Breaking Up With the Heroine in an Otome Game

39 – Lucky or Bad (4)

039

Fear.

“Ha, ha, ha, ha.”

Fear is the most basic emotion that humans have.

Fear is when irrational feelings such as extreme anxiety, disgust, and fear dominate the entire body regarding a specific situation or object.

The emotion of fear, deeply imprinted in the brain, heart, or genes, can be said to be an essential element for survival.

The reason humans are afraid of the dark, unfamiliar creatures, and heights is because they are well aware that it is a threat to their survival.

Feeling fear of suicide is consistent with feeling a threat to one’s life.

Therefore, it can be said that Mateo’s decision to run away was an extremely natural choice as a human being and a living creature.

Didn’t he almost die horribly at the hands of that man?

A blade dripping with blood.

Wallpaper and floor splattered with red liquid.

A dirty blood scent and the screams of colleagues.

All of those things appeared so vividly in Mateo’s mind as if it was just yesterday.

Memories of a miserable past that I just want to forget.

But the memories of the past were nailed deep into Mateo’s mind like a sharp awl and became a thorn that could not fall out.

I was able to forget about it after being taken away by Seong Yu-ra, but I never even imagined that I would meet that man here again.

Why…….

“f*ck you, Eul.”

Mateo cursed softly.

The more I think about it, the less funny it really is.

Wasn’t he a human butcher who earned his living with human lives?

While working as a contractor, he has taken the lives of countless people and has sometimes been the subject of someone’s fear.

Mateo, who was once infamous in the underworld with the nickname Old Moon, found his current appearance very funny.

He was running away without even thinking about fighting.

Isn’t it somewhat pathetic?

“Ha, whoa…” ….”

Mateo was panting heavily and wiped the sweat running down his temple with his left hand.

Fearing that the man might change her mind, she ran away with all her might.

Thanks to this, he was able to completely escape Jinhyuk Lee’s sight, but it consumed too much of his magic power and stamina.

If it were usual Mateo, he would have calmly escaped with his magic power and stamina properly distributed, but he didn’t do that today.

No, I couldn’t.

Because he wasn’t the usual Mateo.

People who are buried in trauma often behave differently from their original behavior.

Symptoms of extreme anxiety include shaking, acting very lethargic, reacting violently towards the target, etc.

It may be seen as quite an irrational behavior, but isn’t that what trauma usually is?

Mateo, whose trauma was more serious than he thought, was unable to make a proper rational judgment thinking that Jinhyuk Lee might be Vigilante.

But.

“Ha, wow, we’ve come this far, so it’ll be okay, right? Captain?”

“… ….”

“Chief?”

“… ….”

We did not lose these children this time.

It may be quite funny to think that a criminal who molests and tramples on the lives of others has a companion, but isn’t even an animal’s offspring precious?

Because Mateo dreamed of becoming a hero when he was young, and because he had the trauma of losing his friends to Vigilante, he may have come to think of things like his friends even more.

Although he is now living the life of a hitman, Mateo was once…….

‘Why did I take this path?’

Suddenly, a memory from one time passed through my mind.

In the past, I entered a hero training institution with a big heart, but the lack of abnormal abilities and my fatal shortcomings in fighting against large monsters were highlighted, so I was criticized by the trainees.

At that time, there were quite a few trainees who believed that those with abnormal abilities were a superior race and were into the chosen people ideology, so Mateo, who had non-abnormal abilities, was often targeted.

In the meantime, while conducting anti-personnel combat training, I accidentally made one of the trainees paralyzed, and after receiving many criticisms, I ended up dropping out and wandering around in the back world.

When he committed his first murder, his heart was pounding and his brain was half bleached, but now it was dull and dry.

Remorse, terrible crimes, and brutal murders all eventually become dull with the passage of time.

Mateo, who dreamed of being a hero in the past, has become a mere villain in the present.

“Why are you doing this, leader?”

“It’s nothing.”

Mateo slowly came to his senses at the sound of Lee Han’s voice.

“What is Park Soo-young’s condition?”

“I lost consciousness for a moment, probably because the bleeding was quite severe. “I think I might need a blood transfusion.”

“I see. “Then I guess I should go back first.”

Perhaps the bleeding was greater than she thought, and Park Soo-young was unconscious with her head down.

Blood stains clearly remaining on pants.

It seemed like he had fainted due to excessive bleeding, and there seemed to be a need to return quickly.

“I decided to reorganize and return immediately…” ….”

Just then.

“Uh, leader?”

“Quiet.”

Mateo tilted his dagger and looked intently beyond the bushes.

“Grung, purr.”

Three or four sharp-edged arboretum wolves approaching silently like flying animals hunting at night and hiding among the bushes.

“Grrr.”

It was observing this side intently, exposing its sharp molars.

“Is it a monster? “It seems he came here after smelling blood.”

The sight of those wolves gulping down their meaty prey is truly absurd.

How dare a weak monster hiding in the mountains to avoid human eyes.

Even though Mateo was quite vulnerable to monster warfare and most of his stamina and magic power were consumed, he was still able to deal with monsters of that level.

