NOVEL NEXT Chapter 38
Boom!
Han Si-Hoo had never experienced a battle like this before.
Even when fighting humans, most were awakeners.
There were no gas attacks or gunfire to speak of.
No one used flashbangs or smoke bombs either.
It was bizarre from the moment he thought he spotted a doctor.
A hologram? What a ridiculous sight!
Some places are so behind they can’t even use electricity, while others overflow with cash and showcase advanced technology like holograms.
“Here it is.”
As the smoke began to clear, the doctor’s figure was revealed.
This time, he needed to attack properly.
If it’s something that sweeps wide, he was confident.
But considering Seo-A and Yeon-Hwa, he couldn’t use that skill.
“[Stop in that condition.]”
Is he trying to halt the attack?
Looks like a skill that uses words to impose power.
“Shut up.”
Not going to work on Han Si-Hoo.
He slices without any hesitation.
His actions faced no restrictions at all.
This time, he felt the blade cut.
It was slightly shallower than it looked, but another stab would do it.
In terms of combat skills, the doctor might be on the weak side.
He’d used some cheap tricks, but now it was over.
Faster.
Stronger.
The blade penetrates straight through.
Yeah, the smoke must be making it look shallower.
Once more.
He could feel his opponent collapsing.
But the doctor remained standing.
The doctor’s form was steady.
Too steady, in fact.
“A hologram?”
Not a physical being.
Yet, he had definitely hit.
“Seo-A?”
The one who stood still was Seo-A.
The command to stop was aimed at Yoo Seo-A.
Only then did Han Si-Hoo realize what had happened.
It wasn’t the doctor who was attacked, but Seo-A.
The slashing and stabbing were directed at the doctor.
Her gaze turned hazy as she looked at Han Si-Hoo.
A fittingly miserable end.
Just let her die like that.
After all, the doctor will clean up the corpse.
Shut up. I’ll kill you.
Han Si-Hoo is failing to keep his mind straight.
Because he keeps finding himself in the same situation.
Repetition.
Ever since he abandoned Seo-A.
Abandoned?
He hadn’t abandoned her.
He didn’t want to.
His choices, made out of respect for Seo-A, only returned as poison.
So, is Seo-A really the problem?
Or is it Han Si-Hoo?
Both are undeniably problematic.
“Ah…”
The issue is the murderous intent that arises while watching Seo-A.
He needs to take action, but he can’t.
The doctor needs to die.
But the penalty is too great.
Still, he can’t collapse here.
He thinks about why he mustn’t.
For whom?
What caused this situation?
“As you can see, I don’t really intend to kill you. If I did, the opportunities were plentiful.”
The doctor opened his mouth.
His expression hidden behind a gas mask.
“But if Seo-A wishes for it, there is something called euthanasia.”
The doctor pretends to listen.
Seo-A is saying something.
Red liquid gurgles and oozes from her lips.
What is she saying?
Han Si-Hoo thinks he knows.
She’s probably just asking to be put down.
Seo-A smiles while looking at Han Si-Hoo.
It seems the doctor heard Seo-A’s answer.
“Simply put, like this.”
He brings a pistol to Seo-A’s head.
Bang!
Yoo Seo-A drops to the floor.
People really do die so easily.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Now, there’s no response at all.
The doctor had no hesitation in pulling the trigger.
It all happened before Han Si-Hoo could grasp the situation.
“It ends here. This building is relatively old and weak. There had been discussions about reconstruction but…”
Han Si-Hoo couldn’t understand what had just happened.
Seo-A couldn’t have died.
So simply?
It didn’t make sense in context.
No way.
“I think now is the most appropriate time.”
What is appropriate? Nothing makes sense in his head.
The doctor killed Seo-A.
Why?
Crash!
The entire hallway collapses.
Boom!
The explosions won’t stop.
It feels like a bunch of bombs are going off.
The building seems to be falling down entirely.
This can’t be happening.
Seo-A didn’t die.
The last thing Han Si-Hoo did was stab her.
It can’t be over yet.
“Stop!”
This kind of development cannot be allowed.
If he thinks coldly, the doctor could have killed Seo-A at any time.
It was unexpected that the academy couldn’t even provide a minimal defense.
From the beginning, Han Si-Hoo’s capabilities were not up to par.
That’s the truth.
No matter how much Han Si-Hoo kills monsters, he can only take care of things at a reasonable level.
It’s like a game.
If the final boss attacks first in the early part, there’s no way to win.
The doctor, if anything, looks like a boss monster.
Even so, with how Han Si-Hoo is now, he shouldn’t lose to the doctor.
It’s just that perfectly protecting others is difficult.
Seo-A is dead?
It must be a lie.
The ceiling has collapsed, obscuring both the doctor and Seo-A from view.
He couldn’t protect her.
No, there’s still someone he must protect.
He knows it.
This is a crucial moment, so he must act.
He has to save Yeon-Hwa, at least.
Han Si-Hoo scoops up the fallen Yeon-Hwa.
He can’t pick up the swords lying on the floor.
His finger gets caught in her braided black hair.
It’s a familiar scene.
He had saved Yeon-Hwa from a crisis once before.
