Chapter 68 : Chapter 68
Chapter 68: Russia’s S-Class Assassin (2)
“He was a man with this kind of charm?”
Unlike Baenov’s softly ringing voice, his hand was stained with thick blood.
Jin-ho, who had been capturing Baenov in his eyes with a blank expression, shouted.
“Kang Tae-wook!”
“Don’t make a fuss. It just grazed me.”
A large wound was visible on Kang Tae-wook’s forearm, who was blocking Jin-ho’s front.
“Even if I had no intention of killing in one shot, isn’t this amazing? To think you’d defend with a Unique Skill in that short moment. And while protecting a friend too.”
He had no intention of killing, but that didn’t mean he had any intention of sparing them either.
Although speaking right before an assassination was already losing the will as an assassin.
Since Jin-ho, who couldn’t understand the language, was the target of the attack, he thought he could substitute it with his own leisure and arrogance.
But to think that guy would block it.
In Baenov’s gaze, the ice surrounding Kang Tae-wook was visible.
Ice protecting the upper body like a defensive shield.
It must have been his first time seeing ‘Shadow Step,’ which allows movement from shadow to shadow.
To think he would block it by using even his Unique Skill in that short time.
Honestly, he could understand everything else.
Since he was a kid who excited him.
Naturally, he thought he was someone extraordinary.
Since he’s A-Rank, he must be strong.
So, he could understand it all.
Just one thing Baenov couldn’t understand was.
“He doesn’t look like someone who would throw his body to save another person? If my eyes aren’t wrong.”
“Shut up. I didn’t save him. I just blocked because you came out so slowly.”
“Oho…….hot and cold? You’re like that.”
Baenov smacked his lips.
Because the more he knew about this kid in front of his eyes, the more interesting he was.
While assassinating, no, while killing many people, Baenov had seen many things he should and shouldn’t see.
He prided himself on having captured the bottom of humans in his eyes many times, and having seen the final moments of life where human nature is revealed the best more than anyone else.
So he thought he recognized people better than anyone.
“You have the same eyes as me. Meaning, we are of the same kind.”
“Don’t compare me with a murderer like you who reeks of blood. I am…….”
“A human who wants to be recognized like crazy.”
“…….”
At Baenov’s voice piercing through his inner side, Kang Tae-wook’s expression stopped.
“Although I don’t know who the target is. A weak guy who wants to be recognized for being alive. A pitiful soul crying like a child because he endlessly craves affection but hasn’t entered those eyes yet.”
Through the androgynous tone, there were plenty of awls that made the heart numb.
“How is it, am I wrong?”
Kang Tae-wook’s concentration was blurring.
The tension holding his body and mind was being sucked into the unconscious.
And there.
Something he didn’t want anyone to discover.
There was a crying child.
Still trapped in a dark room.
Young Kang Tae-wook who hadn’t grown up yet.
Kang Tae-wook’s mind was sinking into the swamp of the bottomless pit…….
Then.
Slap!!
Along with a sticky sound.
Lightning struck Kang Tae-wook’s mind which was falling endlessly.
Along with stinging pain, a tingling pain rushed in.
And a voice was heard.
“Snap out of it!”
Color was painted on the unfocused pupils.
Jin-ho’s face came fully into Kang Tae-wook’s view.
Honest, yet soft, kind yet firm.
With a strong expression.
So.
With an appearance resembling that human.
“I don’t know what he’s saying, but don’t play into the pervert’s words, Kang Tae-wook!”
Over Jin-ho’s appearance.
Kang Tae-wook saw Teacher Yoo jin overlapping.
Kang Tae-wook and Jin-ho looked at each other for a long while.
Then.
“Ah…….”
“What?”
“Hurts…….”
“What?”
“It hurts!!”
Kang Tae-wook’s fist struck Jin-ho’s cheek.
Jin-ho fell backward just like that.
Thud!
Baenov, who was watching this, had his eyes wide open.
Jin-ho, who fell on the floor, quickly raised his body and shouted towards Kang Tae-wook.
“Why did you hit me!”
“Why did you hit me!”
At the voice of the counterattack that flew back in less than a second, Jin-ho scratched his cheek.
