Chapter 163 – Twisted Hero (4)
There is one thing I realized while teaching Jung-hee to ski for a day.
“I was wondering who Yoo-jung looks like…”
The fact that the source of Shin Yoo-jung’s amazing athletic ability was none other than Jung-hee.
At first, she seemed to be stuttering, but as soon as she realized her tricks, she got better.
By the time the sun went down, I was riding on the intermediate level course rather than the beginner’s course.
“Shall we go in now?”
“Ho Ho… , OK. I am a little tired now.”
“…”
After skiing non-stop for half a day, I’m a little tired now.
How strong was she when she was young?
Jeonghee asked on the way back after returning her equipment.
“Do you know where Yu-jeong went? She hasn’t been seen since a while ago.”
“I’ll make a phone call.”
She called the guy she hadn’t seen since afternoon.
-Customer is not answering the phone…
Do not receive
“I don’t get it.”
“Are you still busy skiing… ?”
By this time she’s not answering the phone because she’s skiing… ?
That’s kinda weird
When I saw it in the morning, I didn’t enjoy the ride so much.
“He might be resting in his room, so check it out.”
“Yes, then.”
I arrive at the dorm with a slightly faster pace and knock on Yoo-jung’s door.
Clever!
“Yoojung! Are you inside?”
No answer is heard.
Judging from the fact that no noise is heard through the door she listened to, it seems that she is not in the room…
Are you really still skiing?
“Where did he go… ?”
He lightly wraps his arms around her shoulders as she begins to worry and calls Yoo-jung again.
-Customer is not answering the phone…
… He’s not the kind of kid who won’t answer the phone unless he’s sleeping.
“First of all, Jung-hee goes inside and rests.”
“Do-jin, you… ?”
“I’ll go out for a while and look for Yoo-jung.”
“Then, with the aunt…”
“Ah, what’s the point of going around looking for a grown-up girl? Wash up first, okay?”
“… OK got it. Should I call her if I need help?”
“I know.”
After she manages to let her into her room, she presses her elevator button to get her back down.
Ding!
By the time I was about to get on the elevator that arrived.
Knock!
“Do, Dojin!”
Jeonghee opened the door and stopped me with an urgent expression and voice.
“Hey, look at this!”
The direction she points with her finger is the room.
She walked quickly and entered her room.
“What happen?”
“I-over there… !”
The tip of her finger points to a wall of glass instead of a wall.
What you see through the transparent glass is a barrier.
The crystallization of national technology designed to prevent escape from the inside to the outside.
“Isn’t this a barrier… ?”
I blankly nodded at her question full of trembling.
“That’s right. But why is this…”
It’s not unusual for a barrier to be installed here.
It’s been a long time since it has been mandatory to install barriers in case of emergency in recreational facilities such as ski resorts and water parks where hundreds of people gather.
What’s strange is why the barriers, which should have been activated with an alarm, unfolded arbitrarily when signs of crack formation were seen.
“The concentration of magical power is normal…”
The concentration of mana around him that he could see was very ordinary.
Then, the current barrier is not activated automatically in an emergency…
There is only one person here who has the authority to manually activate the barrier.
The manager, the manager of the hotel right here.
Only he has the authority to manually activate the barrier in case of emergency.
However, that is only a formal authority, and to activate it, you will need permission from the government… ?
“What the hell just happened…”
An intense sense of incongruity wells up to the top of your head.
Shin Yoo-jeong, who suddenly disappeared, and the barrier surrounding the hotel.
By the time I am certain that the two problems may have started from one root.
[After- After-]
A disturbing voice came from the speakers installed on the hallway ceiling.
[Notice to everyone in the hotel.]
[Currently, the hotel you are staying in is isolated by the barrier we activated.]
[Also, there is a bomb powerful enough to blow up the entire hotel.]
As soon as the man’s words were finished, the sound of the door being opened simultaneously came from outside.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“A bomb… !”
“Now, isn’t that a joke?”
“If it was a joke, the barrier wouldn’t have been activated outside the hotel!”
All the roads to the outside are blocked, and there are bombs inside…
Truly, a commotion begins to arise over the fantastic combination.
[Ah, is it too early to worry about death?]
[We’re not just terrorists popping around randomly.]
It must have a different purpose to achieve by using the lives of hotel guests as hostages.
[I’ll give you just 5 minutes out of consideration for the people on the upper floors.]
[All hotel guests, please gather in the lobby within 5 minutes.]
[Every time we are 1 minute late, we will blow up the upper floors in turn.]
[Then… , Start.]
The noise outside grew louder.
“Get down quickly!”
“If you don’t go down within 5 minutes, it’s a blast!”
“Is this the time to hit the elevator?!”
Urgent, chaotic footsteps echo loudly like thunder.
Junghee grabs my arm with a trembling hand.
“Do, Dojin-ah. What is all this… !”
“It’s okay, it’s okay.”
He hugs her for a moment and pats her on the back to help her confuse her mind.
By the time everyone went downstairs and the commotion had subsided.
I take her hand and leave her room.
I was about to go downstairs straight away, but I stopped in my room to get some things in case of an emergency, and then hurried down the stairs to the lobby.
In one corner of the spacious lobby, terrified people are sitting close together, and opposite them, men wearing masks that look like demons are armed with cold weapons.
The number is about ten.
Judging from the flow of mana that can be seen, eight of them are C-class, and the man and woman who appear to be the boss are B-class.
“This is a bit tight…”
I wouldn’t know if it was a normal fight, but it’s impossible to deal with all those numbers in a hostage situation.
