Chapter 48
Chapter 48
The Beginning of the Story - 4
***
[B-rank Villain defeat contribution recognized.]
[Resistance effect values increased.]
[Poison +15] [Bleeding +6] [Darkness +10]
[Stats increased as a perk for defeating a B-rank Villain.]
[Strength +10] [Magic Power +15] [Endurance +10] [Agility +13]
_________________________
[Stats▼]
[Strength: 116 (+1)] [Agility: 158] [Magic Power: 104]
[Stamina: 138] [Luck: 66] [Endurance: 100]
…
…
[Resistance Effects▼]
[Darkness: 19] [Fire: 0] [Electricity: 0]
[Poison: 20] [Bleeding: 10]
*-Crash!*
*-Crack!*
*-Crunch!*
Merciless sounds of destruction pierced his eardrums.
Even though it was only a partial polymorph release, Renia was tearing apart a B-rank villain with her bare hands.
Her destructive power was tremendous.
It was enough to make him wonder who the summoner was, him or her.
The villain had already lost all eight of its legs and was spewing green venomous blood from the stumps of the severed limbs as it died, but Renia continued to crush its corpse, as if her anger had not yet subsided.
He should have stopped her, but…
He couldn't move.
‘…What is this?’
System messages kept appearing and a holographic window had popped up in his vision.
‘I'm getting rewards…?’
He had read about it in the original story and the setting book.
That's why he remembered it clearly.
The reward for defeating a villain was something ‘only’ for the protagonist, a special privilege granted by the system.
That's why the setting book listed the rewards for each rank of villains and the approximate locations and dates of low and mid-rank villain appearances.
Some of them, like golden goblins, even carried special rewards, making villains, along with Hidden Pieces, one of the two main sources of growth.
But since it was a perk exclusive to the protagonist, he had just focused on monopolizing Hidden Pieces while attending the academy.
‘…I can get villain rewards too…?’
It was an unbelievable situation.
Han Tae-jin was never a ‘main character’ in either the original story or the setting book.
He didn't know if he had evolved into the final boss in the latter part of the story, but he was definitely not a character who could acquire protagonist perks.
In fact, it was absurd for Han Tae-jin, whose category was primarily related to terms like ‘mastermind’ and ‘boss,’ to receive rewards for defeating villains.
This meant that either…
‘There are now two protagonists in this world, or Choi Do-han has gone down the villain route.’
It had to be one of the two.
Since both scenarios were plausible, he had to consider various possibilities.
And it seemed that villain rewards could be obtained even with a certain level of [contribution].
‘Then… could I freeload?’
Just like the current situation.
If he contributed to a certain extent and Renia finished the job, he could essentially be ‘carried.’
Of course, it was somewhat ridiculous for him, a transmigrator, to be carried but he didn’t want to let pointless pride get in his way.
He had to do whatever it took to grow stronger.
If Choi Do-han’s villain route was confirmed, he would be the only one who could defeat Illusion.
Of course, it was too early to jump to conclusions since Choi Do-han hadn’t become a villain yet. Besides, defeating Illusion would require national-level assistance, not just his own efforts.
Anyway,
“Stop attacking and identify yourself-!”
He had to earnestly explain to the Holder who had arrived that Renia wasn't a villain.
He had a feeling that busy days were ahead.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“So, you’re saying you’re an academy graduate and a bodyguard?”
“Yes.”
Fortunately, the Holder didn’t attack Renia.
If she had, Renia would have been severely injured.
He knew that the moment the Holder showed the ID hanging around her neck, things would have gone south if he hadn't intervened.
She was a [Diamond] rank Holder.
And the moment he saw her name,
His eyes widened.
‘Kim Hye-seo…!’
One of the sub-heroines from the setting book.
She hadn't appeared in the original story yet, but there had been a silhouette of a heroine, entirely in black and white, like a criminal in Detective Conan.
Her occupation and age weren't revealed.
The only thing revealed about this heroine was her name: [Kim Hye-seo].
And she looked exactly like that black and white silhouette.
The ponytail tied from her bobbed hair, the baggy bomber jacket, and the pants that clearly highlighted her hips and legs.
It was an unforgettable appearance.
Tae-jin had been so curious about when, where, and how she would appear and get involved with the protagonist.
Yet, he had met her much earlier than in the original story.
And he had finally learned her occupation: ‘Villain Investigation Team Leader.’
This meant that the protagonist likely met this sub-heroine, Kim Hye-seo, in the latter half of the story after hunting villains daily to farm resistance effects.
Moreover, she was the only [Holder] among the heroines and her rank was none other than Diamond.
She was a heroine so capable that it seemed excessive for a mere supporting character and she was incredibly beautiful in person.
‘She could rival Han-na.’
Extreme competence and extreme beauty.
Kim Hye-seo was a heroine far too good to be just a sub-heroine.
“Hmm, excuse me, but could I see both of your IDs?”
“Ah, yes.”
He handed his student ID to Kim Hye-seo.
She recorded the information and returned it to him.
Then she looked at Renia, who was wiping off the blood.
Of course, what she saw was Renia, dressed in a blood-soaked suit.
“And your bodyguard…?”
“Oh, I must have dropped it during the fight. I can’t seem to find it, hoho.”
