Seo Jung-woo knew well how things worked in that other world. If one was willing to pay the price, even special information could be obtained.

But this world was still unfamiliar to him. He could manage internet searches well enough, but hacking into this world's computer systems was beyond him.

In the other world, Seo Sora excelled at gathering information in various fields, but in this world, Seo Sora's expertise was limited to entertainment-related information.

Instead, he was a police officer—one who had dipped his toes into this case.

'Good thing I didn't quit being a detective.'

He analyzed the materials compiled by another police department.

Seo Jung-woo’s real target wasn’t the thief who had stolen the relic. It was the relic itself. But to get his hands on it, he first had to find the thief.

'If I try to find him using this world’s methods, it'll be too late. Even the detectives assigned to the case haven't caught him yet.'

He had methods from the other world. With access to the same data as the police, he could use techniques they couldn’t.

Among the documents he received, the name of a small crime syndicate appeared.

'Badger Gang.'

The Badger Gang was a small-scale violent organization. Like other gangs, they did anything that made money, but they also specialized in fencing stolen goods.

And they had a connection to the culprit.

Seo Jung-woo made up his mind.

'I’ll shake them down.'

Not using police methods—other officers had already tried that.

'I'll do it my way.'

Seo Jung-woo stepped out of the police station. Just then, he came face-to-face with a young woman wearing a large pair of sunglasses and a cap.

"Hm?"

It was Lee Seon-hwa. Even with the sunglasses, there was no way he wouldn’t recognize her.

She lowered her sunglasses slightly and smiled.

"Oh my, Detective Seo Jung-woo?"

"Do you have business at the station?"

"I was just passing by and thought I’d drop in to see you, but it looks like you're heading out."

People who had been connected to Seo Jung-woo since the 20th century remained familiar to him, even in this split version of the 21st century.

That was why Seo Sora in this world was still the little sister he had known since the 20th century, and the twins Park Ha-yeon and Park Da-yeon were still Park Cheol-woo’s daughters.

But Lee Seon-hwa was different.

Unlike Seo Sora and the twins, he had first met the Lee Seon-hwa of the other world during the Yeouido Defense Battle. That was in the 21st century.

'This woman is not the Seon-hwa I knew. She’s a different Lee Seon-hwa.'

He understood that.

But in the other world, an identical-looking Lee Seon-hwa had collapsed under a curse. He could still remember her pale face.

On the other hand, the Lee Seon-hwa in front of him now had radiant skin, wore fine clothes, and had even put on sunglasses and a cap to avoid being recognized by fans.

'Seon-hwa once bragged about being recognized by a single fan.'

Seeing the stark contrast between the two versions of her made him sigh involuntarily.

"Haa..."

Lee Seon-hwa widened her eyes.

"Oh my, why are you sighing while looking at me?"

If he was sighing because he disliked her, she might have been offended, but that wasn't the case.

"Why are you looking at me with such a pitiful expression? I’m Lee Seon-hwa. Beautiful, popular, wealthy, adored by fans—top star Lee Seon-hwa. That look doesn’t suit me at all."

"I know you're a top star."

'At first, I thought they were identical, but upon closer look, only the beauty is the same.'

"Detective Seo, where are you headed?"

"To investigate a case."

Lee Seon-hwa clapped her hands together with a bright smile.

"Oh, perfect! You can take my car."

"Car?"

She pointed to the parking lot. This time, it wasn't the flashy sports car he had ridden before. Instead, a domestic mid-sized sedan was parked there.

'I thought she only drove expensive cars, but she’s surprisingly frugal...'

Lee Seon-hwa spoke up.

"I just got a new one."

"What?"

"I thought it might come in handy."

Seo Jung-woo thought to himself.

'That makes four cars now. Meanwhile, Seon-hwa doesn’t even own a single motorcycle.'

Curiosity struck him. Lee Seon-hwa was rich. A wealthy top star could drive a domestic sedan if they wanted to, but she wasn’t the type.

"Why did you buy this car?"

"Hmm. Just in case something like today happened? It would look weird for a detective to drive a foreign sports car around."

She had concluded that the reason he rejected her offer to use the sports car last time was because of how it would look. So, she quickly bought a mid-sized sedan instead.

Seo Jung-woo glanced at the car before extending his hand.

"Give me the keys."

Lee Seon-hwa beamed.

'I knew it! He only felt awkward about driving a sports car. That’s all it was. No way was he avoiding me.'

Seo Jung-woo drove.

Lee Seon-hwa sat in the passenger seat, gripping the overhead handle tightly. Her face looked a bit pale.

