Someone gasped for breath.
Death.
As someone aspiring to be a hero, it was something they heard quite often. However, the weight of those words in this situation was on a different level.
Of course, as long as Ho-cheol was present, there was no way any student would die.
The extreme expression of “dying” was merely a device to tighten the screws on those who were too complacent.
Even if the worst-case scenario unfolded beyond Ho-cheol’s expectations, the only ones who would die would be the villains—no student would be injured or killed.
In the first place, everything happening now was part of a scene Ho-cheol had orchestrated for the students’ real-world training.
A real battle against villains.
It was Ho-cheol’s personal ambition, deceiving the academy head, the academy itself, the students, and even the villains.
No matter how much you tried to simulate reality, practice was still practice. There were things you could only learn in real combat.
However, among the students who were unaware of Ho-cheol’s true intentions, fear, confusion, and an overwhelming negative atmosphere weighed heavily on them.
One of the students shouted.
“If they’re real villains, shouldn’t we evacuate right now?”
The terrified cry expressed everyone’s feelings.
However, Ho-cheol neither confirmed nor denied the student’s statement and slowly raised his hand. His finger pointed to the only entrance of the training hall.
“Look at the door. There’s black mist swirling behind the doorknob. If you touch it or get too close, it will likely trigger a trap.”
Some sharp-eyed students carefully observed the doorknob. As Ho-cheol had said, they could see the black mist writhing around it.
“They haven’t been unable to cross over yet. They simply haven’t crossed because it would be easier for them if we triggered the trap first.”
Even those students who had been puzzled as to why the villains hadn’t attacked stopped talking. If Ho-cheol hadn’t explained, it was obvious what might have happened.
“In real battles, even trivial actions and choices can cost lives. If it were only your life at stake, it wouldn’t matter. But always remember that innocent civilians could lose their lives because of your choices.”
Ho-cheol looked at the student who had suggested fleeing and spoke to all the students.
“If you pursue being a hero, you will face situations like this countless times. If you plan to keep trembling like this every time…”
Even if they lacked ability, Ho-cheol believed he could mold them into proper heroes if they had determination.
On the other hand, without the will, no matter how great their abilities were, becoming a hero was impossible.
“I suggest you consider exploring a different career path while you still can.”
With those words, Ho-cheol fell silent.
There was much more he wanted to say, but time was running out.
The black mist had already grown large enough to completely obscure one side of the training hall’s wall. From beyond the pitch-black mist, a human hand suddenly emerged.
Shortly afterward, an arm, a leg, a body, and a head burst through the mist. Following them, more figures emerged from the fog.
As he counted the number of villains, Ho-cheol muttered with mild surprise.
“Fifty-nine.”
They’ve brought more than the number of students.
The other students also seemed overwhelmed by the number and stepped back several paces.
This kind of attack typically prioritizes stealth and speed with a small, elite group. With such a large force, there seemed to be some ulterior motive.
As the villains poured out of the mist, a man standing at the forefront stepped forward.
Unlike the others, who were dressed in practical combat outfits or costumes, he wore a neat suit.
He stepped forward with a friendly smile.
“Pleased to meet you. It’s an honor.”
***
Likewise, Ho-cheol walked toward the villains.
With his arms crossed, he gave a short response.
“I’m not pleased. What’s the meaning of interrupting a lecture like this?”
“Haha, my apologies for the disruption. We’ll try to conclude our business as quickly as possible.”
“Judging by your suit, there’s a slim chance, but just to be sure—are you a book salesman?”
“Haha, of course not. As you guessed, we’re villains. But if we could understand each other’s positions and make a small compromise, we could leave quietly right now.”
The man rubbed his hands together lightly.
“We’re here at Clington Academy for one reason: to kidnap the only blood relative of the S-class hero, the Sword Saint, Choi Hak-do.”
Just as expected.
Ho-cheol glanced back briefly. The other students murmured in shock, but Da-yeon, the villains’ target, remained composed. She merely fixed her gaze on the villains, an arrow nocked on her bow, ready to shoot at any moment.
