(TN: Changed Blue Tiger to Cheong-ho. It was a name after all. I just keep overthinking stuff. Sorry, it has been corrected in every chapter.)

Besides, with the police spread out like that outside, how do you plan to mobilize people?

From the first floor, the outside was out of sight because it was hidden behind the fence but now we were on the second floor. The situation outside the fence was visible through the shattered windows.

Jeong Cheong-ho-sshi! We are here for you! Please open the door and cooperate with the management bureau!

The amplified voice of Yang Seo-ho resonated loudly through the loudspeaker.

A quick glance revealed that the bulky gangster blocking Yang Seo-ho was lying down. He wouldnt have laid down because he suddenly didnt want to stand, so it seemed like Yang Seo-ho must have knocked him down when I wasnt looking.

Thats one hell of a woman.

I-I understand. Then I will assign someone to the task.

Then Cheong-ho suddenly started frantically searching himself while muttering, Where did it go? Hey, where is it? as he urged his subordinates. Time was running short, and this was frustrating.

Are you looking for the smartphone that was rolling around on the living room floor, split in half?

Ugh, it seems I threw it away earlier. Hey, give me the phone, the phone!

It would be good if you could assign Chae Tae-won-sshi to the task. Hes still around and can move immediately.

Oh, Tae-won? Alright.

[! Time Limit: Jeong Hyun-ah will die in (1) hour !]

A new message window popped up in front of me, updating the remaining time for Jeong Hyun-ahs life. It seems an hour has already passed due to various human interferences.

While checking the situation outside, I reached out for a few drops of blood left among the shattered glass fragments. The blood had already dried completely after several hours.

Its not a big problem. I summoned magical power to impart additional properties to the bloodstain, and as I did, the dried blood began to wriggle and move slightly like a living amoeba. The bloodstains gathered into one spot and became a single drop of blood.

[Binding]

I created a very small barrier to pick up the drop of blood. Then, I activated a new spell to extract information contained in the blood.

[Insight]

The bloods owner is a female, about 18 years old. Fortunately, it seems to be Jeong Hyun-ahs blood. Additionally, if desired, I could obtain various physical information such as the blood owners unique characteristics, stats, food preferences, etc., but thats not necessary right now.

I could deduce Jeong Hyun-ahs location based on the information provided by the quest but in case of any unexpected situations, this blood could be used to pinpoint her exact whereabouts.

Theres no time. Please make the call.

I hurriedly dashed down to the first floor, grabbed the board I had left outside, and threw it towards the fence before leaping over it.

[Leap]

It was urgent, very urgent.

[Invisible Hand]

I conjured telekinetic mid-air force to pull the board towards me, dragging it under my feet. When I landed, I mounted the board and headed straight for Chae Tae-wons car.

Have you received a call from the chairman?

Not yet, but please get in.

It was only after I got into the car that Chae Tae-wons phone rang. It was a call from Cheong-ho. The chairman sure was taking his time.

The location isnt far. Please head towards the publishing district.

The publishing district?

Yes, you know, the place where all those bankrupt publishers from about ten years ago are clustered. Shell be in one of those warehouses.

A book cover had been found in Jeong Hyun-ahs room. It was the cover of a book that had never been distributed because the publisher went bankrupt before its official release. Normally, the regular route is to reach the publishing district only after wandering around using the cover as a clue.

Understood.

Were short on time Id appreciate it if you could speed up a bit.

At my request, Chae Tae-won flashed a brief smile.

Then I will speed up for a moment.

Screeech!! Vrooooom!!

Chae Tae-wons car suddenly burst forward with much more energy than before. The abrupt start followed by a series of sharp turns almost made me lose my balance and fall from the back seat. Had it not been for the posture-correcting spell I had applied earlier to prepare for the leap, I would have surely fallen.

It wont take long to reach the publishing district from here. Roughly 20 minutes? No, perhaps only 10 minutes.

The car we were in completely disregarded the road traffic laws and sped through at an incredible speed.

Overtaking vehicles, ignoring lanes

Thump-thump-thump-thump.

The sound of the lane dividers hitting the car could be heard.

To drive this fast in such an expensive car.

Whooooosh.

But

It was only after we had reached a somewhat clearer stretch of road that Chae Tae-won, who had been driving with a serious expression on his face, suddenly spoke.

Im not sure of the young ladys current condition, but do you think just the two of us, Mage-nim and me, will be enough?

Aaah, the kidnappers?

Yes. While many officers are currently tied up, there are also teams scattered in and around Paju searching for the young lady. We could get in touch with them or, alternatively, there are other members from the Triad.

Indeed, if Cheong-ho were to mobilize his forces in earnest, he could potentially gather hundreds of men. Its a matter of pulling together manpower from the other heads of the Triad.

But there is no need. The reason I refused Cheong-hos support was to monopolize any rewards from dealing with the kidnappers and to maximize the ransom. I wouldnt have accepted this request in the first place if I intended to finish it with just basic help and guidance.

Its alright.

Um but still

I have someone else to help.

Saying this, I fumbled with the backpack I had placed on the seat next to me. I could feel something wriggling inside the backpack.

Soon, we arrived at our intended destination.

Its the area once known as the Paju Publishing District. Of course, ever since Paju changed, the incentive to operate a business in this area vanished. Ironically, in a city overrun by monsters and outlaws, land prices soared.

Small factories and companies in Paju moved south in search of safer and cheaper locations, and the vacancies were filled by the assets of large, suspicious and wealthy companies that could withstand the citys dangers or utilize the resources it provided.

