Ch.49Chapter 2. When a Villain Falls, Transforming is the Standard Rule (2)

On Sejong Island, heroes going berserk occurs steadily at a rate of once per day, but cases of them becoming demons aren’t very common.

However, when someone does become a demon, all S-class ability users on Sejong Island are put on high alert.

There’s always the risk that a rampaging demon could transform into an extremely powerful one.

Of course, even S-class heroes aren’t required to be on 5-minute standby 24 hours a day, so even with the fastest preparation, it takes at least 10 minutes for them to arrive at the scene.

-Heroes who can handle the situation are like fire trucks.

They always rush to arrive within the golden time, but sometimes they get blocked by illegally parked cars or people who don’t make way despite seeing the fire truck coming through.

When they miss the golden time and arrive late, the human casualties increase proportionally to the delay.

Fortunately, our S-class hero arrived just before the demon started rampaging.

[Keeek…?]

The giant Doppelgänger looked up at the sky.

Despite it being a weekend in early March after the entrance ceremony, white snow was falling from the sky.

At first glance, one might wonder, ‘Why is it snowing at this time of year?’

But with a few additional pieces of information, the true nature of this snow becomes immediately apparent.

It’s impossible for snow to fall at this time of year, especially on an island in the middle of the East Sea.

The snow contains magical energy.

And Snow White is present on this island.

[Kyaaaak!!]

The giant Doppelgänger roared at the snow powder.

It created a sonic boom to push away the ice crystals infused with mana, but the ice crystals had already settled on the giant Doppelgänger’s body.

“Freeze.”

A white-haired woman in a black suit, descending while sprinkling white snow powder, extended her finger forward and flicked it lightly.

Crack!

As soon as the ice crystals touched the giant Doppelgänger’s body, frost began to form on its surface, and the giant Doppelgänger’s movements gradually slowed.

[Kuaaa, kaaaak!!]

The Doppelgänger ran to avoid the snow powder.

It happened to be heading in my direction, and I stepped forward in front of Yoon Yi-seon, calmly regulating my breathing.

“It’s dangerous!”

[Not at all.]

After counting to three internally, I planted my left foot on the ground and extended my right foot sideways, delivering a side kick to the Doppelgänger.

Kwaaang!!

Like a thrust with a bat, my side kick created a pressure wave that stopped the Doppelgänger’s charge.

The trajectory of my kick’s energy struck precisely at its solar plexus, and the giant Doppelgänger fell to its knees.

[Kueo, keouk….]

The Doppelgänger began spitting purple liquid from its mouth.

What should have been red blood had completely lost its original color after becoming a demon, and dark purple blood that couldn’t possibly come from a human body flowed out.

Crack.

As more ice crystals touched the Doppelgänger, ice formations began to cover its entire body, and Snow White, who had descended from the sky, landed right in front of me.

“So we meet again here. Goblin.”

[If this is bad karma, it’s certainly become quite a persistent connection.]

Snow White chuckled at my words and shrugged her shoulders.

Unlike her usual stiff and rigid demeanor when encountering me, she now seemed quite relaxed.

[Is that a new technique?]

“…Hehe, as expected, I knew you would notice. You have a good eye.”

Snow White puffed out her chest and smiled proudly.

“It’s a technique created by my ‘partner’ whom you don’t know.”

Me?

Is there someone else besides me who gave her information about that technique?

Since when have I been Snow White’s partner?

‘Is she perhaps lost in her own world?’

This is troublesome.

It would be extremely problematic if Snow White were to become a demon.

If the protagonist turning evil and destroying the world is like a meteor strike, Snow White would probably lower the global temperature by 18 degrees and bring about an ice age.

Then humanity would naturally live in an era of neither cyber punk nor psycho punk, but icicle punk—an age of extreme cold.

[That partner… seems dangerous. Creating such techniques. Who is it?]

“I’m sorry, but you’ll never find out. I’ll protect them.”

[Is that so? We’ll see. I’ll check everyone around you, one by one.]

I stepped forward with my bat.

Now is the perfect time to finish off this demon in one blow, while it’s completely frozen and unable to move.

“Stop.”

[Are you trying to stop me?]

Baek Seol-hee approached from behind and stood beside me, emanating cold air.

[Someone else did the same thing you’re doing just now. And that person got their chest pierced by that demon.]

I can see Ohbang Red receiving treatment in the back.

Fortunately, it seems the vital spots were missed, and thanks to the healer’s recovery superpower, his life is barely hanging on, but there’s a high probability that the future will require a second-generation Ohbang Red to step up.

