Chapter 8: Lee Hyunseung’s Proven Innocence

The cold echo of a gunshot resounded throughout the space.

-Whizz

The man wielding the axe, Poong Doseok, raised his weapon, attempting to block the bullet fired by Lee Hyunseung.

Watching the incoming bullet, Poong Doseok couldn’t help but smirk inwardly.

‘Let’s see if that measly gun can even scratch me.’

In Broad Academy Online, those who have awakened—those with meaningful professions—possess special occupational effects or innate mana.

They can use mana for various spells and enhancements. Not only can they cast spells, but they can also fortify themselves and their weapons.

-Whoosh

Poong Doseok quickly gathered mana into his axe and hand. In an instant, his hand moved swiftly, and the axe became exceptionally solid and sturdy. He was confident he could easily block a bullet like that.

However, his assumption was wrong.

-Splat

“What…?”

Not only did the bullet pierce straight through his axe, but it also tore through his shoulder.

“Aaaaargh!”

Clang!

Dropping his axe to the ground, Poong Doseok writhed in pain.

“F***!!! It hurts! It hurts so much! Aaaah!”

Tears streamed down Poong Doseok’s face as he rolled around in agony.

His shoulder bone was completely shattered. He hadn’t even had time to prepare himself for the attack.

Poong Doseok foolishly believed his axe could block the bullet. In truth, it was a logical assumption.

In this world, having a bullet pierce through a mana-enhanced axe was akin to trying to crack a boulder with an egg.

“You…you bastard!”

The man behind him, wielding a sword—Yang Himchan—prepared to rush forward with his blade. However, Jung Eunseo, who stood nearby, didn’t let it go unchecked.

-Vrrrmm

Mana flowed from the staff Jung Eunseo held as she spoke to Yang Himchan.

“If you move, I’ll attack. Stand still.”

Yang Himchan quickly tried to gauge the girl’s power. The staff she held was of high quality, and the mana emanating from it was no joke.

‘A mage.’

Jung Eunseo was, without a doubt, someone with an S-rank mage class. Though the exact rank was hard to determine, it was certainly Epic or higher.

‘Damn… why are there such monsters on the first floor of the dungeon?’

Yang Himchan had no choice but to back off.

-Bang!

Another gunshot rang out.

“Gaaah…”

Poong Doseok continued to roll on the ground, screaming in pain.

-Step.

-Step.

Lee Hyunseung walked right up to Poong Doseok, who was writhing on the ground.

Despite the fact that he had just shot someone, Lee Hyunseung felt nothing—no fear, no trembling, no guilt.

There were no emotions at all. Was it because he used a gun, which attacks from a distance, instead of a weapon like a knife that requires direct stabbing? Or was it because this was a game world?

Maybe it was because his mind was clouded by anger, leaving him with no other thoughts. It didn’t matter.

-Swish

Lee Hyunseung stared coldly at Poong Doseok as he spoke.

“Repeat what you guys were saying earlier. What was that about stalking?”

“Hnnng…”

Poong Doseok only cried in pain, unable to properly hear what Lee Hyunseung was saying.

Click!

The sound of Lee Hyunseung reloading his gun echoed, and Poong Doseok instinctively began to crawl, pleading desperately.

“P-please, stop, please… It hurts too much. Please stop, I beg you…”

With his battered arm dragging along the ground, Poong Doseok squirmed like a worm, looking up at Lee Hyunseung with tearful eyes.

Lee Hyunseung looked down at him with a pitiful expression.

“Why? Weren’t you just mocking me earlier? Saying something about gunmen being weak and bullets being useless? Why the sudden change of heart? You said you’d kill me, right? Go ahead—I’m right here.”

“I-I’m sorry… I didn’t know… Please, forgive me.”

Although Poong Doseok apologized verbally, he felt a deep sense of injustice.

It was clear that the person holding the gun was a gunman, even using a basic weapon.

But how could a mere gunman, who couldn’t even use mana, possess this level of power? No one could have anticipated this.

Poong Doseok thought to himself.

‘I don’t know what kind of trick he used, but that gun definitely isn’t ordinary.’

