I Picked Up the Greatest Villain in the Story

79.

Even though he had awakened as an S-rank hunter, it hadn’t been long. While he might have been using mental manipulation abilities steadily since childhood, in terms of attack and defense standards, it wasn’t a particularly useful skill.

Jian was well aware of the power of blood-using skills, as they had been described several times in the novel. However, Jian intended to prevent Sehun from using that ability as much as possible.

If that was the case, he would have to mainly use telekinesis, but Sehun had no experience fighting monsters. Even if he did, it would certainly be incomparably less than in the original story.

“Sehun only awakened recently. I’ll protect you guys, so don’t worry too much. You know my defense skill.”

As Jian stepped forward, a look of dissatisfaction clouded Sehun’s eyes. His grip on Jian’s arm, pulling him back, was firm.

“Don’t volunteer for dangerous things.”

Sehun finally started to feel a bit of tension at Jian’s grave response. He was confident in protecting Jian alone.

From the beginning, he had no interest in others’ well-being, nor did he have any particular goal to clear the Tower.

He had even dreamed of a future where the world was destroyed and only he and Jian remained, so this was rather a welcome situation.

He had only followed along because he liked being with Jian. But Jian was different from him. It was evident just from how he had persuaded Hyunwoo to include him in the advance team.

It was clear that he was worried about his close friends Jihwan and Jungsu getting hurt or dying. That’s why he probably volunteered to go in and face the danger together.

If something dangerous happened to the two of them in the Tower, it was obvious that Jian would throw himself to save them.

Sehun took a moment to catch his breath as his temples started to throb. The moment he imagined Jian getting hurt because of others, his heart ached.

He looked at Jihwan and Jungsu with disapproving eyes. Although they were both A-rank hunters, even before Sehun awakened as an S-rank, he had never once thought he would lose to the two of them.

It was like entering an unknown world with two burdens attached.

“Does your head hurt?”

The round eyes looking up at him were full of worry. He liked the attentiveness that noticed right away, even though he hadn’t shown any signs of pain.

Sehun hugged Jian affectionately, burying his face between his neck and shoulder. The cozy scent instantly calmed his rising irritation.

It was fortunate that after awakening his ability, he had occasionally entered dungeons reserved using Soochul’s hunter ID to face monsters, just in case.

While he originally possessed mental manipulation abilities, as they became skills, his mana decreased each time he used them.

Before, he vaguely experienced a decrease in stamina and symptoms like headaches and nosebleeds, but now the effects of using his abilities were shown numerically.

By running through dungeons a few times, he was able to check his mana levels and test his newly acquired skills. There was one thing that bothered him, though…

“Ah, you’re confirmed. You may enter.”

At that moment, the police officer who had disappeared while checking their hunter IDs reappeared. His eyes were full of admiration as he looked at Sehun.

“…Everyone, come back safely.”

Leo said goodbye with a gloomy face. He had asked the police just in case, but was told he couldn’t enter inside the barricade if he wasn’t part of the advance team.

“Say hi to the Guild Master and the others for us.”

“Okay…”

Leo replied in a dejected voice to Jungsu’s words. Jian also smiled at Leo to convey that he shouldn’t worry, then turned his back.

* * *

The inside had an atmosphere similar yet different from the outside. It was noisy with hunters in various outfits gathered, but there was also an undeniable tension in the air.

Among the many people, few caught the eye. The one receiving the most attention was a skinny man wearing a pitch-black hood. Jihwan whistled softly and pretended to know him.

“Wow, I think that person is the leader of the advance team.”

“Who is he?”

To Jian’s question, Jihwan shared the information he knew.

“Don’t you know? S-rank hunter police officer Ahn Yongho. Well, he’s someone who doesn’t show his face in public much. This is my first time seeing him in person too. I heard he’s like a ghost even within the hunter police force. He doesn’t do much public activity.”

Ghost. It certainly seemed like a fitting nickname. He had pulled his hood down so low that only his sharp jawline and pale lips were barely visible.

Moreover, he showed no reaction at all even when others around him tried to talk to him. He just exuded a gloomy atmosphere with his arms hanging limply.

