[An Awakened Ability has been inherited.]
[Inheritance: Cha Tae-seok → Baek Seon-woo]
[Inherited Awakened Ability (Grade) – Gun Mage (Mythic)]
◎ You are beginning your inheritance into a Mythic Gun Mage whom none dare challenge.
You can skillfully use firearms.
You can craft a variety of guns, ammunition, bombs, and more.
You can craft defensive equipment such as bulletproof helmets and body armor.
“An inheritance? What the hell is this... Does that mean my ability did not disappear?”
Fortunately, it seemed that my ability had not vanished. Instead, it had been inherited intact from Cha Tae-seok’s former body into Baek Seon-woo’s present one.
“Still, it is not bad to have my original ability as well.”
Ding—!
“!!! T-this is—!”
Another message unfolded before my eyes.
※ Third Eye is affected by a Mythic Grade ability, and its Grade changes.]
[Awakened Ability (Grade) – Third Eye (Normal → Mythic Grade)]
◎ You can determine the location of targets within your sight.
No enemy, no matter how distant, can escape your gaze.
Even hidden targets will be unable to escape this eye.
You have gained the ability to distinguish good from evil according to the auroras visible around others.
(Evil) Black—Red—Transparent—Blue—Gold (Good)
※ With a Mythic Grade Awakening, this ability has no restrictions.
“Its Grade went up? All the way to Mythic Grade? And it is an ability that suits the one I already had perfectly! On top of that, I have not one ability, but two?”
Possessing even one Mythic ability was extraordinary, so I stood there with my mouth agape in shock at the fact that I possessed two.
“And I can distinguish good from evil? Does that mean the closer someone is to black from red, the more evil they are, while the closer they are to gold from blue, the more good they are?”
I did not know exactly what it meant, but one thing was certain: I had gained an additional ability that was even better than before.
“Now that I have Third Eye as well, if I use it properly, I can deal with those Villains even more thoroughly...”
[You are quite an interesting one. You want to root out the Villains? I will let you live once more, so this time, live the way you want to—!]
Just as I thought that Third Eye would allow me to punish more Villains, the moment memories of my execution surfaced in my mind...
“Hmm... Was he called the God of Pranks?”
The words left to me by the one called the God of Pranks at the moment of my death lingered in my memories for some reason, cooling my overheated mind.
“Right... Even if I repeat what I did before, I will ultimately end up as a Villain myself.”
At first, it had merely been personal revenge undertaken as an Awakened, along with acts driven by heroism. Later, it had become revenge carried out on behalf of bereaved families.
“But in the end, I too was branded as someone who ruthlessly killed others, and death was all that awaited me.”
The bitter thought suddenly crossed my mind.
“This body’s owner is an Academy teacher, right? And he has been falsely accused as well.”
I drew on the original owner’s memories as though watching a recording play out in my head. Then I let out a long sigh.
“Phew... So he was falsely accused and is currently suspended. And it looks as though there are quite a few garbage people at the Academy he attended.”
The place the original owner of this body, Baek Seon-woo, had attended was Ares Academy, one of South Korea’s top five. Contrary to the image suggested by his overweight body, he had even been a teacher at that Academy, a place only the elite could enter.
“Then again, even prestigious schools produce plenty of trash.”
Even Baek Seon-woo, who had taken his own life, had seen countless Villains emerge from the prestigious Ares Academy.
“They should teach the children character first. They evaluated them solely by their families’ power... Tsk!”
Those without proper character were prone to falling into Villainy someday. That was why they needed proper character education.
“It looks like I should give our growing young sprouts the right guidance.”
After cracking my knuckles and steeling my resolve, I opened the door and began heading somewhere.
“First, I should clear the injustice suffered by this body’s original owner.”
***
The past, before the original owner of this body, Baek Seon-woo, died.
At the teacher disciplinary hearing, several faculty members were berating Baek Seon-woo.
“Teacher Baek, how could you do this?!”
“Exactly. To do something like this at our prestigious Ares Academy... Good heavens!”
“He might not have had much ability, but I thought he was a decent person. His first impression had always given me an uneasy feeling, though. I knew it~ They say physiognomy is a science, after all...”
Without paying the slightest attention to Baek Seon-woo’s expression, which looked deeply wronged, the surrounding faculty members stared at him with loathing, as though he were human trash.
“I-I have been wronged! I did not do anything. Do you think I would be insane enough to stalk a student as a teacher?”
“Then what are the photographs of Han Ji-hye found in your bag? They were explicitly focused on her skirt, legs, and chest. Did you think we would simply accept that? You even followed her to her home and took photographs.”
“I am telling you, I did not take those photographs—!”
“All the evidence was found in Teacher Baek’s bag already. And you even carried two phones to ensure your perfect crime, following Han Ji-hye around and photographing her... It is chilling.”
