Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Translator: Penny
Episode 6: Killing Yoon Seongho [1]
Episode 6: Killing Yun Seong-ho [1]
After Lee Seol-hwa was practically driven from the house, Yun Seong-ho continued to investigate me, claiming he wanted to test my abilities.
Well, I had planned to kill him immediately if he tried to draw my blood or restrain me physically... but so far, he had only conducted simple tests to gauge how much my abilities had improved.
"Hmm... Your mana capacity has indeed increased significantly. It seems the effort of forcibly implanting that S-Rank Monster's eyeball was worth it after all."
"Is that so? Thank you."
Perhaps still believing I was under hypnosis, Yun Seong-ho began bragging openly about his manipulations of me, as if they were something to be proud of.
Thanks to this, I was able to record everything accurately on the recorder I had secretly brought.
Even though illegally obtained recordings are inadmissible as evidence... if my voice is on it, it becomes admissible.
By the way, this research facility is far too advanced for a mere individual to possess.
I mean, they even have a Mana Meter—the kind you'd only expect to see at the Hero Association—and I don't think I've ever seen an augmented reality simulator this massive before.
Yun Seong-ho's laboratory was enormous, spanning at least four or five stories high and boasting a floor area larger than four or five soccer fields.
Inside, the carcasses of high-grade monsters lay scattered about, their origins a mystery.
"Young Lady, we've retrieved the Red Drake's reverse scale."
"Young Lady, I've also retrieved the Nitro Wyvern's vocal cords."
"Excellent."
It was fortunate that they had been able to easily procure the materials for making explosives by using their brainwashed guards, but... still, something felt unsettling.
"By the way, we need to increase the explosive's range. It seems the target is more than twice as large as we anticipated."
To achieve a perfect crime, Yun Seong-ho and his entire research team had to gather in one place, enter the explosive's blast radius, and die instantly in the explosion.
"I considered using the Demonic Eye of Suggestion to brainwash Yun Seong-ho and turn him into a half-hearted puppet... but it's too late for that now."
I'd at least expected them to be conducting demonization experiments using monster corpses since Yun Se-a's death, but I never imagined they'd already reached this level of completion.
Yun Seong-ho's demonization is already well underway. Unless we completely erase all traces of it—which would inevitably stir up too much controversy—we need a more plausible explanation.
So, something like: While conducting illegal experiments in the Underground Laboratory, a sudden explosion killed them all... would be perfect.
......I'm starting to sound like a psychopath.
Was it the self-hypnosis I'd performed in front of the mirror? I felt like I'd become a madman who would stop at nothing to achieve his desired outcome.
But this is the only way.
If I followed the story as it was meant to unfold, someone from the protagonist's faction would inevitably meet a gruesome end. Preventing such a tragedy and shouldering all the consequences myself was a small price to pay.
After all, I did this countless times while collecting all the endings.
Though I followed the story's framework, acting in this way allowed me to save far more characters than one might expect.
And now, even the shackles of the story itself have long since been broken.
Click!
"Perfect."
After a quick ability assessment at the Underground Laboratory, I returned to my room and immediately began crafting the improvised explosives.
Hah!
Swish!
"Hmm... truly excellent, absolutely perfect."
"Is the Young Lady's output really that powerful?"
"Absolutely, no doubt about it!"
That evening, Yun Seong-ho was laughing maniacally as he stared at the data displayed on the screen.
"S+! S+! It's comparable to the mana reserves of the Great Sage from Raon Academy!"
This excessive praise is making me feel sick.
Meanwhile, I was watching Yun Seong-ho through the ventilation duct.
The Demonic Eye of Suggestion is working wonders.
My actual mana capacity was A+, but by manipulating his perception with the Demonic Eye of Suggestion, I had made him believe my abilities were far greater than they were.
All my stats were A-Rank or higher, with my mana power reaching an unparalleled S+.
Theoretically, this meant I could outperform even an A-Rank melee Hunter in close combat.
"This could perfectly establish the concept of the Battle Wizard, which has only been proven in theory! This is such a groundbreaking discovery that the traditional four Hunter roles—Striker, Defender, Ranger, and Magician—will become obsolete!"
