Chapter 27: Power Deployment #4
B High School was a big school with changing rooms separate from the gymnasium.
However, once the number of students increased, people who broke the established rules appeared. It was a hassle for one to go to the locker rooms that were far away, and for those who just wanted to do special activities.
Therefore, there were some who changed clothes in the classrooms of the special activities building.
This was what the voyeur was aiming for. The boundaries in the special activities building were loose compared to those in the locker room. There were many hiding spots to place the camera. It wasn't even a changing room in the first place, so there weren't many people who would ever think that cameras would be installed in such places.
'That is the psychology of the voyeur.’
Tae-hyuk searched through the special activities classrooms and looked for hidden cameras. In the end, he found more than 30.
They were high definition cameras, and were no longer recording because their memory was full. Fortunately, Tae-hyuk wasn't recorded on the cameras.
'Can I use this?'
First of all, one thing had become clear.
'The person who installed the hidden cameras knows the inside of the school perfectly.'
They knew which classroom was used for which purpose. The cameras were hidden in places with good angles. The voyeur had calculated all of this, which was an impossible feat unless they were an insider.
‘If so, it is a problem.'
In this situation, Tae-hyuk was an outsider. If he did something wrong, then he could be mistaken as the voyeur. In the end, collecting the evidence alone didn't mean Tae-hyuk would catch him. He had to find the crime scene.
The difficulty level was much higher than usual.
“By the way… No matter how much I think about it, X-ray Vision is way too good to pass up."
There was a chance that X-ray Vision could be obtained again later in the future. He couldn't just give up Forgery that he had invested two weeks into.
"… Don't be so instinctual, Seo Tae-hyuk! I need Forgery right now!"
In order to regain Rosario that Big Mama had, he needed the fully mastered Forgery skill.
It was necessary to first find out exactly where the voyeur worked.
The cameras didn't have a long range transmission feature, so recorded content had to be directly collected. Tae-hyuk placed the cameras back in their original positions and installed a timer that could only be checked by him.
There were state of the art technologies that could notify him when it was touched. Of course, Tae-hyuk had no such abilities, which was why he took full advantage of his skills.
Tae-hyuk placed common items like a glass cup or a book near the places where the cameras were hidden. If someone touched the items, then they would fall.
Of course, if there were only one or two items, then they might not be touched. However, there were more than 30 cameras, so the voyeur had to make a mistake at least once.
Tae-hyuk was aiming for that.
'I didn't know that Spying had such a feature.'
Spying could see the titles and abilities of the target, which didn't just apply to people, but also to objects. If he registered a glass cup in advance, then he could check its status.
‘Well, I won't be able to tell if it is just touched. Destruction is different.'
He would get alerts through the Demon Revealing Mirror.
For example, [Glass Cup] would transform into [Broken Glass Cup].
By taking advantage of this, he could use things commonly seen as a security device.
It was a hidden use of the Spying skill.
‘Now, the installation is done!'
Tae-hyuk set up traps in locations that he had unknowingly touched while collecting the hidden cameras. This would tell him when the voyeur was active.
Now he just had to wait quietly.
“Then, should I go to Eun-young?"
A few days ago, he scored 80 points on a mock exam that she had given him. Compared to the first time, his score had risen by more than 20 points.
There were 10 days left before the retest.
His preparations were slowly progressing.
* * *
Today, he was in a good condition and his intelligence increased by three, making a total of 28.
It was almost seven times higher than when he first received the 'Spying' skill.
‘Well, I don't think my head has improved by seven times.'
However, he recently felt like things had been going well so far. The new use of the Spying skill was also a by-product of his increased intelligence.
One worry was that the voyeur would be too cautious and wouldn't get caught in the trap.
'Then I would have to go to plan B…'
However, his worries were groundless. Out of a total of 30 traps, six gave him notifications.
‘The glass cup broke. The receipt was torn. The tissue… Ugh, it is now dirty.'
All the common items told him about the actions of the voyeur.
