How a Mythic Paladin Lives as a Villain - Chapter 15

The meeting place was in Gangnam.

– Kim Se-hyun won’t be able to come.

Yoon Seung-ah’s voice came through.

“Let’s hang out together.”
“Sure.”

When Choi Shin-woo’s words were accepted by Go Yo-han.

“Then I will too. I’ll join.”

Kim Se-hyun volunteered to join, with the intention of either protecting himself or being with them, though it was just a hindrance.

– He must have a fever, so he won’t be able to come to school until tomorrow.

Yoon Seung-ah handled that part.

– …But captain.

Yoon Seung-ah’s voice caused Go Yo-han to pause briefly.

– If it’s not too much trouble, may I ask you something?

Her tone was polite and cautious.

“Speak.”

With a voice that felt somewhat lethargic, as if the curse of sloth was resurfacing, Go Yo-han responded.

– What’s the reason you care so much about Kim Se-hyun?

It had been eight years since Go Yo-han, a second-year middle school student, endured in the space called school. However, there were no real friends, and Kim Se-hyun was the closest. It was specialness. That seemed to be what piqued her interest.

“Kim Se-hyun too…”

Loud music was blaring from all around.

“He’s a victim.”

All the children he had saved were Korean. Every time a black gate was detected, he attacked it, and it was possible that something unknown was happening on the other side of the globe. But this level of proportion was clearly abnormal.

“It’s because of me.”

The reason was because of Go Yo-han. Due to his power and uniqueness, the world seen through his divine eyes. There was bound to be specialness around him. It was the reason treasures coveted even by archdemons appeared, and also why most black gates opened in South Korea. And also.

“Kim Se-hyun too.”

He was one of them.

– Thank you for accommodating such an unreasonable request.
“No need to be so formal.”

Go Yo-han began walking again.

“I genuinely thank you and am sorry to all of you.”

Go Yo-han’s existence had taken away their sense of normalcy.

– If you say so, then I will refrain from doing so.

A faint smile appeared on Go Yo-han’s lips as he reached his destination.

“Ha.”

He let out a small sigh and shook his head.

“These bastards…”

The place was a bar in Gangnam, which also had a club in its basement. It was not a suitable place for middle school students to frequent, and it was problematic.

– There was nothing found in Choi Shin-woo’s locker, school property, or at home.

Yoon Seung-ah’s voice came through.

– He seems to be carrying it on him, or he has it stored elsewhere.

It seemed like this was the place.

– If it makes you uncomfortable, captain…
“I can’t let that happen.”

Go Yo-han replied.

“If you move and something goes wrong, things get complicated. And…”

Tap.

“I can’t leave everything to you guys.”

If he had burdened them with heavy responsibilities, he too would have to bear that responsibility.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The club’s music was blaring loudly.

“Hey, how old are you? Can I have your number?”

Several girls approached him from the long line in front of the club. But Go Yo-han ignored them all and went inside.

“Upstairs.”

As if expecting his distinctive appearance, a rough-looking guard emerged and guided Go Yo-han. It wasn’t the basement club, or the nameless upper floor.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

It was a place that could be described as even more of a separate world than the basement club.

*
*
*

“Goddess.”

In a scene reminiscent of a party held by a count who had fallen to demons, Go Yo-han frowned and called out the goddess’s name.

“Please forgive me.”

People’s gazes were cast towards Go Yo-han in what seemed like a crowded place. Ignoring them.

“Here we are.”

The place where Go Yo-han stopped was a room in a corner. Having lived for 15 years on Earth by the name Go Yo-han, he realized something.

“Trabania or Earth, there’s no difference.”

The difference wasn’t significant. Differences in culture, civilization, race were there, but especially in the lives of those in power.

Squeak.

There was no difference.

“You’re here?”

The room was quiet, away from the loud music. Colorful LEDs were lighting up. On the luxurious leather sofa, Choi Shin-woo and his group, who could be seen at school, were seated. And on the table, the drinks that cost hundreds of thousands of won per bottle.

“Tsk.”

It was filled with alcohol.

“Wow, Go Yo-han is here.”
“That guy always acting so aloof.”

A slightly slurred voice, as if tipsy, came through.

– Shall I kill them?

The voice that seemed to be disrespecting Go Yo-han roused Envy, but a gesture from Go Yo-han quieted it.

“Stop with the atmosphere and sit. You’re here to have fun anyway, so why act like that?”
“You’re not going to tell Lee Jae-gyeong or the chairman about this, are you?”

Snickers, those kinds of laughter sneaked out from various places. Go Yo-han naturally sat on one side of the sofa.

“Where’s Kim Se-hyun?”
“He couldn’t come because he wasn’t feeling well.”

In response to Go Yo-han’s question, Choi Shin-woo contorted his face.

“Ha, that’s annoying.”

Choi Shin-woo’s demeanor was different from the model student he appeared to be at school.

“Go Yo-han, do you perhaps like Kim Se-hyun?”
“……?”
“No way, right.”

Choi Shin-woo waved his hand as if dismissively.

“More appealing than Kim Se-hyun is probably the student teacher. Right?”

An insidious smile. Nonetheless, when Go Yo-han showed no reaction, Choi Shin-woo contorted his face again. An unspoken tension seemed to fill the room even more, cloaking it in thicker silence.