“W-what great driving you… kyaa!”

Seo Jung-woo’s driving was aggressive.

He wasn’t speeding, but his timing for braking when turning a corner or stopping the car was different from that of ordinary people.

Lee Seon-hwa unconsciously pressed her foot firmly against the floor of the passenger seat. By her standards, he should have already stepped on the brakes long ago, but the car wasn’t slowing down.

Seo Jung-woo had learned to drive on a battlefield, fighting monsters.

Of course, he knew how to drive smoothly and slowly.

But right now, he was searching for the sacred relic. Although he still had more than three days left, he felt no sense of ease. Without realizing it, he had started driving in the tactical maneuvering style used in war.

Thanks to his shooting skills, his dynamic vision and reflexes were excellent, so even when driving like that, he wouldn’t get into an accident. However, it wasn’t until he heard Lee Seon-hwa’s scream that he realized his mistake.

‘Ah. I shouldn’t do this here. Stay calm and proceed with the operation carefully.’

He adjusted his driving style to be as smooth as the other cars on the road.

Only then did Lee Seon-hwa let out a sigh of relief and ask, “Phew. Detective Seo, have you ever done car racing?”

“No.”

“I felt the same way last year when I rode in a professional racer’s car while filming a variety show. No, actually, this was even worse.”

Seo Jung-woo parked in an apartment complex.

“We’ve arrived. Wait in the car.”

“Can’t I follow you?”

“Do as you like.”

Seo Jung-woo investigated the home of the thief, So Sang-hyeon, who had stolen the relic from the temple.

The door of the corridor-style apartment was locked. He pressed the doorbell and listened for any reaction from inside.

His Sensing skill was meant to detect killing intent, but thanks to its secondary effects, it also allowed him to pick up on the presence of people with a little focus. Yet, there was no trace of movement inside.

‘He should at least be startled by the doorbell, but I don’t hear anything. No footsteps, no rustling of clothes. Not even heavy breathing. Just as I expected.’

He had already guessed that So Sang-hyeon wouldn’t be here.

He ran a hand across the dust on the doorstep. With the instincts honed from tracking monsters, he examined the floor. The conclusion remained the same.

‘He definitely hasn’t been here.’

Turning his head to the side, he saw Lee Seon-hwa squatting down and staring intently at him.

“What are you looking at?”

“Watching how you investigate. I want to use it as reference for my acting.”

Seo Jung-woo left the apartment.

From the start, he had expected the culprit wouldn’t be here. But he had come anyway—if only to put on the appearance of a normal investigation. He had even let Lee Seon-hwa tag along for the same reason.

‘She’ll be a perfect witness to say I was investigating around here.’

Now, it was time to head to his real destination. But he couldn’t take Lee Seon-hwa there.

Seo Jung-woo glanced at her, planning to send her away.

Lee Seon-hwa noticed his intention. But she didn’t want to just go back.

She quickly suggested, “Let’s eat! Food!”

“Food?”

“I haven’t eaten yet. I’m hungry.”

Seo Jung-woo thought about it. He hadn’t eaten yet either.

‘You need to eat to fight.’

Going hungry would weaken anyone. Even combat skills wouldn’t fill an empty stomach.

‘I have to wait until tomorrow to return to the other world. I can’t fight on an empty stomach until then.’

“Let’s just eat and then go our separate ways.”

Lee Seon-hwa beamed.

“Okay!”

‘I’m finally having a meal with Jung-woo. I’ll take things step by step. No need to rush. After all, there’s no one prettier than me.’

Lee Seon-hwa, still wearing her cap and sunglasses, sat at a small table by the window inside a convenience store.

Seo Jung-woo placed a cup of instant ramen and kimbap in front of her.

Startled, she asked, “What’s this?”

“I’m kind of busy.”

Lowering her sunglasses slightly, she spoke with a haughty tone.

“Hmph. So this is what commoners call cup ramen and kimbap?”

Seo Jung-woo chuckled.

“Don’t act like you’ve never seen ramen before. You like it.”

Lee Seon-hwa had grown up in an ordinary household. He recalled what the other world’s Lee Seon-hwa had once said.

— When I was little, I really loved ramen. I miss eating it.

‘Should I buy some ramen for her so she can have it when she’s freed from the curse?’

The kimbap wasn’t just a random choice either. The other world’s Lee Seon-hwa had loved it as a child.

— Picnics aren’t complete without kimbap!

Lee Seon-hwa broke apart a pair of disposable chopsticks and said, “You know way too much about me. How do you even know my food preferences, which only my close friends know?”

