Chapter 6

Chapter 6

“…What kind of guy is he, exactly?”

To Chi-sung , Chang-sik seemed fairly interesting at first glance.

But he never imagined he would act like that even in a life-or-death situation.

“Damn it… does he not even realize what’s going on?”

Chi-sung clenched his teeth so hard he felt like they might shatter.

“How the hell does he think he can take down an A-class villain on his own?”

Part of him also worried that Chang-sik might just be all talk and end up running away at the first sign of danger.

Yeah… don’t be stubborn. Just run while you still can.

And then, at that exact moment…

RUMBLE!!!

The building trembled violently.

Cautiously, Chi-sung approached the window and peered outside.

The fire barrier had grown fiercer, and thick, choking black smoke billowed into the sky.

“…Flame spewer.”

And then, in Chi-sung ’s sight, he saw the back of a man standing boldly amid the chaos.

“W-what… is that guy?”

Chang-sik, who he assumed ran away, was standing there with unshakable confidence.

The sheer audacity of it drew a stunned laugh from Chi-sung ’s lips.

“…Hahaha.”

Without another word, Chang-sik began to run.

At the same time, Chi-sung was swept up in an inexplicable surge of excitement.

Could it be…?

The villains, driven back by Chang-sik’s swift, relentless attacks, staggered like fragile reeds.

Sweat poured from Chi-sung’s tightly clenched fists.

Yet, it was clear that after his initial strike, Chang-sik, having landed no effective follow-up blows, was rapidly tiring.

Chi-sung felt like he had to rush out to help him immediately.

“Ugh… Kim Chang-sik, just run while you still can.”

He lacked the courage.

After watching even Chang-sik’s decisive attacks fail in vain, Chi-sung squeezed his eyes shut and sank to the ground.

“…He’s going to get killed.”

THUMP-THUMP-THUMP!!!!

He lowered his head.

The thought that Chang-sik’s sharp, panicked scream might shatter his eardrums made Chi-sung cover his ears.

It felt as if the entire world had abandoned him, darkness creeping in from every direction.

And then…

BOOM!!

A crisp, explosive roar tore through the air, shattering the pressure over his ears.

The strong vibrations even reached the building where Chi-sung was.

He lifted his head.

And what he saw left him speechless.

“…….”

Chi-sung’s eyes reflected a dazzling spectacle of flames.

Screams rose from multiple people, yet strangely, they didn’t sound horrifying.

The reason was the single man standing tall amidst the blaze.

It was the back of Kim Chang-sik.

“Damn it! Is this for real?!”

Cheering erupted from the group of surviving onlookers as well.

Everyone was rejoicing.

Yet oddly, Chang-sik seemed intensely wary of the inferno around him.

“Hahaha… huh? What?”

Sensing something strange, Chi-sung studied a particular fiery pit more closely.

And what caught his eyes was…

“What… what is that?”

Among the remaining villains writhing in agony within the fire, Flame Spewer was clearly targeting Chang-sik.

Danger!

Without a second’s hesitation, he threw himself through the window.

. . .

Chi-sung’s sudden attack hit the Flame Spewer, who coughed violently and writhed in pain from the strike.

“Ugh…! Cough!”

The villain twisted and writhed, his body already charred black like a pile of ashes.

Chi-sung stared down at his own hands, still glowing bright white, stunned at what he had just caused.

“What the… this guy wasn’t affected at all by that horrible fire pit.”

“…Looks like he’s only immune to flames he generates himself.”

Chang-sik spoke as if he had just realized it himself.

Though he was momentarily caught off guard by Chi-sung’s sudden appearance, he thought the timing was perfect and called to him.

“Even if you know his weakness, don’t let your guard down.”

Having already faced the villain once, Chi-sung quietly nodded at Chang-sik’s words.

Chang-sik glanced at him briefly before looking at the Status window.

The system indicates roughly ten minutes left…

If they didn’t take him down within that time, Chang-sik’s long-awaited first revenge would surely slip away.

