novelraw Chapter 240 : Chapter 240
Chapter 240 : Chapter 240
Chapter 240: Training
Back at the hideout.
Because he had called for them in advance, all of Unhappy's direct executives were gathered in the executive conference room.
Even though it had now become a villain organization large enough to be counted among the top in this country, the executives who could gather in this conference room were still the same initial members.
Wolf Fang, Min Ha-rin, the 4 executives from the old organization, and Slasher.
Besides them, the ones who could be called middle management or executives ultimately didn't know Ho-cheol's face, so a big difference existed between them.
Wolf Fang, who had entered with Ho-cheol, sat down first, while Ho-cheol leaned his body with his arms crossed, resting his shoulder against the doorframe.
“Today, I had fun sowing discord among the S-rank Heroes. But we're not gathered specifically for that matter.”
In the first place, that was a simple task that didn't require the guys here.
Rather, acting together would only raise the S-rank Heroes' guard.
It was a matter many times more important than such trivial things.
A serious issue.
Then what subject had he gathered them for.
―While the executives were wearing puzzled expressions, Ho-cheol took out his cell phone and pressed the screen for a moment.
And not long after.
Dudadadadada―
The sound of energetic running was heard from afar.
And in an instant, it closed the distance and arrived right next to Ho-cheol.
“I'm here!”
Her cheeks were bright red, showing how much she had been harassed while he was away.
Ho-cheol grabbed the shoulder of Ji-an, who was standing next to him, and pulled her to his side.
He introduced Ji-an.
“This is Ji-an, brought here as a hostage for various reasons. It's a similar case to Smiley and Sword Demon's kin who were caught last time.”
“Ah, uh, Mister. But until when am I a hostage?”
At Ji-an's question, Ho-cheol briefly rolled his eyes left and right, running calculations in his head.
And the answer that came out was.
“Undecided. Probably until the work here is finished.”
The Association, too, was highly likely to target Ji-an, whether as a hostage or a test subject.
The justification was pretty good, so it was the only pretext they had to ignore public opinion and pressure this side.
The only means to pressure Ho-cheol other than this, no matter how much I thought about it, was the grave where his parents slept.
No matter how crazy those bastards were, they wouldn't touch that.
Not out of consideration for Ho-cheol, but if such an act even got out as a rumor, let alone citizens, even villains.
Ah, this is a bit much.
They'd say, and the Association's image would truly be driven into the ground.
At the indefinite wait, Ji-an instead cheered.
“Yahoo!”
This is the best.
If it had been a week, or at most a month, she would have been disappointed.
Didn't this mean she could stick by Ho-cheol's side continuously now?
She clung to Ho-cheol's arm again, overjoyed.
She expressed her joy with her whole body, lightly nibbling on his forearm.
Of course, Ji-an was the only one who was happy.
Unlike the soft atmosphere between the two, a harsher-than-ever current flowed inside the conference room.
It wasn't just heavy; blatant hostility and killing intent were directed at Ji-an.
Ho-cheol turned his head and looked inside the conference room.
“Now. Well, what you all want to say. I know it well.”
Their reaction was well within his expectations.
That was why, unlike the previous two, he had brought Ji-an directly to the conference room.
The 4 executives Ho-cheol had taken out of the Association's treatment facility.
Their relationship with Ji-an was quite complicated.
No, it wasn't even complicated.
Ji-an, who had once been wildly off track, hadn't cared about the means, and the 4 executives were simply used as one of those means.
What's more, that had happened just a few months ago.
It was only natural that their eyes were burning with vengeance.
“Truly an ambiguous relationship.”
He started speaking with an atmosphere of understanding, but the reality was completely different.
“So what are you going to do. Charge at her in front of me, calling it revenge?”
At Ho-cheol's one blunt, annoyed remark, the menacing atmosphere from just a moment ago subsided a bit.
Of course, they just couldn't express it blatantly; their expressions were still full of vengeance and displeasure.
Ho-cheol looked back and forth between the 4 executives and Ji-an with his arms crossed.
