Using Deception (SS), I rendered myself invisible and slipped into the mansion.
The police were trying to find me with police dogs, but Deception concealed not only my appearance but also my sound, scent, presence, and even body heat. The dogs were useless.
If they had any Detection-type Skills or Traits, the situation would be different... but those aren't common. I shouldn't worry.
The police hadn't entered the mansion itself. Whether they were hiding or not, the corridors were empty.
I'll have to search every room. There's bound to be an underground space somewhere... should I start there?
I pondered.
Hobson, the city's wealthiest man, was undoubtedly hiding something shady. An underground space was almost certain to exist.
But what I'm looking for might not be there. He probably doesn't know the value of that branch, so he wouldn't bother storing it carefully.
The red branch looked like nothing more than a decent ornament. If Hobson had recognized its true worth, he would have sold it at auction or on the black market, or tried to collect more branches.
If that were the case, Helten would have made his move long ago.
It's also unlikely he'd hide treasure in an underground space. Traditionally, treasures are kept where they can be seen, for peace of mind. There's probably a secret safe in his bedroom.
Still, I have this feeling there's something down there in the underground space...
I was driven by a burning curiosity to satisfy my curiosity.
What if there's a ridiculously beautiful woman hiding out in the basement?
Why not? It's the kind of scandal nobles get mixed up in during their secret night lives.
If I were the wealthiest man in the city, I'd definitely have a special underground space for secret parties and private guests.
Hmm. When I'm this conflicted, asking someone else for advice might be a good idea.
I spoke quietly into the air:
"Should I go underground or not?"
The King of the Demonic Heavens doesn't care either way.
The Lord of the Heavens has donated 1,000 AP.
"Go."
"Ah, I'll go then. But first, I need to find what I'm looking for."
I was curious about the underground space, but there was no need to go there right now. I could just quickly find the tree branch and then head underground.
In my invisible state, I wandered through the mansion, checking every room, including the servants' quarters. After searching for over two hours, I still hadn't found the red tree branch.
This is tougher than I thought.
Even with my SS-Rank Deception skill, I couldn't use it indefinitely. Maintaining my invisibility drained a small amount of mana each time. The SS-Rank allowed me to sustain it for a long time; if I had only an S-Rank, I would have already depleted over 90% of my mana.
At this rate, I'll probably run out of mana in another three hours.
I needed to find it quickly.
Another hour passed, and I finally located the red tree branch.
It was a bedroom on the fifth floor. A woman who looked to be in her forties lay on the bed.
Hobson's wife?
I stared at the woman, who was sleeping soundly in nothing but a thin nightgown. Up close, she looked to be in her late forties, with wrinkles on her face and neck and age spots on her hands. Though her features were refined, she was definitely not my type.
Hmm. This is a bit...
If she had been a stunning beauty who looked like she was in her thirties despite being in her late forties, I might have immediately dropped my pants and taken a taste.
Impossible. I'll just move on.
The red branch was displayed in a vase on the bedside table, nestled among vibrant flowers. I plucked the branch from the arrangement and stashed it in my inventory.
Afterward, I moved to the vanity.
People usually keep their jewelry in the vanity drawers. As the wife of the city's wealthiest man, she must have some expensive valuables.
I reached for a drawer. It rattled but wouldn't open.
Locked.
I understood. They probably thought the servants might steal the jewelry.
I channeled Demonic Heavenly Energy into my hand.
Crack!
The drawer splintered, and the valuables inside clattered.
"Hmm..."
The woman stirred in bed and sat up. Our eyes met.
Her pupils widened, and just as she was about to scream, Demonic Heavenly Energy shot from my fingertip.
"Heavenly Demon Finger!"
Demonic Heavenly Art.
Heavenly Demon Black Bullet.
The Demonic Heavenly Energy pierced her forehead. She quietly collapsed onto the bed.
Heavenly Demon Finger... no, the Heavenly Demon Black Bullet was a type of Flicking Finger Technique. Its power wasn't particularly great. The woman, being an ordinary person, died instantly, but someone with even a modicum of skill could have evaded it. My poor proficiency with the Flicking Finger Technique was also a factor.
When I need to use the Heavenly Demon Finger, I can just use the Cheonmachong instead.
The Flicking Finger Technique had few advantages beyond its silence. Even its projectile speed was slower than a bullet.
I wouldn't have killed her if she hadn't woken up... but oh well.
Hobson was planning to kill her regardless of whether she woke up.
As the city's wealthiest man, Hobson might put a bounty on my head. I had no desire to live with bounty hunters on my trail.
He does have a son... but according to what I've heard, he's not the type to seek revenge for his father's death. More likely, he'll just squander the inheritance on frivolous pleasures.
Hobson's son was a foolish wastrel, lacking any respect or affection for his father.
I stood before the most opulent door on the fifth floor.
This must be Hobson's room. Kill Hobson, steal anything valuable, check the Underground Warehouse, and then escape. That's all there is to it.
I quietly opened Hobson's door.
"Working hard on a moonlit night, I see."
A middle-aged man with a goatee, dressed in a suit, sat on the bed, watching me. It was Hobson.
"...Did you know I was coming?"
"Central Police Chief Benjamin came to inform me. He said the Jeokgwang would visit my mansion tonight."
"How did that bastard know I'd be here?"
"I'm curious about that myself, but he wouldn't tell me."
I narrowed my eyes. There were three men in the room. One wore a fedora and a black cloak. He looked exactly like the man who had murdered the woman with a knife in the alleyway earlier.
"...Your twins? No, that doesn't feel right. What are those things? Dolls?"
"Dolls... Not entirely wrong, but not quite accurate either. These are all my clones. I am Black Knife Jack."
"Clones? But your faces are different."
"Hmm. This face, you mean?"
Hobson stroked his face.
"When I was younger... I didn't like my face, so I changed it. You know the Body Snatcher? I paid him 500,000 AP for this face. Don't you think it's handsome?"
Body Snatcher. I know him. He's from the original story.
"Why are you so relaxed? Do you think those guys can beat me?"
"No, not at all. Unfortunately, my clones can't even use half of my power. I can control ten of them simultaneously, but... that would cause too many complications."
I could guess what he meant by "complications." The mansion was surrounded by police. Any commotion would draw them in, and it would be impossible to hide ten clones moving at once.
Hobson clearly wanted to keep Black Knife Jack's true identity hidden.
"Are the rest of your clones underground?"
"Ah, yes. I believe the clones down there are still intact... You have a good intuition, my friend."
Never fully trust your opponent's words.
Hobson using three clones might mean that three is the maximum number he can control simultaneously.
The claim about clones in the Underground Warehouse could be a lie too.
But it didn't seem like a lie. The sudden loss of interest in the Underground was evidence of that.
Let's not go underground. The Lord of the Heavens told me to go, but... he only donated 1,000 AP. I don't need to go.
If the Lord of the Heavens truly wanted me to go underground, he would have donated at least 10,000 AP.
"Why use a clone to kill women? And why only beautiful ones?"
I was genuinely curious. I couldn't understand why a man would kill beautiful women. If they were just bitches, maybe, but most of the women killed so far had no connection to Hobson.
"I made a deal with the Clocktower Killer."
"A deal?"
"If I killed a woman every so often, the Clocktower Killer would teach me the secrets and information of this city. It was a good deal. Thanks to it, I became the wealthiest man in this city."
"Are you sure you should be blabbing all this to me?"
"Secrets itch to be revealed, especially when they're something to be proud of."
Sometimes I feel the urge to spill secrets too. I'm no different.
"And what good will knowing the truth do you? The city's police are already in my pocket, and the citizens are under my control. Most importantly, you're going to die here."
Hobson rose from his seat, a knife glinting in his hand.
"Enough... huh? Where did you pull that thing from?"
I retrieved a rocket launcher, an RPG-7, from my Inventory.
"Heavenly Demon Akbar!"
BOOM!
The room erupted in flames, the force of the explosion sending me flying backward.
I slammed into the wall, but immediately sprang to my feet. Having already enveloped myself in Demonic Heavenly Energy to brace for the impact, I was unharmed.
The room was littered with the charred corpses of Hobson and his clones.
The Clocktower Killer's jaw drops.
The King of the Demonic Heavens chuckled.
"No time for this. Let's bolt!"
It was clear the cops would be swarming in any minute. I could handle regular police, but the Special Police were a different story. I activated Deception (SS), turning invisible, and began to flee.
Should I just teleport away with the Scroll? ...No. I need to teach that old woman I saw earlier a lesson before leaving. Time to go out the window.
Hanging from the window frame, I carefully lowered myself, inch by inch. A sudden drop could break my invisibility.
Once on the ground, I smirked inwardly at the frantic police activity.
Heh. Brings back memories. Stupid cops... Oh. What's this? A hot blonde policewoman?!
She was a policewoman with long, golden hair tied in a ponytail, clad in a blue police uniform. Her figure was stunning: a D-cup bust, a slender waist, and voluptuous hips that flowed into an artful curve. I felt an immediate urge to strip off her skirt and uncover her hidden secrets.
The Lord of the Heavens cannot take his eyes off the blonde.
The Lord of the Heavens desires something from you.
The Lord of the Heavens is ready!
"Uncle, you really like blondes, huh?"
I was just as horny, but there was no way I could act on it in this situation. Escaping was the priority.
"I'll wait for another chance. Right now, I need to protect my body... huh?"
My eyes met the blonde's.
Her irises were a deep, ocean-like blue. Just as I thought how beautiful they were, her pupils shifted.
Her round pupils shifted into diamond shapes, their color transforming into a brilliant fluorescent glow.
That's the Fairy Eye!
The Setting Book didn't detail the Fairy Eye's abilities, only mentioning that its traits rivaled Kang Myungjin's Dragon Eye.
"Found you, Clown!"
The blonde woman shouted, drawing a white rod from her waist. The rod swiftly transformed into a bow, and as she drew back the string, a blue arrow materialized from mana.
Without hesitation, she fired the arrow at me. I activated Demonic Heavenly Energy and swiftly dodged to the side.
The mana arrow struck the stone floor, piercing nearly five centimeters deep.
This is no ordinary opponent. I'll lose if I fight.
Moreover, activating Demonic Heavenly Energy had dispelled the SS-Rank Deception's invisibility. The surrounding police officers immediately spotted me and drew their weapons.
Among them, a tall, beautiful woman with short red hair swung a black baton at me.
Thwack!
"...Ugh."
The baton struck my shoulder. I tried to dodge, but it moved faster than I anticipated. Seizing the momentary opportunity, I swiftly retreated and pulled a motorcycle from my inventory.
"See you later, cops!"
I revved the engine and sped away.
Vroom!
"What are you waiting for?! Go after him!"
"Get in the car! Are we just going to let him get away?!"
"Damn it! Who would've thought he'd have a motorcycle?!"
The police urgently began chasing me. I smirked at them.
Hacking successful.
You can hack the car for 24 minutes.
Hacking successful.
You can hack the car for 21 minutes.
Hacking successful.
You can hack the car for 17 minutes.
Their car won't be moving for a while.