The Hero is Hunting me!

Chapter 134: A Former Hero’s Fury

One month had passed.

Winter was just around the corner.

The number of villains carrying out crimes had begun to rise, but every single one of their plans was foiled by one hero.

Lightnova.

The villains weren’t even given a chance.

Thanks to the tremendous growth in Lightnova’s power, she had become an almost unmatched hero in South Korea.

Villains had started avoiding her altogether because they knew they could never defeat her.

With Lightnova protecting the country, the citizens were finally able to live with peace of mind.

Even so, people still couldn’t help comparing her strength to Indigo’s.

Well... they weren’t entirely wrong.

After all, Indigo was the only villain Lightnova had yet to capture.

People gradually began to believe that Indigo was the only villain capable of standing on equal footing with Lightnova.

Since Indigo had already been classified as a world-level threat, many also argued that Lightnova should no longer remain an ordinary S-Rank Hero, but should be promoted to a world-class rank as well.

Countless news outlets and social media platforms were filled with discussions about it.

As Indigo’s reputation continued to rise, so did Lightnova’s.

It was as though they were destined to remain eternal rivals.

Governments around the world had also doubled Indigo’s bounty.

From ten million dollars...

...to twenty million dollars.

Anyone capable of capturing Indigo would undoubtedly gain immense wealth, worldwide fame, and an influential position.

But even then...

Was there truly anyone capable of defeating him?

Heroes, villains, and bounty hunters alike began searching for Indigo’s true whereabouts.

They searched across every nation.

Most of them believed Indigo wasn’t actually Korean.

At least... probably not.

Still, they couldn’t completely rule out the possibility that he really was from South Korea.

Heroes and bounty hunters from many different countries began arriving in Korea to investigate.

For now, however, they all searched independently.

---

At the orphanage.

Jinhoo was talking with Ji-eun.

"So, Miss Ji-eun, how has she been doing while working here?"

Jinhoo asked as he looked toward Zofia, who was wearing the same uniform as Ji-eun.

Ji-eun smiled warmly.

"Yep. She’s been wonderful. On her first day, she struggled a little with the children, but she’s already getting used to it. Her improvement has been really impressive. Even I had a hard time taking care of the kids when I first started here. It took me several months before I got used to it."

Hearing that, Jinhoo smiled faintly.

"I’m glad to hear that. She may look like that, but she’s a former hero. I can personally guarantee her strength. She’ll protect this place no matter what happens."

Just as Jinhoo finished speaking—

Flash.

A camera flashed.

Jinhoo blinked in surprise.

He turned toward Ji-eun.

She was the one holding the phone.

She had secretly taken a picture of him while he was smiling.

The moment she realized her flash had been turned on, Ji-eun immediately became embarrassed.

Her face turned bright red.

"I-I’m sorry... I took a picture without asking for your permission..."

she apologized shyly, almost like a timid kitten.

Seeing her reaction, Jinhoo let out a small laugh.

"It’s alright. I don’t really mind. But... why did you suddenly take my picture?"

"U-Um... Because... Mr. Jinhoo looks really handsome when smiles..."

"I see. Then... thank you."

Jinhoo replied with a gentle smile.

’Damn it!! I’m still not used to being complimented like this, even after hearing it so many times... Ah, damn... This is so embarrassing...’

Jinhoo thought.

The tips of his ears had already turned slightly red.

"U-Um... I think I’ll head to the restroom for a bit."

"Ah! Of course! Go ahead."

With that, Jinhoo quickly headed toward the restroom, trying to hide his embarrassment.

---

Elsewhere, Donghyun was chatting with Myuri.

"So, how have things been lately?"

Donghyun asked.

"Hmm... It’s been really fun. The children here call me their big sister. They always rely on me, and... it actually makes me feel more confident."

Myuri answered enthusiastically.

Donghyun smiled.

"By the way... have you noticed any suspicious people hanging around lately?"

"Hmm... I’m not entirely sure... but recently I’ve seen more and more suspicious-looking people passing by. They keep watching the children while they’re playing in the park."

"I hope you’ll stay alert, Myuri. I heard on the news that kidnappings involving children like us have been happening more frequently."

"You’re right. They’re really dangerous... Aren’t you scared too?"

"Why would I be? I have the strongest person protecting me."

Myuri couldn’t help laughing.

"Why are you laughing?"

"It’s nothing... I just think it’s funny how much you trust Mr. Jinhoo."

"But I’m right, aren’t I? He really is that strong."

"...Yeah."

Myuri smiled softly.

"I can’t deny that. Mr. Jinhoo is incredibly strong... probably the strongest person I’ve ever met."

She lowered her gaze slightly.

"I’m really grateful he saved us back then... If he hadn’t... we probably would’ve ended up as test subjects for that insane professor."

Donghyun chuckled after hearing her words.

---

At the children’s playground...

The children from the orphanage were happily playing together with Mira.

Laughter filled the air.

Some of the children were playing soccer.

One of them accidentally kicked the ball much farther than intended.

"Ah! I kicked it too far!"

"Jian! Go get the ball!"

"Hahaha! Alright!"

The little boy ran after it.

He walked into a patch of bushes, searching for where the ball had gone.

"Where is it...? I can’t find it..."

he muttered as he continued looking.

At that moment—

A man wearing a black jacket and a gray cap quietly appeared behind him.

His appearance was unmistakably suspicious.

After finally finding the ball, the boy turned around.

He immediately froze.

A strange man was suddenly standing right in front of him.

Fear filled the child’s eyes.

The suspicious man smiled as he prepared to grab the boy.

But at that exact moment—

A terrifying presence appeared behind him.

It was Zofia.

She was holding a broom in one hand.

"You damn kidnapper... You’ve got a lot of nerve trying to pull something like this right in front of me."

Her voice was cold.

A dense purple aura erupted from her body.

The pressure was so overwhelming that the ground beneath her feet cracked.

The kidnapper immediately went pale.

The little boy looked toward her.

"Zofia nuna!!"

"Jian, go back to the others. I’ll handle this."

The moment Zofia said that, Jian immediately ran away.

The kidnapper didn’t dare move.

"Come out."

"I know this idiot isn’t working alone."

Zofia’s voice was filled with anger.

One by one...

More suspicious-looking people emerged from the bushes.

Each of them was holding a bladed weapon.

"Heh... There are quite a lot of you."

"Do you really want to steal children that badly?"

"You pests... You’re filth that’s even worse than garbage."

The man standing closest to Zofia pulled a dagger from inside his jacket.

He immediately spun around and lunged at her.

It was a foolish decision.

Zofia casually swung her fist.

BAM!

Her punch slammed directly into the man’s face.

His body was sent flying into a nearby tree.

The impact was so powerful that the tree itself cracked.

The entire group of kidnappers froze in fear.

None of them had expected to face someone with superhuman strength.

"You people have really pissed me off..."

"I hope you’re ready to face the consequences."

"I’m genuinely angry right now."

Zofia let the broom slip from her hand.

It fell onto the ground.

She slowly stretched both of her arms.

Crack. Crack.

Her joints popped loudly.

"My body’s been inactive for far too long."

Zofia said with an excited smile.