LIGHTNOVELONLINE Ch 04
Chapter 04
Before enrolling in the academy, Goo Chiseong already had high stats as a B-rank and a unique-grade trait.
No matter who looked at him, he was a promising hero prospect with a bright future ahead.
But he won’t become a hero in the future.
“To be honest, I was kind of offended that you didn’t recognize me.”
“…”
“Not that I’m trying to brag or anything, but I’m kind of a big deal, you know?”
No, to be exact, he won’t even exist in the future.
Because today, during the “Seedling Stomp,” he’s going to be killed.
“Kim Chang Sik?”
Hearing his name, Changs Sik snapped out of his thoughts.
“Oh, sorry.”
“What’s up?”
“Just had a lot on my mind.”
Suddenly, a faint scream echoed from a distance.
Goo Chiseong froze at the sound and looked around cautiously.
“Didn’t that sound like a scream to you?”
Chang Sik, already aware that the villain organization’s attack was starting, stayed calm and observed the situation carefully so as not to draw attention.
At that moment, Goo Chiseong glanced at Kim Daechun, who was sprawled out on the ground, and spoke.
“Kim Chang Sik, why don’t we go check out what’s going on together?”
“…Alright.”
Chang Sik nodded without resistance and started to leave the lecture hall with Chiseong.
And then it happened.
**BOOM!!-**
With a massive sound, the entire building shook violently.
At the same time, a system window appeared in front of Changshik, dizzying his vision.
**Ding!**
《The True Path of a Hero: Part Three》
– The academy has been attacked by an unidentified organization.
– Due to a barrier, professional heroes have not been alerted to the attack.
– The attackers are foes far beyond your current ability to handle.
– Avoid them and survive until the time limit expires!
**[Clear Conditions]**
1. Survive (0/1)
– Time Limit: 59 minutes 59 seconds –
**[Reward]**
1. Bonus Stat +2
This is what they call the infamous “Academy Seedling Stomp (Attack).“
A calculated terrorist attack by an organization targeting the academy’s most promising recruits, just as they’re starting their journey.
The situation was unfolding exactly the way Chang Sik remembered it from the future.
‘If that’s the case, then that guy must be at the academy right now.’
Reaching that thought, Chang Sik’s expression hardened coldly.
Meanwhile, Goo Chiseong, sensing that something was seriously wrong, let out a deep sigh.
“What the hell is going on…? Why are the cadet professors nowhere to be seen in all this chaos?”
From what Chang Sik remembered, at this point, the cadet professors were—
‘Probably too busy trying to save their own skins. Not that they’d be much help even if they showed up….’
Goo Chiseong urgently spoke up.
“Kim Chang Sik, let’s hurry up and get out of here.”
The two of them kicked open the lecture hall door and rushed out.
**Clang!-**
As soon as they stepped out, a wave of intense heat hit their faces.
And with it, the acrid smell of something burning assaulted their noses.
“What the hell, is there a fire?”
Sure enough, the grassy field visible through the hallway windows was completely engulfed in flames.
“What the hell is going on?”
“…”
While Goo Chiseong looked flustered by the unexpected scene, Chang Sik wasn’t surprised in the slightest.
‘So he really is here.’
Chang Sik pressed himself close to the window, carefully observing the fiery chaos below.
**Fwoosh!!-**
The scorching heat radiated against his cheeks.
The scene outside the window was total destruction.
**Aaaaahh!-**
The cadets were screaming as they fled, trying desperately to avoid the sticky flames.
And behind them, a small group of hooded figures stood out.
“There he is.”
Chang Sik’s eyes zeroed in on one man among them.
Standing at the center of the group, he was continuously spewing out viscous flames from under his oversized hood.
The villain, Flame Sucker.
**Crackle!!-**
With a grotesque sound, he breathed fire, his flames so intense they could melt human flesh in an instant.
He was one of the lieutenants in the villain organization led by Jang Docheol.
The cadets who were unlucky enough to get caught in his flames screamed in agony as their bodies burned.
Watching this, Chang Sik smirked coldly.
‘I didn’t think I’d run into him this soon.’
One of Jang Docheol’s lackeys—someone who helped drag him into hell.
He was one of Chang Sik’s targets for revenge.
Just then, a frantic voice rang out beside him.
“Run!!”
“Huh?”
Goo Chiseong was glaring out the window with a grim expression.
“If I’m right, that guy’s the notorious villain Flame Sucker!”
And then, out of nowhere, he started climbing up onto the windowsill.
“Hey, what the hell are you doing?”
“I’ll buy us some time! You run while you can!”
**Thud! Thud!-**
“…!!”
Chang Sik didn’t even have time to stop him.
Goo Chiseong leaped out the window without hesitation.
**Thud!-**
A sound echoed that would have shattered the bones of an ordinary person.
Watching him, Chang Sik muttered under his breath.
“Is he insane?”
With a loud battle cry, Goo Chiseong sprinted forward.
While everyone else was screaming and running away from the horrifying flames, he was charging straight toward them.
“Raaaahhh!!”
His face burned with a strange determination as he ran headlong into the inferno.
‘Flame Eater, huh….’
Somehow, the fire didn’t seem to touch him.
His hands, now glowing red like his hair, cut through the wall of flames as he dashed forward.
**Boom!-**
Without missing a beat, Goo Chiseong lunged at Flame Sucker, his glowing red hand striking out.
Flame Sucker barely managed to dodge, looking startled by the sudden attack.
A villain with fully developed powers versus a hero prospect still in training.
It was a fight with no chance of victory.
And yet, it stirred an irrational glimmer of hope.
“How’s that taste?!”
Refusing to give the villain a moment to breathe, Goo Chiseong raised his burning hands and launched another relentless attack at Flame Sucker.
**Bang!-**
With every swing of his fists, it was as if mini explosions erupted from his punches.
**Boom!-**
Seeing Goo Chiseong’s ferocious onslaught, some of the fleeing cadets began shouting.
“It’s a hero! A hero’s here to save us!!”
“No, wait! That’s Goo Chiseong!!”
From a safe distance, the cadets called out to him.
“Who cares if he’s not a hero?! Goo Chiseong, save us!!”
“Goo Chiseong! You can do it!!”
“Please, stop that guy!!”
Flame Sucker kept dodging Goo Chiseong’s attacks without countering, weaving around effortlessly.
Seeing this, some of the cadets, perhaps thinking victory was possible, started hurling curses without hesitation.
“Goo Chiseong!! Kill that bastard!”
“Piece of trash, just die already!”
“Stop running around and fight him head-on!”
They all seemed to believe that Goo Chiseong, who had shown up in their moment of desperation, was the hero who would save them.
But reality is never that simple.
“If it were that easy, he wouldn’t be an officer in the Villain Organization.”
Sure, Goo Chiseong had impressive skills for his age and position, but his opponent was on a completely different level.
Flame Sucker wasn’t someone a mere academy cadet could hope to fight.
In terms of physical ability, experience—hell, anything—they weren’t even in the same league.
Flame Sucker, keeping his distance, opened his mouth wide.
**BOOM!!-**
A stream of viscous flames shot out.
Goo Chiseong, unable to react in time to the rapid onslaught, took a direct hit.
**KABOOM!!-**
The explosion sent his body flying through the air.
**CRASH!!-**
He ended up smashing through the window right next to where Chang Sik stood, landing in a crumpled heap.
As Goo Chiseong lay sprawled out and defeated, panicked voices filled the air.
“Damn it!! Everyone, run!!”
“If he was just going to go down in one hit, why the hell did he even try to show off!?”
“Where the hell are the real heroes!? Aren’t any of them here yet!?”
Chang Sik frowned as he listened to the cadets scrambling to find another shield to hide behind.
Then he slowly started walking toward the writhing Goo Chiseong.
‘That time limit, though…’
Unlike the first two missions, this one had a clear time limit.