“Is that so?”
“Indeed.”
Fortunately, Renia handled the situation skillfully.
There was no reason for them to be forced to show their IDs. Moreover, she had no right to inquire about Renia's identity.
So Kim Hye-seo made a slightly displeased expression before closing her notebook.
She seemed to prefer analog methods.
“First of all, on behalf of the Monster Management Bureau, I’d like to thank you. Thanks to you, we were able to prevent a major incident.”
“I just did what I had to.”
“I just did it for my Master.”
Renia replied curtly, and Kim Hye-seo's gaze shifted to him.
“Cadet Han Tae-jin, you’re currently enrolled at Seoul National Academy, correct?”
“Yes.”
“We’ll submit a recommendation letter from our bureau so you can receive a commendation.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
The more commendations, the better.
It might seem like a small reward for risking his life, but it wouldn’t have been possible without Renia, so he bowed his head.
“And we’ll take care of the villain’s body. Please send your account number to this number, and we’ll directly deposit the payment for the body.”
“Okay.”
Kim Hye-seo handed him a pitch-black business card.
It was an ordinary business card with only her name, affiliation, title, and phone number.
“You’re free to leave now. We’ll handle the damaged store, equipment, and vehicles, so you don’t have to worry about it.”
“Okay. Then…”
He tried to leave the street after saying goodbye to Kim Hye-seo, but he stopped. Something just occurred to him.
The word ‘store.’
‘Ah… Mi-jin.’
He had completely forgotten about her.
Mi-jin was still trapped inside the McDonald's store.
He hurried back to the store and saw government officials cleaning up the debris.
And soon, he saw Mi-jin among them.
She was unconscious, trapped under a pile of rubble.
“Mi-jin…!”
He grabbed her shoulder and shook her hard and thankfully, she let out a faint groan.
A little later, she opened her eyes and although her lower body had been trapped under the debris, it didn’t seem to be seriously injured.
It appeared she had temporarily lost consciousness from the impact.
“Wh-what? What happened?”
“It’s over now. Renia helped out.”
It would be more accurate to say that Renia had solo-carried the fight.
Anyway, he said that and helped Mi-jin up. Mi-jin looked at Renia.
“M-Miss Renia. Are you okay…?”
Mi-jin asked worriedly, looking at the bloodstains on Renia’s suit.
But her own pale face, covered in dust and grime, made her look like a refugee…Who was worried about whom?
Renia chuckled and replied.
“Hoho, I’m fine. But Cadet Mi-jin, your appearance…”
“M-my face…?”
Mi-jin’s head turned nervously.
Then, she saw her reflection in an unbroken window, and she was horrified by her face, covered in cement dust and dirt.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Hmm….”
The [Villain Investigation Team]’s office.
Someone was staring at a monitor in the darkened office, oblivious to the passing time.
It was Kim Hye-seo.
And on the monitor, the combat footage of the B-rank villain from late that afternoon was playing.
“No matter how many times I watch it, she doesn’t look like a Hunter….”
She was focused on the woman who had suddenly appeared in the CCTV footage and crushed the villain.
The way she had dismantled the villain with her bare hands was almost like a spectacle.
Definitely not a Hunter, but a Holder or a villain.
That’s why she had requested an ID, but the request had been refused under the excuse of losing it.
“Hey.”
Hye-seo called out to Dong-jin, who was dozing in his chair with his head resting on the headrest.
Dong-jin jolted awake and quickly wiped his nose.
“Y-yes?”
“Look into that woman named Renia. Try to find her ID, whether by her face or her name, whatever works.”
“That woman?”
“Yes.”
“Alright.”
Dong-jin captured Renia's face with his phone and left the office.
Kim Hye-seo was left alone.
As she replayed the CCTV footage, Han Tae-jin’s face appeared on screen.
“Hmm…. He looks strangely familiar. Like I’ve seen him before.”
She had heard a lot about Han Tae-jin.
Whether Hunter or Holder, they all shared the same roots.
So, they were well-informed about each other.
‘A promising cadet at Seoul National Academy, someone who has unprecedentedly grown to at least D-rank in just one month.’
As a subscriber to the daily newspaper published by the Hunter Association, she couldn’t help but hear about his fame, the one who surpassed Choi Do-han, once called the top prospect, in just a month.
And today,
She had met him for the first time.
‘He looks like him. No matter how many times I look.’
Having worked in the investigation department for years, even outside of headquarters, she prided herself on her keen eye for detail.
She had caught more than a few villains with that sharp eye.
And to her discerning eye, Han Tae-jin’s face definitely resembled someone.
Someone who no longer existed in this world, who had become a ghost with all traces and records erased.
Her senior, a [Quasi-Platinum] rank Holder, who had infiltrated Illusion as a spy after receiving a monster serum injection to thoroughly investigate the organization’s inner workings.
A man always clad in black, exuding a heavy, death-like aura, as if he were the Grim Reaper himself.
And her master.
‘Han Chang-ho.’
His face overlapped with Han Tae-jin’s with a considerably high degree of synchronization.
And also,
And on top of that, as an investigator, she had a strange gut feeling that she would probably be seeing him more frequently from now on.
‘Han Tae-jin, huh….’