Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Karma (2)
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"I've seen her before at the party hosted by the Aris Guild."
On the way home after visiting Lee Seo-yeon in the hospital.
Unfortunately, since she still hadn't woken up, all the rabbit-shaped apples ended up in my stomach. They weren't that pretty anyway, so I planned to practice more when I got back, but as a witness in this incident, my practice session got pushed back a bit.
"What was the reason for your attendance at the party?"
"I heard that person was classmates with Seo-yeon back in school. Seo-yeon happened to run into her and got an invitation, but she didn't have a partner to go with, so I accompanied her."
The questioning didn't take long. They just asked about my relationship with Shin Jeong-hwa and a few details about her.
"Hmm, so you're saying Hunter Shin Jeong-hwa was the main culprit behind the group bullying incident involving Lee Seo-yeon."
"I don't know all the details, but Seo-yeon told me. She said she was hiding in the bathroom to avoid the bullying and overheard it by chance."
Among those details, I dropped some info that could utterly destroy Shin Jeong-hwa.
"You're saying she approached you separately after the party ended?"
"Honestly, I was really annoyed at the time. She kept subtly putting down Seo-yeon while bragging about herself nonstop. Something about how she was going to be the next guild master of the Aris Guild? Anyway, she even tried to exchange numbers, and when I wanted to refuse, she grabbed my hand and forced it..."
Just stating it plainly would be boring, so I added a bit of exaggeration.
"And you didn't initiate contact with her first this time?"
"Yes. She seemed interested in me no matter how I looked at it, so I wanted to meet up and put an end to it clearly. She probably sensed it too."
With this, even without Shin Jeong-hwa confessing separately, the Heroes would piece together the full picture of the incident themselves.
'It's not a scenario. I just sprinkled a little seasoning on the real events.'
I wrapped up the questioning after spilling everything I had to say.
"Thank you for your cooperation. If you'd like, we can escort you home."
"No, thank you for the offer, but I need to go somewhere other than home."
As I stepped out after the questioning, the people waiting for me greeted me.
"Jun-hyuk, are you okay? You're not hurt anywhere, right?"
It was Yu-ra noona's team members.
Since it was a near-murder by an active Hunter, they wanted to protect me and took me to the guild.
"I'm fine. I'm more worried about Seo-yeon."
"She hasn't woken up yet, but the doctors say there's no major issue with her body, so she'll be up soon."
They escorted me to the guild to keep me safe but didn't pry into the incident.
It must've been curiosity-inducing, but I could feel their consideration in case I had developed trauma.
'They didn't even ask about my relationship with Seo-yeon.'
Knowing I live alone, they must've been worried I'd be scared to spend the night by myself after getting caught up in this, so they offered me a place to stay at the guild for the day and showed me to the accommodations.
"It's the dorm for male Hunters, so you can stay here."
As expected of the top guild.
Male Hunters are extremely rare, yet they even have facilities prepared for those few.
The setup was as nice as a decent officetel, so I figured I could spend the night comfortably.
Knock knock!
"Come in."
Not long after being assigned the room, I responded to the knock from a visitor, and an unexpected face appeared.
"Guild Master?"
It was the guild master of Millennium Guild, an active S-Rank Hunter.
Guild Master Joo Ah-hyun.
"......"
Among Awakened, her rare black eyes and black hair made this our second meeting feel a bit awkward, and her cold expression was intimidating.
'Wh-what's going on?'
Even now, she entered and stared at me without a word. I knew it wasn't anything bad, but facing a powerhouse like this made me shrink back like a weakling instinctively.
"Hand."
"......Pardon?"
Reflexively asking, I held out my hand, and she gripped it tightly.
When she let go, a red-wrapped candy landed in my palm.
"Candy."
"Yes. It's candy."
"Ginseng flavor."
"......Sounds tasty."
Ginseng candy?
With looks that made me want to call her noona—no, unnie—ginseng candy was an incomprehensible choice.
"Good for the body."
"......Thank you. I'll enjoy it."
She seemed to give it for me to eat, so I unwrapped it and popped it in my mouth.
The bitter taste of ginseng came through, but the sugar made it sweet.
"?
Then, I felt a warm hand gently stroking my head.
Startled by the sudden skinship, I looked up at her, and her cold expression cracked with the faintest upward twitch of her lips.
But it vanished so quickly that I wondered if it was an illusion.
"Don't worry."
Satisfied with the petting, the guild master withdrew her hand and left the room.
As she walked away, her small back somehow looked dependable.
"......"
More than any man I'd seen in my previous life.
"We'll handle everything."
"Sleep well."
＊＊＊
[Active B-Rank Hunter Shin Jeong-hwa arrested for attempting to attack a man in broad daylight at a park!]
[Aris Guild states they couldn't respond as she was on disciplinary suspension.]
[Hunter previously known for birth discrimination views revealed to be Shin Jeong-hwa.]
The incident dubbed Shin Jeong-hwa's "park love triangle attempted murder" rocked the public.
Why "love triangle attempted murder"? Because the Heroes' investigation left no other interpretation.
[Jealous of high school classmate's lover, plots murder?]
[If I can't have him, no one can—is this a yandere?]
