18 – Rule 11. The Morality Commander exterminates villainous groups (1)
Among the destroyed hologram robots, a man was voraciously chewing synthetic cultured meat.
The hulking figure towered over 190 centimeters tall.
With long hair and muscles seemingly about to burst.
His surroundings were strewn with signs of explosions.
Next to him, a petite schoolgirl with a hood pulled over her head stood quietly with her hands stuffed in her pockets. The two of them presented a stark contrast in stature like that of a giant and a dwarf.
“Is the test over with this?”
The girl, removing the hood over her head, asked the man across the reinforced glass window with brusque curiosity.
At that, the holograms turned off and the shapes of the robots disappeared.
Through the now transparent glass, the man’s figure was fully visible.
He had a short, sporty haircut.
Wearing a battle suit and an overcoat.
The battle suit bore the logo of Anomia.
“Yeah. Still, not bad. Lee Jisoo, Jang Hamun.”
He let out a laugh.
“Now tell us, Captain. What’s the reason for calling us in for a test out of the blue?”
The girl, Lee Jisoo, asked, and in response, the man in the battle suit, the Captain of Anomia, manipulated a remote control instead of answering.
Beep. A screen appeared on the glass window.
A recent video that had become famous for the Sindorim Swordmaster’s sparring match.
In the video, a male student wearing a black school uniform sparred using a three-section staff wrapped in turquoise lightning.
Lee Jisoo and the giant Jang Hamun silently watched the video.
Eventually, the sparring session in the video came to an end.
The final figure standing alone on the stage in his black school uniform was the student council president of Asung High School, Woojin Ahn.
The leader paused the video.
“Why him?”
“We’re going to capture him.”
Bewilderment spread over Jisoo’s face.
“What!? Are you out of your mind…? That’s the president of Asung High School’s student council. Are you seriously going to poke the hornet’s nest? The council won’t just sit by…!”
“This guy preemptively figured out our plan and made moves against it. He was even able to covertly monitor our activities. And what was the result? Didn’t our guys get rounded up in masses?”
The leader continued his speech.
“We can’t leave a guy like this alone.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
Jisoo snorted in disbelief.
“So? Since we can’t figure out how he realized our plan and even managed to watch us, you’re going to strike him first? Even if this opponent is a swarm of hornets that could potentially destroy us?”
“Regardless of whether we figured out his methods or not, my conclusion would’ve been the same. Since a person as excellent in information warfare as him is trying to thwart our plan, we have no other choice but to fight.”
“Have you not thought to wait it out until his term as president ends?”
The leader manipulated the remote again.
A video of the 45th inauguration ceremony of Asung High’s student council president appeared. It was a video that could be found on Asung High’s website.
In the video, Woojin Ahn was giving a speech about how he’d contribute to maintaining peace with a determined tone.
“He’s not just a smooth talker. He’s the real deal. A guy like this, who meticulously prepared in advance and even blocked the path of our Anomia, do you really think he’d leave us alone until his term ends?”
Woojin Ahn’s resolute gaze, sarcastic voice, and aggressive speech all reflected his extraordinary ability in information warfare, inducing strong tension in Anomia’s leader.
“Moreover, this guy is a rare genius. He ousted Oh Baek Seo and claimed the student council presidency of Asung High. Even a guy like Oh Baek Seo would follow his command like it was a religious decree. Considering our power might not surpass that of Oh Baek Seo, it means he possesses a capability that could overwhelm Oh Baek Seo in a different domain.”
A known strong enemy is less terrifying than an enemy with unknown strength.
The former allows you to formulate countermeasures with clarity, while the latter is an enigma, making it cumbersome even to figure out how to respond.
That was the difference between Ahn Woo Jin and Oh Baek Seo.
This was why Anomia’s leader held Ahn Woo Jin’s abilities in very high regard.
