The Civil Servant Who Conceals Her Power Is Too Good at Possession Chapter 9

Congratulations! You have successfully completed possession, and a special skill has arrived!

 

The ‘special skill’ the system mentioned back then is this one.

 

Dog’s Nose (A)

 

-You can smell the scent of mana.

 

-However, be careful—your tongue may keep slipping out while using this skill!

 

I really struggled to keep my tongue tucked in. 

 

The entire time I was looking at that scene.

 

Still, it wasn’t without results.

 

Through “Dog’s Nose,” I confirmed that there had been two Awakened inside that classroom.

 

‘Two completely different scents coexisted.’

 

One was undoubtedly Kang Wolyeon’s, but the other—

 

It must belong to the suspect who vanished without drawing any witnesses’ attention.

 

And to track that scent, I brought Kang Wolyeon out and provoked him on purpose. 

 

‘Kang Ilyeon.’

 

By bringing up ‘that name.’

 

And in doing so, I quite naturally prevented Kang Wolyeon’s real name from being exposed, saved my own life, and even uncovered the footprints.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Pi So-won asked, seeing me return after receiving treatment at the HIB infirmary.

 

“This time… you’re asking about me, right?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

“Haha, it hurts a little. But they said it’s nothing serious.”

 

The medic healer looked slightly surprised that I, an F-rank, was still intact after taking a punch to the nose from an A-rank hunter.

 

“A little?”

 

Pi Sowon looked incredulous, but there was only one thing I could say.

 

“I’ve always had a high pain tolerance.”

 

Back in my athlete days, my durability was on the better side.

 

That’s probably why I was so fearless about entering an opponent’s space during sparring.

 

Well. That was a long time ago.

 

Still, seeing how strangely tough I am for an F-rank, perhaps some of my traits from when I was a normal person remain.

 

“Was your reaction speed always that fast… No. Forget it. Why am I even asking you.”

 

Pi Sowon scanned me from head to toe, then opened the door to the interrogation room for me as if it didn’t matter anymore. 

 

To be precise, it led to a room where we could observe the inside of the interrogation room.

 

From this side, we could see inside—but from the interrogation room, this wall appeared as a mirror.

 

‘A scene I’ve seen plenty of times in crime movies….’

 

My heart flutters again.

 

‘Is this the side effect of Dog’s Nose? My tongue keeps wanting to slip out, and I can almost feel a tail that isn’t there wagging!’

 

“Are you excited?”

 

“No!”

 

I did my best to manage my expression next to my partner, who looked ready to turn back into a psychopath.

 

Just then—

 

Bang!

 

“You really won’t say anything? Then you’re taking the fall for everything, punk!”

 

Byeon Gudo’s angry voice rang out from inside the interrogation room.

 

Kang Wolyeon only grinned in response.

 

“I told you, I was alone in that classroom. I stabbed the bastard with that knife and killed him.”

 

Wearing a school uniform still stained with blood, his smiling face looked every bit that of a murderer—

 

‘Lie.’

 

We already had proof that someone else had been inside the classroom.

 

The footprints leading up to the ceiling.

 

Someone who had escaped without catching anyone’s eye, using a mana item.

 

The problem was that the only clue to that someone’s identity was a single shoe size.

 

“Eighty-seven students match a 280mm footprint. If you factor in faculty and the possibility of an outsider entering, the number of suspects only increases.”

 

Pi Sowon showed me a sheet of paper clipped into a file.

 

On it was an outline of a footprint measured at 280mm.

 

“It’ll take a long time to catch the suspect.”

 

Pi Sowon sipped a cup of strong coffee and stared into the interrogation room with a face marked by deep dark circles.

 

Then she said,

 

“And that’s not all. That footprint only proves someone else was there. Whether they conspired together to commit murder or whether it was truly a solo act as he claims—we won’t know unless he talks.”

 

She was right.

 

Even if another Awakened had been present, that alone wasn’t proof they were the real perpetrator.

