As soon as the portal disappeared, Kairen plopped down on the ground. He looked around cautiously while taking deep breathes. His eyes caught on what was right next to his hand. On his side was a gently chopped-down corpse. A disgusting smell was coming from it.
"Holy shit!"
Kairen got up and distanced himself from the corpse. He activated his spell, the tracker that he placed on the murderer just now.
"...."
He checked it once more.
"...."
But the numbers were the same. How can that be?
"How can someone travel 11456 kilometers in 10 seconds?"
He was actually checking to see whether the murderer was around him or not, but no matter how many times he repeated his action, the numbers were the same.
"Isn't that person coming to... like.... kill the witnesses?"
Kairen was ready for a fight at any moment, but the murderer didn't come back. He used a tracker because it was a quick spell to cast but he didn't expect the murderer to go that far away.
"The spell is working properly..."
He looked around a little bit more, then picked up his phone and called the others to inform them of the situation. He expected his voice to tremble while talking to the phone but it was so calm that he himself was surprised. He said "Hey guys, I just met the murderer." in a relaxed way as if it was his hobby to meet one murderer or two before every meal.
It was strange... he didn't feel that scared anymore. Why was that? Because he already met the murderer that he was afraid of? Or because he was meeting corpses too much these days that they were becoming normal to him? Kaien wondered.
It didn't take long for the police to arrive at where he was. They rushed at him to check if he was hurt anywhere. Kairen explained the situation to those who were there.
"You placed a tracker on the murderer?"
"Yes, but it is strange. According to what the tracker shows, the murderer traveled 11456 kilometers in 10 seconds."
"Doesn't that mean that the person is in another continent?"
"HO! I guess you were right in the end. If that person has a Space related ability, then it will be possible."
"Yeah."
Kairen lowered his head. He was feeling kinda embarrassed and guilty right now.
"I'm sorry I couldn't catch the murderer..."
"What? Hey, don't be like that!"
"It doesn't matter! You still did a great job!"
"Right! It is your first time so it is natural to be afraid."
Kairen looked up. People were gathered around the corpse, officers, forensics, even a few reporters. He could see lieutenant Thain approaching them from distance. She had a serious look on her face as always and was looking at Kairen. He became kinda familiar with that kind of look in the past few days.
'Am I going to be forced to work again?'
Lieutenant Thain started talking at the moment.
"Mr. Steyton, you did a great job."
"...Thank you."
"I will ask you to keep track of the murderer. Please check their location continuously and report if there are any changes."
'You want me to work till I die! You cruel woman!'
"...Yes."
Kairen nodded his head nonetheless. It seemed like he wouldn't be able to rest for a while. Well, there was nothing he could do about it. He raised his body and dusted his butt.
"Where are you going?"
"To buy another sandwich."
Because Kairen was starving...
***
-I heard the news. You met a murderer! Are you fine?
"I am fine."
-They said you confronted that dude.
"They were exaggerating..."
-Be more careful from now on. I know you are strong but you should still be cautious.
"Ok."
Leaning against the back of his seat, Kairen was talking to the phone. On the other side of the phone was Kain. He would regularly text Kairen from the day they met in the hospital but he suddenly called him in the morning. Apparently, he saw the news regarding the murder case in the news, where there was a part saying [Cadet Kairen Steyton bravely confronted the murderer and succeeded in gathering valuable information about them last night at the crime scene.]
First of all, when did he "bravely confront" the murderer? He was about to faint from fear! And what valuable information did he exactly find? These people! Kairen was bewildered.
-Papa! Is it uncle?
The voice of a kid coming from the other side of the phone interrupted their conversation.
-Yes.
Kain answered the kid's question with a soft voice.
-I want to talk to him too. Me too me too!
-Ah? Ok.
"....."
-Hello!
'Who is this kid?'
-Uncle? Uncle Kairen?
The kid was rapidly calling his name. Kairen wasn't really used to talking to kids, so his voice while answering was stiff.
"Hello..."
-Ay! Uncle! You bad uncle! Why don't you come here anymore? You said you would come to play with me but you didn't! Uncle is so bad! BAD! You said you would come soon! Lier!
