Villain wants to live as a commoner chapter 28

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The once dim world turned bright. Shielding my eyes from the sunlight with my hand, someone came running and shouted.

“Are you alright?”

The person was dressed in a uniform from the Hunter Management Bureau. I answered that I was fine and looked around.

The area was cordoned off, seemingly by the management bureau, with their vehicles and personnel everywhere.

Meanwhile, a healer from the bureau was examining the collapsed Choi Dokyum.

I approached them first.

“He got injured while fighting the boss monster. He was also poisoned.”

“Poisoned?”

“I gave him an emergency potion, but…”

“Understood.”

The healer, having heard the condition, loaded Choi Dokyum into an ambulance.

Meanwhile, the management bureau hunters were having a serious discussion around the bound Seo Inhu.

He seemed to be a notable figure, as they recognized his face.

As I approached, one of the hunters raised his hand to stop me with a serious expression.

“You can’t come this way.”

“Oh, Seo Heewon?”

Fortunately, someone recognized me, and the person who had stopped me widened his eyes in surprise.

“Oh. This is the one…”

Why are you looking at me like that?

Could it be that Baek Gunho did something again?

Instead of asking how they knew me, I got straight to the point.

“I have something to report.”

“Pardon?”

“Those two, Seo Inhu and his accomplice, lured us here.”

I pointed at Woo Hyung-shik and Kim Narae as I spoke.

As soon as I finished, the hunters surrounded the two.

The hunter who had verified this turned back to me.

“Understood. Can I ask you a few questions?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

The hunter asked me some basic questions, including what had happened inside the dungeon.

“When Choi Dokyum almost had it, the boss monster suddenly released poison. Dokyum collapsed from the poison, so I finished it with a bomb.”

“A bomb, you say?”

“It was authorized. Hunter Lee Shinhae made it…”

“Ah, of course. Being whose son he is, I understand.”

The hunter smiled amiably. This is why connections are important.

“We wouldn’t have managed without Choi Dokyum.”

I kept giving credit to Choi Dokyum. I couldn’t afford to draw unnecessary attention to myself.

Since Seo Inhu was caught, the focus would naturally shift there anyway.

“Hey.”

Just then, someone’s hand landed on my shoulder.

Startled by the silent approach, I turned around to find Baek Gunho. He looked at me like I was a nuisance.

“Hah, you really…”

“It’s not my fault this time.”

I reflexively started defending myself, but Baek Gunho’s expression remained stern.

“Following those suspicious guys into a dungeon and getting trapped, what were you thinking?”

I had no rebuttal for that.

Indeed, there have been a lot of incidents lately.

Even if I am unlucky, it’s rare for such big events to happen consecutively.

“Let’s go.”

Baek Gunho naturally led me away, and the management bureau hunter released me with a word to rest well.

“We really need to lock you up.”

Muttering threateningly, Baek Gunho led the way. I pretended not to hear and got into Baek Gunho’s car.

Then, I entered the address of Sammi Officetel into the navigation system. Baek Gunho looked at me curiously.

“Where is this?”

“Where Shin Chaeyoung is.”

“….”

Instead of asking how I knew, Baek Gunho glared at me. He must be thinking about how I could know where she is.

I contacted my uncle on my phone and urged Baek Gunho.

“Seo Inhu is caught, so we don’t know when they might run. We need to hurry.”

“Hah…”

Baek Gunho sighed but obediently started the car. The vehicle lurched roughly as it crossed the road.

Baek Gunho is overprotective of me.

However, he doesn’t exclude me from situations just for the sake of safety if they involve me directly.

He believes that knowing what’s happening is crucial for handling it, or something like that…

Of course, he doesn’t always leave me alone; it’s limited to when he’s with me. He says it’s fine because he can deal with whatever comes up. Such confidence.

“How did you find Shin Chaeyoung’s location?”

“I heard it from the terrorist.”

“From the terrorist?”

“Yeah. Maybe the monster hit him wrong, he seemed a bit out of it?”

Only after we had started did Baek Gunho ask me about the situation.

I mumbled an excuse. He glanced at me suspiciously.

“Drive safely.”

Baek Gunho turned his head back quietly and focused on driving. Thanks to his rather aggressive driving, we arrived much faster than the navigation system predicted.

When we were almost there, we saw black smoke rising from our destination.

“Looks like there’s a fire.”

“Damn it.”

Baek Gunho cursed roughly as he got out of the car.

The fire was unusual. The flames danced along the walls, spreading erratically. It was clear that an awakened person had started the fire intentionally.

It seemed like many people were home because it was the weekend, and they were quickly coming down the stairs. As Baek Gunho scanned the gathered onlookers, he suddenly grabbed a man standing at the back. He was so quick that the people around him didn’t even notice.

Baek Gunho dragged the man into an alley. When I caught up in a hurry, Baek Gunho was using an item that blocked sound.

“Put out the fire.”

“What are you….”

“Not putting it out?”

Baek Gunho whispered menacingly, reaching for the man’s ankle. With a light grip, the ankle twisted at an unnatural angle.

“Aaargh!”

“Next will be your neck.”

“Ugh, ugh….”

“If you die, your skills will disappear too.”

His low whisper was filled with sharp killing intent. The man, groaning in pain, desperately shook his head.

“I’ll put it out. I’ll put it out now….”

The man whimpered and pleaded. Simultaneously, the strange flames disappeared. The remaining fires were still dangerous, but they had diminished.

A fire starter, I assumed? But how did Baek Gunho recognize him right away? It was always fascinating to see his talent in action.

Baek Gunho pulled out a sealing tool from his inventory and subdued the man. The man’s body went limp. After securely binding the man’s feet, Baek Gunho turned to me.

“He couldn’t have gone far. Stay here. Reinforcements will arrive soon.”

“Okay.”

Thinking he couldn’t take me along while pursuing, Baek Gunho stood up alone. I nodded quietly and watched his departing figure.

I turned back to the man. It felt like a waste to just leave him like this. If I could make him confess like Seo In-ho, it would be convenient.

I looked around and used an item that diverted people’s attention. Then I took out a mysterious mana stone I had picked up in the dungeon from my inventory and broke it in half.

“Dust.”

I whispered to the shadow, and Dust appeared, eyes shining. I handed the mana stone to Dust.

“Can you do that thing from earlier again?”

Dust blinked its eyes wide. I wondered if it couldn’t understand human speech.

Just as I was about to put the mana stone back in my inventory, Dust bit into it. Smoke billowed from Dust’s body. Before the smoke could take form, Dust licked the man thoroughly.