Ch.32You’re Not Bad! – 3

I managed to save someone who had been hit by an Orox.

It’s completely different from supporting someone who still has some consciousness left.

I never knew that a limp person could be this heavy.

“Park Minho! You idiot! I told you not to get so excited!”

“We need to treat him quickly. Looks like he has fractures.”

“Thank you. You saved my life. Hey, Minho! Wake up!”

The injured ability user’s colleagues are frantically taking care of him.

Is this really okay right now? What about the monsters they were fighting?

Wooooo—

Wooo—

The Oroxes that were charging so ferociously just moments ago.

Now they’re clustered together, confused and disorganized.

Thanks to that, these people have gained some breathing room. And reinforcements will arrive soon.

Wooooo—

‘Well, aren’t these the same monsters that were trying to crush people just a moment ago? Now they’re just like big cows.’

I realized that’s how herd animals always behave.

When they lose their leader, they fall into tremendous confusion and can’t do anything.

It might resolve itself after some time passes, but not right away.

‘More importantly, my ability suddenly activated just now.’

When I first encountered the monsters, this didn’t happen.

On the contrary, it was so quiet that I shouted “I’m screwed!!” several times.

But now…

◎ The Silver Gatekeeper

: Ability is currently active.

◎ Sole Arbiter

: Ability is currently active.

: This is an opponent who has not received promotion from Seojin Baek.

: Recognizing as assessment target.

My abilities are clearly manifesting.

Just like when I deal with students at the Academy.

I naturally thought these abilities would only activate inside the Academy.

Both The Silver Gatekeeper and all its subordinate abilities.

They seemed useful only within the Academy.

But The Third Eye was directly contradicting my assumption.

The fact that I had just thrown the leader Orox was clear evidence.

‘Come to think of it, something was strange when I was gaming too. There’s no way my skills could have been that good…’

Wooooo—!

The Oroxes’ cries don’t sound good.

When I turn my head, I see the leader I had thrown away getting back on its feet.

It keeps shaking its head, then looks around until our eyes meet.

In that moment, I could almost hear the monster saying: It’s you. The one who hit me.

Groooo—!

The leader Orox stamps its foot and charges at full speed.

Even if a person came running at you, you’d be startled, but this thing charging at me is the size of a dump truck.

Naturally, I should feel scared and want to run away, but…

Looking at it, my first thought was, “I can handle this.”

From what I can see, it hasn’t fully recovered from being thrown.

It’s still quite fast, but not as fast as before.

I’m certain. This is an opponent I can handle in my current state.

I picked up the sword of the ability user who had been hit by the Orox.

This monster doesn’t use tricks—it has simple attack patterns.

It can’t throw decoys like A-rank or higher monsters.

And it doesn’t use abilities like villains do, so there’s nothing to worry about.

The leader Orox’s speed. Its body structure that I’ve seen somewhere before.

Its characteristic of having to charge straight at its target no matter what.

All these factors combined in my mind and produced a result.

Wooooo—

Not yet, not yet. If I move now, it will react.

Wait longer. More, more. It needs to get closer so it can’t react.

“D-dodge it!”

I ignored someone’s scream.

If I dodge here, not only will my plan fail, but I’ll be in even more danger.

‘Just a little more. Just a little more.’

The ground shakes harder, and the monster that was the size of a compact car suddenly becomes as big as a bus.

For a brief moment, I thought about dodging, but I immediately dismissed the thought.

If even this monster can be stopped with the Gatekeeper ability, then I must stop it.

That will benefit me in some way later on.

If I can’t stop it, I’ll die. Even if I don’t die, I’m finished. So, I will stop it.

Finally, it charged right up to me. That brief moment felt like an eternity.

The monster’s fierce eyes, its heavy breathing—I could clearly sense everything.

As I turned sideways, I thrust the sword I was holding with all my might.

—!!

A strange sensation briefly traveled through my fingertips, then disappeared.

So this is what it feels like to stab something very soft with a blade.

I couldn’t even think about whether it was pleasant or unpleasant.

I only wondered if things had gone as I planned, if it had worked.

And if I had failed, how would I stop the enraged monster? That’s all that filled my mind.

Kuung—!

I turned my head at the heavy sound that shook the ground.

The monster that seemed ready to charge to the end of the world just moments ago was now collapsed.

It wasn’t moving at all. Even the rough breathing I heard earlier was gone.

I did it. I stopped a monster from reaching people.

“Hiyaaaa!! This actually works?!”

Wait, what? When did this crazy woman get here again?

“It’s hard enough to stab a running monster in the side with a sword, but you hit the heart in one strike?”

At that moment, I saw it—Rina Lee’s gaze directed at me.

It was the kind of look that kids give when they see their uncle’s model collection!

“Our handsome Seojin oppa?”

Rina suddenly approaches and brings her face close to mine.

Looking at her gives me chills, but…

I think I must be crazy for still finding her truly beautiful.

“You’re pretty skilled, aren’t you? More than I expected.”

“…Should I say ‘thank you’?”

“I wonder? What do you think?”

