Found You (2) 24: Chapter 24.
Found You (2) * * * Hyeon-yul raised darkness from his own body, tore the Poison King’s hand away from him, and slammed the man into the wall.
“…Pfft.” It should have hurt, yet the Poison King laughed instead.
Whatever pleased him so much, the only emotion in his gaze toward Hyeon-yul was satisfaction.
“…The Black Eagles won’t be able to give you what you want.
Unlike what you think, that place isn’t righteous.” “You’re the one talking about righteousness right now?” A mocking laugh toward the Poison King came out reflexively.
Apparently, he still had plenty of life left in him.
Hyeon-yul had considered cutting off a few fingers, but after realizing even the man’s blood was poisonous, he abandoned the idea.
In his current condition, questioning him would already be difficult enough without causing a string of funerals for everyone nearby.
‘What am I supposed to do with this…?’ Hyeon-yul fell into thought as he considered the problem.
“…By now, word has probably spread to every one of Shin Daeho’s people that some lunatic subordinate killed Shin Daeho.” The Poison King spoke with his face flushed red.
“What does that have to do with anything?” “…Everyone is looking for you.
The one who killed Shin Daeho.” So what was Hyeon-yul supposed to do about that?
He lifted the Poison King even higher.
“Everyone will realize it!
You’re the one…
who can become the hope that brings down the Empire…!” That power, that decisiveness, and above all else, that lack of emotion.
Every part of him was perfect.
Hyeon-yul did not answer.
He simply smashed the Poison King into the wall again.
BOOOOM!
To Hyeon-yul, it was complete and utter nonsense.
Hyeon-yul had no interest in the Empire whatsoever.
What interested him was leaving work, going home, and enjoying the small comforts of his own life.
Tonight, he planned to watch a movie he had spent weeks carefully choosing, along with a bucket of popcorn.
“Do we…
look like villains to you?” The Poison King steadied his trembling eyes and stared at Hyeon-yul.
“Of course.” “…You’re wrong.
The villains are…” The Poison King sagged before he could finish the sentence.
Hyeon-yul threw him onto the floor and crushed one of his legs beneath his foot.
Crack.
The unmistakable sound of something breaking followed.
‘Should I break the other one too?’ Hyeon-yul looked at the remaining leg, then stopped himself.
There was a reason people could die from shock.
He searched the Poison King’s clothes and took his phone.
There was an astonishing amount of information that could be extracted from a single device like this.
‘I’ll give this separately to Team Leader Ye Juhyeon.’ Bzzzz.
Was it a coincidence?
Someone was calling.
[Customer 018] <We’re almost there.
You’re ready, right?> It was a woman’s voice, and it sounded familiar.
“Ah, I apologize, but the Poison King has stepped away for a moment.
Where are you right now?” <Five minutes away.
But who’s our little darling?
I’ve never heard your voice before, but it sounds awfully familiar.> “I’ll come meet you personally.” <Our Poison King’s finally developed some sense.
Doing something he’d never normally bother with.> The woman laughed to herself, apparently delighted by something.
“Then I’ll see you shortly.” <Good.
If our darling comes over, I’ll make sure to adore you.> Hyeon-yul waited for the other side to hang up first.
‘…Have I seen her before?’ He could not remember when, but he thought there might actually come a day when he would be grateful for Shin Daeho’s habit of introducing him to people from time to time.
Hyeon-yul took out his own phone.
“Team Leader.” <Yeah.
How did it go?> “We have a serious problem.” <…A serious problem?
Serious?
Are you hurt?
Does it hurt badly?> “No.
The Poison King’s blood is poisonous too.” <What…?> “I discovered that while subduing him, so I stopped creating any additional wounds.
In this situation, it’s impossible for anyone else to transport him.
I’ll move him myself.” <Hyeon-yul, are you okay?
You really don’t feel anything?
Are you absolutely sure you’re fine?
Not even a little dizziness or anything like that?> “Nothing.
Poison does not work on me.” <…Thank goodness.
You’re not injured anywhere, are you?> Hyeon-yul did not understand why she was asking so many questions.
Did he look weak?
His brows furrowed slightly.
Perhaps the standards of the famous Black Eagles were simply that high.
