He couldn't let Kim ShiHoon and Alec meet anymore.
—That was the conclusion KangWoo reached after hearing the conversation between them.
He was excessively correct.
'How could a person be like that?'
He had been shocked upon hearing Alec's monologue.
Just like the protagonist of a manhwa, he talked nonsense.
"Even manhwa protagonists don't say nonsense like that."
He laughed in disbelief.
It wasn't that he thought that saving people and protecting the weak was funny, it was worthy of praise.
Even if KangWoo weren't someone like that, he wouldn't make fun of it.
'But saving everyone?'
The problem was with the word “everyone.”
The moment the word “everyone” entered the sentence, it became a crazy, vain ideal.
It wasn't a matter of beliefs, but it was physically impossible.
He couldn't help but cringe after hearing someone say something like that in such a serious tone.
…Especially the part about restraining people that’d turned into demonic monsters while waiting for a cure to be invented, it sounded like something only a crazy person would say.
It wasn't different from someone saying they would capture and lock away zombies until they could find a cure.
'Extreme altruism fosters insanity.'
It was something he'd heard somewhere.
He still wasn't sure what kind of person Alec was, but he definitely knew he felt uncomfortable about him.
"It's better to check it out personally in these cases."
There would be nothing he could do if he had no way to know, but that wasn't the case.
He didn't have a personality good enough to stand still and do nothing in that situation.
KangWoo used the Authority of Concealment and followed Alec.
"Oof."
Alec sighed.
"I didn't think he'd refuse…"
He could hear him mumbling.
It seemed he was quite shocked by his offer of joining the Guardians being rejected.
"But I'm going to convince him, no matter what!"
He clenched both fists and shouted.
KangWoo frowned.
'He's persistent, huh?'
He didn't like him.
Kim ShiHoon was his familiar spirit, so it was easy to make him refuse the offer, but he couldn't stop him from being influenced by him.
The influence Alec would have on Kim ShiHoon wouldn’t be helpful at all.
No, there was a high chance that it could hurt him.
'I have to make him leave at all costs.'
KangWoo's eyes shone sharply.
If Alec didn't want to give up, there was another way.
"Who are you?!"
While he was thinking that, Alec suddenly shouted.
'Did he find out?'
KangWoo raised his head.
Alec wasn't looking at him…
He was looking at a secluded alleyway.
"So you noticed me."
"You…"
A man walked out from the chilly alleyway.
He was wearing dark robes and had a red demon mask on.
Demonic energy was flowing out of him.
Alec's expression hardened.
"So you followed me here?"
"You have to pay the price for having interrupted our plan."
Alec took out his sword.
The masked man opened his hands, and sharp claws, similar to a beast’s, grew from his hand.
'Is he the assassin Alec mentioned before?'
KangWoo went up to the terrace and looked at the two that had suddenly started fighting.
Members of the Demon Cult were probably chasing him because of that incident…
Judging by that, he really seemed to be the assassin.
'What great timing.'
KangWoo laughed.
It was a great opportunity to get information about him.
Even if he died while fighting against the Demon Cult member, that wouldn’t be bad.
After all, his goal was to ensure Kim ShiHoon didn't get involved with Alec Osborne again.
'This is going to be interesting.'
KangWoo looked at both of them with great interest while listening to their conversation.
"You should give up."
"I'll definitely break that arrogant nose of yours this time!"
It was a voice filled with anger.
KangWoo frowned.
'This time?'
Why was it that an assassin was saying something like that?
If you failed something like an assassination, there was no next time.
* * *
If you didn't manage to kill the other person, you would end up getting killed.
But by their conversation, it seemed like they had fought numerous times.
'What's going on?'
KangWoo decided to watch a bit more.
The two of them soon began fighting.
Clang-! Clang!
The assassin’s sharp claws targeted Alec.
Alec drew his sword and blocked the attack.
A white light came out from his sword.
The battle kept going on for a while.
The assassin was quite strong, he had a strong enough demonic energy to explain his confidence in killing a world ranker by himself.
He hadn't lost his reason due to demonic energy. His movements were clean, and his attacks were strong.
He knew how to control demonic energy better than Baek KangHyun and Yamaguchi.
'But…'
Alec's sword started to emit light.