[Victim A from this incident was bullied by Shin Jeong-hwa during school days with his lover.]
There was no hard evidence.
But circumstantial evidence overflowed, and no word stimulates people like "love triangle," so reporters churned out articles.
"No! It's not my fault! That bitch used some weird trick on me!"
Of course, no one believed her.
Even if the truth about hypnosis came out, it was just preventing lies, and her attempt to kill Yoo Jun-hyuk stemmed from jealousy over Lee Seo-yeon as reported, so the situation wouldn't change much.
"Shin Jeong-hwa. You're being transferred to the Awakener detention center starting now. Don't resist."
This shouldn't have been processed so quickly.
But with the Millennium Guild master's influence wanting Yoo Jun-hyuk to forget the incident fast, her punishment proceeded swiftly.
"It's not my fault! It's all that bitch Lee Seo-yeon's..."
"Shut up! Resist once more, and we'll use force!"
A cold metal device clamped onto Shin Jeong-hwa's neck.
An anti-Awakener restraint that disrupts mana flow, preventing skill use.
She could force it, but activation would be slower, output weaker, and the escorting Heroes wouldn't stand by, so she gave up resistance and went quietly.
'Don't think this is the end!'
Her family would surely help.
No, before that, she'd reduce the sentence somehow. Claim mental illness—even if not true—and maybe end with protective supervision.
Desperate people always spin hope somehow.
Until boarding the transport vehicle, Shin Jeong-hwa denied her future vigorously.
"The dummy?"
"Ready."
"Witness too?"
"Same."
The escorting Heroes conversed in low voices.
Shin Jeong-hwa sensed something off.
"Other transports?"
"Drained the fuel ahead of time, so they'll break down soon. Keep checking the side mirror."
As said, the trailing transports slowed and stopped.
The Awakener detention center, a hated facility, was in a remote rural area outside Seoul, and the vehicle carrying Shin Jeong-hwa veered deeper into the mountains.
"Raw stone after so long. Investigation done?"
"She took full responsibility, so approved. B-Rank with promise, decent talent, skill is mana manifestation—high versatility."
"Nice."
The Hero holding Shin Jeong-hwa lit a cigarette.
"How much?"
"20 billion. But they already spent 20 billion covering a mistake, so not thrilled."
"What mistake cost 20 billion?"
"Dunno."
As the conversation grew stranger, she spoke up...
"Excuse me? What's going..."
"Hoo."
She inhaled the smoke the Hero exhaled into her face.
"Ugh!?"
Intense vertigo hit, and she lost consciousness.
Her sinking mind surfaced periodically.
"......Special type...... boss...... personality......"
"Been a while...... make......"
Fragmented talk drifted in, and when she awoke again, she was in an unfamiliar room, not the transport.
'Where...?'
Red carpet sprawled like a rug over marble floors.
A gleaming chandelier hung from the high ceiling, overlooking her. Wall paintings screamed expensive masterpieces even to her untrained eye.
"Wh-what?"
At the vast room's far end.
Before a wall-spanning window and grand desk sat a nun.
Her habit looked custom-modified—short and casual, proving she wasn't a real nun.
"Um, excuse me?"
She ignored Shin Jeong-hwa's call, hands clasped in prayer. AC breeze fluttered her silver hair across her cheeks, but she prayed on like a devout believer.
"......"
Moments later, her eyes opened, startling Shin Jeong-hwa slightly.
Meeting those red pupils was mesmerizing, like flawless rubies.
The now-awake woman approached Shin Jeong-hwa.
"Hello? You're Shin Jeong-hwa, right?"
"Y-yes."
"I've heard the report. Your karma is deeper than expected."
Karma (業).
A Buddhist term for good and evil.
It mismatched the cosplaying nun, yet her mystique made it feel natural.
"What does that..."
"Shh. Don't be anxious. Your karma isn't as deep as the underworld's folk, but it's still quite bad."
The nun caressed Shin Jeong-hwa's neck.
The anti-Awakener restraint clicked off and fell to the floor.
"Even if the world turns from you, I won't."
Uncomprehending, Shin Jeong-hwa's hands were enveloped in hers.
Unlike her nun act, all ten fingers bore rings embedded with radiant, multicolored gems.
"Our Trillion's mission is to 'make' villains useful to the world."
Her blood ran cold.
Doubting her ears, but "Trillion" filled her mind, blocking thought.
"The virtuous punish themselves and escape delusion because they are virtuous, but the wicked can't escape the mire without help because they are wicked."
Trillion.
One of Korea's three major villain organizations.
Contrary to infamy, their activities were secretive, crimes unknown.
Just, after decades, the World Hero Association designated their boss an S-Rank Villain, boosting the group's notoriety.
"So I'll help you. You've already consented, so no complaints, I trust."
"I never consen..."
"Shh."
But famed villains had a nickname for Trillion's boss.
The Association adopted it too.
"You deserve beauty. Still just a raw gem, but..."
Artist.
Or artiste.
Yet intimates whispered a more secret moniker.
"I'll cut you into one."
Gem Cutter.
She reached for Shin Jeong-hwa.
"Ah, aaah!"
So she fears no more.