Academy’s Villain Professor-Chapter 138 : Chapter 138

Chapter 138 : The Purpose
Ho-cheol took his hand away from his eyes again.
He stared silently at Ji-an.
But soon, he let out a resigned laugh and relaxed his body.
When faced with something hard to believe, the first instinct is to gauge the possibility of the other person lying.
Of course, that wasn't a bad attitude, but it was a habit he shouldn't have, at least not with someone who trusted him completely.
“There's no way you'd lie.”
Looking at Ji-an nodding her head vigorously, he added.
“But the possibility of some kind of misunderstanding isn't entirely nonexistent. So let's go over it again.”
Ho-cheol spread his fingers and counted them one by one.
“The granting of a Trait to that human, the monster-human hybrid, and the resurrection of the dead. All three were research conducted by the New World Trait Liberat… no, let's just call it the Society. Are you saying that?”
“Yes.”
Ji-an raised her hand and clasped the three fingers Ho-cheol had held out.
“Of course, when they requested a cooperative relationship between our organizations, the main focus of their explanation was the granting of a Trait. The other two, they just boasted about how they were researching not only Traits, but things like that as well, and that tangible results were right around the corner. I heard it like that.”
“Heo.”
Ho-cheol was just dumbfounded.
In his past villain days, he had a history of raiding one of the Society's branches that kept trespassing on his territory without knowing its place.
And that's when he had met Ji-an and their connection had formed, and while he was at it, he had neatly cleaned up their headquarters as well.
Of course, he hadn't gone around finding and dealing with all the scattered remnants from the other branches.
But in any case, the key personnel, research results, and various equipment for experiments.
He had destroyed them all perfectly.
But to think they would revive and show themselves like this in just over a decade.
If they were all under the Society's banner, then the reason they had approached him was, of course.
“Revenge?”
Hostility towards him for destroying their organization in the past?
Then why did they spout nonsense about being a fan or joining hands?
“Ah, and.”
Ji-an was about to say something but clamped her mouth shut.
Instead, she closed her eyes slightly and stuck her chin out.
She looked exactly like a pet begging for affection.
Her lips were tightly sealed, as if she would never open them unless she got what she wanted.
The corners of her mouth curved gently.
Ho-cheol sighed and slapped her forehead with his palm.
“Ack.”
“This is no time for jokes.”
“It's not a joke.”
Ji-an opened her eyes and rubbed her forehead.
Still, this kind of thrilling skinship isn't bad.
“I thought I should tell you, Mister. Actually, among the test subjects I was making back then, there’s a ‘Completed Unit’.”
“What?”
Forcibly granting a new Trait to a villain to strengthen them.
The perfect work created through repeated experiments.
Ji-an had no intention or reason to devote time to fighting after finding Ho-cheol, so she had constructed a combat power greater than her own.
“It's strong. Not in terms of being S-rank or the scale of its power, but really.”
And there wasn't just one, but two of them.
She still didn't know for what reason or purpose Ho-cheol was asking about the Society.
But if he continued his investigation, he would surely come into conflict with them as well.
“Be careful.”
At Ji-an's worried words, Ho-cheol chuckled and placed his hand on top of her head.
“Right.”
After sending Ji-an back, Ho-cheol was silently lost in thought.
The New World Trait Liberation Society.
Honestly, during his villain days, they were just one of the countless crazy villain organizations not even worth remembering.
His past memories would surely be helpful, but there was no way they would come back so easily.
After pondering for a long time with his chin in his hand, he finally stood up with a deep sigh.
The moment he trudged over, opened the bathroom door, and stepped inside.
Ho-cheol's expression crumpled.
“What is this now?”
He had clearly opened the bathroom door, but the place he was now standing in was a huge corridor.
There was no way this dorm had such a surprise element, so it was someone's interference.
No matter how much of a pushover Clington was, it wasn't a place so easy to interfere with by openly using a Trait like this.
To distort space so blatantly and strongly, one would need a power that ranked among the top of the S-ranks.
Most importantly, there had been no exposure of even the slightest force that Ho-cheol could not have detected until the moment he opened the door.
The one who used this Trait was by no means an easy opponent.
The corridor stretched out in a straight line with only a single door at the end.
Behind him was a wall, so there was only one way to go.
It seemed like an invitation, but Ho-cheol did not head towards the only door.
Instead, he clenched his fist.
It was an artificially created space and passage.
If there was someone who wanted to meet him beyond that door, this could only be seen as them looking down on him.
If they had wanted, they could have met him directly without such a process.
To create a passage and just drop him off like calling a subordinate?
Let's see how sturdy this passage is.
Ho-cheol raised his tightly clenched fist.
Just as he was about to smash the side wall.
“Just a moment!”
An urgent voice came from beyond the door.
Then, with a clattering sound, the door burst open.
At the same time, the corridor repeatedly expanded and contracted before disappearing completely.
Ho-cheol was now standing not in a corridor, but in a luxurious room.