She didn’t think of him as a stalker.

“I know Detective Seo’s investigative skills are amazing, but I didn’t expect you to figure out something like this. You must be really interested in me?”

She genuinely thought so.

‘If he’s this interested in me, why is he playing so hard to get? Is it because I’m a top star and he feels pressured?’

“Oh my, such a timid guy.”

Seo Jung-woo said,

“Enough with the nonsense. Just eat your ramen.”

The two of them quickly finished their lunch at the convenience store and stepped outside.

Right next to them was a jewelry store.

Seo Jung-woo stared at it for a moment before walking in. Lee Seon-hwa, assuming he was going in for an investigation, followed him.

Inside, Seo Jung-woo asked the store owner,

“Do you have any necklaces designed to hold small objects inside?”

The owner displayed several options.

Seo Jung-woo turned to Lee Seon-hwa and asked,

“Which one looks good to you?”

‘If her taste is still the same, since she likes pink, her necklace preference should be similar too.’

Lee Seon-hwa was briefly flustered.

‘Is he buying me a gift from this place? There’s nothing good here, though.’

Her surprise didn’t last long before she quickly accepted the situation.

‘Well, I mean, how much could a public servant’s salary be? I should be understanding.’

Excited at the thought of receiving a gift, she eagerly picked one out.

“I like this design.”

“I see.”

Seo Jung-woo bought the necklace and walked out of the store.

Lee Seon-hwa followed expectantly.

‘Will he just hand it to me? Or will he put it on for me? Being a detective, he’s moving things along pretty fast, huh?’

Once they reached his car, Seo Jung-woo turned to her and said,

“This is as far as we go together. I can’t take you where I’m headed next.”

Lee Seon-hwa looked a little flustered.

“Huh? Why not?”

“It’s confidential.”

“Ah, I see. That makes sense, but…”

‘Why isn’t he giving me the necklace?’

She quickly thought of a reason.

‘Oh! Since it’s designed to hold something, maybe he’s planning to put another gift inside it first.’

“I’m sure you’re busy investigating. Let me drive you.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Without another word, Seo Jung-woo turned and walked away.

Watching his retreating figure, Lee Seon-hwa smirked.

“Hmph. I guess I’ll stop here for today.”

As soon as she got into her car, she started excitedly slapping the ceiling and shaking her legs.

“Eeeek! What’s he going to put inside the necklace? Will it be something nice? No way he could afford jewelry on a detective’s salary, right? Then what could it be? Kyaa! I’m so excited!”

Seo Jung-woo went to find the Badger Gang.

“This must be the place.”

The gang occupied the top floor of an old three-story building. Seo Jung-woo climbed the stairs.

The third-floor door was a standard steel door. He pushed it open and stepped inside.

Three men were sitting inside. One of them stood up.

“What brings you… huh? This bastard’s covering his face?”

Seo Jung-woo had covered his face with a handkerchief when approaching the Badger Gang.

The other two also stood up. One of them subtly moved toward a steel pipe leaning against the corner.

Despite his hidden face, the gang didn’t attack immediately—not because they were cautious.

Recalling what he’d read in police reports, Seo Jung-woo thought,

‘Their main businesses are loan sharking and fencing stolen goods.’

Some thieves don’t like showing their faces when selling stolen goods. If the Badger Gang beat up every customer like that, they’d lose business. That’s why they were trying to figure out whether he was a client first.

The gang leader slightly furrowed his brow and asked,

“Doesn’t seem like you’re here to spend money. Are you here about some merchandise? But we don’t do business with people who won’t show their faces.”

Instead of wearing his combat mask like when he wiped out the Knife Gang, Seo Jung-woo had chosen a simple handkerchief to cover his face. He wasn’t here to kill these guys—just to get information.

“I’m looking for someone.”

“Finding people isn’t really our line of work… though, for the right price, maybe.”

“Where is So Sang-hyun right now?”

The gang leader’s expression hardened. He licked his lips before bowing slightly and asking,

“Are you, by any chance, a detective? Someone else already came by. Which department are you from?”

“Ever seen a detective show up with their face covered?”

The leader immediately straightened up and cursed.

“Then who the hell are you, barging in here alone?!”

“If you knew that, you’d be dead.”

“This crazy bastard! Get him!”

The biggest of the three, the one who had stood up first, charged at Seo Jung-woo.

“Uwoooah!”

Seo Jung-woo extended his long leg straight out. His heel struck the thug squarely in the face.

“Kehhhk!”