"...."
-Pfft.Ahem. Ariyan, You shouldn't talk like that to your uncle.
The kid answered with a somewhat grumbly voice.
-But I miss him!
-I will tell him to come soon. Now give me the phone.
-Nooo! You are lying! I don't wanna!
-Het, give my phone back!
-Noooo!
Tap tap tap tap.
He could hear the sound of footsteps from the other side of the phone and Kain's voice getting further and further away.
"...."
What is going on?
-Listen uncle Kairen! I won't talk to you anymore if you don't come here! I WON'T! And I won't play with you anymore! I won't give you my snacks either! And... and I won't let you talk with papa either! Do you get it?
"...."
'Is this kid threatening me now?'
-OY! Don't bully my Lil' bro!
-I am not!
Tap Tap BOM
-NOO!
BEEP BEEP
The call ended after a few weird sounds from the other side of the phone.
"....."
Kairen stared at the phone and blinked his eyes. What were they doing? Was the kid alright? Should he call back again?
'No... forget it...'
He was threatened by a kid... but rather than being afraid of him, he felt it was kinda cute.
'Ariyan? Was he Kain's son? He said something about Ariyan last time at the hospital...'
A smile was etched on his lips for some reason. Placing the phone in his pocket, he went back to work.
Well, his work wasn't that complicated. While others tried their best to find the murderer, he only had to check that person's location with his magic. He checked it again. The numbers were still the same.
"Hey ben, look at this."
Rhys walked to where Ben was sitting holding his laptop in his hands once again.
"I checked the location where Kairen said the murderer was. There are a few places that match the numbers and possible coordinates. Look here. This place is one of the possibilities. "
He pointed at a place with his finger in the map.
"What about it?"
"Don't you remember? Brett's wife said her daughter was abroad. This is the same place where her daughter lives."
"...."
Ben frowned and looked at the map closely. He opened his mouth to say something.
"Th-"
"It moved!"
But he got interrupted. Kairen rose from his seat and said while checking the location again. The distance changed suddenly.
"It is 653 kilometers now."
"Isn't that inside the country?"
"Hurry! Check the coordinates."
Everyone started moving at the same time. Kairen hurridly wrote the coordinates and gave them to Rhys.
"I found it. I sent you the location."
"I'll tell lieutenant Thain."
Ben said that as he rushed to the lieutenant's room.
Kairen kept on checking the location. The person skipped 10812 kilometers in an instant. The power of Space was no joke!
Ben exited the lieutenant's room after a few moments. Seeing others questioning gazes, he answered their unasked questions.
"We located the exact place with the coordinates that Kairen gave. A team from the local police was dispatched to search the area. We can't do anything for now. Rather than that, search for any information regarding Brett's daughter."
Everyone had serious expressions on their face as they started moving again. Kairen also continued what he was doing and checked the location again.
"Ah?"
A weird sensation came over to him, a feeling as if a link was cut off. He felt his spell shake and lose shape.
'What was that?'
He tried to check the murderer's location again. But he couldn't. The tracker he had placed on the murderer had disappeared.
"What?"
"What is wrong?"
Rhys asked, seeing his frowning face.
"My magic was cut off..."
"Huh?"
"The tracker disappeared..."
"Wha..."
Kairen's mind started working fast. How is that possible? He knew he wasn't skilled enough in using magic, but he was sure there were no flaws in his spell. Can someone forcefully cancel tracker magic? Or did the person themselves just disappear?
He tried searching for his tracker again and again but there was no result.
'Did I mess up again?'
He was sure that he did everything right, but why did things go like that again? They could finally find out something about the murderer after so many days and he just lost that only trace. Not to mention that he was feeling guilty for letting the murderer go so easily last night. He thought he had to do better, he had to capture that person or at least see their face, but the only thing he did was placing a stupid tracker that was lost now.
Anxiety came over him again. He swallowed his saliva and looked at the others while biting his lips. Everyone was looking at him.
"I'm really sorry."
Ben patted his shoulder with a slight smile.
"Don't worry. We will find the murderer today no matter what."
Kairen nodded his head with a complicated expression.