Chapter 72: Hello, Hellony (4)

Just a few moments ago, everyone was busy cheering her, they shouted her name together with people beside them. Each of their screams were filled with excitement. They shouted while waving their cameras and glow sticks. It was a beautiful cheer because it was only meant for one person.

However, those beautiful and meaningful cheers were nothing but simple noises.

Ddudak, Ddudak.

It was because of a melody that echoed as the stage appeared.

In front of every ‘sound’ she made, any other sound became nothing but noise. The sound of her shoes, the sounds of the hem of her clothes, the sound of her hair flowing, and even her cough while clearing her throat just before she starts singing were all beautiful.

Tens of thousands of spectators fell silent at that moment.

There were some of them who had previously watched Hellony’s live performance somewhere else. And there were some who had never gotten the chance to do so. But that didn’t matter at all.

Because, in front of the sound that Hellony made, everybody was struck dumb

When Hellony opened her mouth, a wave of thrill came out together with the music.

Tung! When Hellony tapped the stage lightly with her shoes, a pink wave spread around her and enveloped the whole stage. It was an etheric reflection light that was produced when she used her soundwaves abilities. The light was more beautiful than any other ether reflective light in the world, so it soon became a stage setting device.

She didn’t need any other props. Just by standing on the stage, she could become the stage setting, the song, the music, and the microphone. The light purple microphone in the shape of a Musical Note on her hand was nothing but a gimmick. It didn’t make any sound whatsoever.

Everyone was left breathless when Hellony sang a verse of her song. Someone said. ‘I listen to Hellony’s songs with my heart, not my ears.’ It may sound like a joke, but it was the truth.

Hellony, a retired Hunter who could manipulate Sound/Eum (音). She was a superhuman who could decorate her songs with her powers and beautify them. Her sound spread out from the stage. One line touched the audience and then disappeared, and some of it repeatedly made sounds while going back and forth several times. and some other sounds jumped around the stage like naughty children.

That’s why, when someone heard Hellony’s song, they would feel like they were listening to various songs even though they were only listening to one song.

‘The song I listened to was different from the song that the person next to me heard. And the song that the person sitting next to me listened to was also different from the song the person next to him heard.’

Hellony, the goddess of pop.

If the goddess of music descended to earth, would she be able to show a better sound than Hellony?

Tung! Hellony tapped the stage with her foot once again and another round of wave spread out. Hellony belatedly realized her mistakes when she saw her fans standing like a statue, as if they were possessed by her singing.

‘Oh no, weakly, weakly.’

She retracted the sounds she used to dominate the stage. And then, she finished the highlight part.

WOOOOOOOOOOW!!!!

People cheered afterwards. Even the usual fan chant, which would go like ‘Hello! Hellony!’ didn’t come out today. That was because it was such an overwhelming performance.

It was inevitable since she was nervous.

‘Hellony. I want you to perform like usual. I’d like to ask you to sing a better song if possible, but I can’t do that because I’m not a singer. I can only ask you not to be nervous.’

‘Wi, Will it be dangerous?’

‘It’s okay. If it goes as planned, no one’s going to get hurt.’

Seodam could use better words than ‘hurt’. There were so many words to use such as, victim, casualty or even death. Nevertheless, the reason he chose the word ‘hurt’ was…

‘…So, you were being considerate of me.’

She had a lot of wounds. And there were even more wounds she had inflicted on others. Because of that, she was very sensitive to different words. She had the ability to hurt others without knowing when she would hurt them. 

Yoo Seodam told her, ‘I’m glad you overcame your trauma.’ But he wouldn’t know. The real reason why she was unable to overcome her trauma.

♪~♬

So she simply sang.

For her friends who were still busy behind the stage trying to catch her  stalker.

And for the sake of her own wounds.

* * *

“As expected.”

Behind the stage, no, above. In a space that no one cared about. 

