Breaking Up with the Heroine of the Female-Oriented Game - Chapter 39

Chapter 39 – Whether It’s Good Luck or Bad Luck (4)

—

Fear.

“Ha, ha, ha.”

Fear is the most primal emotion humans possess.

It is the irrational sensation of extreme anxiety, disgust, and terror that dominates the entire body in response to certain situations or objects.

Fear, imprinted deep within the brain, heart, or genes, is an essential element for survival.

Humans fear the dark, fear strange creatures, and fear heights because they instinctively know these pose threats to their survival.

In essence, feeling fear is akin to sensing a threat to one’s life.

Thus, Matteo’s decision to flee for his life was a perfectly rational choice for a human being.

After all, hadn’t he nearly been killed by that man’s hand?

A blade dripping with blood.

Walls and floors stained with red liquid.

The pungent smell of blood and the screams of his comrades.
T hi s w a s co p i ed f r o m k i n gm t l . o rg

All these memories vividly resurfaced in Matteo’s mind as if they had happened just yesterday.

A dreadful past he wished to forget.

But this memory became a thorn embedded deep within Matteo’s mind, never to be removed.

Seong Yura had taken him in, and he had almost forgotten, but he never imagined he would face that man again in this place.

Why now?

“Damn it.”

Matteo cursed quietly.

The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.

Hadn’t he been a butcher who made a living by taking lives?

As a hitman, he had taken countless lives and sometimes instilled fear in others.

Known infamously as “The Crescent Moon” in the underworld, Matteo now found his current state utterly laughable.

Running away without even considering a fight.

How pathetic.

“Ha, hoo…”

Matteo panted intermittently, wiping the sweat off his temples with his left hand.

He had fled with all his might, fearing the man might change his mind.

Thanks to that, he managed to completely disappear from Lee Jinhyuk’s sight, but he had consumed too much mana and stamina.

If it were the usual Matteo, he would have distributed his mana and stamina calmly while fleeing, but not today.

No, he couldn’t.

He wasn’t his usual self.

People often behave differently when trapped in trauma.

They may shiver with extreme anxiety, exhibit lethargic behavior, or react violently to the object of their trauma.

It may seem irrational, but isn’t that what trauma is?

Matteo, whose trauma was more severe than he had thought, couldn’t make a rational judgment at the thought that Lee Jinhyuk might be the Vigilante.

However.

“Ha, hoo, we made it, right? Leader?”

“…”

“Leader?”

“…”

This time, he hadn’t lost his comrades.

It might seem laughable for a criminal who toys with and tramples on others’ lives to think of comrades, but even beasts cherish their offspring.

Having once dreamt of being a hero, and with the trauma of losing his comrades to the Vigilante, Matteo thought more about comrades now.

Though he was living the life of a hitman, Matteo once…

‘Why did I choose this path?’

A memory from the past flashed through his mind.

In the past, he had entered the Hero Training Institute with high hopes, but the lack of supernatural abilities and his fatal weaknesses in fighting large monsters led to him being bullied by the trainees.

At that time, many trainees were elitists, believing that those with supernatural abilities were superior, and Matteo, who lacked such abilities, became a target.

T h i s wa s c o p i e d fro m k i ng m tl . o rg
While training for combat against humans, he accidentally crippled a trainee, faced heavy criticism and finally dropped out, wandering into the underworld.

His first kill had made his heart pound and his mind go white, but now it was just monotonous.

T h i s w a s c op ied f ro m k i n g m t l .o r g
Conscience, heinous crimes, brutal murders—all dulled over time.

Once dreaming of being a hero, Matteo had become a mere villain.

“What’s wrong, Leader?”

“Nothing.”

Matteo snapped back to reality at Lee Han’s voice.

“How is Park Sooyoung?”

“She lost consciousness due to severe blood loss. She probably needs a transfusion.”

“I see. We should head back immediately.”

Park Sooyoung, her head drooping from excessive blood loss, had fainted.

The bloodstains on her pants were stark.

It seemed urgent to return quickly due to the excessive bleeding.

“Let’s regroup and head back…”

Just then.

“Leader?”

“Quiet.”

Matteo raised his dagger diagonally, staring intently beyond the bushes.

“Grr, grrr.”

Several blade-leaf wolves, hiding among the bushes like nocturnal predators, were approaching silently.

“Grrrr.”

They were watching intently, baring their sharp fangs.

“Monsters, huh. They must have been drawn by the blood scent.”