The same goes for the publishing district. Although the citizens of Paju still refer to it as such, not a single business related to publishing remains.

Please stop here.

What normally would have been a 20-minute drive took us just over 10 minutes, thanks to the speeding and reckless driving.

I felt a bit queasy from the ride, but I quickly regained my composure and surveyed the surroundings.

Several buildings clustered together caught my attention. Some of which seemed to be in operation and some of which were not.

More precisely, there were factories that appeared deserted yet strangely continued to produce something.

There were also mysterious secure warehouses whose contents and owners were unknown.

And then there were buildings that had become the homes of bizarre tribes of indeterminate origin.

Although not a completely wild hazard zone like Tanhyeon, it was a gathering place for elements that were even more dangerous and unsettling.

It might be best not to get too close. It could be troublesome if were spotted by lookouts.

Getting caught by someone on watch could provoke an unpredictable response.

I explained this to Chae Tae-won as we parked the car a safe distance from the warehouse.

From here, we were out of sight from anyone inside the warehouse.

Ill come with you.

Hmm Chae Tae-won? What should I do?

Well, alright. But Ill go ahead to scout first. Ill signal you, so follow at your own pace.

Lets do that.

Leaving Chae Tae-won in the car, I stepped out first.

Time for a deep breath. Ah, I feel queasy.

Then, I activated the enchantments Id prepared:

[Hazy Presence]

[Foxs Agility]

[Cats Elegance]

[Eagle Eye]

If it were a situation where it couldnt be used, that would be one thing, but if it could be used, there was no reason not to.

I have an abundance of magical power anyway.

I habitually checked the amount of magical power in my mana core.

The magical power hadnt decreased in the slightest.

It wasnt my first time embarking on a quest.

However, since this was a quest with a lot of randomness, I couldnt let my guard down.

Had the situation been more relaxed, I would have engaged in conversations with NPCs or conducted some preliminary research to understand what awaited me or what traps might be present. Unfortunately, I didnt have the chance to do so.

It doesnt seem like a typical criminal would be waiting.

The appearance of Yang Seo-ho was a precursor. Illegal aliens. Not just the undocumented immigrants who had crossed over from foreign countries, but beings from other dimensions that had infiltrated Earth through supernatural barriers were expected to appear.

While it was unlikely that an enemy I couldnt handle at my current level would appear, the presence drawn by the [Feasts Offering] trait could introduce unpredictable variables. Once these beings became involved, whatever awaited me could escalate into a problem beyond my ability to manage.

Thats why

Theres no such thing as being too prepared as a mage.

[Protective Circle]

[Distortion Field]

[Detection Jamming]

After applying several protective measures to myself, I moved towards the warehouse.

I leaned against the wall of another unrelated warehouse for cover and checked the entrance.

Theres a surveillance team in place.

A man and a woman were seated amongst the scattered waste materials at the entrance of the warehouse.

Their demeanor suggested they were taking an easy break after finishing some work, but what kind of work could possibly be done in an abandoned warehouse with no owner in sight?

But their attire and physique hardly fit that of criminals, let alone manual laborers?

At best, they might pass for office workers enjoying some break time.

Their appearance seemed somewhat out of place for the situation they were involved in.

It looked like they were resting leisurely after finishing work, but what would they do in an abandoned warehouse without an owner in the first place?

I summoned my magical power to inspect the inside.

The warehouse interior has exactly 60 sources of magical power.

Although there was one particularly strong source of magical power, the rest were rather trivial.

Outside wait, what?

Something was off.

Standing at the entrance of the warehouse that surveillance team.

I could only see two humans outside, but I detected four sources of magical power.

Whats this now?

Was something hiding?

[Invisibility Detection]

Even with the ability to detect invisible entities, nothing was caught. It wasnt a case of something being camouflaged or hidden.

Tch, no choice then.

Expanding my detection range any further would be too risky.

If there is someone with significant skill, a mage, or a detection device, my location might be revealed.

You cant stick your head into a hole when you dont know whats inside it.

[Magical Power Detection], [Temperature Detection], [Soul Detection], [Vitality Detection], [Sound Detection], [X-Ray Vision]

I activated a variety of detection spells at the same time.

Only then did I begin to understand the situation.

As I suspected, theyre illegal aliens.

Though they appeared to be one person to the naked eye, they were not.

Other life forms with alien magical powers were inhabiting their bodies.

The [Parasites].

They were also known as body snatchers.

Like the Mi-go, these aliens were monsters that began appearing around the world at some point.

They burrow into human brains, consume them.and then take full control of the bodies.

Yang Seo-ho would be delighted to hear about this.

These creatures are among the illegal aliens as defined by the immigration bureau.

The influx of creatures from another world was concerning, but these particular ones had seamlessly infiltrated our midst and their numbers were multiplying like cockroaches. Consequently, they were almost archenemies of the immigration bureau.

Nonetheless, there was one thing that offered some relief.

As long as I dont make any loud noises, I shouldnt be discovered right away.

They werent particularly adept at magic or endowed with exceptional detection abilities.

However, they possessed other troublesome skills that did not warrant immediate concern for the moment.

Having assessed the situation, there was no need for further hesitation.

I activated the magic with both hands together.

[Living Flesh]

Ziiiip

That was the sound of the zipper on my backpack opening.

Through the parted zipper, a nauseating pink mass began to squirm out.

Gulp Gulp Splat

Alright, todays assistant is ready for action.