*
The bastards occupying the bank were all wearing green jumpsuits and grotesque masks.
'Mana bomb?'
What they were holding were large quantities of mana bombs. It was a lot to just set up for intimidation.
"Shoot...! Kill them!!"
They put down the bombs they were holding and started shooting. But the bullets only hit the places where I had been standing before.
In such a confined space, aiming at a Hunter who can move 2-3 meters at once is impossible for an ordinary human.
[Movement is compensated by the swordsmanship of the destroyed empire.]
The sword, enveloped in anti-magic mana, easily took down one of them.
One down.
'Is he not an Awakened?'
"Shit... Shit!! Die! Die!!"
The Villain, seeing his comrade fall, frantically fired his gun, but could he hit anything in his agitated state when it was hard enough to hit even when focused?
[Movement is compensated by the swordsmanship of the destroyed empire.]
Seogeok, the feeling of cutting something was unpleasant, but I felt no guilt.
Three down.
"What's all the commotion!"
The Villains around me popped out one by one. I roughly wiped the sword on the clothes of the guy who had fallen and charged toward the next one.
There were a few Awakened among the Villains, but they seemed to be close-combat types without any particularly special abilities.
They hurriedly drew their swords, but their comrades began to fall in an instant.
'Their mana rank seems lower than mine?'
The Villains glared at me with their swords, but their mana seemed pathetic compared to mine.
The main reason Hunters mainly use swords is convenience. If you just pour in mana, even an ordinary sword turns into a threatening weapon.
There's no need to calculate like with magic, and no need to imbue mana like with magic guns or bows; you just swing it, and it's over.
But the sword as a weapon has vastly different power depending on the user's skill.
'Die!!!'
That's why the Villain's attack seemed so weak. Even though it was clearly a full-power attack, it was so insignificant.
To think the day would come when I would think like this, I didn't run away and charged straight in.
"Block him!!!"
"Kill him!!"
"He's just one guy!!"
[Movement is compensated by the swordsmanship of the destroyed empire.]
The moment the swords collided, I moved my sword as if guided by a strange sensation, and the guy's sword, swung with all his might, went off to the side.
Not just fighting with strength, but fighting with skill. And my physical abilities were better than his.
If there's a difference in strength and skill, the result was obvious.
"Keulheok..."
I stabbed the defenseless Villain with my sword, and he fell without even resisting.
After that, it was too easy. Perhaps because I had sparred with Yoon Seo-ah so often, I could see clearly how they would attack from blind spots.
And because I charged into their midst, they couldn't shoot for fear of hitting their comrades, and they fell.
That's when I felt a prickling sensation.
"I was wondering what all the commotion was about..."
I turned my head and saw a man dressed all in black, wearing a leather coat with frayed ends, and a mask covering his face, walking slowly toward me.
"Another Academy student?"
A low, sinister voice, and the two eyes visible through the mask that covered his face were full of murderous intent.
Just facing him made me feel like I was being pricked by thorns. He was an Awakened of a level that couldn't even be compared to the small fries I had just taken down.
The mana I felt on my skin seemed much stronger than mine.
'It's him. That bastard is the culprit.'
And I knew it instinctively.
The bastard who killed Kang Min-ji was the man standing right in front of me.
"You... Did you kill our Min-ji?"
"Min-ji...? Ah, are you talking about the girl who caused the big explosion earlier?"
"You... You bastard!!!"
I couldn't hold back and charged forward, but the moment I approached the man, I felt a strange sensation.
The experience I had accumulated through repeated regressions was warning me of death. The moment I entered the man's range, I gave up attacking and immediately returned to a defensive stance.
[Movement is compensated by the swordsmanship of the destroyed empire.]
I just swung my sword by instinct.
"Keoeok!"
That's when I felt the pain of being hit in the wrist with a hammer, and I was sent flying.
All the oxygen in my lungs escaped with the strong impact on my back. Glass shards pierced my back, but it was okay.
[Pain perception is reduced by pain resistance.]
I immediately prepared for the next attack, but the black-masked man was watching from a distance with interest.
"Hmm... You blocked that?"
He was no ordinary guy. That was clear. That bastard was the one who killed Kang Min-ji.
"But there won't be a next time."
The intense mana I felt even from a distance made it clear that I couldn't beat him in my current state.
That's when a question flashed through my mind.
'Machina.'
[Yes... Kim Si-woo-nim.]
'What's that bastard's Fate Grade?'
[.. It's A-Grade.]
"A-Grade...?"
"Now, die."
This time, the bastard who had been standing still charged at me.
***
When I opened my eyes, it was the time I had saved. The unpleasant sensation of my heart being pierced by a sword.
The bastard's eyes, looking down at me indifferently, were annoying.
"Our swordsmanship was about equal."
My swordsmanship was similar to his. There was a difference in mana, but it wasn't that overwhelming.
But he wasn't someone I thought I could beat alone.
With similar skills, I couldn't overcome the difference in stats.
"Hmm..."
My goal is to save Kang Min-ji, not to stop a bank robbery.
So, if I can keep Kang Min-ji from going to the bank, she won't die.
"She's probably not asleep yet, right?"
I grabbed my clothes and headed to the house where Kang Min-ji would be. Kang Min-ji's house wasn't that far.
I thought it would be refreshing outside with the moon up and darkness settling in, but it felt humid because it was summer.
"Wasn't today supposed to be a tropical night?"
