Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: B-Rank Villain No Face: Hwa-ryeon (2)
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"Done."
He tied the intruder to a chair in the bomb shelter. Fortunately, there were a few chairs in the shelter, and among the survival supplies was some rope, so binding her hadn't been difficult.
"This should hold for now."
A woman trying to kidnap someone couldn't be an ordinary person, so as an Awakener, she might break free easily.
But the binding was just a precaution. With hypnosis on his side, there were no real issues.
'Let me sort my thoughts.'
He had to take her alive, but if she pissed him off, he could just beat her senseless.
What she'd said earlier confirmed her goal was kidnapping him.
'Two possibilities come to mind.'
One was human trafficking.
He'd heard rumors online about a world where men were kidnapped and turned into male prostitutes.
It was just urban legend stuff, but legends sometimes turned out to be true, so he couldn't dismiss it outright.
'Prostitution is humanity's oldest profession, after all. It wouldn't vanish just because times changed.'
He might not know about it, but somewhere out there, people could be making a living as male prostitutes.
If it was a lucrative business in the underworld, an organization kidnapping and selling people like this wouldn't be surprising.
'The other is kidnapping me to blackmail someone.'
Who could they blackmail using him?
His social circle was so small that only two names came to mind.
'Yu-ra sis, or Seo-yeon?'
Blackmail Yu-ra?
The moment they tried, they'd make enemies of not just Millennium Guild, but the entire Hunter Association.
The odds of getting caught before they could do anything were 100%.
'Even their heads might not stay intact.'
An EX-Rank Hunter's power turned not on monsters, but on humans?
The thought alone was terrifying.
'Too risky to target sis.'
Figuring out his connection to her would be the first hurdle anyway, so he ruled that out.
That left Seo-yeon, but her social circle was even smaller than his, so what reason would she have to get blackmailed like this...
"...No way?"
Seo-yeon, him, and someone connected to crimes.
Shin Jeong-hwa's face popped into his mind unbidden.
'Hypnosis should've been perfect.'
He'd set it up with safeguards so it would only wear off in specific situations, ensuring it could never be traced back.
No matter how much she was investigated or examined at a hospital, she couldn't link what happened to her with them. And since she'd been removed from the hypnosis targets, no evidence remained.
Then a sudden thought struck him.
Just as he was suspecting Shin Jeong-hwa without any evidence, despite it being impossible...
Wasn't it possible she was doing the same, blaming Seo-yeon for what happened to her with zero proof?
'If that's the case, this whole situation makes sense.'
It was far more plausible than targeting Yu-ra.
She blames Seo-yeon for what happened to her, kidnaps him, and grills her for the truth.
She could've kidnapped Seo-yeon herself, but since she worked at Millennium Guild, snatching her publicly known boyfriend was much safer.
'She could threaten to tell the guild and kill him.'
His head was spinning.
Had Shin Jeong-hwa really pinned it on Seo-yeon with no evidence and orchestrated this?
And what was this woman's deal, casually taking on a job like that?
"I've figured out everything I need to know."
He grabbed a chair from the corner.
He turned the backrest forward and leaned against it, glaring at her.
"Time for the interrogation."
＊＊＊
The flames roared.
They climbed from the floor, up the walls, and across the ceiling, devouring the room.
"Haa, feels good."
She loved the smell of arson.
The scent of burning wallpaper and wood was intoxicating.
But the best aroma of all was...
"P-Please, spare me!"
"P-Please! I beg you!"
"Nope."
The smell of burning people!
She extended her hand toward the trembling people before her, conjuring flames.
"Kyaaaa!"
The flames swallowed them whole, and they screamed until their throats tore. The acrid stench of searing flesh assaulted her nose, while their sweet screams stabbed at her heart.
"This is it."
It had been so long; she felt like she might cum any second, so she clenched her thighs and rubbed her legs together.
"This is sex."
Anyone who said chicken was better than sex was just a brainless idiot obsessed with food.
But wait... why was she doing this here?
"I was definitely out working..."
Burning people was fun, but she'd indulged too much lately and gotten heat on her tail, forcing her into hiding.
That's why she'd joined the organization. They'd stuck her with grunt work, saying she was just an intern.
"...Me."
And they'd promised that if she handled this job well, she'd be promoted to full member. Then they'd use the organization's power to keep her hidden...
"Wake up."
"Huh?"
Her mind cleared suddenly. Oh, she'd been dreaming until just now!
Of course. No matter how much she loved burning things, she wouldn't do it in a situation like this.
"Who are you?"
As she woke, a man stood before her.
He was ridiculously handsome, cutely so. Among all the men she'd seen, he had to be number one in looks.
'Seen him somewhere before?'
Where was it?
This guy, definitely...
"You, who are you?"
"What's wrong? Snap out of it. Still half-asleep? It's me, your childhood friend."
[Yoo Jun-hyuk and I are childhood friends.]
Oh, right.
Now she remembered. Childhood friends?
That explained why he looked so familiar.
She tried to stand, but couldn't—her body was bound.
"Why am I tied up?"
"What? You're acting really weird. Why are you tied up? So we can talk."
Talking required being tied up...
[When talking with your childhood friend, it's common sense to be bound.]
...Of course.
How could she forget such common sense? Must've been because that dream felt so good; she was still buzzed from it.
"You're acting strange. Hey, do you remember your name?"
"Hwa-ryeon. You think I'd forget my own name?"
"Good. Can I ask more to check if your memory's intact?"
"Ask away."