To be precise, it is impossible to subdue without damage.
Aside from getting hurt, the hostages won’t have any lives left.
They closely monitor their armed status and location, and hide in the crowds of people.
First of all, lower your body as low as you can and look for an opportunity to attack.
When I was patting Jung-hee’s shoulder to wait for the right time with a calm mind.
“Among those gathered, Mr. Kim Do-jin, please come forward.”
“… ?”
One of the bosses, a boy, suddenly calls my name.
Why is my name suddenly appearing there… ?
I was so dumbfounded that I suddenly got up from my seat.
Then the man waved at me and continued talking.
“Come forward.”
“…”
The distance to him was only 30 m.
Heading at a slow pace, I squeezed out my thoughts.
They know my name and face exactly.
That means… , It is said that the purpose of doing all this is none other than me.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Kim Dojin.”
The man greets me politely.
“I am the supervisor who came to test you.”
“…”
What.
I think I’ve heard this somewhere before.
“Hundreds of hostages are being held here.”
I’ve definitely heard this line.
So… , The line following this is obviously.
“The decision to save them or kill them is entirely…”
“You meant to tell me it depends on my choice?”
“…”
Ok, now I get it
Who are the guys who suddenly appeared and ruined the hotel?
“You guys are H.S (Hero Slayers).”
H.S.
It stands for Hero Slayers.
A group of A-class villains who appear in front of a hunter whom people suck as a hero, test him arbitrarily, and blow away the death sentence if he does not meet the standard.
The number of hunters who died at the hands of them alone exceeded a hundred.
A number filled with only one hunter.
Haha!”
The bewildered man immediately burst into a big laugh.
“It would be easier to talk to if you knew us.”
They test the hunters who are called heroes as they please.
What kind of test is it?
Simple.
Forced to make a choice in a dilemma where neither side can choose.
In the past, when you were Son Si-woo, was it around the time you were building your reputation?
A man came and forced me to choose.
Among hundreds of old people who are dying and dozens of young children who have a bright future.
Which one are you going to save?
“You have two options in front of you.”
Unlike the time when I was more embarrassed, I think I know what options will be given to me this time.
“The first is hundreds of civilians trembling in terror behind you. And second…”
She stops talking and her man gestures behind her, and a woman who appears to be bossy like him comes dragging something of hers from under her desk.
The moment she sees her golden hair being dragged out helplessly, as if she had lost her mind while wearing handcuffs for the Awoken person in both hands, a voice stabbing deep into her lungs is heard from behind her.
“Yoo, Yoo Jung!”
… As expected, the second option they prepared was Shin Yoo-jung.
He stretched out his arm to block Jung-hee, who rushed out.
“Auntie, calm down.”
“How do you calm down! My daughter, my daughter is being held there, how can I… !”
Boiling motherly love cuts through the whole body.
I hate moments like this so much.
It’s not the guys who set out to test me on their own, but rather, this fucking situation that makes me feel guilty.
A little bit of her restrains her with her cool tone.
“If Ajumma steps forward now, she will all die. Yoo-jung and the people behind her.”
“Ha, but… !”
“Trust me.”
“…”
She bit her lower lip hard as she cried.
I suddenly became curious as I watched the blood droplets that flowed.
How is she feeling now?
Are you resentful that all of this is because of me?
Her trembling hand slowly reached up and caressed my cheek.
“Don’t make that face.”
“…”
“This is not your fault, Do-jin. Know?”
Oh
How far will this woman’s kindness go?
“… I will believe you, Dojin.”
She laughs as she struggles through her tears.
“Like back then.”
That’s when she said… , She must be referring to when she was confronted by an orc who escaped through the rift and fled.
When she shows a small smile, she takes a hard step behind her.
After her calm composure, she turned her body toward the self-appointed overseer, who stood awkwardly.
“Is the story over?”
There is a subtle anger in his soft tone.
It seems that I don’t like the fact that my words were cut off mercilessly.
“So in the end, you have to choose between one precious person and the lives of hundreds of people.”
“… Only one can be saved. If you play nonsense.”
Her man stretches out her arm and points to the woman’s hand that has dragged her Shin Yu-jeong.
In her hand is a controller the size of a palm.
It must be a switch that detonates a bomb planted somewhere here.
“The bomb planted in the hotel will explode. Then… , Everyone will die.”
“Then you would all die too.”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s because I’m not the type to live a life of misery.”
“Oh, yes.”
… Why is this bastard being sincere and fucking fucking useless?
“I’m curious. Which one will you save, whom people call the lumber of heroes?”
Deep interest and ridicule oozes from his tone.
It’s to the point of laughing at an absurd situation.
Only when the upper water is clear, the lower water is clear, and since the boss is a madman, all the lower ones are just crazy.
What the hell are they doing and forcing my choice, Won.
“Now, which one would you choose?”
He puts pressure on me with a soft tone.
But what can I do?
“I already made my choice.”
It’s been quite some time since I chose one.
The boy’s body trembles.
“What is that… ?”
When both the man and the woman are taken aback by my completely unexpected answer.
Taking advantage of that moment, Shin Yoo-jung, who had been lying limply behind her, staggered and raised her body.
A glimmer of light shines through the flowing golden hair.
Its momentum was so hideous, it made my limbs tingle just by looking at it.
“… !”
The woman, noticing her presence late, hurriedly turns around and looks behind her, but she is already late.
“Bite your molars tight, you bitch.”
The guy’s full body of straight punches filled with resentment exploded on the mask of the woman who just turned around.
