The black whip snatched Big Data just as he tried to flee.
A woman in a suit walked across the half-destroyed asphalt road.
An icy cold voice rang through the city streets.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Investigator Bae Minji of the Hunter Surveillance Bureau glared with eyes burning with rage.
Bae Minji swung the handle of her whip.
Boom!
Big Data slammed into the ground.
Tied up tightly by the whip, he looked up at Bae Minji.
“Ah, seriously! You’re so clingy! I already told you you’re not my type~! Women who are overly obsessive aren’t popular with men, Investigator-nim!”
“A-rank wanted villain, Big Data. You are under arrest as a criminal caught in the act under Article 17 of the Awakener Terrorism Prevention Act. You have the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney. Furthermore……”
Bae Minji ignored Big Data’s words and recited his rights.
Silver handcuffs mixed with blue light moved toward Big Data’s wrists.
At that moment.
Squish squish squish squish—
Big Data’s body melted into mud and flowed away.
Mud chunks slipped through the gaps in the whip and gathered together.
In an instant, they reformed into Big Data’s shape.
Big Data stood up completely naked.
“That was one of my favorite outfits! And now I’ll even get charged with public indecency on top of everything~! I don’t care! It’s all your fault, Investigator-nim, so I refuse to take responsibility!”
Bae Minji retrieved her whip and spoke.
“For a villain, you’ve got quite the nerve. Targeting my friend, no less.”
“Frieeeend?”
Big Data deliberately dragged out the word in a sly tone.
“What’s this~? We’re both people who know everything there is to know. Weren’t you carrying out surveillance duty on A-rank Awakener Park Ahjeong, who is on the list of suspicious individuals? Am I wrong, Supervisor-nim?”
Bae Minji bit her lower lip hard.
Soon, Professor Park Ahjeong’s dazed voice rang out.
“Minji…… What are you……”
“I’ll swear to the heavens and explain everything properly from the beginning. So just wait a little bit for now.”
Professor Park Ahjeong silently lowered her head.
Watching this, Big Data shouted loudly.
“Huh? Didn’t you hear that? Was it just me? I think I just heard the sound of friendship cracking.”
“Shut your mouth. I’ll sew that filthy trap of yours shut so you can never spout nonsense again.”
Investigator Bae Minji swung her whip at Big Data.
The whip moved like a living creature.
It struck Big Data hard across the back.
“Agh! That hurts—!”
Big Data rubbed his back and continued speaking.
“Not bad. But too bad. I don’t have a taste for getting hit by women!”
When Big Data whistled.
Whiiiistle—!
A steel ball shot out from his pocket and flew forward at high speed.
Investigator Bae Minji quickly swung her whip.
Shwaaaaack—
A clean, perfect trajectory.
But the moment the whip was about to deflect the steel ball.
Whirl—
Following Big Data’s whistle, the steel ball suddenly changed direction at a right angle.
Then.
Shwaack— Crack!
The heavy steel ball slammed into Investigator Bae Minji’s side.
“Ugh!”
Her ribs must have broken.
Bae Minji clutched her side and collapsed to the ground.
Big Data clicked his tongue.
“I’m a brain-type villain, so my raw combat power is a bit lacking. Instead, I freely use multiple artifacts to overcome my weaknesses. And……”
A strange light glowed in Big Data’s eyes.
A target mark was engraved on the surface of his pupils.
Big Data continued.
“My analysis ability is top-notch instead. I analyzed all of your combat data from the fight earlier. Stride length, breathing patterns, attack patterns, evasion patterns…… I’ve figured out everything about you.”
“The Hunter Association and the Hunter Surveillance Bureau are both so strange. Why do they try to control power? If you have power, it’s only natural to use it. Would you tell a bird not to fly or a fish not to swim? Of course not.”
“Stop…… spouting bullshit…… you damn villain……”
“Look at that. Calling me a villain, really! We’re closer to freedom fighters resisting dictatorship! Do you really think it’s normal for the state to control an individual’s power? Then you can live like that. I’ll live freely.”
At that moment.
Shwaaaaack!
Eight white spears shot toward Big Data.
However.
Hssssssss—
The white spears disintegrated into photon particles and vanished.
Big Data puffed out his cheeks and said,
“Seriously! You almost made me have a heart attack, Professor! Didn’t you hear what I said earlier? White magic doesn’t work on me! Geez! I really can’t let my guard down!”
At that moment.
“Analysis complete.”
Bae Minji stood up.
The same target mark was now engraved in her eyes as well.
“I’ll return your own words to you. Big Data, you’re finished now.”
Bae Minji’s hair and eye color had changed to brown.
Just like Big Data’s hair and eye color.
At that instant.
Shwaaaack—!
The steel ball flew toward Investigator Bae Minji’s side.
But.
Swish—
Bae Minji lightly dodged it.
At the same time, she began charging toward Big Data.
Big Data muttered with interest.
“The Hunter Surveillance Bureau’s mad dog who can steal other hunters’ abilities. Interesting. Very interesting.”
But that only lasted a moment.
Tap!
Big Data kicked off the ground and flew into the sky.
At the same time.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Smoke grenades fell from inside Big Data’s coat.
Psssshhhh—
Green mist began spreading in all directions.
“Don’t worry. It’s not poison gas! You’ll just fall asleep for a little while~”
“You…… bastard…… stay…… right…… there……”
“You know how good sleep is for your skin, right? So sleep tight.”
Bae Minji staggered and reached out toward Big Data.
But it was only for a moment.
Thud—
Bae Minji collapsed powerlessly onto the ground.
Sleep gas rapidly spread throughout the city streets.
Big Data began leaping across building rooftops.
