Ch.23Chapter 1. That’s Not How Transformation Works! (3)

There are several ways to make a protagonist stand out.

I don’t think I need to talk about all those methods right now, but if I were to speak only about how to make a protagonist stand out in this world.

“Whoa! Goblin’s new ultimate technique!”

“He slashes in a cross pattern in place and it forms a cross when it hits the enemy! Wait, could that be a motif of ‘that religion’…?! This is serious blasphemy!”

“To use that much mana and still be fine. As expected of an S-class villain…!”

Everyone is amazed by the technique I used.

That’s natural.

These people are more impressed and excited by extraordinary abilities than by people dying.

I wonder if they don’t consider ability users who’ve become demons through emotional outbursts as human, or if they’re just more excited about seeing an awesome technique.

The humans in this world, especially ability users, lack sensitivity.

Charitably speaking, they lack humanity; uncharitably speaking, their mindset is garbage.

Meanwhile.

[What have you done!]

The method that makes “heroes,” represented by the protagonist, stand out.

[No matter if you’re a villain, how could you kill someone!]

A virtuous appearance.

In front of the obvious evil of villains and the public lacking humanity, a capable and good hero who maintains their humanity naturally stands out.

When a diamond sparkles in the mud, who could say “the diamond is dirty”?

[Those who sell their souls to demons deserve death. They’ve already abandoned their humanity. Even if you let them live, they’ll just spend their lives as monsters killing people.]

[But!]

[Isn’t it better for the country’s taxes to go toward treating those who have fallen and compensating the families of those killed by that demon, rather than feeding such an evil spirit?]

I’m not saying this because I necessarily believe it.

[Once a villain, always a villain. If someone’s existence causes pain to others, it’s right to atone for that sin with death. Suicide would be the best path, but since someone like that wouldn’t kill themselves, I delivered death instead.]

Right now, I’m secretly chanting a spell to escape from here while talking.

[Many heroes may dream of non-lethal methods, but I’d like you to know that non-lethal isn’t always right.]

Whoosh.

I lightly placed my hand on my belt area, and soon returned to my original form—a gentleman goblin in a black suit.

‘Whew. Almost committed social suicide.’

I was secretly worried that my transformation might wear off and expose me naked, but fortunately, that didn’t happen.

[Do you want to protect even villains? Then become stronger. Strong enough to stop me. I’ll be waiting, hero.]

[Wait!!]

Solar Platinum reached out toward me, but I left my position by lightly stepping on the ground with my shoe.

[Goblin Step.]

How?

By teleportation.

“Ah, Goblin is escaping!”

“Don’t let him get away! Catch him!”

“If I catch Goblin, my reputation will…!!”

I spread black mist around me, and attacks came flying in my direction, but they only cut through empty air.

My body was still where I had been—

It is.

But no attack can touch me, no ability can detect me, and no one can recognize me.

Another ability that comes with the Goblin Club.

‘Goblin Hat.’

Since I can’t literally wear an invisible hat even in this Korean fantasy novel world, I replaced it with a gentleman’s fedora, but I maintain the goblin identity by keeping a goblin mask that covers only the lower part of my face under the hat.

If I had to describe it, I’d say “a gentleman in a suit wearing a tactical mask.”

‘I can’t let this form be discovered either.’

While wearing the Goblin Hat, or simply put, in “ghost form” like an ethereal being, others cannot capture the image of me leaving the battlefield.

Even though the mask covers up to the bridge of my nose, my eyes and eyebrows are slightly visible under the hat.

‘I can’t risk having my identity exposed and getting kicked out when there are still so many books I haven’t read in the library.’

Do Ji-hwan being discovered as Goblin would be troublesome for the chairman.

I can’t cause problems for the library director and everyone else who put me here.

“Find Goblin! He couldn’t have gone far!”

“It’s spatial movement! He must have gone to his hideout!”

“Even spatial movement has its limits! He couldn’t have warped from Sejong Island to Busan or Seoul!”

“He might have, if he’s Goblin!”

As expected.

No one thinks that I’ve become a “ghost,” an ethereal being that doesn’t receive physical or mana interference, and am still at the scene.

No one could imagine.

The reason why I’m maintaining my ghost form and not leaving the scene.

“You there, golden lady knight! Remove your mask and reveal your identity!”

Though I disappeared, another being who appeared with me—Solar Platinum—hasn’t left yet.

“A hero name we’ve never heard before! An ability not registered on Sejong Island! Everything is unidentified! The Hero Association cannot leave you alone!”

