Villain Eaten By The Hero - Chapter 59
CHAPTER 59
His navy-blue uniform was torn, revealing a bloodied body with wounds scattered throughout. Metal fragments, scattered like bullets, had left numerous scars on Seo’s body.
[I don’t understand why you’re getting angry.]
The boss’s mechanized voice still droned on with a flat tone.
[Didn’t you have fun with Belze?]
Seo felt a rush of emotion again.
Seo wasn’t sure if the boss really didn’t know, or if he was trying to mock him, but the implications of the boss’ words were irritating. Every word uttered by him grated on Seo’s nerves to the point of near insanity.
Beloved subordinate. Good times. Fill the void. Won’t be as boring as before…
While these words made no sense when thought about them individually, but they took on an unsettling tone and ominous thoughts when heard all together. The shock of how kind and gentle Belze had been to him hadn’t entirely faded, but it wasn’t solely Seo’s fault. The rumors that had been circulating had made him uneasy.
Moreover, most of the speculations leaned toward the wrong direction. If it had been anyone else, like Hugo, the man he’d seen on the cruise, Seo would have just felt jealous.
But this was Belze’s boss. The head of a notoriously evil organization. It was clear enough that Belze couldn’t refuse her boss’s orders.
There are many crimes in the world that stem from the most unlikely of characters.
Various news, gossip, and novels only fueled Seo’s anxiety.
“It was enjoyable, what can I say?”
[Glad to hear that. Take care in my absence.]
Wiping away the blood, Seo tried to provoke the boss, but he remained unaffected. Shaking Seo with ambiguous words that were hard to interpret, the boss prepared to disappear by pushing Seo away with a large car.
“Where do you think you’re going? I can’t let you go like this. Until I figure out what you’re up to, I won’t let you go. Got it? If you leave, you’re dead.”
The car, which had been pushing Seo as if to crush him, gradually broke down like a toy, but then another car came crashing down on top of it, and then another, and another, until it surrounded Seo like a prison.
[I’m sorry, but Belze is waiting for me. Next time, perhaps.]
“Just try leaving now. I’ll make sure to repay you twice as much for running away. Just because you managed to escape doesn’t mean you won… You son of a bitch…just try laying a hand on your subordinate!”
Seo, who missed the timing while trying to save the person in the car, screamed, knocking over a leaning streetlight.
*
At the headquarters of Cheonha, news of the boss’s return from overseas brought the organization members joyfully gathering into the room. The boss of Cheonha, with a mechanical appearance emitting steam, creaked as he entered.
[Long time no see, Belze.]
Upon hearing this, Belze, who was small compared to the towering boss, rushed over joyfully, more like a puppy than a high-ranking m*mber of the organization. Instead of showing a dignified appearance befitting an organization executive, her face was as excited as a dog running through the snow.
“You’re back! I’ve got your meal ready, your room tidied up, and I’ve found the clothes you left at the cleaners. You must be busy, but you’re back. How was Singapore?”
[You called me by broadcasting the video. It must be important.]
“You fell for a scam. She sold your name to get that guy.”
“Hey, Oh Hyena! Do you have to bring that up?”
Hyena and Belze elbowed each other, making playful sounds. Their attitude towards the boss was more like that of a close uncle or teacher rather than a superior. The boss’s creaking metallic voice didn’t scold the two.
[If it’s him, I’ve already met him, and he got angry when I said he’s been getting along with you. Why would he be angry if he had a good time?]
The boss shook his head, remembering Seo’s fiery temper when he’d said those words.
“He’s naturally a grump.”
Belze started putting large cutting tools and other big research equipment into the room and fired up the CAD on her laptop. With a mind filled with plans to inspect and modify the machinery surrounding the boss, she didn’t deeply sense Seo’s anxiety.
[I see. Still, I want to leave a good impression. Next time, I should bring some fruit.]
“I remember in an interview; he said peaches were his favorite among fruits. Hey, Hyena, can you turn on the power there and raise the voltage a bit? Also, get some anesthesia gas to put the boss to sleep!”
[Come to think of it, there might be eyes around watching. I might have acted too familiar with the hero. Next time, I should visit secretly.]
“Is this the one you repaired in Singapore? Wow, this method works too. I’m going to take this apart, so don’t use your left hand for a while.”
Ignoring the buzzing sound, the boss was delighted with gratitude.
[Befriending heroes in secret… you’re my kids, after all.]
Even though Belze and Hyena weren’t really his children, in his heart, they were as good as his own.
The head of the notorious city destroyer, the boss of the evil organization Cheonha, had an extremely peaceful and leisurely mind.
**
A week passed since then, and Cheonha was relatively calm.
The boss, who had been vigilant against group attacks by heroes, had returned after a long time, bringing vitality to the organization. The organization, which had been run smoothly by the executives in the boss’s absence, welcomed the return of the symbol and head of the organization.
