Chapter 146: Hellfire Peninsula (3)
The target was Yumir. To avoid burdening Yumir unnecessarily, we decided not to inform her directly about this situation.
[It turned out just as you predicted.]
[I never thought they would mass-produce demons to this extent. I assumed that… the one presumed to be Solar Platina would spread demons in the city where she went for practice.]
Like a master detective who figured out through a time-delayed broadcast that a messenger was in Tokyo, I thought Pandemonium would first create demons where Yumir was.
I was wrong.
Either I covered it too well, or Pandemonium was too foolish to figure out who Solar Platina was.
So, they scattered bait everywhere.
Like looking for traces of Solar Platina’s presence, searching for people whose Taeguk Watch suddenly stopped responding, or people who stayed in one place while the chaos unfolded.
They’re indiscriminately spreading demons to find out.
The reason for the 72 was probably just because Duoexini was a pervert.
[What will you do about Yumir? She’s definitely going to try to intervene.]
[Has there been any sign of Solar Platina appearing?]
[No.]
[Then… there’s only one answer. Right now, she can’t transform. She’s in a situation where she can’t leave that place, making it hard to transform at all.]
Maybe someone was sticking close to her.
[So what should we do? Should I rush to Ulleungdo now?]
[If I go now, I’ll be suspected. Instead.]
I glanced briefly at the GPS map.
[I’ve sent someone to Yumir who can create an opportunity for her to transform into Solar Platina.]
[I sent that person.]
[…I love you, Chief.]
[Me too. Feel free to appreciate it. As far as that goes.]
Expectation began to creep into the Chief’s voice.
[The Secret Society’s best hit girl is heading to the Korean Peninsula to support you.]
“I’m sorry. As you all know, the current situation isn’t suitable for continuing practice.”
Yumir, who joined Ulleung Team 1 late in the evening, nodded heavily upon meeting Yoon Iseon.
The practice had already ended.
From the first day, from lunchtime, the moment a demon appeared in the team that went out for practice, the practice in the field was over.
“Until last year, cases of becoming a demon during practice were… at least three cases. But officially, only one was made public. It’s the first time demons have increased on such a large scale.”
Yoon Iseon lowered her head in sorrow.
“I wish we knew why the demons increased… For now, let’s stay together. The other members of Ulleungdo have also been gathered here, so soon, all four teams will be here.”
“The, student council president?”
“Yes, Yumir?”
“I, just need to use the restroom for a bit…”
“…You can’t go alone.”
The situation was too critical to argue about not being allowed to go to the restroom alone.
70 people.
Who knew when and where someone would turn into a demon in this situation? Going to the restroom alone?
They might become a toilet demon.
Knowing such concerns were valid, Yumir couldn’t argue against the prohibition to go alone.
“Eunhae-yeong senior? Could you accompany me?”
“Che, why should I…?”
“I can’t go. As you can see…”
Yoon Iseon pointed to the two men beside her.
“…Hurry back. I’m holding them down.”
Beside Yoon Iseon, Nam Doo-chang and Gong Tae-beom were wrapped in something like a pink tail flowing from Yoon Iseon’s back.
“Practice, the practice must continue…!”
“To hinder hero activities, this is unacceptable…! Quickly, we must be an example to others!!”
The two men were clearly insane.
Despite the situation, they insisted on continuing the practice and attacked Yoon Iseon, only to be subdued by her.
“Or is Senior Eunhae-yeong suppressing the two?”
“Ah, no need to suppress them. We can practice as is! There are no demons appearing in Ulleungdo right now!”
“The NSC has been convened by the country, and we are almost in a state of quasi-martial law with soldiers and police moving around. And you’re saying we should continue the practice now? Senior, are you in your right mind?”
“Ugh…!”
Stung by Yoon Iseon’s sharp words, Eunhae-yeong turned her head and stepped into the pension.
“What are you doing!”
“Ah, there, there.”
“I’m going to stay in the pension!”
“Eunhae-yeong!!”
“Don’t call my name without respect. You’re too young! I’ll do as ‘I please!’”
Eunhae-yeong finally turned around and entered the pension.
“Ah, really…!”
Yoon Iseon seemed about to swear in frustration but restrained herself, and Yumir felt like she was going insane inside.
“Senior, if those two become demons…”
“We’ll have to keep holding them down in a subdued state.”
“Why, why? The Academy says demons should be killed…”
“It’s different now. We have Solar Platina.”
Yumir felt a sharp pain in her heart at Yoon Iseon’s confident words.
“No matter what their character is, as fellow ability users, as heroes, our best action is to allow them to maintain their dignity as humans, not to die as demons. They already seem half-turned into demons…!”
Yoon Iseon bit her lower lip.
“Ack! Practice!! Practice!!”
“This is not an example for others!!”
“…They still have their sanity, so she will definitely appear. Whether it’s about order or because demons are rampaging like this…!”
While suppressing the two crazed men with a pink magical tail, Yoon Iseon nodded to Yumir with a smile of hope despite the hardship.