“So, the time limit probably represents how long it’ll take for the professional heroes to arrive. If everyone manages to survive until then, we’ll all be rescued, right?”
Muttering to himself, Chang Sik examined Goo Chiseong’s body, which was red and blistered from the flames.
“Hmm.”
“Ghh…!!”
Thankfully, his injuries weren’t life-threatening.
If anything, it looked like Flame Sucker’s fire was being absorbed into Goo Chiseong’s trait.
“That’s impressive.”
Undoubtedly, Goo Chiseong would have what it takes to become one of the greatest heroes if he could only make it through this ordeal.
It made sense now—why Jang Docheol had specifically targeted Goo Chiseong with this “Seedling Stomp.”
‘But Flame Sucker… Yeah, taking him on directly with my current state would definitely be tough.’
After all, what the system wanted wasn’t for him to fight, but to simply survive until the time was up.
‘49 minutes and 23 seconds left.’
The clock was still ticking.
The safest option—the one the system wanted—was to hide somewhere and survive quietly until the mission ended.
But.
“Yeah, screw that.”
If Goo Chiseong were to die here, like in the original timeline, everything would play out exactly as Jang Docheol wanted.
Chang Sik had no intention of letting that happen.
“I’m not just gonna sit around and twiddle my thumbs.”
On top of that, Chang Sik already knew two of Flame Sucker’s critical weaknesses.
‘If I push myself a bit and take Flame Sucker down, it’ll throw Jang Docheol completely off guard.’
This wasn’t just about survival anymore—it was his declaration of war.
Right then, Goo Chiseong groaned and started to regain consciousness, shaking his head.
“Argh, it hurts!”
“Oh? You’re awake?”
Goo Chiseong, still trembling from fear, glanced out the window.
Then, seeing Chang Sik still standing there instead of running away, he shouted urgently.
“Run!!”
The reckless determination he’d shown earlier when charging at Flame Sucker was now completely gone, replaced by fear.
It was a natural reaction after realizing the massive gap in power between him and his opponent.
Still, for some reason, Chang Sik felt a twinge of disappointment.
“Why should I?”
“…What?”
“I said, why should I run?”
Chang Sik’s calm response left Goo Chiseong dumbfounded.
“You idiot! You saw it too, didn’t you?! That guy really is Flame Sucker!”
“So what?”
“Are you insane?! Do you *want* to die to a villain?!”
Goo Chiseong pressed, his tone desperate, but Chang Sik didn’t answer.
“I’m telling you, argh…! Just run! There’s no way cadets like us can handle someone at that level!”
Chang Sik just shrugged nonchalantly, which only made Goo Chiseong more frustrated.
He grabbed Chang Sik by the collar and shook him.
“Stop acting like a reckless moron, you idiot!”
But Chang Sik didn’t even flinch.
“Let go.”
“You…!”
Chang Sik sighed and calmly pried Goo Chiseong’s hand off his collar.
Then, he activated *Trait Modification*.
**Ding! -**
[Analyzing Goo Chiseong’s trait for modification….]
[Reassembling Goo Chiseong’s trait to create the skill . Skill acquired.]
“…That’s Flame Sucker, for crying out loud. What the hell are you thinking?” Goo Chiseong muttered, staring at Chang Sik like he’d lost his mind.
But Chang Sik didn’t bother explaining.
He simply started heading downstairs.
“Just sit tight and watch how I deal with him.”
Physically speaking, Changshik was no match for Flame Sucker.
Hell, even Goo Chiseong was stronger than him in a straight-up fight.
But.
“Fights aren’t won with brute strength alone.”
When it came to combat, Chang Sik was a specialist—a step ahead of everyone else.
And he knew two of Flame Sucker’s fatal weaknesses that no one else was aware of.
This wasn’t reckless. Not at all.
Chang Sik’s lips curled into a sly grin.
‘In fact, as a cadet, I can use his overconfidence against him. This is the perfect chance.’
The time for his first act of revenge had come a little earlier than expected.
—