This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 163

Instead of thinking and judging for myself, I asked Chae-rim for advice not to burden her, but simply because I wanted to hear her opinion.

And, after all, I couldn’t think of a person more suitable to give advice in a situation like this than Chae-rim.

How could that not be the case? Who exactly is Chae-rim?

She is one of the Special-Class heroes known to be fewer than a hundred worldwide, even within South Korea.

Considering the level she exhibited when facing that monster, Chae-rim would surely be among the top-tier heroes.

With that in mind, she was undoubtedly a core figure within the Association, so there were few people around me who understood the organization and its leadership as well as she did.

Moreover, Chae-rim had been active as a hero under the name Lightning Lady for quite some time.

Thanks to the Association’s aggressive publicity, heroes had practically become celebrities by now; thus, Chae-rim, who had been active for quite a while, would at least understand the public’s psyche to some degree.

So, seeking Chae-rim’s opinion in this situation wasn’t weird at all.

In fact, wouldn’t it be strange not to ask her for advice in a situation like this?

With those thoughts in mind, after I posed my question, Chae-rim briefly hesitated before speaking in a cautious voice, offering me two choices.

“Before that, I’d like to hear your thoughts first… about your arm. Are you planning to hide it?”

When she mentioned “arm,” she was, of course, referring to my left arm.

In that case, my answer was already determined.

“I’d like to hide it if I can.”

Yeah, that was my honest feeling.

I avoided the extreme option of cutting off my arm for Yoonseo’s sake, but I certainly wouldn’t want to flaunt something like this.

If I walked around with something like that on me, I could only imagine the kind of gazes I’d attract.

And honestly, I wasn’t even sure if I could go outside at all.

As long as those gazes remained sympathetic, it would be a relief, but in the worst-case scenario, not only might I be ostracized as a monster, but there could also be humans who might resort to physical violence.

So, if I couldn’t cut it off, I just wanted to hide it so it wouldn’t be noticeable.

However, I couldn’t readily respond to Chae-rim’s question because I knew all too well that there is no eternal secret in this world.

‘I could hide it…’

If I truly put my mind to it, I could indeed hide it for the time being.

If I wrapped my arm in bandages, who would know if a perfectly fine arm was hidden underneath or one that looked like it belonged to a creature?

Moreover, I had my own justification for this.

After all, where had Chae-rim and I just come from?

We escaped from a world swarming with Anothers who viewed humans as nothing more than a meal.

Even with Chae-rim’s protection, it wasn’t strange to sustain an injury like losing an arm during that escape.

So, whether I was wrapped in bandages or in a cast, hardly anyone would find it odd.

Almost no one would, but… what about after some time has passed?

Of course, by then, there might be other ways, but there was no guarantee I wouldn’t get found out before that.

Could I manage it well?

Ultimately, that was my greatest worry.

If this were just my problem, it wouldn’t matter, but there was no guarantee the backlash wouldn’t reach Chae-rim in the worst-case scenario.

Thus, I was hesitating to answer…

“Really? Then let’s go with that… Could you wait here for a moment?”

With that casual air as if to dismiss my worries, Chae-rim immediately stood up from her seat.

“Where are you going?”

“Huh? Oh… I need to go fetch something.”

Her need to fetch something had me puzzled.

Considering we were surrounded by nothing but trees and grass, what could she possibly bring back?

As I furrowed my brow in confusion, Chae-rim gently ruffled my hair with a smile and lightly activated her abilities.

“Anyway… just hide well. I’ll be back soon.”

With that, she vanished right before my eyes.

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Without specifically telling Dogun, Chae-rim continued to use her talent to sense the surroundings while conversing with him.

The fact that she suddenly left Dogun’s side was actually for that reason.

Indeed, it was because she had finally detected the presence of another person, which she had stretched her sensing range for as far as possible.

‘I was wondering what kind of neighborhood it was since hardly anyone was around… but I guess there are still some people around.’

As Chae-rim sprinted through the woods with that thought, she was greeted by a girl who looked about twenty years old.

In the girl’s hand was a large water container that people typically referred to as a “can.”

“Seriously… I should just order bottled water instead of hauling this spring water every day…”

With an expression that clearly showed her annoyance, the girl climbed the mountain trail, and I carefully positioned myself in front of her to prevent any chance of her stumbling backward in surprise.

“Whoa…?!”

I wasn’t sure my careful approach was of any use, as she immediately threw the container in her hand away.

“Are you okay? I surprised you, didn’t I?”

As I cautiously reached my hand out toward the girl, who ended up sitting on the ground, she apprehensively took my hand with a bewildered expression.

The wide-eyed looks of confusion multiplied moments later.

“Li-Lightning Lady?!”

“You know me?”

“Of course I do! But… wait? I thought you were reported missing…”

If she was thinking her Association Chairman would go to great lengths to hide her, it must have been a limit to how far hiding could go.

‘So, that’s how it is…’

Then I could just act accordingly.

To the girl, who looked as if she were thinking, “Am I dreaming right now?” I winked and gestured for her to keep it a secret.

“Actually, there’s a situation, so can you keep it a secret?”

“Y-yes, of course!”

“And do you happen to have a mobile phone?”

There was no way she wouldn’t have one.

Even those who never put their phones down when going to the bathroom definitely brought one when stepping outside.

“My mobile phone…? Oh, yes!”

As expected, before I could finish that thought, a phone popped out of the girl’s pocket.

“Could you lend it to me?”

“Sure, of course!”

“Oh, never mind. Just sell it to me.”

Although lending it would be fine, fully giving it away felt a bit much.

Anticipating that, I hastily added,

“How about ten million? And, of course, with a new phone thrown in.”

If other people heard this, they might call it a waste of money, but it couldn’t be helped.

I had few alternatives.

I had plenty of places to contact right away, and I couldn’t keep the girl here forever.

And more importantly… I wanted to prevent any potential information about my return from reaching the Association Chairman.

When I asked her if she could keep it a secret, the girl nodded vigorously, but it was still too risky to rely solely on that.

‘As long as there’s no obvious evidence.’

Things like photos, for instance.

Of course, she wouldn’t willingly get herself photographed, but you never know.

And as long as there wasn’t something like that, it wouldn’t matter where she went after returning home, or what kind of stories she shared—there wouldn’t be many people who’d care.

For that reason, I made such a proposal, but perhaps the amount was lacking.

“Uh…”

“Is it insufficient?”

“Ah, no! That’s not it… um…”

“What is it?”

“Could I possibly get your signature when you give me the phone?”

Since her additional request was something I could fulfill, it was no trouble at all.

So, I received her name, account number, and contact ID along with the unprotected phone.

Then I picked up the girl’s belongings, which had rolled away far in the distance, and handed them to her before departing.

After making my way to a secluded area—

“Haah…”

With a sigh, I tapped on the phone screen, entering the only phone number I had memorized in my mind.

Dial tone resonated…

The quiet mountain forest began to echo with ringing sounds.