Ch 68-74 - Online Story Read Mode

Chapter 68 vs Seong Yura (2)

"What could possibly be happening so early in the morning…"

On the roof of the Tactical Training Center, where a chilly wind blew, Yoo Seolhyun brushed her golden hair behind her ear and looked at me with a furrowed brow.

"So… Jin Soyeon was kidnapped?" "Yeah."

Yoo Seolhyun, with her arms crossed, tilted her head and stared at me.

There were four people gathered on this rooftop: me, Lee Siwoon, Yoo Seolhyun, and Roxanne.

Roxanne and I roughly explained the situation so far.

Lee Siwoon and Yoo Seolhyun, who had been quietly listening, frowned, realizing how serious the current situation was.

The kidnapping of an Academy trainee was no small matter.

Especially since the victim was someone they knew from their class.

"I've heard rumors that Seong Yura isn't someone to be taken lightly."

"Hmm, kidnapping… This is going to be a real headache."

Perhaps because they were somewhat aware of Seong Yura's bad reputation, they didn't seem to doubt my explanation, even though it might have sounded a bit far- fetched.

"Alright, I've heard you out. So, Lee Jinhyuk." Suddenly, Yoo Seolhyun lifted her head.

She looked at me sideways, her arms still crossed. "So?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you telling me all this?"

She wasn't asking because she didn't know. That was clear from her tone.

She was responding coldly because she didn't like what she was hearing.

It made sense, considering that what I was about to ask her would put her in a rather diﬃcult position.

But outright refusal wasn't an option either, given the seriousness of the situation, so she was probably acting petulant for that reason.

"I'm telling you because I need your help, as well as Siwoon's. As you know, if we tell the police, instructors, or anyone else, they won't believe us."

As unfortunate as it was, I couldn't rescue Soyeon from Seong Yura on my own.

Even someone with the power of a high-ranker wouldn't be able to do it alone.

An individual cannot defeat an organization.

Even the mighty Yoo Dahee would likely meet her end if she tried to storm Seong Yura's mansion alone.

At this moment, I desperately needed the help of people like Lee Siwoon and Yoo Seolhyun.

To be precise, I needed the power of SL Group and the Gaon Nuri Clan.

'In the game, the protagonist's group solves almost everything, but in reality, there's no need to do that, right?'

The reason I had tried to get close to Lee Siwoon and Yoo Seolhyun from the beginning was because of the powerful connections they had.

SL Group, which ranks among the top ﬁve conglomerates in South Korea, and the Gaon Nuri Clan, one of the leading clans.

How reassuring does that sound?

Of course, I knew that Lee Siwoon and Yoo Seolhyun weren't oﬃcial heirs and were still just trainees, so they couldn't freely wield their family's power.

But even so, they could still be a signiﬁcant help right now.

"Hmm. I'll hear your plan ﬁrst. Do you have any good ideas? From what I know of Seong Yura, she won't be easy to deal with. You can't just act recklessly when there's a hostage involved, right?"

I hesitated for a moment at Yoo Seolhyun's question. A plan…

Actually, I had a simple one in mind. I wasn't sure if it would work, though.

"Before we get into that, Seong Yura sent a set of coordinates. It seems she wants us to go to this location—a rundown building in the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province."

"…A rundown building?"

"I checked it on a satellite map." I continued explaining.

"She's probably set up all kinds of traps there."

Based on my conversations with Roxanne, it seemed that Seong Yura was under the impression that I was stronger than I actually was.

"She likely anticipated that I wouldn't come alone, so she's probably deployed a number of strong subordinates there."

"So you're saying Seong Yura's forces are spread thin?" I nodded at Lee Siwoon's words.

"Yes, exactly."

"But that won't help if we don't know where Soyeon is."

"Soyeon is most likely at Seong Yura's mansion. The mansion is located halfway up Hajung Mountain. It's registered under someone else's name, though."

"How do you know all this, Lee Jinhyuk?"

"I gave him the information. We've been gathering intel on Seong Yura for some time now."

"And as for how we know Soyeon is there, it's thanks to a tracking device."

"…A tracking device?"

Lee Siwoon frowned slightly as he looked at me. The idea of a tracking device seemed to bother him.

I hope he doesn't think I'm some kind of stalker like the one

from before.

"…Don't get the wrong idea. Soyeon agreed to it. After everything that happened at the Academy recently, we thought it was a good idea."

"..." Ahem. So, could you stop giving me that look?

"Anyway, now that we know where Seong Yura's mansion and the hostage, Soyeon, are, all we need to do is rescue her."

"How?"

Lee Siwoon asked, looking somewhat puzzled about how exactly we were going to rescue Soyeon.

Even if Seong Yura's forces were spread out, there would still be plenty of guards waiting inside the mansion.

"There are several secret passages in Seong Yura's mansion. If we use them, we can inﬁltrate deep into the mansion."

These so-called secret escape routes.

There were several hidden passageways within the mansion, designed for a quick escape in case of emergencies.

I remembered their locations well, having used them frequently during the game.

In my ﬁrst playthrough, I didn't know where the secret passages were, so I ended up ﬁghting all the villains head- on.

But in the second playthrough, I used the secret passages to avoid most of the villains and stealthily reached the boss room.

"If we can rescue Soyeon without being detected, the team waiting outside can cause a distraction and deal with Seong Yura's forces while we escape."

"…How did you ﬁnd out about these secret passages?"

I could easily tell Yoo Seolhyun, 'I saw it through my foresight ability,' but that wouldn't work with Lee Siwoon.

Even Roxanne looked slightly puzzled now. How should I explain this?

Actually, do I even need to explain?

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you that. It's my trade secret." "..."

"Look, you don't have to believe me. Even if you don't want to help because you're suspicious of me, I'm still going to rescue Soyeon."

"..."

Lee Siwoon, you don't have any better ideas, do you?

You're going to try to rescue Soyeon either way, so stop acting tough.

You always become reckless when Soyeon is in danger.

"Lee Jinhyuk, I've heard your plan, but don't you think it'll be diﬃcult to rescue Soyeon safely, even with the secret passages? There'll still be plenty of guards inside the mansion."

Yoo Seolhyun had a point. Even if we successfully inﬁltrated the mansion through the secret passages, there would still be many villains inside. With our current forces, it would be diﬃcult to sneak past them and reach where Soyeon was being held.

That's why I'm asking for your help.

The help of the power behind Yoo Seolhyun and Lee Siwoon. "That's why I'm asking for your help."

"You want me to use my family's resources to help?" "To put it bluntly, yes."

"..."

At my blunt request, Yoo Seolhyun let out a brief bitter laugh.

"Ha, seriously?"

She shook her head in disbelief.

Then she slowly shifted her gaze and stared directly into my eyes.

There was a strange gleam in her eyes.

"Sorry, but that's going to be diﬃcult." "Really?"

"Yes."

I wasn't too disappointed by Yoo Seolhyun's negative answer.

From her perspective, there wasn't much reason or incentive to help.

It was certainly unfortunate that a classmate was kidnapped, but that alone wasn't enough for Yoo Seolhyun to take on such a signiﬁcant risk.

"I mean, I'd like to help… but the risk is too high." Yoo Seolhyun ﬁddled with the ends of her hair.

"I can't just send Clan members into Seong Yura's private property recklessly, nor can I put them in danger just based on your word."

"Hmm."

"Rescuing a kidnapped trainee is good, sure, but it's not really our Clan's job. There's no reason or justiﬁcation to convince the Clan members. Besides, it's outside my authority. You don't see the Gaon Nuri Clan members as my private army, do you?"

"Well, no."

After all, Yoo Seolhyun was still a trainee.

She didn't have the authority to mobilize the Gaon Nuri Clan members carelessly.

Especially not without a clear reason or justiﬁcation. "…Of course, if I pushed hard enough, it's not entirely

impossible. I do have a faction that supports me, and there

are Clan members willing to help with things like this."

She trailed off before continuing.

"But there's no return for the risk." This was a very important issue.

"If there were signiﬁcant enough beneﬁts to offset the risks, then maybe I could convince the Clan members and my family. But picking a ﬁght with Seong Yura for no good reason is just asking for trouble. If Seong Yura retaliates later, it could become a huge pain…"

"What if there are suﬃcient beneﬁts and no need to worry about Seong Yura's retaliation?"

"Hmm?"

"I know the location of the secret ledger where Seong Yura has recorded all her illegal transactions, along with other items that could be used to blackmail prominent ﬁgures. I also know where she's hidden her secret wealth in a certain basement."

I raised my voice slightly.

"It's a chance to gain leverage over politicians, gold-badge holders, and Clans. A Clan like Gaon Nuri could fully capitalize on it. Don't you agree?"

"Hm?"

"The slush fund is enormous as well, so it'll be quite lucrative."

Unlike Lee Siwoon, Yoo Seolhyun wasn't the type to believe something without evidence, but she had beneﬁted from my foresight ability enough times to trust me.

You've never lost out by listening to me, Yoo Seolhyun.

"I'm not asking for much, Yoo Seolhyun. I'm not asking you to take down the villains yourself. Just wait for my signal during the rescue operation and create a distraction so the mansion's guards can't chase us."

"…Hmm."

Yoo Seolhyun nodded slowly.

"You're sure about the ledger and other items that could be used as leverage?"

"Yes. You know my ability." "But the risk is still high." "Please, Yoo Seolhyun."

"Ha, you too? Well, I guess Jin Soyeon is lucky. She's got so many guys eager to rescue her."

"Yoo Seolhyun."

"…Hmm, ﬁne."

Yoo Seolhyun ﬁnally nodded as if she understood.

"If you're both that desperate, I guess I have no choice." She chuckled and added.

