Chapter 177
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 177
Chapter Title: Isabella's Agony
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Same time.
"Near Sinsa Station, S-rank magical beast sighted. Requesting backup!"
A creepy, corpse-like, pale, bloated 3-meter-tall magical beast that had torn through a gravity wave was rampaging down a Seoul street.
But instead of fleeing, people were busy snapping photos of it.
No matter that this monster could easily slaughter dozens of people, no one felt any real sense of danger.
"Whoa, it's a magical beast."
"Ugly as hell."
"What rank is it? B-rank?"
There was one reason for this. They were right in the heart of Seoul.
When a magical beast appeared, hunters would come flying in, leaping out of bed even in their sleep yelling "Magical beast!"
This one was exceptionally overgrown, having burst through a gravity wave, yet more people feared B-rank villains.
Some experts argued for renaming "magical beasts" because the term carried a mindless, brute connotation.
"Villain" evoked the image of something lurking in society, striking directly at people, which made citizens more afraid.
It was similar to how, in modern society, people feared crazy people or serial killers more than tigers or lions.
And both magical beasts and tigers had one thing in common: ordinary folk rarely ever laid eyes on them.
"Response from Etsol Academy's 'White Devil'! She'll arrive in 30 seconds!"
"Restrain it with the nets!"
The police used net guns—special firearms that fired restraining nets—instead of tasers to bind the beast.
It was standard protocol for magical beast response.
Most beasts couldn't move after that.
But S-rank beasts were different. With a casual swing of its dangling arm, it shredded the net, which hardened like steel the more it stretched.
"Whoa~ Magical beasts are strong."
"You get the shot?"
"Looks awesome."
As citizens chatted idly beyond the police line,
a white reaper with flowing silver hair plunged down onto the S-rank beast's head.
Boom!
All that remained was a deep crater and traces of the monster's corpse.
"......"
The policewoman, Officer Nerve, stared blankly at the scene before radioing in.
"...S-rank magical beast, eliminated."
Time elapsed: 4 seconds.
Even without the White Devil, hunters probably would've turned it to pulp.
Unlike villains, magical beasts meant money. If a gold bar appeared in central Seoul and anyone could claim it, they'd come running like mad.
But hunters rarely coordinated with police, so they "roughly" disposed of corpses, leading to constant complaints from residents.
Thus, when a hero stepped in to clean up with the police, it became the standard procedure.
"It's the White Devil."
"Whoa, she really is a student."
"Pretty and badass......"
"First time seeing her in person."
Heroes could trash the road a bit, but people loved it as "where the White Devil landed."
Such positive images came from exemplary heroes, and today, Etsol Academy's Student Council President Isabella was the prime example.
The mask of her full-body integrated Masterpiece, the Devil Suit, peeled back, revealing Isabella's bare face.
Officer Nerve gasped in admiration.
'A girl even younger than me...... took down that massive monster... in one hit....'
Overwhelming dominance.
That single word summed up the performance.
"What's the damage report?"
"...Two witnesses, a mother and daughter, seriously injured. Doctors say they probably won't make it......"
"......"
Even as everyone cheered "Ooh!", the appearance of a magical beast also meant someone had died.
In battles, ten people died on light days, up to a hundred on heavy ones. So many perished as if it were routine, but the gathered crowd paid no mind.
It was just something that always happened.
Something unrelated to them out on the street today.
"Understood. I'm heading to the next area."
"Ah...... What about the monster core...? Should we collect it all as usual?"
The monster core dropped by a beast ripened in gravity waves was top quality.
Individuals couldn't just pocket it, but even a share could significantly enhance a Masterpiece.
A rare opportunity.
"Yes, please do."
But Isabella always passed on it.
Officer Nerve knew, yet asked anyway. Not just her—everyone found Isabella's behavior odd.
Then.
"......No."
Isabella turned away.
"This time... please collect it for me."
"Ah, yes?! Yes!!"
Officer Nerve's face lit up. She'd have a story for her seniors back at the station.
'I thought she was some saintly hero...... Turns out she's just like me.'
Isabella gazed at the fallen monster core, lost in thought.
'...My sister, reunited after five years, was strong....'
That much.
She hadn't imagined the gap would be that wide.
Crunch...
Was it because people hailed her as the strongest hero that she'd lost her sense of urgency? Maybe.
Korea hid countless villains.
She'd thought she couldn't catch them all, but she could win against them all. Her father said Isabella had innate talent,
and she firmly believed it. Of course, she trained.
But not desperately.
Was her sister desperate? What thoughts ran through her mind after burning 50,000 to ash?
The growing curiosity made Isabella want to meet and talk with her sister.
'I need to get stronger......'
Isabella had believed she already had enough.
When she first became a hero, she collected monster cores. Scooping them all up drew criticism: "That hero steals everyone's work and hogs the cores."
It was nitpicking, of course.
But before she became famous,
there was massive envy and jealousy toward the pretty, talented girl, even leading to terrorist attacks on her.
