Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Avenger (3)
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Hermit's Leather.
Dragon Flame Sword.
Three potions.
All preparations for battle complete, I observed the situation from the rooftop of a building near the K Comprehensive Tech Institute.
Barricades had been set up in front of the K Comprehensive Tech Institute building, with heroes and soldiers in defensive positions.
In contrast, Ma Bo-seong's undead legion had formed up some distance away, surrounding and besieging the building.
The undead legion, which previously consisted only of zombies, had evolved significantly.
Dozens of additional B-Rank monsters, 'Abominations,' had joined the ranks.
Abominations were grotesque lumps of flesh formed by mashing together human meat.
Ma Bo-seong had definitely reached A-Rank.
The silver lining was that in the original story, the 'K Pharma Villain' had brought an S-Rank monster, a 'Balrog,' when attacking the K Comprehensive Tech Institute, but the one below hadn't summoned it yet.
With the plot accelerating, his power hadn't fully matured.
'Still, A-Rank...'
As far as I remembered, Ma Bo-seong had started out as a trash Awakener on the level of Shin Noda.
Yet he'd rocketed straight to A-Rank.
"Doesn't that mean 'Necromancy' outpaces 'Inheritance'?"
That was the kind of growth cheat you'd expect.
Laura grumbled.
[Pure power is what 'Inheritance' accepts, whereas 'Necromancy' indiscriminately absorbs even negative energy. How could they be the same? At this rate, he'll collapse, ensnared by heart demons before long. Must I explain even such inferior matters?]
I pouted and replied.
"It'd be nice if those heart demons came a bit sooner."
[Why not just wait it out? That would be the rational choice.]
"Then Yang Min-seo dies."
Not only her—hundreds more would die.
In the story, the heroes lose to Ma Bo-seong, and the people inside the K Comprehensive Tech Institute get massacred.
[Ah, that rude girl. She seemed to have no abilities whatsoever. Why risk yourself to save someone so worthless? Are you in heat or something?]
As expected from the ultimate individualist dragon, her thinking was unique.
Even so, a Dragon Lord should be one of the more socially adept among dragons.
"That's because she's human."
Yang Min-seo's death.
It was so miserable, so hard to witness.
I wanted to stop it.
I recalled the scene from the game where she died.
***
In 'K Pharma Villain,' Ma Bo-seong forced Yang Min-seo to wear a distorted clown mask and a cheap speaker.
An eyepatch over her eyes, a gag in her mouth, headphones on her ears.
He severed the tendon in her left leg to keep her from walking properly and bound her arms behind her back.
Just before putting on the headphones to block her hearing, Ma Bo-seong whispered.
"I'll let you go like this, but let's play a game."
"Mmph!"
"Ahead of you are heroes, and behind, I'll send zombies. If the zombies catch and eat you, I win. If you reach the heroes first, you win."
He released Yang Min-seo first, then charged the zombie horde after her.
Yang Min-seo fled desperately.
But with no strength in her left leg, even walking was unstable.
The heroes, seeing the zombie horde led by Yang Min-seo, thought the 'K Pharma Villain' had begun his assault.
To them, the limping Yang Min-seo just looked like another zombie.
A-Rank hero 'Boltman' was already furious at being forcibly summoned by the association.
Seeing the soldiers taking aim, he thought.
'Guess I should blow off some stress.'
He asked the commander.
"I'll handle it all."
The commander nodded.
'Boltman' was one of the top three A-Rank heroes.
He could be trusted.
'Boltman' stepped beyond the barricade and approached the struggling Yang Min-seo.
He drew his sword from its sheath.
With a light time acceleration, he swung.
A flash-like sword strike slashed across Yang Min-seo's fragile body.
In an instant, her upper and lower body separated.
Her entrails spilled out in a gruesome sight.
The 'K Pharma Villain' burst into laughter at the sight of Yang Min-seo torn apart.
"Hahaha!"
'Boltman' found the laughter unsettling and asked.
"Why are you laughing?"
Ma Bo-seong ordered another zombie to remove Yang Min-seo's mask, eyepatch, and gag.
"Save me..."
Yang Min-seo's trembling voice.
Those were her last words before death.
The faint rising and falling of her chest soon stopped.
The 'K Pharma Villain' shouted loudly for all to hear.
"Chairman, are you watching? Your granddaughter's been cut in half! Haha! Oh, and she's not a zombie. She's a perfectly fine human. A hero killed your granddaughter!"
