The Thug Hides the Villainess

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033 – Disaster Level 3 Superhuman #3

Receiving an award from a high-ranking official at the police station and getting promoted to Knight Brooch!

Then you become eligible to access the “Treasure Hall” and borrow tools on a semi-permanent basis!

I’ve heard that in the “Treasure Hall,” there are a ton of bizarre treasures that awakened seniors have obtained while exploring the “Great Labyrinth.”

You can only choose one item from among them, so you’d better be careful about your selection.

‘What kind of items are waiting for me?’

As I was filled with anticipation, the classroom door slid open with a screech, and in walked someone wearing a police hat.

She was a woman in funky short shorts and a white tee, sporting dangerously high heels.

At her waist, a few handcuffs jingled like fashion keychains, causing all the male students to lose their words, captivated by her dazzling presence.

Including me!

“Hey, it’s been a while in this classroom. Nice to meet you. I’m a graduation senior from Class 3, a level 3 superhuman, but let’s skip the details and gather round those who are receiving awards today!”

Her tone was incredibly casual.

Is this sister really some “great person” who came to give us awards?

“Then, Hanam-jin the Weird! You’re first! But wait, Weird? What kind of callsign is that?”

“Yes, I am DiCaprio Hanam-jin.”

“Thanks to you guys, we successfully wiped out part of the headache-inducing group “Billunners!” The problem is that both Samajun and Yeom Hoon got slaughtered by the “Judicator” this morning!”

…Huh? What did I just hear? Wasn’t that an incredibly important statement said so nonchalantly?

As everyone murmured, the female officer pulled out a paper from her bag and handed it to us.

“Blah blah, whatever whatever – we commend you! Anyway, you all are amazing, right? You haven’t graduated yet, and you’ve already taken down level 3 supervillains! Honestly, I was kinda creeped out! Everyone clap now!”

Clap, clap, clap-.

At the officer’s playful encouragement, the students seemed to either forget or want to forget the shocking statements that had just been made and clapped.

Honestly, it always felt good to be the center of attention.
It was thrilling!

“What should I do! It’s been so long since I’ve received applause like this!”

“Uh, honestly, I’m a little embarrassed too.”

“…I want to hide…”

In contrast to my delight at the attention, everyone from “No Leftover Day,” who fought alongside me, was honestly embarrassed and couldn’t feel happy at all.
They’re still young.

“But it was indeed dangerous. Thanks to that, do you think we might have to reconsider the practical deployment of students at Yeongsa High? Since supervillains are too risky, don’t approach the bad guys recklessly anymore?”

If the practical deployment of students was starting to be reconsidered, it meant that the future where Yu Yeoreum could sustain serious injuries or die during the operation was slightly farther away.

But was the story about Samajun and Yeom Hoon being slaughtered by the “Judicator” true?
Before I could even ask about it, the female officer unleashed another torrent of information.

“And this morning, a missing persons report was filed for Seoga-eul from Class F.”

“Missing?”

“What do you mean?”

A stir began to rise.
An even more astonishing story followed.

“And I, Chief Jinri Hyun, believe that the mastermind behind Seoga-eul’s disappearance is right here at Yeongsa High. What I’d like to ask is please don’t turn yourself in. I’ll personally go to capture them.”

With a crack. As the woman loosened her hands and revealed sharp fangs, Chief Jinri Hyun’s name suddenly popped into my head.

I remember Section Chief Kim Jang-dong saying, “One of my subordinates has a knack for sniffing out lies. Keeping my preferences hidden from him isn’t easy—.”

A level 3 superhuman who can see through lies.
Had a calamity-like being invaded my school life?

It’s truly a female calamity!

Why am I so unfortunate because of her?

“Hanam-jjin! What kind of tool should I get from the Treasure Hall? Huh? When I get home today, I have to brag to my mom that I received an award! Lately, everything has been repossessed at home, so I’ve been feeling down, but an award? That’s total lucky bikini!”

