Seo Jung-woo returned home and began maintaining the weapons he had used today.

“Bringing a silenced pistol was an excellent choice.”

While he was at it, he took out other weapons and inspected their condition. Just then, Seo Sora returned.

As soon as she got home from work, she eagerly scanned her surroundings with sparkling eyes.

Seo Jung-woo raised his empty hands.

“Oh… This time, the situation was urgent, so I came straight back…”

Seo Sora’s shoulders drooped. Lately, she had been completely hooked on the snacks from the other world.

“How urgent was it?”

Seo Jung-woo usually avoided discussing parallel dimensions over the phone. Even when he did, he refrained from going into details.

Still, he would at least use the phrase “the other world.” To those unaware of his abilities, it sounded similar to saying “this industry” or “that business.”

Although the risk of his phone being wiretapped was low, if the government or telecom companies made a concerted effort, it wasn’t impossible. There was no harm in being cautious.

“Someone in the other world was stabbed and then kidnapped. If they’re not found quickly, they’ll die. That’s why I crossed over immediately.”

“Then why did you say you were saving not one but two people?”

“Because someone else has been framed for the crime.”

She immediately understood. Of course, a person’s life was far more important than a few bags of snacks.

“Did you get the information you needed?”

“I found out the victim’s approximate location and also identified the real culprit.”

Seo Jung-woo explained everything that had happened today, from what occurred in the other world to what was going on here. He finished by recounting how he had left Kim Seong-jun and Lee Yun-mi to decide the fate of Lee Cheon-sang’s gang.

Seo Sora speculated on what decision Kim Seong-jun might have made.

“There are many hunters who believe in ‘an eye for an eye.’ If Kim Seong-jun is that type, those five are as good as dead.”

“I know. Even if he doesn’t believe me, the fact remains that those guys once tried to kill him. That debt still stands.”

“But he won’t kill them.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Earlier, when you asked about Kim Seong-jun’s location, I thought it might help, so I looked into that hunter’s reputation. Kim Seong-jun doesn’t hesitate to shoot enemies in the field, but he’s not the type to go after subdued enemies later just to kill them.”

“Handling this legally through the police is difficult. Last time, there was no evidence, so they couldn’t punish those guys. This time, there’s no evidence either.”

“He’ll find a way. Maybe he’ll force one of them to betray the others in exchange for their life, or he could just cut off their hands so that even a red potion can’t heal them.”

Red potions were expensive and hard to come by, but they weren’t completely unattainable.

If Lee Cheon-sang was leading a hunter team, he might have at least one bottle hidden away.

Seo Sora casually ran her hand over her gun.

“Shooting them cleanly would be the simplest solution, but Kim Seong-jun handles things differently than I do.”

Seo Jung-woo returned to this world.

The place he arrived was an abandoned building he frequently used when crossing over. No one ever came here, even during the day. It was also close to the police station.

As he ran toward the police station, he called the detective bureau. Baek Sung-min answered.

Without hesitation, he asked, “Is attorney Lee Cheon-sang there right now?”

If they could arrest Lee Cheon-sang, they would buy time to find Lee Yun-mi. That was his judgment.

– No. He threatened to bring an entire army of lawyers from a major law firm and left.

The company president was in custody, but the legal counsel had disappeared. Seo Jung-woo already knew what kind of person Lee Cheon-sang was from the other world.

– Jung-woo, why are you asking—

Seo Jung-woo hung up.

“Damn it. I need to hurry.”

As he rushed into the detective bureau, Baek Sung-min stopped him.

“Huh? You were supposed to keep searching for witnesses. Why are you back?”

Seo Jung-woo was convinced that attorney Lee Cheon-sang was the culprit. He also had a strong idea of where the stabbed Lee Yun-mi was being held.

But he couldn’t reveal everything just yet. He needed to show his colleagues the process of how he figured it out.

Team Leader Kwon Byeong-cheol pressed Kim Seong-jun while showing him a photograph.

“Your fingerprints were found on this bloodstained knife. This is your knife, isn’t it?”

“That was a prop from a movie I produced. I kept it as a memento!”

“Who sharpens the blade of a prop?!”

