I Became A Third-Rate Villain In The Hero Academy-Novel

TL/Editor: Raei

Illustrations: Here

I chased after the rapidly disappearing figures of Jang Woohee and the leader.

'They're incredibly fast.'

If speed were a stat, Jang Woohee would surely be near the top.

"Kuh, as expected. She's no ordinary person. I didn't anticipate her speed."

Noctar, running behind me, muttered.

I glanced back briefly.

Noctar was trailing behind at the very end.

Amy and Siena were directly behind me.

"Keep following Jang Woohee. It won't be easy, but we have to keep running."

"Understood, young master."

"Huff, alright. That annoying girl and the person who suddenly fled are too fast. She's at least as skilled as an average elf swordsman."

And so, we continued our pursuit of the two.

Jang Woohee ran with determination.

However, the distance to the leader proved difficult to close.

'Is it my technique?'

Originally, she planned to stay close and handle the situation swiftly.

But the leader was no pushover.

It seemed the chase would go on longer than expected.

Kyaaaak──!

Jang Woohee drew a dagger from the pocket tied to her thigh and threw it.

"!"

The leader, however, drew a shortsword from under their clothes and easily swatted the dagger away.

Such a natural response.

As if they had known the dagger's trajectory from the start.

'Not an easy opponent.'

Thinking this, Jang Woohee threw daggers one after another, only for the leader to effortlessly block them.

It was to be expected.

The leader she targeted, 'Melon,' was an assassin.

A seasoned one at that.

Of course, Jang Woohee was currently one of the most skilled individuals on the continent.

As a successor of the Assassin Group Equilibrium, she possessed exceptional talent, but her practical experience paled in comparison to a veteran.

After all, Jang Woohee was only 14 years old.

She was still a kid.

Theo spoke up.

"Siena, can you trip her up somehow?"

"No, it's difficult to do to someone moving at that speed. Besides, the distance is too great. If I could slow down her movement even a little, I'd give it a try."

"Hmm."

Theo quickly thought through his options.

'There must be a way to temporarily immobilize [Melon].'

Is there any way to stop her for about 10 seconds?

If we could just hold her for 10 seconds, Siena's spirits could bind Melon.

As Theo contemplated possible solutions, Amy spoke to him.

"...Young Master, I think we're going in circles."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, young master. I may not be much, but I have often been told I have good intuition."

"I see..."

A plan started to form in Theo's mind.

Theo immediately surveyed his surroundings with his enhanced [Observer's Eye].

Amy was right.

It was the same place they had started chasing Melon from.

He hadn't noticed earlier due to the dense grass and trees, and his focus on pursuing Jang Woohee and Melon, but now it became clear.

'If it's Melon, she'll keep circling the same area.'

Melon must know by now.

The ones after her were just students.

'Turning White,' would only know the unusual students like Neike and Piel or gifted ones like Andrew, Ralph, and Max.

Our team wouldn't be recognized.

The only one she might have identified is Jang Woohee.

'If that's the case...'

Melon would likely aim for a drawn-out chase.

After all, there is a considerable difference in stamina stats between children and adults.

Amy saw that we were moving in circles, but a typical academy student would keep running around and lose her.

Theo summoned his remaining energy and kept close to Jang Woohee.

"Jang Woohee."

"Hm."

Jang Woohee kept her eyes on Melon.

"Do you trust me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just as I asked. Do you trust me?"

Theo's voice, calm yet filled with determination.

Jang Woohee fell silent for a moment.

"I trust you."

Finally, she whispered softly.

Theo looked at Jang Woohee calmly and spoke up.

"Lend me."

"What?"

"The Moonflower."

"······!"

Jang Woohee's eyes widened.

And understandably so, as the name of the Moonflower was known to only a select few.

Even within Equilibrium, the number of people aware of it could be counted on one hand.

'Truly a prophet. An exceptional one at that.'

Jang Woohee bit her lip, pleased that her intuition had proven correct.

"······Alright."

Jang Woohee tossed the Moonflower, which was tied to her waist, to Theo.