I had only been in the training room during the day, and I had dinner at the hotel buffet at night, and Yoon Seo-ah had driven me home, so I didn't know it was this hot today.
I had lived without air conditioning for so long that it wasn't unbearable.
Before entering the Korea Academy, air conditioning was a household appliance I couldn't even dream of.
"Hmm..."
I called Kang Min-ji.
***
When I rang the bell, Kang Min-ji, wearing dolphin shorts and a slightly oversized t-shirt, opened the door and came out.
She had taken off her makeup, but Kang Min-ji's appearance was perfect.
"Min-ji-yah, hi."
"Did you run here?"
She must have noticed right away because I was out of breath.
"Yeah, it's hot outside."
"You're sweating because you ran like that. Loser."
"Do I smell?"
"...Yeah, so go wash up quickly."
I don't know why she was saying it with a flushed face, but I went into the bathroom for now. But she didn't seem disgusted, so it must not have smelled too bad.
The bathroom, neatly decorated with black marble shelves and white tiles, greeted me as it had before.
There were no pink accents here, so Kang Min-ji must really like black.
I was taking off my clothes to wash up when I heard Kang Min-ji's voice from outside the door.
"Did you say the air conditioner broke down?"
"Yeah, of course! Only our Min-ji would think of that."
"Sh... Shut up and wash up!"
Seeing Min-ji's face, which I would never have seen again if I didn't have the save-load ability, made me feel relieved.
'Yeah. Compared to what happened in the cave, this is easier.'
There had been many changes in the meantime.
I, who had always been teased for being last place, had become close to Kang Min-ji and Yoon Seo-ah.
I couldn't say that I was in a very deep relationship with Yoon Seo-ah yet, but there was no one closer to me and Kang Min-ji inside the Academy.
Min-ji's toothbrush and toiletries were on the sink shelf. There were many kinds because she was a woman.
"I only use soap and shampoo."
I thought she wouldn't care much because she didn't wear heavy makeup, but there were various kinds of toiletries like cleansing foam, shampoo, rinse, conditioner, and body wash.
The shower room was separated by a transparent glass-enclosed space, so I could wash without worrying too much about water splashing.
"I feel this every time, but this bathroom is twice the size of mine."
Since dormitory life would begin when the second semester started anyway, there wouldn't be many days left to come to this house.
Water of a suitable temperature began to pour over my head. Slightly cool water because it was a hot summer.
I felt like my thoughts were being organized as I stood in the water. After showering like that, I remembered something I had forgotten when I was about to go outside.
"Ah... I didn't bring any clothes to change into."
I rummaged through the bathroom cabinet and found a free-size bathrobe.
It was a bit uncomfortable to put my sweaty clothes back on, and it didn't matter since we had seen everything anyway.
I put on the bathrobe and left the bathroom.
"Why are you taking so long... Don't tell me you didn't bring any clothes?"
"Yeah."
"Haa... You're such an idiot..."
As she said that, she kept glancing at my body through the bathrobe.
"Have you been working out hard lately?"
My muscle mass had increased as my stats went up.
'Come to think of it, my stats have gone up, and I haven't had sex yet.'
Looking at Min-ji, blood naturally rushed to my lower region.
"..."
"..."
I tested the limits of my stamina on Min-ji.
"Hey! We have to go to practice tomorrow, clothes!! ♡"
"We can go now, pig."
"Don't... joke around... Haa... Haaang♡"
***
"Bbibibibi Bbibibibi"
I rubbed my eyes, hearing a strange noise, and turned off the alarm. I felt something soft in my hand, and it turned out Kang Min-ji was sleeping naked.
"We did a lot yesterday..."
"Heueung..."
I touched Min-ji's chest for a while and fell asleep again.
My consciousness faded like that, and I heard someone calling me.
"Hey, Kim Si-woo!"
"Uh... Ung?"
"Did you turn off the alarm?"
Kang Min-ji, looking very angry, was glaring at me.
"Wha... What time is it?"
"Aish!! I was going to go to the bank this morning and then go to the Academy, but you made me late!"
"Bank... Bank? Bank!!"
I felt like my eyes were popping out at Kang Min-ji's words. Ignoring Min-ji, who was angry next to me, I went to the living room and turned on the TV.
"You idiot! You made me miss my appointment time! What are you doing! You're not even dressed..."
As I was changing channels, I found a channel with a breaking news alert.
"What are you doing when you're late! You're not even..."
The news channel was reporting on the Starred Bank terrorist attack that had occurred today.
As I had confirmed at the scene yesterday, soldiers and police were stationed at the bank. The hostages were still there, and Kang Min-ji was alive.
'Was it this easy of a problem?'
I succeeded in saving Kang Min-ji. It ended too anticlimactically, and it didn't feel real.
Isn't it too easy to change fate?
I was rejoicing like that, but Kang Min-ji's expression was not good.
"Terror... At Starred Bank... Terror?"
"What's wrong, Min-ji-yah? Did you deposit money there or something?"
Kang Min-ji didn't answer and made a call somewhere. Kang Min-ji's expression, trembling like an aspen, grew darker and darker as time passed.
"What's wrong, Min-ji-yah?"
"Ah... I have to go... I have to go to the bank..."
I stopped Kang Min-ji, who I had just saved, from going back into the jaws of death.
"No, why are you going to such a dangerous place!"
"Let go! My mom works there!!!"
"What? Your Mother-in-law is there?"
"This is no time for jokes!!"
The mana bombs they were setting up came to mind.
'I can't let anything happen to Mother-in-law, shit!'