"What were you doing today?"
"Um..."
Should she say?
It was organization business, and childhood friends were civilians, so she shouldn't...
[Childhood friends don't keep secrets from each other. That's common sense.]
...Why not?
Twenty-five years together—real deal childhood friends. Secrets? Pfft!
"They told me to do a job for the organization. Kidnap a guy named Yoo Jun-hyuk. But the info they gave me was nothing special."
"The organization?"
"Yeah. Probably took a commission. That's what they do."
"Who commissioned it?"
"Some hunter from Aris Guild, I think. Didn't give a name."
"...What info did they give you? Tell me everything."
Why was he prying into women's work like this?
Well, childhood friend, so maybe.
Childhood friends always bickered but ended up married, with him as the devoted househusband. This was all part of that...
"Tell me quick."
"Fine."
Jeez, why so impatient?
Anyone but her would've been single forever.
"So..."
She told her childhood friend all the info from the organization.
It wasn't anything impressive, so no harm in sharing.
"The one thing to watch: the guy's girlfriend works for Millennium Guild. Not a hunter, just team lead at some external business, but still—be careful not to catch the guild's eye."
"...I see. Anyway, it's been ages since we met. What've you been up to? You look like an Awakener. Mind sharing your skills?"
"Of course!"
Better to show than tell, right?
Just as she was about to activate her skill...
[When with your childhood friend, it's common sense not to use skills.]
...Duh!
Trying to use a skill in front of her childhood friend!
He was right; her head must be messed up.
"Fire-based skills. Flame Bloom—makes flames erupt, but they don't burn me."
"How's the firepower?"
"Enough to incinerate a building in one go. I'm pretty strong in mana. If I'd been a hunter, B-Rank easy."
"Then why not become one?"
"What's the point? No amount of money's worth dying to monsters. Better to live free."
"So what do you do for a living?"
Jeez, not jealous, is he? So nosy.
Childhood friend privilege, or she'd have burned him already.
"This and that. Started some wildfires, went into slums and killed people."
"...Killed... people?"
"Yeah! You know, right? Childhood friend. No one else gets me, but you do."
"...Of course."
His voice turned gloomy all of a sudden.
Men's emotions swung like pendulums, huh? True enough.
Times like this, she had to cheer him up with fun stories.
"You haven't seen me burn people? If not, let me tell you! Light someone up, they thrash around like crazy. Even someone dying—set 'em ablaze, total blast."
"...Yeah?"
"Especially when they're screaming but their body's almost gone—they start choking. That smell? To die for. No side dish needed."
"...Sounds fun. Tell me more."
Childhood friend supreme!
He got her twisted tastes that others didn't!
Having someone to share with after so long, words poured out.
"Better than forests or buildings—people. Men over women. Less muscle, so the fat smells nutty. Fun trick: burn couples. Guy first for lovers, kid first for parents. Doubles the fun."
She went on about arsons anywhere, anytime, who she'd burned.
Even laughed her ass off at news calling it self-immolation suicides.
"Babies are the best. Burn fast, scream epic. Smell's nutty too."
"Why do it?"
"Huh? I said—it's fun."
Oops, got too excited monologuing.
His face hardened. Not good.
"...Lately, hard to burn stuff. Set a hospital on fire last time, got tailed. They nicknamed me No Face, branded me a B-Rank villain."
"No Face was you? That's why you joined the organization?"
"Yeah. They approached me. Said I had talent. Hiding me now, but as intern, it's shaky."
"What's the organization's name?"
"Dunno. Say they'll tell me when I'm full member."
Talking so much dried her throat.
Wanted water, but... forgot his name.
'Huh? What was it?'
No name, no childhood friend.
Then he grabbed her shoulders.
"Good talk."
What was good?
Ah, but why was she suddenly so sleeepy...
＊＊＊
...
He glared at Hwa-ryeon, peacefully asleep while tied to the chair.
She looked like a fairy-tale princess sleeping in the woods, but knowing what was inside, nausea welled up.
"...Hah."
He searched her mentioned incidents on his smartphone.
Not empty boasts—real events.
"How many has she killed?"
Just the death tolls on the first page added up to over twenty.
Worst, articles about infant deaths matched her proud tales.
"Psychopath."
She got pleasure from watching people burn.
A normal person would empathize with the pain, but she lacked that entirely.
Fire skills, and a psychopath to boot?
Thrilled by screams and suffering?
"Psycho sadist."
Not just pleased—strong arousal as she spoke.
More turned on by burning people than her "childhood friend."
He tabled her fate and compiled the info.
"Got the culprit."
Shin Jeong-hwa, really.
No name dropped, but circumstances pointed to her.
"Too careless."
If breaking her, do it thoroughly—no room for suspicion.
Should've shattered her properly.
Overrelied on hypnosis, never dreamed of backlash.
"Need to handle her too."
First, this one.
No Face, B-Rank villain who tried kidnapping him.
Psycho sadist Hwa-ryeon—what to do?
'Want to kill her.'
Organization as her shadowy backer.
But ways to kill without suspicion abounded.
Hypnosis could make it suicide, untraceable this time. Or guide her to hit the organization hard, natural elimination.
...
But he erased killing from his options.
"Haa."
Not some epiphany about life's value or lacking judgment to kill.
Reform? Off the table—she'd already crossed that line killing people.
One reason he wouldn't kill her.
"Won't kill you."
He'd died once.
"Death's too good for you."
Died and reborn as Yoo Jun-hyuk.