Like Dayeon's and Ye-jin's case, they were also Ji-an's victims.
But unlike last time, Ji-an's expression showed not the slightest hint of apology or remorse.
“You don't feel very sorry, do you.”
“……No. They were villains.”
“That's true.”
This time, he asked the 4 executives.
“You guys, honestly, even if the 4 of you ganged up on her, you can't beat her. The reason you're still burning with vengeance. Is it because you think you can win this time?”
“That's right. Last time, we were completely overwhelmed, but she has certainly gotten weaker now. It looks like there's a chance now.”
As Assassin nodded, his long beard swayed.
“Then why don't you pounce?”
“Isn't it blatantly obvious that she's under the Boss's protection right now? Setting aside getting killed like a dog if we charge, we'd have nothing to do if we get kicked out of here.”
Vulture propped his chin on his hand and sighed.
These men weren't doing villainy under Ho-cheol simply for money or crime.
These 4 executives weren't in it for such secondary things; they were completely mesmerized by the future Ho-cheol would show them.
In reality, their boss was currently aiming his sword at the most powerful group in the country.
To be blinded by a moment of vengeance and become unable to see the end of it was more agonizing.
“Right. Well, in the end, the reason you talk about revenge and what not. It wasn't so in the past, but now it's because you think you're stronger than her. Because you think you can wipe the floor with her. You can say that because you have that confidence, right?”
If these ill feelings remained, if something were to happen, it would blow up big.
And if that situation happened when he wasn't around, the aftermath would be difficult to handle.
If that was the problem, then better now.
Ho-cheol nodded his head.
“Then have a go.”
The past between a villain and a citizen could only be resolved if the villain unconditionally bowed their head, but this time, it was villain versus villain.
“Let's sort out the hierarchy cleanly right here. You know the villain's rules, right? The weak can't take revenge on the strong, nor can they demand an apology.”
Clearly setting the hierarchy wouldn't be bad.
Among villains, regardless of who was at fault, the ratio of negligence, or the apology, it was the weak who did it to the strong.
At those words, the 4 executives, and of course, Ji-an, brightened up.
Her eyes sparkling, she asked.
“Can I stomp them with all my might?”
“Can you even win?”
“Huhuhu.”
Ji-an just laughed meaningfully instead of answering.
***
The 4 executives' confident revenge match, the fight ended rather anticlimactically.
Ji-an had clearly gotten weaker.
To the extent that Ho-cheol, and of course, even the 4 executives, clearly realized it.
She had used her Trait excessively to protect others during Smiley's attack on Clington, and due to that overclock, she had sustained permanent damage to her Trait.
Although their output didn't reach S-rank, through combat experience and sense, the 4 executives' skills were individually on par with S-rank.
On top of that, they were somewhat proficient in coordinated combat.
That's why Ho-cheol couldn't just side with Ji-an's victory.
If it was 1-on-1, it would be Ji-an's unconditional victory, but 4-on-1, it was about 50-50.
However, just before the match, Ji-an swallowed a suspicious seed and suddenly became more than twice as strong.
An absurd doping, and the match ended in an instant.
Tree roots that shot up from the floor briefly hindered the executives' movements, and she subdued them by swinging vines from her hands like a whip.
Effective doping, but no one called it cowardly.
In the first place, anyone who minded such things in a villain fight was treated as an idiot.
Of course, that was just among villains that there was no gossip; as her guardian, it was hard for Ho-cheol to look upon it favorably.
Thanks to Ji-an's desperate excuse that there were absolutely no side effects, he just glossed over it for now.
Now that the hierarchy was clearly sorted like this, they probably wouldn't arrogantly charge in for revenge for a while.
Right.
Now, there shouldn't be any discord within the organization.
It had to be that way.
“Haah.”
Ho-cheol sighed and touched his forehead with his fingertips.
His head was pounding.
Why on earth did things turn out like this.
Kaang―! Chaeng―! Kwaang―!
At the clear roar of battle, he looked straight ahead.
Dayeon and Ye-jin, and on top of that, Ji-an.