The sight of those wolves drooling over their meaty prey was laughable.

T h i s wa s c o p i e d f r o m k i n g mt l.or g
How dare such weak monsters hiding in the mountains to avoid human eyes.

Even if Matteo was quite vulnerable in monster battles and had almost exhausted his mana and stamina, he could handle those monsters easily.

Moreover, Lee Han and Park Sooyoung were also there.

Lee Han, a reliable tank and sub-dealer, could take down those monsters without much damage on his own.

Park Sooyoung, well… She was unconscious and of no help.

“Tsk. There might not be many monsters in this forest, but if we waste time, more might come drawn by the blood scent. Let’s finish this quickly.”

“Yes.”

Lee Han nodded in understanding.

“I’ll handle those wolves. Lee Han, you protect the unconscious Park Sooyoung.”

“Understood, Leader.”

Matteo slowly raised his twin swords.

He was a non-ability user.

Having almost no blessings in supernatural powers and mana, he was extremely vulnerable in monster battles.

To take down a monster, overwhelming firepower was required, not psychological games, rhythm-breaking tactics, or sharp, intricate skills.

Enormous firepower was needed to pierce through the massive or super-alloy-like tough hides of monsters.

Matteo, lacking strong supernatural abilities and with a naturally low mana capacity, was not suited for fighting large monsters.

Monsters wouldn’t die from a critical stab like humans.

Many monsters couldn’t even be pierced by blades, and even if they were, they would quickly regenerate or be immune to physical attacks.

But those wolves were different.

T h i s w as c o p i ed f r o m k i n gmt l . o rg
Even with almost depleted mana and stamina, he could easily kill those monsters with a few slashes.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

“What’s this presence?”

A large creature with significant mass was charging towards them like a frenzied horse.

The blade-leaf wolves turned to look briefly and then quickly fled the scene.

Matteo frowned and urgently commanded Lee Han.

“Prepare for battle. Something’s coming.”

“Yes.”

Avoidance was the best strategy, but with Park Sooyoung unconscious, fleeing wasn’t easy.

Matteo had no choice but to prepare for combat.

Then, a massive boar, smashing short trees as it charged, appeared.

A monstrous creature with a sharp horn and dark hide.

“A boar…?”

“Could it be a Large-Horned Black Boar? In this forest?”

A Large-Horned Black Boar.

With its sharp horn, it could impale its prey, and its tough hide could deflect bullets.

Its massive size made it resemble a living tank.

“Leader, that thing…”

“Annoying.”

It wasn’t a good match-up.

Back in school, Matteo had been bullied due to his poor performance in large monster battles.

For ability users with strong firepower, it was just a large moving target, but for Matteo, lacking firepower, it was a troublesome opponent.

He didn’t have enough mana left to pierce the thick, armor-like hide.
T hi s w a s co p i e d f r o m k i ngmt l .o r g

Even with sufficient mana, it was a resilient creature that required time to hunt.

To kill such a monster quickly, traps and heavy bombardment would be ideal.

But Matteo and Lee Han lacked such firepower.

If only Park Sooyoung were conscious, they could handle it easily with her large-scale firepower…

‘We brought Lee Han and Park Sooyoung as a contingency, but now Park Sooyoung is…’

Matteo glanced at the unconscious Park Sooyoung before looking back at the black boar.

The Large-Horned Black Boar, breathing heavily, stared intently at Park Sooyoung.

It seemed highly agitated by the scent of her blood.
T h i s w a s c o p ie d f r o m k ing m t l. o r g

If left alone, it might charge at Park Sooyoung any moment.

It was quite troubling, as they couldn’t block such a massive creature.

‘Moreover.’

Matteo extended his senses subtly.

Several monsters were hiding quietly, waiting for an opportunity.

Though few in number and not particularly dangerous, if they attacked during or after the fight with the boar, it would be quite troublesome.

Besides, they had to protect the unconscious Park Sooyoung while fighting.

Without firepower to take down the massive boar quickly, they had to keep it away from Park Sooyoung.

If Matteo were in his usual condition, he could handle it.

But now, with depleted stamina and mana…

Considering all factors, it was best to leave this place.

‘I could use Lee Han and Park Sooyoung as bait to escape easily.’

They were assigned for such a role.

They were spare parts provided by Seong Yura to compensate for Matteo’s lack of attack and defense.

Matteo, who had some comradeship, could make a bold choice if it meant survival and accomplishing the mission.