The man continued, seeing no reaction from Ho-cheol.
“If you hand her over, we promise to leave without harming anyone. We have no intention of injuring the students or professors.”
“Do you even hear yourself?”
At Ho-cheol’s curt response, two men stepped up beside the suited villain.
Their identical faces made them almost indistinguishable, momentarily leading others to think they might be clones. However, there were slight differences.
“Triplets? Doesn’t look like you had surgery to look alike. Interesting bunch.”
A startled student raised their voice from behind.
“A-class designated villains… Cerberus Triplets!”
“Haha, that’s a bit harsh. We go by the cool name ‘Cerberus.’ Still, I’m glad someone recognizes us. Yes, while we’re not top-tier, we’re fairly well-known villains. I’m the youngest. On my left is the eldest, and on my right is the second brother.”
Ho-cheol, arms still crossed, shrugged slightly.
“Never heard of you. I don’t have the luxury of keeping track of mere A-class villains.”
For him, villains below S-class were no different from neighborhood thugs.
The second brother frowned at Ho-cheol’s blatant disregard.
He had already been seething with anger, especially after an arrow had grazed his eye four days ago. However, he didn’t act rashly.
Revenge could wait until after their mission succeeded. In fact, they had already met half the conditions, so it was just a matter of time.
“Even if you were S-class, my answer wouldn’t have been any different.”
Ho-cheol massaged the back of his neck and lightly stretched his body.
“If you lay a hand on my students, I’ll kill you.”
“Hmm, well, that’s troublesome.”
The villain scratched his cheek awkwardly.
“Just the three of us alone are on par with A-rank heroes, and the number of people we brought is overwhelming. The intruder sensors are down, communication with the outside is blocked by the electromagnetic barrier, and escape is impossible. Even the headmaster, Clinton Academy’s greatest asset, is currently absent.”
Ho-cheol was well aware—after all, he had orchestrated the situation.
However, he could feel the students growing more anxious behind him.
“It’s better to sacrifice one person than to let all the students get hurt or die.”
Ho-cheol didn’t respond. Instead, he stared at the youngest villain for a moment before speaking bluntly.
“Manipulation-type ability, huh? I wondered why you kept making such absurd suggestions. Turns out, it’s a type of hypnosis triggered by your voice.”
Ho-cheol turned his head to check on the students behind him.
Although some were fine, most of them were losing the light in their eyes.
“Tsk. I didn’t teach them how to deal with manipulation types, so it can’t be helped.”
Clicking his tongue, Ho-cheol raised his hand, pressing his thumb and middle finger together. He snapped his fingers.
Bang!
A sharp, gunshot-like sound rang loudly throughout the entire training hall.
The students, who had been half-dazed, snapped back to reality in an instant.
Ho-cheol casually dusted off his hands.
“For manipulation abilities that affect the brain or mind, you just need to shake the trigger hard. Since in this case, the medium is auditory through voice, you can easily block it with a different kind of sound like this.”
The youngest villain’s eyes widened in surprise.
But it didn’t last long—he quickly wiped off his friendly smile, replacing it with a menacing expression.
“Tsk, I failed. We could’ve taken the easy route.”
Hypnotic Ability.
His voice was mixed with frequencies inaudible to human ears, allowing him to put others into a trance, cloud their judgment, or even control their minds.
“So, that’s your true nature. Well, pretending to be a nice, reasonable person makes it easier to brainwash most people after a few words of conversation.”
Ho-cheol’s gaze shifted to the villains standing behind him.
“Then the ones who came with you are mostly pawns, disposable puppets.”
“You’re sharp. Yeah, I can control up to 100 people with my ability. I brainwashed them all and brought them here.”
Even though he could control up to 100 people, he had only brought around 50.
Ho-cheol immediately figured out their next goal.
“You plan to abduct the entire class.”
