Ch.238238. Villain (2)

In the heart of downtown Gyeongju, Seorabeol.

High-rise buildings, rare in this apocalyptic world, were gradually being constructed for convenience. This was the only city on the Korean peninsula that maintained civilization despite the end times.

But where money gathered, pests always followed. While Seorabeol’s revival was certainly something its citizens could be proud of, it couldn’t hide the underhanded conflicts between the wild dogs fighting to steal and claim its fruits.

[A train heading to Gyeongju Station has been hijacked by villains. The train is currently heading toward West Gyeongju. We are now deploying a special forces team.]

Bandits targeting trains from Ulsan to Gyeongju had become a common occurrence.

In this apocalypse where resources were limited, hijacking trains transporting foreign goods to Gyeongju was a golden opportunity for raiders to acquire massive amounts of supplies. There were several points along the Ulsan-to-Gyeongju route where train robbers could board and quickly seize control of the entire train.

If they succeeded in hijacking a train, the long tunnels served as a kind of time-buying barricade for stealing their loot, and they could abandon the train at a suitable location and escape to the relatively lawless northern Gyeongju area.

For villains, one successful heist meant living lavishly for years. With that kind of potential reward, many didn’t hesitate to call train robbery a “business,” forming organizations specifically for this purpose.

[No changes to the operation. The objective is to recapture the train and rescue the hostages. I repeat, no changes to the operation.]

Seorabeol had lost many trains and vast amounts of resources to villains in hijackings—something they had never experienced before the apocalypse.

Each time, villains who had settled in Seorabeol thought the city had weakened and became more brazen. In response, the police headquarters developed numerous countermeasures against new villain appearances.

Now, at the news of another train hijacking, a military helicopter carrying an elite police special forces team had been dispatched. The helicopter had already secured a position where the train would pass, waiting for it to emerge from the tunnel.

[Until the train emerges. 3, 2, 1. Special forces, begin descent.]

The moment the train emerged from the tunnel, the special forces descended from the air and landed on top of the train.

In an instant, several special forces members landed on the train’s roof, with team leader Jin A-yeon landing last, completing the team’s deployment on top of the train.

Though fierce winds battered their bodies due to the train’s speed, as Awakened individuals, they could freely move on the train’s roof without any support equipment.

“Alright everyone. You know the mission? As usual, this train has been hijacked by villains. Infiltrate the train quickly and capture the villains who are looting the cargo. That’s all.”

“Understood, Captain.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

On top of the moving train, the special forces smashed the windows and quickly entered the interior.

The sight of dozens of special forces members breaking through windows and entering the train was spectacular, but the villains were well aware that Seorabeol would be furious about another train hijacking.

“Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!”

“Don’t think about capturing them alive! Kill them all!”

What greeted the special forces were bullets from rifles freely distributed on the black market.

The villains seemed to have prepared specifically for this train heist, firing bullets indiscriminately. It appeared the special forces would be overwhelmed by the villains’ firepower.

Indeed, they looked ready to make an example of anyone who interfered with their train hijacking, but…

“Is that all you’ve got?”

“Huh?”

The special forces team deployed for this operation consisted of Seorabeol’s elite Awakened individuals.

Mere bullets couldn’t stop these operatives, all of whom were at least level 10 Awakened. The bulletproof vests they wore were cutting-edge protective gear with enchant technology applied.

Bullets without magical power couldn’t wound them. Only Bahamut bullets might have a chance of stopping them, but those weren’t easy to obtain for those unaffiliated with Seorabeol.

Bahamut bullets, essentially a national resource, were managed by the military, the NTS, and the Hwarang—the personal guard of the Dragon Priestess. If even one bullet leaked, all of Seorabeol’s agencies would frantically track it down.

It wasn’t impossible to obtain them—Bahamut bullets exported overseas could be brought back into Seorabeol—but at that point, regular rifle bullets would be far cheaper.

“Shoot! Keep shooting! If you hit their face or neck, they’ll die instantly!”

“What’s this? Just a weakling of an Awakened. And you dare crawl in here?”

“Eek?!”

But now the power difference was so great that those mysterious bullets weren’t even necessary.

Compared to the villains using mere rifle bullets, Jin A-yeon and her police special forces had not only enchanted protective gear but also unlimited access to Bahamut bullets for subduing targets.

No matter how desperately the villains fired their rifle bullets, one Bahamut bullet would drop them with a massive electric shock.

Indeed, the police special forces casually fired Bahamut bullets as if shooting regular pistols, and the villains collapsed from electric shocks without being able to resist.

