Chapter 82
Chapter 82
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Cataclysm
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Kang Yuna had decided to go on a trip with her parents over the weekend.
Although not everything on Ulleungdo had been good.
Still, the thrill of novelty that a trip brought was incredible.
She felt a strong urge to share that joy with her parents too.
They had always sacrificed everything for her sake.
She figured it was best to do it now, while they still had the time.
Unfortunately, it wasn't far away. They were heading to Gapyeong in Gyeonggi Province.
Even so, the long-awaited family trip had Kang Yuna buzzing with excitement.
'First things first, change my clothes when I get home. Leave in the afternoon, then rest a bit after arriving...'
On the way home, Kang Yuna sensed people glancing at her.
Probably because of the Hero Academy cadet uniform she was wearing.
An outfit blending suit and uniform. It stood out no matter where she went.
It was well-known that the Union had designed it that way on purpose.
To draw eyes wherever they went.
To remind citizens these were no ordinary people.
And to teach cadets they were different from the rest.
'Still, can't they do something about this tie...?'
This made her look more like an office drone than a cadet.
...Ah. Heroes were basically public servants, so "commuting" wasn't wrong.
Beep beep!!
Engine roars. Horn blasts. The usual road racket.
Kang Yuna, lost in thought as she walked, suddenly felt something off.
"...?"
Something like a sharp prick. She couldn't quite place the sensation.
Had she felt this before? She quickly realized it was a first.
'What the heck is this?'
Maybe her body was acting up? A flicker of worry hit her.
Too much had happened in under a year.
Fighting apocalypse-class monsters at the academy.
Barely escaping with her life as a sidekick.
And capping it off with the monster wave on Ulleungdo.
What scared her more was the thought that this might not even be the worst of it.
Going through all that nonstop, her body could easily be worn down.
For cadets, health and condition management was non-negotiable.
As she debated heading to the hospital right away,
Boom!!
she soon learned it had nothing to do with her body.
"What? What's going on?"
"An accident? Did you hear that massive bang?"
Pedestrians started murmuring in confusion.
Some turned back, others reached for their phones to report it.
"Kyaaak!!"
Suddenly, a piercing scream cut from up ahead.
An explosion rocked the area, shaking everyone nearby.
Bang! Thud!
"Aak!"
"Waaah!"
Gas line rupture? Electric car explosion?
Those guesses shattered with one shout.
"Villain! It's villains!!"
"Uwaaa!!"
The serial killers with abilities. No fighting back. It would be instant death on contact.
People bolted the opposite way in a frenzy.
"...."
A Hero Academy cadet wasn't a full hero yet.
She had no obligation to engage the villains or monsters they ran into.
Even licensed heroes could retreat if they were overwhelmed.
Kang Yuna had only played support as a sidekick.
No clue what kind of villains these were. They could be way out of her league.
She could hang back, assess, wait for backup.
No one would fault her for that.
'...What stupid nonsense!'
She shrugged off her cadet jacket top and undid her shirt collar buttons.
Yanking the annoying tie loose, Kang Yuna broke into a run.
Villains had shown up. Citizens were in danger.
That was reason enough for a hero to act.
Lee Bora knew her position better than anyone.
Clan boss's secretary. A top-tier villain.
Also a Union infiltrator. A card that could be discarded anytime.
Caution was key. Restraint. Composure at all times.
Getting exposed meant a ugly end, no matter the side.
So she'd been meticulous. Always had been, always would be.
But even the best efforts couldn't erase her humanity.
"No! No!!"
When something precious burned in flames, sanity slipped away.
The thing she wanted to protect. To share time with. That sparked happy memories.
How could anyone stay level-headed watching it vanish before their eyes?
"Uwaak!"
"Aaaak!!"
Dozens writhed with fire clinging to their bodies.
Others lay still—dead or passed out.
The kids were ground zero. Not mere bystanders.
Flames that intense would reduce everything to ash in seconds.
"Uuuh! Uwaa!"