“You can’t film a close-up with tin foil wrapped around the blade! We used other fake weapons for actual combat scenes!”

Seo Jung-woo knocked on the interrogation room door but didn’t enter.

Team Leader Kwon Byeong-cheol stormed out, frustrated.

“Ugh, the evidence is piling up, but he’s still being stubborn. It’s driving me crazy. Anyway, who knocked?”

Seo Jung-woo spoke up.

“Team Leader, I have something to ask Kim Seong-jun.”

“Huh? You? What for?”

“I know how to find the victim.”

If an ordinary rookie detective had said that, they would have been ignored or scolded.

But Seo Jung-woo wasn’t just any rookie. It had only been a few days since he caught a serial killer who had been murdering for 24 hours straight.

And he was also the one who got that killer to confess.

“Oh… Alright. I need a breather anyway. You give it a shot.”

Seo Jung-woo entered the interrogation room and sat down.

“Mr. Kim Seong-jun.”

In front of him sat Kim Seong-jun, the same man he had seen in the other world. The only difference was that, over there, he had been full of energy, while here, he was drowning in despair and fear.

“I didn’t kill her!”

“I know.”

“What?”

“And Lee Yun-mi isn’t dead yet.”

Kim Seong-jun shot up from his seat. The handcuffs chained to the desk prevented him from standing completely, but his face was filled with urgency.

“If you know that, then hurry up and find her! Why are we wasting time?!”

“That’s why I need to ask you a few questions. These questions will help us find Lee Yun-mi.”

Seo Jung-woo was asking these questions to demonstrate to his fellow detectives how he deduced her location.

“Ask me anything! Anything!”

“Are you friends with AKX Pictures’ legal counsel, Lee Cheon-sang?”

“Yes.”

“How close are you?”

“We’ve been friends for ten years.”

“Close enough that he could enter your house alone?”

“Yes.”

“Close enough that he could steal one of your knives and smear blood on your clothes?”

Kim Seong-jun hesitated. He immediately understood what Seo Jung-woo was implying but found it hard to believe.

“What are you saying…?”

“Did you know that Lee Cheon-sang thinks you stole Lee Yun-mi from him?”

“Huh? No, that can’t be…”

“I looked into it. He knew Lee Yun-mi before you did.”

“That’s true. They lived in the same neighborhood. But still, that doesn’t mean—”

Even this brief exchange was enough to demonstrate the reasoning process. Seo Jung-woo was about to ask about Lee Yun-mi’s whereabouts when another thought struck him.

‘Is this really all there is to it?’

That world and this world are lived by the same people

However, the people Seo Jung-woo has seen so far have lived different lives in both worlds.

Seo Sora is a sniper in that world. In this world, she is a university student who debuted as a singer.

Kim Seong-jun is the president of AKX Pictures in this world. In that world, he is a duo hunter with only two team members.

‘The circumstances of both worlds are different. Could Lee Cheon-sang’s goal really be the same in both?’

He compared the differences between Kim Seong-jun and Lee Cheon-sang.

In that world, Lee Cheon-sang has more money than Kim Seong-jun. But in this world, Kim Seong-jun is far wealthier than Lee Cheon-sang.

‘So, there’s more than just Lee Yoon-mi that Lee Cheon-sang wants to take from Kim Seong-jun.’

He asked another question.

“Since you've been friends for ten years and even made him your legal advisor, does Lee Cheon-sang own shares in your company?”

“Yes, he does. But his share is much smaller than mine, so he has no influence over management.”

Hearing that answer, Seo Jung-woo was convinced.

‘As expected, Lee Cheon-sang’s goal in this world isn’t just one thing—it’s two.’

“What if Lee Cheon-sang falsely accuses you, pretends to defend you with all his might, and wins over your family’s trust?”

“What?”

“Lee Cheon-sang will try to ensure that you don’t receive the death penalty or life imprisonment. He’ll sign a contract with a major law firm for legal support. Of course, the lawyer handling the trial will be Lee Cheon-sang himself. That way, if any evidence proving your innocence comes up, he can suppress it.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“If you get sentenced to about ten years in prison and Lee Yoon-mi dies, your mental state will completely collapse. Then, if Lee Cheon-sang tells you that he will protect the company and asks you to temporarily transfer your shares to him, what will you do? How long would it take for him to drain the company’s valuable assets? Less than a year?”

