Killing the Possessor - Chapter 123

A new possessor: Crudi Foss.

A former priest, now an investigator with the Public Security Bureau—and the sort of possessor Bali is more desperate to recruit than anyone else. If we could manage to save him and bring him into our ranks, it would be a huge win for Hongik Ingan.

Trying to compose myself, I looked seriously at the building where our target was. We were camped out on the rooftop of a building across the street, cloaked in invisibility magic, watching Crudi Foss’s apartment.

Having moved out of his family home, he now lived alone on the top floor of a four-story apartment building. Since the place was made up of multiple connected units, it was crucial to pick the right coordinates before using a teleport scroll.

“Listen to me: if anything feels off, don’t hesitate, just tear the scroll and get out. Got it?”

“Yes, yes, you’ve told me a thousand times.”

Hawk sighed at how I brushed off his worries as mere nagging, then carefully placed the hahoe mask over my face. The weight of the wooden mask settling on my skin made the upcoming mission suddenly feel real.

“Funny, I used to complain about having no magic talent after landing in a wizard’s body, but who knew it would actually come in handy like this?”

Hawk gave a brief laugh. He might brush it off now, but I clearly remembered the look of shock on his face when I couldn’t even manage a simple barrier spell.

“Original Camilli wasn’t exactly gifted either, but yeah, you do have it rough. Still, magic’s only easy after years of practice. I’ve been here for over ten years, and Ailrose is coming up on five. It’s natural we’re good by now.”

I knew he was just being kind, but his words relaxed me a little. Mask still on, I looked at Hawk and nodded.

“I’ll be back, teacher.”

“Keep the scroll in your hand at all times.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know!”

Not wanting to hear the same lecture again, I just tore the scroll right then and there. The world flashed bright, and I suddenly felt myself floating in midair.

The spinning sensation lasted only a moment. Then, my feet hit solid ground. I realized I’d made it to my destination and swallowed hard as I took in my surroundings.

I seemed to be in a living room. The mantle above the dusty fireplace was cluttered with a small clock and candlesticks. The desk was a mess—dishes from a recent meal, random knickknacks scattered everywhere.

A bookshelf, oddly enough, held not a single book, but instead displayed knives of all sizes. Across from that was a leather sofa, big enough for a grown man to stretch out on.

Aside from the old-fashioned decor, it was a textbook bachelor pad—the kind that made me want to schedule a deep cleaning on the spot. Pushing those thoughts aside, I crept toward the bedroom.

I got to the bedroom door, moving as quietly as possible, and froze when I heard rustling inside. I’d thought he’d be asleep by now—maybe I should have waited longer.

But either way, I had to wake him to confirm his identity, so there was no reason to change the plan. Slowly, I opened the door.

And the moment I saw what was inside, I froze on the spot.

“Haa, haa—”

“…”

Fwap, fwap.

There was a soft, half-groan, half-sigh, and a flushed face. A large hand kept slapping at the blanket.

Well he wasn’t hitting the blanket, he was just moving his hand up and down.

That hand was wrapped around something thick and fleshy, and I couldn’t help but notice the long, impressive scar along the back of his hand—almost as memorable as Hawk’s.

When I finally managed to look up from the shockingly unflattering scene, I locked eyes with the man sitting up in bed, leaning against the wall, looking right at me through the open door.

“A woman?”

“…”

“I’m not really into guys, you know.”

He sounded annoyingly calm for someone who’d just been interrupted in the middle of touching himself. He didn’t even stop; he just kept going, not taking his eyes off me.

“Haa, haa. As you can see, I’m a little busy right now.”