episode_0031

031.

Yu Seolhyun arrived home.

“…Tired.”

Her eyelids felt as heavy as iron bars.

Half-closed eyes drooping.

She groaned as if she had been sleepless for days.

“Shower, shower… right… I did it when I visited the clan, right…?”

In that case, should she just change her clothes.

Yu Seolhyun approached the wardrobe with sleepy eyes.

She pulled out a random nightgown within reach and hastily changed. It was a silk nightgown in the form of a dress. She remembered buying it in the past to pretend to be mature.

“Ah… so sleepy.”

Eventually, Yu Seolhyun stumbled around with her lukewarm body, still wet from the shower, unable to properly control it, and soon collapsed onto the bed.

Buried in the soft bed, there was truly no other paradise.

Yu Seolhyun buried her face in the pillow and slowly closed her eyes.

As her eyelids gently lowered, the events of the day began to vaguely resurface in Yu Seolhyun’s mind.

Exploring dungeons, defeating boss monsters, rescuing people, farming items, visiting the clan for a detailed examination and treatment, writing reports, and so on…

Looking back, there were really a lot of things that happened.

“But it seems like the urgent crisis has been averted…”

Yu Seolhyun let out a sigh of relief from the depths of her heart.

How surprised she was when she first heard the news of the failed dungeon conquest.

Not only did the conquest fail, but there were also missing persons, so Yu Seolhyun couldn’t calm her anxious heart.

It was because the hyenas who had been peeking at Yu Seolhyun’s weaknesses were as obvious as if they were showing their fangs.

“It was quite difficult… but anyway, I’m lucky it ended safely.”

Despite everything, should she consider it a success?

Looking at it from a results-oriented perspective, she rescued the missing people, successfully conquered the dungeon, and obtained various items.

She could consider that she had safely overcome a major crisis.

“Come to think of it, I almost died again.”

Not long ago, she almost died at the hands of the black-handed long-armed monkey at the academy, but this time, she almost died at the hands of the half-human, half-snake woman in the dungeon.

If it weren’t for Lee Jinhyuk, she might have already lost her life.

“…”

Between breaths, Yu Seolhyun bit her lip.

Thinking about Lee Jinhyuk, numerous doubts and curiosities inevitably followed in her mind.

“Lee Jinhyuk, Lee Jinhyuk… I still don’t know.”

What kind of person is he?

She pondered for a moment but couldn’t find a satisfactory answer.

Especially, his appearance when fighting with Kate still didn’t make sense to her.

Kate easily cut through Kate’s fierce fire breath with just a simple stroke of his sword.

It seemed like he must have used his superhuman abilities.

But…

“I heard Lee Jinhyuk’s superhuman ability is precognition. Based on his actions so far, it didn’t seem like a lie.”

Could it be that he possesses multiple superhuman abilities?

Or maybe he has the ability to copy others’ abilities.

“Maybe he had hidden artifacts.”

From a logical standpoint, the possibility of a mere trainee like him possessing artifacts was infinitely low.

Even Yu Seolhyun, a member of the Gaon Clan, did not possess any artifacts.

That’s how few artifacts there were, and among them, usable artifacts were even rarer. Lee Jinhyuk, who had no special background, was unlikely to possess them.

“No. Lee Jinhyuk can predict the future, so maybe he obtained something like an artifact somewhere?”

What is he hiding exactly?

Superhuman abilities?

Swordsmanship?

Artifacts?

The more I think about it, the stronger my doubts become.

‘…Well, regardless, it doesn’t matter.’

Eventually, Yoo Seolhyun smirked.

Though I can’t know what he’s hiding, isn’t it true that everything Jinhyuk has shown so far is not a lie?

Whether by any means, giving a fatal blow to the Long-Armed Monkey, revealing dungeon conquest methods, or defeating boss monsters, Jinhyuk’s performance was truly remarkable.

Yes, whatever Jinhyuk is hiding, it doesn’t matter.

He is still useful.

“Jinhyuk. He’s definitely useful.”

Maybe even more so than Ishiwoon.

Although Ishiwoon was the top priority for scouting, based solely on the results shown so far, Jinhyuk was more valuable.

Not only in tactical ability but also in combat ability, isn’t he outstanding?

When all the complex factors are combined, it was only natural for Jinhyuk to be the top priority.

Yoo Seolhyun slowly drifted off to sleep, thinking little by little.

‘Something I want.’

He didn’t want to miss out on a talented individual like Jinhyuk.

It was because Yoo Seolhyun was a person with a strong desire for talent.

Moreover, he had a personality that required him to obtain what he wanted, so Yoo Seolhyun could feel his desires stirring after a long time.

***

The night settled in the serene city engulfed in darkness.

In a dimly lit alley where the vibrant city lights did not reach, a woman trembled in fear.

She tried to run away desperately, but it was futile.

Because that man was an esper.

In other words, a villain.

“P-Please… spare me… please!”

“Hehe.”

In his mid-thirties, the villain Dae Seokgang approached the woman with a sinister smile, taking one step closer at a time.