“One of them is my phone, but the phone containing photographs of Han Ji-hye does not belong to me. I am a public servant and a teacher! Do you think I would be insane enough to ruin my own career by doing something like that? Besides, I am an ability user who is practically no different from an Unawakened person, so if I had stalked her, Han Ji-hye would have noticed immediately...”
“Enough!”
‘!!!’
As though unwilling to hear the wronged Baek Seon-woo speak any further, one teacher attending the disciplinary hearing waved a hand at him and opened their mouth.
“It is true that Han Ji-hye is beautiful, is it not? Teacher Baek must have had a momentary lapse and developed inappropriate feelings for his student.”
“What are you talking about? I absolutely...”
“Just admit it now, Teacher Baek! If you confess the truth while it is only us here, we will handle things appropriately. If you simply admit it here, we have already all agreed to proceed with quietly resolving this matter by dismissing you after giving you severance pay...”
“!!! D-dismissal? And what do you mean, everyone has already agreed? How can you process this matter unilaterally without even hearing my side? This is wrong!”
“Everyone, enough! Please maintain order.”
“...”
At last, a middle-aged man who had silently watched the disciplinary hearing against Baek Seon-woo opened his mouth.
“Teacher Baek Seon-woo.”
“Yes, Principal.”
The middle-aged man was Choi Hyeon-seok, the principal of Ares Academy.
“You are aware that we currently receive enormous support from Helios Guild, are you not?”
‘Why is he asking that all of a sudden?’
At the Principal’s abrupt question about their support from Helios Guild, Baek Seon-woo tilted his head slightly and replied.
“Yes, I am.”
“And you are also aware that Helios Guild holds a large stake in this Academy?”
“That is what I understand.”
“You also know that Han Ji-hye is the daughter of Helios Guild’s Guildmaster, do you not?”
“!!! Principal, do you mean to say...”
“The day before this disciplinary hearing was held, Helios Guild contacted us. They told us to make certain that Teacher Baek, who had tarnished Han Ji-hye’s honor, was disciplined.”
“Tarnished her honor? I truly did not do it, Principal!”
When he once again wore a wronged expression, Principal Choi Hyeon-seok spoke to him as though urging him to calm down.
“Frankly, everyone here knows this, but Ares Academy is run largely on the support of Helios Guild. And because of Teacher Baek, there is currently a risk that this support may be cut off.”
“Are you saying that you never cared about my injustice from the beginning?”
As Baek Seon-woo appeared about to erupt in anger at the sight of his injustice being ignored, Principal Choi Hyeon-seok let out a deep sigh and continued.
“Teacher Baek, why do you not leave for a while and get some fresh air?”
“!!! What do you mean by that?”
“After time passes, Han Ji-hye will naturally graduate from this Academy, will she not? I think it would be best for you to leave the Academy for about two years and gain some other experience until the situation quiets down. Then, depending on the situation, we will consider a review of your reinstatement...”
“So, though you call it a suspension, you are telling me to leave on my own.”
“From our standpoint, this is a decision made in consideration of the possibility that you may have been wronged. Decide whether you will quietly leave after receiving severance pay, or undergo the suspension process and receive a reinstatement review after about two years.”
The proposal Principal Choi Hyeon-seok made to Baek Seon-woo, afraid that Helios Guild’s financial support would be cut off. Baek Seon-woo lowered his head and remained silent for some time before finally speaking in a low voice.
“I will choose suspension.”
“Suspension? That is unexpected. If I were in your position, Teacher Baek, I think I would take the severance pay, leave, and begin something else.”
“I have done nothing wrong. I believe someone committed this act to frame me.”
“Hmm...”
“I will uncover the truth behind my injustice and return to my position. That is how I will reclaim my honor.”
***
“So Baek Seon-woo chose suspension because he wanted to reclaim his honor, but he ultimately failed, fell into despair, and chose to end his own life?”
Memories from the original owner of this body, Baek Seon-woo, had entered my mind.
Having chosen suspension to resolve the injustice done to him, he had traveled here and there and struggled to find evidence. However, no one in the country could easily stand against Helios Guild, one of South Korea’s top three guilds. In the end, Baek Seon-woo had fallen into despair and wandered aimlessly before choosing death. I was now the owner of this body.
“The very starting point he chose to resolve his injustice was wrong.”
A memory that had entered my mind from the man. On the other phone, which Baek Seon-woo had strongly insisted was not his, there had been a small emblem of a certain criminal organization.
“It has been a long time since I saw that organization’s emblem. But why did they do something like that to Baek Seon-woo?”
Click—!
Standing before a certain cave, I slung a gun over my shoulder, loaded a round, and began walking forward at a leisurely pace.
“I will find out when I meet those bastards myself. Shall I clear Baek Seon-woo’s injustice now?”