A Side Character's Mission ↠ Solo Leveling

Chapter 48: Final Confrontation 1

"Jin-Woo-ssi, Seung-Eun Hubae, and I always went to the dungeon together," Joohee said. "He would always help us when we are in trouble, so... there's no way he would be someone evil."

Hwan Jae also had some hope for him. "Maybe there's a misunderstanding between them."

But they didn't know that all of them were fooled by Seung-Eun.

...

As the live stream of the intense battle on Jeju Island continued, the three girls were completely engrossed in the action. Their eyes were glued to the screen, and they couldn't help but cheer and gasp when the familiar person appeared.

"UWOOOOOOOH It's Seung-Eun ah! What a badass! Did you guys see that move?"

"He took down the hunter without breaking a sweat! As expected of our powerful sho- cough!"

"Choke me with that thigh!"

"Ugh, you're crazy!"

...

"Hyung, what's Seung-Eun doing?" Hyun-Su stormed into the dimly lit bedroom, his eyes wide with curiosity, and looked across at his brother, Hae-Seong, who was huddled under the blanket.

"What?" Hae-Seong yanked his head out from under the covers. His face looked tired, with black circles under his eyes.

"He... I think he's fighting the other S-rank hunters," Hyun-Su responded with slight excitement.

Everyone at school was so excited about the live broadcast that he had to watch it because his brother's friend was there. However, his older brother was uninterested in watching it.

Hae-Seong appeared bewildered for a time, but his frown deepened as he considered the scenario. "I have no idea what he's doing there. Don't bother me any longer."

Hae-Seong returned to hiding under the duvet, sealing himself off from the outer world, with that contemptuous statement.

Hyun-Su returned his gaze to his phone, which was displaying the live stream of the Jeju Island raid.

"Seung-Eun hyung hasn't taught me to draw for a while..." Hyun-Su mumbled to himself, as he became engrossed in the footage on his phone.

The fight between Seung-Eun and the other S-rank hunters was all that was visible on the screen. However, to Hae-Seong, the noises from the live stream were the beginning of his nightmare.

...

Jong-In cast multiple fire spells, aiming toward Seung-Eun. However, the eerie smile on Seung-Eun's face remained unfazed as he responded with a magic spell of his own. Thunder rolled out from around him, crackling as it surged toward Jong-In. Jong-In reacted swiftly, forming a fire shield to block thunderous power. The clash of elements illuminated the stormy sky.

"You're not the only one who can use magic here."

While Jong-In was blocking the attack, Seung-Eun leaped forward. However, his path was intercepted by Yoon-Ho, who had transformed and rushed in from the side, trying to tackle him down.

Before Yoon-Ho could reach him, Seung-Eun left his vision. In the blink of an eye, the figure reappeared above him, his sword already descending. Yoon-Ho's instincts screamed at him to move, to dodge the impending strike, but it was too late- The blade pierced through his abdomen, impaling him to the ground below.

Pain surged through Yoon-Ho's body, and he couldn't help but spit out blood as he gasped for breath. He desperately tried to muster the strength to fight back, but the wound was too severe, leaving him powerless.

Jong-In watched in horror, paralyzed by the brutality of the scene unfolding before him.

The atmosphere grew heavier with tension as Yoon-Ho's life hung in the balance.

Seung-Eun looked down at Yoon-Ho who was struggling. His once friendly demeanor had been replaced by an eerie and cold presence, devoid of any empathy or remorse.

"Such a shame," Seung-Eun said, his voice void of emotion. "If the healer had been made as hyung's shadow monster, then he could have healed you. Unfortunately..."

"Cough! You... I won't... let you kill-" Yoon-Ho's efforts to speak were met with more blood, choking on his life force as his body grew weaker. He desperately tried to grasp onto the muddy ground, his claws digging into the earth. "

While Seung-Eun was occupied, Tae-Gyu shot out his arrows imbued with magic, which was deflected by the shield that materialized around him.

'He's too fast and the long-range attack is not working either. Does he have no weakness at all?' Jong-in thought.

"The Ant King let you live... but I'm not as merciful as him." Seung-Eun sneered. "Which one do you think is faster, your arrow or me?"

Watching the person that prepared his stance with the sword in his hand, Tae-Gyu was paralyzed, as though the grim reaper itself was coming towards him.

'Damn it! Is this the end?!' Jong-In turned his gaze to the figure standing at a distance.

"Hunter Sung!"

Seung-Eun leaped forward, his sword slashing toward the marksman, but something blocked his sword. Jin-Woo was standing in front of Tae-Gyu with two daggers in each hand. They faced each other amidst the pouring rain and crackling thunder.

"Heh, you're protecting them...?" Seung-Eun stepped back, creating a distance between them.

In the distance, the other hunters watched with bated breath.

Looking at Jin-Woo standing to protect the hunters, while facing him as an enemy, Seung-Eun couldn't help but feel something strange.

Seung-Eun questioned Jin-Woo with a sly smile, "If they die, you'll only be the hunter in this country, hyung. You'll gain popularity and be revered by many... Isn't that the best ending for the protagonist?"

"......"

"I don't understand what you are saying, Seung-Eun," Jin-Woo replied. Many questions were swirling in his mind that he didn't know where to begin.

Jin-Woo fell silent for a moment before responding, "Why... would you think that way? I don't need that kind of thing."

He never wanted popularity, only to be strong enough to protect his family. Just like how initially he didn't want to join the raid to spend time his family.

Seung-Eun lamented, "Yeah, it must be difficult for you to kill another 'innocent' hunter since you only kill monsters after all. But to me, humans or monsters, everyone is all the same."

'What...?'

Jin-Woo couldn't recognize the person before him-the one who used to accompany him when they were still low-ranked hunters. Seung-Eun's words and actions were now a stark contrast to the person he used to be.

The people around Jin-Woo said that he had changed, he became stronger, taller, and braver. But he felt like he was not the only one who changed.

"You are not the Seung-Eun I know..."

Jin-Woo felt torn between his memories of the past and the reality of the present.

"I've never changed since the beginning, hyung. It's you who never knew me." Seung-Eun smiled, his expression void of any emotions.

"You've asked before whether I was a player or not. You were close."

"Let me introduce myself once again. I am Han Seung-Eun, the administrator of the system. Nice to meet you, player Sung Jin-Woo."

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A/n

Y'all probably forgot who my OCs lmao.

My fifth sem starts today and uh... It's been only one day but I had to go to class starting from 8 am until 4 pm and we have hw every day so it's tiring that I want to pass out.

And tbh I've already written the ending on May 23, 2021, but life happens *sigh*