episode_0137

137.

“….”

Roksan was performing her usual rituals.

Dressed in a pure white priestess robe like a snowflake, she knelt down and quietly prayed to the heavens.

The worship room where she sat was as silent as always.

Alone in the worship room, with no signs of anyone else, as she prayed, thoughts of the deceased Lee Jinhyuk kept creeping up on her.

“….”

How much time had passed like this?

Roksan finally rose from her seat and left the worship room.

Returning to her private office with slow steps, she sat down on the chair and let out a deep sigh.

“….sigh.”

After exhaling a deep sigh, she glanced at the calendar.

Is it already winter?

Time sure flies.

It’s been quite a while since he passed away.

It felt like just recently it was summer, but now it’s gotten chilly.

“I still can’t believe it. That he’s gone like that….”

The face of Lee Jinhyuk, who always had a confident smile, gently surfaced in her mind.

He was quite an extraordinary person from the moment she first saw him.

Not only did he possess a strong enough power to defeat the assassins of Sungyura on his own, but he was also extremely intelligent.

He even had precognitive abilities and saved Roksan from danger several times and bestowed her with various favors.

At Mount Yookseong, during the midterms, when he arrested Sungyura.

Looking back, it feels like she owes him a lot.

So she had always planned to repay him someday.

But to think he would suddenly meet his end like this.

She truly couldn’t have imagined it.

“Why does God take good people and not punish the wicked?”

He was more than enough as a hero needed in this world.

How could God take away a hero who stood against great evil so easily, Roksan couldn’t hide her bewildered heart.

“He was my first friend….”

Lee Jinhyuk, who could almost be considered her first friend.

Due to the constant surveillance and harassment from Sungyura, Roksan couldn’t form normal relationships, so Lee Jinhyuk was truly her first real friend.

But that friend had somehow turned into a cold corpse.

Roksan could only stare blankly at the sight of him being buried in the ground.

It was hard to accept the fact that in just a few days, he had turned into a mere piece of flesh buried in the ground.

But as always, reality is cruel.

He died.

No, he was murdered.

Instead of avenging his parents, he lost his life even to his parents’ enemies.

Oh, God.

Why is this world so cruel?

Why do the wicked prosper while the good perish early?

Why.

For what reason.

“….I have to save Soyeon, no matter what.”

Was it the shock of Lee Jinhyuk’s death?

Jin Soyeon, who cried bitterly at the funeral home, stayed locked in her house for a month after he was buried.

And then, one day, Jin Soyeon suddenly disappeared.

Or more accurately, she started walking down the wrong path, away from the path of a hero.

To carry out the purpose of Lee Jinhyuk’s revenge.

She began to stain her hands with blood.

“….Soyeon.”

Jinhyuk’s death couldn’t be prevented, so Jinsuyeon, who was Jinhyuk’s precious childhood friend and a friend of Roksanne, wanted to save her from the depths of evil no matter what.

However, when she met Jinsuyeon again, only a maliciously hardened figure remained.

Jinsuyeon had changed so much.

She paid no attention to Roksanne’s group’s persuasion.

She was only focused on eliminating villains and carrying out revenge.

Without a shred of mercy, she mutilated, severed, and tortured the villains, portraying an endlessly evil appearance that even instilled fear.

The image of her, covered in the blood of villains, staring coldly, lingered vividly in his mind. She was already gaining a notorious reputation as a bloodthirsty killer.

Not a hero, but a non-hero.

She was truly the second coming of Viltrante.

It seemed that if they left her alone any longer, it would be truly irreversible, so he tried to join forces with Ishiwoon’s group to subdue Jinsuyeon even by force.

But Jinsuyeon’s power had already deviated far from the normal path.

Even with a team including Aisha, they couldn’t stop Jinsuyeon from escaping.

He knew she was one of the top geniuses at the academy, but he never thought she would grow this much in just a few months.

It was hard to believe she was just a trainee hero.

Perhaps all the rumors about her were true.

Rumors of a bloodthirsty killer roaming the dangerous underworld.

“…How much more are you going to pile up, Suyeon?”

