episode_0072

“Ah.”

Death.

In the life of a hero, death lingers.

For a hero who faces numerous villains and monsters, death is an inevitable relationship that cannot be easily severed, like a shadow.

Even Jin Soyeon, who is just an aspiring hero, has faced the brink of death multiple times.

Memories of almost losing her life in incidents like the Academy monster appearance and the large-scale Union attack by villains are still vivid.

At that time, it felt like she might really die.

The situation was so urgent and dangerous that even if someone died on the spot, it wouldn’t be surprising.

But every time, there was a man by Jin Soyeon’s side.

Whenever she was trembling in fear under the pressure of the Black Hand Long-Armed Ape or half-dead after being attacked by villains, Jin Hyuk would appear as if it were natural and rescue her from danger.

Just by being by her side, she could regain peace of mind, and his actions almost always brought positive results.

He was always Jin Soyeon’s hero.

That’s why she might have momentarily forgotten.

That death as a hero is always an inevitable possibility.

Unfortunately, death is sudden.

“Ah, ugh.”

Jin Soyeon stared blankly at the screen.

The hallway filled with people covered in blood, writhing in pain, was reflected vividly in her eyes.

Dozens of people, at most, could not stop a man and helplessly lay on the dirty ground.

The man was a rare strong figure.

With just a black sword, he incapacitated dozens of villains who seemed more powerful than active heroes without killing them, and he could even break through dangerous traps, making him an undeniable strong figure.

He reminded her of the white-haired villain who had overwhelmed hero trainees with overwhelming presence during the mid-term exam.

Perhaps he was not just a rumored top-ranking hero.

However, he was too reckless.

The villains in this mansion were definitely not a number he could handle alone.

Moreover, judging by the movements of the villains, there were quite a few who were not just on par with active heroes but even stronger.

There were several mid-ranking individuals, equipped with the latest gear, and they had numerical and terrain advantages.

The man did not know that there were so many troops, and his movements became increasingly sluggish as the ongoing battle wore him down.

Just as he was about to retreat to regroup, several assassins sent by Sung Yura launched a sudden attack aimed only at that moment.

The one who rose up like a shadow and attacked the man was none other than a assassin named James.

James was a villain equivalent to a top-ranking hero.

Especially specialized in ambushes, it was difficult for the exhausted Vigilante to defend against James’s attacks.

For years, he had brought down several villains in back alleys, but even for Vigilante, facing a villain of this level was almost unprecedented.

There were a few villains who were quite concerning, but there had been no encounters with top-ranking villains.

And the elite assassins assisting James were also formidable.

With about four members possessing upper and top-ranking skills, they greatly hindered Vigilante in his fight against James.

No, they were not just hindering him.

Even with his full concentration, the sharp blades sneakily attacking him in the midst of his battle with James, who was a close match, were enough to chill Vigilante’s spine.

Standing in a flawless formation like highly trained elite soldiers, they gradually applied pressure, making it impossible for Vigilante to show any vulnerability even if he wanted to flee.

Already having consumed a considerable amount of physical and magical strength, Villerante must have been quite perplexed.

Who could possibly be the owner of this mansion, receiving protection from such villains?

Looking back, Villerante was too reckless.

Thinking he could find the sword he had been searching for so long and realizing that the guards of this mansion were villains, he still acted recklessly as usual.

Without estimating how many villains were in this mansion, or how strong they were, Villerante’s reckless behavior had him firmly in its grip.

He was undoubtedly a genius, even recognized worldwide.

Having lost his parents to villains at a young age, Villerante harbored a deep resentment and, after leaving Union Academy, wandered the back alleys.

Having fought numerous villains and grown stronger, Villerante was filled with arrogance.

No one dared to challenge him.

He was strong enough to single-handedly dismantle small and medium-sized organizations, and during his time at Union, there were hardly any individuals who could threaten him unless they were monsters like Hong Dae-ye.

That’s why he thought he could handle this situation alone.

After living like that for years.

But the power within the mansion exceeded Villerante’s imagination, and he was in a state of losing his usual weapons and powerful artifacts.

With his head buried in the jaws of the enemy in a less than optimal state, the outcome was all too predictable.

Thus, Villerante ultimately succumbed to the swords of the assassins and could only cough up blood.

His life’s path, genius, confidence, all made him recklessly bold.

If only he had possessed artifacts and a proper sword, he might have been able to escape.

However, facing numerous villains with just a generic sword bought from a regular store had clear limitations.

Of course, Villerante’s skill was admirable.

The assassins of Sung Yura were overwhelmingly superior, but half of the elite fighters were crawling on the ground with severed limbs, making them defenseless.

James, leading several subordinates in a surprise attack, suffered significant injuries due to Villerante’s sudden counterattack.

It was difficult for him to engage in battle immediately.

To inflict such severe injuries on Sung Yura’s most powerful forces, equivalent to the top ranks, while being outnumbered by over thirty villains, Villerante was undoubtedly an incredible force to be reckoned with, considering his age.