“Who wanders around alone in a place like this at night? That’s why you end up meeting bad people like me, right?”

“Ah, no.”

Having been imprisoned, Dae Seokgang felt a sense of liberation he hadn’t experienced before and wanted to engage in some recreational activities after a long time.

So, while looking for suitable prey, he luckily stumbled upon that woman?

With that appearance, it seemed like he was quite fortunate.

Of course, from the woman’s perspective, it was unfortunate.

Before she knew it, Dae Seokgang was right in front of the woman.

He reached out his menacing hand to gently grab the woman’s neck.

“If you want to blame someone, blame society that let a guy like me loose…”

“Yeah. Why did they let someone like you loose?”

That’s when it happened.

A young man’s voice pierced Dae Seokgang’s ears.

Reflexively, Dae Seokgang turned his gaze to see a man staring at him intently?

With a mask covering half his face and a deep voice, he didn’t seem like an ordinary person.

The voice sounded quite young, maybe in his late teens to early twenties, but with his face covered, it was hard to be suspicious.

Could he be an evil person like Dae Seokgang?

Or…

“Dae Seokgang. Age 36. Convicted of illegal esper usage, special theft, special robbery, traffic violations, robbery with assault, with a total of 17 prior convictions. Am I right?”

The man quietly stared at Dae Seokgang.

“Releasing a criminal with 17 prior convictions involving esper abilities. It’s like a great country for criminals, isn’t it? Did you really think he would be rehabilitated in prison?”

“Who are you?”

“Me? Well.”

The man casually shrugged his shoulders.

“Union dropout?”

“Haha.”

Dae Seokgang let out a sarcastic laugh. Ridiculous. He was just a Union dropout, at best.

“Uh, hehe. What’s with you? Playing hero after dropping out?”

“It’s somewhat similar.”

The man nodded obediently.

Since he didn’t have an official license, it could be seen as similar to playing hero.

Daeseokgang, feeling incredulous, looked at him as if he couldn’t believe it, then clenched his fist in frustration.

What, he thought he got caught up with a hero, but it turns out he’s just an aspiring hero.

“He seems pretty confident just because he attended the Union Academy…”

Suddenly, Daeseokgang’s right arm swelled up like a balloon, becoming massive enough to resemble a giant’s arm.

Threatening with his overwhelming mass, Daeseokgang inwardly sneered at the man’s arrogance.

A dropout from the Union Academy?

How amusing, how ridiculous.

Daeseokgang himself was also a graduate of the Union Academy.

Although he didn’t graduate due to expulsion, he was once a highly regarded figure with exceptional abilities and combat skills.

He was expelled not because of lack of ability, but because of various acts of violence and drinking.

“…I can take you down with one blow, kid.”

Daeseokgang’s ability was hypertrophy.

He could freely enlarge and strengthen his body.

A simple yet powerful ability.

One that could crush a monster’s skull.

“Hmm.”

The man, watching him, casually lifted the sword sheath that had been hanging at his waist.

…An empty sword sheath.

“What the hell are you doing? Are you kidding me right now?”

“Oh. I have my reasons.”

The man smiled faintly.

“An old friend stole the sword and ran away. It was an heirloom.”

To be precise, the sword itself was not an heirloom, but it could be considered a famous sword. It was a set with this sword sheath.

“He probably didn’t even know how to use it, so I don’t know why he took it. Well, since he thought it was an heirloom, he must have been tempted.”

“What heirloom! Search it!”

Daeseokgang immediately threatened the man with his fist, but the man effortlessly tilted the sword sheath to deflect the trajectory of the punch.

His movements were so smooth that Daeseokgang couldn’t react properly, and suddenly, the man raised the sword sheath and struck Daeseokgang’s throat, collarbone, lower jaw, and neck like flowing water.

“Uh, uh, uh?”

Daeseokgang slumped down.

His head was ringing, his vision was blurry, and he could only vomit the bile in his stomach.

He tried to get up, but his body just wobbled on its own.

“Feeling dizzy? It’s because your brain and inner ear are shaking.”

“You, you, you?”

“Your body seems quite sturdy, but…”

After concentrating magic in the sword sheath, the man fiercely struck Daeseokgang’s chin, who was defenseless.

“Ugh, ugh?!”

Then, two front teeth floated in the air. His nasal bone seemed to be broken, and blood dripped from his nose.

“Not a big deal.”

“Wait, wait a minute!”

“What?”

The man, who had already lost the will to resist, continued to attack Daeseokgang several more times, and Daeseokgang just continued to take the beating.

“You, damn it! Can’t you stop even like this…?!”

“I’m not a hero, right? I dropped out, so what kind of hero am I.”

Daeseokgang shouted, blood dripping, but the man shrugged his shoulders and struck Daeseokgang with the sword sheath once again.

With each hit from the magic-infused sword sheath, Daeseokgang’s body became more and more disheveled.

This guy was deliberately playing with him.

Daeseokgang realized that he was being tormented with just enough strength to keep him from falling, but with enough force to make him suffer.