Also here are Lee Han and Park Soo-young.

Lee Han is a reliable tank and sub-dealer, so he alone can take down a monster like that without much damage.

What is Park Soo-young…? … It won’t help you at all since you’re unconscious.

“Tsk. “There may not be many monsters in this forest, but if we waste time, more monsters might smell blood and come flocking to us, so let’s get rid of them quickly.”

“Yes.”

Lee Han nodded his head as if he understood.

“I will take care of those wolves, so you can protect Park Soo-young, who has fainted.”

“I understand, Captain.”

Mateo slowly raised his dual swords.

He was a person with extraordinary abilities.

Since he was rarely blessed with abnormal power and magical powers, he was very vulnerable before great monsters.

What was needed to defeat the monster was not mind-reading numbers, out-of-rhythm beats, or sharp and sophisticated techniques, but overwhelming firepower.

In order to pierce through the skin of a monster the size of a house or harder than a special alloy, an incredibly enormous firepower was the best.

Mateo, who did not have strong abnormal abilities and was naturally low in magical power, was not a suitable talent for fighting against large monsters.

Because monsters do not die when stabbed in the vital area like humans.

Not only are there many monsters that do not have blades in the first place, but even if blades are inserted, there are quite a few monsters that regenerate quickly or are impervious to physical attacks.

But those wolves had nothing to do with it.

Even if your magic power and stamina are almost depleted, monsters of that level can be killed in an instant with just a few sharp cuts…….

Boom! Thud! Thud!

“What is this sign?”

A huge object with a considerable amount of mass is running towards us like a foal in heat.

The Blade Tree wolves looked back for a moment, then quickly took steps and left this spot.

Mateo frowned and hurriedly ordered Lee Han.

“Prepare for battle, something is coming.”

“Yes.”

It was best to avoid, but Park Soo-young was unconscious, so escaping was not easy.

Unable to do anything, Mateo took a fighting stance.

Then, a huge wild boar came charging in, crushing a small tree in the distance. It was a monster with sharp horns and dark skin.

“Wild boar…… ?”

“Could it be a big horned warthog? “I never thought something like that would be in this forest.”

Big horned warthog.

It can pierce its prey with its sharp horns, and its strong hide is durable enough to deflect bullets.

In addition, it was so large that it was reminiscent of a living tank.

“Joe, leader, that…” ….”

“It’s getting tiresome.”

I dare say that the compatibility is not good.

In the first place, didn’t Mateo get scolded for not being good at fighting monsters during his school days?

For an abnormally talented person with strong firepower, it was like a giant jumping target, but for Mateo, who lacked attack power, it was quite an annoying opponent.

There was currently not enough magic power left to pierce the leather, which was no different from thick iron armor. He was also a guy whose vitality was so strong that even if he had enough magic power, it would take some time to hunt him.

To defeat that monster, you could easily kill it by creating a trap or something and then delivering a powerful carpet bomb.

But currently, Mateo and Lee Han did not have that kind of firepower.

If only Park Soo-young, who can unleash a large amount of firepower, was healthy, we would have easily dealt with him…….

‘I brought Lee Han and Park Soo-young with me in preparation for an emergency, but when I really needed it, Park Soo-young… ….’

I looked at Park Soo-young, who was unconscious for a moment, then quickly turned my gaze back to look at the warthog.

The big horned warthog was panting heavily and glaring at Park Soo-young.

He seemed quite excited when he smelled Park Soo-young’s blood.

It felt like if I left this alone, it would hit Park Soo-young at any moment.

I was quite embarrassed because I couldn’t block that much mass.

‘And there.’

Mateo secretly spread the feeling.

Several monsters were quietly hiding, waiting for an opportunity.

The numbers were small and they were not very dangerous monsters, but if they attacked during or after fighting those wild boars, they could be quite annoying.

Moreover, this is the body that has to fight while protecting the fainted Park Soo-young.

Unless I had the firepower to take down that big wild boar in one go, I had to keep attracting attention to Park Soo-young so as not to attract aggro.

If he was in his usual condition, he would have been able to deal with it more than enough.

But now, a lot of stamina and magic power had been consumed.

Consumption of stamina and magic power, a warthog that is not compatible with Park Soo-young, a fainted Park Soo-young, the position of having to protect Park Soo-young by attracting attention, monsters holding their breath and waiting for an opportunity…….

Considering the overall situation, I realized that leaving this place was the best option.

‘…… If you use Lee Han and Park Soo-young as bait, you will be able to escape easily.’

From the beginning, Lee Han and Park Soo-young had such roles.

Spare parts attached for Mateo, who lacks attack and defense power.

Mateo knew that Seong Yu-ra gave it to him to use it as bait in case an emergency situation arises.

Although Mateo had some camaraderie, he was also capable of making bold choices in situations where his life was at stake and for the sake of the mission.

But… ….

– Oh, are you trying to run away?

– Like insects, you have no sense of loyalty, do you?

– Okay, just run away like a trash person. Your colleagues will all become assholes or lose you.