“I’m not injured.” He had wrapped his body in power just in case, and apparently that had been the right decision.
Would things have been different if the Poison King used magic or some other supernatural ability instead?
‘It was easy because it was poison.’ Once his poison was taken away, the Poison King was little more than an ordinary person with somewhat better durability and strength as far as Hyeon-yul was concerned.
“Team Leader, there’s one more thing I’d like to report.” <You found something, didn’t you?> “That’s right.
First, I moved the children somewhere safe in advance.
They were all merely asleep from drugs, and their condition appeared stable.” <I heard that from Mr.
Jihwan.
I already sent people over there.> “I just spoke with a villain who came to collect the children.” <What?> “If the Poison King saved her as ‘Customer,’ she may be a fairly high-ranking villain.
I’ll make contact immediately.” Hyeon-yul said it as naturally as if it were routine work.
It was not very different from what he had done while working under Shin Daeho.
He had made contact naturally, catered to people’s moods, and then killed them.
On days when there was no target to kill, he dealt with the internal work that had piled up.
It had been a life in which he had never rested even for a single day.
<Hyeon-yul.> “Yes, Team Leader.” <First of all, this is an urgent situation, right?> “That’s right.” He could faintly hear Haeryeon sigh.
<Only make contact.
Nothing beyond that.
I’ll be there soon too.> “Yes.
I’ll see you later.” Hyeon-yul replied politely and waited for Haeryeon to end the call first.
He put his phone away and looked over the Poison King once more.
‘I should’ve killed him.’ After kicking the man aside, Hyeon-yul covered both eyes.
Through the shadows, he extended his sight and carefully examined the various cars approaching the building.
Among the many vehicles, he focused on the most expensive one.
Villains tended to care far more than expected about how they appeared to others.
The Poison King himself had been dressed in a suit, as though proving the point.
‘That car.’ Just in case, Hyeon-yul left only one hand of darkness holding the Poison King by the throat before disappearing.
* * * The instant Hyeon-yul appeared in front of the approaching car, the horn blared violently.
HONK!
HONK!
It almost sounded as though the car itself were shouting that he was insane.
Hyeon-yul extended his dagger.
Darkness rising from the shadows wrapped around the blade and stretched it into a long sword.
He swung his arm down at the charging vehicle.
A thick black arc flashed through the air and split the car cleanly in half.
Screeech.
The two halves peeled away from each other as they continued moving, and someone shot out from inside.
“That’s a rough way to welcome someone.” A woman was floating in the air.
She could have been a psychic or a mage, but the moment Hyeon-yul saw her red hair, he remembered who she was.
‘A mage.’ She was publicly known as the Gravity Mage or the Red Witch.
Shin Daeho, however, had called her Asan.
Hyeon-yul did not know whether that was her real name or merely an alias.
‘So it was the Witch…?’ The corner of Hyeon-yul’s mouth rose as he looked at her.
There had recently been an incident where a villain spread poison, apparently while trying to make it look like the Poison King’s doing.
‘…So that was this Witch’s work.’ Hyeon-yul was certain because he had seen one of Asan’s subordinates there.
“Do you know which bird I hate most?” Asan smiled brightly as she asked the question.
Hyeon-yul watched the long nails extending from her fingers.
They were extravagantly decorated with numerous small gems, and something was now emerging from them.
“The Black Eagle.” The smile on Asan’s face deepened even further.
A violent distortion surged outward, and the force of gravity slammed down on the ground where Hyeon-yul had been standing.
The earth collapsed and shattered.
But Hyeon-yul was no longer there.
He was already beside Asan.
Her head snapped around.
The smile she directed at him contained nothing but arrogance.
‘She thinks I have no ranged attacks.’ To overturn that certainty, Hyeon-yul sprang forward in a single leap and seized her throat.
Without hesitation, he drove her toward the ground.
Before she could hit it, however, force surged upward from below, and Hyeon-yul released her.
If he had held on, his arm might have snapped.
Asan seemed to reverse gravity and remained floating in midair.
Her hair fluttered as she laughed loudly.
“You’re interesting.
Really interesting.” “I’m honored.” “It was you.” The moment she heard Hyeon-yul’s voice, Asan remembered the call from earlier.