"But remember, securing the ledger and items is the top priority. Once we have them, I'll signal the Clan members I have stationed outside Seong Yura's mansion."

"Good."

I then turned to Lee Siwoon. "What about you, Siwoon?"

"I probably won't be able to offer much help." "Really?"

"If my family ﬁnds out I'm getting involved in something like this, they'll try to stop me."

"That's true."

"But there are a few security guards who have looked out for me since I was a kid. They'll probably help us without informing the family. And they're skilled—high-rank heroes."

"Oh. That's great."

The assistance of high-rank heroes would be a big help. "Our side is weak, but we'll do our best to assist as well." Roxanne approached me unnoticed.

Her blue eyes looked up at me.

They were pure, clear, and as beautiful as the ocean. "That would be helpful."

"Yes."

"There's less than two hours left, so let's all get ready quickly."

Ah, it would've been nice to have Kang Daehan here.

His family is a bit reckless, so if he decided to take action, they would've followed without question.

'Huff. I'll do my best, but… will it be enough?'

If something goes wrong before we can rescue Soyeon, it could put us in a really diﬃcult situation. Plus, Seong Yura has a lot of forces under her command.

Even though her forces are currently spread out, the mansion's guards won't be easy to deal with.

It would be nice if someone could just show up and create a distraction or reduce her forces a bit.

…But there's no way we'd be that lucky, right?

***

"Aha~ So this is where they've been moving around all night?"

A man wearing a black hat and mask muttered as he looked at the large mansion in the distance.

"I don't know why the signal kept appearing and disappearing, but I'm not losing it this time. This ends today."

The man gripped his empty sword sheath tightly and quickly made his way toward the mansion.

'Seriously, how much longer are those bastards going to jerk me around? I won't let them get away with this.'

It was ﬁnally time to retrieve the lost sword.

Damn it.

Chapter 69 vs Seong Yura (3)

Seong Yura's mansion, located halfway up Hajung Mountain.

Using various abilities and items to conceal ourselves, we managed to reach the vicinity of Seong Yura's mansion.

"So, this is the place."

Through the lush vegetation, the sight of a postmodern- style building came into view.

The mansion was surrounded by CCTV cameras, guard dogs, and security personnel, making it no easy task to sneak in.

However, the number of guards seemed much smaller than expected.

Moreover, it felt somewhat chaotic.

Almost as if something had happened inside the mansion. "…Are you really planning to enter with us?"

I asked while observing the situation through my kaleidoscope, then turned to the others.

"Yeah."

"Please."

Lee Siwoon and Roxanne nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Neither of them needed to enter the mansion, but they seemed determined to do so, despite the risk.

"I promise, Lee Jinhyuk. At the very least, I won't be a burden."

Lee Siwoon looked directly into my eyes and added in a low, ﬁrm voice.

Unlike his usual indifferent demeanor, there was a hint of resolve in his gaze.

It seemed he couldn't just stand by and wait while Soyeon was kidnapped.

No wonder he's the male protagonist. Honestly, it's kind of impressive.

Risking this much for the girl you have feelings for. "…Are you sure it's okay not to stop them?"

I glanced at the security personnel under Lee Siwoon's command.

One of the middle-aged guards, equipped with the latest gear, smiled faintly and nodded.

"Yes. It's the ﬁrst time I've ever seen Siwoon act this way for a friend."

This middle-aged man's name was Seong Doha.

He had been Lee Siwoon's bodyguard since childhood and was a former high-rank hero.

Originally, his role was to oversee the security and safety of Lee Siwoon's mansion, but over time, he had almost become like a butler for Lee Siwoon.

Since Lee Siwoon had lived apart from his parents for a long time, Seong Doha was probably like a substitute guardian to him.

In fact, the setting notes describe Seong Doha as someone the Lee Siwoon family trusted deeply, and Lee Siwoon also relied on him quite a bit.

"Seeing Siwoon step up like this, just like with that strange stalker incident, brings tears to my eyes. Haha."

"Uh, really?"

The middle-aged man looked up at the sky with a nostalgic expression, then pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away a tear.

Despite his appearance, he seemed to be quite sensitive.

He looked like a parent overjoyed at their child's growth. Hmm. It felt a bit over-the-top. Well, I knew he had this kind of personality.

"Indeed. I was always worried since he didn't get along well with others when he was younger, but now he's being this stubborn. I, Seong Doha, am moved."

"Mister."

"Ah, how long has it been since Siwoon was this stubborn?" "Mister."

"Of course, I know it's dangerous. I'm aware that it's slightly illegal too. If the Chairman ﬁnds out, it'll be quite troublesome."

"Mister."

"But! Siwoon risking himself for a kidnapped friend… Yes, young men need experiences like this. Haha. It's only natural he'd want to show his manly side in front of his ﬁrst love…"

"Mister, sorry, but could you please stop?"

Unable to bear it any longer, Lee Siwoon sighed deeply, asking him to stop. Only then did Seong Doha realize and clear his throat, bowing his head slightly.

"Sorry, Siwoon. Was I being too much?" "..."

Lee Siwoon didn't respond, only glaring sharply at Seong Doha, who scratched the back of his neck and averted his gaze.

To an outsider, the interaction between the two seemed a bit amusing, but in any case, it was clear that they would be a great help in this situation.

'At least it's fortunate that several of Lee Siwoon's security team are helping. They're all highly skilled, likely on par with active heroes. Phew. Lee Siwoon, you've got some decent connections.'

While there weren't many of them, their numbers were just right for sneaking into the mansion.

After all, a large group would make stealth nearly impossible.

"My ability should be able to help. So please." "Hmm."

This time, Roxanne approached and spoke up.

Indeed, her ability would be quite useful.

Roxanne's special ability was creating barriers.

Her power allowed her to create a special domain where various rules and laws could be set.

It was a highly versatile ability that could be used in many different ways.

However, Roxanne…

"Are you sure it's okay? Won't the other Church members try to stop you? Have you discussed this with them beforehand?"

I glanced at the dozen or so followers who had accompanied Roxanne.

These were the people who had steadfastly supported Roxanne despite Seong Yura's underhanded tactics.

While they weren't many, it was clear that their faith, trust, and expectations for Roxanne were immense, considering they hadn't succumbed to Seong Yura's threats and temptations.

Moreover, Roxanne was one of the candidates for the position of Saintess.

Would they really allow someone in such a position to enter such a dangerous place?

If it were me, I would've opposed it. "We're ﬁne."

"Excuse me?"

"If Roxanne has made up her mind, we have to trust her. Haha."

"Ah, I see."

How should I describe this?

It's quite a devout response, I suppose.

They allowed it so freely, laughing as if it were a good thing, but the unwavering faith they had in Roxanne was somewhat intimidating.

Because, in the future, these people would follow Roxanne even if she turned to the dark side. Their faith in her was excessive.

It's reassuring to have them as allies, but a bit scary to face them as enemies.

They're like fanatics.

"Since this involves Seong Yura… I don't think I can sit this one out. Please."

"Hmm, well. Alright."

Since Seong Yura deeply cares for Roxanne, it should be ﬁne.

Maybe we could even use Roxanne for a psychological attack.

"Lee Jinhyuk, are you ready? It's almost time." "Oh, Yoo Seolhyun."

"By the way, it's funny that both Lee Siwoon and Roxanne insist on entering the mansion. Why not just wait outside like me?"

Yoo Seolhyun sighed and shook her head.

"Why are they so eager to make things harder for themselves?"

"You're one to talk."

Honestly, the person who had worked the hardest today was Yoo Seolhyun.

Despite frequently complaining about the risks, burdens, and responsibilities, Yoo Seolhyun had been running around tirelessly, solving various issues in this short amount of time.

She had persuaded her Clan members, offered rewards and incentives, prepared contingencies in case things went wrong, and coordinated with her contacts in the prosecutors' oﬃce, police, and the media.

Although Yoo Seolhyun might have to bear considerable responsibility if things went wrong, she was surprisingly proactive in helping.

Is it because she ﬁrmly believes in my foresight abilities?

"Yoo Seolhyun, thank you. You managed to gather a lot of people in such a short time."

"Whether this succeeds or fails, I'll still have a lot to deal with. But if this really goes wrong, I won't let you off the hook."

I scratched my chin and nodded at Yoo Seolhyun, who grumbled irritably.

"Got it, got it."

"…The secret ledger and other evidence come ﬁrst. Understand?"

"Yeah."

"My forces won't move until those are secured. Don't forget that."

With Yoo Seolhyun's warning, I used the kaleidoscope to locate the approximate position of the secret passage.

Alright, it's time to get going. Time to rescue Soyeon.

***

Jin Soyeon slowly opened her eyes.

Her head felt a bit foggy, as if the anesthetic hadn't fully worn off, causing her to sway slightly.

Why does my head feel so fuzzy?

Did I sleep wrong last night?

"Hello, you must be Jin Soyeon, right?" "Huh?"

A strange face appeared in Jin Soyeon's blurry vision.

It was a pretty girl with short brown hair, smiling sweetly. Who is this girl?

Jin Soyeon felt a surge of confusion. Why was this brown- haired girl in her room?

Wait, is this even home?

Maybe she had dozed off at the Academy and just woke up. Wait a minute.

Jin Soyeon glanced around.

This wasn't the Academy. This room, ﬁlled with expensive- looking items, didn't belong to her.

A feeling of unease rose to the surface. Why am I in a place I've never seen before?

'I should check where I am… Oh, what's this?' She suddenly realized she was tied up.

Her entire body was tightly bound to a chair, leaving her unable to move.

Jin Soyeon's eyes widened. She was tied up? Why?

"It's better if you stay still. I won't hurt you. At least, not yet."

"…Who are you?"

"Me? I'm Seong Yura, Seong Yura. Have you heard of me? I haven't been to the Academy much lately."