The ceiling of the concert hall was wide open. While people were fascinated by Hellony’s stage, enjoying it like a cool spring breeze, they were busy searching for her stalker. Not a single verse of her song left the venue. This was thanks to Hellony’s ability.

-What is?

Taylor asked Yoo Seodam on the radio.

“We don’t know when we’re using normal ultrasound detection, but when Hellony truly shows her ability, a perfect ‘sound barrier’ is formed.”

-OH! OH! Right!

“You didn’t understand, did you?”

-……. How about explaining to me rather than mocking me you son of a gun!

With a smile on his face, Yoo Seodam looked around through the Mega-Shooter’s Amplified Scope. This Amplified Scope had a special wavelength and a function to detect ‘Mana’ rather than ether. It was an artifact made with the help of the Pot.

“Hellony said that just before or right after her concert is over, she feels the gaze which is particularly disgusting, but strangely, she doesn’t feel it during the performance. That’s probably because Hellony’s superpowers exceed even the ability of the stalker.”

-Huh? Aren’t people from Murim always strong?

Murim was the best according to the common sense of the people. Four years ago, when they first made their appearance in the world, they showed a great destructive power that no superhuman could show.

However, the reality was different.

Their Martial arts were on the same level with Superpowers. The pure output of the Martial arts itself was far weaker than Superpower. They showcased their overwhelming output through the ‘control’ they exhibited.

That’s why the stalker from Murim could penetrate even Hellony’s superpowers, which was the most controlled Superpower on Earth.

But, what will happen once the concert begins and Hellony uses her powers to the fullest?

Well, the stalker wouldn’t be able to pierce hellony’s power from far.

“That’s right. If you’re someone who is obsessed with her, what will you do to find her when you can’t see her?”

-····The crazy stalker is getting close, you mean?

“Yes. Just in time, there she is.”

Taylor didn’t say anything after hearing what Yoo Seodam said. She couldn’t see the ‘Stalker’ because she was mingling in the crowd. But Yoo Seodam could see her clearly.

A woman was floating in the sky.

[The villain, Sae Chungryeon, was using ‘Talgeumhaeng(S+) Skill.]

Yoo Seodam didn’t know about the skill. but it was probably some kind of martial arts technique that utilized the sound waves to step into the air. It was apparent that the villain was overwhelmingly better at controlling sound waves compared to Hellony. Because, even for Hellony, the idea of flying freely in the sky with the help of soundwaves was impossible.

Yoo Seodam pointed the mega shooter at the black haired woman who was looking down at the stage. Her worn-out Chinese clothes were flapping because of the wind.

-What about the distance?

“300 meters and getting closer. The wind is about six miles per hour.”

It was important from now on.

Yoo Seodam already called Lee Dong-joon, and he would arrive at the venue at a frightening speed. And because the ‘crisis’ was made up forcefully, Lee Dong-joon would be arriving before the main character correction took place.

However, Yoo Seodam wasn’t satisfied with that. He was going to add another spoonful of crisis on the top of the current crisis.

How did the original story end? Perhaps everyone in the venue would either be killed or gravely injured. Perhaps even the stalker herself would become one of the casualties considering that there was no supporting mark above her head. So, when Lee Dong-joon arrives later and rescues Shin Hye-ji, there would have been no ‘witnesses’ left.

Then what about the story that Yoo Seodam forcefully changed?

He was going to reveal the existence of Lee Dong-joon to the world. It was not just about revealing it. Yoo Seodam would prepare a fancy debut stage for him.

* * *

Sae Chungryeon 

She wandered to many different places looking for ‘sound’. For a more beautiful, refreshing, purer, clearer and nobler sound.

Whoosshh!!

The cool spring breeze under the night sky brushed past her ears, but unfortunately, she could not hear the sound that such wind made.

Only the sound that flowed from the stage, which was Hellony’s voice, could make Sae chungryeon happy.

No one in this wide world, not even in Murim, could make that kind of sound.

She was special. So, she became more and more obsessed. 