What else could it mean that a Black Eagle had answered the Poison King’s phone?
‘The Poison King fell!’ Only then did Asan really look at Hyeon-yul.
One of his hands was missing.
Why else would it be gone?
‘The poison got him.’ With his face hidden by the helmet, the rest was obvious too.
This was a final desperate struggle by a dying man.
“Is the Poison King dead?
Is that what happened?” Asan asked the question with obvious delight.
The Poison King had been an irritating bastard, but his power was genuine.
He had expanded his influence recklessly, and she had been unable to suppress him.
That damn poison alone had enough power to wipe out every one of her adorable subordinates.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” “Of course I am.
Fine, I’m in a good mood.
I’ll back off today.” Asan retreated farther through the air.
There was no reason to fight because the Black Eagle would die soon anyway.
He probably would not even understand what he had accomplished before he died.
‘Fine.
I’m feeling generous.’ The smile on her face simply would not disappear.
“You did something incredible just now.
I’m retreating because I want to praise you for it, so you can be happy.” She could not have been the only villain prevented from expanding her territory because of the Poison King.
The others had obviously been in the same position.
Now that the Poison King had been removed, what should she do?
‘I’ll take it all.’ Asan felt almost intoxicated by the thought.
Shin Daeho was dead, and now the Poison King was gone too.
This was an opportunity.
There had never been enough room in this narrow world to divide the pie among everyone anyway.
One person should take it all.
“Is that so?” Hyeon-yul answered the question in a completely flat tone.
Sometimes villains were truly ridiculous.
If they wanted to destroy the Empire that badly, they should have joined forces, yet here she was rejoicing because the Poison King was dead.
At this rate, those people would die without ever touching so much as a strand of the Empire’s hair.
“Why did you need the children for test subjects?” “You saw that too?
Were you surprised?” “Answer me.” “Why else?
It’s obvious.
Questions like that are so boring they make me want to yawn.” Power strong enough to destroy the Empire, entertainment, and probably several other reasons as well.
“There must be quite a few people involved in creating the test subjects.” Hyeon-yul’s voice grew heavier as he continued speaking.
“Want to come take a look at how many there are, little Eagle?” Asan extended a hand and smiled.
Her heavily applied lipstick made the mockery on her lips appear even sharper.
“You’d make a pretty good test sub…” Before Asan could finish, Hyeon-yul’s hand vanished.
It quietly appeared behind her and stabbed her.
A violent pain surged through her back, and Asan twisted her head around.
At some point, a dagger had buried itself fairly deep into her body.
“…Ha.
Ha!” The instant Asan turned her head forward again, she came face to face with Hyeon-yul’s helmet.
He was far too close.
The dagger blade drove toward her viciously, but Asan laughed.
BOOOOM!
A crushing force pulled downward, and Hyeon-yul’s body collapsed with it.
Feeling something sharp scrape across his skin, Hyeon-yul retreated.
Part of the dagger had shattered into powder.
“You’re pretty good.” “That belongs to the company.” Hyeon-yul openly displayed his irritation at the damage.
“Did it?
Want me to buy you another one?
I can buy you snacks too.” As obvious mockery appeared on Asan’s lips, Hyeon-yul’s hand materialized in front of her.
Asan flicked her fingers sharply downward in response.
THOOM!
Gravity activated, and Hyeon-yul’s arm dropped heavily under the immense force.
“Tone down the killing intent.
You’re making it obvious.” “Are you flustered?” Hyeon-yul stepped back and moved his arm behind him as though hiding it.
“Me?” “You’re sweating.” Hyeon-yul laughed softly.
Asan knew it was provocation, yet heat still surged into her head.
Had she been one step slower, her throat would have been pierced.
It was true that he was abnormally fast.
‘I’m still stronger.’ Just as Asan’s eyes narrowed, Hyeon-yul moved.
Despite having clearly been bent unnaturally, his arm suddenly stretched toward her like a snake.
Asan backed away and slammed down even greater gravity than before.
THOOOOOM!
The force carried a clear intention to crush him flat, but Hyeon-yul disappeared.
There was no sound.