 

“And the mana traces found on the weapon belonged only to him.”

 

That would only shift more focus toward the so-called “witness.”

 

‘It’s a disadvantageous situation for Kang Wolyeon.’

 

At a time like this, I could feed him the mushroom and force a proper statement—but neither he nor I want that.

 

Kang Wolyeon has a ‘secret’ he needs to protect.

 

The fact that I alone know it might not be a bad situation for me.

 

While turning those thoughts over in my mind, I looked at Kang Wolyeon sitting crookedly in the interrogation room and spoke up.

 

“Um… Team Leader…?”

 

“Don’t tell me you want to conduct the interrogation too….”

 

“No, that’s not it. It’s 6:03 right now.”

 

“…?”

 

Pi Sowon’s eyes narrowed.

 

“It’s three minutes past clock-out time.”

 

Looking at Pi Sowon’s dumbfounded face, I beamed. 

 

“Work-life balance is precious, you know.”

 

What? I didn’t say anything wrong.

 

I became a civil servant to protect my work-life balance, not for the money! 

 

“Then I’ll be heading home!”

 

* * *

 

While everyone was clutching the back of their necks over the MZ rookie, I leisurely returned to the office alone.

 

As expected, Ma Deokho was nowhere to be seen.

 

He must have left right at six sharp like a beam of light.

 

‘I’m frustrated. He really stole my spot as the Gen Z representative.’

 

Clicking my tongue at his superior MZ prowess, I reached into my pocket and pulled something out.

 

^   ^

 

◐ ◑

 

^

 

A doll with slightly peculiar eyes.

 

Amid the earlier chaos, I had quietly pocketed it from Kang Wolyeon’s belongings—it had been attached to his bag.

 

‘Wow… I’d been wondering how I was supposed to get my hands on this.’

 

And now it came to me this easily?

 

Feeling a bit impressed, I pressed firmly on the doll’s chest.

 

The doll ‘spoke.’

 

[Please enter the entry code.]

 

What this is, is—

 

“The Sun and the Moon.”

 

In that instant, everything went dark.

 

Moments later, in the blackness before my eyes, a man wearing a cat mask appeared.

 

“Welcome to the ‘Sorghum Field.’ Do you want red sorghum, or blue sorghum?”

 

Team 5’s office had completely vanished.

 

That’s right.

 

This doll is an item connected to a subspace.

 

‘In the original, Choi Woojin took it from the villain Kang Wolyeon.’

 

When I think about what Choi Woojin did to Kang Wolyeon back then…

 

‘Ugh. It’s hard to tell who the real villain is.’

 

And if you look for “red sorghum” here—

 

“Red sorghum.”

 

“Welcome.”

 

The man snapped his fingers in the air, and a mask was placed over my face as well.

 

The mask exists to guarantee anonymity.

 

And why is anonymity necessary?

 

“Now, the next item starts at 300 gold. This item is a water gun filled with raw extract squeezed from a slime. This water gun is only effective against humans, and upon touching human skin, it causes immense pain for 24 hours!” 

 

Because in this subspace, weapons are traded that the Hunter Management Bureau would never, ever authorize!

 

“400 gold!”

 

“450 gold!”

 

“500!”

 

The room was swarming with people in masks.

 

Those people were holding up paddles and shouting numbers.

 

Watching the asking price jump terrifyingly, I smiled contentedly.

 

It’s practically swarming with criminals.

 

And then, shortly after—

 

“1,000 gold!”

 

I bought something.

 

Spending a full 100 million won.

 

“…1,000 gold! Any higher bids?”

 

The auctioneer on the stage shouted with an excited voice.

 

As he called out 1,000 gold three times, everyone turned to look at me.

 

“Who is that?”

 

“I’ve never seen them before…?”

 

“They must be insanely rich!”

 

Haha. Do I look like someone who has so much money they don’t know what to do with it?

 

You’re right.

 

I am exactly that person who has 500 million won and doesn’t know how to spend it.