“Now, we don’t have to kill demons…!”
“That’s the right mindset, miss.”
“!!”
A voice came from behind.
“You are….”
“Oni?!”
“Not an Oni!!”
At Yumir’s words, the man called Oni screamed in protest.
“Oni, Oni! That damned Oni!! I have such a beautiful and excellent pure Korean name, Duoexini!! Don’t treat me like some Japanese monster!”
It seemed like there was more than one crazy person around.
“You, you’re the one who created the patent infringement demon…!”
“Ah, that failure? You remember. Yes. The student council president, Yoon Iseon, who tried to persuade that student who became a demon.”
“Kuh, you approached knowing…!”
“Yes. I’m here in Ulleungdo for a bit of amusement. Let’s see.”
“Duoexini, you!!”
Clap!
“Thank you for calling me by my name! That blond foreigner was quite offensive to me, but in the sense that you called me by my proper name, student council president Yoon Iseon, I shall grant you a trial!”
Duoexini took something out of his pocket.
It was a Western-style magic book, like rough leather used as a book cover.
“Awaken, the last demons! Turn this peninsula into a world of hellfire! Now, awaken!”
As Duoexini raised what looked like a grimoire into the sky, the bodies of the two men held by Yoon Iseon began to twist violently.
“Tear them apart, Malphas! Devour them, Botis!”
“Ah, aah…!”
“I am, Gong Tae… Botis…!”
The bodies of the two men began to twist.
Their joints twisted, and their bodies crumbled, breaking free from Yoon Iseon’s tail, and they started to crawl on the ground like spiders.
“Ugh…!”
And then.
Whoosh!
Something long and pillar-like sprouted from the backs of the two men.
It seemed slightly bent, with joints starting to form.
“Hehehe. Now, watch slowly. The transformation of humans into demons.”
It was like the spine of a demon.
“Now, even Solar Platina can’t stop this.”
Yumir felt it.
That voice seemed to desperately hope for Solar Platina’s appearance.
“You… want Solar Platina to appear and defeat the demons?”
“……Hahaha!”
Duoexini threw his head back and burst into an exaggerated laugh, almost falling backward.
“Of course! Certainly! Solar Platina! Ah, where are you! Come out, come out! Reveal yourself! Such a stage I’ve prepared just for you. Surely you won’t let other heroes handle it?!”
“You put the entire country in danger just to lure out Solar Platina?!”
“Oh, ‘just’?”
Duoexini replied in a voice filled with disbelief.
“For a being with S-plus grade powers, I would willingly sacrifice an entire archipelago if necessary. Solar Platina is worth that much.”
“What did you say…?”
“You don’t think 150 million ordinary people are more valuable than Solar Platina, do you?”
Duoexini shrugged as if stating the obvious.
“Isn’t it obvious that Solar Platina’s value is higher?”
Kyaaak!!
From the spine of the demon, something flesh-like began to emerge.
“Come on, Solar Platina! Your stage is set! If you’re late…!”
Duoexini shouted towards the sky.
“The role of the protagonist will be taken by others!”
Yumir clenched her fists, watching.
Protagonist or whatever.
This man, who forcibly turned people into demons.
Must be eradicated.
Therefore-
“…I will-”
“Demon detected!!”
A cheerful voice came from the sky.
In the moment when it seemed like a slight breeze had blown, a woman in a black suit landed in a crouched position like a cat in front of Yumir and Yoon Iseon.
“The protagonist enters!”
“…I didn’t call you. No, why are you here…!”
“Nyahahaha. Why am I here? It’s my job.”
With cat-like features and narrow eyes, the woman fiddled with a black bridge piercing slightly peeking out under her disheveled white bob.
“Protect the patriotic sanctuary, Ulleungdo.”
“Kuk…! These filthy Secret Society scum…!”
“Oh, right. He said to tell you.”
The woman brushed her bangs aside, her grey eyes twinkling as she pointed at Duoexini.
“你已经死了.”
“…What? Wait. Say that again.”
“你已经死了.”
Duoexini tapped his wrist device, and soon, the machine translated.
[You’re already dead.]
“…Why are you speaking Chinese to me!!”
“Ah. That’s because.”
The woman shrugged her shoulders.
As she activated her power, her white hair turned green.
“You’re a Chinese monster. What’s wrong with speaking Chinese to a Chinese Monster?”
“…You, you dare to insult the Chinese demon!!”
“I was trying to be considerate. But you know, I’m not Chinese.”
The woman glanced back, then stretched her hand to the side.
“You guys randomly give names like Gunggi and Doul to people who already have proper names.”
“Die, Doul???!”
“Not Doul. Well, I accept it as a ‘villain’ name.”
Ulleungdo.
“And you know.”
Pandemonium.
S-grade villain, [Duoexini] appeared.
“Sorry, but I have a body that can’t die even if I want to.”
And.
“Until the real protagonist appears, I’ll handle this.”
Secret Society, Imemangnyang.
“你七八烂了.”
“These damn villain scum!!”
S+ grade villain, [Doul] appeared.
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