C-Rank Villain: Deogi (3)

Ding-!

Ohoo's thumb tapped out the text and hit enter.

Flash-! A purple burst filled the cramped, dark truck interior.

"......."

Right after the flash exploded. The witness, who had been twitching in a fit just moments ago, went slack-jawed. The terror-glazed eyes lost focus, settling into a blank, mannequin-like stare fixed on Ohoo.

"Alright, now spill everything you saw."

Ohoo pocketed his phone and crossed his arms.

"What did you see at the moment the motel owner died today? Deogi, that guy, and the bastards who burst into the motel. What happened?"

His sealed lips parted at the app's command, speaking in a mechanical tone devoid of any emotion.

"I...... was a long-term guest in the room at the far end of the first floor. I heard raised voices in the hallway during the day, so I peeked through the door crack. The motel owner and Deogi were arguing at the counter."

The witness's lips moved.

"Deogi was packing his stuff and trying to leave in a hurry when the owner grabbed his collar, demanding the unpaid room fee. They were tussling...... but then......."

"Then?"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Suddenly, four big guys barged into the motel. They had knives and steel pipes. Guns too."

"Guns? In Korea?"

It referred to the dusty footprints Ohoo had spotted around the body earlier.

Even in a hero world, guns in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Korea...

"The one who seemed like their boss said to the panicked Deogi."

Under hypnosis, the witness reenacted the conversation he'd overheard word-for-word, like a recorder playing back.

Debt, huh...

Deogi had been cornered with a massive debt, raided the majiang parlor, killed eight people, looted the pot money, and fled. On his way out, he'd gone back to his motel to grab his stuff, got into a fight with the owner...... and was tailed by the local Bupyeong gangsters chasing the stolen cash to collect their debt.

"So. What did Deogi do?"

The witness's jaw began to tremble. Even with fear suppressed by hypnosis, the memory clawed at his brain.

"When the pursuers approached with guns...... Deogi threw his bag at them.... and yelled at the motel owner."

"Fuck! If you hadn't dragged your feet demanding money, they wouldn't have caught me!"

"And then...... Deogi's head suddenly swelled to twice its size, his clothes ripped as fur sprouted all over his body. His human face turned into a real...... dog's, and......."

The witness's breathing quickened.

"He grabbed the owner's head with both hands...... and crunched it in one bite. Blood sprayed everywhere.... the owner flopped around headless...... Deogi spat it on the floor, then smashed through the opposite hallway window and escaped before the pursuers could even charge....!"

Damn, nailed it on the first guess? The gist matches...

Deogi had impulsively murdered the motel owner blocking his way and fled from the gangsters chasing him. Those gangsters, eager to reclaim the stolen money, must have tailed him tightly into some corner of Bupyeong's slums.

Ohoo had the full picture now. But before pocketing his phone.

"Oh, right."

He decided to satisfy one personal curiosity.

"Why didn't you run right after seeing that mess?"

Ohoo fiddled with his smartphone as he continued.

"The incident happened at noon. It's midnight now. You had plenty of time to bolt before we showed up. Why were you still lurking around the motel?"

The hypnotized witness confessed his pathetic truth with a blank face.

"Well...... I hadn't finished looting all the motel rooms yet."

"What?"

"A murder happened on the first floor, so the guests must've panicked and fled without grabbing their stuff. I was breaking into empty rooms to steal leftover cash and valuables, starting from the first floor. And...... with the motel turning into a murder scene and the owner dead...... no new guests for a while...... I figured I could crash here for free without money worries."

"......."

Not exactly grand villainy, but too sleazy to see in a good light. A gritty survival tactic from the bottom rung.

Ohoo let out a deep sigh at the brutally realistic, absurd answer.

"Haa...... Yeah. Good job. Now sleep tight."

Ohoo manipulated his smartphone, overlaying a new command in the witness's slot: [Fall into deep sleep].

The witness's head lolled, collapsing into the corner, snoring away.

Clunk. Ohoo opened the pickup truck's tailgate and stepped out. Night air brushed his cheek.

Ayoung, Eunbyeol, and Miyang, waiting anxiously outside, all turned to him in unison.

"Master! Figured it out?"

"Yeah."

