## Chapter 29 – The Identity of the Elusive Supernatural Power (1)
***
“Looking at the locations and times… there’s something to be seen, isn’t there.”
Siyoon nodded as if he was convinced of something, then he opened the laptop that was placed on the table over the sofa.
After searching for something for a moment, he showed Jiwoo and Dohwa a map displayed on the laptop screen.
“Based on sightings from 7 days ago, the locations are a subway station in S City and an airport in B City. And based on sightings from 6 days ago, the locations are in front of a hamburger restaurant near that subway station, and a residential area near the airport.”
He captured the map screen and displayed them separately, then marked the locations where ‘Trickster’ Chaeryeong was sighted.
“And… if you connect the closest points, it becomes a line like this.”
Using the pen tool to connect the closest points, several lines were drawn, branching out from a specific point as if tree branches were growing.
“It looks like the movement paths drawn on a map in a game.”
“It would look that way to Jiwoo.”
The appearance was similar to a map in an RPG game with portals and maps. Siyoon wrote the dates and times on the lines and points.
“No matter how I think about it, it doesn’t make sense to travel such long distances in such a short amount of time, right? But if you group the sighted locations by proximity, there’s consistency.”
Starting with the very first discovery at a cafe on the outskirts of S City, which is also presumed to be a hideout, the direction of the lines seems to branch out in three different directions.
“What’s certain is that she started from here. And as time passes, she spreads out in different directions.”
Two of the lines extend far, but one line seems to be circling around the city of S City.
“It doesn’t make sense for one person to be sighted in multiple places at the same time. No matter how I look at it, it’s one of two things.
Either two or three people disguised themselves as one person and went around, or they created clones and sent them to different places, as mentioned in the report.”
“Ooh…!”
The two nodded at Siyoon’s plausible reasoning.
“I think the Union would be looking for her like this too, right? Sending investigators or something.”
“From what I’ve heard, they are constantly dispatching people as reports come in.”
It would be a great arrogance to think that the Hero Union wouldn’t have tried a deduction that even he, who had never learned deduction or investigation methods, could do.
Siyoon was a little proud of himself for coming up with this, but he didn’t get carried away.
It’s more important to approach ‘Trickster’ Chaeryeong before they do.
“Anyway… the other guys have few clues and are too dangerous. The Union will probably try to track this one first.”
***
In front of a fast food restaurant in downtown S City.
“Hello!”
“You’re right on time. You’re wearing the outfits as I told you to.”
A-class heroes ‘Ignition’ Yoon Dohwa and ‘Ice Queen’ Seol Lumi. The two of them gathered in the middle of the city wearing ordinary casual clothes instead of their hero suits.
There is one reason why they gathered in a place other than the field. It is to carry out the mission received from the Union.
“Assuming you have all read the information you received, we will begin the mission.”
Lumi brushed her silver hair behind her ear and pointed to a photo containing the descriptions of the villains.
“Of the four executive-level villains excluding the leader, about whom we have no information, we will first track down the villain ‘Trickster’.”
“Aren’t we tracking down the other villains with higher violence first?”
“There was an order from above to prioritize tracking down villains who can be subdued as quickly as possible.”
An order from above to subdue villains who can be subdued quickly, rather than villains with a strong tendency for violence and high destructive power that are feared to cause a lot of damage.
As Dohwa said, if the Hero Union’s top priority is the safety of citizens, it would be more important to subdue villains with higher violence first.
Even Lumi, who delivered the order from above to Dohwa, was aware that there was something strange about the order.
However, the orders from above must be followed. The principle was to carry out even dubious orders for the time being.
“And I have personally witnessed ‘Trickster’.”
Lumi had encountered a woman with a very similar appearance to her in a cafe on the outskirts of S City a few days ago while searching for ‘Trickster’.
Lumi, who was drinking coffee with a relaxed attitude as if nothing was wrong, even had a conversation with her, who seemed to be the female owner of the cafe.
At the time, the order was to find the hideout, not to subdue the villains, and Lumi did not attack her because she was not sure that she was ‘Trickster’.
