Villain Hides His True Colors - Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Villain syndicate, Eighth Layer Hell.

The group, which had received the ‘red’ wanted order worldwide, had one characteristic that set them apart from other villains.

That was, their main form of communication was over the internet. It was a peculiar way through the use of a message application.

[Hell is everywhere and nowhere.]

Like the eerie phrase written on a red background, their existence was completely veiled.

Even among those in the group, it wasn’t uncommon for them not to know one another. A coworker who laughs and chat with you every day could very well be a villain belonging to Eighth Layer Hell.

Because of this, the Hero Association was still unable to grasp the purpose of Eighth Layer Hell, let alone their size.

And behind the construction of such a massive syndicate, there was only one rule.

[Carry out orders to raise your rank, and raise your rank to issue orders.]

This simple rule had created a thorough pyramid structure.

As a result, the members scattered around the world had no information on each other or loyalty to the group. They would willingly perform orders all for the sake of raising their ranks and earning the right to issue orders.

And…

Among them, there was a man who was still trying to get to the top of such a pyramid.

Kim Gyuhwan was looking at the list of orders he could perform through the special application used by the members of the group.

Fuck, there’s nothing worth it.

His screen showed the possible orders he could do based on his rank, but there were only tasks that didn’t suit him or ones that seemed too dangerous.

He saw an order regarding a member who had infiltrated the Hero Training Institute and was decapitated, but no matter how high the points he could earn was, he didn’t feel like applying for such a dangerous job right now.

Also, it was extremely rare for members of Eighth Layer Hell to appear directly in the media, so this event had shocked most of the members, including him.

Even worse, it would become harder and harder to hide their identities if the Hero Association decides to take out a knife toward the group due to this event.

“Ha…I should bide my time and wait for an opportunity.”

As he thought as such, a red notification window appeared on his screen. And at the top of it was the word ‘express.’

“Wh-what’s this…?”

This was the first ‘express’ order he had received since entering Eighth Layer Hell.

Such a special order was something that only eight absolute people called the ‘Eight Evils’ could send.

Originally, it was a message that wouldn’t come to someone like him, but this time it seemed to be an exception.

Kim Gyuhwan swallowed his saliva and confirmed the order.

[Special Order]

– Content: Kidnap or Removal.

– Subject: Choi Noah (Details are attached below).

– Rewards:

1. Kidnap: 5 million points.

2. Removal: 500,000 points.

“F-five million points?”

He gazed at the rewards with his mouth open.

Among the orders he could receive now, the highest reward was only 100 points, and it was a matter of life and death just to succeed.

So, compared to the 5 million points, it was a figure that could only be obtained by risking his life 50,000 times.

Th-this many points…

It was the equivalent of 500 billion won if he didn’t use it to raise his rank and instead exchange it for money. The amount was enough for anyone to live comfortably for the rest of their lives without having to worry about anything ever again.

He stared blankly at his smartphone for a while before hurriedly turning on his computer to collect information on Noah.

The points…I must get it no matter what!

He looked at the computer monitor with greed in his eyes.

And, at the same time, those around the world who were thinking the same thing also began to frantically collect information on Noah.

* * * * * * * * * *

In a roundabout way, the hero industry was based on a merit system.

So rather than a person’s background, it could be said that their accomplishments after becoming a hero were more important.

After all, as a profession where they fight and run into villains every day, there was the very real possibility of increasing the scale of damage and creating more problems if they weren’t careful.

Therefore, the Hero Training Institute’s policy had also adopted a competency-oriented curriculum in compliance to the industry’s standards.

Everything was on the basis of merit. And the trainees who had just entered such a place were deeply starting to understand that fact.

“That looks delicious…”

“Hehe, I won’t give it to you. I’m hungry too, so I’ll eat alone.”

“Wh-when did I ask for it? I’m just saying. That’s all.”

The trainees, who had taken part in the welcoming ceremony early in the morning, were now eating together with their close friends.

An everyday scenery that could be seen anywhere.

However, contrary to a normal canteen, the food in front of them varied greatly.

On one person’s tray was plenty of appetizing meat dishes, while on another’s was only seaweed and kimchi in a thin plastic bag.

This was the preferential treatment from the morning’s results.

And among those who were eating, there was definitely someone who stood out.

“Wow! This is good!”

The boy who had come in first with an overwhelming gap.

In front of Noah, not only were there main dishes, but there were more than 20 side dishes.

Cooked vegetables, shredded vegetables, grilled, stewed, salted…

The luxurious table could be said to be fit for a king from the Joseon Dynasty.