Thus,
“We hit him first before he has a chance to react. Afterwards, before Oh Baek Seo steps in, we retreat and regroup. Regardless of how strong the student council president of Ah Sung High is, he’s only at level 4. You guys are all level 5, so beating him should be more than possible. In addition, if we pour in heavy firepower, we should be able to handle any unexpected variables.”
Jisoo sighed and laughed softly.
“Alright, alright. If we must taunt, then we shall. So, how shall we bait him?”
“Kidnap the secretary. The least useful yet close associate of the Discipline Manager of Ahsung High. Watch for when they’re out of sight of the police drones.”
“Got it. An operation against the Discipline Manager, huh? …Our notoriety will skyrocket if we succeed. …Sounds fun.”
Ji-Soo followed the leader’s order as an executive of Anomia, baring a bestial grin along with Hamoon.
…..
Park Minhyuk, the secretary of Ahsung High’s Discipline Committee, had a secret hobby he couldn’t tell anyone.
He’d put on his round glasses and a raincoat before making a visit to the figurine shop.
A bright smile spread across his face as if he’d entered heaven itself. Even the rubbery scent that filled the shop was aromatically pleasing to him.
As he looked at the character figurines lined up on display, Minhyuk discreetly chuckled. He picked up a box from the special event section and purchased it with money he’d saved from his part-time job.
Finally, he had the latest figurine of Marina, the Iron Blood Girl, he’d vowed to get this month. He treasured the figurine box, putting it carefully into his raincoat and clutching it protectively as he left the shop.
A smile crept onto his lips as he thought about placing the figurine in the center of his room’s display.
Just in case he might run into someone he knew, Minhyuk took a route he knew was less crowded.
And then.
Whack!
A whammy wrapped in magical power struck Minhyuk.
* * *
The sky visible out the window was ash-colored.
The previously vibrant pink cherry petals had all washed away in the spring rain.
According to the weather forecast, it was supposed to be rainy and gloomy all week, it was a good thing that the cherry blossom festival had ended last week.
‘Spring rain…’
A thought came to mind.
“Manager, don’t be shocked at this. Starting today, my diet begins!”
I suppressed Ha Yesong’s declaration of her 1420216 season diet and couldn’t help but think.
‘What is Anomia up to now?’
The subway kidnapping that happened on the first day of the semester.
In the game, the incident led to Anomia starting to entangle with the original protagonist, Lee Tae-sung.
Anomia sent their executives to take revenge on Lee Tae-sung, who ruined their plans.
“Seriously!? Please don’t ignore me…!”
The problem was the person who had resolved the subway event in this world was…me.
It was only natural that I became the target of Anomia’s retribution.
But there was no sign of Anomia’s executives around me. No suspicious circumstances were detected, even though we were in a period where the executives would have made themselves known.
“Let’s bet again this time! Excuse me, Director?”
I am the director who leads the Student Council which is the highest power hierarchy at our high school.
It wasn’t absurd to be regarded as a target even more cautious than the original protagonist of the story.
In other words, it might be a concern for a more careful approach.
“Buuooojaaaniiiim….!?”
Of course, there was also the option of boldly attacking Anomia first, instead of dwelling on such concerns.
However, those bastards continuously moved their bases, making it difficult to locate. The base that we learned about after tracking down the culprits of a subway kidnapping case was completely empty when we arrived.
On top of that, the size of the game’s map and the actual city scale differed significantly. Game knowledge wasn’t much help outside of familiar locations.
“……”
So, what should I do….?
“Director?”
As I was contemplating, someone gently tapped my shoulder accompanied by a warm voice.
That was vice president Baek Seo.
Baek Seo was looking at me with his usual gentle smile.
“What?”
“Why are you thinking so deeply?”
“Just work-related thoughts.”
It was not a lie.
Because, Anomia was also eventually one of the guys that I, as a student council leader, should catch.
“But where is Yesong?”
Yesong, who had been chattering in front of me just until a moment ago, had suddenly disappeared.
