The Tough Guy Hides the Villainess - Chapter 100
100 – Become Myth #2
100 – Become Myth #2
6 AM.
Many people had gathered in the school auditorium.
Faces I’d seen at the launch ceremony for the subjugation force.
“Oh, Captain.”
It was good to see Captain Kang Cheol-min, the homeroom instructor for Class D of the 3rd year at Yeongsa High.
Captain Kang Cheol-min, who was also talking to Moon Hyun-ah, the Class F teacher and subjugation squad member, noticed me and came over, patting my shoulder.
“Hanamjin, I heard you’re the vice-commander? How did you get such a position so soon after transferring here?”
“Heh heh! Are you envious, Captain?”
“More ashamed than envious.”
Captain Kang Cheol-min finally let out a deep sigh.
“Adults who have to place such heavy responsibilities on students who haven’t even experienced proper freedom. The adults of my time weren’t like that. That’s not how I was taught.”
That was unexpected.
I thought he’d be just this solid warrior type, but it turns out he’s more sensitive and emotional than I thought.
Later, many of the kids at Yeongsa High, who would be called ‘Supernova’ and brace themselves for a glorious obliteration, maybe it was because of what they’d seen and learned from adults like him?
“Captain, don’t worry. I’m an adult. I’ll come back even more of an adult.”
My body is that of a senior in high school, but my mind is mid-twenties.
And I was a man.
Noticing my resolve, Captain just patted my shoulder.
“Man, honestly, I’m not worried about *you*. But there are three other kids besides you. Seo Gaeul from Class F, Wang Jihyun, and especially Yeo-ul….”
They were certainly still students.
Kids, that’s what they were.
But.
I could say it with conviction.
“I’ll bring them all home.”
“You come back too. This is your home, isn’t it?”
As we were talking, I saw Baek Yeo-ul, shouldering a huge bag, walking into the auditorium from afar.
Her steps were unusually forceful, yet she looked like she was trying hard to force herself to be courageous; like she was scared stiff.
“…Hanamjjin!”
“What’s with that huge bag? Are you a snail?”
The butt with that massive bag on her back made her look just like a snail carrying its house. A bit relieved by my question, Baek Yeo-ul opened her bag and showed me what was inside.
“I packed food! We don’t know how long it’ll take. This is instant combat rations my dad made, and this is a byeokgokdan my mom made—you eat it with water! And this….”
As she was explaining her various items, her hand trembled, just a bit. Seeing tears welling up in her eyes, it seemed like she was overwhelmed with feelings I couldn’t comprehend.
“Name: Baek Yeo-ul
Possessions: Expand to view details ☜
《Misfortune Lv.3》 – Unlucky as the cry of a winter crow.
《Fortune Lv.4》 – Lucky as a bluebird from a fairy tale.
Condition: 《Scared and Sad》 – Afraid of what might happen and sad at the thought of maybe never seeing my family again.”
Suddenly, I remembered what Captain Kang Cheol-min had said as he grabbed my shoulder.
Adults who have no choice but to push children into a pit of death.
I couldn’t help but feel ashamed as well.
But.
Ppangdaengi seemed stronger than I thought.
“Hanamjjin, I’ll definitely protect you! You don’t have to be scared!”
She was actually going to protect *me*?
How?
Looking at the status window, the concept of 「Fortune」 I’d given to Seo Gaeul had somehow gone to Baek Yeo-ul, and maybe that was why she was overflowing with confidence.
“Hey, Hanamjin.”
Someone approached me then.
I thought it was Seo Gaeul, but it was Wang Ja-hyeon.
“Hanamjin, I’m telling you now, there won’t be any spotlight just for you. Especially if you try to hold me back, you’ll regret it.”
That was all he said.
He turned his head sharply and walked away, talking only about what he wanted to say. Ppangdaengi seemed to dislike Wang Ja-hyeon too, as she scowled and growled.
“I hate him! Why is he even here! He’s just going to be a hindrance!”
“Everyone has their immature days.”
“Will he ever grow up, though?”
That’s─, it wouldn’t be fun if I told you beforehand.
I like watching movies, and I know that if someone spoils the plot, it takes away half the fun.
Life is like a movie, so revealing too much of my future knowledge isn’t good manners either.
Anyway, Wang Ja-hyeon seemed to be participating in this subjugation team because of his desire for fame.
Thinking about how Ppangdaengi volunteered for this to protect her cousin and family, it seemed like everyone had their own unique reason for being here.
Everyone is standing here for their own reasons.
But, the moment we enter the Great Labyrinth, everyone will have the same goal.
SURVIVING!
# # #
“Ha Namjin!”
I was just about to head to the bathroom when someone grabbed me.
It was Chairman Seo Do-cheol.
“You haven’t forgotten the promise, have you? The promise we made as men. No matter what, you’ll return my daughter, Gaeul, safe and sound!”
His beard was bristly, and dark circles had settled heavily under his eyes.
He probably hadn’t slept.
Every time he opened his mouth, a strong smell of alcohol wafted out.
“What’s with this ‘boys and girls heading to myth’ nonsense? Stealing kids from their parents and throwing them into a death trap, this world is really fucked up. Is this even a country?”
It didn’t seem like Seo Do-cheol, who had been at the forefront of creating this kind of country, should be saying that.
But a promise is a promise.
I hadn’t forgotten my vow to protect Seo Gaeul.
