This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 389

My expectation that traveling through the sky instead of on land would be relatively uneventful was only half correct.

First of all, since the stage was in the sky rather than on the ground, there were no obstructions blocking our path.

It was truly fortunate that such events didn’t occur, but sadly, that didn’t mean our journey to the Association was entirely safe.

Unlike the people who were hiding everywhere and were difficult to find, our presence—suspended openly in mid-air, thanks to Chae-rim’s powers—must have been particularly conspicuous to the monsters.

As if they were determined not to let us go, various attacks utilizing different talents came flying at us from all directions… which made me realize something anew.

In this world, there really exists a vast array of talents.

Among the moments that were particularly thrilling was when a monster possessing wind-related powers targeted us and charged at us—

‘Is the Hero monsterizing?’

Thanks to this situation, even such thoughts crossed my mind.

Of course, if it were an ordinary monster, that would be one thing, but there was something unsettling about letting someone brandishing such a dangerously overpowering talent roam free. Before I could use Chae-rim’s powers, the monster fell helplessly, like a fly caught in an electric swatter.

“Was he originally… one of the Heroes?”

“No, if my guess is correct, he was probably one of the named villains.”

“Really?”

“Yeah… Although not as powerful as the talents Yoonseo or Baeksulhwa possess, abilities that manipulate wind are still quite rare.”

According to Chae-rim’s explanation, there was only one person on the wanted list shared globally among the active heroes and villains who could handle wind-related talents to such an extent.

“In our country, only a select few know of her… but Death Wind is quite famous in Europe.”

“Oh, really?”

“…Yeah, she was originally a Hero active in Eastern Europe, but while posing as a Hero, she secretly killed people behind the scenes. She even talked about catching criminals while boasting about her own crimes.”

“Isn’t that just insane? But why is someone like her here…?”

Yoonseo’s reaction was exactly the same as mine.

While it’s not unheard of for a Hero to fall from grace into villainy, it’s still shocking for someone to be admired as a Hero in public while secretly committing heinous acts behind the scenes.

That kind of behavior seems akin to a psychopath completely lacking empathy.

And so, like Yoonseo, I found myself questioning things.

According to Chae-rim, Death Wind predominantly operates in Europe, so why on earth was she all the way over here, miles away, in this state?

‘Is it possible…’

Did she sneak into Korea, completely unrelated to her previous activities, to escape the Association’s pursuit only to get embroiled in this mess?

It didn’t seem entirely improbable.

After all, ill-fated individuals often end up down on their luck.

Yet, I couldn’t hastily jump to that conclusion, as Chae-rim’s expression, gazing seriously in the direction where Death Wind had fallen, conveyed a sense of urgency.

It was as if there was something stuck in her throat.

I wasn’t sure how Yoonseo perceived it, but in my eyes, that’s how it appeared.

And so, I found myself questioning again.

Why did she have such a serious expression?

While I couldn’t outright ask due to the gravity of her demeanor, I was quietly mulling over my thoughts, when suddenly—

“Isn’t Death Wind that person?”

A remark blurted out from an unexpected source.

And that person was—

Bora, who had her arms tightly wrapped around my waist as if I were part of an amusement park ride.

“Bora, you know?”

I was surprised that she, who seemed not to care much outside of cartoons, had made such a statement.

“…? Don’t you remember, Dogun?”

Before I could respond, I was met with her incredulous reaction.

How could I not remember?

From the way she spoke, it sounded as though I had already known this Death Wind villain from the start.

I instinctively tilted my head in confusion when Bora immediately continued speaking.

“Remember that list from three years ago that your sister warned you about?”

By “sister,” she surely meant Chae-rim, and the list that Chae-rim had given me three years ago…

Now that I think about it, Chae-rim had indeed handed me several flyers resembling wanted posters, cautioning me to run away if I ever saw anyone looking like that.

‘Wasn’t that Death Wind person on that list…?’

At that time, I had only seen a photo of her from when she looked normal, and the person I just saw had transformed into her Another form, so I couldn’t match the two together.

“Do you remember now? She was definitely on the list your sister showed you back then.”

Feeling cornered, I had no proper response to Bora’s question confirming my memory.

‘…Wait a second.’

If those villains on that list had indeed formed an alliance with Another…

Thanks to that, I remembered a ruckus that had occurred a while back, only to go silent as time went on, almost vanishing into thin air.

Had those who had seemingly disappeared abruptly returned to the light?

And how unfortunate was that, to have it happen right now of all times?

Once I reached that point, it all clicked for me.

So that’s why Chae-rim had been looking so serious.

And if my assumptions weren’t wrong, then right now the Association—and possibly even the Senior who might be there—

To put it simply… Dogun’s theory was not incorrect.

In fact, Baeksulhwa was indeed struggling to some extent.

What changed the situation?

It was when Baeksulhwa decided to join the Association Chairman after hearing an announcement from the speakers on the ceiling.

Given the circumstances, she deemed it better to join forces rather than act independently, which led her to make the decision.

As she made her way towards the central control room, where the Association Chairman was presumed to be, she encountered a mountain of corpses blocking a wide corridor and an entity sitting atop the mountain as if to boast, that was none other than the “Monster.”

Aside from the fact that its exoskeletons, which formed the head in human terms, looked thicker, it bore no significant difference from the monsters we had faced until now.

Yet, the moment I laid eyes on it, I knew.

That “thing” before me was on a different level.

If the monsters I had fought thus far could be compared to pawns, then?

“That thing” was at least a commander level.

Or perhaps even higher.

That’s why she had cautioned us to keep as far away as possible.

And right after she had moved everyone aside, the “Monster” began to make its move.

What it was holding… was it a snack, perhaps?

The monster, tearing into what used to be someone’s arm with its sharp jaws, haphazardly threw it aside and rose to its feet.

Perhaps it was the fact that it was of a different caliber than the creatures we had faced before, but unlike the previous monsters, this one seemed calm.

To put it differently… yes, it exhibited a semblance of ‘reason.’

As if it were… ‘human.’

With a rather alarming presence, I was on high alert for its movements when, suddenly, a sound—

Shirr…

A noise that resembled a human breath, yet was all too unpleasant and mixed with a myriad of distorted sounds, echoed in my ears, sending shivers down my spine.

In an instinctive reaction, my body hunched backward.

“Ugh…!”

From the pool of sticky, viscous sludge on the ground, a dark red spear shot upward.

And in that moment, as the spear pierced through my side, I realized.

I was standing in an area that had already become “its” domain.

From the walls, floor, and ceiling, dark red entities erupted all around.