"…Seong Yura, from Class 3?" Seong Yura nodded, smiling gently.

"That's right. I'm in the same class as Roxanne." "Why… am I here?"

"Oh, don't you remember? Still half-asleep? Well, let me explain it to you simply."

Seong Yura spoke cheerfully. "You were kidnapped by me."

"!"

It all came back to her.

Last night, someone had broken in, subdued her, and knocked her out with some kind of drug.

Then they had taken her somewhere… "Kidnapped? I was? By you… and your people?" "Yup."

Seong Yura.

What is this woman thinking?

What kind of mindset does an Academy trainee have to kidnap someone…!

Chapter 70 Awakening (1)

"Fufu. How does it feel to be kidnapped?"

To an outsider, Seong Yura's smile might have appeared beautiful, but to Jin Soyeon, it was an utterly unpleasant grin, causing her to frown deeply.

The absurdity of Seong Yura asking how it felt to be forcibly kidnapped left Jin Soyeon at a loss for words.

Is Seong Yura out of her mind? What is she even saying?

'Seong Yura, what the hell… Why would she do something like kidnapping?'

For Seong Yura to have Jin Soyeon forcibly abducted by people with the strength of active heroes was no ordinary matter.

Why on earth would Seong Yura go so far as to kidnap Jin Soyeon?

Does she hold some kind of grudge?

"Seong Yura, what are you thinking? Why did you kidnap me…?"

"A reason? Hmm…"

Seong Yura tilted her head, tapping her lips with her index ﬁnger as if in thought.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Seong Yura's lips curled into a deep smile, and she spoke in a tone that caught Jin Soyeon completely off guard.

"Because of your childhood friend and ex-boyfriend?" "What?"

What nonsense is this about her being kidnapped because of Lee Jinhyuk?

"Jinhyuk?"

"That's right. Your ex-boyfriend gave me a hard time, so I'm taking revenge."

Gave her a hard time? Revenge?

What could have possibly happened between the two of them?

Although Jin Soyeon had no idea what had transpired, one thing was certain—kidnapping and conﬁnement were serious crimes.

For Seong Yura, a student at Korea's top hero training academy, to commit such acts simply because of a personal grudge seemed unbelievable.

First, she needed to calm Seong Yura down and ﬁgure out what had happened between them.

So that Seong Yura wouldn't continue down this dark path.

"Listen, Seong Yura. I don't know what happened between you and Jinhyuk, but I can help. So, please stop doing things like this. Kidnapping is a serious…"

"Why? Because it's a serious crime? Well, that's a shame."

Seong Yura chuckled mockingly, as if ﬁnding the situation amusing.

"You see, I'm a villain who commits crimes as easily as breathing. Something like kidnapping is no big deal."

"A villain?"

Jin Soyeon's eyes widened in shock.

Seong Yura, a student at Union Academy, a villain?

Under normal circumstances, she would have dismissed it as ridiculous nonsense, but given that she had already been kidnapped, she couldn't afford to be optimistic.

If Seong Yura said she was a villain, she was probably telling the truth.

A villain… If she's really a villain… "..."

A memory suddenly ﬂashed through Jin Soyeon's mind.

The memory of almost dying during the recent midterms because of a villain attack surfaced vividly.

Four unidentiﬁed villains had launched an assault, causing the security personnel and trainees to be slaughtered, their blood splattering everywhere.

Although Jin Soyeon had barely held on, her injuries were so severe that it wouldn't have been surprising if she had collapsed at any moment.

If Lee Jinhyuk and his group had arrived even a little later, she might have died.

The terrifying and horrifying memory overwhelmed her. But Jin Soyeon gritted her teeth and endured.

Trembling in fear like a fool wasn't her style. And she couldn't just keep shaking until Lee Jinhyuk comforted her like with the Black-Handed Long-Armed Monkey incident.

Jin Soyeon was a hero-in-training, a hero-in-training!

She didn't want to show any weakness in front of a villain.

So, she stared at Seong Yura with an even ﬁercer gaze.

Seong Yura seemed to like that attitude, shrugging her shoulders before casually speaking again.

"Do you want to know something interesting?" "..."

"The recent Union attack incident… I was actually involved." "…What?"

Seong Yura smirked and patted Jin Soyeon's shoulder a couple of times.

"The villains you fought against, they were my subordinates. You actually fought pretty well, considering you're ranked 257th among the freshmen."

"Seong Yura, you…!"

Was Seong Yura really involved in that incident? In that terrible massacre?

Jin Soyeon shouted her name and struggled in her restraints.

If she hadn't been tied up, she would have lunged at Seong Yura immediately.

"Seong Yura! Do you have any idea how many people were hurt because of you?! It's a miracle no one died, but it wouldn't have been surprising if someone had!"

"Yeah, I know. Honestly, it's a bit disappointing. I thought at least a few people would die, but no one did."

"How can you say that?!"

Jin Soyeon was genuinely outraged.

Even though she had maintained a somewhat indifferent attitude despite being kidnapped, the thought of so many people bleeding because of Seong Yura was unbearable.

She was far more sensitive to others getting hurt than to herself.

Moreover, the Union attack incident had been an extremely serious situation.

It was a miracle that no one had died.

"Jin Soyeon, don't shout too much. I might make a mistake." "..."

Seong Yura smiled and slowly lifted a sword.

It was the unnamed, sharp sword that Lee Jinhyuk had given her as a gift last night. Seong Yura extended the sword toward Jin Soyeon's neck. As the sharp edge touched her skin, a stream of bright red blood trickled down.

The cold sensation of the blade posed a threat to Jin Soyeon. If Seong Yura felt even slightly provoked, she could end Jin Soyeon's life right then and there.

But Jin Soyeon, despite the blood dripping from her neck, merely stared at Seong Yura with calm eyes.

She refused to be frightened anymore. Not by some petty villain.

"I like that look."

Ah, that look, it's great.

Seong Yura's inner smile grew deeper.

Even in a situation where she might be stabbed at any moment, that ﬁerce gaze and attitude were truly appealing. It made Seong Yura want to force Jin Soyeon to beg for her life, groveling and pleading.

"If you keep looking at me like that, I might move my hand without realizing it."

"Go ahead." "Hmm?"

"If you want to stab me, then stab me, Seong Yura."

Even with a blade pressed against her neck and blood dripping down, Jin Soyeon didn't ﬂinch, boldly challenging Seong Yura to do it, causing Seong Yura to tilt her head slightly.

Hmm.

Judging by her gaze, it didn't seem like she was just being stubborn out of pride…

Could it be that she really thinks I won't stab her because she's a hostage? If that's the case, you're mistaken, Jin Soyeon. Whether you're a hostage or not, I can hurt you anytime.

"Jin Soyeon. Do you think I can't…" "You're planning to kill me anyway." "Huh?"

"I know you're not going to let me live after seeing your face. So stop with the petty games and just kill me if that's what you want."

She's quite bold.

Despite not having much experience in situations like this, her attitude was remarkably composed.

What should I say? It would be more fun if she were trembling like a leaf and terriﬁed. But this girl doesn't show any sign of fear.

Even an adult man would be gulping nervously and cautiously watching Seong Yura in a situation like this.

But Jin Soyeon's gaze was as calm as a still lake. Is this just a bluff?

It could be mere bravado, but Jin Soyeon's unwavering eyes were ﬁxed intently on Seong Yura's face.

This is intriguing.

Because I've seen that look before.

A brilliant and steadfast gaze that never falters, no matter the situation.

It's the kind of resolve that refuses to submit, no matter the pain and adversity.

Is that it? You'd rather break than bend, Jin Soyeon?

If that's the case, it only makes me want to break you more, Jin Soyeon.

'Well, well.'

Seong Yura chuckled inwardly.

Ah, back in the day, there were plenty of fools who tried to hold onto their beliefs and pride, not knowing their place.

They'd say things like, 'I won't bow to villains,' or 'Do whatever you want, I've already made peace with it,' or 'I'll never forgive you,' or 'I'm used to this kind of thing'…

They'd spew all sorts of nonsense, but a little bit of torture would make them cry and wail like babies.

It was truly pathetic.

But Jin Soyeon, you're different from those fakes. Because I've seen those eyes of yours before.

'Those eyes… Yes, those eyes remind me of Roxanne.' That resolute and digniﬁed gaze.

It reminded Seong Yura of Roxanne's eyes, which had faced countless trials and adversities with unwavering determination, so much so that she couldn't help but feel a sense of thrill.

'Fufu. You're more entertaining than I expected. You'll keep me occupied until Lee Jinhyuk arrives.'

Seong Yura chuckled and pulled the sword back.

"Kill you? Why would I say something so harsh, Jin Soyeon? I wouldn't treat a guest who's been invited to my home so rudely."

"So, you're inviting people by force now?"

"I was worried you might refuse, so I invited you anyway." Seong Yura casually twirled the sword a couple of times.

The blood on the blade splattered into the air. "It's a good sword, isn't it?"

The way the blade sliced through the air was exquisite. Despite its plain design, it was clearly a masterful weapon.

"Jin Soyeon, did you know? Your ex-boyfriend used this sword to kill many villains."

"What nonsense are you spouting now?"

Lee Jinhyuk killed villains?

What kind of ridiculous claim is that?

Lee Jinhyuk is just a trainee at the Academy.

He's had few encounters with villains, and he doesn't have the ability to defeat them.

His practical combat scores are among the lowest, the lowest. There's no way Lee Jinhyuk could take down villains.

"Stop spouting nonsense, Seong Yura."

"Ah~ you really don't know anything, do you? And to think you two have been childhood friends for over ten years."

"What do you mean I don't know?"

"Well? How about I leave that as a little surprise for when you reunite with your childhood friend? I have a feeling he'll be here soon."

