บท 36: My Identity is Exposed?!
Chapter 36 - My Identity is Exposed?!
Arthur picked up a folder from the table and flipped through its contents, his eyes scanning the pages before settling on a particular report.
"On November 29th, at Carlos Gas Station, you were involved in a robbery incident. You killed one armed robber and broke the arm of another robber. Is that correct?"
Carn was surprised that the old case was brought back, "Yeah, so? Am I getting arrested for that?"
Arthur chuckled, shaking his head. "Heh, nah, nothing like that. That was a kiddy case. But here's the interesting part. According to the footage from the gas station's CCTV, you twisted the robber's neck like it was nothing. The FBI took over the case but never pressed charges. The injured robber even attempted to sue you for excessive force, but the lawsuit didn't make it to court. Guess your father did a solid job cleaning up that mess for you, kiddo."
The crowd behind Carn chuckled as they were aware of the underhanded moves. After all, this wasn't the first time that a hunter exploited their authority to shut down lawsuit attempts.
ECD worked differently from the other government organizations. Human rights never existed here. Lawyers, political activists, and some politicians hated them. But when a new rift appeared or a stampede occurred, they stopped making noises in the Internet. Only when peace resumed, they returned.
Arthur leaned back in his chair, caressing the folder cover with his fingers on purpose and annoying Carn as he continued.
"On November 30th, your father brought you to Georgia Rift's military base for some testing. There, you casually snapped the neck of a Level-2 test dummy. Same day, you encountered a loose doppelganger at the shiny new Avent*ra shopping mall and took it down with a knife, heh?"
All eyes in the room shifted to Carn. The investigators, seasoned professionals, were already connecting the dots.
Level-2 test mannequins of the Georgia Base weren't your average punching bags. Their skeletons were designed to mimic a physical-type explorer, renowned for their durability and resilience. Breaking one "casually" was no small feat.
And doppelgangers? Even the weakest ones were formidable opponents, requiring a coordinated effort from at least 10 armed explorers to subdue. Yet here was this teenager, allegedly taking one out solo with a mere knife.
Snapping a pseudo-explorer's neck?
Slaying a doppelganger alone?
If that didn't scream suspicious, these investigators had no business holding their badges. Carn had just become their prime suspect in the gargoyle case.
Still, suspicion wasn't evidence. Nobody could prove Carn had the ability to transform into a gargoyle or teleport. The investigators kept their suspicions quiet, waiting for Arthur to lead.
Carn, for his part, read the room well. He knew the level of suspicion was enough to have him ejected into space a thousand times over as an imposter. Any denial might inadvertently tip them off, so he kept his expression neutral, listening calmly.
Arthur glanced at Rosa, who remained impassive as if Carn's presence didn't bother her in the slightest. That lack of hostility confirmed that Rosa didn't consider the boy evil.
Arthur stroked his chin, pressing on.
"Then, there's December 2nd. You and your father visited here. ECD fed you a live doppelganger for testing, and what did you do? You snapped its neck, forcing it to reveal its true form—a parasite-type doppelganger. Pretty impressive, to be honest. The examiners couldn't stop praising you, and they even added notes to the documents. Cool-headed, cat-like reflexes, and handsome? I see that the examiners are all women, heh! Anyway, you sure enjoy breaking necks, don't you? Addictive, maybe?"
Carn smirked, countering with casual deflection. "Have you ever cracked your knuckles or fingers for fun as a kid? Same vibe."
Arthur laughed, clearly enjoying the response. "Heh! Fair enough!"
His grin widened as he leaned in, pushing further.
"Let's talk about your mana concentration. The first test at Georgia Base came back at 10.48%. Then there's this little note. It says you can hold your breath for five minutes? Holy kiddy! You sure you're in the right line of work? The frogmen should be fuming right now for losing you to us, heh!"
All sharp eyes pierced at Carn as if they were ready to pounce on him at any moment. Carn also understood why—His specs were too abnormal even for regular explorers.
Arthur chuckled as he reached for a cigarette, slipping it into his mouth. "Guess I should get to the point, heh?"
But just as he fished for a lighter, the cigarette in his mouth turned to stone.
Arthur froze mid-motion, frowning as he spat out the petrified cigarette. His sharp gaze snapped to Rosa.
"Can I smoke, kiddy lady?"
Rosa didn't flinch. She stood completely still, her stony expression a perfect imitation of a statue, trolling him all in silence.
Arthur, sensing that his banter with Rosa was getting him nowhere, finally redirected his attention to Carn and cut to the chase.
"Your last mana concentration scan showed 30.16%. We'll be testing you again after this. But first, I want to hear it from your mouth, kiddy boy. Are you and the stone kiddy lady here… friends?"
Arthur's grin widened as he leaned back. He gestured toward Rosa.
Carn sighed, recognizing the attempt to throw him off, "If sitting here all day makes us friends, then yeah, I guess we're friends."
Arthur smirked, pleased with the response. "Heh, I know. I've seen the footage. The kiddy lady stalked you while you were sleeping, and even when you were heading to the toilet. That was quite a show." He chuckled but narrowed his eyes. "But that's not what I meant. I want to know if you two can actually communicate."
Carn glanced briefly at Rosa, choosing his words carefully.
Before he could respond, Arthur pulled out his phone and played a clip. It was footage from one of Carn's less dignified moments—him sitting on the toilet while Rosa peeked in.
The audio captured Carn's exasperated voice:
[Is this fun for you?]
The room fell silent.
Arthur leaned forward, shoving the phone closer to Carn's face.
"You see, kiddy Carn Yunho, that little gem of a clip tells me something interesting. Nobody here, except for me and a select few, can talk to her casually. Anyone else who tries? They get stoned. Even the peeping toms behind you."
Arthur gestured toward the other agents, "They are at risk of getting Medusa'd if they try their luck. But you? You're an exception. You can talk to her like it's nothing."
The room grew tense as Arthur's playful demeanor faded, replaced by a piercing, solemn gaze.
"Carn Yunho," Arthur said in a low serious voice, "you're not fooling anyone. You're one of her kind. You're an evolved SCP-173 pretending to be human, aren't you?"
Carn smirked. Although he was impressed by Arthur's deduction and conclusion, he was not someone who would be cornered with only a loose accusation.
"You're not making any sense here, sir."
"I know," Arthur glared into Carn's eyes. "If everything here was a detective movie, I would have failed as an investigator. But you forgot one thing, Carn Yunho."
Arthur's eyes shone in gold light. He stared into Carn's eyes, "I'm also a hunter. I'm L with cheat skills, kiddy Kira."
As he finished his sentences, Arthur activated his power.
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