He started to suspect that the pistol, which appeared to be a basic weapon, might actually be a powerful artifact. Otherwise, the current situation wouldn’t make any sense.

‘If I could just get close enough to land one hit…’

Gunmen were known for their low physical capabilities.

It was only natural, given that their profession focused on long-range attacks, so their physical stats were weaker compared to others.

Poong Doseok believed that even though the attack power was high, the durability was likely low.

If he could find the right moment, he could turn the situation around.

“I-I’ll tell you… I… I can’t speak properly… Could you come closer…?”

Poong Doseok, crouched low, tried to lure Lee Hyunseung closer. Lee Hyunseung eventually approached, standing right in front of him.

“The person who gave me the orders is…”

The moment Lee Hyunseung was within reach, Poong Doseok sprang up from the ground and lunged at him.

“It’s your mother, you bastard!”

-Bang!-

But Lee Hyunseung, already prepared, fired a shot that pierced perfectly through Poong Doseok’s thigh.

“Gaaah… ugh…”

The pain was so intense that Poong Doseok could hardly speak, his body trembling uncontrollably.

“I-I’m sorry… I-It was just a joke…”

“A joke? Don’t make me laugh.”

-Bang!-

-Bang!-

-Bang!-

After several more gunshots, Poong Doseok’s body slumped, completely motionless.

“Heek…”

Yang Himchan, who had been watching from the side, shuddered in fear at the sight.

Lee Hyunseung then approached Yang Himchan and asked him a question.

“Hey, you don’t really get what’s going on right now, do you? Let me explain it to you. You guys stalked Yoo Hee-yeon and put that phone in the desk of a fellow academy student, right? Well, the one whose life got ruined because of that is me.”

“W-what do you mean…?”

As Yang Himchan trembled and asked, Lee Hyunseung responded with a frustrated glare.

“I’m the one who got framed as a stalker because of the phone you hid in my desk. I’m Lee Hyunseung, the guy whose life was ruined and got treated like trash by his classmates, you bastard.”

Yang Himchan, on his knees, begged for his life as he looked up at Lee Hyunseung.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would turn out like this. P-please, spare me. I’ll do anything if you let me live.”

Yang Himchan saw Poong Doseok’s lifeless body and was too terrified to even think of resisting; he could only desperately plead for his life.

“Let me ask you one thing. Why me? Out of all the people, why did you put that phone in my desk? I’ve never done anything to deserve anyone’s hatred. No matter how much I think about it, I can’t understand. I can’t even begin to guess who would do something so messed up.”

“I-It wasn’t planned. We just put it in the first desk we came across. Our leader told us it didn’t matter who we framed…”

Lee Hyunseung burst into laughter, a crazed laughter.

“So, the reason I became a loser out of nowhere, despite living quietly, is… because of bad luck? Damn it…”

-Crack-

Lee Hyunseung’s hand trembled as he gripped the gun.

“Do you know how much effort I put in just to live a quiet life in this messed-up body? Do you know the lengths I went to build relationships with others and score high on written exams? I even had to endure the pain of losing my arm and leg. And now, because of a suspension record, regardless of the reason, regardless of whether I prove my innocence, I can never get into the Tower. How are you going to make up for that?”

“I-I’ll give you all the money I have.”

“Money? You think money can fix this? How much do you even have? You think you can compensate for being treated like garbage at the academy and having my future ruined?”

“I-I’m sorry.”

Click!

As Lee Hyunseung reloaded his pistol, Yang Himchan’s entire body trembled as he pleaded desperately.

“P-please, calm down… W-we were just following orders. We had no choice!”

-Swish-

Lee Hyunseung aimed the gun at Yang Himchan’s head and asked.

“Okay, so you were following orders. Now, tell me—who the hell gave you those orders? Who do you work for? Answer me.”

Yang Himchan swallowed hard and answered.

“H-Hilleon… People call our group… H-Hilleon.”

This was the moment Lee Hyunseung’s innocence was proven, standing beside Jung Eunseo, who would go on to have a huge influence at the academy.