‘I can’t hear you.’

Whenever Hellony sang, she created a thick, huge sound curtain to prevent her voice from leaking out. So every time she went on stage, Sae Chungyeon would move closer and closer towards her.

‘If only I could hear that song.’

‘If only I could have that voice.’

‘More, more..’

‘Closer.’

Sae Chungryeon reached out towards the ‘Curtain’ laid out by Hellony.

Her jealousy rose.

‘I can’t hear her! The fact that everyone else can hear her songs… The fact that everyone is happy except me.’

Thump! Thump!

Her jealousy had already been rising steadily since she arrived on earth 4 years ago.

Today, it was about to explode.

‘That’s right, I’m the only one who can listen to it.’

She could have Hellony for herself if she cut the ears of everyone at the venue. Then, her songs would only belong to her.

A red haze rose from Sae Chungryeon’s body. It was her soundwaves.

With a deep red color, her sound was so cruel and violent that it was as if it was a sound produced by a madman who  was playing a piano. She took out a guqin and placed it on her arms. 

Long ago, Sae Chungryeon played this instrument more elegantly than anyone else in the world. 

At that time, she sang a happy song with this musical instrument.

However, after being banned by Dharma, she lost all her music. Despite suppressing the ban by using an Amulet, she couldn’t find her old song at all.

So, Hellony was her last hope.

‘Please let me sing again.’

[The villain, Sae Chungryeon used ‘The ultimate Voice (S+)’ skill.]

The moment Sae Chungryeon spread her red sounds towards the stage,

“You broke the ban, Warrior from Murim.”

“!!!!!!!!”

She heard a man’s voice.

Sae Chungryeon turned her head and her heart sank.

At that place, a few meters away from her, the Supreme Dharma stands.

The man who had imposed a ban on all Murim people and forced them back to the earth.

She resented him so much. But because of his overwhelming power, she didn’t dare to ask for a duel. The man, who was called the most supreme man in the world, came to judge her himself.

Clouds rose. There was only one person standing in front of her, yet she felt as if a mountain was surrounding the whole place. 

♪♬~

The performance continued. Hellony’s songs were melting people’s hearts, and Sae Chungryeon’s sound was obscured by the music and could not be heard by anyone.

“In return for breaking the ban, you’ll die here quietly.”

No one knew.

In the shadow of the stage, where no one pays attention,

‘I’m dying.’

Sae Chungryeon tried to burst into laughter with that thought.

Taaaang!

A gunfire rang out, and at the same time, Hellony’s music stopped playing. and a light purple curtain that was covering the ceiling was lifted. Why did the song stop at this timing? It didn’t matter. 

The important thing was that everyone at the concert venue was paying attention to the sky.

“Huh…..?”

All tens of thousands of spectators, including Hellony, looked at the ceiling of the venue. Everyone saw the scene where the red energy and cloud-like energy collided with each other!

What’s that? Even before people started asking such questions,

Someone shouted.

“It’s a Villain! She’s here!”

Then, someone else shouted.

“It’s Hong Yeopsa! He come to kill the Villain!”

“What? Hong Yeopsa?”

“Is that true?”

In an instant, the venue broke into a massive confusion. Even Dharma looked perplexed.

How did someone recognize Hong Yeopsa? Except for the fact that he used mysterious abilities like clouds, his face had never been revealed to the world, including his gender or age.

But it didn’t matter. 

A villain appeared at a concert venue, where tens of thousands of people were watching, and Hong Yeopsa appeared to kill her.

What a hero! Tens of thousands of pairs of eyes and cameras faced the sky. A broadcasting camera sent a live feed of Lee dong-joon’s face across the world.

‘……’

In the camera, Lee Dong-joon was looking somewhere. No, from the moment the gun went off, he never took his eyes off of one person.

In his eyes, a man who created the whole situation was looking at him with a relaxed smile. 

“Yoo Seodam……”

He was backstabbing him.

***