The reason Yeon-Hwa, who always spoke formally, speaks casually only to him.
But is this the right thing to do?
He knows it’s right to save someone.
It’s only natural.
Yet, Seo-A seems to have died.
Of course, it must be a joke.
He must have seen it wrong.
It can’t be that easy.
No, it doesn’t make sense.
But he now has some friends.
And he now knows some people.
In the future, something decent may happen involving Seo-A.
Right now, it feels awkward, but it will be different later.
Right now, Seo-A is sick, but everything will be okay in the future.
It will certainly be a much better future.
A future.
A future.
A future.
A future.
Does it exist?
Ding! Achievement unlocked: 100% Awakening Rate!
It’s not that strange, to be honest.
If a person or two dies, the world doesn’t change.
Yoo Seo-A was high-risk.
It wouldn’t have been strange if she died at any time.
But until now, Han Si-Hoo had not lost anyone around him.
If his friends faced danger, he saved everyone.
In battle, there was always a chance of winning.
So, following this trend, a good outcome should surely be reached.
What you call a happy ending.
Yet, Yoo Seo-A was going down the exact opposite path.
A person who naturally gains good friends versus one surrounded by bad people.
The lucky versus the unlucky.
One side with success, the other with failure.
A future that’s bright or one that’s completely unseen.
In the end, Seo-A won.
No matter what Han Si-Hoo tried, he would falter.
Even if he tried to stop it, both would just break.
Would these awful thoughts be due to the penalty?
No matter how much Han Si-Hoo pondered, there was no answer.
In fact, whether there was an answer or not, it no longer mattered.
Because Han Si-Hoo had discovered a method.
Just power.
He needed power.
He had forsaken Seo-A due to a lack of strength.
He couldn’t protect her because he was weak.
Not even a justification to protect.
The very essence of fragility.
Blaming the environment, the parents who abandoned him, the oppressive society, and the exploitative humans.
If he were to blame, everything around him could be blamed.
But what if he had been a little stronger?
If only he had been stronger.
He should have been stronger.
Han Si-Hoo muttered endlessly.
This isn’t about just physical strength.
The doctor was something more extraordinary.
He had the ability to deceive and manipulate people.
The amount of information he held was overwhelming.
Han Si-Hoo was just a student.
A kid from the slums who had only just begun to find his footing.
If something happened before the growth narrative could be written, there’s no way to stop it.
Seo-A’s death became the driving force for growth.
People need an unbreakable pillar.
A solid wall that no one abandons.
“Si-Hoo?”
“…Yeah.”
Lena was beside him.
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah.”
He had no idea what she was apologizing for.
He still thought it couldn’t be true.
Seo-A couldn’t have died.
There’s no way.
“By the way. The medicine, it seemed like something some military units were using… It was too strange for something provided by the academy. I should have realized it sooner.”
Investigating the medicine they used.
Thinking back, the first medicine Seo-A used was also sent for investigation.
To Lee Yoo-Ram.
But no results came back.
Lee Yoo-Ram had no interest in Seo-A’s treatment.
From the start, Seo-A was nothing but a research subject to him.
He must find out where the medicine came from.
Are there others in a similar situation as Seo-A?
People he must protect.
Paradoxically, just protecting isn’t enough to secure everyone.
If he has power, he could wipe them all out.
He must first remove the elements of danger.
“Lee Yoo-Ram is also acting strangely. The academy itself is… Why is this happening? If other teachers knew about it, who should I trust?”
“We need to find out who ordered it.”
“…Ordered?”
“Lee Yoo-Ram can’t supply the medicine on his own.”
Is it a doctor?
The one who supplied the medicine to Lee Yoo-Ram.
Han Si-Hoo knew that Lee Yoo-Ram had a younger sister.
He probably thought he had hidden it well, but no.
Ultimately, trusting Lee Yoo-Ram was the issue.
He hadn’t heard anything about using military-grade medicine on Seo-A.
What was important to Lee Yoo-Ram was not some unfamiliar kid, but his little sister.
Han Si-Hoo understands.
Anyone would prioritize their family above all.
“I will find out soon.”
He feels strange learning what the doctor did, but there is a way.
He can take Lee Yoo-Ram’s sister hostage.
He figured out where she was too.
The tracking device he attached to Lee Yoo-Ram’s bag was useful.
Since the doctor didn’t skimp on technology, Han Si-Hoo learned too.
Since the doctor committed a despicable act, Han Si-Hoo would learn from it.
He is, in essence, like a father figure.
Like a parent that appeared to Han Si-Hoo, who was an orphan.
But why did he kill Seo-A?
Han Si-Hoo cried for a long time.
And why shouldn’t he? He was still young.
Even an adult would cry if they lost a family member.
Due to the burdens and responsibilities piling up in an abnormal fashion, Han Si-Hoo had never shed a tear.
There was a time long ago when Han Si-Hoo cried.
He forgot the reason.
He remembers Seo-A patting him on the back, saying it was okay.
“It’s okay. It’s okay.”
And what did she say again?
“I will always be with you.”
It’s okay to lean on her.
He smiles faintly.
Bang.
The doctor shot.
He must kill the doctor.