Chapter 42: For So-ah

*At Park Hyun-Woo’s House*

“Agh!! It hurts!!!”

So-ah screamed as she lay on the bed, clutching her stomach. Her entire body trembled violently from the intense pain caused by the deep slash wound carved into her abdomen.

Beside her stood Park Hyun-Woo, his hands glowing with healing light as he desperately tried to close the wound. Sweat streamed down his face, dripping onto the floor as his breathing grew heavier by the second.

What the hell is this…?

I’ve healed wounds like this countless times… so why won’t this one close?

For the first time in a long while, Park Hyun-Woo was overwhelmed.

No matter how much healing energy he poured into the wound, the slash refused to disappear. The flesh did not regenerate properly. Instead, it reacted… as if rejecting his power entirely.

“Ugh…”

Behind him stood Park Hyejin, her face pale with anxiety. She gently wiped the sweat from Hyun-Woo’s forehead using a cloth, her hands shaking slightly.

Then—

A blue light suddenly flared inside the room.

Indigo appeared instantly.

“How is she?”

His voice sounded calm on the surface, but there was a clear tremor hidden beneath it—one that betrayed his fear.

“I’m trying,” Park Hyun-Woo replied, gritting his teeth, “but… this is a different kind of wound. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Behind Indigo’s black mask, cold sweat ran down his face.

He was afraid.

Truly afraid.

From the slash on So-ah’s abdomen, a thick, dark green liquid suddenly burst out.

The liquid splattered onto the bed and floor.

Everyone froze.

“Huh!?”

Park Hyun-Woo instinctively reached out and touched the substance.

The moment his finger made contact—

“Ah!?”

He pulled his hand back instantly.

A searing heat burned his skin, as if he had touched molten metal.

Indigo frowned deeply.

“What is it? Do you know what that liquid is?”

“Yes,” Park Hyun-Woo replied grimly. “I do. This is a green compound once used by American heroes against extremely dangerous villains.”

Indigo went silent.

“They used it as a killing agent,” Park Hyun-Woo continued. “But production was stopped long ago due to a strict ban issued by the director of the International Hero Association.”

Behind the mask, Indigo’s jaw clenched tightly. His fists slowly tightened until his knuckles turned white.

’I didn’t know about this at all…

The webtoon never mentioned something like this…

Of course it didn’t. The story focused only on the heroes’ side’

Hatred surged within him.

Anger. Disgust. Rage.

But he swallowed it all down.

“Is there a way to cure her?” Indigo asked coldly. “I’ll do anything to save her life.”

“There is,” Park Hyun-Woo replied. “If they were still producing this compound, then they must still have an antidote. But I don’t know where it is. Most likely… it’s hidden in one of their secret underground facilities.”

Indigo fell silent again.

“I’ll head back for now,” he said after a moment. “Please keep treating her.”

Park Hyun-Woo looked surprised but nodded firmly.

“She’s my patient. I won’t abandon her.”

“That’s good,” Indigo replied quietly.

He turned around.

In the next instant, his body dissolved into blue light and vanished.

Park Hyejin swallowed nervously.

Park Hyun-Woo noticed her expression.

“What is it, Hyejin?”

“Oppa… didn’t you notice earlier?”

“Notice what?”

“Behind Mr. Indigo… there was a terrifying evil aura. Huge. With glowing red eyes…”

“I… don’t understand,” Park Hyun-Woo said slowly. “You were probably hallucinating.”

“…A hallucination, huh?” Hyejin murmured softly. “I hope so…”

*At Yoo Jinhoo’s House*

I returned home, but my thoughts were in complete chaos.

The moment I stepped inside, Lee Mira, Kim Gae-in, and Min-seo rushed toward me.

“Oppa! How is Eunni!?”

Lee Mira’s voice trembled, her eyes welling up with tears.

“She’s… stable,” I replied. “She’s at Park Hyun-Woo’s house, resting there.”

I walked past them and stopped in front of Lee Donghyun, who was staring straight at me.

“Donghyun,” I said quietly, placing my right hand on my left shoulder, “tap into all CCTV cameras inside the American Hero Association branch.”

“Hacking their CCTV? I can do it, but… why?”

“Just do as I say.”

“Hyung… don’t tell me—”

Before he could finish, Min-seo stepped forward abruptly.

“Don’t you dare go there,” she snapped. “That place isn’t like Korea.”

Kim Gae-in followed her.

“Oppa, it’s extremely dangerous over there…”

I turned to face them.

Their expressions were filled with genuine concern.

But I had already made my decision.

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “I can’t follow your words.”

Min-seo’s expression twisted in anger.

She grabbed my collar with both hands.

“You’re not going!” she shouted. “I forbid it!”

Blue lightning crackled violently around her body, responding to her fury.

I fell silent.

They were right.

That place was dangerous. I could be captured, interrogated—or killed.

But this was for So-ah.

“No.”

The moment those words left my mouth, Min-seo completely lost control.

She shoved me to the floor.

A bolt of lightning struck my body directly.

The impact was so powerful that my mask cracked.

Min-seo straddled me, her fist raised, ready to strike my face.

But then—

She stopped.

Her eyes widened in shock.

I didn’t know what she saw.

But suddenly, my chest felt unbearably tight.

I needed to leave.

Now.

I teleported away instantly.

*Min-seo’s Perspective*

Min-seo remained frozen in place.

Her face was pale.

“What’s wrong, Min-seo?” Kim Gae-in asked from behind.

“Ah… it’s nothing,” Min-seo replied slowly. “He just left… without taking us with him…”

Kim Gae-in fell silent.

Min-seo stood up.

“I… I’m going to my room.”

She hurried away.

Inside her room, after closing the door tightly, Min-seo leaned against it and slid down.

Her mind replayed Yoo Jinhoo’s face over and over again.

Why… why did his face look like that…?

His expression had been blank.

Dark circles hung heavily under his eyes.

And from them—

Blood.

Not ordinary tears.

But bloody tears.

“Yoo Jinhoo…” she whispered.

“What kind of life… have you really lived…?”

*Yoo Jinhoo’s Perspective*

I walked across the rooftops of towering skyscrapers, watching as night slowly swallowed the city.

For some reason… I felt unbearably irritated.

Angry.

I touched my face and noticed blood on my fingers.

Probably from Min-seo’s lightning earlier.

I wiped it away with a handkerchief.

Today was horrible.

I no longer wished for peaceful days.

I had killed two American S-Rank Heroes.

They would definitely come after me.

And they would use that poison again.

I was afraid.

But to save So-ah, I had to become stronger.

She was my responsibility.

I brought her to my side because I feared that, in the future, she would become an overwhelming enemy for Lightnova.

…Lightnova.

Wait.

It feels like I forgot something.

But what?

*Lightnova’s Side*

Atop the Korean Hero Association building—

Several A-Rank heroes struggled desperately to undo the bindings restraining Lightnova.

Her body was still tightly bound by Indigo’s power.

’Indigo…

I’ll pay you back for this…

Just you wait.

I’ll make you regret everything!’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep