TopAppnovel Chapter 110 : Chapter 110
Chapter 110 : Chapter 110
Chapter 110. Even When Defeat Is Certain (6)
Immediately after Baek Ha-seong spoke, the majority of the cadets began to tremble in terror. Some of the more faint-hearted students even burst into tears. It was only natural. Between the overwhelming aura Baek Ha-seong radiated and the battered state of Choi Yu-seong, whom he had brought with him, they instinctively realized that they should not dare to oppose him.
Just as the cadets were being consumed by fear—
WHOOSH!
A sudden, violent gust of wind swept through the area. The wind roared from behind Baek Ha-seong, directly toward the students. Forced to face the gale head-on, the cadets had no choice but to squeeze their eyes shut for a moment. When they finally opened them a few seconds later—
"Wh-what?!"
Everyone present was stunned.
"The... the villains..."
The villains who had been confronting them just a moment ago were gone. Every single one of them had been killed, leaving behind not even a trace of a corpse.
"Why...?"
The word "why" escaped from among the students. It was an entirely expected reaction. To the cadets, Baek Ha-seong and the villains should have been on the same side. Furthermore, this was not a gruesome scene of severed heads rolling on the ground; the lack of any bodies at all made the situation feel surreal.
However, unlike the reacting cadets, Baek Ha-seong remained perfectly composed.
"I suppose that is enough to consider my job finished."
His voice was as calm as if he had just finished a simple chore. His tranquility only deepened the students' confusion. How could he be so nonchalant about killing his own allies?
"..."
Yet, no one possessed the courage to demand an explanation from him. Had he not just told them all to shut up and stay still? They did not know what might happen if they offended him.
But there is always an exception to every rule.
"Just why are you helping us?"
Kim Su-hyeok’s voice rang out from the cluster of cadets. Unlike the small mutterings from before, this question was clearly directed at Baek Ha-seong.
"What do you think you are doing?!"
Ju Ha-yeon, who was standing closest to Kim Su-hyeok, tried to stop him in a panic.
"You're asking why?"
Unfortunately, Kim Su-hyeok’s question had already reached Baek Ha-seong. The deed was done, and the conversation had begun. Knowing that interfering further might only irritate Baek Ha-seong, Ju Ha-yeon was forced to back off.
Kim Su-hyeok continued without hesitation. "Yes. You are a villain. So, I am asking why you are helping us."
"Does there have to be a reason?"
"Should there not be? That way, we will know how to act."
As Kim Su-hyeok spoke, he looked at Choi Yu-seong, who lay collapsed beside Baek Ha-seong, his eyes filled with deep guilt.
Baek Ha-seong looked back and forth between the two of them with interest. "I thought it was a one-way street, but I guess it goes both ways."
"What does that mean?"
"Oh, I was just talking to myself. Don't worry about it. Anyway, you asked why, right?"
Baek Ha-seong usually kept his emotions hidden, but he responded to Kim Su-hyeok’s question with an amused expression.
"It is just a simple whim. I saw something interesting for the first time in a long while."
Of course, his reaction was a complete fabrication. What was the reason he had to beat Choi Yu-seong into that state in the first place? It was to prevent their cooperation from being discovered. Therefore, he needed to play the part of a stereotypical villain—the kind of unpredictable person found in textbooks who lives for interest and dies for pleasure.
Naturally, Kim Su-hyeok had no way of knowing this.
"If that was the case, then from the start—!"
His resentment flared up to the point that he even forgot his opponent was an S-Rank villain. But that moment was brief.
"I believe I told you earlier that you need to know your place."
"..."
"Do I have to etch that lesson into you personally for you to remember it?"
Hearing those words, Kim Su-hyeok had no choice but to immediately suppress his emotions. If he had been alone, things might have been different.
"...I am sorry."
But he had many friends beside him. Moreover, his precious friend lay collapsed beside Baek Ha-seong, in desperate need of help.
"Yes. That is how it should be. Unless you have grown tired of living."
"..."
"Well, it's not as if I want to kill you all or anything. So, you do not need to be so tense."
The cadets privately thought the man was being absurd. He had just been making blood-chilling threats, and now he was telling them not to be tense? However, Baek Ha-seong ignored the subtle reactions and continued.
"To be honest, I do not really want to kill you."
"...Then why did you launch this attack?"
"Let us just say it was an unfortunate situation involving various conflicting interests."
To describe this massive disaster as merely an "unfortunate situation" was a quintessential Baek Ha-seong response—void of emotion.
"But what I said just now is the truth. The arrival of new stars is always a beautiful thing."
"..."
"And today's events are a small opportunity I am granting to those beautiful new stars."
None of the students understood what Baek Ha-seong was talking about. He was a villain, after all. He had no reason to show them such a seemingly kind attitude. It would have made more sense if he had decided to eliminate them before they had a chance to grow.
Of course, this was because Baek Ha-seong had not become a villain because he was truly evil, but unfortunately, no one there except Choi Yu-seong knew that. Thus, Baek Ha-seong did not seem to expect them to understand.
"It happens sometimes. A star sets before it even has a chance to rise because it is forced to face a storm it cannot withstand."
"...I do not quite understand what you mean."
"Shall I put it simply? You have just encountered a trial you cannot defeat."
"..."
"But I am saying I will treat that trial as if it never happened."
"I am asking why you would give us such an opportunity. You have absolutely no reason to do that."
That was the question on every cadet's mind. Kim Su-hyeok had simply spoken up as their representative. However, most of the students were united in a single thought: they wanted to shut him up immediately. Why would he say such things when the man was offering to let them live?
Contrary to the anxious cadets, however, Baek Ha-seong looked at Kim Su-hyeok with a satisfied gaze.
"True. The reasoning is lacking. That is a good point. A player must always be able to observe a situation carefully."
"...I have no desire to hear about a player's mindset from a villain."
"I did not really intend to tell you, but you kept prying, did you not?"
As he spoke, Baek Ha-seong picked up Choi Yu-seong. Kim Su-hyeok immediately drew the sword from his waist. He was not the only one.
"What a pathetic guy. Getting himself turned into a hostage."
Ryu Jin-oh stepped forward, sharply scolding the unconscious Yu-seong.
"He's a suspicious fellow, but he's our benefactor and not a bad guy."
Do Gang-ho walked forward with heavy thuds, gripping his brass knuckles tightly.
"Once is enough for the same mistake."
Oh Jin-eon joined them, leveling his spear as he recalled what had happened earlier. Furthermore, Ju Ha-yeon aimed her bow, and even though Ha Eun-ha was trembling, she moved up behind the others.
In that volatile atmosphere where violence could erupt at any second, Baek Ha-seong actually smiled. Unlike his earlier manufactured emotions, this was a smile of one hundred percent pure sincerity.
'To think I would laugh twice in one day.'
Ever since that day that left him scarred, he had lived his life without laughter. It was as if that emotion had never existed, a privilege he was not permitted to have. He never imagined he would laugh twice in a single day like this.
'It must be because they resemble them.'
Looking at these kids naturally brought someone to mind. The woman he could no longer see. Once, a long time ago, he had discussed the meaning of friendship with her. It was a topic he had brought up out of curiosity since he had never made a friend before. At that time, she had said this:
—Hmm, I think a friend is someone who doesn't weigh gains and losses. They are someone who will step up for you even when facing an insurmountable obstacle.
—How is such a thing created?
—I don't know!
—What?
—Because that is just how friends and comrades are. You don't know how the relationship is built, but at some point, it's just there.
He could not understand those words back then. It was a world he had never experienced. And he had not understood them until this day, either. The world he had seen was not that beautiful.
But...
'There are other kids like that besides you.'
He did not know how it was made, but it was a relationship that had formed before they knew it. These students were exactly like that. They had clearly only known each other for a short time, yet they were willing to risk their lives for one another.
'Some of them probably do not even realize it yet.'
Had she not said it?
—True friendship isn't a relationship formed because both people consciously decide it!
—Then isn't that not a friendship?
—No! As you sacrifice for each other and stay together, suddenly—BAM! You realize it. Oh, this person is my friend.
That was why he could feel it naturally. Hearing them speak, it seemed they had not yet realized they were friends, but he could tell that one day, they would be inseparable friends who would always have each other's backs.
'Unlike me.'
Yes. Unlike him, who had been too afraid of his family's orders to even think about protecting her.
'Then shall I give them a small gift?'
Originally, he had intended to just save them and leave. But should he not at least repay them for evoking such precious nostalgia for the first time in a while? Not as Baek Ha-seong the Irregular, but as Baek Ha-seong the genius, once the most promising prodigy known as the "Crouching Dragon."