We have to finish this within the time limit.

And then, a change swept through the villain’s body.

A strange, unsettling sound began to fill the quiet space.

GLUG

The liquid that kept pouring out began to vaporize the instant it met oxygen.

BANG! FWOOSH!

In an instant, the villain’s entire body seemed to be wrapped in thick, roaring flames.

“…What the hell is that?”

Chi-sung couldn’t close his mouth, stunned by the sight before him.

And Chang-sik thought…

Damn it… that guy…

The fact that the Flame Spewer had assumed that form meant he wasn’t playing around and he was going to fight seriously.

Grrr…

The villain, who had been lying weakly on the ground, let out a beast-like growl and began to rise.

The sight was like a demon emerging from the depths of hell.

GULP

Chi-sung swallowed nervously.

“KRAAA!!”

The Flame Spewer charged forward at incredible speed.

At the same time, Chi-sung swung both arms in response, unleashing an explosion.

BOOOM!

BANG!

The Flame Spewer took Chi-sung’s attack as if it were nothing and seized his neck.

“Ugh!!”

At the same time, the villain’s mouth stretched wide as if it was about to tear apart.

No… it actually did tear.

His mouth gaped open beyond 120 degrees, grotesquely stretched, as thick flames shot straight toward Chi-sung’s face.

“AAAGH!!”

The sheer volume of fire was overwhelming. Chi-sung couldn’t even absorb it properly, helplessly taking the horrific blaze.

It all happened in an instant.

Vaylun’s commander had begun to take things more seriously against the academy candidates.

Chang-sik immediately activated Rock Arm in his right hand.

CRRRACK!

He struck the arm that was gripping Chi-sung’s neck.

BANG!

“Grrr?”

The villain’s beast-like eyes finally registered Chang-sik.

The relentless torrent of flames stopped, and Chi-sung was hurled aside.

Thud!

The thick, lethal aura of the villain swept across Chang-sik’s entire body.

The Flame Spewer dropped his stance and fixed his gaze on him.

GRRR...

Chang-sik’s mind raced.

One single mistake there, would have meant his death.

Every nerve focused on the villain’s movements.

He noticed the muscles in its thigh contract in an instant.

JOLT-

At the same time, Chang-sik activated Full Burst on both soles of his feet.

Bang!

He launched off the ground, soaring into the air.

The villain passed directly beneath him in a blur.

Had he reacted even a moment later, he would have been caught and his body melted on the spot.

Mid-air, Chang-sik spun and delivered a rock-solid punch.

CRACK!

He felt the heavy impact.

THUD-THUMP

He succeeded in sending the villain flying far away, but the forceful movements left his entire body aching and strained.

“Huff… huff!”

“Ugh! Kim Chang-sik, are you okay?”

“Hah… worry about yourself first.”

As expected, dragging this fight out any longer would be hopeless.

“Chi-sung, we need a decoy.”

“What?”

“I’ll target his weakness, but first, you go ahead and keep him occupied.”

At first, it sounded reckless, but Chi-sung, already feeling deep trust in Chang-sik, nodded and assumed a fighting stance.

“…I don’t know how you know, but I trust you.”

Chang-sik knew two weaknesses of the Flame Spewer.

And the one they were about to exploit was a lethal physical flaw even the Flame Spewer himself didn’t realize.

That’s the only chance.

The villain crouched slightly, fixing his gaze on the two of them.

Grrr…!

This time, Chi-sung moved first.

Tap-tap!—

His hands glowed white as he charged forward.

The Flame Spewer also lunged at him with blinding speed.

“Die!!”

Chii-sung pulled both hands behind him, then launched them toward the villain.

But the Flame Spewer, with a cunning sidestep, dodged and kept progressing straight forward.

“What… what the hell!”

A flustered voice escaped from Chi-sung.

From the very beginning, the villain had set his sights on Chang-sik.

This bastard…!