"You're truly remarkable, Chairman!"
Battle Wizard? That kind of character doesn't even exist.
The Striker is the one who infiltrates enemy territory alone, massacres all the foes, and returns unscathed. What's with this Battle Wizard nonsense?
This will be on the theory exam, so I should probably do a quick review before heading out.
I pulled out the notebook I'd brought from my bag and slowly began reading through the entries. After all, there wasn't much else to do until Yun Seong-ho said something.
Striker: A position specializing in infiltrating enemy territory with rapid mobility and overwhelming offensive power, capable of turning the tide of battle.
As previously mentioned, with high stats in all areas, one could solo entire dungeons. No wonder most S-Rank Hunters are Strikers.
Defender: A position specializing in supporting Strikers or protecting backline Rangers and Magicians with overwhelming stamina and defensive prowess.
Occasionally, individuals possessed both Striker and Defender talents. However, aside from a handful of exceptionally gifted individuals, most with mediocre stats tended to specialize in just one role.
"The Ranger is a ranged damage dealer specializing in taking down monsters with bows, guns, or other long-range weapons. Unlike Magicians who focus on area-of-effect damage, Rangers excel at eliminating single targets, making them particularly effective against Boss monsters.
You could call them the quintessential ranged DPS class. Without their tools, they're fragile and slow-moving baggage. But if you secure a safe firing position for them and intercept enemies targeting the Ranger, they transform into a massive siege turret, melting away Boss monsters' health like ice cream on a hot day. This high-risk, high-reward class demands careful positioning and protection.
Finally, there's the Magician. Arguably the most coddled role among all the positions featured in Academy Swordmaster, the Magician enjoys unparalleled advantages."
In this situation, where Protectors shielded the front lines, Strikers and Defenders held the line, and Rangers eliminated any enemies who broke through, Magicians could comfortably cast spells, sweeping across enemy formations with area-of-effect magic. Those with high Sacred Power could even support allies with healing spells.
The chairman of Raon Academy, the primary setting of Academy Swordmaster, was also a Magician. Though his Sacred Power was nearly nonexistent, he was optimized for nuking and wide-area annihilation.
Later, the heroine who would enroll in the same year as the protagonist was often described as having the opposite style to the chairman. This highlighted how Magician positions could vary drastically in their roles, even among those who shared the same class.
Judging by my current stats, my position is likely... a supporting Magician, isn't it?
With the Demonic Eye of Suggestion, I could throw enemies into disarray, while my Psychokinesis allowed me to assist allies' rapid advances or launch attacks. It was a fairly versatile role.
However, with this skill set alone, I couldn't take down the Final Boss on my own.
Wiiiiiiiiing...!
"Right, next time we administer the drug to Se-a, let's try adding a concentrated essence of monster blood."
"Yes, sir! I'll adjust the ratios immediately!"
'It'd be a shame if all this top-notch research equipment went up in flames. I need to take action.'
Looking around Yun Seong-ho's laboratory, I realized just how much valuable equipment there was—far more than I had expected. It would be a tragic loss if it all vanished in a terrorist bombing.
Hidden research facilities capable of conducting such illegal experiments are exceedingly rare. Which means...
Crash!
"Chairman! It seems the Young Lady's brainwashing has been undone! We searched her bag and found a well-sharpened kitchen knife. When we confronted her, she immediately grabbed the bag, smashed the window, and escaped...!"
"What?! Capture her immediately! No, I need to be there to re-hypnotize her. I'm going myself!"
"Yes, sir! I'll have the car ready right away!"
Goodbye, then. I'll make good use of the laboratory.
Yun Seong-ho, deceived by false information, sped off somewhere.
I already knew his preferred vehicle—a G-Wagen or some other expensive car, as I recalled.
I'm really curious how far he'll get with a car whose electrical components I've tampered with like this.
Well, since the chauffeur was driving, I made sure the tampering wouldn't seriously hinder the driving. Just enough so that later, when they examined the wrecked car, they'd conclude he died from sudden acceleration due to an electrical signal malfunction.
BANG!
The iron door slammed shut, and I confidently climbed down from the ventilation shaft.
CLANG!