“You guys suppress the remaining villains inside the train. I’ll head straight to the engine room. The leader is probably there.”

“Understood, Captain.”

Jin A-yeon calmly climbed back onto the train’s roof and quickly made her way toward the engine room. Some villains inside detected her presence and shot at the ceiling, while others climbed onto the roof like her to block her movement, but…

“Too slow.”

Jin A-yeon concentrated magical power in her legs and leaped with all her might, clearing the villains on the roof with incredible speed and landing near the engine room.

All the villains on the train roof could only stare blankly as she flew past them, none able to stop her rapid advance.

Upon reaching the engine room, Jin A-yeon kicked open the firmly locked door with ease.

“Die!”

“Is that all you can say? I’m getting tired of hearing it.”

Several villains in the engine room attacked Jin A-yeon by surprise, but she dodged them effortlessly and subdued them all in one swift movement.

However, the villains weren’t about to let her enter the engine room so easily.

“Hold it right there.”

“What? Hostages?”

Yes, hostages.

It seemed they had gathered all the staff transporting the cargo in the engine room. The train conductor and crew members were bound as hostages.

The apparent boss was pointing a gun at the hostages, and Jin A-yeon stopped in her tracks with a troubled expression.

“Drop your weapon. Now.”

“Even if I drop my weapon, I could take you down in one move.”

“Drop it now! Put your hands behind your back!”

The moment Jin A-yeon had entered the engine room, their plan had essentially failed, but they still seemed to have one last hope—to disarm her and bind her hands and feet.

If they were lucky enough to take Jin A-yeon hostage, they might have a vain hope of escaping with their lives, but…

“Sorry.”

“Huh?”

“I’m not a warrior, I’m a mage.”

It was hard to notice since she was always charging at the front lines with her spear, but Jin A-yeon was indeed a magic user.

The Seorabeol Mage Association sometimes mockingly called her a “mage (laughter)” or a “physical mage,” but she was genuinely a mage who used telekinesis. And for Jin A-yeon, who had surpassed level 20…

“Hup!”

“What the hell is this?!”

She could even manipulate the weapon the opponent was holding with her telekinesis, turning the gun barrel toward them.

In an instant, the gun barrel turned, the trigger pulled by telekinetic force, and the bullet struck the villain boss’s face.

Being an Awakened, the bullet didn’t penetrate his face but merely bounced off. However, the bullet momentarily disrupted his vision, and the shock of having his own weapon turned against him left the boss stunned.

“Gwaack?!”

Jin A-yeon closed the distance in a flash and struck him in the groin, causing the villain boss to collapse with a squeal like a pig being slaughtered.

“Let’s see. Hmm. Name is Hwang Dong-cheol? Oh, a villain with a bounty on his head. Good. That’s one achievement for me.”

After the villain collapsed, Jin A-yeon finally got a good look at his face and was pleased to have captured a wanted villain with a bounty, adding to her accomplishments.

Despite being struck in the groin with tremendous force, the villain boss maintained consciousness without calling for a doctor. With eyes full of anger, frustration, and genuine indignation, he shouted at Jin A-yeon.

“You’re an Awakened just like me! Why are you stopping me?!”

“Wow, the nerve of this guy.”

His words were absurdly shameless for a criminal trying to hijack a train for massive illegal profits, but he continued to rant desperately.

“Seorabeol has started controlling Awakened! Seorabeol’s logic is bullshit. We, the new humanity, should rightfully rule over the old humanity! Yet a powerful Awakened like you is saving those weaklings!”

“Someone who says that is robbing a train full of supplies? You’re the embodiment of hypocrisy. Couldn’t you just join the military or a private guild and earn money normally?”

Though people joked about it becoming a red ocean, Awakened individuals with physical abilities stronger than ordinary humans could still easily find work and earn substantial income.

In this apocalypse where the population had decreased, many jobs awaited them, though difficult and demanding. Reconstruction projects remained, and there was massive investment in Awakened industries. There were plenty of ways for Awakened to earn money normally.

Of course, there weren’t enough quality jobs to satisfy the greed of all Awakened, and those who lost in that competition might turn to crime for quick money. Still, the treatment Seorabeol offered Awakened couldn’t be considered bad.

“That’s no different than volunteering to be a slave! The state is forcibly imposing obligations on us!”

He had simply been too greedy, acting on his own whims until self-destruction, and had even been infected with strange ideologies. It was pitiful.

Jin A-yeon’s gaze gradually changed from looking at a common criminal to looking at trash, but villain Hwang Dong-cheol seemed completely oblivious to her cold stare and confidently began spouting ideas he’d heard on the internet.

