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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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Han Min-ha blinked, genuinely confused, as she saw the Aura emanating from Yoo Hee-won.
“Why are you using your Aura? Are we going back?”
“No.”
Still on high alert, Yoo Hee-won continued to scan their surroundings.
What… was it…?
Han Min-ha, also feeling uneasy, nervously looked around.
Bright neon signs, people laughing and chatting as they passed by, music from the stores.
Nothing particularly unusual stood out.
What was Hee-won looking for…?
“Did you feel it too?”
“Feel what?”
Just as Yoo Hee-won was about to scold Han Min-ha again, she noticed a strange movement down an alleyway.
It was a truly bizarre movement.
Perhaps it resembled bubbling black tar being splattered into the air.
Something black, slimy and rapidly pulsating, unfurled like an enraged centipede, writhing and squirming.
But no one else in the bustling street seemed to notice it.
It was a dark alleyway, a stark contrast to the brightly lit street, and everyone was too preoccupied with their own enjoyment to pay attention to such a secluded spot.
But Yoo Hee-won had definitely seen it.
Was that… a villain…?
But how could a villain appear in the middle of Graford City, practically the academy’s front yard?
If an emergency alert went off, a truckload of academy professors would be dispatched immediately.
What kind of crazy villain would…?
“Gasp!”
Han Min-ha inhaled sharply in surprise.
The black liquid stretched out, rising high, and then arced down, landing in the middle of the bustling street.
Unfortunately, someone standing there was completely engulfed by the liquid from head to toe.
“Oh my god! H-Hee-won…!”
The liquid, as if alive, began to form a membrane, wrapping around the person.
“What the hell… is that?!”
Yoo Hee-won, too, could only curse, frozen by the grotesque scene.
Everyone around them reacted similarly.
They stood motionless, like broken machines, simply staring at the spectacle unfolding before their eyes, unable to process it.
The person inside the membrane, who had been struggling violently, stopped moving.
And the jet-black liquid completely adhered to the person’s body, transforming into a large, humanoid shape.
The liquid human slowly looked around and gurgled and its mouth opened.
“Buuuuuuuuuuuuuurp—!!”
At the end of the long, drawn-out burp, the partially digested head of its victim popped out.
The bloated head, covered in pale digestive fluids, rolled across the ground before coming to a stop, its vacant eyes staring up at the sky.
“Aaaaaaaaaah!”
Someone screamed, and people started running frantically in all directions.
Triggered by the commotion, the black liquid human jerked its head around, forming grotesque protrusions on its back.
Then it transformed the ends of its abnormally long arms into sharp blades.
“Ouch!”
Han Min-ha was knocked to the ground by the fleeing crowd.
Yoo Hee-won didn’t have time to criticize Han Min-ha’s pathetic display of being knocked down by a mere shoulder bump with a civilian, despite being a hero trainee.
“Everyone, get down!!”
By the time Yoo Hee-won shouted, it was already too late.
The black human swung its arms, smashing several store signs, sending sparks and debris flying in all directions.
Seeing people collapse after being hit by the shrapnel that flew like bullets, Yoo Hee-won explosively channeled her Aura.
A brilliant golden Aura surged around her, and golden light flickered in her bright blue eyes.
“Hee-won! No! We can’t fight the villain now…!”
Before Han Min-ha could finish, Yoo Hee-won launched herself towards the black human.
Academy freshmen weren’t allowed to engage villains directly.
The proper procedure was to evacuate and report to the Administration.
But Yoo Hee-won took the risk for several reasons.
First, to gain her father’s approval, second, her confidence in her own abilities, and third, public attention.
If she succeeded, she would gain everything.
The safety of the citizens was none of her concern.
“Hyaah!”
Yoo Hee-won yelled, ramming into the black human with her body.
A devastating blow, charging like a comet streaking across the ground.
But the black human simply dispersed its body into five parts, easily dodging the attack.
Yoo Hee-won crashed into a store building on the other side, having passed through empty space.
An academy freshman, not even a full-fledged hero, couldn’t possibly stand against a real villain.
The dispersed black human reassembled itself, giggling grotesquely.
“Hee-won… Hee-won…!”
Han Min-ha tried to get up, but her legs were trembling too much.
The academy’s top student’s attack had failed, and the villain stood unharmed.
Han Min-ha, who couldn’t even use her Aura, was powerless.
Even as she saw the injured citizens lying bleeding on the ground, she could only tremble, frozen in fear.
“That damn thing…”
Yoo Hee-won, covered in dust, crawled out of the partially collapsed store, grinding her teeth.
The moment she got close to the black human, she realized.
This wasn’t a villain with a purpose, driven by reason.
It was a mindless villain, acting on random impulses, unable to control its own body or communicate.
A time bomb waiting to explode.
That’s why it was suddenly rampaging in Graford City, so close to the academy.
For a hero, it would be easy prey, easily crushed with overwhelming force, but for the relatively weaker Yoo Hee-won, it was a troublesome opponent.