Too late. They're gone. No surviving that.
Reason coldly urged her mind to quit.
Overreact here, and your cover blows.
Forgot? Those aren't your orphanage kids.
You've got your own to save first—who're you fretting over?
"Please, please!!"
Her heart shoved back hard against reason.
What does it matter? Orphanage kids or not.
We played tag together, drew pictures, had fun.
They were just like me. I didn't want them suffering the same pain.
Those little ones had cried enough already. They deserved smiles now.
To die engulfed in fire, without even a final scream?
No. She couldn't accept it. Absolutely not. Never!!
"Why are you doing this, Secretary? Calm down."
"Let go. Let go, Smiling Man!"
"You planning to jump into those flames? You sane? It's not normal fire. Ability-forged blaze. It melts steel."
"I know! I know, but still..."
"Sister!!"
Ah? Lee Bora whipped around at the familiar voice.
Dozens of kids floated midair like on swings, perched on a bench.
The director yelled at them not to move.
"K-Kids!!"
"Aigoo, don't yell in my ear. Break my focus, and the kids might get hurt."
Only then did she spot the dozens of threads clutching the bench tight.
Smiling Man. He'd saved them from danger again.
Incredible. The explosion had been instantaneous.
Even Lee Bora's sharp reflexes hadn't caught it.
In that split second, he'd unleashed Mana Threads and pulled the kids out.
Even more astonishing—he'd snagged their lunchboxes too!
"Kids! Careful! Don't fall!"
"You think I'll drop 'em? Smelly brats hit the ground, then there would be a stench everywhere. Haha!"
Smiling Man's pale fingers traced elegant arcs.
Like tapping piano keys in thin air.
The Mana Threads danced alive to match.
"Ah...."
She'd reported it, seen it before.
But that near-divine skill awed her every time.
Are all Mana Threads like this? No chance.
Heck, it was rated a dud—weak and tricky to wield.
It only shone because Smiling Man made it look good.
"More than that... This totally wrecked the kids' picnic."
Villains had popped up out of nowhere, assaulting civilians.
Cops arrived, only to get steamrolled, the same as everyone.
"Secretary. Hurry, get the kids outta here."
"Ah...."
Right, she started to say—but glanced back on reflex.
Far off, tons of people are still fleeing from the villains.
Shouldn't we help? The words nearly slipped out.
Right now, she was clan boss's secretary. A villain.
Regrettable, but priorities first.
"...Yeah. Got it. Kids! Director! Over here, quick!"
Luckily, the kids weren't crying and followed her lead.
Director, staff, volunteers trailed alongside.
"Ov-over there! But! Lee Bora! The guy we came with—he's gone?!"
A volunteer shouted, but a roar drowned it.
Two mangled cars hurtled their way from behind.
We're gonna be crushed. Dead. The thought flashed through the volunteer's mind.
Ting!
A thread-snapping twang—then the cars sheared in half.
Clean slice. Edges razor-sharp to the touch.
"What're you standing around for? Run!"
"Y-Yes!"
At Lee Bora's yell, the volunteer hustled after the kids.
Debris and fireballs hurtled after them.
Every bit sliced to ribbons, clattering down.
Swoosh!
Reeling in his Mana Threads, Smiling Man scanned the scene.
Heroes rushing in caught his eye.
This was plenty. Time to pull back.
Fear turns folks foolish. Case in point.
Once the Smiling Man name spreads? Some might recall Ulleungdo.
Most? Straight to "villain."
And right now—they'd been brutally terrorized by villains.
One misunderstanding would blaze like wildfire.
"Plenty more chances anyway."
Ah, but he wouldn't slink off quiet like some idiots.
If you could stand out, you did. Then how about giving them a dent? Absolutely possible.
"Uwaaa!"
He casually saved near-death civilians with a flick.
Spotted one snapping pics for SNS, even mid-crisis.
Posed just right for the perfect shot.
Stand out smart: low-key. Natural for the picture.
Might make'em think twice. Inevitably.