He blocked the assassin's movements and stabbed.
He had great swordsmanship.
KangWoo couldn’t help but wonder if they were the movements of someone who had perfected the sword.
'Is this because he's a Guardian?'
Just like Kim ShiHoon, Alec's talent was also impressive.
'He's going to win this fight.'
It wasn't that the fight had ended, but Alec had the advantage.
KangWoo seemed disappointed because he was hoping for Alec to lose.
"Ugh!"
The assassin of the Demon Cult fell to the ground.
Alec approached him.
"Kill me."
The assassin noticed he'd already lost, so he spoke in a low voice.
'Is this the end?'
The only thing left was for him to use his sword and cut the assassin's neck.
KangWoo clicked his tongue. The battle had ended more easily than he'd hoped for.
"I can't do that."
'What?'
At that moment, unexpected words came out of Alec's mouth.
KangWoo's eyes widened; he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Every life is important, and yours isn't different."
'What is that bastard saying so suddenly?'
"Leave the Demon Cult. Ask forgiveness for your sins and live a new life."
"…"
KangWoo’s mouth fell open.
He couldn't say anything.
KangWoo couldn't believe what Alec was saying.
'Is he crazy?'
Asking the person who'd tried to kill him to repent for his sins and live a new life?
That wasn't something a sane person could say.
Was he the reincarnation of Jesus? How could he say something like that so naturally?
"You're saying bullshit once more."
"This time I'm going to convince you. Come, grab my hand. I'm going to help you so you can live a new life."
Alec extended his hand.
Of course, the Demon Cult member didn't grab it.
KangWoo looked at Alec's actions in confusion.
'What's wrong with this guy?'
It wasn't a matter of justice anymore.
Could a normal person do something like that?
Was it because Alec was too good of a person?
'Bullshit.'
Letting a Demon Cult member who had tried to kill him live because ‘every person’s life is important’ wasn’t being a good person…
'That's just being stupid.'
There were two options… He either didn't think, or he didn't have a brain.
That was like letting a serial killer go away after telling him to live a new life.
KangWoo's head became messy.
"Hmph!"
Boom-!
"Ugh?!"
The assassin, who was on the floor, threw something from his pocket.
A loud explosion echoed out, and the smoke covered the entire passageway.
The assassin got up and tried to escape. Alec followed him.
"Stop!"
"I'm going to get my revenge for this!"
The assassin escaped through the alleyway.
A woman walking toward the alleyway collided with him.
Crack-!
She didn't even shout.
She'd collided with a player as strong as a ranker escaping with everything he had.
—The impact was greater than being hit by a truck.
"Ah, aah…"
Alec, who was chasing the assassin, stopped.
His eyes widened.
The woman that collided with the assassin was thrown into the wall and died instantly.
"Ah, noo!!"
Alec despaired and held onto the woman’s corpse.
"Sniff! H-how… Wh-why did something like this…?!"
Alec cried for a while, holding the woman’s corpse.
KangWoo looked at him in disbelief.
'Why did something like this happen?'
Did he not know the reason?
'I just can't keep quiet anymore.'
He thought he would die if he kept watching.
While holding back from cursing, KangWoo got down from the building.
Alec, who had just been crying while holding the corpse of a woman, had stood up and walked out of the alleyway.
"What are you doing?"
"Mr. KangWoo…?"
Alec was surprised after seeing KangWoo appear out of nowhere.
"Why didn't you get rid of the assassin?"
"Were you watching?"
"Answer."
Alec answered while placing his hand on top of the sword.
"All lives are important. That applies even if the other person is a member of the Demon Cult. I can't take someone's life so easily."
"Ha."
KangWoo laughed in disbelief.
"Even if someone innocent died because of that?"
"…"
"If you'd killed that person, that woman wouldn't have died. This is your fault. You're the reason why she died."
He spit it all out.
"…"
There was a heavy silence, and Alec slowly opened his mouth.
"What… do you mean? An innocent person died?"
"What?"
"I let the assassin escape by mistake, but it isn't that there was another victim."
"What bullshit are you saying? There's the victim, right there."
KangWoo pointed to the woman’s body.
Alec's eyes headed to the corpse.
"Where?"
"What…?"
Alec tilted his head in confusion.
"There's nothing there."
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