Moreover, its ability to disperse and reassemble made it a frustrating matchup for Yoo Hee-won, who specialized in close-range combat.
She needed at least one other person to flank it and create an opening.
That way, they could buy time until someone called for backup or triggered an alarm, summoning nearby heroes.
Han Min-ha… needed to step up.
“Are you just going to sit there like an idiot?!”
Yoo Hee-won shouted, spitting blood from her mouth.
“Do you want to end up like that?!”
She pointed at the victim’s severed head rolling on the ground.
“Snap out of it and get up! Get up and use your Aura!”
“C-call the Administration…”
“They’re already getting bombarded with calls, so just fight!”
As Yoo Hee-won said, the fleeing citizens were frantically calling the Administration on their phones.
“Get up! Why the hell did you even enter the academy?!”
“Uh… but…”
The black human, seemingly uninterested in Han Min-ha, who was still cowering and muttering, turned its attention elsewhere.
Towards the injured, where several people lay wounded.
Even just brushing past them with its now three-meter-tall body would turn them into mincemeat.
“N-no! Not that way!!”
Han Min-ha scrambled to her feet and ran towards them.
Stumbling several times, she reached the injured and stood her ground, facing the black human.
“You crazy bitch! Use your Aura! You’ll die if you just stand there!!”
Yoo Hee-won yelled, but Han Min-ha still couldn’t use her Aura.
But she couldn’t just cower in fear like an ordinary citizen while wearing the Graford uniform.
“S-stay back!”
Han Min-ha shouted at the black human, spreading her arms.
“Ugh! You useless idiot!”
Yoo Hee-won cloaked herself in Aura and charged forward.
Without even looking back, the black human swung its arm back like a whip, striking Yoo Hee-won.
She crashed into the pavement some distance away, and Han Min-ha was left completely exposed and defenseless before the black human.
“Giggle…! Screech!”
The black human’s sharp blade lunged towards Han Min-ha, who gritted her teeth and braced herself.
“Aaaaaah!”
-Clang, clang, clang!!
A chilling, metallic screeching sound filled the air, and Han Min-ha covered her ears and screamed.
But the blade didn’t pierce her body, nor were her limbs severed.
“Student Min-ha, are you alright?”
“Gasp… Gasp…”
Catching her breath, she looked up and saw Professor Kyo Soo-hyun looking down at her.
“P-professor…?”
“You don’t seem to be injured. That’s good.”
Professor Kyo had one hand on Han Min-ha’s shoulder and the other outstretched towards the black human.
Following his gaze, Han Min-ha saw the source of the screeching sound.
The villain’s blade was scraping against a rectangular barrier erected between her and the black human.
“Did you come alone?”
“No. Hee-won is over there… Oh! Hee-won is in danger!!”
Han Min-ha shrieked, pointing towards where Yoo Hee-won had fallen.
“I see. The two of you, in training clothes, in downtown Graford at this hour.”
“I’m sorry…”
“No. Now isn’t the time for scolding or apologies.”
Professor Kyo lifted the hand that had been on Han Min-ha’s shoulder and flicked his fingers.
Simultaneously, barriers enveloped the injured citizens lying on the ground.
Basic Physical Barrier and Multi-Target Designation, combined.
Han Min-ha’s eyes widened as she witnessed the combination of two or more techniques, a scene she had only read about in textbooks.
“Stay here. Let’s deal with this villain first, and then we’ll talk.”
Professor Kyo slowly stood up and walked forward, through the barrier.
The villain, which had been scraping at the barrier, saw Professor Kyo appear and let out a grotesque laugh, swinging its blade-like arms.
With simple hand movements, Professor Kyo created disposable barriers, about the size of A4 paper, intercepting each swing of the blades.
-Clang! Clang!
Small barriers continuously appeared around Professor Kyo, deflecting the blades and shattering with a crisp sound.
Having blocked all the attacks, Professor Kyo continued to approach, and the villain, realizing its attacks were futile, decided to evade.
It split its body into five parts and scattered, but immediately encountered strong resistance.
Professor Kyo, anticipating its movements, had erected barriers in its path.
The body parts, falling to the ground like chunks of meat, desperately tried to reassemble, but Professor Kyo was faster.
He encased each of the five pieces, crawling like a centipede, in Advanced Composite Barriers, trapping them like birds in a cage.
The trapped body parts thrashed uselessly against the barriers, trying to break free.
Standing next to the barrier containing the villain’s head, Professor Kyo spoke in his usual calm voice.
“Stay there for a moment. The Administration will be here to collect you soon. There’s no air conditioning, so it might be a bit warm.”
It was a dry joke, but Han Min-ha couldn’t laugh.
The villain, despite its destructive entrance, had been defeated with almost absurd ease.
Professor Kyo had sliced and diced the villain as soon as he appeared without even getting his coat dirty.
Was this… a professional fight…?
A real hero’s…
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