He wanted to turn Jinsuyeon, who had strayed onto the wrong path, back to her original self.

He had to stop her from committing any more evil deeds, accumulating evil, and turning into a malicious being.

But could he really stop Jinsuyeon?

How much had she grown at this moment?

Honestly, even if he joined forces with the High Ranker Cynthia, it didn’t seem easy to stop her.

Subduing her required much greater skill than just injuring and knocking her down.

If Jinsuyeon, who was showing monstrous growth, was involved, even the best of the best like Cynthia couldn’t easily capture her.

Moreover, Jinsuyeon was probably still growing at this moment.

It was almost certain that subduing such a Jinsuyeon without causing significant harm was nearly impossible.

So, did he have to be prepared to inflict some level of harm?

He really didn’t want to hurt her.

But to correct her, Roksanne also seemed to need her own resolve.

“Roksanne.”

“Yes.”

Suddenly, a familiar voice lightly touched Roksanne’s ear, and she turned her head towards the source of the voice.

Cynthia had approached her without a sound.

Cynthia stood silently, staring at Roksanne.

“Why are you thinking so deeply? Can’t even hear a knock.”

“Just give me a moment…”

Seeing Roksanne avert her gaze and trail off, Cynthia let out a deep sigh.

“Is it because of Jinhyuk and Jinsuyeon?”

“…”

“It’s not your fault, so you don’t have to worry too much, Roksanne.”

“….Yes.”

Roksanne replied reluctantly.

Seeing Roksanne, who seemed to be in deep thought, Cynthia couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

Knowing Roksanne’s personality, she would likely suffer whenever she remembered Jinhyuk’s death and Jinsuyeon’s descent.

She wanted to comfort Roksanne, who was struggling alone.

But as Cynthia, there was nothing she could do.

She could only hope that Roksanne could release any guilt and stand up again.

She endured the pain caused by Sung Yura’s harassment for a long time, even though she saw people around her getting hurt.

Cynthia believed that Roxanne’s mental strength would be stronger than anyone else’s.

“Roxanne, it’s almost time for our appointment. Shouldn’t we start getting ready to go out?”

“Oh, right. Thank you, Cynthia.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Roxanne nodded as she looked at the clock.

Time had passed so quickly while she was lost in thought.

Soon, it would be time for her appointment with Yoo Seolhyun.

Yoo Seolhyun had invited Roxanne and a few others to her mansion, saying she had something important to discuss related to Jin Soyeon.

In order not to be late for the appointment, Roxanne needed to move now.

“Would you mind waiting outside for a moment, Cynthia?”

“Sure.”

Cynthia nodded at Roxanne’s words and eventually walked towards the office door.

As it was a personal office, there were several wardrobes, and Roxanne quickly changed into her outdoor clothes.

Then, accompanied by Cynthia, she headed to Yoo Seolhyun’s house.

A while later.

When they arrived at Yoo Seolhyun’s mansion, Roxanne could see familiar faces.

It was Lee Jiwoon and Kang Daehan.

Roxanne stepped into the reception room with them.

Why did Yoo Seolhyun call Roxanne, Lee Jiwoon, and Kang Daehan for?

She had heard that there was something important related to Jin Soyeon, but Roxanne was curious about what exactly she would say.

Perhaps she had first located Jin Soyeon’s whereabouts in the underworld.

So maybe she called Roxanne, Lee Jiwoon, and Kang Daehan to ask for help? That thought crossed Roxanne’s mind.

But if she had located Jin Soyeon, she would have mentioned it beforehand.

However, Yoo Seolhyun had only mentioned that she had an important message to deliver in person without giving any specific details.

“We’ve arrived.”

“Yeah.”

“Ugh, seriously, why did Yoo Seolhyun bother calling us for such a trivial matter?”

The three of us reached the entrance of the reception room.

The door suddenly opened slowly.

And there, standing there.

“Long time no see.”

“Y-You…?”

“How have you been?”

Just like when they were attending the academy, Lee Jinhyuk greeted Roxanne and her companions with a wave of his hand as if it were nothing.