'Isn't this better than I thought?'
Just installing it let him know his opponent's activity time. He also knew the route the voyeur walked.
‘Based on his speed, he definitely spends longer inside the rooms.'
Tae-hyuk confirmed that all the voices required for the Voice Modulation skill were registered.
He needed the voices of girls A, B, C, and D to catch the opponent. The security guard was also necessary. And finally, Cho Kang-suk's voice.
The voyeur started his activities in the late evening.
Tae-hyuk decided to practice painting until that time. The proficiency of Forgery increased rapidly as he thought about what he learned from Lee Hana. Not only did he copy Lee Hana's landscape painting, he also copied various other things.
The important thing was to figure out the mindset of the person who painted it. Even if he painted the image with the same technique, there would still be a difference in understanding.
Tae-hyuk made a comparison between the two pieces.
He looked at what he painted before Lee Hana's lesson, and what he painted after it. They were obviously works created with the same proficiency in the Forgery skill.
However, after understanding the thoughts and feelings of the original artists, he could feel a strange vitality exuding from the painting. It seemed that it would come alive at any moment.
“Uhuh! It is difficult, difficult!"
The profound world of art!
Tae-hyuk yawned and stretched.
The proficiency of Forgery was still over 50 points, so his technique had noticeably improved. He could now almost completely copy high school level paintings.
"… I have to get ready."
He pulled out a bromide photograph from his pocket.
It was a compelling photo of the back of a girl changing clothes from a nude magazine popular with soldiers.
Tae-hyuk triggered the Forgery skill and started to copy the nude photograph.
In a way, this was also an artwork.
However, it was the first time using Forgery on a photo to transfer to a painting. He also had to draw it four times bigger for it to be mistaken as a real person.
‘Think of the mindset… As much as possible! He has to be excited to see this! Therefore, it has to be as sensual as possible!'
"I-It is finished!"
After more than an hour of work, a painting depicting the back of a girl changing clothes was finished.
[A great work of art has been completed.]
[You have perfectly understood the artist's mind.]
[It seems as though it is alive.]
[Your Forgery skill proficiency has increased tremendously.]
"Ahem… I'm ashamed…"
Tae-hyuk coughed.
In fact, it was like catching a moth. The mindset of the person who took a photo like this was obvious.
Of course, it wasn't the same quality as the photo. If someone looked closely, then they could tell it was a painting. However, the atmosphere of the painting was more tangible than the original.
He felt dirty. At that moment, Tae-hyuk's face was red. He was excited to see the painting.
Tae-hyuk blocked his nose and muttered.
“W-Why does it feel like blood is dripping down?"
He could now understand the feelings of the original photographer.
"Hum hum. Then, I will have to install this on the voyeur's established path."
He had a premonition that there would be more to the trap than he thought.
Tae-hyuk's plan was simple.
Install the painting of a girl changing clothes in an empty classroom. The curtains were covered, creating a breathtaking situation where only the silhouette could be seen. He would then use Voice Modulation to mimic a female voice and give a sense of presence. This scene was just too amazing for the voyeur to pass up. Naturally, he would concentrate on that place. Then, Tae-hyuk would use the voice of the guards and Kang-suk to start hunting a rabbit.
In the hallway, he painted wall paintings with the Forgery skill. People wouldn't be able to make a normal judgment if they were embarrassed. If the police suddenly entered, then the voyeur would start to freak out.
However, Tae-hyuk changed the structure of the special activities building. He painted hallways on the walls with the Forgery skill.
Under normal circumstances, the voyeur would never be fooled. However, that would change if situation was urgent. The voyeur would be moved along Tae-hyuk's desired route.
“The special activities building turns off the lights after school. In a confused state, it would be hard for the voyeur to tell if it was a painting or if it was reality.
Tae-hyuk looked at the piece of paper on his desk.
On it were detailed instructions about the route that he would drive his opponent down.
“Then, let's start with plan 'I'm alone in school!'"