# # #

“In that critical moment, I changed the banknotes into chocolate! My concepts have entered the application stage, so I might become level 2 soon.”

“You captured a level 3 fugitive with chocolate? I can’t believe it.”

“I heard Deok-hee played an incredibly important role too, right? Deok-hee, is that true? How did you do it!”

“…….”

When break time came, kids interested in the news that a student had captured a level 3 special criminal flocked around Team “No Leftover Day,” making a ruckus like a market.

Many kids surrounded me too.

“Nam-jin, you stretched for time alone against a level 3 superhuman! How did you do it? Did you show your underwear again?”

“What underwear are you wearing right now? Show me!”

“Hey, Kim Jin! What are you saying! Show your underwear? Kyaaa!”

Kyaaa-. The laughter of the girls sounded delightful.

They say every man experiences a peak moment of popularity at least once in their life; could it be that I’m experiencing that now!

“Shut up, I can’t sleep with all this noise! Everyone get away!”

Buzz. At that moment, Baek Yeoul, who was leaning beside me, swung a frying pan labeled “Misfortune Bongs” at the girls.

“Ah, what’s wrong, Baek Yeoul.”

“Just sleep already. Why are you suddenly losing it?”

The flashy Kim Jin and her gang, akin to a tough sister, seemed startled by Baek Yeoul’s fierce attack, clicking their tongues as they stepped back.

Baek Yeoul, however, didn’t seem satisfied and said to me,

“Hanam-jin! You said you liked Seoga-eul! You even made a wedding invitation! So in the situation where Seoga-eul has gone missing, are you just giggling with other girls? Is that all your heart is worth?”

I never expected Baek Yeoul would hit the nail on the head.

What kind of changes would the widespread knowledge of Seoga-eul’s disappearance bring to my daily life?
Especially with that policewoman wandering the hallways as the biggest variable.

“…Chief Jinri Hyun was a level 3 graduate; back when she was a student, her callsign was “Six Sense.” She had a particularly good intuition…”

During lunch break. As we gathered in the playground and dined on bakery products from the shop, Deok-soon boasted a bit of knowledge about the policewoman.

A woman with a good intuition—.
Indeed, the policewoman had confidently asserted that the mastermind behind Seoga-eul’s disappearance lay within Yeongsa High, hadn’t she?

“Is it true that Yeom Hoon and Samajun died…?”

As Baek Yeoul tilted her head, Chang-sik lifted the purpose-built smartphone for Yeongsa High and started searching something, shaking his head.

“It seems there’s no news on the internet. It could still be under embargo.”

Yeom Hoon died?
He might have been the kind of guy whose death was easily overlooked, but he had once lit the flames of a fallen power plant, saving many people from a harsh winter in a world that would later fall.

I couldn’t understand why he performed such altruistic acts, yet it was undeniable that many survived because of him.

In a way, I refrained from killing or maiming Yeom Hoon because I thought a penalty of eternal “human coal” would suit him better than execution.
I had even considered meeting him regularly for a beating.

To kill that guy?
Whoever that “Judicator” is, I certainly didn’t like him frequently obstructing my plans. Clap-.

Just then, Geum Tae-seong clapped his hands.

“Let’s stop with the gloomy talk. More importantly, you guys are going to choose your ‘treasures’ in the afternoon, right? I also wanted something from the Treasure Hall. Oh, I should just skip my part-time job. I’m so jealous.”

Geum Tae-seong was part of our team, but he couldn’t join this operation due to his part-time job. Honestly, I felt quite sorry about that.

“If ‘Reversal’ is something you want, then that’s it?”

The unusually loud voice from Deok-soon caught everyone’s attention. Then Deok-soon’s face turned beet red as she stumbled over her words.

“Oh, no, nothing at all.”

# # #

Under Yeongsa High, a massive auditorium had been constructed. To be precise, it would be better to call it a bunker, a nuclear bomb shelter.

However, what was inside wasn’t a refuge.