Seong Yura glanced at the time.

It was almost time for their meeting.

Lee Jinhyuk should be arriving at the abandoned building in Gyeonggi Province by now, right? Unfortunately for him, the location I gave him was a trap. Waiting there for him were countless traps and Seong Yura's subordinates.

Even if he were the infamous Vigilante from the underworld, it would be impossible for him to take on so many people alone.

Moreover, I anticipated that he wouldn't come alone, so I had deployed ample forces.

I had even placed one of my strongest subordinates, Beom Taegyung, in charge.

Beom Taegyung was Seong Yura's left hand and a powerful individual close to the highest rank.

Although he had retired due to an injury and was far from his prime, he was still formidable enough that even most heroes wouldn't dare challenge him.

No matter who Lee Jinhyuk brought, Beom Taegyung and the deployed forces would be more than capable of handling them.

And not to mention, we have Jin Soyeon as a hostage here, right?

If the situation turns against us, we can just use the hostage to threaten Lee Jinhyuk.

Then I can make Jin Soyeon watch as Lee Jinhyuk is brutally defeated, turning her face into one of despair… Huh?

-Brrring.

"Has he ﬁnally arrived?"

It seemed like one of her subordinates was contacting her.

Seong Yura wondered whether Lee Jinhyuk had shown up alone or with others as she answered the call.

But the caller ID showed that it was from the mansion's security team.

Why were they calling all of a sudden? "What's going on?"

"…In-Intruder! A man, presumed to be the Vigilante, has broken into the mansion!"

Huh…?

Chapter 71 Awakening (2)

"What?"

Seong Yura's head ﬁlled with question marks.

The Vigilante, no, Lee Jinhyuk had stormed into this mansion and was causing havoc?

How did he even ﬁnd out where the mansion was? And how was he so sure that Jin Soyeon was here? The location Seong Yura had given him was an abandoned building on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province.

"Currently in C-1 hallway! Only one person conﬁrmed! Security Team 1 has suffered severe injuries! He keeps demanding something… Ah, aaaargh?!"

The transmission abruptly cut off.

It seemed something had happened to the person making the call.

Seong Yura gripped her phone tightly for a moment. "..."

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. He dared to storm in here?

And alone at that?

"…Give me the tablet. I need to check the mansion's CCTV." "Yes, ma'am."

One of the subordinates standing nearby handed her the tablet.

Seong Yura pulled up the CCTV footage on the tablet. He mentioned the C-1 hallway, right? She ﬂipped through the screens until the hallway's footage appeared.

'What is this scene?'

The hallway was a disaster.

A dozen or so subordinates lay sprawled across the ﬂoor, slashed by a sword.

Blood covered the walls, and the subordinates writhed on the ground like pitiful worms.

It seemed he hadn't killed them, probably because they were hero trainees.

But their injuries were severe enough that if they weren't treated immediately, they would likely suffer permanent damage. Seong Yura bit her lower lip slightly.

Lee Jinhyuk took down all those people by himself?

'He's certainly… capable of living up to the hype. I thought the rumors were somewhat exaggerated, but…'

His sword strikes were clean and swift. His swordsmanship was extraordinary. The path of his blade was beautiful.

It reminded her of Yoo Dahee.

'Not killing them and only subduing them is much more diﬃcult. So, does that mean his skills are truly on par with the top-ranked heroes?'

Most of the security team members were at least as skilled as active heroes, so being able to subdue them without killing them suggested that Lee Jinhyuk's strength was likely at least top-ranked, if not close to the highest rank.

'To think that there's another monster like Yoo Dahee or Baek Yoorin among my peers.'

To reach that level at such a young age?

Considering his potential, he might become an unimaginable monster in the future.

He could even become one of the top 10 heroes in the world someday.

'But is this guy… really Lee Jinhyuk?'

She stared at the ﬁgure on the screen for a moment.

The CCTV quality wasn't great, so it was hard to tell for sure.

Moreover, the Vigilante wore a black hat and mask, making it diﬃcult to recognize his face.

But judging by the impressive swordsmanship and the number of subordinates he had taken down, it seemed likely that this man was indeed Lee Jinhyuk.

After all, who else would dare to storm Seong Yura's mansion alone in the current situation besides the Vigilante?

And there weren't many young men with that level of skill.

'But how did he ﬁnd out the location of this mansion? Did Roxanne tell him?'

Roxanne, who had been investigating Seong Yura for a while, might have known the mansion's location.

It wouldn't be surprising if Lee Jinhyuk had learned of it from her, given they were acquainted.

Ugh, this is annoying.

Now the forces are unnecessarily spread thin.

A signiﬁcant number of troops were sent to the abandoned building.

"Hey, you. Contact the people I sent to the abandoned building and have them return immediately."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Tch. Considering it's on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province, it'll take some time for them to get back here."

Of course, the forces within the mansion should be more than enough to handle Lee Jinhyuk, so it wouldn't be a problem if the external forces arrived late.

But still, Seong Yura wasn't in a good mood.

'Hah. Lee Jinhyuk, you dare to storm in here alone?' Is he insane?

Is he just ignorant or incredibly brave?

She couldn't believe Lee Jinhyuk's bold frontal assault.

Sneaking in quietly would have made more sense, but here he was, brazenly making a scene…

'What is he thinking?'

Unless he was underestimating Seong Yura, there was no way he'd cause such a ruckus on his own.

No matter how strong the Vigilante was, individual strength alone could never overcome an organized force.

Even if Yoo Dahee or another high-ranking hero stormed in, they would be manageable within this mansion.

Seong Yura's mansion was more dangerous than most dungeons.

'Could he be employing a diversionary tactic? But why would he risk doing something so dangerous alone… He wouldn't think like that if he knew about me.'

Seong Yura pondered the current situation, lost in thought.

'And besides, I'm holding a hostage. Doesn't he care about Jin Soyeon's life? What does he plan to do if I threaten him with her?'

Since Jin Soyeon's life was in Seong Yura's hands, Lee Jinhyuk's actions were essentially tightening the noose around his own neck.

If Seong Yura were in his shoes, she would have ﬁrst tried to inﬁltrate quietly to rescue Jin Soyeon.

'Well, whatever. Whether it's a diversion or not, I can just use Jin Soyeon to threaten him.'

She glanced at Jin Soyeon.

Jin Soyeon looked confused, as if she didn't fully grasp the situation.

However, judging by the unfolding events, she seemed to suspect that heroes might have stormed the mansion to rescue her.

Hmm.

What should I do?

After a brief moment of contemplation, Seong Yura smirked.

Yeah, it wouldn't be fun to start threatening with Jin Soyeon right away.

I need to let her watch.

She needs to see her childhood friend and ex-boyfriend struggle desperately before being brutally killed.

Ah, I'm already looking forward to seeing what kind of expression Jin Soyeon will make.

"James."

"Yes." Suddenly.

A man emerged from the shadows like a phantom.

He looked to be in his thirties, with a rather ordinary appearance, but Jin Soyeon instinctively realized something.

This man was a monster.

An unbelievably powerful monster.

"I'm giving you 15 minutes. Go with your direct subordinates and take him down. If the resistance is too strong…"

Seong Yura smiled faintly. "…You can kill him."

"It will leave us short on security forces. Are you sure that's okay? There's also the possibility of a diversion."

James expressed his concerns, but Seong Yura just shrugged.

"It's ﬁne. I've activated the security systems. He'll have to face numerous traps and guards to get this far. At least until you take him down, there shouldn't be any problems."

Even if Lee Jinhyuk had secretly brought backup, it wouldn't matter.

It would take a signiﬁcant amount of time to break through to the room where Seong Yura was.

'Unless he uses the secret passage hidden within the mansion, of course.'

Of course, the secret passage was also ﬁlled with traps, so even if he found and used it by some stroke of luck, Seong Yura would notice immediately.

It seemed best to quickly send James to defeat Lee Jinhyuk and then have him rejoin the others.

"Understood. I'll take care of it."

The man disappeared into the ground the same way he had appeared.

James was Seong Yura's most trusted assassin.

His skills were said to be on par with, if not close to, the highest-ranked heroes.

If it were just a one-on-one ﬁght, Lee Jinhyuk might stand a chance, but with James and his highly skilled subordinates attacking together, even someone like Lee Jinhyuk would fall without much resistance.

Especially since Lee Jinhyuk had already expended a considerable amount of stamina and mana dealing with so many people, while James was still fresh.

Moreover, the subordinates assisting James were also very capable.

They would be more than enough to hinder Lee Jinhyuk.

"Alright, Jin Soyeon. Let's watch together and see how long the person who came to rescue you can hold out."

"Seong Yura, you! Can't you stop this? What are you planning to do?!"

"Don't you want to see it? The sight of your knight in shining armor struggling to save you?"

After making a mocking joke, Seong Yura smiled brightly and revealed the answer to who had come to rescue her.

"Lee Jinhyuk is currently ﬁghting for you." "What…?"

For a moment, Jin Soyeon frowned deeply as she processed the nonsense coming out of Seong Yura's mouth.

Jinhyuk, Jinhyuk is?

She had thought for sure that the police or heroes would have been called, but now Seong Yura was telling her that Jinhyuk had come himself and was ﬁghting?

What nonsense is this?

This situation was completely different from the midterms, where they couldn't get outside help. Since she had been kidnapped as an Academy trainee, surely the police or the Hero Association would have gotten involved. Lee Jinhyuk wouldn't have needed to intervene in the rescue at all.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"You can ﬁnd out whether I'm lying or not by looking at the CCTV footage."

Seong Yura dragged a chair over and sat next to Jin Soyeon. Then, she pulled up the CCTV footage on the tablet for her to see.