So she stopped.
The rough Isabella of those days seemed to shout at the world: "Happy now? Shut up."
She strengthened her Masterpiece only with cores from the academy, fought villains,
and never lost.
Was it her bold, overwhelming star power as a rookie hero? Isabella skyrocketed to Seoul's most famous hero.
'But...'
She lost.
Xenobia was strong.
Hidden S-rank villains might be even stronger. The thought chilled her.
Realizing how fragile what she protected could shatter.
She grew greedy.
More, more.
Rush faster than anyone,
eliminate it swiftly before it could harm even one more, whatever it was.
As the "Merciless Executioner."
"What about the monster core, Hero?"
"To me."
......Never again.
'I'll never let her get hurt again.'
Isabella burned with renewed determination.
Magical beasts were swarming more today.
The academy had approved gravity wave amplifiers for first- and second-years for a few weeks, increasing street incidents.
Thanks to Isabella and Kim Sanghyeok's exploits.
Police and heroes had been beefed up accordingly.
'During this period, any issues spark backlash. "Endangering residents for academy students?"......'
But when the academy produced significant results, restrictions eased.
Now, academy students might encounter life-changing opportunity dungeons.
Someone could meet a devil merchant and turn their life around.
'Good.'
Isabella moved on. Then.
"Hero!"
"!?"
The beast she'd thought defeated revived, surging up again!
Isabella smashed her fist into it, obliterating it without a trace. But the horrific form didn't crumble like flowing water.
It seized her.
"We'll have revenge. We..."
"......"
A grotesque voice.
A direct warning from the Villain Alliance?
Isabella repelled it with another strike, disgusted.
"Hero! Are you okay?"
The police rushed in late to check, but the beast, now a puddle on the ground, lay still.
"I'm fine."
"What was that? A Villain Alliance... warning?"
"......Probably panicking without their leader. No need to worry."
"Of course! I saw it—you were out for blood. No villain would survive."
"......"
Yes. She had to be bloodthirsty.
Isabella had lost once. She etched that fact deep.
Next time, villains would be the ones crawling and begging.
'Huh...?'
Turning a corner, Isabella noticed something odd.
'......A hero handling magical beasts and villains at a pace similar to mine?'
And traces oddly near the Forbidden Zone.
Was someone recklessly tightrope-walking danger without knowing how deadly it was?
A twinge of annoyance hit her, curiosity piqued about who could match her pace. Isabella began tracking the mysterious hero.
'Who is it?'
Spotting the second trace, she threw herself into the pursuit.
She'd find them soon.
The target wasn't skilled at erasing tracks.
'If it's a hero challenging the Forbidden Zone, I have to stop them.'
This pace was unnatural.
Like peeling the outer shell of the Forbidden Zone—cautious but steady, destructive progress.
Not just today, but over days.
'Found you.'
Just as Isabella analyzed.
The mysterious hero was probing the Forbidden Zone alone. Not a villain, but still illegal.
A petite girl in a deep gray hood walked toward somewhere.
Isabella blocked her path squarely.
"......"
"Why are you probing the Forbidden Zone?"
"...Student Council President."
She was startled but didn't show it.
Isabella had already suspected a student.
"...Quintia."
Quintia, daughter of the Sword Saint.
Red hair and eyes just like her mother, medium-length hair, slender build, doll-like beauty...
The girl who should have won the exchange tournament and received the academy's greatest acclaim was ghosting through the Forbidden Zone.
An incomprehensible action.
"I heard you deployed overseas."
"None of your business, President. Move."
"I can't."
Seeing a student here meant she had to stop the probing.
Curiosity or whatever.
"Don't you know what happens to those who get curious about the Forbidden Zone?"
"You know ordinary villains or gravity waves aren't an issue for me."
"......"
'What is she searching for so desperately......?'
Revenge...?
Not much came to mind. Isabella was curious about Quintia, the brightest first-year talent,
but they didn't know each other.
"You hunting villains and clearing gravity waves here is the problem."
"This isn't for fun or curiosity. It's truly important to me."
"......Important?"
"I can't tell you. It's my issue. So...... move."
Quintia drew her sword.
Isabella tensed considerably. Quintia was beyond student level.
What drove her to wander here? Even for Quintia, Forbidden Zone probing was high-risk...
Then, Isabella's hero app pinged—an emergency call.
"......"
"Pretend you didn't see me. Please."
"Report survival to the Student Council Room once a day. No report, and I'll come looking."
"......Yes!"
Her eyes were unyielding.
'In relatively peaceful Korea, staking her life on the Forbidden Zone......'
Not praiseworthy. Surviving without becoming a corpse proved Quintia's extraordinary talent.
Someone should stop her, but...
'Right now......'
She seemed locked on an unstoppable track.
"Don't be aggrieved. Your heroes started it first."
Sending Quintia off brought Xenobia's words to mind.
'......We started it first?'