Chapter 92: Gathering Storms

Rain poured relentlessly over Yoo Jinhoo’s house, the heavy drops striking the roof and windows like a thousand impatient fingers. Thunder rolled across the night sky, shaking the glass panes and filling the living room with a low, ominous rumble.

Inside, the lights from the television flickered against three pale faces.

So-ah sat curled up on the couch, her knees pulled close to her chest. Beside her, Kim Gae-in clutched a thick blanket tightly around her body, while Min-seo tried her best to appear calm, though her stiff posture betrayed her fear.

On the screen, a man in a horror film slowly approached a dark hallway.

“K-why is he going toward that sound?!” Kim Gae-in shrieked, her voice trembling as she buried half her face into the blanket.

The tension in the room tightened.

“I-it’s making me shiver…” So-ah muttered, her voice quivering.

She really was cold—not just from fear, but from the chill creeping through the house. A tiny blue flame ignited at the tip of her index finger, flickering softly as she tried to warm herself.

Min-seo sat upright beside her, fists clenched on her lap. Though she tried to maintain a composed expression, her shoulders trembled slightly.

Then—

CRACK!

A bolt of lightning tore through the sky outside.

The entire house went dark.

The television shut off. The hum of electricity vanished. Silence swallowed the room.

So-ah and Kim Gae-in screamed at the same time.

So-ah quickly turned toward Min-seo, using her small blue flame as their only source of light.

“U-unnie… can you use your power and turn the lights back on?” So-ah asked, her voice shaking.

Min-seo didn’t answer.

Her body trembled just as badly.

She was scared too.

So-ah turned to Kim Gae-in—but Kim Gae-in had completely wrapped herself in her blanket like a cocoon, shaking violently.

Behind the dark television screen, the large window revealed heavy rain pouring down in sheets. The world outside looked ominous and distant.

Then—

Knock. Knock.

Three pairs of eyes snapped toward the front door.

So-ah swallowed nervously.

Holding up her blue flame for light, she slowly walked toward the door.

Before she could reach it, something slid through the mail slot.

A letter.

Kim Gae-in shuffled closer, clutching her blanket tightly. Min-seo followed behind So-ah.

So-ah crouched and picked up the envelope.

On the front—

A black ink emblem.

A serpent with seven heads.

“Huh? What is this…”

The three girls stared at it.

Just as So-ah was about to open the letter—

“Ahem.”

A man’s cough echoed from behind them.

All three froze.

Their spines stiffened.

Slowly, they turned around.

And screamed.

Standing in the darkness was a tall man wearing a terrifying black mask.

“Huh… It’s me.”

He removed the mask.

Yoo Jinhoo.

They all let out long breaths of relief.

“Why is it so dark in here?” Jinhoo asked casually.

So-ah blinked and explained quickly.

“Ah… lightning struck nearby earlier… so the power went out. I asked unnie to turn it back on with her ability, but… she seems scared too.”

She glanced at Min-seo, who awkwardly avoided eye contact.

“Hah… I see.”

Jinhoo raised his hand.

He snapped his fingers.

A spark of lightning burst from his fingertips, shooting toward the ceiling. The lamps flickered—

And instantly turned back on.

The room was illuminated again.

The three girls stared at him in awe.

“Woah! Oppa! How did you do that?!” Kim Gae-in asked excitedly.

“U-uhm… Oppa… wasn’t that my power? How did you use it?” Min-seo asked, confused.

They all looked at him with curiosity.

’Yeah… I haven’t shown them my element-copying ability yet.’

Jinhoo slowly opened his palm.

Crackling lightning—identical to Min-seo’s—formed above it.

The girls gasped.

“This ability is elemental replication,” he explained calmly. “I obtained it after killing Yaroslav, an SS-rank hero from Russia.”

He smiled faintly.

“Woah… then can you use mine too?” So-ah asked.

The lightning instantly shifted—

Becoming blue flames.

“Of course. But it’s not exactly the same as the original.”

“What about mine?” Kim Gae-in asked eagerly.

The flame transformed again.

A miniature tornado spun above his palm.

“Woah!!”

Their amazement grew.

The power kept shifting—

Light energy similar to Lightnova’s.

Venom like Elvera’s.

Physical enhancement like Jacqueline’s.

He demonstrated each one smoothly.

The room felt less frightening now.

Then So-ah remembered something.

“Oppa… this letter came earlier. We didn’t read it yet.”

She handed it to him.

Jinhoo took the envelope.

He opened it calmly.

Inside, a short message:

{The Seven Deadly Sins desire your presence, Indigo Reign. Come to Germany, Berlin, one day after the Hero event.}

His eyes narrowed slightly.

’The Seven Deadly Sins want me? Does this mean they’re inviting me to join their group? Hmm… this is quite interesting. Since Hopper is dead, they must be lacking one member to complete their plan. So they need a replacement. Me.’

His lips curved faintly.

’Very well… I’ll play along with your game, Aeron.’

The storm outside continued.

But inside Jinhoo’s mind—

A greater storm had begun forming.

*The next morning.

At Eun-bi’s corporate headquarters.*

Inside a sleek conference room, Eun-bi sat at the head of the table, listening to endless reports from her executives.

Her expression was blank.

Bored.

She even yawned mid-meeting.

Suddenly, the door opened slightly.

One of her subordinates approached quietly and leaned down to whisper into her ear.

“Miss Eun-bi… a guest has arrived.”

“Ugh… tell them I’m in a meeting.”

“She’s from the Hero Association.”

Her eyes widened instantly.

“Have them wait in my office. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Yes, Miss Eun-bi.”

Several minutes later—

Eun-bi stood in front of her office door.

She composed herself.

Then entered.

Sitting in the guest chair was a woman with golden hair and blue eyes.

Eun-bi recognized her immediately.

“Lightnova. Or should I call you Han Ji-hye?”

Ji-hye turned her gaze toward Eun-bi.

“What brings you to a place like this?” Eun-bi asked calmly, closing the door behind her and walking forward.

“I’ve been hearing certain rumors about you, Miss Eun-bi,” Ji-hye replied.

Eun-bi sat down across from her.

“Rumors?”

Ji-hye leaned slightly forward.

“That you are close to a villain.”

For a split second—

Eun-bi’s heart pounded violently.

Her eyes widened.

But she quickly regained composure.

She smiled faintly.

“What are you talking about? I’ve never interacted with a villain. Why would I?”

Ji-hye’s gaze sharpened.

“Several months ago, your company’s stocks plummeted due to internal incompetence. But after you recruited someone, your stocks skyrocketed and stabilized.”

’tch… How does this woman know about my connection with Jinhoo? There must be a traitor inside the company…’

Eun-bi suppressed her irritation.

She maintained her smile.

“Ah, you mean my personal assistant? He is quite competent. He helped revive the company.”

Ji-hye stared at her suspiciously.

“…Then where is he now?”

“Ah… well… he’s currently on leave. He’s been working nonstop recently.”

Ji-hye’s eyes narrowed.

“Then could you call him here?”

Though Eun-bi’s lips remained curved in a polite smile—

Pressure weighed heavily on her chest.

Ji-hye did not trust her.

Not even slightly.

And if Jinhoo appeared—

If Indigo Reign stood before Lightnova—

Then everything would explode.

Outside the office window, clouds gathered once more.

The sky darkened.

The storm was not over.

It was only beginning.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep