episode_0468

It boils.

“Ugh…, damn it!”

Every time the name Kim Dojin strikes, Seokja’s breath is taken away.

I don’t know what the problem was.

Was Son Siwoo’s spirit so remarkable that it could change even my very essence?

Or perhaps… Was my body originally harboring immense talent?

“Damn it, damn it, damn it…!”

Either way, there’s no room for feeling good.

One side only proves my incompetence, while the other showcases my foolishness.

I just can’t fathom it.

“How is this a fair deal?!”

To anyone, it was an unfair deal.

But he didn’t know.

The standard for assessing equivalent exchange is based on the values each party perceives.

Son Siwoo envied Kim Dojin’s youth, and Kim Dojin envied Son Siwoo’s life.

Their understanding aligned.

No, rather, Son Siwoo was more desperate, having to bear constraints to attain it.

“While someone is struggling to recover, damn it…!”

In internet articles featuring his name and picture, there was always a woman by his side.

Alluring women who made one’s mouth water.

Among them was even Shin Yoojung.

The reason Kim Junghoon tormented him, the culprit who left a mark on his young heart with every disdainful look she gave him.

That woman he fantasized about turning into his own, after becoming successful and humiliating her, who had always ignored him.

He turned what was once only imaginable into reality.

Hence, his impatience grew.

While he made no progress, his counterpart seemed to be advancing by leaps and bounds.

“When will I ever get better…!”

To achieve something, one must first heal their body.

But that was the most challenging part.

Scars from power beyond limits.

Even to the extent of giving up and accepting the original owner who had delved deep into physical research, causing profound and permanent damage.

Despite joining forces with those equally troubled to resolve it, it wasn’t easy.

Recovery was painfully slow.

It’s hard to pinpoint when he might fully recover.

Amidst this, she appeared before him.

With a group of equally beautiful women.

Upon seeing this, a dark emotion surged deep within him.

A very hot, gloomy flame.

The name of that emotion that would not only consume him but everything around him was jealousy.

“I’ll be counting on you from now on.”

As Kim Dojin extended his hand for a handshake, Son Siwoo observed.

‘You’re shining.’

His life, confined to a dim room with only lit monitors, now shines so brightly that one could hardly open their eyes properly.

It was too enviable for him.

‘I want it back.’

He wanted to make that life his own.

A murky and dense jealousy, difficult to measure in depth, flowed through him like a raging fire.

* * *

Tranquility following a significant event.

Time passes within it.

Gradual changes occur in the surroundings.

Guild members engage in discussions and start the construction of the guild headquarters using blueprints they meticulously created.

Believing there’s little left to learn at school, guild members dedicate themselves to personal training or dungeon conquests for their growth.

By the time one reaches A-rank Hunter status, apart from S-rank, they are already among the top hunters, yet these individuals push themselves for growth without succumbing to laziness.

“…This investment seems worthwhile.”

Deciding to invest the remaining elixirs used to treat Baek Hyunjin in them.

Three drops were used to treat her, and there’s approximately seven drops left in the small vial.

In the beginning, I tried to consume it all without telling anyone… but it seemed impossible.

“…To be precise, it’s not very useful.”

I learned this while treating Baek Hyeon-jin.

The elixir, infused with a strong vitality, is more effective for physical growth than magical growth.

In other words, for this body already finely tuned to my liking, there is little utility.

So after some consideration, I came to a conclusion.

If my growth through the elixir is difficult, then I will focus on the growth of my guild members who can support me.

The verification is complete.

Potential for growth, trust.

In the most crucial aspect, they scored high enough.

Now it’s time to act.

“Everyone gather here.”

Approaching with weary expressions on their faces, they ask, “Why did you call us?”

Responding to one who questions why he was called while training happily, I say, “I called you to give you potions, why else?”

“Potions?!”

“Suddenly potions?”

“Gasp….”

This is the second time I’m giving out potions.

The first was made using the Centennial Moonflower.

Their eyes sparkle vividly as they recall the significant growth they experienced back then.

I take out a small vial in front of them.

“This is the potion you’ll be taking.”

“……”

“……”

Disappointment quickly spreads across their faces.

As they peer into the vial, one remarks, “It doesn’t seem like much.”

“Even if everyone drinks it, it seems insufficient….”

“Are you planning for us to fight each other to death from now on?!”

“……”

Who among them understands the ways of a village psychopath?

I ask those who underestimate the quantity, “Don’t you think this amount is sufficient for a remarkable potion?”