“I just sent you a map via the terminal. Please check it.”
“Yes.”
Dohwa opened the file sent from Lumi’s terminal and checked its contents.
‘This is… almost the same as the map route drawn by Master yesterday.’
The map sent from Lumi had a line drawn on it that appeared to be a movement path, and the line was almost identical to the one Siyoon had drawn and showed her yesterday.
“This is the estimated movement path of ‘Trickster’ based on the contents of the report and information. We will investigate her traces along that line, starting from where we are standing today.”
The line Lumi pointed to was a circular line along the outskirts of S City. The two began to search for traces left by the villain ‘Trickster’ based on that line.
“Then let’s go.”
The two got into a small car. Lumi, who was sitting in the driver’s seat, moved the gear and steering wheel to start the engine.
– Vroomㅡ
The vehicle started moving with a powerful engine sound.
“We will first move to the cafe where we encountered ‘Trickster’. It will take about 10 minutes to arrive, so please check the surrounding roads and building structures on the map in advance.”
Lumi’s attitude of continuously giving unilateral instructions as if a superior was giving orders. Dohwa didn’t like Lumi’s attitude very much.
‘She’s not my superior or anything. She’s being very stiff.’
However, Dohwa didn’t particularly express her dissatisfaction with Lumi, nor did she say anything she didn’t like.
This is because if the mission she is currently carrying out with Lumi goes awry, it will be difficult for her to fulfill the ‘real purpose’ of carrying out the mission.
[ Dohwa: We are moving to that cafe, as Master predicted. ]
Dohwa was sending Siyoon everything from the meeting place she received from Lumi to all the conversations, and even the location and expected time of travel.
[ Master♥: Okay. I’ll be waiting. ]
If Dohwa and Lumi had prioritized tracking down other executives, the story would have been different.
But fortunately, as Siyoon predicted, the two decided to prioritize tracking down Trickster. His prediction that they would find Trickster first, who is the easiest and fastest to track, was correct.
In addition, the location of the cafe was not far from the hideout, so it was a distance that could be reached quickly if his prediction was correct.
If not, Dohwa could simply carry out the mission and collect information without any problems.
After driving for a little over 10 minutes, they arrived at a cafe on the outskirts of S City.
“We have arrived.”
The cafe seemed to be open for business with the lights on as if nothing was wrong.
“If you see a woman with black hair and red eyes, immediately freeze her with my superpower and subdue her. Ignition, please find any enemies who may be ambushing first.”
According to Lumi’s order, Dohwa got out of the car first and naturally looked around the cafe.
Only citizens occasionally passed by around the cafe, and she could not see any suspicious devices or people ambushing.
Except for a couple sitting at the bus stop next to the cafe.
[ Master♥: Jiwoo and I are sitting at the bus stop near the cafe. ]
[ Dohwa: Call me after I go inside the store and follow me in. ]
Jiwoo, who was sitting at the bus stop playing a game console, and Siyoon, who was looking at his cell phone. Dohwa glanced at the two and sent a text message.
Then, she nodded to Lumi, who was waiting for a signal from across the car window, signaling that it was safe to enter.
– Dingㅡ
“Welcome.”
The small bell hanging on the store door rang clearly, along with the voice welcoming customers.
When Dohwa and Lumi turned their heads towards the counter, they saw a woman with long black hair that reached past her waist to her hips and bright red eyes.
‘I’m sure… that woman is Trickster.’
In that moment when Dohwa was trying to confirm by looking at the woman’s face.
– Crack!
Along with the sharp sound echoing inside the store, the woman presumed to be Trickster instantly became a huge frozen ice sculpture.
“Subjugation complete.”
The villain ‘Trickster’, who was frozen solid without any response, unable to move or even say a word.
She was quickly subdued by Lumi’s superpower ‘Freezing’.
To be exact, it ‘seemed’ like she was subdued.
– Cheeeeeeeeeeeekㅡ
“Hehehehe…♥”