The iron grate of the ventilation shaft fell to the floor, and the researchers turned their heads toward the source of the noise.
"Hello, you bastards."
I had already activated my psychokinesis, ready to strike.
"Y-Young Lady..."
POW!
The researcher who had just spoken to me had his head explode in an instant.
"Could you please refrain from using that tone when you say my name? I almost got attached and would have had trouble killing you."
Click!
"Y-you monster bitch...!"
Enraged by his colleague's death, a researcher drew a gun from his hip and tried to shoot me, but...
BANG!
"Hyeong-ju...?"
"Oh my, I'm right here."
"W-what? I clearly aimed at that bitch's head... Sang-min hyung-nim...!"
Regrettably, the bullet fired from the gun not aimed at me pierced the head of Kim Sang-min, a heavily built researcher standing 270 degrees away from my position.
"Look more carefully."
Snap!
I thinly deployed psychokinesis, creating a crystalline shield around them like a thin sheet of glass.
Using the same principle as the hall of mirrors in an amusement park, they would now see dozens of false Yun Se-as in the same space.
Bang! Bang!
"Argh! Where are you shooting, you idiot?!"
"Hyung-nim! I told you not to shoot at me!"
Under the influence of Suggestion, they indiscriminately opened fire on the Yun Se-as reflected in the mirrors—no, on their own allies—and bullet holes began to appear in their bodies.
"Here, a gift for you?"
Since most of the bodyguards were B-Rank or higher, a few gunshot wounds wouldn't even slow them down. At the very least, she'd need to blow them up with explosives.
BOOOOOOOOM!!!
On the pristine, paper-white marble floor of the Underground Laboratory, she could now paint a crimson masterpiece titled "A Girl's Revenge."
Click!
"I'll put this gun to good use?"
After snatching the car keys and a concealed handgun from another bodyguard who appeared to be a driver, she slowly walked toward the same spot where Yun Seong-ho had dashed out earlier.
"Yun Se-a's fingerprint verified."
Ziiiiing...!
As she descended into the underground parking garage, she found it packed with luxury foreign cars—easily enough to fill 20 to 30 spaces.
"These cars are ridiculously expensive... Upon closer inspection, according to the system, all the cars in this zone appear to be registered in my name."
Among them were cars I'd bought under my name to avoid taxes. How many cars must I have to justify such purchases?
"Ferraris, Porsches, Bugattis... So many..."
A red sports car with a yellow square emblem imprinted with a horse, a coupe-style SUV with a BMW-branded "nostril" grille, and mostly sports cars—probably purchased for circuit racing.
I hate clutter, but... should I take one of these?
Amidst the sea of sports cars, a few luxury sedans stood parked with quiet dignity.
But my gaze was drawn to a massive vehicle that dwarfed even the most opulent sports cars.
Rolls-Royce... a car I couldn't even dream of owning in my previous life.
Looking at the back, I saw the words "Phantom," "Cullinan," and "Spectre" engraved in English.
Among the three luxurious purple, gray, and silver cars parked in the order I'd mentioned, I opened the door of the smallest-looking one. Inside, a note read: "Merry Christmas, my daughter."
Just to be sure, I checked every car in the area designated for vehicles under my name. As if they had been photocopied, each one contained the exact same note.
"Trying to act virtuous now? It just makes me sick."
WHEEEE....!
"Oh, modern electric cars are so quiet. And the fact that they can recharge by absorbing the user's mana? I like that."
With practiced ease, I pressed the ignition button, starting the car, and entered the destination I had instructed the driver to set in advance.
The reservoir straddled the border between Seoul and Gyeonggi Province—a place notorious for accidents, where it wouldn't raise an eyebrow if someone plunged in due to sudden acceleration.
"Autonomous driving mode and manual driving mode are available. Which driving mode would you prefer?"
"Autonomous mode, please. I'm a bit nervous to drive such an expensive car myself."
Yun Seong-ho—the worst father in Yun Se-a's memories, and a villain both within and outside the narrative.
Click!
"Remaining bullets... seven."
Still, he left me the vast legacy of his laboratory... No painless send-off for you. I'll make sure you suffer every moment.