'The remnants of Bang Cheolsoo's group.'
Jung Heewon had gone above the surface to look for supplies. However, she had unfortunately come across members of Bang Cheolsoo's group. Having been thrown out of the station, it seemed some still hadn't left this area.
Since they had an advantage in numbers, she was quickly defeated as they ganged up on her.
Collapsed against a wall, Jung Heewon felt pain all over her body. However, her will would not break. She glared up at the one facing her.
"Why do you-"
Slap!
Cutting her off, a hand hit her cheek.
Clang.
Her gas mask was removed from the shock, falling to the ground and bouncing away.
"This bitch still hasn't understood the situation."
She ignored the sneers around her and clenched her teeth. She had to think of a way out for now.
She was injured, she was outnumbered, and now even her mask had fallen off. At this rate, she would die by inhaling poison.
'These bastards…'
She couldn't die here, she had to take revenge on these men later.
Tap, tac, tap, tac.
Then, a faint sound reached her. Something like footsteps, or a metallic object hitting the ground.
"Hey, who are you-"
As her attackers turned toward the source, Jung Heewon looked in that direction as well.
There stood a man wearing a black coat, his hand resting on a silver cane.
His gaze swept over everyone in the room before settling on her. Then, her attackers were enveloped in lightning, their body spasming in pain as their screams resounded throughout the supermarket.
"Ahhhhh-!"
Of course, Lenoch had put a sound barrier in advance to be sure monsters wouldn't be attracted by the commotion.
The men were consumed by the lightning, dying in excruciating pain. It had all ended in an instant.
Jung Heewon's eyes were drawn to the scene. This unknown man, powerful enough to reduce these people to ashes, yet the way he had no hesitation about killing showed how dangerous he was. Goosebumps appeared on her arms.
As Jung Heewon thought that her turn would come next, the man floated the gas mask in the air to put it back on her face and bypassed her, ignoring her presence.
A cane in hand, Lenoch slowly advanced deeper into the supermarket and scanned the rows. Since he had already gone through many stores the previous days, he had collected enough food to last for a while, so it wasn't a priority at the moment.
Behind him, Jung Heewon struggled to stand and followed him, holding her side. Despite being injured, the man's slow pace made it easy for her to follow.
"Hey."
She called out to the strange man.
Even though he was dangerous, it was undeniable that he had saved her. She wasn't so ungrateful as to not recognize it.
"Thank you for helping me. I will make sure to repay that help."
The man simply nodded.
"My name is Jung Heewon. And you?"
For the first time, she heard the man's voice.
"Van."
Then, Jung Heewon finally asked the question on her mind.
"How are you walking around without a gas mask?"
Unless one had poison immunity, they wouldn't risk walking around without protection. The poison would corrode their skin and it was too toxic to breathe.
"I created a thin shield around my body and constantly synthesize oxygen. That way, the poison isn't a problem."
"Huh?"
The unimaginable answer made her question her ears.
Created a shield? Synthesized oxygen?
Jung Heewon didn't question further.
At that moment, as if he had found what he was searching, 'Van' stopped.
In front of him were shelves filled with various drugs and medicine.
Satisfied, Lenoch put all the sleeping pills and painkillers into his pockets, using miniaturizing and lightening magic to carry them.
"Oh, ——, exactly what I needed."
Maybe because this supermarket was bigger, there were some medicines he hadn't found before.
"And ——, ——…"
He could now prepare physical stimulants of higher quality and with fewer side effects. Although the medicines in this world without magic were less potent, with his knowledge in alchemy and years of experience crafting his own cigarettes, he could at least maximize their efficiency.
Lenoch made a small smile.
Jung Heewon watched Van's face light up as he pocketed various drugs while mumbling unknown technical names.
This man, who killed the men without hesitation as soon as he entered, before heading for the pharmacy section and enthusiastically emptying the shelves.
'…He's crazy.'
He was weird.
Once he had taken everything that caught his eye, Van took out a cigarette (prototype number 3) and lit it up with magic.
"Do you need help going back?"
His gaze brushed over her side, most likely having noticed her injury.
Jung Heewon shook her head.
Exhaling smoke, Van threw a roll of bandages and medicine toward her.
"The red pills are painkillers. Although it won't get rid of the poison completely, this ointment should help you detoxify. Apply it before you disinfect the wound."
Was this man a doctor?
After seeing Jung Heewon agree, Lenoch—who was not a doctor but just very knowledgeable about medicine and drugs due to searching remedies for his poor health—walked away and went back to Chungmuro Station.
A cigarette in hand and a cane in the other, with his face having changed from Evan Vylun's to Van's after parting ways with the student, Lenoch blended among the crowd and sat in a corner of the station.
After swallowing a painkiller, he took out the medicine in his pockets and started to make prototype number 4.
"Master!"
Lee Jihye's voice reached his ears.
Of course, since he had changed his appearance, she hadn't recognized him.
Out of the corner of his eye, the student was talking to a handsome man with black hair, black eyes and a sharp jawline, dressed in black from head to toe. A sword hung by his side.
