35
Ch.35 The Loudest One
Plop.
The gurgling venom quickly injects into Yoo Anna's heart from the fingernails deeply embedded in her.
Gu Seo-ryong, who dodged Yoo Anna's reflexive swing and pulled her hand back, wiggled her fingers mockingly.
"Pretty tough, huh~? How about it? Wanna work at Guryongseong?"
"Hahahaha! Nice! Work for us! Work for us!"
"I'll pay you! How much? Starlight!"
"Ghk—!"
Yoo Anna staggered as dizziness spread through her body from the rapidly circulating poison. Seizing the opening, Gu Seo-ryong flicked her fingers.
Amidst the sensation of the ground rippling like waves, Yoo Anna felt something approaching and wrapped herself in high-temperature energy.
"Kyaaaah! Save me!"
"Ahhh! It's hot, it's hot!"
At that moment, the screams of people and the stench of burning flesh stabbed into Yoo Anna's nose.
Startled, she suppressed her energy—just as Gu Seo-ryong's fingertips pierced her throat.
"Huhk…! Ugh, haah…!"
The screaming people and the smell of burning flesh vanished.
Amid the worsening dizziness, Gu Seo-ryong's hands—now split into multiple copies—slowly crawled up Yoo Anna's body.
As she felt stabs in her legs, toes, hands, stomach, neck—everywhere—Gu Seo-ryong, having injected her with venom, stroked her chin alongside another copy of herself.
"Hero~ Isn’t it too easy to reveal your weakness like this?"
"Get lost…!"
"‘I never want to hurt civilians’—how naïve."
"You—!"
"Ah-ah, not there~ Here, here."
"Ugh, ah…!"
She swung a flame-wreathed fist toward the voice on her right—only for the venom to be injected directly into her left ear, her brain. Her thoughts instantly blacked out.
"Oh, my? Still, holding on despite being S-rank? Not listening properly? Too bad~ Would’ve been nice if you just passed out."
"Ghk, aaaaah!"
"Ah~! You’ll regret it if you fly now!"
BOOM!
Yoo Anna burst out, avoiding Gu Seo-ryong’s hand and creating a blast of scorching wind, only to crash in an arc and slam headfirst into the ground.
The ridiculous sight made both villains and civilians burst into laughter, mocking her.
"See? Told you you’d regret it! Too late to run now, Starlight!"
"An S-rank hero running away? Hahahaha!"
"Give up~ At this level of poisoning, even you’ll take forever to recover!"
"Haa… Haa… Haa…!"
"Not there~?"
"Hahahaha!"
Slash.
In the chaos of her senses, ravaged by energy and venom, Yoo Anna swung her fist—only for another Gu Seo-ryong behind her to inject more poison.
Every time she swung, she melted away. Every time she shot flames, she vanished like sand.
Each time, stab, stab, the venom spread further. Kneeling, Yoo Anna clenched her fists—only for Gu Seo-ryong to lean in and whisper like a devil.
"Even now, if you unleash your energy like you’re melting everyone, you could escape~♥"
"Ghk…!"
She was right. If she unleashed her full power, like she did against monsters, she could break free.
Even if her senses were too scrambled to fly properly, even if she crashed into something—she could melt everything in her path and escape. She wouldn’t even need to recover.
But the moment she did that—people would die by her hand.
As Yoo Anna stood motionless, Gu Seo-ryong dragged her nails along her throat.
"Pathetic way to live~ Keep this up and you’ll really get killed, you know?"
"Hah, barely… This much…"
"I won’t kill you, but I’m not letting you go either. I can break you until death would be mercy."
Gu Seo-ryong, now looking like she’d lost interest in fighting, laughed as she yanked Yoo Anna’s hair.
"If I start drugging you properly today, you’ll make a real special product~ Not just W-City—every city will come begging. Even if you’re out of your mind, Guryongseong will be the only place where people can hold an S-rank hero—for a price."
"You—!"
"Hahaha! Look at the state of the S-rank hero!"
Humiliated, Yoo Anna shook her head and kicked—but Gu Seo-ryong dodged, flipping the ground to make her fall.
As she tumbled, the villains clutched their stomachs, laughing.
Every attack was mocked. The dizziness worsened. Yoo Anna stopped moving and wreathed herself in flames.
Full defensive stance—crouched, one hand on the ground, the other clenched. Amid the flames, she blinked, watching Gu Seo-ryong’s flickering form.
"You… What are you? That body, this poison…?"
"Hmm~? This body? Pretty, right? My underlings call it Dragonification."
"Boss is special! She awakened a second ability!"
"Starlight! So much for S-rank! Gu Seo-ryong is the strongest!"
"Dual awakening…? Ptoo!"
Yoo Anna spat out the thick saliva pooling in her mouth, studying Gu Seo-ryong closely.
Unlike other villains who kept their distance, wary of her energy, Gu Seo-ryong fought directly—her flames licking at her, yet her hands and feet remained unharmed.