On the screen, blood was splattered everywhere—on the walls, the ceiling, and the ﬂoor.

Jin Soyeon involuntarily swallowed a gasp. Wh-What is this scene?

It was such a ghastly sight that she could hardly bear to look at it.

"Looks like he's moved out of the C-1 area. Only the traces are left."

"D-Did Jinhyuk do this?"

"Yes. He must be really pissed off that you were kidnapped. He's been quite violent."

"Don't be ridiculous. There's no way Jinhyuk would do something like this."

There was no way Lee Jinhyuk could take on villains.

She acknowledged Lee Jinhyuk's tactical ability, but when it came to direct combat, he was far inferior to her.

There was absolutely no way Lee Jinhyuk could have taken down so many people like this. No way. Absolutely no way.

"Really?"

"What?"

"Are you really sure this isn't Lee Jinhyuk's doing?" "Of course, I…"

Just as she was about to reply, Jin Soyeon bit her lip.

Because a memory from a conversation she had with Yoo Seolhyun in the bathroom resurfaced in her mind.

Yoo Seolhyun had said something like this.

– You really don't know anything?

– About Lee Jinhyuk, I mean.

– Hmm, I see. So, you don't know. That's ﬁne.

– I'd like to tell you, but I promised someone I wouldn't.

Yoo Seolhyun had hinted that Lee Jinhyuk was hiding something.

At the time, it had piqued her curiosity, but she eventually forgot about it as time went on. But now, what was Lee Jinhyuk hiding that made Yoo Seolhyun take him to such a dangerous place like a dungeon?

She had looked as if she didn't need to worry about Lee Jinhyuk, even in a perilous dungeon.

Could it be that Jinhyuk really was hiding something incredible?

And he hadn't said a word to Jin Soyeon about it? '…No, no, what am I thinking.'

Jin Soyeon desperately pushed aside the possibility that had suddenly come to mind. It was such an absurd notion that she naturally rejected it.

"You seem unsure, judging by your expression."

Seong Yura continued ﬂipping through the CCTV footage, searching for Lee Jinhyuk.

After a few more screens, the image of a man in a black hat engaging with the security guards appeared.

It was the Vigilante.

"Take a look. Is that your childhood friend or not?" "Ah."

The man on the screen came into view.

He was a bit far away, and the poor image quality made it diﬃcult to tell if it was Lee Jinhyuk or not.

The build seemed similar, but his movements and swordsmanship were exceptional.

So much so that they were hard to keep up with visually.

The poor image quality, combined with his continuous use of footwork, made it even harder to identify him.

"Ah, the quality is bad, isn't it? It was installed a long time ago."

"Are you saying this is Jinhyuk?" "Why? You don't believe it?"

"Of course, not?"

His skills were far too extraordinary.

He was effortlessly evading, blocking, and dodging the combined attacks of several people.

Moreover, Lee Jinhyuk was supposed to be an archer. Could he really handle a sword this well? Had he been hiding his skills all this time?

Ha.

Jin Soyeon scoffed inwardly.

Even if I wanted to believe it, I can't, Seong Yura. If you're going to lie, make it more believable.

Did you really think I'd fall for such a dumb trick? Seong Yura must be lying.

But what if.

What if, by some impossible chance, the person in the video was actually Jinhyuk?

If that were true, then Jinhyuk was in a really dangerous situation right now.

"Oh dear, oh dear. It seems James has landed a hit. Is he running out of stamina?"

"Ah!"

Jin Soyeon gasped reﬂexively and bit her lip as she saw the Vigilante in the footage stagger after taking a hit from James.

'He does look a bit like him. C-Could it really be Jinhyuk…?'

She couldn't be certain it was Lee Jinhyuk, but judging by Seong Yura's expression, it didn't seem like she was lying.

This made Jin Soyeon all the more anxious. "S-Stop it, Seong Yura."

"Hmm? Why? Didn't you say you didn't think it was Lee Jinhyuk?"

"Whether it's Jinhyuk or not, he's hurt! So please, stop." "No."

"Huh?"

"I don't really like intruders." Seong Yura smirked.

Ah, what's this?

Jin Soyeon's expression has ﬁnally become interesting. She said she didn't believe it, but she's clearly anxious.

"Oh, looks like he just got his arm cut. It'll be hard to put up much of a ﬁght now."

"S-Seong Yura!"

Jin Soyeon shouted, her expression stricken with fear. Why is she looking so anxious and worried now?

I want to see more. "Hmm~? Why?"

"Please stop… Please…"

Jin Soyeon couldn't bear to see innocent people get hurt, and now that she thought the person in the video might be Lee Jinhyuk, she couldn't take it anymore.

She didn't want to show weakness to some lowly villain, but the thought that Jinhyuk might be seriously injured, or worse, killed, made her mind go blank.

I-I can't watch this any longer.

"Please stop, please, I'm begging you…"

"Giving up so soon? This is no fun… Oh, dear." Seong Yura suddenly grinned with a sinister smile.

And for good reason—the Vigilante in the footage had ﬁnally succumbed to the relentless attacks from the villains and had taken a fatal blow.

No, it wasn't just a fatal blow. With that kind of injury, he was practically…

"It seems it's too late, Jin Soyeon." "What? No. Don't tell me."

"Just take a look." "W-What?"

Jin Soyeon, her heart pounding in her chest, reluctantly glanced back at the screen.

Through her blurry vision, she could see the Vigilante stabbed by a sword.

A sharp blade had pierced through his abdomen. Blood was pouring out.

James quickly raised his sword.

The Vigilante, gravely wounded, couldn't move properly.

He tried to resist, but the villain's sword was much faster. James's blade slashed clean through the Vigilante's neck.

"Oh my. Your childhood friend…"

Seong Yura quietly approached and whispered a cruel truth into Jin Soyeon's ear.

"…He's dead."

Chapter 72 Awakening (3)

"Ah."

Death.

For a hero, death is always close by.

For a hero who faces countless villains and monsters, death is a constant companion, like a shadow that never leaves.

Even Jin Soyeon, who is merely a hero-in-training, has come close to dying several times.

The Academy's monster incident, the large-scale Union attack by villains—she had nearly lost her life on those occasions, and the memories are still vivid.

At the time, she really thought she might die.

The situations were so dire and dangerous that it wouldn't have been surprising if someone had died.

But every time, one man was there by her side.

When she was overwhelmed by the killing intent of the Black-Handed Long-Armed Monkey and couldn't even think

of resisting, trembling in fear.

When she was attacked by villains and left half-dead.

Lee Jinhyuk appeared, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and saved her from those crises.

Just having him by her side brought her peace of mind, and his actions almost always led to positive results.

He was always Jin Soyeon's hero.

That's why she might have momentarily forgotten. Death is an inevitable part of a hero's journey.

As they say, death comes suddenly. "Ah, ugh."

Jin Soyeon stared blankly at the screen.

The hallway, littered with the bloodied bodies of countless people, was imprinted onto her retinas.

Dozens of people lay sprawled on the ﬁlthy ﬂoor, having failed to stop a single man.

That man was an extraordinary ﬁghter.

With just an ordinary sword, he neutralized dozens of villains, some of whom appeared to be stronger than active heroes, without killing them. He even managed to overcome dangerous traps, proving beyond doubt that he was indeed a powerful adversary.

He reminded her of the white-haired villain who had terriﬁed the hero trainees with overwhelming killing intent during the midterms.

Perhaps he was a top-ranked hero, one of those she had only heard about.

But he had been too reckless.

The villains in this mansion were far too many to face alone.

Moreover, judging by the villains' movements, they weren't just random thugs; many of them were stronger than active heroes.

There were several mid-tier villains, equipped with the latest gear, and they had the numerical advantage and the terrain on their side.

The man seemed to have underestimated the number of enemies in the mansion, and as the battles dragged on, his movements became sluggish, likely from exhaustion.

As he tried to retreat to regroup, Seong Yura's assassins, who had been waiting for that moment, launched a surprise attack.

The one who leaped out of the shadows to ambush the man was none other than the assassin named James.

James was a villain on par with top-ranked heroes.

Specializing in ambushes, James was a formidable opponent, especially for the Vigilante, who was already physically exhausted.

The Vigilante had spent years in the back alleys, taking down numerous villains, but even for him, encountering someone like James was a rare experience.

There had been a few villains who had given him trouble, but he had never faced someone of James's caliber.

And the elite assassins assisting James were no less skilled.

There were about four of them, all mid- to high-tier in strength, and they provided signiﬁcant interference in the ﬁght against James.

No, it was more than just interference.

The sharp blades that struck with pinpoint accuracy, even in the gaps of James's attacks, were enough to send chills down the Vigilante's spine.

They moved like highly trained elite soldiers, gradually closing in on him with ﬂawless formation.

Even if he wanted to ﬂee, turning his back on them was not an option.

Having already expended a considerable amount of stamina and mana, the Vigilante must have found the situation overwhelming.

Who on earth could be the owner of this mansion, to be protected by so many powerful villains?

In hindsight, the Vigilante had been too reckless.

Driven by the thought that he could ﬁnally recover the sword he had been searching for, and realizing that the

mansion's guards were villains, he had resorted to force as usual.

But he hadn't considered how many villains were in the mansion or how strong they were, and that had come back to bite him.

He was undoubtedly a genius, one of the most talented in the world.

After losing his parents to a villain at a young age, the Vigilante had dropped out of Union Academy and wandered the back alleys.

He had grown stronger from countless battles with villains, and that had ﬁlled him with pride.

No one had dared to challenge him.

He was strong enough to take down small- to mid-sized organizations on his own, and during his time at Union, only monsters like Hong Daye had been a threat to him.

That's why he thought he could handle it alone this time as well.

After all, he had lived that way for years.