“We are the new humanity! A new species that isn’t swayed by emotions, doesn’t succumb to instincts, and can even control pain! You know it too. The old humanity is weak! Unstable. Old humanity’s politics, morals, society? All rotten! They should be eliminated! This world was already collapsing before the undead appeared!”

Of course, in a global apocalypse, it was impossible for South Korea alone to remain intact.

Even the powerful United States had lost its president, succeeded by the vice president, and China had fractured into separate countries. Most historians and experts agreed that the apocalypse had been powerful enough to threaten the entire world. Yet he was arguing the opposite—that the world had been doomed to collapse long before.

Ironically, this self-proclaimed “new human” was heavily influenced by the old humanity and fundamentally no different, ignoring this contradiction.

“We should rule. The old humanity can no longer teach anyone, has nothing left to learn, and is obsolete! We should look down on them, select them, control them! We don’t need compassion. Superior beings change the world through judgment, not mercy! So why are you stopping us? Why? Why? Why?”

He screamed, trying desperately to break free from Jin A-yeon’s grip, but couldn’t budge an inch.

In reality, this self-proclaimed “new human” villain Hwang Dong-cheol was, in terms of level, merely…

“…So. What have you actually done in this apocalypse?”

“Huh?”

“Have you ever solved anything in this apocalypse? Have you ever saved anyone? From what I can see, you’ve selfishly acted on your own, abandoning many people and earning their hatred. If someone with such blatantly pathetic logic like yours has a bounty on their head…”

He hadn’t even reached level 10—he was just an ordinary person.

Hwang Dong-cheol was merely an early Awakened who had gotten lucky, but who, believing himself chosen, had focused on petty matters and debauchery rather than developing his powers as an Awakened. When the apocalyptic traces disappeared from Seorabeol, he became one of the fallen.

If he had joined the military or a guild from the beginning, he would have surpassed level 10 by now. His failure to do so showed he was just an ordinary person who had expected too much.

“T-that’s because of Seorabeol’s tyranny.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard all your excuses. It’s complete nonsense no matter how I look at it. Enjoy your pleasant imprisonment at Pohang Correctional Facility.”

All he could say was “Seorabeol’s tyranny,” but if Seorabeol had truly been tyrannical, the Dragon Priestess or the Dragon God wouldn’t have stood for it.

What the Seorabeol cabinet-led Dragon God Association and Constitutional Democratic Party feared most was being abandoned by the Dragon Priestess or Dragon God for making wrong choices. If these two parties had been tyrannical, they would have been abandoned long ago.

In other words, their claims of tyranny were merely the assertions of a minority… an extreme faction, and didn’t represent the views of all Seorabeol citizens.

So Jin A-yeon let it go in one ear and out the other, casually telling him to prepare for the Awakened-specific prison cell.

“N-no! Stop! I don’t want to go! What crime did I, a new human, commit to deserve prison? Why me?! I didn’t do anything wrong! I’m a new human! I was chosen as an Awakened! So why?!”

“Talking nonsense until the very end?”

At the mention of the notorious Pohang Correctional Facility, he finally seemed to grasp the situation and began to struggle, but it was too late.

Having committed the crime of train robbery, their sentences were already determined. They would spend their time powerlessly in the Pohang Correctional Facility designed specifically for Awakened, with their abilities sealed.

Hwang Dong-cheol, who had earned enough hatred to have a bounty on his head, might even be confined in a special prison like the rumored Jo Sun-do before him, which made him panic even more.

“Wait! Really, really, this isn’t right! This is a misunderstanding! Shouldn’t you at least hear my side of the story?!”

“Ah, right. I almost forgot. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in court. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights? Okay, done.”

He finally tried to convince Jin A-yeon by appearing somewhat normal, but it was too late.

Jin A-yeon recited the Miranda rights as if she’d forgotten them and began the arrest. He resisted, trying desperately to break free from his restraints, but…

“I don’t understand—”

“Just shut up.”

Jin A-yeon, apparently annoyed by Hwang Dong-cheol’s resistance, shoved her spear blade into his mouth. As the cutting-enchanted blade approached his windpipe, Hwang Dong-cheol fell silent in the face of such terrifying violence.

Finally, with no more resistance or nonsense, the engine room grew quiet. Jin A-yeon scratched her head in annoyance and said:

“Now I have to listen to this nonsense again.”

She kicked Hwang Dong-cheol in the groin again with a dejected expression, knowing she’d hear the same nonsense in her next mission too.

He might claim it was excessive force, but what could she do?

If she kept hearing this stuff, she’d probably go out for lunch.