Everything became quiet.
A chill seemed to hover around Asan’s neck.
Before Hyeon-yul’s dagger could touch her throat, she seized it with magic.
Clench.
‘Got him.’ She thrust a fist toward Hyeon-yul, gravity traveling with it strongly enough to crush his face.
WHOOSH!
A violent gust passed through, leaving only black smoke behind.
“…?” “I’ll be taking my dagger back.” The voice came from behind her.
Hyeon-yul calmly pulled the blade from Asan’s back.
Pain surged through her, and her face twisted sharply.
“…You bastard!” “I told you it belongs to the company.” Hyeon-yul spoke as though it were nothing.
Unlike the Poison King, Asan did not wield poison, so he briefly considered taking a few of her fingers as well.
‘No.’ Hyeon-yul corrected himself.
He was not allowed to kill her.
Haeryeon had only authorized making contact.
He could not violate the order any further, and for now, he wanted Asan alive as well.
For now, he wanted Asan alive as well, so he stepped back.
“…Hahahahaha!” Asan laughed loudly.
She had been hit, and hit cleanly.
Following her laughter, the cars, streetlights, road, and everything else around them collapsed under the force of gravity.
The same power reached Hyeon-yul, but he retreated far enough to avoid it.
Judging by the throbbing in his twisted arm, taking that attack head-on would genuinely be dangerous.
‘So this is a major villain.’ This opponent was clearly different from the rest.
“If you survive, I will find you.
I swear it.” Still suspended in the air, Asan retreated while glaring viciously at Hyeon-yul.
“Yes.
If I’m alive, I’ll see you again.” Hyeon-yul dipped his head slightly.
Personally, he absolutely needed to hear what she knew about the test subjects.
After that, killing her would be appropriate.
‘Ah.’ Click.
Hyeon-yul took a picture, even if all he could capture was Asan’s fading image, then photographed the damage around him as well.
It was for his report.
‘That should do.’ Hyeon-yul approached one of Asan’s subordinates, who was crawling away.
How rushed had things become for Hyeon-yul to forget to kill this one?
He laughed briefly, then kicked the man in the abdomen.
“…Guh.” The man clutched his stomach and trembled.
Hyeon-yul looked down at him.
If he had seen what Hyeon-yul just did, that mouth would probably reveal just about anything.
“Where did you people come from?” Tremble, tremble.
The man shook as though an earthquake had struck.
Hyeon-yul grabbed his hair and forced his head to turn toward the butchered corpses of his companions.
“Stop trembling and answer me.
I need to go home from work too, so I can’t give you very much time.” * * * “…?” Hyeon-yul’s eyes shifted at the sudden silence.
They had been in the middle of placing the Poison King inside specially treated protective equipment when one of the handlers abruptly died.
“I didn’t do anything.” Watching from a distance, Hyeon-yul raised both hands.
He spoke first in case someone misunderstood him again.
“I know, so you can put your hands down.” Haeryeon approached and examined the dead handler.
When the protective gear was removed, the person’s skin had turned a deep purple.
“The protective equipment wasn’t inspected properly.” At Haeryeon’s words, the remaining handlers hurriedly checked their own gear.
She narrowed her eyes.
One of the poison-filtering layers had stopped working.
The gear used several filters for safety, yet a single failed layer had still been enough to kill someone.
The Poison King’s poison was far stronger than expected.
“Are you all right, Team Leader?” Hyeon-yul asked Haeryeon, who was standing there without protective gear.
“I have strong poison resistance too.
I also took an antidote just in case.” An alchemist could hardly afford to be taken down by poison.
Haeryeon looked at the remaining handlers.
They were trembling.
“This won’t work.” She turned to Hyeon-yul.
The strange look in her eyes made him sigh before she even spoke.
“The two of us will have to move the Poison King.
I don’t think we can trust the protective equipment.” Otherwise, there was a real chance another casualty would occur.
“I’ll contact the technical team separately, so please handle the funeral arrangements for this person.” Haeryeon gave the handlers their instructions.
The technical team would have to be told to rework the protective equipment.
“…Yes.
Thank you.” The handlers hurried away carrying their fallen colleague.
“Hyeon-yul, I’ll drive.
