NOVEL NEXT Chapter 186
Chapter 186: The Betrayal
Seung-hoon and Harin watched the situation with tense expressions.
Their opponents were all capable of pulling off some wild stunts in the blink of an eye.
So, not a single moment of vigilance could be let up.
The feeling was mutual.
As they thought Si-hyun, who they believed to be the Sword Master, might do something sudden, Cheonbyeon, Seomjeon, and Mangjong were all keeping a close eye on him.
In such a tense atmosphere, the hostage exchange took place.
Choi Gang-hyuk and the Female Correctional Officers began to walk slowly toward the opposite side.
They stepped in sync, one foot at a time, just as they had agreed.
The Female Correctional Officers’ steps trembled as if they might collapse at any moment.
Yet, knowing this was their only chance for survival, they pressed on.
In contrast, Choi Gang-hyuk seemed incredibly relaxed, even humming a tune.
Still, he didn’t speed up or break their agreement.
After all, why create unnecessary complications in a situation that was already going smoothly?
However, his gaze was far from still.
He leered at the Female Correctional Officers as his eyes scanned them up and down.
Whenever his gaze met theirs, the Female Correctional Officers flinched in fear.
“Man, after all this time with bread, just smelling a woman’s scent is driving me insane. Shouldn’t we get this over with? Haha!”
As he brushed past the Female Correctional Officers, Choi Gang-hyuk tossed out a sly comment.
Pretending not to have heard, the Female Correctional Officers passed him with pale expressions.
With each step, the hostages inched closer to their waiting place.
Seung-hoon and Harin’s faces relaxed as they drew nearer.
Cheonbyeon’s expression also brightened.
Originally, their target was Choi Gang-hyuk.
Even though the twin swords’ lives were lost, if they managed to pull off Choi Gang-hyuk, it would be worth it.
If this ended well, it would be a satisfactory achievement.
– Time to withdraw, right?
Cheonbyeon sent a mental message to Seomjeon.
Now that they had their target, further struggle was unnecessary.
There was also the risk of making a smoothly unfolding event go awry.
– Absolutely.
Seomjeon seemed to share the same thoughts, responding accordingly. He also sent a signal to Mangjong.
Mangjong nodded as if he understood.
In that moment, Choi Gang-hyuk reached almost in front of Cheonbyeon.
“Ah, this is just too much! I can’t thank you enough!”
Choi Gang-hyuk said with a grin on his face.
Cheonbyeon also smiled back.
“Regaining freedom is always something to celebrate.”
“Thanks again.”
Choi Gang-hyuk’s beaming face moved closer to Cheonbyeon.
No, he was about to.
In that instant.
“…Ugh?!”
Suddenly, Choi Gang-hyuk clutched his stomach and collapsed.
His face was twisted in pain.
Confusion swept over everyone’s face in an instant.
“What’s going on?”
Most alarmed, Cheonbyeon hurried to check Choi Gang-hyuk’s condition.
In that brief moment, sweat began to bead on his forehead.
He genuinely looked like he was in agony.
What on Earth was happening?
Just as Cheonbyeon had that thought, Choi Gang-hyuk’s hand moved unexpectedly.
Straight toward Cheonbyeon’s chest.
Puh-rrk!
Choi Gang-hyuk’s hand pierced through her completely unguarded heart area.
Exactly where her heart was.
“Cough, cough…!”
Cheonbyeon’s eyes widened in horror.
Crimson blood flowed from her mouth.
As if unable to believe what was happening, she looked at Choi Gang-hyuk and tried to mumble some last words with what little strength she had left.
But soon, her head drooped lifelessly.
Her body slumped.
This was a pitiful end for someone who had terrified countless people in the Black Cross.
“…!”
Everyone froze as if doused with cold water at the unbelievable death.
Even Choi Gang-hyuk, who had dealt the killing blow, stood there dazed.
Then he snapped back, yanking his bloodied hand from Cheonbyeon’s chest and shouted.
“…No! No way! It’s not me!”
Choi Gang-hyuk shook his head in horror, babbling incoherently.
Clap clap!
At that moment, applause rang out from behind.
It was Lee Si-hyun.
With a pleased expression, he spoke up.
“You’ve followed the plan splendidly, Choi Gang-hyuk. The government will surely keep its promise. Don’t you worry.”
“You… you?!”
A complex expression crossed Choi Gang-hyuk’s face as he looked at Si-hyun. Si-hyun’s earlier words echoed in his mind like a haunting whisper.
– You will feel unbearable pain when you get close to Cheonbyeon. And when Cheonbyeon approaches, you will kill her. The most certain method you can employ.
At the time, he thought it was nonsense.
Yet, his body moved exactly according to those nonsensical words.
It was enough to drive anyone to madness.
Choi Gang-hyuk scowled fiercely at Si-hyun.
“You, you… you bastard! What kind of trick did you pull?!”
Choi Gang-hyuk shouted angrily.
“…What did you do?”
Someone muttered coldly.
It was Baek-wol.
A powerful rage emanated from him, chilling the air.
His loyalty to Cheonbyeon was unwavering, beyond mere words.
Not only had she saved his life, but she had also taught him all her assassination skills that brought him to this position.
To see her lose her life in an absurd manner right before him was an immense mental shock.
And he felt extreme fury toward Choi Gang-hyuk, the one who had taken her life.
Blood dripped from his tightly clenched lips.
“Th-That’s not it! It wasn’t me!”
Choi Gang-hyuk rapidly waved his hands in denial.
However, the more they saw his despicable appearance, the angrier Baek-wol became. He charged at Choi Gang-hyuk, dagger in hand.
A deadly intent oozed from him.
Choi Gang-hyuk tried to dodge urgently.
Things were already complicated enough as they were; he didn’t need to escalate them further.
– …And kill them too.
In an instant, Si-hyun’s earlier words echoed again in his ears.
Then, contrary to his thoughts, his body moved in the opposite direction.
Channeling the strength from earlier when he killed Cheonbyeon, he viciously lunged toward Baek-wol.
No, the ferocity was incomparable to before.
Having devoured the abilities of the S-Class Cheonbyeon, he had truly transformed into an S-Class himself.
And A-Class Baek-wol could not handle the sudden surge in his strength and speed.
“Cough…!”
Baek-wol too suffered a massive gash in his chest.
It was a fatal blow.
He spewed forth blood with a look of indignant disbelief. Soon, his head drooped helplessly, unable to even close his eyes.
‘Done.’
With that scene before him, Si-hyun smirked triumphantly.
He had predicted that killing Cheonbyeon might help Choi Gang-hyuk rise to S-Class.
And he was aware such a scenario risked the possibility of freeing the binding of Shout.
Yet, he took the gamble.
He believed that was the only way to turn the situation around.
Fortunately, it seemed that gamble had ended successfully.
The binding of Shout that had been placed upon him remained firmly intact, still trapping Choi Gang-hyuk tightly.
“Damn it!”
Choi Gang-hyuk cursed in a trembling voice, fully realizing the situation had gone completely awry.
There was no way to recover from this.
Nonetheless, he desperately shouted, “It’s not me! Really, not me! It’s that bastard! It’s all his fault!”
Pointing at Si-hyun, Choi Gang-hyuk wore an expression of sheer injustice.
Had he said those words right after starting all this, they might have given him some consideration.
But he had already killed Baek-wol.
Seomjeon and Mangjong stared at Choi Gang-hyuk with expressions questioning what kind of antics he was pulling.
“Well done, Choi Gang-hyuk. Now the numbers match. Let’s get rid of the remaining enemies.”
Si-hyun said with a smile and drew Acureruts from its sheath once more.
“You bastard! You betrayed us!”
Seomjeon shouted, gritting his teeth.
The Predator was a servant of the Emperor from the other world.
Raised in secret as a hidden weapon.
Even the Predator did not dare to hold its head high before the Emperor.
It willingly put its head in the noose.
So, Seomjeon thought it would not be different here.
Yet, he truly felt like he had been stabbed in the back.
Rage surged through him, almost making him sick.
“N-no! No way!”
Choi Gang-hyuk vehemently denied it, but his protests were futile in this situation.
Seomjeon wanted to thrust his dagger into the betrayer immediately but managed to hold back.
It was an instinctual coolness.
The situation had reached its worst.
The one they had aimed for had betrayed them.
The purpose of coming here had been turned on its head.
And because of that, Cheonbyeon and Baek-wol had lost their lives absurdly.
– Calmly. Right now, focusing on getting out is the priority.
Mangjong sent a mental message to Seomjeon, showing the clarity of a Great Sage regarding the situation.
– …I understand. However, if we leave the Predator as it is, it will ultimately become a problem for us.
Seomjeon replied.
– There’s no choice. I’ll attempt to eliminate him once, you quickly signal Hurein and the Leader.
– Understood.
Mangjong nodded as if accepting the reality.
Without hesitation, Seomjeon’s body moved quickly.
Hurein and the Leader were quite a distance away, caught up in the fight.
The mental messaging range couldn’t reach them.
So, he intended to convey the situation directly.
Yet, with his extraordinary techniques, it wouldn’t take long.
While watching this, Mangjong’s gaze shifted toward Choi Gang-hyuk.
Just as Seomjeon said, leaving the Predator alone would indeed pose future risks.
He was someone who could continually grow stronger without limit. If they could suppress him before he did, they had to try.
Mangjong’s eyes subtly shifted toward Si-hyun, the one he viewed as his greatest concern.