Ohoo stared piercingly down the slum alley in Bupyeong's immigrant district, dotted with bloodstains.

"But there's a problem. We're not the only ones hunting. Shit got bigger. The guys chasing Deogi have guns."

"Guns?! In Korea?!"

Eunbyeol and Miyang's eyes widened simultaneously. Ayoung, listening beside them, went rigid.

"If guns are involved, that's a game-changer. Even crude homemade firearms floating in Bupyeong's immigrant district make this a major incident requiring at least an A-rank hero. We can't handle this quietly on our own. We need to request association support right—"

Bang-!! A sharp gunshot shattered the silence.

"Get in!"

At Ohoo's shout, the four piled into the pickup truck. Slam! As the door shut, Ayoung in the driver's seat activated a special panel on the dashboard.

Bzzzt. A detailed map of Bupyeong lit up the screen. A red coordinate blinked clearly where the shot had come from.

"Wh-what's this... nyang?"

Miyang asked as Ayoung wrenched the wheel.

"Gunshot detection and coordinate calculation system. Gun use in Korea signals major villain organization activity or terrorism, so service vehicles run this 24/7. Got a rough location."

The pickup roared into the dark alley.

"Check the storage under the back seat. Body armor's there. Eunbyeol and Miyang, suit up now."

At Ayoung's order, Eunbyeol and Miyang hurriedly pulled out the heavy vests and strapped them on. The truck's red taillights left bloody afterimages in the darkness.

"The coordinate......"

Ayoung's eyes flicked between the monitor and the windshield.

"It's the abandoned old Bupyeong Station."

Bang-!!Rat-tat-tat-!! The sporadic shots from afar grew continuous, pounding their ears as the truck neared Bupyeong Station.

Even as a quarantine zone, Bupyeong's fights were usually ability-user turf wars or back-alley knife brawls. But automatic firearms—not even homemade—in the heart of civilian areas in South Korea? The crisis escalated to another level.

A Bluetooth earpiece was plugged into one of Ayoung's ears as she gripped the wheel. Her face cold, she urgently commed the KHC Incheon branch ops room.

"How many deployable A-rank assets at Incheon branch right now?"

"Understood. Civilian casualties mounting—dispatch mobile strike team ASAP. I'm near site; I'll hold temporarily till arrival."

Click. Ayoung ended the call. Miyang and Eunbyeol, holding their breath in the back, stared at her.

"You heard?"

Ayoung began the briefing.

"Situation changed. Midnight means association main support at least 40 minutes out. Scrapping debut op as planned."

"Op change?"

Ohoo asked back as Ayoung yanked the wheel.

"Yes. Shifting from capturing/killing target villain Deogi to civilian control and evacuation around Bupyeong Station."

"Wait, Manager! Letting that murderer go when he's right there?!"

Eunbyeol leaned forward urgently. Ignoring evil right in front was hard to swallow.

But Ayoung was firm.

"Eunbyeol. Opponent's a crime gang with multiple guns. You've trained hard but zero combat experience—unlicensed rookies. Rush in, you'll be swiss cheese. No heroics."

Eunbyeol bit her lip and slumped back at the cold logic.

"But this is crisis and opportunity."

"Opportunity?"

"Bupyeong Station plaza—wide open space. Bullets raining, berserk villain rampaging. When official heroes can't arrive and are scrambling, nameless rookies risk lives to rescue dozens of civilians?"

Ayoung continued.

"More heartstring-tugging than catching the villain—shielding bleeding citizens with your bodies. Bupyeong's isolation means just control and rescue till support hits, and tomorrow morning, you and Miyang top every portal site main page. Perfect debut record."

Dodge reckless fight, secure cause and gain. Useful bitch, alright.

"......Got it. We go that way."

Ohoo nodded agreement. Fighting armed numbers still too risky. Couldn't die pointlessly to bullets here.

Briefing over, tension thickened the cab. Minutes away from...... real blood, flesh spraying, bullets flying—not training mats.

"Ugh...... Master."

Miyang broke the heavy silence, pouting as she clung to Ohoo's arm. Checking gear for combat/rescue.

"What now."

"Th-this t-shirt makes the vest too obvious...... nyang."

Miyang whined, eyeing her chest. Ayoung's vest over her tight casual tee outlined blatantly.