“Exactly. If we only took one person, it’d be too obvious. But if we take the whole class, it’ll delay the academy’s and heroes’ response. Plus, with a former villain professor also missing, it’ll make for great headlines in the media.”
“What’s your motive? This doesn’t seem like revenge or ideological fanaticism—it’s too frivolous.”
After running a few scenarios in his mind, Ho-cheol let out a shallow sigh.
“Money, I suppose.”
It wasn’t exactly a secret, so the youngest villain nodded without hesitation.
“Yeah, they promised us enough money to live in luxury for the rest of our lives if we brought her in.”
The youngest villain took a step back.
“Well, since negotiations failed, I guess we’ll have to use force. You’ll regret it when your limbs are torn off, but hey, that’s your fate.”
Turning around, he addressed the other villains.
“Forget about the professor. Go after the students. Use them as hostages, but don’t kill them.”
Capturing even one student would secure their victory—a highly advantageous battle for them.
At the command, the villains began to charge.
Ho-cheol didn’t block or knock them down. Instead, he turned to the students, who were already gripping their weapons nervously.
“Faced with this situation, will you cower in fear like fools? Will you merely endure? Or will you do your best to overcome it, perhaps even turn it into an opportunity? That’s for you to decide—if you truly want to become heroes.”
The brainwashed villains were predictable in their level of skill. They were little more than back-alley thugs who couldn’t control their abilities.
Moreover, due to the brainwashing, their movements were stiff. Even if their physical stats were superior, the students could still handle them.
After offering his final piece of advice, Ho-cheol turned back to face the triplets.
The second brother, who had remained silent until now, smirked and asked, “Aren’t you going to protect the students? What if they die?”
“Not really. I just checked, and none of the villains you brought seem dangerous.”
Ho-cheol shoved his hands into his pockets.
“I won’t kill you, but you won’t be able to commit crimes again.”
At his calm declaration, the youngest villain sneered mockingly.
“Ha! You talk big. Fine, let’s see what a mere C-rank villain can do.”
At that moment, Ho-cheol pulled a pen out of his pocket. The triplets’ eyes briefly followed the pen, and in the blink of an eye, it disappeared.
The sequence of throwing the pen and it flying through the air was entirely imperceptible. They only realized what had happened when they saw the pen embedded in the youngest’s throat.
The eldest and second brother stood dumbfounded, wide-eyed and frozen.
Before they could react, Ho-cheol, who had somehow moved beside the youngest, draped an arm over his shoulder in a friendly manner.
With a casual tone, he explained, “Abilities like yours are activated through specific body parts, right? If I mess up your vocal cords, it’s over. Once the medium for activation is damaged, even with a healing ability, it can’t be restored.”
The hypnotic ability itself would still function, but without the special sound required to trigger it, it was effectively useless.
This was Ho-cheol’s form of punishment.
He wouldn’t kill them.
Living as powerless inmates in prison for the rest of their lives would be far more miserable.
“Stop…”
Perhaps instinctively sensing what would happen if the pen was removed, the youngest whispered weakly, a faint hissing sound escaping his throat.
But Ho-cheol merely chuckled and flicked the pen with his finger, shaking it up and down.
Then,
“No.”
With that single word, he yanked the pen out. Blood spurted out from the youngest’s pierced throat like a fountain.
Clutching his neck, the youngest collapsed to the floor, gasping as though trying to say something, but only coughed up blood.
Watching this, Ho-cheol shook his head as if genuinely pitying him.
“The problem with villains is that they talk too much when they think things are going well. Giving up the absolute advantage of having an unknown ability—how foolish.”
Even considering that the average skill level had declined compared to ten years ago, both heroes and villains these days seemed far too weak.
“You bastard! You killed our youngest!”
“Third!”
As the eldest and second brother charged at him, Ho-cheol twirled the pen in his hand.
He didn’t care what abilities they had or how dangerous they might be.
Still, since they were family, sending them to the same prison seemed only fair.
That was the extent of his thoughts as the pen pierced their foreheads and temples.
Cliche Novel 