novelraw Chapter 248 : Chapter 248
Chapter 248 : Chapter 248
Chapter: 248. Preparation (2)
Smiley's safe house.
The first visitor arrived at that secret place unknown to anyone in this country.
"Thanks. Bear Demon!"
Smiley smiled brightly and patted the Sword Demon on the shoulder from behind.
Brushing off the hand patting his shoulder, the Sword Demon corrected her.
"It's Sword Demon. And I didn't come to receive thanks."
"Geez, so picky."
Smiley smirked and returned to her seat.
Her expression, tone, and even the atmosphere.
She was even more impatient than herself, who barely had a week left to live.
"You have no room in your heart."
Smiley and the Sword Demon sat facing each other across a square table.
"Here."
So-hee brought a small tray from the kitchen.
She put down the cup roughly.
Clatter—
Even while placing the coffee in front of the Sword Demon, So-hee's gaze was not entirely pleasant.
Although she had never been personally involved with the Sword Demon, she knew his relationship with Ho-cheol well.
And naturally, as Ho-cheol's ally, her image of the Sword Demon was rock bottom.
But the Sword Demon didn't even pay attention to the uncomfortable gaze directed at him.
In the first place, it wasn't a situation relaxed enough to care about such things.
As if he had no interest in the coffee, the Sword Demon immediately brought up the main topic.
"Did you really die and come back to life?"
The hand on the table clenched into a fist.
Veins bulged on the back of his hand.
He was included among the very few heroes who knew about Smiley's resurrection.
Normally, he would be in a position where he couldn't leave Smiley alone, considering she had committed all sorts of crimes including the Clington terror attack.
But today, he hadn't come to catch her.
No, on the contrary, he had folded his pride and beliefs as a hero and joined hands with the criminal Smiley.
That's how much his lingering attachment and longing for his deceased wife clouded the Sword Demon's judgment.
However, his purpose wasn't exactly to revive his wife.
"And no one else can be revived anymore?"
It was to cut off the lingering attachment that still remained deep inside.
In the first place, the deal Smiley had proposed by approaching the Sword Demon first wasn't his wife's resurrection either.
"That's right."
Smiley, holding the coffee cup with both hands, nodded slowly.
She originally didn't enjoy coffee much, but perhaps her taste had changed after coming back from the dead.
It was tastier than she thought.
Sipping a mouthful of coffee, she continued speaking.
"Well, the guy who has the technique to revive people was caught by Ho-cheol. But actually, for people on our level, that's not a big problem, is it?"
It's a technique already developed once.
If manpower and time were poured in somehow, it wouldn't be impossible to recreate it.
In fact, the Sword Demon had been thinking similarly.
If Ho-cheol hadn't periodically left warnings, he would have made a move a long time ago.
To cut off the Sword Demon's lingering attachment, the statement of Smiley, the very person who resurrected, carried significant weight.
She explained the side effects of the resurrection technique in detail.
The accelerated collapse of the body, the new personality for resurrection, and even the sense of incongruity and foreignness coming from the disparity between body and mind.
"Those side effects are parts they completely gave up on improving on that side too. Control is one thing, but they couldn't find a method until the end."
"Then how are you suppressing that new personality?"
"I didn't suppress it. It hid itself."
The new personality that dominated the resurrected Smiley's body in the past was completely asleep.
More precisely, it handed over control and hid.
Unlike the real Smiley who endured all kinds of pain as a hero and a terminally ill patient, the newly created personality couldn't withstand the pain of the body collapsing.
Even the new personality with overwhelming combat power couldn't endure the collapse of the body, that pain.
"It had enough patience to smile even if an arm or leg was blown off. But a guy like that couldn't hold on and ran away. Can an ordinary person endure that pain?"
Furthermore, the Sword Demon's wife was an Awakener, but she was close to a civilian.
If she were to experience the pain Smiley went through as it is, could she really withstand it?
"Don't decide someone else's life arbitrarily just out of the selfishness of simply wanting to see them. For the person brought back to life, every minute, every second from the moment they open their eyes is hell."
It's not a metaphorical expression.
Smiley could assert it.
If it were an ordinary person, the pain would be enough to make them rather kill themselves.
What if you revived a loved one, only for them to commit suicide unable to bear the pain as soon as they came back to life?
Could there be another situation as ridiculous as that?
The Sword Demon moved his lips for a long time before asking.
"Just to convey a last goodbye? Both I and she would have a lot to say."
A few days.
A few hours.
No, even a few minutes of reprieve would be fine.
If only they could say one last word.
He wanted to convey even 1% of the countless emotions and words he wanted to say.
However, Smiley only shook her head firmly.
"Well, if you revive her out of greed, I'm not confident I can persuade you otherwise. But at least for the sake of the person you're shamelessly reviving, it's better not to say such nonsense."
Smiley let out a faint sigh and looked out the window.
The sunset visible in the distance, gradually fading and appearing as if burning at the final moment, was just like herself.
She clenched her fist.
Even though less than a few hours had passed since the video spread, strength was endlessly welling up in her body.
It was truly a contradictory situation.
"The revived me is definitely in hell right now."
Even while having this conversation, Smiley felt intense pain to the point where she thought it would be better to die.
"Even so, the reason I'm holding on somehow. It's not simply because I want to live longer, but because I have something to do."
There was work left that she had to do, work only she could do.
The Sword Demon didn't say anything for a long time.
Only when the steaming coffee had cooled down coldly did he slowly raise his body.
"In the end. In the end, if I truly care for her, giving up is the best option."
"It's fortunate if you understood."
Smiley smiled, gathering her hands to support her chin.