It all happened so fast that there was no time to react, Chang-sik couldn’t dodge.

The villain was suddenly right in front of him.

Chang-sik barely managed to raise his right hand, still powered by Rock arm.

In that fleeting instant, he locked eyes with the villain’s twisted, cruel gaze.

Damn it…!

BANG!!

With a deafening crash, Chang-sik’s body was lifted into the air.

His mind went blank.

. . .

“Ugh!”

A momentary blackout.

A ringing dong! echoed in his skull.

Blood streamed down his forehead, tinting his vision red.

“Hah… huff!”

He couldn’t feel his right hand, the one that had tried to block the attack.

Placing his hand on the ground and looking ahead, he saw Chi-sung struggling valiantly in the distance.

Having lost consciousness for a moment, the system showed less than two minutes remaining.

If that time ran out, the future would play out as originally destined, Chi-sung would die at the villain’s hands, and the Flame Spewer would escape.

Chang-sik forced his heavy body to rise.

Just then…

“Th-there…”

“Ah, just go already!”

“How can we just leave? You helped us!”

One of the survivors from earlier hesitated, then crept forward, shrinking into himself as he trembled at Chang-sik’s side.

“Let’s run together. I-I can help support you.”

Chang-sik panted heavily as he stared at him, and the boy grabbed his arm firmly.

“It’s the Flame Spewer. Even Chi-sung has no chance.”

With trembling arms, the boy tried to lead Chang-sik.

But…

“Let go.”

“Huh? N-no, I mean…”

“I’m not running. Let go of my arm.”

“Why… what?!”

Chang-sik shook the boy’s hand off and walked forward.

Even with the slightest movement, his legs were already shaking.

No chance.

He was going to get killed.

Even Chang-sik knew that trying to take the villain down at that moment would be nearly impossible.

Yet, strangely, his body kept moving toward him.

Why?

Was it because he hated losing more than anything?

Or was it the revenge that boiled deep within his heart?

Or…

Chang-sik shook his head.

He didn’t know the answer, but he knew one thing, he wanted to face the villain.

In the distance, he saw Chi-sung caught in the villain’s grip.

Chang-sik quickened his pace.

His joints creaked and screamed under the strain.

Horrific screams erupted from Chi-sung’s mouth as he endured the villain’s relentless flames.

Chang-sik charged Full Burst into his still-working left hand and bolted forward.

Hahh!!!

Though his entire body screamed in agony, an odd, dark smile spread across his face.

Tap-tap!

When he was just ten meters away, he activated Full Burst with the final step of his foot.

Bang

His body dashed into the air.

The system showed barely ten seconds remaining.

The villain, as if aware of Chang-sik’s approach, mockingly smiled.

His gaping mouth was fixed on Chang-sik as he flew through the air.

But…

“Shut your mouth, you bastard!!”

It had already been anticipated.

Chang-sik twisted his body, swinging his left arm charged with Full Burst behind him.

And then…

Thwack!!

Caught off guard by the sudden, searing pain, the Flame Spewer furrowed his eyes in agony.

But Chang-sik’s attack wasn’t over yet.

“Full Burst!!”

Orange light leaked from the gaps between the jagged stones of Chang-sik’s arm lodged in the villain’s mouth.

Tssssss

…

Flash!

An explosion tore through the air.

BOOM!!!

The deafening blast shredded every vulnerable part of the Flame Spewer’s mouth with jagged rock fragments.

“Gaaaaah…!”

The villain, having taken the blast straight into his mouth like a grenade, collapsed helplessly.

Chi-sung stood frozen, staring in disbelief.

“ Just Wh-what… are you…?”

For the first time in Ha Jin Seok’s life, he felt a gaze of admiration.

Something inside his chest twitched.

The Status window blared repeatedly, but Chang-sik didn’t hear it.

He blinked at Chi-sung, who seemed on the verge of fainting, and spoke.

“…Kim Chang-sik.”

The Heroic Life of the Greatest Villain.