“Whew— Mission accomplished!”
Big Data wiped the sweat from his forehead.
It had taken longer than planned.
All because of Investigator Bae Minji from the Hunter Surveillance Bureau.
“No wonder they call her the mad dog.”
From Professor Park Ahjeong’s lab at Korea University all the way to the commercial area on Daehak-ro.
Bae Minji had chased after him relentlessly with fire in her eyes.
Big Data pulled out the small USB from his pocket.
It was the USB containing the confidential data he had stolen from Professor Park Ahjeong.
“After all the twists and turns, it’s still a victory for this Big Data-nim!”
Once he delivered the USB to his client, the mission would be complete.
300 million won, cleanly laundered, would be paid to him in cash.
‘With that money……’
He would finally be able to fulfill the long-cherished wish he had waited for so long.
At that moment.
[……You look like you’re having fun.]
A gloomy voice came from behind him.
Big Data turned around in shock.
“Huk!?”
Pure, complete blackness filled his vision.
At the same time, long jet-black hair obscured his sight.
Then.
Crack!
Intense pain assaulted the back of Big Data’s head.
A scream escaped him involuntarily.
“Grk……”
And with that, Big Data’s consciousness was cut off.
***
A dark back alley near Sinrim Station.
Tattered police line tape fluttered whenever the wind blew.
It was a place abandoned after the dungeon break and the clash between hunters and villains that occurred there a year ago.
At that moment.
Suddenly, a manhole cover began rattling.
A low groan could be heard coming from below the manhole.
The sewer, free from human management, had become a breeding ground for all kinds of insects and rats.
Then.
Crunch~! Crack!
The sound of hard objects breaking began to echo.
Jeanne stood motionless at the source of the sound.
With an expressionless face, she moved her hands like a machine.
Every time she did.
Crack— Crunch~! Snap! Creak— Creeeeak~!
Sounds of breaking, twisting, and grinding burst out.
Big Data struggled desperately, gritting his teeth.
“Grk~! Grraaaaagh~!”
“Name.”
“You won’t talk?”
Snap!
Big Data’s big toe was bent in the opposite direction.
“Grraaaaaagh! Huff…… Huff…… I’m the type who doesn’t give out personal information so easily.”
“Admirable attitude. Then I’ll continue.”
Crack~! Snap~! Craaaack~!
Second, third, fourth.
Big Data’s little toes were completely bent toward the top of his feet.
“Grk…… Grraaaagh—”
Big Data swallowed his screams while gritting his teeth.
From big toe to little toe.
Big Data’s feet had turned into a tattered mess.
And that wasn’t all.
His nose bridge was completely caved in, his ears were swollen like dumplings, his eye sockets were dark blue with bruises, and his wrists were bent at grotesque angles.
He looked closer to a living corpse.
Then, Jeanne grabbed Big Data by the jaw.
“Open your mouth.”
But Big Data desperately kept his mouth shut.
Crunch!
A powerful fist slammed into Big Data’s lower jaw.
His jawbone shattered and his mouth was forced wide open.
Jeanne shoved a glass bottle into his mouth.
Glug glug glug glug glug—
A vivid emerald liquid flowed down his throat.
Soon, Big Data’s wounds began to heal.
Glooooow—
His swollen eye sockets, caved-in nose bone, dangling jawbone.
Even the mangled joints of his fingers and toes.
In an instant, Big Data returned to a perfectly normal state.
What Jeanne had fed him was an elixir.
And not just any elixir — a high-grade one capable of healing even severe injuries.
Soon, Jeanne loosened her grip.
“Then shall we start over from the beginning?”
Big Data let out a giggling laugh.
“You’re wasting your time. Do you really think this Big Data-nim will open his mouth just from a little torture?”
A smile that even carried a hint of madness.
Even after suffering such brutality, the light in his eyes was still alive.
Jeanne picked up a pair of gardening shears and said,
“It would be better for you to answer when I ask. Because later, I might not ask anything at all.”
“Just kill me already. Let’s not waste each other’s time.”
I looked at Big Data and said,
“You’ve got quite the spirit. If it were me, I’d spill every piece of information I had—real or made-up—within ten seconds.”
“What a witty joke, Master.”
Jeanne smiled faintly.
‘Does she think I’m joking?’
‘Well, anyway.’
Big Data was actually quite tough.
An hour had passed since Jeanne began her intense torture.
During that time, Big Data hadn’t even revealed his own name.
The one piece of information I wanted from Big Data was simple.
Exactly who was targeting Professor Park Ahjeong.
However, no matter what we did, Big Data refused to talk.
‘Judging by how crazy his eyes look, it seems ordinary torture won’t make him open his mouth at all.’
If things continued like this, it would really end up as nothing but a waste of time, just as Big Data said.
In that case……
“No choice then. We’ll have to lock him up in that place.”
“That place, you mean…… Ah, I see……”
Jeanne nodded as if she understood.
Meanwhile, Big Data spat out a clump of blood and giggled.
“No matter where you lock me up, it won’t work. I’ve come out of the Death Stalker’s private prison completely intact, you know.”
Big Data smiled triumphantly.
Death Stalker, the A+ rank 11th hunter of the Korean Hunter Association.
He was famous for throwing criminals into the private prison he built and ‘rehabilitating’ them.
The detailed ‘rehabilitation’ process had never been revealed to the media, but every criminal who was released from Death Stalker’s private prison came out as kind and harmless individuals.
Though many of them drooled from their mouths and limped with their limbs, of course.
So Big Data’s confidence was somewhat understandable.
But there was an old saying: No matter how well someone runs, there’s always someone who flies above them.
I looked at Big Data and muttered,
“Heat.”