But the mansion's forces were beyond his imagination, and the Vigilante had lost his usual weapon and powerful artifact.

Plunging headﬁrst into the lion's den when he wasn't even at full strength—it was clear what the outcome would be.

In the end, the Vigilante was struck by the assassins' blades and could only cough up blood.

All the traces of his life, his genius, his conﬁdence, had led him to this reckless decision.

If he had at least had his artifact and beloved sword, he might have been able to escape.

But facing so many villains with just a mass-produced iron sword from a regular shop, there was a clear limit to what he could do.

Of course, one could not help but marvel at the Vigilante's strength.

Even though Seong Yura's assassins had an overwhelming advantage, half of them ended up crawling on the ground with their arms and legs severed.

Moreover, James, who had led the ambush with his subordinates, was severely injured by a sudden counterattack from the Vigilante.

So much so that it was diﬃcult for him to continue ﬁghting.

To think that the Vigilante, who was facing such overwhelming numbers and strength, had managed to inﬂict signiﬁcant injuries on Seong Yura's strongest asset, someone nearly on par with a top-ranked hero…

The Vigilante was undoubtedly an extraordinary talent, considering his age.

Even though the forces were spread out, who would have thought he could take down so many villains alone?

What if the Vigilante hadn't held back and wielded his sword without mercy from the start?

Maybe he wouldn't have wasted so much energy, and perhaps he could have created more opportunities in his ﬁght against James and the elite forces.

Maybe they wouldn't have been able to stop him from escaping either.

"He really is something. To take on so many people alone… I guess his reputation wasn't exaggerated."

"Ah…"

"But he was reckless. Does he even know who I am? To think he would storm in alone just because the forces were a bit scattered. Does he see me as an easy target?"

"Ah, Jinhyuk, no…"

"Hmm? What's wrong, Jin Soyeon?"

"Jinhyuk, Jinhyuk, it's not him, right? Right? It's not him… Ah…"

Seong Yura's words barely registered.

The image of the bloodied man lying on the screen was all that was burned into Jin Soyeon's eyes.

It wasn't that she was stunned by seeing someone die.

Though Jin Soyeon had always had a deep concern for others, today, selﬁshly, she wished that the man in the video was someone else.

Her heart pounded violently as she slowly opened her tightly closed lips.

"It's not Jinhyuk, right? R-Right? It's all just your lie, isn't it?"

That, that impossibly strong person can't be Jinhyuk. Just think logically.

How could Jinhyuk, who barely passed the Union Academy's entrance exams, be cutting down enemies left and right among so many villains?

Lee Jinhyuk is an archer, an archer.

He had always said that his sword was only a secondary weapon, repeating it until his tongue went dry.

If you think logically, the chances of Lee Jinhyuk hiding his skills are incredibly low, and he wouldn't be reckless enough to storm Seong Yura's mansion alone.

Therefore, that person isn't Jinhyuk.

Yes, that's right. It's strange to think it's Jinhyuk.

I don't know who that person is, and it's really sad that they lost their life, but one thing I'm certain of is that it's not Jinhyuk.

This is all just some nonsense Seong Yura is spouting to mess with me.

It deﬁnitely has to be that. No.

It has to be. "…Ah."

Drip. Drip, drip.

Before she knew it, tears began to stream down her cheeks.

Ah, my vision is getting blurrier. Why am I crying? That person isn't Jinhyuk. Of course, it's sad when someone dies, but crying like this doesn't make sense, it's strange.

"I understand that you don't want to believe it, but you know the truth, don't you?"

"N-No, it's not true!"

"Jin Soyeon, can't you see that?" "No! It's not true!"

There's no way Jinhyuk died like this!

Jin Soyeon desperately tried to deny Seong Yura's words. Seong Yura kept spouting nonsense.

I want to shut her mouth this very instant. There's no way Jinhyuk bled out and died. It shouldn't be like this.

He died trying to save me? That shouldn't happen.

"Jin Soyeon, it's time to accept it. Your childhood friend is dead."

"..."

"In his haste to save you, he stormed in here alone… How foolish, isn't it?"

"..."

"He fought better than expected, but that's all."

"..."

Jin Soyeon hung her head low.

She had been denying it all along, but deep down, she knew Seong Yura was telling the truth.

She just didn't want to accept it.

Because once she accepted it, there would be no turning back.

The thought that Lee Jinhyuk had died because of her kept circling in her mind. It was clear that Jin Soyeon had been kidnapped because of Lee Jinhyuk, but right now, none of that mattered.

Because of that woman, Jinhyuk was dead. Jinhyuk had died.

Had died. What?

"…Seong Yura."

After despair and denial, what began to ﬁll Jin Soyeon's heart was a searing rage and resentment that boiled like a volcano.

The sorrow and despair that had been consuming her heart just moments ago were now being overshadowed by something much darker.

It was an emotion Jin Soyeon had never felt before.

It was something far beyond mere anger, fury, or resentment.

"…Seong Yuraaa."

These emotions, so overwhelming that she felt she might explode, made Jin Soyeon growl out lowly.

Ah, yes. This isn't just anger.

"…I won't forgive you. I'll never let you get away with thissss!"

Killing intent.

Yes, it's killing intent.

For the ﬁrst time, Jin Soyeon harbored a desire to kill someone.

Filled with dark resentment and intense killing intent, Jin Soyeon poured all her mana and abilities into breaking free.

Even though her body was still bound, she didn't care.

She thrashed about as if she would leap at Seong Yura at any moment. She resembled a beast.

A beast trapped in a cage.

"It's useless, Jin Soyeon. No matter how much you struggle, you can't break free of those restraints with your abilities…?"

*Crack. Crack, crack.*

Seong Yura blinked as she saw cracks forming on the restraints.

H-Huh?

What the…?

"Seooong Yuraaaaa!"

In the hero genre, there's a taboo that villains should never break.

And that's killing the protagonist's loved ones.

Because of Lee Jinhyuk's "death," Jin Soyeon unexpectedly took her ﬁrst step toward awakening.

Chapter 73 Awakening (4)

"What are you?"

Seong Yura's brows furrowed slightly.

It was no wonder—Jin Soyeon had just done something unbelievable. After a few moments of struggling, she had grabbed the restraints with her bare hands and crushed them to pieces.

It was as if she had smashed the restraints like a toy handcuff bought from a stationery store. It was an absurd scene.

"How did you do that?"

These restraints were designed to hold even professional heroes.

They were built with extreme durability and binding power, speciﬁcally to immobilize the limbs of active heroes.

There's no way someone like Jin Soyeon could break them so easily.

Of course, if someone possessed a powerful ability, the story might be different.

For example, with Ryan Jones's ability, breaking these restraints wouldn't be a diﬃcult task.

But Jin Soyeon wasn't like that.

As far as Seong Yura knew, Jin Soyeon's ability wasn't of that kind.

She knew Jin Soyeon had a buff-type ability.

An ability that could slightly enhance or weaken objects in contact with her body.

In simple terms, it could make a blade slightly sharper or duller, or make a shield a bit sturdier or more fragile, and so on.

It had some versatility, but the effect wasn't particularly impressive.

At least, it wasn't something Seong Yura would have considered a threat.

So how did she break those restraints?

There was no way Jin Soyeon's ability could destroy them. "Seong Yura…!"

"..."

Jin Soyeon's voice dripped with palpable anger as she called out Seong Yura's name.

Her golden eyes, which used to sparkle like stars, were now ﬁlled with intense resentment and hatred as they glared at Seong Yura.

The sheer killing intent was so overwhelming that Seong Yura instinctively took a step back.

It wasn't that she was frightened. It was more of an instinctual reaction, as if the aura around Jin Soyeon was reminiscent of Yoo Dahee, making her uneasy.

She had never realized it before, since Jin Soyeon was always smiling, but now, with her face twisted in fury, she looked eerily like Yoo Dahee.

As Jin Soyeon began to approach step by step, Seong Yura clicked her tongue slightly.

She seemed too agitated to listen to reason. I'll have to restrain her ﬁrst.

"Hey, you guys, what are you standing around for? Get her under control, now!"

"...Yes, ma'am!"

At Seong Yura's command, her subordinates quickly drew their weapons.

There were four of them in total.

All of them were as skilled as active heroes, so they should be more than capable of subduing someone like Jin Soyeon.

After all, didn't she get captured by a few villains before?

Seong Yura didn't know how she had broken the restraints, but she believed that this level of force would be more than suﬃcient.

At least, that's what she thought until they actually clashed with the enraged Jin Soyeon.

***

'The mansion seems unusually noisy. There are also fewer guards than I expected. Ugh. It's hard to sense presences or mana ﬂows in this mansion, so I can't be certain.'

We successfully sneaked into Seong Yura's study using a secret passage.

There were a few instances where we encountered villains, but Lee Siwoon's bodyguards swiftly neutralized them, allowing us to reach the study safely.

As expected from Lee Siwoon's professional bodyguards.

Each of them was highly skilled—truly ﬁtting for the bodyguards of a large corporation.

The church members Roxanne brought along were also excellent in support, helping to subdue and knock out the villains.

In the game, we had to conquer this mansion solely with the protagonist's party, which was incredibly challenging, but with the help of professionals, it was much easier.

If we hadn't had their help, we wouldn't have made it to the study without being discovered.

The path to the study was treacherous.

The security was tight, with surveillance systems and CCTV cameras everywhere.

This was because something very important was hidden in this study.

'Let's see… it should be here… here it is…'

I carefully retraced my memory and touched the books on the shelf in the correct order, revealing a hidden safe that slowly emerged with a rumble.

I quickly entered the combination and opened the safe.

Inside were Seong Yura's secret ledger and various incriminating items related to key ﬁgures in politics, business, and entertainment.