Kim Seong-jun was flustered.

“No, that’s impossible. Cheon-sang isn’t that kind of person.”

But Seo Jung-woo had already confirmed in that world that he was exactly that kind of person.

What was happening here closely resembled what had already happened in that world—twice, even.

Seo Jung-woo clicked his tongue.

“Tsk. Even after all this, you still trust him? That’ll just make it easier for Lee Cheon-sang to devour your company.”

“That can’t be…”

Seo Jung-woo spoke firmly.

“Mr. Kim Seong-jun, if you want to find Lee Yoon-mi, believe me. Lee Cheon-sang is the culprit.”

Outside, watching the interrogation on the monitor, Baek Sung-min covered his face with his hands.

“Jung-woo’s causing trouble again. Why does he act like this every time he steps into the interrogation room? How are we supposed to handle it if he keeps pushing like that?”

Violent Crimes Team Leader Kwon Byeong-cheol scratched his chin.

“The lawyer isn’t even here. So what if he gets a little suspicious? It’s possible.”

“I’m just worried that insufferable lawyer will find out later and use this against us.”

“If it becomes a problem, we can just say that Jung-woo set a trap to make Kim Seong-jun confess. Besides, listening to him, it’s not something we can completely dismiss, is it?”

“That’s true. But where the hell did he dig up all that information?”

Kwon Byeong-cheol looked at Baek Sung-min.

“Look at you. A senior detective getting jealous of a rookie who’s only been a cop for a few days. Aren’t you embarrassed?”

“Jung-woo isn’t an ordinary rookie, so I’m fine with it. Oh, wipe your tears, will you?”

Seo Jung-woo asked, “Where is the neighborhood where Lee Cheon-sang and Lee Yoon-mi lived together?”

Kim Seong-jun didn’t fully believe him, but if it meant finding Lee Yoon-mi, he was willing to cooperate in any way possible.

“I only heard about it from Yoon-mi, so I don’t know the exact address. But I was told it’s not far from here.”

Kim Seong-jun described the area.

It matched the location Seo Jung-woo had identified in that world.

“I know where it is.”

Seo Jung-woo opened the interrogation room door.

Kim Seong-jun hurriedly called out to him.

“Detective!”

Seo Jung-woo turned around.

“Please, I beg you. Save Yoon-mi.”

Seo Jung-woo had carried out numerous rescue missions in areas overrun by monsters.

“I have never failed a rescue operation.”

When they arrived at the scene, officers from a nearby precinct were already going around pressing doorbells.

Seo Jung-woo frowned slightly. Their search method was different from that world.

“Does ringing the doorbell make the culprit open the door?”

“What else can we do? To enter by emergency measure without a warrant, we need a valid reason. If we at least heard a scream, we could break down the door, but there’s nothing. Those officers are checking houses where no one answers, and we’re supposed to look for Lee Cheon-sang’s car or eyewitnesses. Let’s go.”

The detectives spread out.

But Seo Jung-woo had no intention of using such methods.

He moved swiftly between the alleys, separating from the other detectives.

‘First, I need to get to a high vantage point with a clear view. From there, I’ll switch my detection skill to active mode and focus on suspicious locations…’

“Hm?”

Even without switching detection modes, his skill picked up something.

‘Killing intent?’

If a person’s killing intent was detected by his passive detection skill, it meant someone nearby was truly about to commit murder.

‘Intense killing intent! The moment right before murder!’

There was no time to contact the others.

Thanks to his detection skill, he knew the direction of the killing intent. He also had a rough estimate of the distance. With direction and distance, the coordinates were clear.

Seo Jung-woo ran. The alley ahead was blocked. The killing intent came from the left. He didn’t slow down. He kicked off the wall, turning sharply at a right angle. He ran again. Another dead end. He spotted an exit to the side. Without stopping, he slid his body sideways and slipped through the alley.

A large prefabricated warehouse came into view.

‘Found it!’