Chapter 142 ….
“Ahhh!!”
After the evacuation order spread across Seoul, many people managed to escape the city.
But Seoul was home to half of South Korea’s population. Naturally, there were people who were left behind or trapped.
Awakened soldiers roamed the streets, searching for stragglers, but not everyone received a helping hand.
A screamed as they were pinned under a collapsed signboard.
Monsters that looked like mantises swarmed toward them.
“Help! Someone, help me!”
The ruthless company employees had left without helping. Tears streamed down uncontrollably.
To die so meaningless… If I had known, I would have taken all my vacation days and gone to every concert I wanted!!
As death approached, every regret imaginable flashed through their mind.
The giant mantises extended their blade-like forelegs toward A, ready to crush and devour them in pieces, when suddenly…
“Get out of the way, you bastards!! Don’t just stand there!!!”
“?!”
A noise like thunder rolled in from afar. Turning their head, they saw several massive armored vehicles speeding toward them in a line.
Soldiers! They came to rescue the citizens!
Just as A was about to tear up with emotion, a woman standing on top of one of the armored vehicles caught their eye.
“…Wh-what?”
She wore black clothes and had a short haircut. Somehow, her face looked familiar. Maybe from the news or YouTube… somewhere.
“Move, you idiots! If you don’t, my first boyfriend might die! Everyone, get out of the way!!!”
Her face flushed red as she fiercely lashed her tentacle-like appendages at the approaching mantises.
Slash—!
Slashhh!!
The mantises struck by the black tentacles collapsed, and the armored vehicles quickly ran over them. A watched with wide eyes as the mantises were flattened.
The lead armored vehicle rushed somewhere, while the others slowed to search for stragglers.
A was safely rescued, but the image of the woman with tentacles atop the vehicle remained etched in their mind.
It didn’t take long for them to realize that the woman was the “Demon Lord” of the recently launched YouTube channel, Demon Lord’s Dungeon.
Arriving at the Association building, I leaped down from the tall armored vehicle and ran inside.
I worried the battle might still be ongoing, but fortunately, the fighting had subsided.
On the first floor, which had been devastated, Association hunters stood on opposite sides, along with Zeke, Griffith, and Robin. In the middle was Dohwa.
Seeing Dohwa’s resigned face, I immediately knew the Association had surrendered.
“Han Hyun-jin! Where is Han Hyun-jin?”
But as soon as I entered the Association building, the stench grew stronger.
The smell of death.
I could sense the dead with uncanny precision. But although there were injured people on the first floor, no one was dead.
I feared that one of Zeke, Robin, or Griffith might be dead… but that wasn’t the case.
My heart pounded.
Only Han Hyun-jin was missing.
Dohwa stepped forward.
“If you mean Hunter Han Hyun-jin, he’s currently with our Association President in the dungeon connected underground.”
Even seeing the armored vehicles and armed soldiers behind me, she remained calm, almost resigned.
I grabbed her by the collar.
“Lead me.”
“It’s not difficult.”
“No.”
“?”
If I leisurely walked to find Han Hyun-jin, it would be too late.
Panting heavily, I approached Robin.
“Help me one more time. Take me to Han Hyun-jin.”
“Ugh…”
When he regained consciousness, Han Hyun-jin couldn’t move a single finger.
A pain that felt like his lungs being pierced racked him. He couldn’t inspect his limbs, but they seemed broken or crushed.
Trying to clear his mind in the darkness, he recalled what had just happened.
Right after safely capturing Baek Jun-hyeok, the suspension bridge holding the brainwashed hostages collapsed. Even though the situation was uncontrollable, he had instinctively dashed out.
It had happened during his Ego Sword activation. Fortunately, he had managed to catch some people midair…
[You fool. No one forced you to do this. Why do you keep making foolish choices?]
Ego Sword buzzed in the distance.
Pinned under the bridge debris, Hyun-jin tried to find Ego Sword but was overwhelmed.
“Consciousness Expansion” was a skill with aftereffects lasting days. No matter how strong an S-rank hunter, right now all he could do was breathe heavily under the weight of the debris.
He couldn’t escape alone; waiting for rescue was the only option.
Giving up on finding Ego Sword, Hyun-jin let his limbs hang and opened his mouth.
“Even if no one forced me, maybe I still wanted to do this.”
[…]
While Ego Sword remained silent, the scent of blood grew stronger around him.
[You couldn’t save everyone. You know that, right?]
Hyun-jin weakly nodded.
When he had leaped toward the hostages, he had used Ego Sword’s power to strike with his blade. He had managed to prevent the bridge from collapsing in a certain direction, leaping over falling debris and saving some people.
But not everyone.
The stench of blood on the floor was overwhelming.
“I tried to save everyone, but I couldn’t…”
A faint voice of guilt escaped.
As Ego Sword had said, no one had asked him to be a hero.
Yet, with a faint sense of righteousness, he had fought for everyone. After witnessing his friend’s death, he had resolved to use his strength to save others.
Sometimes he was fortunate enough to save people, sometimes not.
Ego Sword remained silent. It didn’t know what words could bring comfort. Perhaps watching Hyun-jin struggle endlessly had exhausted it as well.
The blood on his forehead slowly congealed.
Trapped in darkness, Hyun-jin closed his eyes.
“No one forced me, but still… I can’t help feeling drained…”
A wave of helplessness and exhaustion washed over him. His body felt like heavy, soaked cotton. Perhaps this was the result of trying to play the hero.
In truth, he was nothing special.
His shallow pride, the satisfaction of saving people… if not for that, he might have given up on life long ago.
So, all the lives he had saved until now were perhaps merely cowardly acts driven by guilt, just to survive.
“I think… I’m finally tired…”
Like a doll thrown into a junkyard, he let his body go limp, only breathing shallowly.
Time passed.
Thud… drip…
He felt the heavy debris on his mind slowly lighten.
Hyun-jin shivered and slowly opened his eyes.
A beam of light pierced through the rubble.
Beyond the thick debris, he sensed movement.
A rescue team…?
Panting heavily, Hyun-jin stared at the gap where the light came through. The heavy debris gradually cleared, and light poured in.
He blinked, trembling, staring at the opening filled with light.
Someone leaned their head through, backlit so their face was unclear. But Hyun-jin felt he knew who it was.
“Han Hyun-jin!”
Gradually, her face became clear.
It was Ana.
Seeing her anxious face stirred an indescribable emotion in him. Her worry-laden expression seemed like it might collapse at any moment.