Jian had heard about Ahn Yongho before. Originally, there were only three publicly known S-rank hunters. It would have been harder not to remember them.

The police hunter Ahn Yongho standing there, Minister of National Defense Geum Heonjung, and the guild master of Blue Dragon Guild, Yeon Siyun, ranked number one in South Korea.

“Wouldn’t it be Yeon Siyun? In terms of leadership.”

“If Yeon Siyun is included in the advance team, sure. But would a guild master go in? It makes more sense to send guild members first.”

Jungsu suggested Yeon Siyun as the leader of the advance team, but Jihwan was skeptical.

With the appearance of the unknown Tower that had never shown up before, Yeon Siyun’s importance had grown even more. After all, he led the guild that represented Korea in name and reality.

Moreover, as he had been the most actively working S-rank hunter, the public’s trust in him was absolute.

If something were to happen to him, there was a high possibility of even greater chaos than when the Tower appeared. Even if Yeon Siyun had volunteered to go into the advance team, the government or Hunter Management Bureau would have stopped him.

“Ah, I feel like communication might not go well. Maybe Sehun would be better, come to think of it.”

Jihwan looked back and forth between Yongho and Sehun, weighing who would be better as the leader. He didn’t know Sehun’s abilities yet, but just considering his personality, he seemed like he could do quite well.

Despite his young age, he seemed like he could demonstrate a cool-headed demeanor that wouldn’t be swayed by emotions.

‘Or maybe not. This guy would probably just protect Jian alone, regardless of the safety of the entire advance team.’

Considering Sehun’s usual obsession with Jian, it was a plausible deduction. About three years ago, he had tried to set up a blind date for Jian and had a one-on-one conversation with Sehun.

Remembering the chilling gaze he saw then still gave him goosebumps.

“Would others follow a kid who just awakened? And he’s only twenty years old.”

As Jungsu clicked his tongue as if to say ‘don’t talk nonsense,’ Jihwan just wore an awkward expression. At that moment,

“Advance team members! Please gather over here!”

A man holding a megaphone called people together. Jian walked towards the man side by side with Sehun, trying to estimate the number of people.

‘About 50 people gathered. It’s an incredible force.’

Not only were they all A-rank or above, but an S-rank hunter was also included, so calling it incredible might be an understatement.

Even excluding himself and Sehun, it was a force that could clear an A-rank dungeon in just a few minutes. Yet in the novel, more than half had died and returned.

The tension he had momentarily forgotten started to rise again. Thinking that these people could live or die depending on how he handled things made him break out in a cold sweat.

“Hyung, what’s wrong?”

Sehun took Jian’s hand and lowered his head. The already pale person had turned deathly white.

He still reflexively smiled as soon as their eyes met, but beads of sweat had formed on his forehead.

“It’s nothing. I guess I’m just a bit nervous.”

For some reason, as he heard the affectionate voice, Sehun had a strange premonition that Jian might be hiding more from him.

From the secret conversation with the Director of the Hunter Management Bureau to the talk with Hyunwoo in a closed room.

Every time Jian’s secrets that he didn’t know about increased one by one, it felt like bundles of his nerves were being cut off.

Even though they had sex and developed into lovers, the fact that there was still an invisible wall between them made his vision momentarily turn bright red.

“Relax. I’m here.”

Regardless of his boiling feelings, Sehun smiled prettily at Jian. Thanks to his slightly reddening cheeks, his emotions settled more easily than expected.

“Okay.”

While holding Jian’s hand tightly as he replied in a quiet voice, Sehun thought it was good that he had Soochul assign people to keep an eye on Yoonjae and Hyunwoo.

Although it wouldn’t be easy to find out information, since he had ordered it, Soochul would bring even the smallest piece of information.

While talking with Jian, the man lifted the tablet PC he had been holding between his arm and waist.

“We will now begin team assignments! Please go and stand in front of the sign for your team!”

The man with the megaphone was the team leader of the on-site dispatch team under the Hunter Management Bureau. The reason he gathered people was simple.

In the direction the man pointed, people who appeared to be Hunter Management Bureau employees were standing, each holding a square sign.