“Sometimes when I can’t get a hold of myself…… Teacher Yoo jin does this…….”
Glare!
When Kang Tae-wook’s eyes turned into arrowheads towards him, Jin-ho stopped making excuses and shut his mouth.
“No, looking like that, what kind of answer do you expect…….”
“What?!”
“Nothing…….”
Jin-ho, who was sitting on the floor, protruded his lips like a goldfish.
Tae-wook didn’t like that appearance very much, but he couldn’t say anything right now.
Because it was none other than Jin-ho who grabbed his mind that almost sank and pulled it up.
He also didn’t like that the teacher’s appearance was seen overlapping.
But now wasn’t the time to care about such things.
Just.
Although he couldn’t spit it out of his mouth.
He had no choice but to be thankful.
To think he tried to let go of his mind with such a ghost in front of his eyes.
In Kang Tae-wook’s gaze, a huge man capturing him in his eyes with shining pupils was visible.
A human who showed no gaps even though he seemed to be just standing.
Smiling, but killing intent emitting from his whole body.
A murderer showing confidence that he could eat them up anytime, who were in front of his eyes.
A dungeon is where you can die with a single moment of carelessness.
However, an existence more dangerous than the monsters inside was in front of his eyes.
With an expression wanting to eat him up right now.
“It seems that guy saved you this time. You guys must be close?”
“Shut up. We aren’t that kind of relationship.”
“Oho……. Since you react like that, I want to know even more. Your relationship. Don’t tell me…… the partner you want to be acknowledged by is this weak-looking kid?”
“I don’t fall for such cheap provocation anymore. And watch your mouth. That guy can’t understand Russian, but he isn’t weak.”
As soon as Kang Tae-wook’s words ended, Baenov’s brow crumpled.
Before he knew it, Kang Tae-wook’s face, who was talking to him, was hidden from his view.
Because he noticed someone had intruded into his territory.
In Baenov’s blue pupils, Jin-ho entering his bosom was visible.
Blue flames emitting from his legs.
It seemed he closed the distance at once with that skill.
Jin-ho’s fist stretched out towards Baenov’s liver.
Bam!!
The blue flame contained in the straight punch caused an explosion with a roar.
Flames and smoke became thick in the air where Jin-ho was standing.
“Got him……. There is no way.”
Clap clap clap!
Kang Tae-wook reacted first to the sound of applause heard from the back.
“Whew……. This surprised me. How long has it been since I dodged.”
The blonde murder devil was slowly revealing his body from the shadow of a small rock.
“Are you guys really A-Rank? The A-Ranks I dealt with couldn’t do this much?”
It seemed it wasn't just movement from human shadows.
Well, although he naturally thought it would be so, confirming with thoughts and eyes were completely different things.
“I know who you are. Russia’s S-Class assassin, Baenov, right?”
At Kang Tae-wook’s voice, the corners of Baenov’s mouth went up.
“This is an honor? To think a kid like you would know me exactly.”
“You’re quite famous. For an S-Class going around killing weak guys instead of clearing dungeons.”
“Such provocation doesn’t work on me, kid. I’ve rolled in the underworld for years…….”
“It seems you still have the desire to be recognized left? Or the existence you want to be recognized by disappeared.”
“…….”
For the first time since coming here, Baenov’s expression became real.
The expressionless face floating above the mask.
The expression of the man smiling leisurely had disappeared.
“Must be right. You gave a hint earlier. That we are similar. So I tried probing once. But…… didn’t you fall for it too easily? You could die doing that.”
Baenov, who confirmed Kang Tae-wook’s smile, moved his head quickly.
One kid who was standing there just a moment ago had disappeared.
Then.
He must be flying in from a blind spot.
Back?
Below?
No.
Above!
As he raised his head, Jin-ho’s figure rushing quickly was visible.
This much was enough time to dodge still.
He thought so.
But.
“When…….”
His legs didn’t move.
Legs frozen completely together with the ground.
“When do you think, earlier.”
Grin.
In Baenov’s view, Kang Tae-wook’s smiling face was visible.
And his view was eaten by blue flames.
KABOOOOM!!
***
Land!