“It’s been peaceful lately. Is it because DDD and the Heroes are busy fighting each other?”
“Seems like it. Thanks to that, we destroyed NineTech yesterday. It’s been a while since we’ve had some real fun.”
Jet laughed heartily, giving a strong pat on Wonha’s shoulder.
“Yeah, it would be nice if it continued like this. Things go well with the boss around. I heard Belze and Hyena went out. Did they?”
“Hyena went to scout DDD, and Belze went to scout Ravi.”
“It’s the same thing.”
Checking the news, it was reported that heroes, led by Seo, and DDD, were in conflict.
Wonha shook her head.
“The goals are different.”
Hyena went to gather information to mess with DDD’s Lotte, and Belze used scouting as an excuse to secretly meet Seo. The former felt eerie, and the latter felt sweet.
However, Jet, keeping his loyalty intact and mushing important details, wrinkled his forehead and teased them.
“Hmm? Different, huh? Belze actually went out alone without following the boss when she’s been so enthusiastic following the boss all week.”
“Yesterday, the boss went to meet Ravi alone and came back with both legs shattered. She said she’s going to say a few words about it.”
“Both legs shattered? What a shame. It was a part that Belze cherished and didn’t want to get damaged since it was recently replaced. So, is that why she went behind Ravi’s back?”
Belze admired the boss and was proud of him. Most of the outer appearance of the boss, who looked like a machine-human combo, was her work.
Originally, the boss of Cheonha was a villain who, due to not properly controlling his abilities, had been actively pursued by heroes because he caused fatal harm to society.
No matter how powerful you are, if you can’t control it, it’s useless. At that time, the boss was just a villain who hung around with people in similar situations. Belze was the one who turned such a man into the charismatic boss of a large organization.
She outfitted him with mechanical devices to control his abilities and increase his versatility, and the man became the boss of a large organization.
It’s all thanks to him that Belze, who doesn’t have any special powers, became an executive of the organization and reigns like a princess, and in this case, everyone lets her sulk and be sensitive.
“It could be, and considering the relationship with DDD’s branch, they won’t join hands, especially since their relationship isn’t that great. She could have gone to pick a fight.”
On the contrary, if DDD wanted to defeat Seo, they could have stirred up trouble. After all, nobody would just stand by and watch someone take the fruit of their labor.
Or, she could have run there with a sweet face and said something like, ‘I heard you didn’t beat my boss, when I built the device that assists him?’ while cheekily poking fun.
“Whatever it is, it should be fine. If it’s dangerous this time, we can just send the boss.”
While Jet was feeling reassured, a danger alert rang within the hideout.
<Danger! Danger! DDD has set off a large trap in the city center! Approximately 800 citizens and two Cheonha executives, along with four heroes, have been captured. They are demanding a confrontation with the boss, using the safety of his executives as an excuse. Danger! Danger!>
Jet and Wonha, upon hearing the contents of the danger alert, looked at each other with faces that indicated they had just realized something.
“If Seo and DDD are at downtown now, then the executives…”
“It’s probably Hyena and Belze.”
They were indeed hostages worthy of demanding a confrontation with the boss.
In a moment of anxiety, Wonha thought of another person who was probably in the same place.
*
At that moment, thick shackles were fastened to the wrists of those trapped inside the large structure that covered the city center.
Iron gates sprang up between the buildings, blocking the way, forming a giant maze when viewed from above.
Lotte’s hologram above the maze cheerfully smiled.
“I finally get to unveil this trap! I’ve been pretending to lose and setting it up all this time. It’s good to see you. This is a maze where only the truth must be spoken!”
Next to Lotte’s hologram, a hologram of a large iron gate appeared.
“If you look closely at the shackles, you’ll see a Bluetooth button, which will allow the two of you to pair up and answer the questions truthfully, and then proceed beyond the gate. The questions can be heard by pressing the doorbell.”
The iron gate enlarged, emphasizing the doorbell part before disappearing. Lotte smiled pleasantly and tipped her hat.
“You can stay in the same place if you want, but there’s no law that says you’ll be safe forever. And I don’t recommend breaking the door recklessly. I’ve got a whole bunch of other things that will explode if you mess with them.”
There were about 800 citizens inside the maze. The warning was a caution to heroes not to use force unnecessarily since they were hostages. It was a common tactic of villains to force people to play by their own rules.
“Well, then, try your best to find a solution somewhere in this maze!”
As the hologram faded, Seo grabbed a random person next to him and linked their shackles together. He didn’t have time to choose a partner casually, and thankfully, the woman obediently followed him.
Pressing the doorbell, a machine-like voice reminiscent of Cheonha’s boss read out the question rhythmically.
<What is your preferred position in bed?
With just that sentence, Seo understood the purpose of the maze.
This was completely messed up.