“He just left school because he got a call to have some chicken with his friend from the food club. He said he didn’t want to disturb you as you seem focused on your work .”
“I should have bet.”
If I knew that her diet would fail in just a few minutes, I would have momentarily put my thoughts on hold and made the bet.
“Should we wrap up and head home?”
As Baek Seo cleared the empty cup on my desk, he asked this.
It’s been a while since I had some free time.
On days like these, it’s better to leave work early and get a good rest.
It was too late to call this time of day “early.”
“Let’s do it.”
We simply organized the papers.
In the midst of that, Baek Seo asked.
“Chief, by any chance, do you have an umbrella?”
“Yeah, I’ve got one.”
I had become extra careful about carrying an umbrella since I had caught the flu. It kind of heightened my awareness.
Of course, I had already recovered from the flu.
“Could you lend me one if you have two?”
“I’ve only got one. Anyway, we’ve got a few the kids have left behind that no one’s claimed. You can borrow one of those. Hmm?”
Why is that?
Besides mine, there were no other umbrellas in the stand.
Normally, there were always a few umbrellas of unknown ownership stuck in it. Where did they all go?
“It seems like the kids have taken them all because of the rain recently.”
“But there should’ve been at least one or two left, shouldn’t there?”
“They probably took them home and left them there.”
It didn’t feel quite right, somehow.
The situation was so clear, I had no choice but to agree with Baek Seo.
“If you need one, I’ll grab one from the classroom. There should be a few spares in our class too.”
“But this is a time when no one would be in the classroom, right? Using someone else’s stuff without permission isn’t appropriate behavior for a member of the disciplinary committee.”
“?”
Baek Seo rebutted with a smiling face, his tone clear and fluent.
I was momentarily at a loss for words.
“…”
I stroked my chin, thinking.
Now that I hear it, he’s right.
I couldn’t logically argue with that.
We left the office and headed for the entrance. The drizzle continued to fall.
I opened up my umbrella, and then Baek Seo quietly slipped under it.
“Excuse me.”
“Huh? Oh.”
Baek Seo’s faint smile.
Her shoulder nudged against mine, and a pleasant scent pierced through the smell of earth, saturating my sense of smell.
A tension I hadn’t anticipated abruptly rose within me.
I had been too preoccupied with thoughts of anomie to worry about sharing an umbrella with Baek Seo…
‘Isn’t this something that… you know, people who are ‘something’ or a couple would do?’
It had been a long time since I had shared an umbrella with a girl, since Kim Dal Bi, and I overlooked that fact.
As I started walking with Baek Seo, my mouth became unexpectedly dry.
I felt my body stiffening.
If any passing students saw us like this, it could easily lead to a silly misunderstanding.
The late hour and the rain, which meant there were fewer students around than usual, provided some consolation, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling of anxiety.
‘I can’t just give her the umbrella and go by myself, and buying one from a convenience store is just a waste of money…’
Sneaking home quietly and secretly seemed like the best option.
The sound of the heavy rain was overwhelming.
It was a downpour.
“……”
Our arms kept bumping into each other repeatedly.
Sharing an umbrella made it impossible to avoid physical contact.
When I tried to keep some distance, my shoulder, now beyond the cover of the umbrella, got soaked with rain.
“President.”
“Yes?”
Baek Seo’s faint voice cut through the rain, resonating softly.
“Are you worried that we might be mistaken for a couple?”
“!”
My head jerked before I could stop it, as if her question was a dagger that pinpointed my psychology with accuracy.
I thought I’d been keeping a poker face.
Did it show?
Or had she simply spoken aloud a question I might have been harboring?
In any case, I feigned calm on the surface and responded.
“This is not an appearance fit for a department head and his deputy. We’ve only ended up like this because you don’t have an umbrella.”
“I don’t really mind. Even if we’re mistaken for something else.”
“That’s what I’m concerned about…”
Baekseo’s normally resplendent image may not be damaged by this, but my dignity as a department head was at risk.
