Chapter 28: No Mercy From Now

The man was holding two shattered key-shaped artifacts.

They were objects I knew well—artifacts that Baek Jooseok, the Chancellor, always carried around.

They were the master keys to Helmunt Academy’s intranet.

“He said something about some critical data being in the system, and he just asked me to hide them without breaking them.”

“Wait, so we weren’t supposed to break them?”

“Use your brain. Baek Jooseok used these keys to manipulate stuff.

But right now, the NPS is right over our heads.

If we get unlucky and get caught, do you think only the Chancellor would go down?

We’d get dragged down with him, especially after taking all that money from him.

That bastard would definitely spill everything if he thought he was going down.”

“Yeah, but he wouldn’t come after us later, right?”

“Don’t be scared, you idiot. How’s he going to know who broke it?

I mean, just in our guild alone, there are dozens of people.

How would he pinpoint it? And do you even know how many guilds Baek Jooseok threw money at?”

“How would I know?”

“I hear a lot from our guild leader. Baek Jooseok is ranked in the top ten among domestic conglomerates.

He ripped off students, took bribes, did all sorts of shady stuff, and hoarded that money.

Half of it was spent bribing people left and right.

This evidence-destroying mission? We were just the fastest to get here.

The others will be coming soon, too. So no way he’ll figure out it was us.”

“Hm… yeah, you’re right. But why did he even manipulate the intranet master key?”

“How would I know? Do the higher-ups ever need a reason for the crazy stuff they do? Right now, though, they’ve pinned everything on that guy, Choi Juwon. You know, the one who used to be a famous S-rank instructor.”

“I’ve heard his name a lot, though I’ve never seen him.”

“Same. Never saw his face either. But honestly, isn’t it satisfying? Even if he’s innocent, it’s hilarious.

We bust our asses just to make a living, and that guy was just raking in money as an instructor.

Now everyone’s cursing him out, and it feels so damn good.”

“You talk like he’s your mortal enemy. Why do you hate him so much when you don’t even know what he looks like?”

“It just pisses me off to see him making easy money. Isn’t it infuriating? We have to kill people, frame others, kidnap, and threaten to make ends meet.

But that guy just goes, ‘This is how you cast magic!’ and morons line up to pay him.

When I saw how much he was making in some article, I was furious.”

“Yeah… hey, wait. Did you break the master key on purpose?”

“Hm? What?”

“You know, without the master key, you can’t access the intranet.

Forcing your way in would take months. If that guy, Choi Juwon, wants to prove he’s been framed, he’d need to access the intranet and show the records were tampered with.

But now he can’t do that because you smashed the master key.”

“Puhah! You caught on, huh? You’re quick. Sure, Baek Jooseok might spill everything if he gets caught, and we’re worried about that.

But to be honest, I just hate that guy, Choi Juwon.

I hope he spends his whole life under that false accusation. Hell, I wouldn’t mind if he just died.”

“You’re ruthless. I don’t get why you’re being so vicious toward someone you’ve never even met.”

“Didn’t I already tell you? S-rank instructor, easy money, pisses me off. When you hate someone and have a chance to screw them over, you’d be an idiot not to take it.

And guys like us don’t need more reasons to mess with people. You kill strangers you’ve only just met, don’t you?”

“I kill for money.”

“Yeah, real noble of you, you idiot. Anyway, we’re at the border now. I’ll stay here for a bit and then follow you. You go on ahead. If anything happens, use the communication artifact.”

“Alright. I’ll scout for five minutes and wait for you.”

The man, now alone, sighed and puffed on his cigarette.

“Man… life’s unpredictable. That guy, the elite S-rank instructor from the prestigious academy, is going down in an instant.

And I’m the one who smashed the only thing that could clear his name? Thrilling. There’s nothing more fun than dragging someone down.”

“Hoo~”

As I overheard their conversation, I thought to myself.

Why is the world so cruel to me?

I tried, I really tried to live like a decent human being. I told myself I wouldn’t kill anyone, no matter how much I hated them.

After all, I’m a ‘person’ from Earth.

Even with overwhelming strength, I tried my best to resolve problems justly, without taking lives, no matter what happened.

Even after being wrongfully expelled, I believed that someday, people would understand me. So I tried to solve things like a gentleman.

I was lucky enough to meet the president of the Hunter Association, and I even managed to get NPS, one of the most powerful governmental agencies, involved. I had hope.