Why does the memory of that time come to mind?

Memories of the past when I had to run away to survive alone.

“What should we do, Joe?”

“… ….”

Mateo inadvertently glanced at Lee Han and Park Soo-young.

If Mateo escaped now, those two people would definitely lose their lives.

In the case of Lee Han, there was a high possibility that she would die along with her, leaving behind Mateo, who ran away alone, as she would not abandon her classmate, Park Soo-young.

Then.

“Lee Han, take responsibility for Park Soo-young. “I will distract you as much as possible.”

“Yes? Ah, yes.”

Mateo thought as he lightly adjusted his face mask.

They say that if a person does something he is not used to doing, he will die.

But is it because I encountered Vigilante today?

I didn’t want to run away like in the past, even abandoning my friends.

Of course, it would be a different story if you were in a situation where you would inevitably die if you fought, but right now it was a situation that was acceptable.

I think we can overcome this danger together with Lee Han.

Then I have no choice but to give it a try.

Because I don’t want to run away alone again like in the past.

“Grrr, rrr!”

“Whoa. Come.”

The big horned warthog started running toward Mateo, pounding the ground with its massive body.

Mateo faced the warthog with his dual swords raised.

***

How much time has passed since we parted ways with the unidentified villains?

‘You were here.’

I was lying face down in the bushes, staring blankly at a cave.

That shallow cave seems to be the cave where the big horned warthog resides.

As a result of tracking the large wild boar’s footprints, traces of trampled grass, etc., I think I succeeded in finding the warthog’s nest.

‘Can’t you see the big horned warthog? Did you go hunting or something?’

I scanned the inside of the shallow cave with a kaleidoscope, but I couldn’t see the big horned warthog.

Since it would not be possible to easily hide its large size, it would have been correct to assume that it had left the place for a while.

Then why not just go into the cave and look for the subspace ring?

‘…… Well, just kidding.’

I have no intention of dying.

What are you going to do if you go in to look for the ring without thinking and the warthog comes back?

Encountering a big horned warthog head-on in a place where the escape route is blocked is tantamount to suicide, so it is best to refrain from entering the cave until you kill the warthog.

‘The big horned warthog is so strong that it doesn’t have any significant firepower. So…… ‘I brought a lot of these things.’

I fiddled with the various special arrows for large monsters in my quiver.

The way to deal with warthogs is with powerful firepower! Overwhelming power! This is the best, so even a beginner like me could hunt without difficulty as long as he had good tools.

Now that I knew the nest of the big horned warthog, I went to a place a little far away, set a trap, and sprinkled blood transfusion packs to lure them in. Everything worked out.

After that, all you had to do was take down the Bighorn Boar using magic scrolls, explosive arrows, clay grenades, etc.

It is armed with excessively powerful firepower, so it should be able to take down the Big Horned Boar.

So, shall we move slowly now?

‘Okay, first, let’s move to a suitable place to set up a trap…… What?’

Thump, thump, thump!

The sound of footsteps, which felt like a huge mass, was approaching this direction little by little.

The movement of mass so large that the ground shakes slightly.

As far as I know, there is only one creature in this forest that would do that, and that is the big horned warthog…….

‘Are they back already?’

I turned my head towards where I heard the footsteps.

Then… ….

“Kwii, kuii, kuui, kuui.”

Wouldn’t it be a big horned warthog helplessly dragging its bloody body?

My whole body was literally covered in blood.

It lost one eye, had a sharp horn broken off, and was full of stab wounds on its back, stomach, legs, and face.

In particular, there was a dagger stuck in his side. Isn’t that the dagger used by one of the villains?

“Kuuuyi… ….”

Sharp.

The big horned warthog must have exhausted all its strength and eventually collapsed right in front of the cave.

The wild boar, with its strong vitality, was panting with difficulty.

I felt like I would soon run out of breath.

‘Could it be that you fought those evil men?’

It seems that he smelled the blood of the female mage who had injured him and chased after him.

Looking at the situation, it doesn’t seem like even the wicked will be safe…….

‘Maybe he’s dead…… ‘There are some other monsters in this forest besides that monster.’

Then does that mean I’m the one who killed him?

In fact, he injured the female mage with the intention of attracting that warthog.

‘… ….’

I asked, gently covering my lower lip for a moment.

I was prepared, but I wasn’t in a good mood.

Of course, I wasn’t sure if he was dead, but still…….

‘Ha, they were evil people, evil people. Just like with Kate, let’s not worry too much about it.’

I quickly organized my thoughts.

I may have killed people indirectly, but I was prepared to kill someone who was evil.

So, let’s not be depressed for no reason.

‘Anyway, let’s take care of that wild boar and quickly find the ring.’

Other monsters may come after smelling the warthog’s blood.

Well, honestly, other than that wild boar, there probably isn’t much danger.

‘Anyway, I’m glad I was able to save a lot of items. They also slaughtered the wild boar for me…….’

Hmm.

What can I say?

I went through many dangerous processes, but considering the results, I didn’t get hurt at all, so maybe today’s fortune is trustworthy?