‘This bastard!’

Using my superhuman abilities, I tried to resist, but it was futile.

Even if you have the power to crush rocks and bend steel bars, it’s useless if it doesn’t hit the mark.

So all Dae Seok-gang could do now was take a beating.

“Damn it. A dropout student?”

Why is this person so strong?

“Oh, come to think of it, you were also from the Union, right?”

“Uh, ugh, cough.”

“I remember the old days. I used to beat up those so-called seniors who acted all high and mighty back then.”

“Uh, sto-stop, please…!”

I don’t know how many times I was hit.

Six of my teeth were knocked out, and I couldn’t even pronounce words properly.

My nose was broken, my forehead was swollen, and every bone in my body hurt. It felt like I was really going to die, so Dae Seok-gang pleaded desperately.

“P-please! I’ll surrender…!”

“What’s the point of going to jail? You’ll just come out again in a few years. Isn’t that right?”

“Uh, ugh….”

The man said with a numb face.

“The problem lies with the human rights activists. Why do they talk about human rights even for these criminals?”

In reality, there are many cases where European human rights organizations claim that serving more than 10 years in prison for violent crimes is a violation of human rights and pressure the government to release them.

The government, faced with the practical limit of overcrowded correctional facilities, compromised and released criminals under the guise of human rights.

Just like in South Korea, unless it’s a heinous violent crime, there are rarely cases where extreme punishment is imposed.

What’s the point…?

South Korea is a country that grants things like probation and parole, right?

“Did you also get leniency for mental illness?”

There was a terrible criminal who brutally murdered and sexually assaulted a child while intoxicated in the past, but he only received a sentence of around 10 years due to his claim of mental illness being recognized.

If there is a special law regarding crimes committed using superhuman abilities, claiming mental illness usually gets you off the hook.

At that time, there were over tens of thousands of petitions related to the abolition of leniency for intoxication, but there has been no progress so far.

Of course, South Korea is not a country that just waves a soft stick of law.

Most dangerous individuals who should not be released into society are serving sentences in prison.

However, despite this, many ordinary people and victims could not accept it.

Why forgive such criminals?

“Is the law unable to keep up with the times? Oh, really. If you’re going to release them, at least implant a microchip in their brains. Oh, is this also because of human rights?”

Despite the appearance of monsters and the awakening of superhuman abilities in humanity for quite some time, South Korea was still in this state.

Well, in the very old days, there was a case where a homeowner beat up a burglar who entered the house like a ragdoll, but wasn’t prosecuted for assault with a deadly weapon, right?

Even though the thief fell into a vegetative state, it’s absurd for an ordinary person to be able to fight while carrying a weapon.

In the man’s opinion, the concept of law is quite ridiculous.

“You know, there’s no need for you to surrender now.”

Therefore, the man decided to take matters into his own hands.

For criminals who are not afraid of the law.

“Oh, uh? You, you wouldn’t…?”

Suddenly, a memory brushed past Dae Seok-gang’s mind.

Come to think of it, I heard that there’s a not-so-heroic hero traveling around South Korea for the past few years, cleaning up criminals.

He was a psychopath who thoroughly destroyed the vicious criminals who had not been properly punished or had been released back into society, making sure they could no longer enjoy a normal life.

His way of punishing the villains himself, rather than just throwing them in jail like a hero, was nothing short of another form of villainy.

But people were ecstatic.

The victims, who had been forced to live in misery for the rest of their lives, because he had turned notorious criminals who had dared not be punished and those who had received relatively light sentences into miserable wrecks, could only cheer for him.

People gave him a nickname.

Vigilante.

“Hey, are you that, that Vigilante guy? Are you?”

“Oh, I don’t know why you’re calling me that, but, well, for now?”

Because of the rumors about how cruel Vigilante’s methods were, Daeseokgang trembled all over.

Vigilante turned his head slightly and spoke to the woman who was staring at him with wide eyes.

“You should probably start leaving now. It’s not going to be pretty from now on.”

“Oh, yes, yes! Th-thank you for saving me!”

“Don’t mention it.”

The woman, who thanked him with a trembling voice, immediately got up from her seat and started running away.

Watching the woman’s retreating figure, Vigilante turned his head back towards Daeseokgang…

Shake, shake.

Huh?

The scabbard was trembling slightly.

Could it be?

“Is it detecting the stolen sword’s location?”

The sword and scabbard were a set.

The scabbard had a function to detect the sword’s location.

Normally, he should have been able to detect the location earlier, but if he was trapped in a dungeon-like place, he couldn’t detect it.

“I thought that guy had crawled into a dungeon and died, or maybe he just sold the sword?”

Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter.

Now that he could detect the sword’s location, he had to go find it himself.

“It might be difficult to pinpoint the exact location. I might only know the general direction.”

Well, it didn’t matter.

If the direction was right, he would eventually reach it.

With a sly smile, Vigilante started tapping Daeseokgang again.

It seemed like it wouldn’t be long before he found the lost sword and relic.