When left alone, they were definitely fine kids.
But why did they suddenly turn into troublemakers when the three of them were gathered?
It was as if there was a synergy effect, the trouble just kept getting bigger.
Krrrr―
Ji-an, pushed far back, bared her teeth and let out a beast-like sound.
Where did the composed and mature appearance from just before, when she fought the 4 executives, go?
Now, she looked somewhat more lacking than her peers.
Which side was her true self?
Even while having such thoughts, Ji-an charged at Dayeon and Ye-jin again.
He recalled the cause of this situation again.
Dread Archer's autograph and Sword Demon's letter.
He had just gone to deliver them to Dayeon, who was in the training room.
But when he was about to give them to her, Dayeon blushed and ran to the shower room, saying she'd wash up because she smelled of sweat.
Up to that point, there was no problem at all.
But then Ye-jin appeared late and asked if there was a present for her.
Even at this point, he thought he could just gloss it over.
However.
When Ji-an also appeared, things suddenly got quite complicated.
No, even at this point, it could have been managed somehow.
The letter couldn't be helped, so he'd let it pass, and he decided to give his own autograph to each of the other two instead.
Then Dayeon, who had returned from washing up, refuted it.
She meant that she, too, preferred Ho-cheol's autograph over Dread Archer's.
But since he couldn't take back a gift he had already promised, she insisted on having both.
At this, Ye-jin flared up.
Then why do you get two.
I need to get two of Mister's autographs.
Then give me one more, too.
Isn't getting three and a letter on top of that being a thief?
The letter is separate.
And who's a thief?
The thief is the one who secretly from the laundry room, Professor's clothes…….
Ack! Aaaaaaah! Ack ack ack! Just die!
And so on, they continued an absurd argument that even a 10-year-old wouldn't have, and in the end.
For some reason, the conclusion was to have a fight.
Autographs or whatever, the winner would get to do as they pleased.
The series of events was so absurd that Ho-cheol didn't even have a chance to intervene.
Above all, there were some quite ominous words in the middle of the conversation.
Watching the three fight fiercely again, Ho-cheol let out what was probably his umpteenth sigh.
“Haah. What should I do with these golden-childs?”
A student of Clington Academy.
The boss of a villain organization.
A hero intern.
When those tags were attached, the three of them were always aware of the weight of their words and actions and were cautious.
But now, they had shed all such trivial things and were living freely, completely as individuals.
Though it was closer to 'at will' than 'freedom'.
Before long, the three's fight also ran to its end.
At least it seemed they weren't showing the disgrace of grabbing each other's hair.
The result was, perhaps naturally, Ji-an's victory.
Although she was in much worse shape than usual due to the doping's side effects, the difference in their fundamentals was just too large.
Wiping away a trickle of blood from her nose, Ji-an held up her hand and made a V.
“I turned them into rice cakes!”
“What an expression. So you're getting all 6 autographs?”
“No. We decided to just get one autograph each, but instead, I protected my cheeks!”
Now, Dayeon could no longer squish her cheeks at will.
Ye-jin and Dayeon, sprawled out in a star shape, stared at Ji-an's cheeks, chewing their lips as if in resentment.
To no longer be able to squish those squishy, warm cheeks to their heart's content under the justification of being victims.
It was so regrettable.
“Well, what's done is done. You, first.”
Ho-cheol, with his arms crossed, scanned Ji-an thoroughly from top to bottom.
Until now, thanks to her overwhelming output, a Trait that was both offense and defense in one, and instinctive combat sense, it wasn't very noticeable.
But thanks to today's battle, which extremely limited her output, he found out clearly.
Unlike Dayeon and Ye-jin, her Trait operation, as well as her fundamentals for moving her body, were a total mess.
“You will also receive training with them from now on.”
“Eh? Ah, okay!”
She was vaguely happy that her time with Ho-cheol had increased.
However, she couldn't help but be flustered at the words that followed.
“Just know that you won't be seeing my face until you've mastered all the basic training.”
“……Huh?”
If it's training, isn't it something we do while rubbing bodies together?