Wooo—

Wooooo—

Nearby, the Oroxes that lost their leader make sorrowful sounds.

Rina’s eyebrow twitches once, and she suddenly swings her arm.

CRASH—!!

‘…She’s insane.’

I couldn’t see it. Really, I couldn’t see anything.

She didn’t use shadows like Sujin Hyun or swing a spear like Hyuk Kwak.

She just swung her arm once, and the monsters exploded.

“Seojin oppa. Really, really, you have nothing to do with The Elder?”

In this situation, even if I did have something to do with them, I wouldn’t admit it.

She’s terror, a monster itself. Even though her ability is known as “miracle”…

Killing monsters with just a gesture is something I’ve never heard of.

Fortunately, I truly have no connection to The Elder.

Rather, The Elder—not just one, but two of them—are interested in me.

“I don’t. You probably already know that. I’m really just an ordinary civil servant.”

“Right. You’re right. Just a civil servant. Hmm, then…”

Rina seems to be pondering something. To me, it looked like she was thinking about “how to blow me up.”

There’s a reason villains call her a madwoman. I definitely need to be careful…

“Want to date me?”

“…Excuse me?”

“I said, let’s date.”

She’s truly, truly insane. What nonsense is this now?

My reason screams that, but I find myself looking at Rina.

…No, really. At the very least, such a crazy woman shouldn’t be pretty.

That’s cheating. Why are you making me hesitate with my answer?

“Ahaha! Just kidding! Am I crazy? Dating someone older, not even younger?”

“…”

For a moment my heart raced, and I felt like an idiot.

I should add one more thing to “madwoman.” Bipolar disorder, something like that.

“Heh. What’s with that look? Seems like you were a little hopeful?”

“I wasn’t hopeful.”

“Really? Actually, I usually prefer younger guys. It’s natural to want to date someone younger than me! But! Suddenly older guys seem attractive too? So, Seojin oppa! Will you really date me?!”

“Go away. I’m not falling for it anymore.”

“Oh, really! You really won’t date me? Seojin oppa!”

Damn it, please just go away. I can’t tell what’s real and what’s a joke.

I can’t keep up with her mood—it just soars and crashes on its own.

To think that such a woman is an S-rank ability user, and the strongest in South Korea at that.

It’s appalling that she’s designed this way, but also somewhat reassuring.

If she were a villain, it would simply be the end of the world.

“Ah, I’ve been smelling those scents again. So annoying.”

Rina’s bright smile suddenly contorts.

Her expression is so demonic that I genuinely wonder if she has bipolar disorder.

“Seojin oppa.”

“Yes?”

“What are you doing? Hurry up and take it.”

Rina extends her hand to me and urges me to hurry.

Just as I’m wondering if she’s about to do something strange again…

“Reporters will be swarming in soon. A gate appearing where there’s a suppressor is the scoop of a lifetime. And with the super-powerful, super-beautiful Rina here too, it’s an even bigger scoop.”

“…And?”

“What do you mean ‘and’? I’m offering to help you. You’re not planning to reject my goodwill, are you?”

Goodwill? What sudden… Oh. I understand what she means.

‘Someone’ who was trying to frame me for sexual harassment or assault.

She’s giving me an opportunity to send a warning message to that person.

Rina doesn’t show this kind of closeness with just anyone.

In this situation, if a photo of me shaking hands with Rina appears on the news tomorrow?

That would be enough to make anyone abandon their schemes and go into hiding.

“There they are! Over there!”

“Ms. Rina! Rina! Lady Rina!!”

Pick one form of address and stick with it. Even I’m getting confused listening to this.

Watching the reporters charging like a zombie horde from the distance, I get a real sense of what life is like for skilled, famous ability users.

“…For now, just say you’re a skilled civil servant.”

“To the reporters?”

“Yes. That’s best. Always keep your answers vague. Or just ignore them.”

“But what if they write something strange…”

“Then I’ll pay them a visit.”

Rina says this with a serious expression, all traces of her smile gone.

Thanks to that, I was really, really surprised. Rina without a smile, being serious? Unimaginable.

And one more thing—even Rina is wary of them.

These reporters obsessed with scoops must really be something.

“Now, let’s put on a little show. Our handsome, skilled, but single Seojin oppa.”

“I’m not single.”

“People who say that are usually the ones who are single.”

After saying that, Rina smiled again.

“Ms. Rina! What’s going on? We heard a gate appeared!”

“Were you here by coincidence? Please give us a statement!”

“Did the Association know about this in advance and respond accordingly?”

Rina didn’t answer the reporters’ questions.

She just kept shaking hands with me and smiling.

I should smile too, but I can’t manage a natural smile.

Maybe it’s because I’m nervous in front of reporters, or maybe it’s because of Rina.

How am I supposed to have a natural smile like Rina’s…

– Assessment outside the Academy has been successful.

– A subordinate ability has been created.

◎ Subordinate Ability

: Overtime

◎ Details

: A civil servant must always be overworked.

: When ‘Gatekeeper ability requirements are met,’ assessment becomes possible even outside designated areas.

…Oh. Ohh! Ohhhh!!