“hehehe.”
Baekseo softly laughed and edged closer to me. She placed her hand atop mine, which was gripping the handle of the umbrella.
Then, she tilted the umbrella towards me.
Instead of my shoulder, it was now Baekseo’s that started getting wet.
‘I should’ve bought a bigger umbrella.’
She’s looking out for me.
In matters of consideration for others, Baekseo never compromises.
Inevitably, I had to walk close to Baekseo. It’s the only way to stay less wet.
Baekseo’s elbow naturally found its way over my arm. We got even closer.
Without intending to, my elbow ended up touching under Baekseo’s arm. A few times, a surprisingly b
The smartphone in my school uniform pocket vibrated.
“Just a sec.”
Not knowing what to respond, I decided to buy some time naturally by checking my phone first.
I took out my smartphone.
I had received a text message from secretary Park Minhyuk.
“…?”
There was a photo of Park Minhyuk rolling on the floor, bruised, in the message.
My steps stopped.
“Chief?”
Baekseo also halted, looking at me with a puzzled face.
More messages arrived in succession.
It was the location and a message.
[ The secretary is here ]
[ Imagine what will happen to this guy if you bring someone along or call for help. ]
“Baekseo.”
“Yeah?”
“I, have a place to go.”
I didn’t have any particular thoughts.
My mind was just chillingly cooled down.
* * *
A high-rise building stood tall on the outskirts of the academy city.
It usually appeared as an abandoned building as if construction has stopped at the last moment, but the inside was intact.
However, today, combat drones and turrets were installed around the building, and armed Anomia members were on guard. In particular, there were a lot of troops concentrated at the main gate.
A gathering of firepower.
It was a blatant state of alert.
That place was the building where secretary Park Minhyuk was abducted.
The name carved in the front gate was ‘Grey Star.’
Meanwhile, in an office.
The captain of Anomia, dressed in battle gear and a high-quality cloak, was leaning back in his desk, a whiskey glass in hand.
The disciplinary head of Aseong was seen heading towards Grey star alone. This was confirmed by a drone.
With Anomia’s full-on attack, he could be handled right there, and then, before team 500 intervened.
There was a definite possibility that An Woo-jin requested reinforcements.
However, nothing was being detected in Aseong high school.
If An Woo-jin found the secretary, who knows, the fully prepared disciplinary department could secretly mobilize to Grey star.
Nevertheless, the risk must be taken. An Woo-jin must be dealt with.
That’s how much the head of anomia saw An Woo-jin as a threat in information warfare.
In case of any eventualities, he was ready to retreat.
Even if the disciplinary department mobilized, they would do so from far away. There would be plenty of time for his troops to flee.
So, he decided to use the Grey Star building on the outskirts as the battlefield.
Besides, wouldn’t An Woo-jin have to pay for provoking Anomia?
The commander thought this way, letting out a giggle.
Weeing.
The thick phone on the table vibrated. The outgoing call was from Grey Star’s control room.
The commander answered the phone.
“Has Aseong’s disciplinary head arrived?”
“Y-yes. He’s arrived…”
Why does his voice tremble?
Leave the question alone, the commander continued in a voice mixed with laughter.
“Following my trespassing instructions, he would have been secretly finding a way into the building. Ridiculously. If he saw that many troops, he shouldn’t be able to charge the main gate alone. It’s suicide.”
“He.. he entered from the main gate.”
“What?”
The commander’s eyebrows furrowed.
“That’s not possible. No matter how strong An Woo Jin is, he’s someone powerful within our fourth tier. If he saw the troops scattered across Grey Star, he should’ve made the basic judgment that it’s inappropriate to confront us face to face. It would be impossible for a single fourth-tier person to penetrate our for
The control room operator reported urgently.
“Sir, almost all the forces at the main gate have been annihilated! We are completely overpowered…!”
The commanding officer’s eyes widened in shock.
lmao what a heaven sent rain
Lightning staff?