“You just stay put and don’t cause any trouble while I’m gone, old man.”
When I returned to the auditorium, everyone seemed to be ready to depart.
Moon Hyun-ah, the F-class teacher who possessed the concept of the “Gate,” was standing in the middle of the auditorium. One by one, people approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Jeon Suho!”
People in the auditorium called out the name.
Jeon Suho raised his hand and waved to the crowd.
Shwish, shwish-.
From noble mtl dot com
Jeon Suho vanished, and Wang Ja-hyun stepped forward next.
“Wang Ja-hyun!”
“Wang Ja-hyun!”
Again, the crowd loudly chanted the name of the expedition member.
It looked just like a send-off for returning soldiers or generals. Wang Ja-hyun was trembling as if she was fueled by the sight and the situation.
Shwish, shwish-.
Wang Ja-hyun also disappeared quickly.
And like that, one by one, they entered the Great Labyrinth with a huge cheer of their name.
Looking at this spectacle, Nam Bada muttered, “They all love this useless showmanship.”
“Ha Namjin!”
“Hanamjin!”
When people were shouting my name like that, I didn’t think this whole situation was just some ‘useless facade’.
I could feel anticipation and fear coming from the people chanting my name.
This kind of spectacle, this surge of emotion, must have been something only heroes of old experienced. Was this how the Achaean army felt as they set off for Troy?
The fact that the subjugation squad was heading towards a myth wasn’t a lie after all.
In that sense, it’d probably be good to say something cool to the crowd.
“I am invincible─”
*Shoosh, shoosh-*
Shit!
I was about to drop a cool line when Professor Cogae teleported me into the Great Labyrinth. The sudden change of coordinates made my stomach churn for a second—
But then an unbelievably fresh scent of phytoncides smacked me right in the nose.
I looked up and saw lush, towering trees all around.
And massive, monument-like structures, all tangled up in thick, mysterious vines.
“What the hell is this place.”
When they said they were transferring me to the “Great Labyrinth,” I pictured some place with cold stone walls closing in on all sides, but this place was more like a ‘forest’.
Soon, veteran explorer Jeon Suho, who’d arrived earlier and was checking the situation, whacked me on the back. *Thwack-*
“No time to be spacing out! In the ‘Fairy Forest’, anyone who can’t keep their wits about them gets left behind! Look over there! There’s some dumbass being eaten by a flower.”
“Don’t just stand there, help me!”
Wang Ja-hyun was tangled up in these weird tentacle-like vines and was clearly having a bad time. Shit, I come into the Labyrinth and the first thing I see is a guy getting attacked by tentacles!
Anyway, this place was apparently called the “Fairy Forest.”
The Great Labyrinth sure has a lot of different types of places.
“Actually, it’s more accurate to say it’s an old city rather than a forest. This used to be a city where fairies lived a long time ago. Those monument-looking things are the fairies’ buildings.”
At that moment, a woman wearing a white coat took off her glasses from her chest pocket and put them on.
It was Professor Wi Seon-a, who taught special classes at Yeongsa High School.
“The Great Labyrinth connected to Yeongsa High School is beneath this city. This place is, so to speak, the surface. Surface and underground. Understand?”
“Perfectly understood.”
I get that this place is the surface of the Great Labyrinth.
And so, naturally, one question arose.
“Why are we on the surface, of all places?”
“That was Captain Namba’s order. He said that we need a wide open area to make the most of our numerical advantage. Just imagine meeting Nam Woo-joo in a cramped space. It’d be terrible.”
That’s right.
An empty lot is good for a gang beating.
Looking around like that, I saw huge rocks floating in the air.
On top of those rocks, buildings had been erected, like those floating castles from fairy tales. That’s gotta be what they mean by ’em.
“That? That’s the fairy palace. We still don’t know what principle makes it float, or how they could have built a palace in the air. Heh heh heh heh-.”
Doctor Wi Seon-ah seemed like the type who knew a lot and liked to show it off.
She wasn’t a bad person.
Small-chested, but with a kind heart, enough to be called ‘Mama’.
“The fairy civilization was more highly developed than we think. It’s the explorer’s mission to investigate it and make it our own.”
Whooosh-
Wi Seon-ah gazed up at the fairy palace high in the sky.
“But, we still haven’t figured out why such an advanced civilization disappeared overnight. Why did the fairies abandon their cities and palaces and flee into the Great Maze?”
“It’s gotta be because of the Minds!”
Jeon Su-ho, who looked like a laborer even though he was only in his 20s, shouted heartily. The fairy civilization was destroyed because of the Minds – it was a plausible story.
But Dr. Wi Seon-ah, in her white coat, thought differently.
“According to recent studies, becoming a Mind might be limited to us modern humans. It’s because the reaction of not being able to accept the ‘concept’ of the fairy world is what turns you into a Mind.”
“Doctor, if that’s what you say, then that means fairies don’t have to worry about the reaction even when using the power of concepts? They wouldn’t have to knit every day because of the concept of ‘steel’ like I do!”
Fairies don’t become Minds because they don’t experience the reaction of a concept –
That was an interesting story, but unfortunately, we weren’t here to explore the fairy world.
To settle the messy atmosphere, I shouted to everyone,
“Everyone, as soon as you’re ready, I’ll summon the Mind of the ‘Star’ here!”
The concept stone of ‘Conquest’ in my pocket felt as hot as if it were burning.