“I understand you’re trying to subdue ‘Villain Lilith,’ but this could be a high-level deception tactic! Take off your armor! Who are you?!”

“If you’re a hero, reveal your identity willingly! If you don’t reveal your identity, we’ll consider you a villain!!”

If it weren’t for me, they would have subdued and arrested Villain Lilith by now, but because of me, that golden lady knight is now in trouble.

“I’ll count to three! Three!”

The woman who is most likely Ymir—or I’ll grill my own hand if I’m wrong—just bowed her head, lost in thought.

“Two!!”

As the police heroes who arrived at the scene raised their mana and aimed their weapons at Solar Platinum—

“One—”

[Light.]

As Solar Platinum spread her arms slightly to the sides as if asking for a hug, an incredible golden light burst from her body.

Piiiiiiiiiiiii!

A burst of light like a flash grenade exploded.

“Argghhh!!”

Being in ethereal form and in a different dimension, I had no problems, but everyone gathered there was squinting and turning their heads away in pain from the tremendous flash bang.

‘She’s escaping.’

I followed Solar Platinum as she quickly left the scene.

She wasn’t just leaving; she seemed to be gathering something near the restaurant ruins, rummaging around before starting to run away.

‘What did she pick up? Maybe something she took off before transforming?’

If anything, it’s probably the Taeguk Watch.

The GPS and biometric information from the Taeguk Watch could reveal that she’s Ymir if she’s not careful.

I have a “special model” so my transformation isn’t affected, but it would be different for Ymir.

Why do I keep thinking it’s Ymir?

I want to confirm whether it’s Ymir or not, and I also want to check other possibilities.

If it’s not Ymir.

Where is Ymir now?

Did she get crushed under the restaurant building or die without leaving a body while I was hesitating to transform?

If her disappearance with that “wait here for a moment!” expression wasn’t because of her ability but because of her sense of justice?

No.

I already lightly scanned the restaurant building area with mana.

Ymir had vanished.

That’s why I need to confirm even more.

If that Solar Platinum isn’t Ymir, then Ymir is already—

Whoosh.

A small gap between the dormitory wall and fence.

The golden lady knight who squeezed her body into a space barely big enough for an air conditioner outdoor unit flashed brightly as soon as she landed on the ground.

‘Ah.’

I turned my eyes away as soon as I saw her form.

Then I looked back again to confirm what I had seen.

‘Oh no.’

No way.

I didn’t expect her to suffer from the same condition (?) as me.

‘My goodness.’

Just like me.

‘Did she really transform to subdue the villain knowing that penalty would come?’

I can’t put it into words.

“Ymir,” now completely naked, froze as she grabbed what appeared to be her window.

“Ah, aah…!”

She frantically tried to use the Taeguk Watch she had placed on the ground—probably something she took off before transforming and picked up while escaping the scene—against the window, but—

“Why, why won’t it open…?”

It won’t open.

Of course.

Like with the dormitory, you have to place the Taeguk Watch at the front door of the room first for the window to open.

But would that work?

She’d have to go through the dormitory entrance first and then to her room door, right?

“Oh, no….”

[Seems like you’re in trouble.]

I stood in front of Ymir, wearing my goblin mask.

“Eek….”

About to scream, she covered her face with one hand and her private parts with the other as she crouched down.

‘Oh my.’

As expected of a Canadian.

No joke.

I’ve seen many female bodies, but she’s incredibly beautiful.

‘Get a grip. Right now, she’s about to face social death.’

Even the most powerful ability user becomes a weak chick in the face of shame.

[I’ll lend you this.]

I took off my suit jacket and returned it to its “original form.”

Flutter.

The suit jacket became a black durumagi (traditional Korean overcoat) that wasn’t see-through at all.

[Here.]

“Th-thank you….”

Ymir, red to her ears, received the durumagi with trembling hands.

“Um… how did you…?”

[I just followed you. I didn’t expect this to happen.]

I turned my body away while adjusting the fit of my black shirt under my suit.

[I’m helping you now because you seem to be in trouble.]

I turned only my head to the side and warned Ymir.

[But if you stand in my way again, I will crush you and continue with my business.]

Whoosh.

Becoming ghost-like as if teleporting, I climbed up onto the fence.

“…Hmph.”

With a face as red as a ripe persimmon, Ymir clutched the durumagi tightly and ran toward the dormitory entrance.

[Tsk.]

Watching her, I felt a bit dizzy.

[I was like that once too.]

Ymir.

She was clearly a hero who could transform to protect someone despite knowing her penalty.

[I should go back too.]

Where to?

…To the scene.