Noah busily moved his chopsticks as he ate the dozens of dishes.

“Noah…Is it delicious?”

Saki, who came right next to Noah, asked while licking her chopsticks.

The meat piled up on her tray had long disappeared into her stomach.

“Yes. It’s delicious.”

“Then…The short rib patties there…Can I try?”

Saki stared earnestly at Noah. Mousin, who was next to her, shouted.

“Hey! Noah’s growing, so don’t think about stealing his food!”

“But I’m still hungry…”

“I had to eat kimchi and rice, while you ate all the meat by yourself and you’re still hungry? Stop talking nonsense and go put away your tray!”

“Heuk…I’m supposed to eat a lot. Or else I can’t use my ability.”

The moment they were quarreling, Noah, who was watching the scene, spoke.

“I won’t be able to finish all of this by myself anyway, so you can have what’s left.”

“Wow! Really? Noah is the best! Hehe.”

“Instead, I’m bored of eating, so go over there and do something interesting.”

“All right! Wait a minute!”

She soon picked up her spoon, grabbed it like a microphone, and began singing merrily.

“Oh! Saki is pretty good, isn’t she?”

“Hey! It’s my turn next! I’m going to sing and get some side dishes.”

Dozens of people, called the Choi Noah’s Army, stood up and cheered.

***

Reaper Scans

[ Translator – Yasi ]

[ Proofreader – Karane ]

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***

In an instant, the canteen had become noisy.

And…

Shirahui was watching such a sight from a distance.

The Choi Noah’s Army seemed to have forgotten they were trainees.

Their behavior was as free as if they owned the place. In the noisy landscape, she could see Noah smiling and giggling.

Really…there’s nothing to like about him.

She wrinkled her fine brows. Then, suddenly, the tray in front of her caught her eyes.

There was a murky porridge, as if it had been washed out from a rag.

“…”

It looked as if it was made to kill a person’s taste buds out of spite.

Naturally, it should be rich in nutrients since it was food made to be eaten by the trainees, but she couldn’t do it.

No…let’s think of it as survival training.

She scooped up some of the porridge with her spoon and put it in her mouth.

“?!”

Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hand.

What on earth did they put into the porridge? It was the most horrible taste she had ever experienced in her life.

It was no different than a punishment game. This was simply not edible human food.

However, she was unconscious all day yesterday, so she hadn’t eaten a single meal and felt that she wouldn’t be able to hold on if she starved herself this morning.

She closed her eyes and pushed the nasty porridge back into her mouth.

“Heuk!”

The terrible taste spread through her mouth. At the same time, tears almost welled up at the realization of her pathetic situation.

As the daughter of an S-Rank hero, she had lived in the spotlight all her life.

On top of that, thanks to her beautiful appearance and outstanding talent, she had always walked an easy path.

Why should I suffer?!

Compared to the luxurious dining table in front of Noah, she felt truly insignificant eating such garbage.

Her pride no longer allowed her to eat it.

Clank–!

She put down her spoon and glared at Noah fiercely.

What the hell does he have against me…? Let’s say fainting was my mistake, but why did he have to leave me hanging from a tree?!

As a result, every trainee found she had fainted as they climbed the mountain path.

Far from recovering from yesterday’s image, an even more disgraceful image was imprinted in everyone’s mind.

Someday…I’ll get my payback.

She gritted her teeth, looking at Noah who was laughing and chatting happily.

Soon, she heard a loud voice of a man beside her.

“Hahaha! Rahui, don’t leave any leftovers! Hurry up and eat! It’s all made from the precious taxes of the citizens.”

Yeom Gangjun was enthusiastically eating his nasty porridge.

As expected, he had fallen behind because he was aiding her. Shirahui gave a small sigh and spoke.

“…Help yourself, oraboni.”

“Really? Then, I’ll enjoy this delicious meal.”

He took her tray and began to enthusiastically devour the porridge.

And after having emptied all the porridge in such a short time, he spoke in a friendly tone.

“Don’t hate him too much.”

“Wh-what?”

“Mr. Noah.”

She looked at him with a startled look. Usually, he acted foolish, but sometimes he would speak to her like this.

“I never did. Why do you think I hate him?”

“Well…that’s a good thing. I also misunderstood him yesterday, but it turns out he was a righteous person who hated villains more than anyone else!”

“That’s…”

“So you hurry up and relax too! Jealousy and hatred are like poison that eats away at a person!”

Yeom Gangjun said with his usual passionate eyes.

She knew well that what he had said made sense. But…

…I still don’t like him.

