Detective Lee Do-hyun sat in the mobile command center, smoke from his cigarette mixing with the chill of dawn. His bloodshot eyes scanned the city's digital map. He had realized something fundamental: the killer didn't move according to need—he moved according to the trail he left behind.
— "He enjoys the confusion he leaves behind," Do-hyun said in a low voice to his assistant. "So, we'll give him a reason to come closer."
The Plan: The Media Bait
The next morning, news of the "Cinema Killer" dominated the headlines. But, at Do-hyun's request, false information was leaked:
"Police find a hidden camera in the theater ceiling that captured clear images of the suspect. The footage is currently being processed at the Central Forensic Laboratory."
Do-hyun knew the killer would realize it was a lie—but he wanted to provoke him. He wanted to say: "I know you were there, above everyone else."
System Reaction
Kang Jin-woo read the news on a stolen phone while the manhwa system flared red in front of him.
[Warning: Viewers have been provoked!]
Viewer Messages: "The detective is bragging about what he doesn't have!" , "Go show him who truly runs the show."
Urgent Mission: [Destroy Confidence]Objective: Infiltrate the Central Forensic Laboratory and destroy the "evidence," leaving behind a new message.Reward: Upgrade skill [Steps of Nothingness] → [Shadow Glide].
Jin-woo smiled. The plan was clear: the detective had set a trap, and he would walk into it—not out of necessity, but because the audience demanded it.
The Silent Breach
At midnight, the forensic lab resembled a fortress. Do-hyun stood in the back room, carefully watching the surveillance screens. Silence was so heavy that the ticking of the clock sounded like hammers.
Suddenly, the lights in the corridor leading to the lab went out. — "He's here," Do-hyun whispered, drawing his weapon.
Jin-woo moved through the hallways as if he were part of the darkness itself. He killed no one along the way; his goal was to strike at the detective's pride first. Using [Evidence Fabrication], he triggered alarms on one side of the building while moving undetected on the opposite side.
When Do-hyun and his men entered the main lab room, they found the window shattered and the computer containing the "images" completely burned.
But that wasn't the end.
On the pristine white wall was a small drawing of a camera, crossed out in fresh blood, beneath which a single, cold, precise line was written:
"Your lenses are blind, Do-hyun… just like the justice of your laws."
The Impending Confrontation
Do-hyun sprinted to the broken window and looked down. He saw a dark figure standing in the middle of the empty street, staring straight up.
No features were visible due to darkness and distance, but Do-hyun felt Jin-woo's gaze pierce his soul. It was a look devoid of fear—a look of someone who owned the world behind his eyes.
Jin-woo raised his hand in a mocking "goodbye" before vanishing entirely under a streetlight that flickered and then went out.
[Mission Success!]
Viewer Satisfaction: 65% (Adrenaline rising!)Reward: New skill unlocked [Eye of Insight] – now able to see the opponent's "combat rank."
Do-hyun stood at the window, gripping his weapon so tightly that his knuckles whitened. He did not feel defeated—he felt exhilarated. Finally, he had found an adversary worthy of dedicating his life to.