“Haa. Really. It would be a problem if you just break it like that.”
A neatly dressed man in a suit stood there.
“You called me, but I didn't feel any courtesy.”
“I apologize if you felt that way. I needed some time to prepare myself, so I was wondering if there was a way to buy some time.”
The man scratched his cheek, maintaining a very humble posture.
His skin was so fair it was almost transparent, and his pure white hair and even his pupils were white, like a cataract patient's.
“So you are?”
“Ah, my apologies for the late introduction.”
He spread one arm to the side and bowed his waist in greeting.
“I am one of the executives of the New World Trait Liberation Society, but here, I am simply a fan of yours.”
“Ah, a fan, you say.”
Ho-cheol immediately recalled a past memory.
Recently, there had been only one person who had claimed to be a fan of his.
“Are you the one who sent the guy that the guy who started a fight at the cafe back then mentioned?”
“Yes. But I thought it was a good proposal, not a fight.”
Ho-cheol chuckled.
Of course, it wasn't a positive kind of laugh.
“Right. And this is my answer.”
Ho-cheol strode over and stood in front of the man.
Then he threw a punch.
Kwaang—!
Despite being just a punch, the shockwave shattered the surrounding furniture and cracked the walls.
But the punch itself passed through the man's face without making contact.
He shook his head.
“I am here, but I am not here. I exist in a different phase.”
“You call yourself a fan, but you don't even have the courage to face me with your real body?”
“I’m a bit of a coward.”
“Tsk.”
Ho-cheol lightly dusted off his fist and stepped back.
He had expected it.
He had thought he had caught him at the cafe, but he had disappeared just like that.
He had probably used a similar kind of Trait back then too.
A different phase.
Was he using a gate?
Perhaps because of Ho-cheol's punch, the space surrounding them began to shake slightly.
The executive looked at the wall with a regretful expression.
As expected, perhaps.
To think this space would collapse like this with just one punch.
At this rate, it would barely last 10 minutes.
“In that case, I'll have to put my personal enjoyment aside for later and get straight to the point.”
“So what’s your business?”
“I thought I'd give you some good information.”
“If you tell me where I can go to catch you, that would be good information.”
“It’s even better than that.”
The executive grinned and took out a USB from his pocket.
Ho-cheol snatched the USB that he had lightly thrown in mid-air.
So this one is real.
“So what's this?”
“It's information related to the locations of the other two executives.”
Ho-cheol's expression changed strangely.
He hadn't believed the part about it being better, of course.
But if those words were true, it was better information in a sense.
Besides, he couldn't feel any intention of lying or deceit in the man's expression, tone, or atmosphere.
“Why? You don’t have the look of a traitor.”
“Our New World Trait Liberation Society has one ultimate goal, but there are many differences of opinion regarding the method.”
The executive began to explain as if he were a teacher.
“There are three factions within our organization. You probably have some idea of them.”
“If you guys are the resurrection of the dead, then the granting of Traits to the non-awakened and the fusion of monster DNA are the other two factions?”
He snapped his fingers.
“Ita est!”
“What?”
“Ah, my apologies. You can understand that as ‘correct’. In any case, those two have crossed the line. What our test subject you acquired this time knows is also very diff…”
The executive momentarily shut his mouth.
He was definitely in a safe place.
But the palpable threat of death that enveloped his entire body was enough to make him forget even that.
That's how much Ho-cheol's gaze and atmosphere were exuding a dangerous scent.
Ho-cheol warned in a low voice.
“Choose your words carefully. It’s a person, not a test subject.”
“As you wish.”
Feeling sweat trickle down his forehead, he continued to speak.
“The information she knows and our current state will be very different. And the other two factions have crossed the line. We are not a villain organization.”
“Are you a crazy bastard?”
The nonsense had gone beyond even gibberish, to the point where Ho-cheol didn't hesitate to curse.
“The ones who acted like villains were that faction. And even in that faction, it was only some of the branches.”
At those words, Ho-cheol's brows narrowed for a moment.
The Society members who had been active as a villain organization were by no means small in scale.
Their pure military power was greater than that of most large villain organizations.
But if what the man in front of him was saying was true, then even that large villain organization was just a faction, a subordinate organization compared to the main body.
“We are not an organization that aims for profit or power, but a gathering, a ‘society’, for one glorious purpose.”
Ho-cheol, who had been constantly running a calculator in his head, asked.
“And that purpose is?”
The executive's expression, which had been smiling all along, became serious for the first time.
The emotionless expression was like that of a machine that knew nothing of human emotions.
“Transcendence. Liberation from the category of human.”
“You want to become the god of a new world?”
Despite Ho-cheol's taunt, the executive was calm.
“It's not something so grand, but a realistic transcendence. The limits of humanity. The limits of a human. We want to overcome that wall.”
The executive raised his head and lifted both arms high.
“We all dream only of transcendence. It's just that the process and methods have diverged slightly and split into factions. We dream of transcendence by conquering death.”