I longed for the moment when Baek Jooseok’s house would be raided, the intranet master key seized, and my innocence proven.

All I wanted was a sincere apology.

But the result, as you can see, is a complete disaster.

‘Baek Hyunseo, Shin Yura, Baek Jooseok, Choi Seunghyun, and now even some random guy I’ve never seen before.’

Why is the world so cruel to me? What did I ever do wrong for strangers to despise, mock, and treat me like a complete idiot?

‘Because I’ve been too soft.’

I finally understood. The people who crossed me and treated me like garbage needed to be crushed mercilessly.

Fame and wealth don’t matter anymore. If complete strangers harbor such hatred toward me, my life is already in the gutter.

I can’t understand it. Why are these vicious things only happening to me? Why am I surrounded by idiots?

Am I cursed? Or am I just unlucky?

Either way, it doesn’t matter.

Whatever it is, from now on, I will act without mercy.

In this world where fists are closer than the law, I’ll deal with them the same way.

‘First, I need to crush all the dogs that Baek Jooseok paid to do his dirty work.’

I drew up my mana and chanted a spell.

“Blizzard.”

— Whoooooosh.

In an instant, a chilling wind started sweeping through the cave.

“Wh-who’s there?!”

The man smoking a cigarette looked at me with a startled expression.

I muttered quietly.

“That thing…”

“Reveal yourself! Or I’ll kill you!”

“That artifact in your hand. That was my only way to prove my innocence.”

“W-what are you talking about?”

“Teleport.”

— Swish.

I teleported behind him in an instant.

But the man, apparently somewhat experienced, thrust his sword precisely at my neck,

As if killing a person wouldn’t bother him at all.

— Squelch.

His sword didn’t reach my neck but pierced through his own hand.

I didn’t feel much pain.

“Seems like you’re used to killing people, huh?”

He grinned slyly and said,

“You idiot. That attack was wrapped in ‘Aura’. Your entire body will soon stiffen and go numb.

Once you start slowing down, I’ll tear your limbs apart, starting with your arms.”

“Oh… am I in danger right now?”

— [You’ve been attacked with the aura attribute: Paralysis. Your body will gradually become paralyzed.]

I threw off my mask and grinned at him.

“Do you even know who I am?”

“Wh-who are you?!”

“You don’t even know me, yet why did you do this to me?”

“W-what do you mean?”

“Never mind, if you don’t know, just die.”

“Don’t bluff! You’ll be paralyzed soon anyway…”

— Squelch.

A large ice spear pierced into his abdomen.

“Ugh! What… what is this…?”

“You can’t die just yet.”

I chanted a spell at him.

“Recovery, repeat.”

— Woooong.

His wound healed in an instant. At the same time, countless ice spears formed by the Blizzard spell pierced into his abdomen.

It kept repeating.

— Whoosh.

— Whoooooosh.

— Whoosh.

— Whoooooosh.

The ice spears pierce through, wounds heal, and the cycle repeats endlessly.

“Th-that’s enough…”

“Wind Cutter.”

— Swoosh.

“Gyaaaaaaaah! What the fuck are you doing to me?!”

He cursed in pain.

“Why did you do this to me?”

“What the hell are you talking about?! Do you think you’ll get away with this?! Do you know where our guild is?!”

“I don’t know. And I’m about to go crazy from curiosity. Just where the hell is your guild?”

“You… you’re fucked now, you bastard!”

“Teleport.”

I teleported above his head and overlapped gravity magic onto my body.

— Swoosh.

Accelerated by tremendous force, I fell to the ground. In that state, I reached out and slammed his head into the ground.

— Crash!

— Sizzle.

“Guhhhhhh…”

I dragged his face across the ground.

“P-please… let me go…”

His mouth was torn, making it difficult for him to speak properly as he started begging for my forgiveness.

“Why did you act so tough when you were about to die?

You’re shaking and begging for your life, yet you pretended to be such a big shot?

What was that about your guild?”

“I-I’m so… sorry… please… let me live…”

— Thud.

He knelt, tears streaming down his face.

“Do you want to live?”

He nodded vigorously, shaking his head up and down.

“Alright… I’ll spare you. But don’t ever act tough again.”

I pretended to turn around and walk outside. I was curious about his reaction.

— Swoosh.

As expected, I felt him move toward me.

“Get lost…!”

As he tried to stab me in the back with his sword, I turned around, smiled, and cast the spell I had prepared.

“Lightning Storm.”

“Overlap.”

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