"It really was here. Honestly, when you ﬁrst mentioned it, I had my doubts."

"I can't believe she hid things like this in a study."

Lee Siwoon and Roxanne looked on with a mix of admiration

and disbelief.

When I ﬁrst mentioned the location of the secret ledger and the combination, they had given me suspicious looks, as if wondering, 'How do you know all this?'

It wasn't easy to convince them to follow me to the study without revealing the source of my information.

But after I demonstrated my knowledge by ﬁnding the secret passage, and with Yoo Seolhyun backing me up, they reluctantly agreed to come this far.

"The source of your information was highly dubious, but it seems it was worth the risk."

Lee Siwoon looked at me quietly.

His gaze was ﬁlled with suspicion about how I knew all this, but given the situation with Jin Soyeon being held captive, he didn't press the matter.

He probably didn't have the luxury to be concerned with trivial matters right now.

Everyone else? Well, as long as Lee Siwoon and Roxanne agreed, they would go along with it without question.

"Alright then, Lee Jinhyuk. Report to Yoo Seolhyun that we've secured the evidence."

"Yeah, got it."

I took photos of the various pieces of evidence and the secret ledger and sent them to Yoo Seolhyun.

It would have been best to deliver them in person, but given the time constraints, we decided to send the photos to let her know we had secured the evidence.

We could have sent someone back with the evidence, but I didn't want to waste any manpower now that we had come this far.

A moment later.

Yoo Seolhyun sent an OK signal.

Oh, nice. I thought she might reject it because they were just photos, but thankfully, she wasn't that strict.

Yoo Seolhyun sent another message.

– I'll send the clan members in when you give the signal.

– Get them ready. I'll send the signal in about ﬁve minutes.

– Five minutes?

– Yeah.

There's no point in dragging this out any longer. We're already close to Seong Yura's bedroom.

Part of me wanted Yoo Seolhyun's clan members to storm in right away to divide the enemy's forces, but if we acted too hastily, Jin Soyeon's life could be endangered.

After all, Jin Soyeon's life was being held as leverage.

So, it would be best to secure Jin Soyeon's safety ﬁrst and then have Gaon Nuri's clan members cause a distraction.

That way, we could prevent Seong Yura's reinforcements from swarming us all at once.

"In about ﬁve minutes, I'll send the signal for Yoo Seolhyun's clan members to create a distraction, and then we'll storm Seong Yura's room."

Jin Soyeon was in Seong Yura's room.

Thanks to the high-quality tracking device bought at a premium, we were able to pinpoint Jin Soyeon's exact location.

"Everyone, remember. As I mentioned earlier, our top priority is securing Soyeon and Seong Yura. There's likely to be strong guards nearby, so we need to act quickly."

"Yes."

"There could be villains on par with top-ranked heroes." Seong Yura's key assets, James and Beom Taegyung.

These two could be considered Seong Yura's right and left hands.

Both possessed powerful abilities, and according to their character settings, they could display top-ranked hero-level skills for a short time.

In the game, when these two were together, it was incredibly diﬃcult to take them down, so you had to ﬁght them separately.

Even when the protagonist's party was fairly advanced, charging in recklessly would only lead to severe injuries.

'The good news is that Beom Taegyung is probably at the abandoned building.'

According to what Roxanne said, Seong Yura was under the impression that I was extremely strong.

And, knowing Seong Yura's personality, she likely stationed at least one powerful asset somewhere as a precaution, in

case I didn't come alone.

At least, that's the Seong Yura I know.

'Even if Beom Taegyung isn't here, there's still the monster that is James.'

None of us here are on par with a top-ranked hero.

That means it would be diﬃcult to handle James in a one- on-one ﬁght.

Of course, we have people like Seong Doha and some mid- to high-tier guards, so we should be able to put up a decent ﬁght.

Moreover, since James controls shadows, he's vulnerable to strong light.

If we use ﬂashbangs that emit a powerful light, we might be able to keep him in check long enough to capture Soyeon and Seong Yura.

There would likely be other guards in Seong Yura's room besides James, but we'd have to deal with them as best we could.

As long as we could temporarily neutralize the most dangerous person, James, that would be enough.

Because once we capture the queen, the game is over. As long as we capture Seong Yura.

"Alright, let's go."

We slowly moved toward the vicinity of Seong Yura's room.

I expected to ﬁnd more guards around the room, but the area right outside Seong Yura's door was completely empty.

"The room seems pretty noisy. I can sense some mana ﬂuctuations as well."

"Ah, yes. You're right."

I nodded at Seong Doha's observation.

The soundprooﬁng was good, so it wasn't too loud, but now that we were close, it was clear that something was happening inside Seong Yura's room.

What's going on in there?

"…Anyway, let's get ready to move in. I'll open the door and toss in a ﬂashbang, and then we'll charge in."

"Yes, that sounds good." "Is everyone ready?"

I gave everyone a ﬁnal check.

Lee Siwoon and Roxanne nodded ﬁrmly, indicating they were ready, and the other bodyguards and church members had their weapons drawn, prepared for battle.

"Alright then…"

I immediately sent the signal to Yoo Seolhyun.

And then, a loud explosion echoed through the mansion.

The windows rattled, and the reverberations were strong enough to make my shoulders shake. It seemed like they were trying to make a serious commotion.

Are they launching a bombardment or something? What are they doing out there?

"Alright, let's move in…"

"Agh! Seriously, can't you even get that girl under control? What are you doing?!"

Suddenly, the door burst open, and a woman stormed out.

"This is so frustrating. Hey, you guys! I'm heading to the study, so make sure you capture her properly and bring her along! Got it…?"

Seong Yura blinked in surprise as she saw us standing just outside the door, weapons ready.

Her expression was one of utter disbelief. "…Huh, huh?"

Oh, we made eye contact.

Seong Yura recoiled in shock and screamed. "Wh-Why are you still alive?!"

Chapter 74 Awakening (5)

"Huh, huh?"

Seong Yura looked at me with a bewildered expression.

She swallowed dryly, her face showing only confusion and disbelief.

She looked like a high school girl who had run into a ghost while walking alone in a dark alley at night.

But why was she asking why I was alive? I hadn't even died in the ﬁrst place.

"Could it have been someone else? No, that's impossible. There aren't many young men with that level of skill. What on earth is going on…?"

Seong Yura muttered to herself, her face full of confusion.

From what she was saying, it seemed she thought I was already dead.

Why? The thought brieﬂy crossed my mind.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on trivial curiosities— capturing Seong Yura was far more important.

If we could take Seong Yura hostage, everything would be practically over, so I quickly shouted out.

I ordered everyone to subdue Seong Yura immediately. "Now, everyone!"

"!"

At my command, Lee Siwoon's bodyguards sprang into action.

Having been Lee Siwoon's bodyguards for years under the SL Group, they were highly skilled and more than capable of subduing someone like Seong Yura.

While Seong Yura was certainly above the level of an average student, she had only just surpassed that level.

As a ﬁgurehead boss, her combat abilities were clearly limited compared to other Rebellion members.

"Tch!"

Seong Yura pulled out a whip that had been coiled around her waist and swung it with all her might.

The swiftly lashing whip looked extremely threatening.

That whip was a relic that Seong Yura possessed, capable of spewing forth massive ﬂames upon impact.

Even active heroes could be in danger if they were hit directly.

However.

"Why… Why can't I hit them…?!"

Despite the threatening nature of her whip, the bodyguards calmly dodged her attacks and rapidly closed the distance.

Seong Yura's whip only managed to strike the walls around her.

*Crash! *

As the decorations and walls shattered, ﬂames erupted, climbing higher and higher.

The blue ﬂames began to spread across the wallpaper, growing larger and larger. Hey, hey. How can you use something like ﬁre indoors? It's spreading everywhere.

"Hey, hey! You guys! You still haven't subdued that woman…?!"

"Hmm! That's an interesting toy you have."

As Seong Yura glanced around the room, yelling, someone swiftly grabbed the whipping lash and held it tightly.

It was none other than the leader of Lee Siwoon's bodyguard team, Seong Doha.

He nonchalantly yanked on Seong Yura's whip. "It seems to be some sort of relic. Interesting." The whip grew taut as he pulled it.

Seong Yura, however, smiled slyly as if she had been waiting for this moment.

"Hah. If you keep holding on like that, I can burn you to ashes easily!"

In an instant, blue ﬂames surged from the whip.

The scorching ﬁre engulfed Seong Doha's entire body.

Seong Doha's body was covered in blue ﬂames, burning ﬁercely, but he remained unfazed, as if nothing was wrong.

"Phew. It might've been dangerous if the ﬂames were any stronger."

Seong Doha's ability was [Iron Monster].

He could generate a special biological armor over his entire body, boasting impressive durability along with some damage adaptation effects.

It was truly an ability like an impregnable fortress.

It would be nearly impossible to bring him down with anything less than a powerful attack.

"I'll hold the whip, so everyone, subdue her quickly." "Yes, sir!"

At Seong Doha's command, the bodyguards once again advanced on Seong Yura.

Seeing no other option, Seong Yura tried to release the whip.

But at that moment.

"Wait! Everyone, be careful!"

"Ugh?!"

Seong Doha's warning made the bodyguards hesitate.

Seong Doha stared intently at something behind Seong Yura.

Something was rapidly approaching from the dark hallway beyond.

Soon, a ﬁgure emerged from the shadows.

A man with sharp eyes. Just looking at him made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"James!"

"Yes."

Everyone instinctively realized.

The man named James was no easy opponent.

Though he seemed to have sustained some injuries, he was still extremely dangerous.

The two villains who followed James also appeared to be quite formidable. They seemed to be his direct subordinates, likely possessing mid- to high-tier abilities.

"Alright, James. Take them down."

