The Returnee Wants to Live Comfortably

I Have a Goal

"Water! Please, just give me some water...!"

Choi Suyong screamed as pain seared through his burning hands.

It was a desperation on par with searching for an oasis, moments before becoming a mummy in the middle of the desert.

Tragically, there was no such thing as tap water to be found in this area.

Besides, 'Hell Flame' is not so weak that it could be extinguished with plain water.

"You thought you'd be fine after torturing a child with electricity?"

"Aaaagh! I'm going to die!"

Of course it must feel like dying. His hands were burning alive.

With the original firepower of Hell Flame, I could reduce an entire building to ash in an instant.

Ordinary humans would be completely incinerated without a trace, but right now, just burning both his hands was taking a while.

'As I thought, I can't produce as much power as before.'

Since I was reincarnated in this body called Ma Seongjin, I've lost most of my original strength.

I've probably fallen below the rank of the Demon King's Corps Commanders, who once served me.

On top of that, because I constantly keep my horns hidden, I can't use my full powers from my days as the Demon King.

Of course, if I showed my horns, I could use an even stronger power, but I'd just be wasting energy.

There's no need to reveal my "full power" for dealing with trash like this.

"Such a pity, tsk."

"Eeeeek!"

"I think that's enough burning for now."

I snapped my fingers and canceled Hell Flame.

With my generous heart, the black flames that enveloped Choi Suyong's hands like gloves receded.

However, even with the flames gone, his hands remained pitch black.

"M-my hands!! My haaaands!"

Choi Suyong's hands, burnt to charcoal, could no longer move.

It looked as if even the nerves were burnt, leaving him unable to even open or close his fists.

They were like lumps of coal shaped into hands.

"Does it hurt that much?"

"Huuuuaaagh! My hands...!"

"Why are you crying when you did something so wrong?"

I bent my knees and lowered myself to match the kneeling man's eye level.
The moment his eyes met mine, they filled with terror.

"Wh-who the hell are you!"

Suddenly, black flames had erupted, and his hands were reduced to charcoal in an instant.

He may be on the run now, but he once worked as a B-rank Hunter.

He could tell these weren't ordinary flames.

"What the hell are you! How can a kid...!"

It was a flame that overturned common sense, and it was absurd that an eight-year-old child could use such sinister power.

There are those who awaken their traits early, but not even pro hunters have traits this outrageous.

And from the very start, this child gave off an inexplicable sense of strangeness.

"Are you part of the Murderer Guild?"

Choi Suyong cautiously probed with a voice wracked with pain.

"Murderer Guild? Ha..."

I clicked my tongue, thinking for a moment.

Looks like he's suspecting I'm a hunter disguising myself as a child using some transformation ability.

"Are you thinking of something like Conan? The body gets small but you keep all your memories?"

"...."

Honestly, I have nothing to say even if he thinks so.

It's true that I lived my previous life for a long time and then was reincarnated onto Earth with a smaller body.

Add to that, I've retained all my mental faculties and skill usage.

"Whatever I am, I'm not part of the Murderer Guild."

Unlike normal hunter guilds, the Murderer Guild is an organization that uses awakened powers for evil.

Most either disguise themselves as ordinary guilds, or have degenerated from regular guilds into Murderer Guilds.

"Don't lie! I've heard one of the Murderer Guild leaders can use black flames..."

"Are you saying I'm that person?"

"Even if not, you could be the successor. Rumor is that person is working on something recently."

Because of that association, he seemed to link me with that guildmaster.

I didn't know who their leader was nor did I want to be involved.

Never mind the Murderer Guild—where in the world would such a weak guild member exist?

"But who I am doesn't matter right now. You should be worrying about your own future."

"Hik...!"

Choi Suyong, hands behind his back, tried to emit sparks.

It was a clumsy defense mechanism, pointing a weapon while trembling in fear before a monster.

― Bzzzt...

But the sparks fizzled and died before they started.

"Huh?"

"You think that would work? Even the bloodlines in your hands that once flowed with mana have been burnt to a crisp."

With my head raised once more, I circled to stand behind him.

"You want to live?"

"Yes... I want to live!"

"Then tell me what you did wrong. If you confess sincerely, I won't hurt you anymore."

"Wrong...?"

Upon hearing that, Choi Suyong's gaze drifted to a child.

He muttered, glancing at Ah-rin, who was asleep on the bench.

"I don't think... I did anything wrong..."

Nothing wrong?

I heard it clearly. My ears weren't playing tricks.

I immediately reactivated Hell Flame and focused on his left leg.

Whoosh—!

"Huh...? Gyaaaaaaah!!!"

After both his hands, now his left leg was engulfed in black fire.

This time, he screamed as he felt his leg burning alive.

"Aaaaaagh! I–I'll correct myself! I'm sorry for child abuse! I apologize for shocking the kid with electricity too!"

Forgetting what he'd said a moment ago, Choi Suyong now begged for forgiveness.

It was almost comical, seeing him pressing his charcoal hands together to beg.

They say locking the barn after the horse is stolen is useless, but in his case, there was never a horse to begin with.

"Please, just let me live!"

He even shed tears, wailing in agony.

To an outside onlooker, he might appear pitiable, but I just stared down with a cold gaze and spoke.

"Let you live? Trash like you, who trampled a child's life and cast it into ruin?"