“Whew……. I felt the attack went in properly this time.”
Jin-ho, who landed quickly, moved next to Kang Tae-wook.
“Don’t relax your tension yet. He is still S-Class.”
Still, Kang Tae-wook thought this time was different from earlier.
The empty air visible in front of his eyes.
Because the blue flames still burning there came into view.
Traces of moving via shadows were not visible either.
There is clearly a difference in rank.
However, even if they couldn’t finish him, he thought it would be quite a critical hit this time.
As someone who fought first.
Because he knew the power of that attack better than anyone.
“Let’s find another exit in this gap.”
“Can we do that? You just said not to relax tension…….”
“We should be able to buy that much time. Fighting continuously like this, the odds of winning are…….”
“You do know there aren’t any?”
Chills―.
In an instant, goosebumps rose all over Tae-wook’s body.
Twisting his body towards where the sound was heard, he quickly summoned ice and made it like armor.
Paat!
Steam rose up.
Fortunately, the ice was properly playing the role of a shield before the guy’s attack.
“Why did you think I would be there? Think carefully. Who I attacked first from earlier.”
Threatening pressure tightening Tae-wook’s breath in an instant and making his whole body tense.
Tae-wook clenched his teeth and squeezed his hand.
However, the place reacting the most in his body was his legs.
Tap!
“Do you know why I kill humans, not monsters?”
Tap!
Tae-wook was kicking his legs with all his might.
“Because you make expressions like that.”
In Tae-wook’s gaze.
Preempting Jin-ho’s back.
The assassin’s cold face was visible.
“No!!”
***
The last zone where the barrier was.
As time passed, the teachers’ anxiety grew.
After sending all the waiting students into the dorms, the remaining teachers all gathered here.
“Shouldn’t we contact the Association even now?”
“Wouldn’t we be able to solve it amongst ourselves for now?”
“Solve it amongst ourselves? The kids are trapped right now! No one knows what’s happening inside there!”
The teachers’ agitated voices tangled and crossed each other.
“Calm down, everyone!”
Kang Hye-rin spoke coldly.
There was a clear meaning of warning mixed in her voice.
“What’s important is the children’s safety. Whether it’s the Association or the school, making a decision quickly is the priority.”
The atmosphere subsided for a moment.
“If we contact the Association, even the media will get involved. If that happens…….”
Jin Tae-jin blurred his words and looked around reading the room.
“Then are you saying we should cover it up?”
Someone threw words sharply.
“Not that meaning! A bit more carefully!”
Just as an argument was about to continue again, Kang Hye-rin cut it off firmly.
“Enough. I will make the decision. I will take responsibility so everyone just prepare. First to the Principal…….”
Then.
“Ah!!”
Lee Si-wang, who was staying quiet, opened his mouth.
And all gazes there turned towards Lee Si-wang.
“Why didn’t I think of that? Haha, geez!”
At the appearance of Lee Si-wang clapping and laughing crazily alone, not only the teachers but also Ye-na and the kids showed anxious eyes.
To show laughter in this critical situation, naturally, it didn’t look normal.
“Um…… Vice Guild Master, I don’t know what you thought of, but right now is a critical situation so please restrain yourself…….”
“I am sorry. But I can’t hide my joy.”
An answer that was twisted somewhere.
It had no choice but to look like that.
Jin Tae-jin, who was holding back, raised his voice at Lee Si-wang.
“Just what do you want to do right now? Are you perhaps taking revenge for earlier? The kids are trapped right now, what nonsense! Can’t you grasp the situation right now? This is a situation where even a passing dog would read the room.”
“Exactly!”
“Yes? What are you saying right now…….”
“Even a passing dog would see it’s a critical situation, right?”
“That is true, but what does that have to do with right now…….”
“If it’s to the extent that even a passing dog would know it’s a critical situation, naturally…… there is no way Teacher Yoo jin wouldn’t know.”
A person called a Returnee.
***
Thud.
Thud.
To Baenov’s ears, who was preparing to eat the children’s hearts.
New footsteps were heard.
“It’s you, the guy who followed us since the first day of the field trip.”
Yoo jin appeared in front of Baenov.