Her heart regained its clarity and she glared at Noah again.

* * * * * * * * * *

I had felt this when I had to prepare for the hero exam, but people had to study so many subjects just to become a hero.

From basic legal knowledge, to emergency first aid, to even information on villains currently wreaking havoc around the world.

Of course, in my case, I was able to easily pass the exam thanks to Elizabeth, but it seemed the others here had invested a considerable amount of time trying to learn such useless knowledge.

Not only that, after reading the curriculum, I had realized that there were an incomparable amount of subjects the trainees had to learn.

Subjects such as the rule of conduct on the field, and how to deal with each kind of villain.

And, trainees will learn these trivial rules by doing direct simulation training.

When I piled the necessary textbooks for the year, it was taller than even me, so there was certainly a lot to learn even on a second glance.

…I didn’t know why anyone needed to know these things just to catch villains.

Suddenly, I recalled what Samaria had said to me after I had finished the run challenge a while ago.

[I don’t think there’s anything worth learning here for Mr. Noah. So if you want, I can solve that problem.]

I didn’t hear how she would solve it, but honestly, what she had said was correct.

What the hell could I learn here? My skills were now better than most professors here.

So I was a little moved by her words.

Had it not been for last night’s Challenge updates, I might have taken her offer.

But…

There were still rewards to be gained living at this institute, and accepting her offer now would be like ignoring the current quests and moving to the next map.

I won’t miss out on a reward no matter how small it was.

It was nothing short of shameful for a gamer to leave a reward that could be gained.

As I was organizing my thoughts, I heard a loud voice of a man.

“Repeat after me! Muscles are great!”

“””M-muscles are great!”””

On a platform stood a tanned professor with his shirt off. The man’s muscles wriggled like they were going to burst.

“Hey! I didn’t hear you!”

“””Muscles are great!”””

He was the professor of basic physical fitness, the one who had introduced himself as Ma Dongguk a while ago.

It had been an hour since the lesson started and he had been proudly talking about himself and nothing but muscles.

“You know, these days. It’s just magic and ability, but nobody understands what’s really important.”

“In the end, it’s these muscles that protect you at the last minute!”

“Look at me! I wasn’t born with any ability, but I became a B-Rank hero with just muscle training. The only thing that matters is grit!”

Sweat dripped down his body. His copper skin shone and his chest muscles wriggled.

Even though I was sitting in the back row, I felt like I could smell his sweat all the way from here.

“…”

Seeing that, I once again became skeptical about what I could learn here.

I should have just accepted Samaria’s offer…

Now it seems I’ll have to take this useless lecture for the next year. I took out my game console and turned it on.

Then, suddenly, I heard a loud shout.

“You there! In the last row! What are you doing?”

I looked up and saw Ma Dongguk pointing at me.

Then, he walked up to me with a flushed face.

“Oho, you have a lot of nerve, don’t you? How dare you take out a game console in my class? Is my class not worth taking?”

“To be honest? No.”

“Wh-what? It looks like you need a proper attitude adjustment. Confidence just because you’re the top student. I’ll make sure you realize how little power you have. Stand up!”

I stood up as he told me to. Attention was drawn from the surrounding area.

Then, Ma Dongguk put his hands behind his head and strained his stomach.

His abs became divided like a washboard and it wriggled in a ferocious manner.

“Now! Hit me in my six-pack! With that cotton fist of yours!”

“…Can I really hit you?”

“Yes! Go ahead and hit me! I won’t feel a thing! Then you’ll realize the greatness of muscles!”

He grinned, revealing his white teeth. I looked at him for a moment and sighed softly.

“Let’s say I hit professor, what if you die or get hurt?”

“What? Hahaha! I don’t think that’ll happen, but if it does, I’ll give you a full score.”

“Promise?”

Well, a full score was a good deal for me. I had to carry out my Challenges, so this worked out well.

But I didn’t need him to die…So I better control my strength.

“Hurry up, don’t waste time…Keuooook!”

I struck him directly in the abdomen that was grossly sticking out.

Boom–!

Ma Dongguk flew like a cannonball across the wooden platform and crashed.

Boom—! Crack—!

The platform collapsed once the supports fell. Debris fell over him and dust rose up.

And, his figure which could be seen beyond it was no longer moving.

“Uh…”

I had failed to control my strength. However, he had also confidently told me to just hit him…

No way…My hero license won’t be revoked just because of this, right?

There was a breathtaking silence.

The trainees looked at me in unison. Looking back at them, I shouted out.

“You all heard it, right? The professor had told me to hit him.”

So, this…it was self-defense.

____