Chapter 28 (Continued)

 

Electric magic surged through the expandable baton. Dalbi narrowed her eyes, sensing my resolve.

 

“You’re going to catch me?”

 

“I have to.”

 

“Do you think you can?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly.

 

The conversation was devoid of warmth for someone reuniting with a cherished person after a long time.

 

But I wasn’t a big-hearted or powerful person who could afford to relax against Dalbi.

 

“First, let me ask one thing.”

 

Before the battle began,

 

Many things I wanted to say to Dalbi came to mind.

 

Why she was here.

 

Why she became a villain.

 

Why she said she liked my innocence.

 

What I meant to her.

 

And so on.

 

I was curious about everything, but it wasn’t the right situation to ask everything.
Still, among the thoughts swirling in my head, the first thing I wanted to ask Dalbi was clear.

 

I asked the question.

 

“Why did you leave without a word? You could have told me the reason before you left.”
I didn’t have the right to keep Dalbi.

 

But at least she could have told me the reason.

 

Knowing I would be sad, why did Dalbi just leave?

 

Dalbi hesitated, then gave me a meaningful smile.

 

“Even if I told you now, it wouldn’t matter. We’ve come too far already….”

 

“What nonsense is that?”

 

What’s with this vague attitude….

 

A sigh naturally escaped my lips.

 

“Just say it. Don’t beat around the bush.”

 

Did she think she was the heroine of some drama?

 

What came to mind were the times I often hugged Dalbi during our childhood, sharing warmth, and the letters she left me after she disappeared.

 

In her letters, Dalbi referred to herself as ‘trash.’

 

Specifically, she said that even though she had become trash, she would always be on my side.

 

It seemed similar to the kind of sentiment that leads someone to put cringe worthy phrases in their messenger profile out of an emotional mood, only to regret it later.

 

I wasn’t such a fool to take all that sentimentality at face value.

 

“Why did you leave without a word and then leave those letters?”

 

I wasn’t generous enough to accept such ambiguous behaviour.

 

“…Sorry for being so pathetic.”

 

But Dalbi didn’t give a satisfying answer.

 

“As for why I left letters…, I don’t know either. I just felt like it. Leaving without a word had other reasons that I can’t tell you.”

 

Dalbi gave an awkward smile.

 

“But it’s true, you know? I’m always on your side.”

 

“Then just say it…!”

 

“If I tell you, you’ll die.”

 

“What?”

 

Unexpectedly, I found myself speechless. My mind was in turmoil.

 

What kind of nonsense was this? My mind had to race to keep up.

 

“…See you later.”

 

As if she wouldn’t continue the conversation, Dalbi turned her back and started to walk away.
It wasn’t time to be lost in confusion.

 

“The conversation isn’t over yet.”

 

I gathered my emotions and steadied myself. Immediately.

 

Bang!

 

I shot towards Dalbi.

 

At that moment, a goblin blocked my path.

 

Clang!

 

I swung my expandable baton, but the goblin blocked it with its club. Crack! The shockwave of electricity pushed the club back.

 

Apparently, the goblin was caught off guard by the unexpected power.

 

The advantage of the expandable baton was its fast and straightforward follow-up moves. I immediately swung it again, striking the goblin’s torso.

 

Boom!!

 

Crackle!!

 

Two consecutive electric shockwaves struck the goblin instantly. Unable to withstand the impact, the goblin was pushed back.

 

However, it didn’t fly away.

 

It barely managed to keep its balance, sliding back and holding its ground.

 

Its skin was quite tough.

 

It seemed to have reinforced its body with magic at a high level.

 

The goblin glared at me with its menacing eyes, emitting smoke from its body.

 

The chain reaction of the shockwaves was a skill I had developed after fighting the Anomia guys. It made me realize that my combat experience was gradually accumulating.

 

Through previous experiments, I found that I could deliver about 1.5 to 2 times the damage of a regular shockwave in one go.

 

Thud. The damage accumulated quickly, and the goblin collapsed on one knee.

 

However.

 

Before I could charge again,

 

Smoke rose from the ground, and another goblin appeared. A menacing giant. The iron club in its hand was as big and heavy as its size.

 

Two goblins blocked my path. Beyond them, I saw Dalbi’s back moving away.

 

Boom!

 

Whoosh!

 

The giant goblin’s club smashed the ground. Flames erupted from the impact. If I had tried to block it head-on, I wouldn’t have been left with even my bones intact.

 

It seemed the goblin had intentionally controlled its speed. Like a warning shot. It must have assumed I would dodge.

 

Being patronized stung my pride.

 

I engaged in a back-and-forth struggle with the two goblins. Their condescending attitude towards me irritated me.

 

Clack! Taking advantage of an opportunity, I pulled out the Lightning Rod from my belt with my free hand. It must have been unexpected for the two goblins in front of me.

 

A strong teal electric current surged through the rod.

 

I swung it.

 

Crackle!!

 

The lightning engulfed the two goblins, sending powerful electric currents through them. The two goblins collapsed powerlessly.

 

Bang! I charged towards Dalbi, breaking through the aftermath of the lightning explosion.
Dalbi, startled by the explosion caused by the Lightning Rod, turned to look at me.

 

Swoosh!

 

Dalbi reflexively drew her sword.

 

My expandable baton clashed with her sword.

 

Clang!

 

Crack!

 

“Gah!”

 

Had she thought I couldn’t get past the two goblins in such a short time? Dalbi, unprepared, lost her balance and couldn’t even properly channel her magic.

 

I didn’t know what Dalbi’s story was.

 

But the clear fact remained that she was a villain, and I was a Disciplinary Committee member.

 

The need to subdue and interrogate her didn’t change.

 

The expandable baton, crackling with electric magic, cut through the air towards Dalbi’s neck.