“Don’t stay in too long. This place has all sorts of concepts intertwined, which isn’t good for the mental health of awakened beings like you. You can only bring out one item.”

Following Captain Kang Cheol-min’s words, we entered the “Treasure Hall.” I could only imagine this must feel like stepping into a gigantic library.

“I remember going to the British Museum on a family trip back in the day…”

Baek Yeoul showed off her unique analogy.
The British Museum, isn’t that in England? To go on a family trip to such a place, it seems Baek Yeoul was a real bourgeoisie by birth.
Suddenly, I felt somewhat irritated.

“Ow! Why are you pinching my butt!”

“Just because.”

As Baek Yeoul glared at me, I spotted a doll preserved in a glass case.

It was a porcelain doll that seemed like something little girls in a romance fantasy would adore.

There was a note stuck to the shelf.

【Warning! – Doll D-107 imbued with ‘Possession Lv.2’ concept】

Creak, click-.

A doll waving its hand at me.

“What is this cursed doll?”

The Treasure Hall was filled with items like these. I had a strong desire to view many things, but honestly, since I had my eye on one type of “treasure” even before entering, I didn’t want to waste time.

It’d be good if there were items with concepts like “deception,” “lie,” or “disguise.” That way I could evade the keen investigations of the policewoman.

While wandering around the Treasure Hall with that mindset, I spotted a familiar item.

【Warning! – Concept Unknown Sword W-002】

A sword of unknown concept.
It resembled a short katana.
The reason it caught my eye was that the patterns of the maple inlaid into the scabbard reminded me of the waist of Seoga-eul, whom I had once met in a shantytown.

This was Seoga-eul’s sword. To be exact, it was the sword that future Seoga-eul carried.

“Unknown concept….”

Does it mean that this tool couldn’t be recognized even by unveiling its concepts?
Thinking of scrutinizing it with the eyes of my “emotion,” letters began to arise as I stared at it for a while.

【Name: Maple – Wakizashi

A sword crafted by a legendary artisan. All owners of this sword met terrible deaths.
Ownership: 《???》 – You lack the emotional level to glimpse this.】

So that’s how it is.
Future Seoga-eul also harbored the concept of 《???》. It was perhaps because it was ranked higher than my “emotion” level that I couldn’t verify it.

Still, that sword was undoubtedly a good tool.
Thus, it would be only natural for future Seoga-eul to have used it.

“But I’ll pass.”

It’s not the item I needed right now.
It was while I was still wandering around for a long time.

“Ughhh-. Just a little more—.”

A huge Baek Yeoul appeared.
To be precise, I should say I saw Baek Yeoul’s skirt as she reached for something high up on a ladder.

“Hey, Baek Yeoul, today’s white, huh?”

“Yaaak! Don’t look!”

Clang, clank-.
As Baek Yeoul struggled to cover her rear, it seemed precarious, and she ended up tumbling off the ladder.

Bam, crash-! Scatter.

What a complete mess.
I, unfortunately, found myself awkwardly landing on top of Baek Yeoul’s backside.

“Guah!”

“Ugh! I-I’m sorry! But it wasn’t completely chaotic! Lucky!”

Lucky? What’s lucky about it? All the coins that were in the “storage” jar came spilling onto the floor.

“Such bad luck.”

“It’s… your fault!”

As I brushed myself off and began to pick up the coins on the floor, something grabbed my attention instead of a coin.

Rattle.

Something round.

Considering it was round but had a hole in the middle, it wasn’t a coin at all.
It was so transparent that it was almost invisible.

What is this?
As I squinted at this strange phenomenon, letters began to appear.

【Name: Seed – Ring

A ring that the Fairy King of the Great Labyrinth tried to hide until the very end. It doesn’t easily reveal itself.
Ownership: Expand to see ☜
《???》 – You lack the emotional level to glimpse this.
《Deception Lv.2》 – It is secretive like a jester. It adds a little confusion to the words and actions of its owner.】