"Camera catches this, no rags-to-hero vibe! Slum rookie concept ruined if they spot high-end armor underneath—'Those bitches got sponsors?' Everyone'll sniff it out, nyang!"

Ridiculous gripe, but made sense. Debut under media spotlight—outfit details mattered.

"Haa...... Fine."

Ohoo sighed shortly, grabbed his hoodie hem, and yanked it off.

"Eh......?"

"Wear this. Baggy enough to hide the vest."

Ohoo tossed the still-warm hoodie onto Miyang's lap. Now in just a black short-sleeve undershirt.

"Gasp...... M-Master, what about you......?"

Miyang clutched the oversized hoodie, shocked. Ohoo replied flatly, coolly.

"I ain't facing cameras anyway. Fine from the truck, backing you up."

Leaner and muscled now, but not ready for public gaze and flashes.

"Master......."

Miyang guessed his insecurity, smiled slyly without prying, and pulled on the big hoodie.

"Hehe...... smells like Master...... love it, nyang."

Miyang buried her nose in the hood collar. Fibers fresh from his skin carried thick male musk and sweat. The scent melted her pre-battle nerves like a drug, easing tension.

Meanwhile. Eunbyeol, pressed to the opposite window, was in bad shape.

"Haa...... whoo......."

Her clasped hands trembled on her knees. Gunshots growing louder quickened her breath visibly. Battle jitters, sure—but training helplessness gnawed her psyche.

Can someone like me...... really save people? Sparring without powers, but never beat Miyang once—always eating mat. What can I do against armed villains in real combat...

Heroic dreams like Shooting Star shrank before harsh reality. Confidence bottomed out.

Someone tapped her shoulder.

"Hey, Han Eunbyeol."

Hooded Miyang smirked cockily yet reassuringly down at her.

"You're scared shitless right now, huh?"

"N-No! Not scared......!"

Eunbyeol startled, denying—but her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shaky voice betrayed her.

Miyang snickered, nodding at her knees.

"Liar. Legs got motors? Tap-dancing over there."

Miyang pressed her palm on the quaking knees to steady, continuing.

"Don't get it twisted. You eating shit in spars ain't you sucking—it's my villain vet edge."

"......Huh?"

"And remember: days under that psycho Last Moment, muscles tearing, bones snapping—that ain't normal human training. Most official B-ranks would foam and flee."

Miyang's blunt sincerity rang true.

"Your power's snail-slow accel, but body's plenty agile. Reflexes sharp. Just watch bullet paths and dodge—those third-rate punks with homemade guns? You can handle 'em easy. So."

Miyang flicked Eunbyeol's forehead lightly.

"Don't embarrass our training buds. Got it, nyang?"

"Ah......!"

Eunbyeol rubbed her forehead, staring blankly. Rough comfort from the snarky villain girl who'd always belittled her...... yanked her crawling self-esteem skyward. Pumped hot blood back into her tense heart.

"......Yes! No fear! Thanks, Miyang!"

Eunbyeol clenched her fists, resolute.

But. Tension easing, courage budding—only momentary.

Screeech-!!

"Here! Gear up!"

Ayoung slammed brakes, yelling. Truck skidded, crashing into the Bupyeong Station plaza entry fence.

Then. The three leaping out faced.

"Aaaah-!"

"Help! Please, my leg...... my leg!"

Midnight, yet vivid red lit the scene. Bupyeong Station plaza—neglected quarantine lawless zone. Illegal immigrants and ex-cons nested here. Closed underground mall their habitat. Plaza tent slums and illegal street booze stands cluttered.

Usually drunk late-nighters and homeless buzzing the wide space.

"Help! Hel—gurgh!"

Crunch!

Now thick blood reek and gut-wrenching screams filled the hellscape.

"Gasp......."

Eunbyeol froze on dismount, breath caught.

Bang!Rat-tat-tat-!! Gunfire continuous.

Deogi fled across plaza center. The C-rank heteromorph who'd crunched the owner's head...... now.

"Fuck! Grab that monster!! Shoot! Blast it!"

Over 2 meters tall. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Body thick black fur. Muzzle jutting wolf-rat hybrid. Berserk beast form, reason lost.