[Don’t stop me. I’m right. I need to destroy that thing now.]

“…Wait just a moment.”

As Baek Seol-hee moved her hands like an orchestra conductor, the ice crystals that had fallen to the ground rose up in a blizzard and headed toward the Doppelgänger.

Crack.

The Doppelgänger’s entire body froze.

Ice even piled up thickly around the Doppelgänger’s body, creating what looked like a massive ice sculpture with the Doppelgänger trapped inside.

It took only 10 seconds.

Perfectly sealed within the ice, the Doppelgänger didn’t move at all.

[Impressive indeed. So, is this a demonstration meant to impress me?]

“No. It’s a complete subjugation of the villain.”

Baek Seol-hee pointed at the ice sculpture with a confident face.

“An ice prison that captures someone and prevents them from ever escaping, ‘Seokbingok.’ This ice won’t melt in sunlight, nor will it melt under the power of ability users with strong fire powers. As long as I remain on Sejong Island.”

[A powerful… technique.]

Once trapped in such an ice sculpture, unless one can escape from within, they might have to live imprisoned in ice crystals for life.

I wonder who this ice prison was designed to capture.

Probably not me.

If it were me, and I were caught by this technique, I would immediately tear away the magical energy from the affected area and escape.

It wouldn’t even touch me in the first place.

[But unfortunately, I can still see its limitations.]

“What….”

[Is it a target-specific technique? It seems you can’t freeze an unspecified number of targets, only one that you’ve clearly identified.]

“…….”

I don’t know the secret.

[You can’t use it as an area-of-effect technique without target designation. Unless you want to freeze everything around you when surrounded by villains.]

But seeing how the large amount of ice crystals that fell from the sky touched the ground and other people without freezing them, this technique, while effective, has a major drawback.

[Your friend-or-foe identification is lacking. You still need more training, Snow White.]

“Kuh….!”

Snow White openly frowned.

“Who are you calling a princess…!”

[And there’s one thing you’ve overlooked. That monster isn’t completely frozen right now.]

“What?”

[It’s a prison that restrains the entire body to prevent escape, but the mana hasn’t penetrated deep into the internal organs.]

Inside the ice prison created by Baek Seol-hee.

The Doppelgänger, seemingly solidified, appears to be completely stopped.

[What you’ve overlooked is that this demon is no longer the Doppelgänger or Yuk Gi-bong.]

“Then what is it?”

[A demon.]

I’m not talking about a fallen demon.

[A demon that will tear apart the corpse of Doppelgänger Yuk Gi-bong from the inside and emerge. Since there are three seeds… probably three will emerge.]

Crack, crack, crack.

A strange sound comes from the back of the frozen Doppelgänger.

The sound is so clear, like a rat gnawing at a wall.

“No way…. No!”

Snow White quickly raised her hands and poured out ice crystals.

Thick ice crystals accumulated in the direction of the sound, but as if it had been waiting for this, the sound began coming from the front.

Riiip!

Pulling apart a diagonal wound from top to bottom, something resembling a human form emerged from inside and extended its fist toward the ice.

Crash!

The ice prison shattered like glass, and the demon that crawled out was a new aberrant being with a body length of 3 meters.

It looked more like an alien than a demon.

[I thought three would emerge, but it turns out the three have become one.]

Flash.

The alien-like Doppelgänger had one head in the center with two additional heads sprouting from each shoulder, and it blinked eyes similar to those of humans.

“That’s… something I’ve never seen before….”

[Of course you haven’t. I haven’t either.]

It feels like looking at an alien life form that has mutated from a corpse.

But I’m not worried.

[Watch carefully, hero.]

I gripped my bat.

[This is how you kill an enemy in one blow.]

Strength to my toes.

Magical energy to my fingertips.

[Just like this.]

I dash forward at the speed of light toward the aberrant demon that’s glaring at me.

And then—

Whack!!!

With all my strength concentrated in my bat, I swung it horizontally with full force.

[If it clearly has three heads, then hit hard enough to smash all three.]

Splat.

[Kill it with overwhelming power.]

With my full bat swing, all three heads of the demon separated from its neck like bursting spores, and purple blood fountained from all three necks.

[Listen well, hero.]

I whispered quietly enough that only Baek Seol-hee and Yoon Yi-seon, who was standing dazed beside me, could hear.

[You have to destroy a demon’s core. Remember that.]

Thud!!

The demon, with all three heads smashed, fell backward and never rose again.