If he hadn't just claimed to have done nothing wrong, he would've avoided losing a leg in such a bloody way.

A so-called teacher, and yet he doesn't even know that a word can repay a debt of a thousand gold.

"Please... help...!"

I watched with my own eyes as a human leg burned alive.

In Mewzealand, this was very common.

The people of the Reveli Kingdom, who always preached peace, enjoyed these spectacles as part of their so-called rites of protection.

The ones burned at the stake were usually my kind, the demon race, and other non-humans.

Regarded as less than livestock, we were always hunted down like monsters.

'Even after all they did, they never felt the slightest bit of guilt.'

Choi Suyong was no different.

Even after such deeds, he deluded himself into thinking he'd get away. That's because, to him, what he did was no worse than stepping on an insect.

I'd seen plenty of people like him before, and I'd burned plenty to death.

I was used to it by now.

That's why, even now, this bizarre sight unfolds—a child staring emotionless at a person burning alive.

'Good thing I put Ah-rin to sleep.'

Earth might not be as bad as Mewzealand, but it's no paradise either.

They've even started producing beings similar to other races—Mutamit.

I can't just stand by and watch things like Choi Suyong run rampant.

I may want to live comfortably, but I refuse to be a pushover.

"Ugh... urgh..."

Choi Suyong began to lose consciousness.

Maybe because he's a B-rank, he held out for a while—surprisingly impressive.

But I had no intention of killing him, so I canceled Hell Flame.

Where the black flames faded, his left leg was left horribly charred.

With both hands and now one leg reduced to charcoal.

I looked into his eyes and spoke.

"Today, you never met me here."

"...."

Using a mind-control skill, I manipulated Choi Suyong's memories.

With my powers incomplete, I couldn't do much, but altering his memory of having met me was possible.

He may remember what happened here, but he won't know it was my doing.

And so, Choi Suyong lost consciousness, his memories growing faint.

****

"Mmm..."

Kang Ah-rin opened her eyes drowsily, waking from sleep.

She tried to recall what had happened, and why she'd ended up sleeping like this.

As she pieced everything together, her eyes snapped open.

"Seongjin!"

She remembered: Teacher Choi Suyong had attacked her.

Maybe she'd even been kidnapped while she slept.

"I'm right here."

But Seongjin was right before her, as if to brush away her worries.

He was sitting on a bench at the playground, and Ah-rin herself was lying with her head on his thigh like a pillow.

The place was still the playground, but the atmosphere felt drastically different.

"S-Seongjin!"

"Calm down. It's all over now."

Police cars and government awakeners' vehicles were parked around the playground.

Officers from the cars were combing the scene, and people in almost-uniforms were guarding the area near us.

"Who are they...?"

"They're government awakeners. Your grandfather and grandmother will be here soon."

My parents, currently at work, would arrive shortly as well.

As she thought about her grandparents, Kang Ah-rin spotted Choi Suyong.

The demon-like Choi Suyong was in custody, completely ruined.

From there, she could see his arms and leg horribly burnt.

"What happened?"

Ah-rin asked, astonished. Ma Seongjin answered.

"Luckily, an awakener was passing nearby. That's why we're safe."

Even so, the officials hadn't figured out who that person was.

Whoever it was, Kang Ah-rin felt grateful from the bottom of her heart.

"With his leg like that, he'll never walk again. With both his arms charred, eating with his hands will be impossible."

It was a fruit of his own behavior.

Some might call it excessive, but people like him never repent, even in prison.

He would never walk or feed himself for the rest of his life behind bars.

He couldn't even use his ability anymore because of his arms.

It was more fitting and more dreadful than the death penalty.

"Don't worry about it. You did nothing wrong."

When Seongjin said so, strength seemed to drain from Ah-rin.

She looked up at Seongjin from where she lay.

He was the only friend who had helped her when everyone else scorned her.

This time she'd wanted to help him, but had been able to do nothing.

'So I really can't do anything after all...'

What if an awakener hadn't happened to pass by?

If not, seongjin would no longer be here.

Does that mean she's not even capable of being a mere pheasant?

"Are you two alright?"

At that moment, a woman in uniform approached the bench.

Seeing the other awakeners stand stiffly at her arrival, she must have been the highest rank.

"I'm fine. But Ah-rin was hurt by the sparks..."

"How could anyone do that to a child...!"

The woman clenched her fists, rage in her voice.

"Don't worry. This unni will make sure he never gets out of jail for the rest of his life."

She spoke to Ah-rin with warmth and a beautiful, angelic smile, yet Ma Seongjin sensed her power and couldn't help but be amazed.

'So this is an A-rank awakener.'

She was on a whole different level from the likes of Choi Suyong.

Kang Ah-rin, too, opened her eyes wide as she looked at the woman.

Not because she sensed the power like Ma Seongjin, but for another reason.

"Um...! Do you think I could become a Hunter too?"

The woman, with wild animal ears, grinned mischievously.

"Of course you can."

An animal just like her was confidently working as a Hunter.

Hearing rumors is one thing, but nothing compares to seeing it in real life.

A sense of possibility began to flow into Kang Ah-rin's heart.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
I honestly like this kinds of novels...
With 10 chapters we've seen how the MC operate...
I'm guessing there would be a time where MC would have to release his transformation skill to access his full strength...
I'm getting hyped...
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】