"Still, it's advice I gave because you're not a bad person. Because no matter how many excellent heroes there are in this world, it's never enough."
Rising from his seat, the Sword Demon turned toward the door.
However, just before leaving, he asked.
"You said you had work left to do. What is that?"
Instead of answering, Smiley slowly raised her hand and clenched her fist.
Even though less than a few hours had passed since the video spread, the power flowing in through her Trait was endlessly welling up.
It was truly a contradictory situation.
Although her body was dying, her strength hadn't been this full since her resurrection.
"Hmm. Before dying, I thought that was the best, but thinking about it again now, it seems like it might not be actually. So……."
Relaxing her hand again, she waved it gently.
"I'm looking for a proper place to die."
***
Finishing a half-day outing, Ho-cheol returned.
He looked at the Purple Crystal Sword hanging at his waist.
He had no doubt that today's outing would definitely become a 'hidden card' in the final battle with Smiley ahead.
He had recovered all the damage accumulated from the battle with the Association President, and now he just had to maintain his peak condition.
Other things to do would be…….
Sitting at the desk again, he immediately took out a blank sheet of paper and grabbed a pen.
Moving the pen ceaselessly, he spoke to Wolf Fang who was standing awkwardly.
"Bring the troublemakers."
"Ah, yes."
Even if Ho-cheol called them troublemakers, it was obvious who they were.
Like that, a few minutes later, Wolf Fang brought three people.
Along with Ha-rin who had been supervising their training as well.
Even though they entered the office, Ho-cheol didn't even give a glance to the three.
Still writing something quickly with his pen, he spoke briefly.
"You guys. Go now."
"Where?"
"Go home."
His attitude, not even making eye contact, was endlessly blunt.
The decisive battle with Smiley is just two days away.
The reason he kidnapped and protected them was to prevent Smiley's hostages from increasing.
And now that there was no longer a need for that, sending them back was the natural order.
The worst situation, the best situation Ho-cheol had in mind.
Whichever it was, there would be no reason for them to get hurt.
"But why me?"
If that was the purpose, calling only Da-yeon and Ye-jin would have been enough.
There was absolutely no reason to call her too.
However, Ho-cheol raised his head slightly and gestured briefly with his chin.
"You go home too."
Ji-an asked back in confusion.
"Yes? Eh? Eeeh?"
Naturally, she thought he would only send those two back.
Those people had places to return to, but she didn't.
Above all, she was kept not because of Smiley, but because of the Association?
"Anyway, the Association won't have the time to care about you now either."
With Smiley's video, the situation was such that they couldn't even properly start investigating the Association President's disappearance.
Even at the Dean's level, he would be able to protect her sufficiently again.
"S-Still!"
Ji-an stamped her feet.
Just yesterday, they opened up their hearts, poured out all their hurt feelings, and she thought they had finally become close.
Then he should maintain this soft atmosphere for at least a week.
Kicking her out after just one day wasn't right!
"I-I'll turn dark again!"
"Really?"
When Ho-cheol asked in a slightly serious tone, she relaxed the strength in her two fists.
"……No."
Just as she felt hurt by Ho-cheol, she knew Ho-cheol would be hurt if she spoke like that.
Even as empty words, she couldn't say that carelessly.
Only then did the other two also come to their senses and try to stop Ho-cheol.
"Wait a minute! Professor!"
"It's too sudden, even if you say so……."
"Still, I don't want tooooooo!"
The three whined simultaneously.
Ho-cheol rubbed above his wrinkles with the back of his ballpoint pen while narrowing his brows.
Then, glancing sideways, he asked Wolf Fang and Ha-rin.
"How much longer do I have to listen to these kids whining?"
Only then did the two snap out of it and drag the three out.
The three's cries full of injustice gradually grew distant and then could no longer be heard.
Wolf Fang, returning alone, scratched the back of his head as if finding it a bit strange.
"Why did you do that?"
"Do what."
"It wasn't like your usual self, should I say you were too sensitive. You were sharp. Above all, that expression……."
Wolf Fang pondered on the expression for a moment before finally making up his mind and speaking.
"Because you looked like someone going to die, it's even more so. Those kids felt that too, and their reactions became a bit intense."
Ho-cheol's atmosphere was different from usual to the extent that even Wolf Fang could feel it plainly.
Furthermore, those three who were overflowing with interest in Ho-cheol naturally recognized that sense of incongruity and more.
"I know."
Looking back at himself just now, Ho-cheol had no choice but to admit it.
There were many ways to send them back more softly, gently, and slowly.
However, Ho-cheol stopped his pen and asked Wolf Fang.
"So what?"
"……Nothing. I apologize."
Of course, if Ho-cheol acted coldly like this, he didn't feel entirely good either.
However, there was a reason to send them back even now.
If he resolved Smiley's matter right away, there was absolutely no reason for Ho-cheol to bother forming a villain organization again and doing useless things.
He intended to catch every single executive currently serving as subordinates and put them back in prison.
If they were still in the hideout then, there was a possibility they could be taken hostage in reverse.
Buds of anxiety should be cut off in advance.
But if he explained all that to the three, wouldn't the guys next to him hear it all too?
Rather than having information leak and things get twisted, it was much better to be hated briefly and resolve it later.
"Then I'll get going."
"Wait."
Ho-cheol stopped Wolf Fang who was about to leave like that.
He took out envelopes from the drawer and folded the densely written papers into them.
He divided the papers into several envelopes and sealed them.
As he held out several envelopes, Wolf Fang received them obediently while being puzzled.
"What is this?"
"Just in case I don't come back, distribute them according to the names written on the envelopes. Ah, you asked what it was in the first place, right?"
He shrugged his shoulders lightly.
"My will."