Without hesitation, Theo swiftly tucked the Moonflower into his pocket.

The Moonflower.

A slender, curved dagger that Jang Woohee had brought with her to the northern forest.

Though it appeared to be a ceremonial dagger on the surface, the Moonflower was far from ordinary.

It was an exceedingly rare item throughout the entire continent.

Even in the secret armory of the Waldeurk family, where an assortment of high-end weapons was stored, there were few items of its caliber.

The Moonflower was a weapon of legendary status ─ ordinary, rare, hero, legend, myth in ascending order.

And Theo was well aware of its hidden, special effects.

Jang Woohee stole a quick glance at Theo.

"But, you know."

"What is it?"

"You have to return it. It's my······."

"Of course. For now, continue chasing her. I just caught a glimpse of a new future."

Melon slipped away effortlessly.

'Heh, just what I expected from students.'

There was one proving to be a nuisance, but that was all - a minor inconvenience.

The small build and dagger suggested a skill-oriented assassin.

Best not to engage in close combat with such types.

Throwing daggers from a distance wouldn't pose much of a threat.

'That must be Jang Woohee.'

Jang Woohee, currently ranked 5th among the first-year students in the Elinia Hero Department.

With her black hair and tiny stature, she was unmistakable.

'I need to hang on for around two more hours.'

Reinforcements were unlikely.

Still, she was confident.

There were no professors around, no students like Neike and Piel who were beyond comparison with ordinary students.

'I can't see these kids catching me.'

They didn't even seem to notice that they were running in circles for the third time.

With this in mind, she kept on running.

"!”

Someone sprang from a large bush nearby.

A handsome man with silver hair.

But she was an experienced assassin.

Despite the surprise, she quickly composed herself.

The silver-haired man exuded a fierce aura and was holding a dagger.

His stance was more like a swordsman than an assassin.

‘There's no reason to fight at all.’

Melon passed by the man and was about to sprint away.

Then.

Whish──!

The man charged explosively, swinging his dagger at her thigh.

His speed was exceptional.

For a moment, he even outpaced Jang Woohee.

It was difficult to react.

Yet she managed to dodge, just barely.

The man, however, didn't let up.

Persistently targeting Melon's thigh.

Whoosh──

Jang Woohee threw her dagger to provide support.

Melon deflected it with her short sword, but...

“Ugh.”

The man's speed was too fast.

His dagger grazed her thigh lightly.

Melon quickly adjusted her strategy.

Originally, she had planned to retreat without engaging in combat in case there were additional reinforcements... but now she decided to eliminate them.

Avoiding close combat was a risk-minimizing strategy, but it didn't mean she lacked confidence.

'No, in a one-on-one, I'd bet on myself.'

Although minor, she was injured.

With her current condition, escaping the man's incredible speed seemed implausible.

'I'm not feeling good.'

Melon swiftly swung her shortsword toward the man's thigh.

She expected him to dodge, after which she would aim for his neck as his lower body wobbled.

However,

Swoosh!

The man didn't evade but plunged deeply within her reach.

"······!"

Caught off-guard.

'I need to fall back.'

The dagger the man held wasn't ordinary.

And who in their right mind would choose to dive into an attack rather than dodge it?

Melon retreated swiftly.

The man kept advancing, smiling, his attack unrelenting.

There was no defense.

The assault was completely one-sided.

"Hmm?"

Melon gradually became familiar with the man's dagger skills.

Had she been overly tense? His skills with the dagger didn't seem as impressive as she had first thought.

Apart from the speed, there wasn't much to note.

'I must have overestimated him due to his speed.'

Melon felt a hint of surprise.

There was no way she would lose to a mere student.

Especially an insignificant one.

Then,

"Huh?"

Suddenly, she couldn't move her arms and legs.

It was as if they were bound by sturdy ropes.

A sudden chilling pain radiated from her stomach.

Before her eyes, a faintly glowing flower came into view.

"Ah, ah······."

That beautiful sight was the last thing Melon saw.

***

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