Three factions.
Although there were no separate names for each faction, there was a clear difference in the methods they pursued.
“The other faction aims for transcendence by dominating Traits. Yet another faction believes that a new humanity, evolved through the fusion of monsters and humans, will be the cornerstone of transcendence.”
Ho-cheol stroked his chin.
Honestly, at best, they were just a gathering of psychopaths.
But their scale and ability were considerable.
“By ‘crossing the line,’ do you mean the fact that they've started to show themselves recently?”
“Yes. Originally, they should have aimed purely for transcendence, but now that they've gained a little power, they're turning their eyes to other things besides transcendence. They shouldn't be doing that.”
The fact that they had recently started their external activities was proof of that betrayal.
He sighed as if lamenting the betrayal of his old colleagues.
“Since they've lost their purity, the traitors are not me, but them.”
“You guys aren't very pure either. You asked me to do villainous acts.”
“I never said anything about villainous acts. Didn't I tell you? I'm a fan. That's why I made the proposal. That's all.”
Ho-cheol tilted his head.
“You’ve been telling the truth until now. Finally, a lie has come out.”
The part about being a fan was unpleasantly true.
But the part about that being all was definitely a lie.
“Your true intention?”
“You are, out of all the people I have seen so far, the closest human to transcendence. A person I must bring in. Is that answer enough for you?”
“So you dangled the bait of reviving my loved ones?”
“Yes. Isn't it a proposal with no reason to refuse, only mutual benefit?”
Towards the executive who sincerely thought so, Ho-cheol openly showed his displeasure.
“It’s a good thing. At least the people I care about aren't the type to be happy even if they were revived in such a way.”
Or are they?
Still, if the method was unjust, they would surely scold him.
And that was a great relief for Ho-cheol and for this country.
“Then your answer to my proposal is.”
Ho-cheol raised his middle finger.
“If you’re right, then dealing with the other two is the priority, but that’s no reason to leave you guys alone.”
He said, shaking the USB up and down.
“After I deal with these guys, you’re next. But you guys should also shut up until I’ve dealt with them. If you even let out a single breath, order or no order, I will definitely, no matter what it takes.”
Ho-cheol threatened in a low voice.
“Stand right in front of you and connect your forehead to your mouth.”
After finishing his warning, he turned around.
“So how do I get back from here?”
After Ho-cheol left.
The executive let out a long breath.
He took his hand out of his pocket and opened his palm.
His hand was drenched in sweat; he had put all his effort into exuding a relaxed atmosphere, but his body was honest.
He turned his gaze to the side.
“So. What are your thoughts on meeting him in person?”
As soon as he finished speaking, a man walked through the wall from beyond.
“I’m not sure.”
The sullen-looking man scratched the back of his head.
“Honestly, his killing intent was quite sharp, but isn't that just something he accumulated from killing a lot of people? I think it's a completely separate issue from strength.”
He had only been hiding because of orders; he was not intimidated or scared at all.
No, if it hadn't been for the orders, he would have already attacked.
He wanted to see for himself how strong the man the executive had called the closest human to transcendence was.
“You don't know how much of a monster that person is?”
“Honestly, I thought I could take him.”
“Haha.”
The executive laughed softly.
“13 seconds. That’s how long it would have taken for you to be separated into head, chest, and abdomen if you had attacked him.”
“Really?”
Of course, now that he’s become much more moderate, he’d probably just have all the vertebrae of his spine folded in the opposite direction.
But that wouldn't change the outcome of a fight that would be decided in 13 seconds.
The executive had experienced Ho-cheol's prime.
From the enemy's perspective, right in front of him.
He was the only survivor from the headquarters in the past.
The elite combatants of the ‘Society’.
In front of Ho-cheol, they were no different from ordinary humans.
No matter how strong a trait is, it cannot achieve transcendence.
Only the overwhelmingly strong dominate everything.
That was the reason he had originally switched from the ‘transcendence through Traits’ faction, and also the reason he had become a fan of Ho-cheol.
One of the few survivors who knew his strength exactly.
Right now, he was living under a mask of pretense, but that mask was of a kind that could be thrown away at any time according to Ho-cheol's needs.
That's why he had no intention of antagonizing him.
Because life is precious.
“For someone like that, the guy you sent at first, he came back after picking a big fight. You sent a bad-tempered guy in the first place.”
“That was intentional.”
In any case, if Ho-cheol came over as per their proposal, the first impression didn't matter.
But if things didn't go well, he had to at least build a good relationship.
“Then I’ll just leave a bad first impression, and gradually build up goodwill.”
If they couldn't be on the same side, then at the very least, they shouldn't face each other as enemies.
As long as he was sane, as long as he knew Ho-cheol's strength, that was a given.
“Well, for us, as long as we achieve transcendence, it doesn’t really matter. I hope that guy deals with the other two quickly and opens more doors for us.”
“Right. Shall we go back then.”
“Yes.”
With a clap of the executive's hands, the space they were in closed.