Even though the forces were scattered, taking down so many villains alone was impressive.

If Villerante had not cared about the lives of the villains and had wielded his sword without hesitation from the beginning, what would have happened?

Perhaps he wouldn’t have wasted so much energy unnecessarily, and maybe he would have created more variables in the battle against James and the elite forces.

Or maybe he wouldn’t have failed to stop their escape properly?

“Indeed, quite impressive. Facing so many people alone. Seems like your reputation wasn’t just hot air, huh?”

“Ah….”

“But it was reckless. Do you even know who I am? Attacking alone just because the forces were slightly scattered. Do I look easy to you?”

“Ah, Jinhyuk, this…”

“Hmm? What’s wrong, Jin Soyeon?”

“Jinhyuk, Jinhyuk, no…? Huh? No, not… Ah….”

Sung Yura’s words were barely audible.

Only the image of a man covered in blood, lying on the ground, was etched into Jin Soyeon’s eyes.

It wasn’t that she was shocked to see someone die.

Normally, Jin Soyeon would have thought it was terrible to see someone die, but today, selfishly, she wished that person had been someone else.

Jin Soyeon slowly opened her lips, unable to calm her pounding heart, which had been tightly clenched.

“It’s not Jinhyuk, right? Th-that’s not possible, right? I-it’s all a lie, right?”

No way a strong person like Jinhyuk could be in that situation.

Think about it logically.

Jinhyuk barely passed the Union Academy entrance exam, so it’s unlikely he would be swinging a sword among so many villains.

Jinhyuk is an archer, just an archer.

He always said he was only good with a bow, nothing else.

Logically speaking, the possibility of Jinhyuk hiding his skills is very low, and he’s not reckless enough to charge into Seong Yura’s mansion alone.

So, that person is not Jinhyuk.

Yeah, you’re right. It’s weird to think it’s Jinhyuk.

I don’t know who that person is, but as sad as it is that someone died, I’m sure it’s not Jinhyuk.

This must be Seong Yura’s nonsense to mess with me.

It must be.

No.

It has to be.

“……Ah.”

Drip. Drip, drip.

Tears began to flow down her cheeks without her realizing.

Oh, my vision is getting blurry. Why am I suddenly crying? That person is not Jinhyuk. It’s strange to cry so suddenly, it’s weird.

“I understand the desire to deny it, but you know the truth, right?”

“N-no, no!”

“Jin Soyeon, can’t you see that?”

“I said no! No!”

Jinhyuk couldn’t have died like this!

Jin Soyeon desperately denied Seong Yura’s words.

Seong Yura kept spouting nonsense.

She wanted to shut that mouth right now. Jinhyuk couldn’t have died bleeding like that. It can’t be.

He died trying to save me. It can’t be.

“Jin Soyeon, let’s just admit it now, your childhood friend is dead.”

“……”

“You rushed in alone to save me, didn’t you… You’re a fool, aren’t you?”

“……”

“You fought better than I expected, but that’s all.”

“……”

Jin Soyeon bowed her head deeply.

She had been denying it all along, but she knew Seong Yura was telling the truth.

She just didn’t want to admit it.

Because once she did, there would be no turning back.

The thought that Jinhyuk died because of her kept swirling in her mind. Surely, the reason Jin Soyeon was kidnapped was because of Jinhyuk, but she didn’t care about that now.

Jinhyuk died because of that woman.

Jinhyuk.

Is dead.

Huh?

“……Seong, Yura.”

After despair, denial, and sadness, Jin Soyeon’s heart was now filled with powerful resentment and anger, boiling like a volcano.

The heaviness of sadness and despair that had filled her heart just moments ago was now covered by something thick and murky.

It was an emotion Jin Soyeon had never experienced in her life.

It was more than just anger, rage, and resentment.

“……Seong Yuraaa.”

As if wanting to expel the thick, suffocating emotion that felt like it would burst at any moment, Jin Soyeon growled softly.

Ah, this, this isn’t just anger.

“……I can’t forgive you, I won’t let you get away with this!”

Vengeance.

Yes, vengeance.

For the first time, Jin Soyeon harbored vengeance towards another person.

Filled with intense resentment, she unleashed her powers and psychic abilities with all her might.

Even though her body was restrained, she didn’t give up.

She rampaged as if she would charge at Seong Yura at any moment.

Her actions were reminiscent of a wild animal.

A caged animal.

“It’s useless, Jin Soyeon. With your abilities, no matter how much you rampage, you can’t break free from the restraints…?”

Crack, crack, crack.

Upon seeing the gold entering the handcuffs, Seong-yu blinked her eyes.

Huh, what?

No, why is that?

“Seong-yu-ahhh!”

There is a taboo in the hero genre that villains should not do.

It is killing the protagonist’s precious person.

Due to the death(?) of Lee Jin-hyuk, Jin So-yeon stepped into her unintentional first awakening.