Seung-hoon and Harin were no longer in his thoughts.
Quietly, Mangjong gauged the distance to Si-hyun.
Si-hyun still stood still at that spot.
That meant Mangjong and Choi Gang-hyuk were much closer to Si-hyun than Si-hyun was to them. In that case, he could indeed find an opportunity to strike.
Mangjong’s fingers moved discreetly.
He intended to activate the World Tree Golems.
Even one World Tree Golem could obliterate a typical S-Class fighter into dust.
If he could control two of those golems, even Choi Gang-hyuk, who had risen to S-Class by devouring Cheonbyeon, wouldn’t stand a chance.
Earlier, he had confirmed that Choi Gang-hyuk’s movements were insufficient to call him a strong S-Class.
Choi Gang-hyuk still grumbled with a wronged expression, babbling to himself.
…Incredible fool.
Truly, he was deviously sinister at heart.
How much more prey was he planning to devour by putting on such an act here?
Mangjong snickered in disbelief and flicked his lightly hidden right hand through the air.
Suddenly, two World Tree Golems leaped from the ground, moving directly toward the spot where Choi Gang-hyuk was.
“O-Oh no?!”
Choi Gang-hyuk shouted nervously, startled by the sudden movement of the World Tree Golems.
He knew all too well just how ridiculously dangerous those things were.
“…!”
Seung-hoon and Harin’s mouths fell open wide, and their heads instinctively turned toward Si-hyun.
They had no time to save Choi Gang-hyuk.
But perhaps the Sword Master could save him from this distance.
That’s why they looked to Si-hyun.
However.
Si-hyun did not move.
With a calm face and a strange smile on his lips.
Seung-hoon and Harin exchanged looks, as if they had been hit in the back of the head.
…What was this?
Was he not an ally?
They thought this was for sure after witnessing Choi Gang-hyuk’s actions.
Otherwise, there would be no reason for Choi Gang-hyuk to act as he did.
Mangjong also noticed their expressions.
‘What’s going on…?’
Mangjong’s eyes narrowed slightly.
At that moment, an unsettling feeling crept down his spine.
However, he couldn’t grasp what it was.
Logically, there was nothing wrong with the current course of action.
While the World Tree Golems reached Choi Gang-hyuk.
Choi Gang-hyuk wore a panicked expression and stumbled backward.
“D-Don’t come near me!”
He shouted, trying to get away.
But by then, the World Tree Golems had positioned themselves on either side of him, launching a perfect two-pronged assault.
Their fists ripped through the air, aimed straight at his torso.
From both sides.
“W-What…?”
He was truly in a bind.
He could no longer evade, and blocking one would leave him vulnerable to another.
Choi Gang-hyuk instinctively lunged forward to shield himself from both attacks.
But.
Crack!
“Aaahhk!”
The moment they collided, both of Choi Gang-hyuk’s hands broke helplessly and twisted.
And the golem’s assault didn’t stop.
“Ugh… Aaaah! Aaaahhh!!!”
Crack!
Puh-rrk!
The golem’s fist slammed straight into Choi Gang-hyuk’s body.
The sound of bones shattering echoed.
And it didn’t stop there; the punch continued, rupturing all of his innards.
Crimson blood sprayed like a fountain as Choi Gang-hyuk met his demise.
“….”
While they succeeded in killing Choi Gang-hyuk as intended, Mangjong’s expression remained far from satisfied.
He was still preoccupied with Si-hyun’s demeanor.
“Success! Let’s go, Great Sage!”
Seomjeon, who had returned, shouted.
Hurein and the Leader had already apparently made their escape, as they were nowhere to be seen.
“Umm… Yes, let’s go.”
Mangjong’s face wore a slightly uncomfortable expression, but he moved as if there were no other option.
Si-hyun watched them depart with an easy demeanor.
Internally, he let out a sigh of relief.
It felt as if he had returned from Hell overnight.
The fact that they had defeated the enemies without significant losses still felt unreal.
Had their series of daring moves not worked out, it would have been them suffering a considerable setback.
“The Sword Master…”
Harin murmured, still seeming to be in a daze about what had transpired.
Si-hyun met her gaze and suddenly recalled something important.
The chaos wasn’t restricted to just this place.
Many more people were still facing life-threatening dangers.
But just in case, they needed to leave someone behind here.
“Paladin, I’m sorry, but I need you to hold this place. Hyris, let’s go.”
“Why do you keep making me work?”
Hyris grumbled but walked toward Si-hyun.
She cast a quick glance at the aftermath of the bloodshed that had occurred here.
“Quite a spectacular mess you’ve made. You’ve gotten a lot stronger, haven’t you?”
She hadn’t known the situation here, given her fight against Hurein earlier.
“What’s wrong? Was it tough?”
Si-hyun smiled softly, continuing the conversation.
“Let’s hurry.”