***
....
I had to stop this future.
The 'K Pharma Villain' wasn't difficult.
As the main story villain, I'd faced him dozens of times in the game, and as a mage type, the matchup was ideal.
An A-Rank necromancer with skills sealed.
If I lost to this, I might as well quit being the Demon King or whatever.
Just to be sure, I checked with Laura.
"A-Rank Awakener... so intelligence is S-Rank or higher, right? You can seal their skills too?"
She boasted confidently.
[Intelligence... yes, the system governing mana and magical talent. Dispel is no different from measuring karma. The power you short-lived races wield can generally be dismantled.]
Feeling a bit miffed at her smugness, I couldn't help but poke.
"Then why didn't you do it in the dungeon earlier...?"
[......I could have, if I wanted. I stayed silent considering the aftermath.]
Seemed fishy, but I let it slide.
Dragons lived for their pride; bruise it, and she might get as prickly as last time.
A zombie horde emerged from the 'K Pharma Villain's' camp.
At the front was a small-statured zombie.
'That's Yang Min-seo.'
She really looked just like the zombies.
Enough for 'Boltman' to mistake her.
I jumped from the rooftop and descended.
I would change the future.
***
"Hello, everyone! Your swift hero and villain LIVE reporter, 'Deacon'! Today, we're facing off against ability criminal Ma Bo-seong, aka the 'K Pharma Villain,' and the heroes! Undead everywhere outside. I'm risking my life for this broadcast, so please like and subscribe!"
Black Streaming.
A streaming site with servers in Paraguay, specializing in stimulating content too extreme for major platforms.
'Deacon' was a famous Black Streaming streamer who broadcast hero and villain battles.
He'd rushed over upon hearing the 'K Pharma Villain' was attacking the K Comprehensive Tech Institute.
He sneaked into a nearby building close to the action and started streaming.
Zombies were right below the building—truly risking his life, and the response was explosive.
[This guy's gonna die one day and learn lol]
[But thanks to him we get to see Awakener fights lol]
[What's with K Pharma Villain suddenly A-Rank? Wasn't he C before?]
[Heard Necromancy levels up super easy. But you go insane. Seems like that's his type?]
Then, zombies burst from the 'K Pharma Villain's' camp.
Deacon focused his ultra-HD camera, not missing a frame.
A small zombie at the lead.
It protruded alone, racing ahead.
Soon, a hero in a skintight suit appeared from the hero side.
It was 'Boltman.'
Deacon added commentary.
"Ah! Boltman's out! Famous for time acceleration. He's about to contact that lead zombie!"
'Boltman' drew his sword.
The moment he swung at the small zombie—
A figure in a black robe appeared.
Deacon gasped.
"Th-that! Dark Knight! What is this? Dark Knight just showed up!"
Comments flooded in.
<DarkKnightDarkKnightDarkKnightDarkKnightDarkKnightDarkKnightDarkKnightDarkKnightDarkKnight>
[What? Sudden epic hidden cam?]
[No way he's here to help K Pharma Villain?]
[Nah, probably to take him down]
The sudden 'Dark Knight' blocked 'Boltman's' sword with a dagger.
'Boltman' looked flustered.
"Dark Knight? What are you doing here all of a sudden...?"
'Dark Knight' removed the zombie's mask, eyepatch, and gag.
Vibrant skin, clear eyes.
Not a zombie—a perfectly fine girl.
"I saved her because she was human."
The signature 'Dark Knight' voice, like rusted iron scraping.
'Boltman' awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
The girl expressed her gratitude.
"Th-thank you, Dark Knight..."
"I'll take her somewhere safe."
He brushed off the thanks and scooped her up princess-style.
"Eek."
He dashed off at tremendous speed and vanished from sight.
Deacon grinned.
A hero nearly kills what turns out to be a person, and 'Dark Knight' stops him?
This was huge.
"Did you all see that, folks? It wasn't a zombie—it was a person! Dark Knight somehow knew and blocked Boltman to save her! What is this?!"
The chat exploded.
[Boltman's a moron? Kill without checking??]
[Almost murdered an innocent citizen, these crazy heroes;;]
"Dark Knight's the real deal. Only true hero out there>
[Dark Knight is GOAT, does this stuff for free lol]
[What would've happened without Dark Knight?]
Deacon checked the broadcast screen.
Viewers: 15k.
His mouth split into a grin.
'Highest viewers ever! Dark Knight draws a massive crowd!'