous. I’ll focus on defense at the start, so attack at your own pace. Come on.”
Dan Ga-yeon swallowed hard, adjusted her grip on the sword, and took a deep breath, perhaps trying to relax.
Comet, taking advantage of her disrupted breathing, took a step forward.
A shockwave swept through the lot, and the knife swiftly slashed through the air.
No incantation.
Soul Severance.
The blades collided, and magic and spiritual energy clashed. Despite losing her balance, Ga-yeon managed to parry the knife. She showed some decent skill.
Before Dan Ga-yeon could fully absorb the impact, Comet spun and kicked her in the side.
Ga-yeon flew back, crashing into a wall and rolling on the ground.
The knife followed, stabbing downward. Ga-yeon, hastily getting up, twisted her body to avoid the strike and, in a panic, thrust her sword forward.
Comet lightly tapped the flat of the blade, altering its trajectory, and slipped into Ga-yeon’s range.
She repositioned the knife for an easy thrust and stabbed her abdomen.
In the blink of an eye, Comet stabbed her several times before stepping back, satisfied.
Ga-yeon collapsed to her knees with a blank expression. Her soul seeped out of the dark wounds. So, this was her level of skill.
Comet smiled faintly, watching, then casually grabbed the escaping soul and shoved it back into the wound. After a pat, the dark wounds disappeared as if nothing had happened.
Not long after, Ga-yeon’s eyes regained focus, and she looked at Comet with a still dazed expression.
“You’ve got pretty good combat sense. If you had spent more time on PvP, we might have dueled a few times. It’s a shame about your potential.”
Dan Ga-yeon let out a dry laugh.
“That’s really… such a kind compliment.”
A sigh of relief escaped as her tension eased.
Comet, folding her hands behind her back with a playful smile, casually brought up the main topic.
“Even so, I’m still a bit worried. Mind if I join in on the monster extermination while I’m at it?”
“Monster extermination?”
“Yes. After all, it feels a bit embarrassing to just sit idle.”
Dan Ga-yeon stood up, brushing off the dust. She pushed back her long hair and gave a weary smile — the typical civil servant’s smile.
“It would be an honor if you helped with the extermination, Comet.”
That was a good answer.
“Since you’ve taken a fall, let’s head back now. On the way, there’s a bar run by an awakened one. Let’s grab some late-night snacks. My treat.”
“Alcohol? Sounds good.”
As Comet led the way, Dan Ga-yeon followed with weary steps.
“Whew, go easy on me next time…”
Comet chuckled softly. There would be no next time.
Now that she had seen Dan Ga-yeon’s skills, she could secretly sabotage her during the monster extermination and let her die.
“I’ll think about it.”
Here is another interesting novel suggestion for you. Please give it a read.
The Game Character Who Became a Saint Wants to Cover Up Their Dark History
The excitement doesn't stop here! If you enjoyed this, you’ll adore Surviving as the Youngest Among Giant Vtubers. Start reading now!
Read : Surviving as the Youngest Among Giant Vtubers
thanks for the chapter