No ordinary ability.
Dragonification. A body-altering ability? Even without her known sensory disruption, her physical prowess alone would rank her as a solid A-rank.
And of all things—a villain, the most troublesome kind—had the rare dual awakening. And such a powerful one at that.
Two abilities? No—her close-combat skills, the physical enhancement from dual awakening, durability enough to briefly withstand her energy, regeneration? Or just illusions?
This wasn’t just two abilities. How could Dragonification alone grant so many?
But then again, Yoo Anna herself used a single ability to replicate multiple effects.
"Even after dual awakening… You’re still just doing villainous things…"
"And even after becoming an S-rank, you’re still a slave to civilians~ How sad."
Yoo Anna let out a bitter laugh. Too many variables.
If Gu Seo-ryong’s ability was just sensory disruption—like Intel said—she would have handled the remaining villains by slowly burning them with her energy.
But no—the villains coordinated like heroes, civilians didn’t flee even when fighting broke out, military-grade weapons and explosives were smuggled out en masse, the villains’ attacks felt thrilling, and neither the police nor the government sent reinforcements.
She’d come to cut this off at the root before things escalated further—but seeing how prepared they were, she was glad she came now.
At the same time—why did she have to handle this alone? It was unfair.
"Ha… Really pisses me off…"
But she had to.
Because she was a hero.
Because nothing about this job was ever easy.
To buy time to recover, Yoo Anna kept talking.
"Huff… Huu… You villains—why do you hurt others even after gaining power?"
"Hmm~? The strong prey on the weak—that’s nature’s way. We’re predators. Ever seen a lion worry about its meal? You’re the one wasting your power helping the weak. Dumb, isn’t it?"
"Because someone has to do it."
"Hmm?"
"If someone has to do it, then the person with the power should."
Gu Seo-ryong and the other villains laughed, mocking her.
"Sounds like weaklings leashing the strong out of envy!"
"If someone has to do it, let the weaklings do it! Why should the strong bother!"
"We’re special! Chosen! The victors!"
Typical villains… Yoo Anna exhaled sharply, closing her eyes to minimize unnecessary sensory input.
Like listening for bugs in a dark room—she focused. When she felt something approaching, she reached out—and grabbed Gu Seo-ryong’s arm.
"Got you…!"
"Oh my, caught me?"
The startled Gu Seo-ryong melted away—just as another one behind her drove her fingertips under her chin.
"Ghk, aaaah—!"
"Bite me if I get this close? Of course, you’d be on guard~?"
A surge of scorching heat shot into her brain. Biting her lower lip, Yoo Anna half-opened her eyes, twitching, and thrust out both hands.
CRASH!
She grabbed at empty air and collapsed, barely catching herself on the ground.
"Wow, like a baby deer~ So cute! You okay?"
"Hahaha! Adorable! Starlight! Quit being a hero and work under me!"
"Hahahahaha!"
"Hellooo~? Can you hear me? Too drugged? Your focus is gone~"
"Hahahahahaha!"
"Huhk… Huhk… Huhk…"
Amid the echoing laughter—click, click—the constant sound of fingers snapping, like a pendulum.
In the warping of her senses, a voice from her memories surfaced.
[That’s idealism. Unrealistic. If you keep doing that, even a superpower human will be torn apart.]
A conversation with Kage after a Disaster-class monster attack.
Kage believed in accepting collateral damage if it minimized greater losses—even trading lives to stop a monster. Yoo Anna refused.
[But more people live because of it. Superpower humans can recover fast even if they’re torn apart.]
[Ditch the martyr complex. It’s foolish.]
[What’s wrong with a hero having a sense of duty?]
[Do you know what duty means? It’s a responsibility to the point of self-sacrifice. If a hero dies, the damage gets worse. One hero’s worth is hundreds—no, thousands—of those left behind.]
[Don’t talk like that.]
[Cherish your life, Yoo Anna. Die like this, and it’s a dog’s death.]
Kage’s back as he walked away—the venom in her brain dug up an even older memory.
[...We should’ve killed it then, even with casualties.]
[No one could’ve predicted the monster’s evolution. It wasn’t possible.]
[No! Everyone knew! Monsters grow stronger by eating humans! Letting it escape even once means it comes back worse! So why wasn’t it killed on the spot? ‘Emergency escort’? High-ranking officials? Twenty trash lives for an A-rank hero’s death!]
[Jung Ho-young…]
[3,800 civilian casualties! 34 superpower humans are dead! The stupid public calls the dead heroes incompetent, and ungrateful! Senior’s honor was trampled! This is the cost of saving twenty worthless lives! We could’ve saved everyone if we’d sacrificed them! If heroes weren’t treated like tools! If superpower humans didn’t bow to those bastards!]
If sacrificing a few could save many—then the few must be sacrificed.
Even if they’re civilians. Even if they’re fellow heroes.
There’s no choice.
Superpower humans aren’t gods.
So—you must choose.