You worked way too hard today.” Only then did Haeryeon smile brightly.
They had caught the Poison King.
The Poison King himself.
She was so pleased that she was having trouble suppressing her smile.
“I’ll drive.” “No, it’s fine.
Get in first and rest a little.” “…” Hyeon-yul’s expression immediately turned grave and serious.
‘Rest?’ ‘Did I do something wrong…?’ “Ah, are you worried I can’t move the Poison King by myself?” Haeryeon looked at the Poison King and lifted him demonstratively.
“Hyeon-yul, I’m still a team leader, you know.
I’ve eaten so many different things that you could say I’m permanently doped up.
I could lift you too, actually.
Want me to?” Hyeon-yul immediately shook his head from side to side, then asked.
“…What exactly did you eat?” “Things I made…” Haeryeon nearly said potions, then stopped herself.
She did not know how it sounded to other people, but for Hyeon-yul, the word might not carry a pleasant meaning.
“Delicious things.” Haeryeon grinned.
When Hyeon-yul’s eyes narrowed at the obvious evasion, she hurried him along.
“Come on, let’s go.” They loaded the Poison King and got into the car.
Haeryeon tried to hurry into the driver’s seat, but Hyeon-yul was already sitting there.
“I’ll drive.” “What if I say I don’t want you to?” Haeryeon tested him lightly, and Hyeon-yul’s eyes began wandering as if his system had encountered an error.
He looked as though something might explode with a pop.
She had only meant to tease him, but instead Haeryeon became flustered.
“All right, all right.
I was joking.
Let’s see just how good a driver you are, Hyeon-yul.” “You don’t need to worry.
I’ve never had an accident.” There was a faint note of pride in his voice, making Haeryeon turn her head away and let out a suppressed laugh.
Afraid Hyeon-yul might misunderstand again, she held back the rest of her laughter, climbed into the passenger seat, and fastened her seat belt.
“By the way, Hyeon-yul.” “Yes?” “Am I imagining things?
Why do villains gather around you so easily?
Was it like this in the past too?” “It was similar.” Hyeon-yul did not consider it anything special.
Villains had always gathered around him, and he had always killed them while climbing higher through their ranks.
“You must have…
suffered so much, Hyeon-yul.” The corners of Haeryeon’s eyes lowered slightly.
“That part was fine.
What was unbearable was working overtime and not even being allowed to go home.” Even remembering it now made Hyeon-yul grind his teeth.
His hands tightened around the steering wheel for no reason.
“Once we drop the Poison King off at the Nest, go home.” “Understood.” The word ‘home’ brightened Hyeon-yul’s face.
He looked as though he might break into a radiant smile at any moment.
“Ah, Mr.
Jihwan already went home.” “…Ah.
Of course he should.
The work is finished.” For the briefest moment, Hyeon-yul glanced behind him.
He really should have killed that Poison King bastard.
‘…That killing intent is awfully clear.’ Haeryeon pretended not to notice and turned her head away.
Had it been aimed at her, it might have stung quite a bit.
“Team Leader.” “Yeah?” “…Will the festival proceed as planned?” “Now that we’ve caught the Poison King too, it should go ahead as scheduled.” Haeryeon wanted to ask more, but she restrained herself.
‘What?
Does he like festivals?’ She decided she would absolutely give him paid leave that day.
They had caught the Poison King, so how difficult could that possibly be?
The thought made her smile for no reason.
* * * The light in the entryway came on as Hyeon-yul stepped into his home.
‘I’ll stop by the doctor tomorrow.’ Gravity had twisted his arm.
It did not hurt, but there was no telling whether something had gone wrong.
Hyeon-yul collapsed onto his bed and examined the book he had bought on the way home.
「How to Have Fun at a Festival」 —I want to see the fireworks at the festival!
Serin’s innocent voice lingered in his ears.
A promise was a promise.
‘…What could possibly be fun about watching them with me?’ She really was a strange child.
‘I’ll report the matter involving Asan tomorrow.’ He had forgotten because he was too preoccupied with leaving work.
Hyeon-yul opened the book.
He was off the clock now.
Rustle.
Hyeon-yul quietly turned the page of his new book.