“Eh, never mind.”

Ultimately, it was Choi Shin-woo who backed down.

“Anyway, since you’re here too, let’s hang out together from now on.”

Choi Shin-woo, wearing a friendly smile, lifted a bottle of alcohol.

“In commemoration…”
“Oh, you’re taking that out?”
“Was it left over?”

As Choi Shin-woo began to pull something out, the group lit up with anticipation. Faces colored with greed.

Grin.

It was the moment he finally pulled out a small, glowing red jewel.

Snap.

A snapping sound echoed. And then.

“Wha, what?”

Choi Shin-woo’s alarmed voice followed. The group who had been sitting on the sofa suddenly drooped their heads as if they had fallen asleep.

“If it hadn’t been on you, I wondered what I’d do.”

At that moment, it was Go Yo-han who stood firm.

“Wha, what?”

Clearly, Go Yo-han had been sitting on the sofa.

“……!”

He was now standing on the table, holding the bottle Choi Shin-woo had been holding.

“When?”

There were no stories of Go Yo-han awakening as a player. Generally, awakening as a player happened around the age of 15. If Go Yo-han had become a player, that fact would have surely been revealed by the sacred.

“Really…”

In the moment Go Yo-han strengthened his grip.

Crash!

The red jewel, the seed of the monster, along with the bottle shattered.

“You haven’t changed.”

Go Yo-han’s sky-blue eyes were flickering.

*
*
*

Choi Shin-woo’s intentions were all too obvious. He would feed the seed of the monster to those around him. And then.

“He would have consumed the root himself, right.”

That would be the end. Consuming the root gave dominion over those who had eaten the seed. Allowing them to transform into monsters at will.

“You… what are you.”
“Choi Shin-woo.”

Go Yo-han looked down at Choi Shin-woo.

“Where did you get this?”

Flicker.

It was at that moment.

Swoosh!

Although there hadn’t been any rumors of Choi Shin-woo becoming a player, he rushed towards Go Yo-han at a speed uncharacteristic of a regular person.

Crash!

When Choi Shin-woo came around, Go Yo-han’s foot was stomping on his head.

“Urgh!”

Choi Shin-woo screamed from the dull pain throbbing at the back of his head.

“Did it just sprout.”

Go Yo-han’s voice turned even colder. There was no way to identify an un-sprouted seed or its root of the monster. But if sprouted by will.

Hiss!

There was no reason why he wouldn’t sense the demons’ demonic energy.

Bang!

The table shattered as Choi Shin-woo hurriedly retreated. Even though he had changed his form.

“…Go…Yo…Han…you… bast…”

Red-glazed eyes, grown teeth and nails. His shoulders and one arm seemed to be swelling and deflating repeatedly. It meant the seed had sprouted and the transformation into a monster was underway.

“Hah, hah!”

Choi Shin-woo soon began to make a sound akin to ecstasy.

“When the seed of the monster sprouts, it temporarily unleashes power surpassing a monster, during the transformation.”
“Wh, what bull, bullshit, are you spouting.”

Choi Shin-woo’s voice cut off intermittently.

“The feeling of ecstasy you get then is said to be incomparable to anything else.”
“Go, Go Yo! Han!”

“Neither the seed nor any drug is allowed to circulate on this land.”

“Go Yo! Han!”

Go Yo-han spoke with cold eyes directed at Choi Shin-woo.

“I wasn’t talking to you.”
-I will keep that in mind, captain.

And then.

Bang!

Choi Shin-woo dashed towards Go Yo-han, seemingly about to break everything. The top tier itself was at the level of a 200-level player, they had said. Though Choi Shin-woo couldn’t compare to that, he would have the power of an early 200-level. Becoming intoxicated with omnipotence like a god, feeling such sudden strength would cause one to run rampant.

Crunch!

“Foolish.”

Dare you.

“You did what should not be done and said what should not be said.”

Struggling.

Choi Shin-woo writhed under Go Yo-han’s foot.

“A human crafted by the goddess coveting the demon’s possession, that is the first sin.”

Crunch!

Choi Shin-woo’s previously puffed-up back started to crack open and break.

“Dare you.”

Crack!

“Insult the goddess and my parents’ honor.”

Bastard… really. There had been murmurs about him having a case of middle school syndrome because of how he spoke or acted, from both schoolmates and family. So what? Their worlds were different, their ages were different. He might have concealed it for his parents’ sake.

Bang!

But it wasn’t the case for scum who sold their souls to demons.

“Ugh!”

Despite transforming into a monster, Choi Shin-woo lay there with his entire body fractured.

Swish.

Timely, Yoon Seung-ah emerged from the wavering space.

“Carefully check those who, for no reason, flock in groups or display undue loyalty. As it might be due to the influence of the seeds.”
“I will keep that in mind.”

At that, Go Yo-han shivered a bit. Everything he had said.

“Isn’t it just like me.”

And he shook his head. He wouldn’t deny it. He had vowed to hunt demons, even becoming one himself.

“This place will be cleaned up without you having to worry. And…”

Flicker.

Yoon Seung-ah looked down at the collapsed Choi Shin-woo with fiery eyes.

“I will thoroughly investigate the matter of the seed.”

Bold enough to insult the captain’s goddess and parents. That was the expression she wore.