With a much softer voice, Baek Ha-seong spoke to those pointing their weapons at him.
"I do not intend to do anything, so you do not need to overreact."
"Then why suddenly—"
Actions were faster than words. Before Kim Su-hyeok could finish speaking, Baek Ha-seong threw Choi Yu-seong toward him. Kim Su-hyeok quickly caught Yu-seong and looked down at him.
"I told you. I have no intention of doing anything."
"..."
"Caution is good, but if you react like that to everything, I do not think you will live a very long life."
After saying that, Baek Ha-seong stared intently at Kim Su-hyeok and the others who had stepped forward. Everyone was forced to remain tense. Just because he had been kind until now did not mean he would stay that way. The whims of a villain could change in the blink of an eye. While they did not show it, they were all in a state of high tension when Baek Ha-seong spoke again.
"People can resemble each other, but they can never be identical."
It was a nonsensical statement. Given the current situation, it did not fit the context at all. However, Baek Ha-seong continued as if he had said exactly what he meant.
"You resemble each other, but you are not the same."
"What are you suddenly talking about...?"
"But at the same time, while you are not the same, you are very much alike."
Baek Ha-seong paused for a moment. Once he had everyone's full attention, he continued.
"One of you will become the brightest star."
He looked first at Kim Su-hyeok, who stood at the very front.
"And another will become the hottest star."
Next, he looked at Ryu Jin-oh and Do Gang-ho.
"And yet another will become the coldest and most level-headed star. Conversely, there will also be one who becomes the warmest star."
He looked at Ju Ha-yeon, who was aiming her bow, and Ha Eun-ha, who was trembling but ready to step forward and heal her friends if they were hurt. Finally, Baek Ha-seong looked at Oh Jin-eon and the unconscious Choi Yu-seong.
"There will be those who seek to resemble those stars and eventually reach the same heights, and there will be those who seek to protect the night sky where those stars shine."
The cadets did not offer a reaction. No, they could not. They finally understood what Baek Ha-seong was trying to say.
"Could it be...?"
A long time ago, when Gates first appeared and the world was thrown into chaos, a leader among those known as the first-generation players said this: Heroes are stars; they are the most beautiful stars that serve as milestones for those who have lost their way.
That sentiment was passed down to future generations, leading to the creation of the rank above S-Rank: "Hero-Rank Player." It was an honorable title given to the most devoted and shining individuals. Though the meaning had faded much by now, it was a concept that anyone who had dreamed of becoming a player since childhood would know. It was a metaphor still widely used among players.
That was it. Baek Ha-seong was currently—
"You all will become the brightest stars. Even though I am a villain, I, an S-Rank, guarantee it."
He was telling them that the people in front of him were of Hero-Rank caliber. Depending on who said those words, they could be laughed off or taken with absolute seriousness. And where did these words come from? From the mouth of an S-Rank man, a person at the very pinnacle, even if he was called a villain. Naturally, these words were destined to have a massive impact later. Everyone present had heard them loud and clear.
'This should be enough for a gift.'
Some might wonder how this was a gift, but it was a truly significant one. Because of Baek Ha-seong’s words, these kids would eventually draw the attention of many people. And that meant massive support. It would undoubtedly be a huge help to the children gathered here.
'Besides, it is not a lie.'
It was a purely personal opinion, but it was how Baek Ha-seong saw them. If they continued on this path, these children would one day reach the pinnacle.
'It has been a long time since I acted on emotion.'
Was it because Choi Yu-seong told him that she was alive? It felt as though his dulled emotions were coming back to life.
'So, I truly hope you keep today's contract.'
Because if that contract was not kept, he would end up killing these beings who could have become the most beautiful stars with his own hands. Ending his thoughts there, Baek Ha-seong spoke to the cadets one last time.
"Then, I will be on my way. I am sure you are uncomfortable with my presence."
"..."
"I hope you make the most of the opportunity my curiosity has created today."
With those final words, Baek Ha-seong began to envelop himself in clouds. A bolt of lightning struck the gathering clouds, and when they split apart—
Baek Ha-seong was gone.
However, the cadets could not react. The lingering impression he left was not something ordinary. Caught in the weight of his words, they did not even think to rejoice at having escaped the crisis. It was only after several hours had passed that they were safely rescued by the instructors who had finally broken through the barrier.
It was a miraculous conclusion: everyone had survived.