Revenge with the Power of the Final Boss-Chapter 113

While such stories were circulating, Baek Seo-jin returned to his companions.

“Chul-woo, Sun-hoo, Ye-rim.”

Calling out to his teammates with a bright smile, Baek Seo-jin shared in the joy of victory.

“Seo-jin!”

“Are you okay? Did you run into any trouble?”

They sighed in relief at his safe return and expressed their concerns.

“I’m fine. Though I did have to fight Ham Kang-min along the way.”

While Seo-jin smiled as he spoke, inwardly, he felt regret.

‘Kim Ho-jun must have cut off his trail.’

Baek Seo-jin had been tracking Kim Ho-jun but had to abandon his pursuit to save Lee Ha-yeon and Han Se-hee, who were cornered by Ham Kang-min.

After rescuing the trembling duo, Baek Seo-jin sustained a severe injury—a broken arm. Han Se-hee’s healing allowed him to recover quickly, but by then, Kim Ho-jun had vanished.

Knowing that powerful hunters sent by Choi Kang-in might have been present—and possibly Choi Kang-in himself—Baek Seo-jin had seen this as the perfect chance to expose Kim Ho-jun’s true identity.

Yet, Kim Ho-jun had flipped the tables by betraying the villains he had been working with, likely to ensure his involvement wouldn’t be discovered. It infuriated Seo-jin to think that Kim Ho-jun had managed to cover his tracks so thoroughly.

“You fought Ham Kang-min?!”

“Are you alright? Were you hurt?”

Park Sun-hoo and Bae Ye-rim gasped, and even Kim Chul-woo looked at him in shock. Seo-jin found their reactions a bit excessive.

“Why are you all so worked up?”

Surely, seeing him return safely would make it obvious he had defeated Ham Kang-min.

“We heard the news.”

“They’re saying Ha-yeon and Se-hee defeated Ham Kang-min.”

“What?”

Seo-jin was baffled. He couldn’t fathom how such a false narrative had spread.

“What are you talking about?”

“Haven’t you heard? Han Se-hee reported that Lee Ha-yeon took down Ham Kang-min. And Ha-yeon said it was thanks to Se-hee’s help that she managed it.”

“I even heard them say it myself,” Bae Ye-rim added, confirming Park Sun-hoo’s explanation. Seo-jin was left utterly speechless.

‘Se-hee, Ha-yeon… what are you doing?’

The idea that they were trying to steal credit for his accomplishment stung. As their friend, he felt it was an unfair betrayal.

Still, he could understand it to some extent—they had been terrified during the battle, and perhaps their shame drove them to make such a claim.

‘But what’s wrong is wrong.’

Seo-jin resolved to let their fear and trembling during the fight remain a secret but couldn’t let their attempt to take credit for his deeds go unaddressed.

“I’m the one who killed Ham Kang-min.”

“What?”

His companions turned to him, startled by his declaration.

“What happened?”

“Seo-jin, are you saying you killed Ham Kang-min?”

“Not Ha-yeon and Se-hee?”

At their disbelief, Seo-jin nodded firmly.

“That’s right. I killed him. But… hmm, this is supposed to be a secret. Can you promise to keep what I’m about to say confidential?”

“Of course.”

“We promise.”

“I promise too.”

Once his teammates assured him of their discretion, Seo-jin used magic to soundproof the area around them.

“When I went to save Ha-yeon and Se-hee, they were trembling in fear in front of Ham Kang-min. So, I struck him down with a single, decisive blow. Sure, I got my arms broken in the process, but Se-hee healed me afterward.”

“Wow…”

“That’s awful… So they took credit for what you did?”

“How could they! Friends don’t do that!”

Seo-jin smiled at their outrage.

“I’m a bit upset, but I’m trying to understand. They must have been too embarrassed about how scared they were.”

“But still, this isn’t right.”

“Exactly! Do you realize how big of a deal it is to take down an SSS-class villain? That kind of achievement isn’t something you steal from someone else!”

Kim Chul-woo, Park Sun-hoo, and Bae Ye-rim’s righteous anger made Seo-jin feel grateful for having such supportive friends.

At that moment, a cold voice interrupted them.

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

The speaker was none other than Lee Ha-yeon. Her golden hair shimmered, and her pink eyes glared at Seo-jin with open hostility. Han Se-hee stood beside her, her pink hair swaying as her red eyes also fixed on him with disdain.

“Ha-yeon…”

Seo-jin tried to interpret her attitude as an attempt to avoid embarrassment over their supposed lie being exposed.

“Seo-jin, are you saying you saved us?”

“Ha-yeon, you seem to understand what we’ve been discussing.”

Assuming his magic had blocked the sound from escaping, Seo-jin believed Ha-yeon was trying to coax him into keeping the truth quiet.

“We heard everything. Should I repeat what your friends just said, word for word?”

Contrary to his assumption, Ha-yeon repeated their exact conversation verbatim.

“You read their lips, didn’t you?”

Seo-jin attributed her accuracy to lip-reading since he was convinced no one could penetrate his soundproof barrier.

“Wouldn’t it be better to admit that you didn’t save us?”

“I’m telling the truth. I’m the one who killed Ham Kang-min.”

“No, you didn’t. My attack is what pierced his body and ended him.”

“No, I killed him.”

Seo-jin stood his ground.

“When you two were trembling in fear, I saved you. My strike was what took him down.”

“Then what about the massive explosion in the sky earlier?”

“And the gaping hole in Ham Kang-min’s body? That wasn’t caused by a sword but by light-based magic.”

Seo-jin concluded that Ha-yeon and Se-hee were trying to claim the credit for defeating Ham Kang-min.

‘Why are they so obsessed with this?’

He felt hurt. If they had just asked, he would have willingly shared the recognition.

But then it struck him.

‘Oh, I see.’

They must have realized that Seo-jin intended to make Seomun Ye-jin his wife. Ha-yeon and Se-hee, wanting to compete with Ye-jin, were trying to boost their standing.

Recognizing their determination to gain his favor, Seo-jin softened his expression.

“You’ve gone to great lengths. Don’t worry; I’ll let you take the credit.”

“What nerve.”

Ha-yeon and Se-hee’s icy stares were laced with fury and disbelief. However, Seo-jin was convinced their expressions were a façade, masking their embarrassment.

***

'Everything is going according to plan.'

Lee Ha-yeon quickly erased the look of indignation from her face as she turned away. She had already realized that Baek Seo-jin had extended the soundproof barrier to include their side the moment they started speaking to him.

While Seo-jin believed he had smoothly silenced the conversation, the truth was quite different.

On purpose, Ha-yeon and Han Se-hee had allowed the sound to escape. They ensured that many students in the academy could overhear their exchange.

‘Enjoy your fleeting glory as a false hero.’

Because this would be his last taste of joy.

‘Everything is for Seo-jun-nim.’

‘Everything is for Seo-jun oppa.’