This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 503

No matter what, I didn’t expect her to attempt an escape the moment her true identity was at risk of being revealed.

Should I call it impatience or quick decision-making? To be honest, I found it a bit confusing.

Still, I had to admit, there was something impressive about her having the guts to break her own wrist just to flee.

It makes sense; regardless of being caught, it would be the end for her, but deliberately injuring oneself is no easy feat.

However, she managed to pull it off… Regardless of everything else, I had to give her credit for that.

Well, that didn’t mean I had any intention of letting her go, not in the slightest.

She successfully pulled one arm free from the bindings securing her wrist and instantly froze the woman’s leg in place, showcasing her talent.

“That pretty much settles the matter, doesn’t it?”

“Indeed. Even so, to go as far as breaking her own wrist to escape… at this point, it’s practically an admission of being a villain.”

“Well, when you think about it, it’s only natural, isn’t it?”

“Natural, you say?”

“Well… the Association knows far better than us how they handle captured villains.”

“That’s true. Even I’ve heard a mix of things, and if even half of that is true, villains probably think that once they’re caught, it’s literally game over for them…”

The moment the villain succeeded in escaping her bindings, each Team Leader instinctively went into combat mode, but thanks to her legs being completely frozen, she was left completely immobile. Maybe that eased some of their tension.

The previously heightened tensions began to settle down as if nothing had happened.

Not that it became completely quiet, though.

“But is it because she’s a villain? She’s definitely tougher than expected.”

“Yeah… breaking her own wrist… I don’t think I could go that far.”

“Hey, are you just exaggerating because there’s a Hero present? Everyone in the company knows Team Leader Min is tough…”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Maybe it was to cool off the momentary surge of heated emotions, akin to a pot suddenly thrown into a roaring fire.

As they were casually chatting, a female Team Leader, Min, shot a glance in our direction.

By her expression, it seemed she wasn’t stepping up as a representative but was forced to take charge because of her seniority.

“So… how do you plan to deal with this one?”

That was likely what she was most curious about.

The moment Min Team Leader directed that question at me, the gazes of all the other Team Leaders converged on me.

With all eyes on me, I started thinking.

Despite not having received a response from the Association yet, now that her actions had effectively confirmed her as a villain, how should we handle this situation?

‘First off…’

The easiest and simplest option available to me would be to hand her over to the Association.

I hadn’t made a definitive decision yet, but that way, they’d handle all the trivial issues for us.

Of course, the Association wouldn’t refuse either.

Villains are commonly known as the very beings the Association loathes, just like the Another Ones.

‘Though it’s a bit disappointing that she isn’t a villain from our country…’

To be honest, it didn’t matter much.

Regardless of where she was from, a villain is still a villain.

And frankly, even if her origin is yet to be revealed, once it is, there’s a good chance we could get a hefty reward from that association.

So, even if I were to hand her over to the Association, it seemed more likely I’d welcome it with open arms rather than dread it… but for some reason, that option didn’t seem appealing.

Could it be that it felt too easy?

No, perhaps it was because of the information she might have stored in her mind regarding Heogye that made me think this way.

What reason could a villain have to be here during ‘such a time’?

It was glaringly obvious that she was one of the villains who betrayed humanity and teamed up with the Another Ones.

However, unlike others who had fully undergone monsterization, the fact that she was still fine meant it could only be one of two things.

Either she was incredibly lucky… or she had a keen sense of awareness.

Personally, I found the latter more plausible.

After all, if she was merely lucky, she wouldn’t have been able to sense the nuances of the situation turning strange like before.

‘And then…’

Despite being surrounded by what looked like a group ready to finish her off, she struggled to break free from the bindings—if she thought she could escape once she was free, that confidence likely stemmed from her inherent talent.

“A talent specialized for escape…”

“Huh?”

“Oh, it’s nothing special. Just based on her struggling to escape earlier, I thought she might have a talent focused on that.”

“Well… that could be the case.”

“In such a surrounded situation, she must know that trying to escape will likely lead to being caught again.”

“Ah, indeed…”

“What could such a talent be?”

“Um… it probably has to do with body enhancement and acceleration?”

“Acceleration?”

“You know… among the Special-Class heroes, there’s a Sprinter, right? She might have similar abilities.”

“That seems unlikely, though. Doesn’t she look a bit too plain? Typically, Awakened with acceleration talents tend to wear armor to minimize the inevitable strain when using their powers…”

Right now, there was no sign of any armor on this woman in front of me.

“Uh… maybe she lost them while being chased by the Another Ones?”

Of course, that possibility existed.

If she thought she could fight back against the Another Ones using her talents, it’d be another story, but opting to hide from them meant anything cumbersome, like armor, would be more of a hindrance than a help.

In reality, she was found hiding in a narrow gap cleverly concealed amidst debris, wasn’t she?

So, that possibility could very well stand…

“Yet she seems to lack common traits seen in acceleration-type Awakeners.”

Given how her arm length appeared to be ordinary, it diminished the likelihood.

After all, according to Chae-rim’s sister, whom I had once conversed with, acceleration-type Awakeners tend to experience increased arm and leg length the more they use their abilities.

However, this woman, bound to a chair, looked perfectly average in both arms and legs.

Thus, that likely wasn’t the answer.

Then what could it be?

What kind of talent did she have that made her act like escaping would be a given once she broke free?

For the moment, it seemed she had surrendered the thought of escaping and was seated, tied up, rolling her eyes nervously while observing us. Before starting the interrogation, I thought it was essential to be certain about this aspect, leading me to continue speculating.

“…Ah.”

“What’s wrong, Team Leader Kim?”

“Oh, it’s nothing really… I suddenly remembered something Min Team Leader told us long ago.”

“Huh? Me?”

“Yeah, you know… there was a promising candidate who was highly sought after by both the French Hero Association and the Guinea Hero Association. But she accidentally got caught committing crimes and ended up as a villain.”

“Ah… but why is that story coming up now…?”

“Why? Because you stated back then that the French Hero Association lost their minds and even hired mercenaries to capture her, only for her to escape because her talent was invisibility.”

“Now that you mention it, that does ring a bell.”

The moment those words registered, it seemed to trigger some old memories within her.

As she was nodding, it was as if she suddenly realized something, and Min Team Leader’s gaze shot towards the woman bound to the chair.