"It would be wise to retreat for now."

"What?"

"I've conﬁrmed multiple intruders. I believe they're from Gaon Nuri."

"Gaon Nuri? Why would they be here? Is it Yoo Seolhyun? No, her personality wouldn't lead her to interfere like this…"

As they conversed brieﬂy, we took the opportunity to regroup.

"…Seong Doha, do you think you can handle that man James and the surrounding forces?"

"Hard to say? That man seems to be injured, but even so, it might be diﬃcult for just our bodyguards alone. Of course, with help from the church members, we might be able to hold him off."

As Seong Doha glanced at Roxanne, she nodded quietly, understanding his implication.

"Yes. We'll do our best to assist." "Alright. As for Seong Yura…" "We'll capture her."

I answered, patting Lee Siwoon on the shoulder.

"Lee Siwoon, let's quickly capture Seong Yura and rescue Soyeon."

"Yeah."

Lee Siwoon seemed to be thinking the same thing as me.

'Soyeon is probably in that room… bound and unconscious, I suppose?'

I brieﬂy glanced at the room Seong Yura had come out of.

We have to make sure Seong Yura doesn't escape back into that room and take Soyeon hostage.

'But that room seems unusually noisy… Could Soyeon have woken up and started causing trouble?'

If that was the case, we needed to help her quickly.

"Alright, we'll leave it to you two. Be careful with that whip."

"Of course."

I nodded brieﬂy and tightened my grip on the bow. "I'll go with you."

"Huh?"

"I won't be much use here against those villains anyway, so I want to help capture Seong Yura."

Roxanne clenched her ﬁsts tightly and spoke earnestly. I looked at Roxanne quietly before nodding.

Her barrier ability would be useful. "Alright, then."

"Yes!"

I quickly turned to face the bodyguards and church members.

"Alright, everyone, please keep those villains in check." "Uncle. And everyone… don't push yourselves too hard." "Church members, be careful as well."

Lee Siwoon and Roxanne also gave brief but encouraging words as they prepared for battle.

"The ﬂames are spreading quickly. Did you use that whip?" "Ah, I knew I shouldn't have used it indoors."

"I'll buy you some time, so get to safety."

"No, if I take Jin Soyeon hostage in that room… Huh?"

*Screeech.*

The tightly shut door slowly began to open.

A girl emerged, dragging a bloodstained sword along the ground.

She had long, jet-black hair cascading down to her waist, and as she stared at Seong Yura with a murderous gaze.

Her icy eyes and emotionless expression were so intense that it was almost hard to recognize her as Jin Soyeon.

"Haa, haa, haa… Seong Yura, I've been waiting for you…"

"Crazy? Wait, did you take down all the guards in the room?"

"Haa, haa… What's wrong? Are you scared now…?" Flinch.

For a moment, Soyeon's body froze.

She turned to look at me, slowly parting her lips. Her cold eyes began to widen.

As if she couldn't believe what she was seeing, her eyes grew round, and her shoulders trembled.

"…Huh? Huh?"

"Soyeon, thank goodness you're safe."

"J-Jinhyuk… Jinhyuk… It's really you, right? You…!" Wait, why is she reacting like this?

"You're alive… I thought you were…" "Soyeon?"

"Heh, sob, you're alive…"

Suddenly, Soyeon began to tear up.

"Y-You're alive… I knew it, that earlier video… must have been fake…"

"Soyeon, calm down for now. Come over here, quickly!"

*Whip!*

In an instant, the whip that had been lying in wait struck at the perfect moment, tightly wrapping around Soyeon's body.

Seong Yura swiftly pulled Soyeon towards her.

"Hah… You all better stay still if you don't want Jin Soyeon to get roasted."

"Seong Yura, you…!"

"Ah, Roxanne… You're the one who brought them here? Impressive. You really went out of your way to annoy me."

"Stop this, Seong Yura!"

"Stop what? Do you really think you can get away with this? Whether it's Lee Siwoon or Yoo Seolhyun, they won't just let this slide."

With Soyeon held hostage, we couldn't move carelessly. "James, take care of them."

"..."

"I'm warning you, if anyone so much as twitches, this girl's life is over, got it?!"

"…Seong Yura."

Bound tightly by the whip, Soyeon quietly called out to Seong Yura.

"…You really are a villain, Seong Yura."

"Hah! Stating the obvious. There's nothing surprising about that now, is there?"

"…Right, it's not surprising. And I won't hesitate either." "What are you talking about, huh?!"

*Fwoosh!*

In an instant, Seong Yura's arm was engulfed in blue ﬂames.

It was similar to the ﬂames that appeared when she used her whip.

'What just happened? There's no way Seong Yura would make such a clumsy mistake. Did Soyeon do that? If so, could it be that Soyeon just awakened…?'

Caught off guard by the sudden ﬂames, Seong Yura had no choice but to release Soyeon.

While Seong Yura struggled with the ﬂames, backing away in pain.

"Everyone, now! Please!"

At my shout, Seong Doha, the bodyguards, and the church members quickly charged forward.

In response, James and a few assassins desperately tried to hold our forces at bay.

While they were busy countering each other, we rushed towards Seong Yura.

Seong Yura, one arm still ﬂailing, was now at her most vulnerable.

"Roxanne!" "Yes!"

Roxanne swiftly activated her barrier ability.

She created a binding barrier that trapped Seong Yura's right arm—the arm holding the whip.

Seong Yura, too pained by the burning ﬂames to resist effectively, gritted her teeth.

"Ugh! Roxanne, you…!" "Lee Siwoon!"

"I'm on it."

Despite her pain, Seong Yura tried to use magic with just her left hand.

I could sense a tremendous amount of mana gathering in her left hand, but Lee Siwoon, using the high-speed movement technique [Phantom Walk], swiftly closed the distance and swung his sword.

*Slash!*

"Ugh, ugh… Urgh?!"

He cut her across the abdomen.

Her spell was canceled, and she staggered.

The wound wasn't deep enough to be life-threatening, but it left a signiﬁcant gash on Seong Yura's body.

"You… How dare…!"

Seong Yura staggered, blood dripping from her wound.

"How dare you…! I'll kill you all!"

As if preparing for one last desperate attack, Seong Yura tried to gather all her remaining mana.

But I quietly pulled out a tranquilizer arrow.

It was strong enough to knock out an elephant in one shot.

Ordinarily, Seong Yura would have easily dodged it, but in her current state, I was conﬁdent she wouldn't be able to avoid it.

I quickly nocked the arrow and shot it at Seong Yura.

Unable to dodge due to her wounds, burns, and the barrier, Seong Yura was struck by the arrow.

The arrow hit with a *thud* and Seong Yura's body trembled brieﬂy.

"Ah, w-what is… this…?"

"Phew. Good, it hit the mark. Sleep well, Seong Yura. The next time you wake up, it'll be in prison."

"D-Don't… make me… laugh…! I'll never… I'll… James, kill them…!"

Without ﬁnishing her sentence, she ﬁnally collapsed. It seems the tranquilizer worked well.

"...!"

James also noticed that Seong Yura had fallen.

He tried to move toward her, but Seong Doha's relentless interference made it diﬃcult.

Seong Doha was among the top-tier heroes.

And with his unparalleled defensive abilities, he was a formidable opponent, especially for the injured James.

"Now that Seong Yura is down, why don't you give up?" "..."

I held Seong Yura as I made my not-so-subtle threat. "Cough, cough. The ﬁre is spreading too much." "..."

"Anyway, we're not here for you. We're not the police or anything. We just need to capture Seong Yura, so why don't you step aside? You've been moving around a lot, and your wound seems to be reopening. Aren't you running out of stamina?"

"..."

James remained silent.

He must have been well aware that his wound was bleeding profusely due to his intense movements.

I don't know who gave him that injury, but it was deﬁnitely a stroke of luck.

With that deep cut in his abdomen, continuing to ﬁght would be tough even for James.

"Everyone, let's retreat for now." "Are you sure? The lady…"

"For now." "Understood."

James and his party stared at us for a moment before disappearing into the shadows.

Phew. Looks like they aren't planning to ﬁght to the death.

Well, it's not like they're loyal enough to risk their lives to save Seong Yura.

After all, they're just criminals who've spent their lives in the back alleys.

"Cough, ugh, the smoke is getting too thick. If we're not careful, we'll be surrounded by ﬂames. Let's get out of here."

"Jinhyuk, Jinhyuk…."

Before I knew it, Soyeon had approached me, her eyes ﬁlled with tears.

"Huh, Soyeon? Are you alright?"

"I-I thought you were dead… ugh, sob." "Wait, Soyeon? You…"

"Sob, I thought you were dead, you idiot… ugh, waaah…" "Hey, hey! No, this is…"

Ignoring everyone else around us, Soyeon threw herself into my arms, crying her eyes out.

Her tears soaked into my chest. "..."

"Uh, Lee Siwoon, this…" "…It's ﬁne, forget it." "…Lee Siwoon?"

Lee Siwoon looked at us with a complicated expression before letting out a long sigh. His eyes were ﬁlled with a mix of emotions, but given the situation, he seemed to choose not to say anything.

"Anyway, we've safely rescued Soyeon, so that's what matters."

"Siwoon, you've grown up. You know, unrequited love rarely works out…"

"Uncle, stop saying weird things. Let's just get out of here. The ﬁre is too strong."

"Yeah, let's go."

We left the mansion, dragging Seong Yura along.

By then, the ﬂames had grown out of control, devouring the mansion.

'Anyway, we succeeded in taking down Seong Yura… right?'

We had managed to capture the villain Seong Yura without losing anyone in the process.

…But I'm not sure if Yoo Seolhyun will be able to handle the aftermath of all this.

Chapter 11 - Ch 68-74