However…

– Oh, trying to run away?

– You scum really have no loyalty, huh?

– Go on, run like a bug. Your comrades will end up crippled or dead.

Why did that memory resurface?

The memory of running away pathetically to survive alone.

“Leader, what should we do?”

“…”

Matteo looked at Lee Han and Park Sooyoung.

If Matteo ran, they would surely die.

Lee Han wouldn’t abandon his unconscious comrade, so he might die with her.

In that case…

“Lee Han, take responsibility for Park Sooyoung. I’ll divert its attention.”

“What? Oh, okay.”

Matteo adjusted his mask and thought.

People die when they do things they normally wouldn’t.

But after meeting the Vigilante today…

He didn’t want to run away alone again.

Of course, if it were a fight-to-the-death situation, it would be different, but now they could manage somehow.

He could overcome this with Lee Han’s help.

He didn’t want to run away alone like before.

“Grrr, grrr!”

“Hoo. It’s coming.”

The Large-Horned Black Boar charged at Matteo, shaking the ground with its massive body.

Matteo raised his twin swords to face the boar head-on.

***

How much time had passed since I parted ways with the unknown villains?

‘There it is.’

I was lying flat among the bushes, staring blankly at a cave.

That shallow cave seemed to be the home of the Large-Horned Black Boar.

Following the large boar tracks and trampled grass, I managed to find its lair.

‘The Large-Horned Black Boar isn’t visible? Is it out hunting?’
T h i s w a s copi ed f rom k i n g m t l . o r g

Peering through the shallow cave with a kaleidoscope, I couldn’t see the Large-Horned Black Boar.

It couldn’t easily hide its massive size, so it must have left temporarily.

Should I go into the cave and look for the Interdimensional Ring?
T h i s w as co pi e d f r o m kin g m t l. o r g

‘…Just joking.’

I didn’t want to die.

If I went in thoughtlessly and the boar returned, what would I do?

Facing the Large-Horned Black Boar head-on in a confined space was suicide.

I should avoid entering the cave until the boar is dead.

‘The Large-Horned Black Boar is tough, so it won’t budge with ordinary firepower. That’s why I brought all these.’

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

To hunt the boar, strong firepower and overwhelming force were best.

Even a beginner like me could hunt it easily with the right tools.

Knowing the boar’s lair, I could set traps some distance away, use blood packs to lure it out, and then…

Using magic scrolls, explosive arrows, and clay grenades, I could take down the boar.

With such overwhelming firepower, I could definitely kill the boar.

So, should I start moving?

‘Alright, let’s move to a suitable place to set traps… What?’

Thud, thud, thud!

Heavy footsteps were approaching slowly from a distance.

The ground shook slightly with the large mass’s movement.

As far as I knew, there was only one creature in this forest that could do that—the Large-Horned Black Boar…

‘Is it already back?’

I turned towards the source of the footsteps.

And then…

“Squeee, squeee, squeee.”

The Large-Horned Black Boar was dragging its bloodied body back.

T h i s wa s c o p i e d f r o m ki n g mt l .o r g
It was covered in blood.

One eye was missing, its sharp horn broken, and its back, belly, legs, and face were all wounded.

Especially a dagger stuck in its side—wasn’t that the dagger used by one of the villains?

“Squee, squee, squee…”

Thud.

Exhausted, the boar collapsed right in front of the cave.

The resilient boar was now barely breathing.

It seemed like it would die soon.

‘Did it fight those villains?’

It must have followed the scent of the wounded mage’s blood.

Judging by its condition, the villains probably didn’t make it safely…

‘They might have died… There are other monsters in the forest besides this one.’

So, did I kill them indirectly?

Since I aimed to lure the boar by wounding the female mage…

‘…’

I bit my lower lip gently.

I had prepared myself, but I felt uneasy.

I couldn’t be sure they were dead, but still…

‘Haa, they were villains. Don’t overthink it like with Kate.’

I quickly sorted out my thoughts.

Even if I indirectly killed someone, I had prepared myself for killing villains.

So, don’t get depressed.

‘Anyway, let’s deal with the boar quickly and find the ring.’

Other monsters might come attracted by the boar’s blood scent.

Well, honestly, aside from the boar, there shouldn’t be any dangerous ones.

‘It’s fortunate I saved many items. The villains took down the boar for me…’

Hmm.

Despite the dangerous processes, considering the result, I didn’t get hurt, so today’s luck might be trustworthy?

End of Chapter.