He hadn't seen him in this station before, so he must have arrived recently.
"Did you see anyone else outside? Like someone very weak, who can fall even if you push him lightly, and who looks so pale it seems like he will collapse at any moment."
Lenoch felt like he knew who she was talking about.
Surprised by the question that differed from his past rounds, Yoo Joonghyuk replied, "No."
"That professor helped me during the second scenario. Although he has low stamina, he has powerful skills that could be useful to Master."
'Another different detail…' This was the first time the regressor had heard of it.
"His name?"
"It was Evan… Right, Evan Vylun."
As expected, they were speaking of him. Lenoch pretended to not know anything and finished his prototype number 4.
"Are you going hunting now, master?"
Her 'master' nodded.
"Can I follow you this time? I would also like to become stronger."
Putting back everything in his pockets except the cigarette in his mouth, Lenoch got up and intervened.
"Could I follow you as well?"
The two turned toward the unknown man who had apparently heard their conversation.
Although he could hunt monsters alone, Lenoch felt favorable toward Lee Jihye and wanted to help. Even though this man she called 'master' would be there, being present to assure she wasn't in danger was the least Lenoch could do when the girl had stayed behind to protect him from the zombies in the first scenario instead of leaving.
Moreover, this 'master' of hers had also only been in this apocalypse for a few days and should be less experienced in fighting monsters—though if it wasn't the case, it was even more of a concern. From the aura he radiated, he seemed dangerous.
The food they could loot above the surface also wouldn't last forever, and it would be better to find another source of nutrients in advance. If monsters proved to be edible, it would be a huge discovery for their survival in the future. Even if they weren't, getting rid of danger in the underground tunnels wouldn't hurt.
However, unaware of his thoughts, Lee Jihye was only wary of Lenoch. She glanced toward her master to ask for his opinion.
Yoo Joonghyuk scowled toward the man, this development having never happened in the previous rounds either. Nevertheless, in the long term, this was ultimately a good thing as the station's members would have to learn to fend for themselves in the apocalypse.
He had also planned to teach Lee Jihye this time, so it wouldn't matter to have one more deadweight with them.
Yoo Joonghyuk thus agreed, "Don't get in the way."
The three then began hunting.
As they came back from the tunnels, Yoo Joonghyuk had to revise that assessment.
Could magic really be so volatile?
Someone capable of effortlessly obliterating monsters so early in the apocalypse had never appeared before. He was too strong. If someone like him had been around in the previous rounds, the regressor would surely have heard of him. However, he didn't recognize Van.
"Are you sure you should smoke so much? How many cigarettes has it been?" Lee Jihye questioned.
A man too experienced in dealing with monsters, too composed in this situation… Could it be another regressor?
He had to ascertain if that man was a threat. If it turned out his guess was right… His hand touched the handle of his sword.
'Dig up information. Then if I find any disturbing elements… Kill.'
As Lenoch was talking to Lee Jihye, he noticed Yoo Joonghyuk's eye turning golden.
Sage's Eyes. Yoo Joonghyuk's strongest detection skill. Sage's Eyes was the SS-grade skill that showed the target's attributes window as well as hidden information.
Sparks flew in the air and Yoo Joonghyuk's body staggered.
'…Kuk, what?'
As it had done with Kim Dokja, the skill was canceled.
'First a prophet, then someone whose attributes window is filled with question marks, and now…'
Kim Dokja, Gehrman, then Van… Was Van another prophet? Or was his skill malfunctioning?
However, it had worked well on others.
Yoo Joonghyuk covered his right eye and glared at Van.
"You… what is your identity?"
Lenoch watched a status window appear in front of him.
'Sage's Eye?'
Yoo Joonghyuk must have tried to use a skill on him, but it was blocked by his target resistance.
"Van," Lenoch answered.
Didn't he already tell him his name?
Then, Lenoch saw Yoo Joonghyuk pull out his sword.
'I must kill him here,' Yoo Joonghyuk thought.
Seeing things escalate so quickly, Lenoch was dumbfounded.
Yoo Joonghyuk rushed at him in a flash and Lenoch knocked him out with a sound wave.
If Kim Dokja had been here, he would have said that the regressor could have been defeated so easily only because it was the early scenarios, or it would have been impossible otherwise. Moreover, Lenoch's magic stats were overwhelmingly higher at the moment.
Lee Jihye on the side was shocked.
"Master!"
Meanwhile, Lenoch checked the regressor's pulse. It would be unfortunate to have used too much power and accidentally kill him. Luckily, the man's heart was still beating, proving that his body was far more durable than Lenoch had thought.
'What was wrong with this guy?'
However, he didn't understand why he had suddenly attacked him.
[The constellation, 'Secretive Plotter', sponsors you 500 coins.]
When he regained consciousness, Yoo Joonghyuk glared at Van.
'I must have let my guard down…'
"Are you alright?" Lenoch asked.
In response, he only received a sharper glare.