"Haa…"
The ground beneath Yoo Anna’s feet began to melt.
Not an illusion—the high-temperature energy was glassifying the earth.
Just as she was about to unleash her suppressed energy—the venom in her brain dragged up an even older, hazier memory.
[I’m sorry… Because of our child, I’m truly sorry.]
A white hospital room. Blurred vision from tears. A man on the bed waved his hand in the shimmering sunlight.
[No, no—it’s fine. Really. Is your daughter okay?]
A floating sensation. Climbing onto the bed, the bandaged man smiled brightly and reached out.
His hand stroked her head—her voice trembled on its own.
[You’re okay…?]
[Yeah, I’m okay.]
[But… Hic…]
[Dad!]
The man’s family entered, half-chasing her out. She’d been left at the door while her parents stepped away—so she overheard the conversation inside.
[You retired! Someone else would’ve helped if you waited! Why go in unarmed?]
[Not unarmed—I had a bucket of water.]
[Please, never do this again. Just let others handle it.]
[That child would’ve died if I did.]
[After retiring from this, you still want to save people?!]
Silence. Only the man’s voice drifted through it.
[If someone has to do it—then the one who can should.]
[You got hurt again without equipment!]
[So what? I got hurt.]
[Honey!]
[Hey, I’m alive~ Right? Ow! I’m a patient!]
Smack! A slap on the back. Then her parents returned with hospital bills.
The memory faded. Yoo Anna opened her eyes—and laughed.
"Ha ha…"
Since when do heroes get to choose?
Still dizzy, Yoo Anna lowered her head and gradually suppressed her energy.
Gu Seo-ryong frowned and flicked her fingers.
"What’s this? Too drugged? Or gone insane? Why suppress your energy now?"
If I weren’t insane, I wouldn’t be a hero.
With a hollow laugh, Yoo Anna drove her fist into Gu Seo-ryong’s approaching face.
Her melting face—she expected it. Swinging her hand toward the sensation, she sliced off her wrist.
CRASH!
Another punch blew off half her torso. Gu Seo-ryong frowned, regenerated, and picked up her severed wrist with her tail.
Now, she couldn’t tell if the impact was real or an illusion.
"Tch…"
"At this point, you’re worse than a B-rank hero."
Gu Seo-ryong, though puzzled, didn’t waste the chance—jamming the severed wrist’s fingers into Yoo Anna’s stomach.
Then her neck. More venom. She only twitched, no longer attacking. Her wariness eased.
As Yoo Anna slumped against her, the villains and spectators roared.
"Boss wins! We did it!"
"Woooooah!"
"Gu Seo-ryong! Gu Seo-ryong! Gu Seo-ryong!"
"Boss! You promised Starlight would be shared among us all!"
"Boss! When’s the auction?!"
"Damn it! Should’ve skipped the casino today!"
"...Tch."
Gu Seo-ryong smiled at the noisy underlings but kept injecting venom, tense.
An S-rank hero wouldn’t fall this easily.
Playing dead? Waiting for people to leave Guryongseong? Or for the drugs to overwhelm her?
Whatever she was thinking—pretending to be unconscious only made things worse.
"What’s on your mind, Starlight?"
Gu Seo-ryong stroked her with eager hands.
No carelessness. Even if she faked it, the venom and energy didn’t stop.
Yoo Anna, having received a lethal dose, trembled weakly, eyes unfocused.
If I play this right, I might turn an S-rank hero into a puppet.
Grinning, Gu Seo-ryong licked her lips and shouted loud enough for all of Guryongseong to hear,
"Who wants to take Starlight home? The loudest one gets first dibs!"
"Wooooah! Me! Me! Me!"
"Me! Meeeee!"
"Unit 304, Building 102! Unit 304, Building 102!"
The roar of voices shook Guryongseong like thunder.
Of course, she had no intention of handing her over until she was fully drugged.
But the sheer superiority of reducing Starlight to a lowly product—with no resistance—was intoxicating.
As a special service, Gu Seo-ryong dragged her nails over Yoo Anna’s hero suit.
"Gotta be louder~!"
"Oooooooh!"
"Waaaaah!"
Let’s see—if she’s really waiting for something, will she stay still even if I strip her naked?
Gu Seo-ryong grinned, slowly tearing at her suit—
[OOOOOOOOOOOH!]
A deafening cry drowned out the city’s cheers—followed by a shockwave.
A low-frequency vibration, triggering primal fear, froze everyone mid-celebration.
All eyes turned toward the source—a black silhouette perched on a rooftop, backlit by the moon.
"The B-Black Cat…?"
"Grrrr…"
Yoo Anna weakly looked up at the Black Cat.
Amid the blaring monster alarm, the Black Cat opened its maw—a terrifying energy gathering within.
Gu Seo-ryong’s face stiffened.
"W-Wait—!"
PING!
A thin beam shot toward Gu Seo-ryong—then expanded into a blinding pillar of light.
KABOOOOOM!
A white explosion slammed down in a colossal column.