“Oh, I see.”

“But do such potions even exist?”

“I heard there aren’t many liquid potions to begin with….”

The atmosphere gradually becomes tense.

Curiosity arises about the contents of the liquid in the vial.

Amidst this, only Seo Yeon recognizes the nature of the potion.

“You don’t mean… that, do you?”

He knows.

He knows that I received the elixir from the Saint as a reward for leading the charge against the Bright Church.

As he nods, Seo Yeon’s eyes widen in surprise.

“Why is Seo Yeon senior so shocked?”

Chirping chicks gather around, curious.

Without further delay, I open my mouth to alleviate their curiosity.

“Elixir.”

“……?”

Exactly 3 seconds later, question marks appear on their faces.

“Aaaah!”

Shin Yoo-jeong, Im Na-eun, Elena.

The screams of the three reverberate harmoniously, spreading far and wide.

* * *

Yoon Myung-ho’s trial ended swiftly and decisively.

His guilt was so evident that there was no need to mince words.

“Yoon Myung-ho, death penalty.”

Given his crimes, the natural sentence for him was the death penalty, the highest punishment under the law.

However, the execution had been on hold for a long time.

Yoon Myung-ho, now a death row inmate, was imprisoned in a special penitentiary located in Cheongsong County, Gyeongsangbuk-do.

Yes.

In a place once known as the Cheongsong Penitentiary, infamous for its harsh conditions.

Although it had since transformed into a special penitentiary for awakening individuals, its reputation hadn’t entirely changed.

This was a place where only those burdened with severe crimes were gathered.

A place where criminals who committed all sorts of heinous acts caused chaos daily, showing no remorse.

Yoon Myung-ho’s life in this place became extremely agonizing.

“Brainwasher? He’s an S-rank villain!”

Everyone recognized him and took an interest.

Initially mere curiosity, it soon turned malicious, engulfing him.

Thwack!

“Ouch…!”

Suddenly struck, Yoon Myung-ho winces in pain as he collapses, surrounded by other inmates who start mocking him.

“What’s wrong with this guy?”

“He’s totally screwed, isn’t he?”

“Those idiots who rely on magic, they’re all the same, huh.”

He was akin to a wizard.

Focusing solely on the growth of his magical abilities, disregarding physical development.

However, magic usage is restricted in this prison.

In other words, it means he’s nothing more than a pitiful rabbit or deer thrown into a lion’s den.

“Damn bastards…!”

The infamous villain’s reign lasted a mere three days.

After that, Yun Myungho descended into a mere shadow of his former self.

Initially, he tried to rebel fiercely, but each time, greater violence ensued.

Thus, he chose to yield with bruises covering his body.

“For now, I must endure.”

Simultaneously, within, he sharpened and honed blades of revenge.

“A chance will surely arise.”

No mistake goes unnoticed.

No matter how meticulously managed, ultimately, humans are unpredictable.

Believing that if he persevered, a small opening would eventually appear, he had no doubts.

“A moment is enough.”

Moments others couldn’t act upon were sufficient time for him.

Prisoners confined by magic, relying solely on their physical selves, and those overseeing them.

“Hey, you bastard! Can’t you even shoulder properly?”

“You pathetic fool. You’re not an S-rank villain, just trash, trash.”

“Hehehe! That’s good, trash villain!”

“From now on, you’re trash. Got it?”

All sorts of ridicule and contempt.

“Why aren’t you answering!”

Thud!

And violence.

Carving each letter, each punch into his chest, enduring each day laboriously.

It was during his routine appearance at the prison yard, being the sacrificial lamb for the guards, running around as scheduled.

Thump!

The stagnant energy surged.

A very faint moment, fading almost imperceptibly in the blink of an eye.

Yun Myungho reached out towards that missed moment, seizing it.

And he immediately disrupted the thoughts of everyone present in the yard, imprinting a proposition.

“You all… are my pawns.”

At that instant, everyone’s actions froze.

All that could be heard were the bouncing and receding sounds of balls that were just lively moments ago.

Raising his head that was always bowed, he directed everyone.

“Alright, gather here.”

Criminals, guards.

Amidst the murky atmosphere, eyes clouded, they gathered without regard for their status.

At that sight, he began to boil with a sense of omnipotence, as if he could conquer the world beneath his feet.

“Hehehe…, hahaha-!”

Once again, the maniacal laughter of the newly empowered criminals echoed throughout the prison.