《The Hero》


 Volume 1 - CH 1

    My life changed the moment I put the ring on.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Are you not going father?¡±


    ¡°Go by yourself¡±, that was all he said. Father was always a very blunt person.


    With the business falling apart recently, it¡¯s been hard to see my father¡¯s face. But it would have been nice to go and visit grandma together for Thanksgiving.


    My name is Haneul Kang and I will be 22 this year and it¡¯s been 2 months since I was discharged from the army.


    Jamsil should already be bustling with large crowds. (TN ¨C Jamsil is the town his grandma lives at)


    Beep.


    I got onto the bus that would take me to the riverside.


    Once I get to the riverside, I need to grab the intercity bus at the East-Seoul terminal. It¡¯s my first time visiting since my mom¡¯s death 9 years ago, but I didn¡¯t think I would feel alone. Not that I¡¯m a kid that would need guidance, nor because I would I lose my way back home. I just thought I wouldn¡¯t be going alone.


    I¡¯m sure the family members that I haven¡¯t seen in a while will have a lot of questions to ask me. When they do, Let¡¯s answer them calmly. Tell them that I¡¯m fine, and that nothing is wrong.


    As I was deep in my thoughts, I felt something tugging at my butt.


    I flipped my backpack over to my front, my hand reached behind me to feel what the uncomfortable feeling was, and found that it was a ring.


    It was a large silver ring with bizarre patterns in black. No matter how much I flipped it around, there was no way for me to understand the pattern¡¯s meaning.


    ¡®This looks cool¡¯ were my only thoughts.


    I¡¯m not really interested in accessories, so even if I saw a good item, I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell if it was expensive or not. But I¡¯m sure this isn¡¯t that expensive, since it¡¯s just rolling around on a bus.


    To check the size of the ring, I slid it onto the middle finger on my right hand. It looked big in the beginning, but after I put it on, I realized it fit me perfectly. After opening and closing my fingers a couple of times and noticing nothing special about it, I smiled and took it off.


    No, I tried to take it off.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    It¡¯s not coming off.


    ¡°Huh, what the.¡±


    Is it not coming off because it¡¯s fitting me so perfectly?


    As I was thinking this, I used all of my strength to try and get the ring off my finger. It¡¯s as if the ring became a part of me, and it just did not want to budge. After attempting it a few more times, I let loose a big sigh and gave up.


    The next bus stop was my destination, and I knew that there was no more time to get the ring off.


    Even though I wanted to leave this here before I got off¡­¡­


    I got off the bus at the riverside and made my way through the bustling crowd to get my next ticket. I found an empty seat, sat down, and continued my attempts in getting rid of the ring. It still wouldn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Did someone put glue on this?¡±


    Now that I think about it, this could just be a malicious prank by someone.


    I walked to the bathroom, turned on the water, and attempted to rotate and rip off the ring. No change.


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    I give up.


    This pointless struggle is just making me hungry.


    I¡¯m sure it will come off on its own as time passes. If that doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll probably look up a solution on my Smartphone.


    I should first fill myself up with Kimbap in order to get rid of the hunger and just wait around for the next hour until the bus arrives. (TN ¨C Kimbap is the korean sushi roll)


    I frequently zone out into my own world and it seems to have gotten worse since I got discharged from the army.


    I¡¯ve always loved the heroes that came out in popular movies, in addition to monster fights, and so forth. Whenever such movies or dramas came out, I made sure to watch them. Although embarrassing, I would also strike poses when I was alone.


    I wonder how it would feel if there was a world made for heroes, and I myself was one of them? To be a lone warrior that puts my life on the line to save others!


    There was 1 hour left before the bus departs. That one hour is the most suitable time to zone out.


    The moment I closed my eyes to dream of my heroic world, a strange dizzy feeling hit me.


    Jiiinnngggg.


    The same dizzy feeling that I felt when I was training miserably in the military.


    To find the exact words, I felt like shit.


    ¡°Why am I feeling like this all of a sudden? Hmm¡­Guess I¡¯m tired.¡±


    I cock my head to the side and massaged my neck, the strange feeling went away and my body starts to feel better.


    As I look at the time, there¡¯s only 15 minutes left until the bus departs.


    I asked myself, ¡°When did the time fly by so fast?¡±


    As I try to head towards the bus.


    ¨C¡­¡­The scale of damage this time around, is estimated to be in the billions. The special district authorities have stated that they will survey and check to see if there were any problems with the warning systems. Onto the next news¡­¡­..¨C


    Tons of people were huddled together and standing in front of the huge TV. It seemed like there was a big accident that happened just yesterday.


    ¡®Billions of dollars, damn¡­¡­The world is in an uproar. Why did I not know about this until now?¡¯


    I just put it off as a mishap that happened over night and tried to make my way outside the station, but the atmosphere didn¡¯t feel right.


    ¡°Ah, well, it¡¯s already been taken care of. The decision has been made. I told you there¡¯s a strict prohibition for the government to move right now. We cannot bring you out! There¡¯s still time, so you must get yourself to a shelter.¡±


    ¡°Why, why are you saying no! Murray¡¯s earthquake is supposed to hit, aren¡¯t you civil servants supposed to put priority on the civilians! I¡¯ve never understood you guys! If you block off the road like this, are you telling us all to just die?! Huh?!¡±


    An angry old man was wagging his finger in front of the person¡¯s face, as he yelled at him in a loud voice. Then the people around the scene decided to join in on the yelling, making the situation even more chaotic. Soon, the situation could not be contained.


    I was stunned.


    What does all this mean?


    ¡°Excuse me, I apologize, but are the buses working today?¡± I asked the guy standing there.


    ¡°I¡¯ve said this many times already, but as of Friday 1:50 AM, Murray¡¯s earthquake has hit the level 3 warning. You should¡¯ve seen it on the news. We don¡¯t know when the next earthquake will hit, so please make your way back home.¡±


    I thought to myself, Earthquake warning? I don¡¯t get it, what are they talking about¡­¡­


    As I stood there still confused, a group of military officers came into the terminal. They made the urgent announcement:


    ¡°The earthquake seems to be occurring more frequently. Every civilian here must leave this place immediately. Please make haste now!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s faces turned pale as they heard the desperation in the officer¡¯s voice.


    People started running.


    An earthquake, eh.


    ¡®What the hell exactly happened?¡¯


    That¡¯s when,


    BOOOOMMMMM!!!


    The ground shook violently. The fallen Haneul could not concentrate because of the screams echoing from every direction. Haneul found that noise very similar to a bomb, like the loud sound that¡¯s made when a mortar is fired off.


    My ears deafened.


    ¡°What, what the hell is going on?¡±


    WINNNGGGGG!!!


    The alarms went off.


    It was the disaster alarm.


    People were yelling and running around frantically. It was chaos. Haneul now felt the urgency.


    Is this war?


    Did North Korea finally start it?


    Shit, it¡¯s only been 2 months since my discharge.


    Where am I supposed to go?


    My head started turning. I shouldn¡¯t be staying here right now. Right when I was about to make it outside, that¡¯s when I saw it.


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    My mouth dropped.


    There was a huge gap ripped open like my mouth. Nothing but empty, blackness right in the middle of it.


    ¡°What, what is that¡­¡­.¡±


    If you got a knife, cut some lines onto a paper, pushed the sides inward, and made the holes overlap in the middle, that¡¯s when a crack would form.


    That was exactly what Haneul was staring at as his mouth still dropped open.


    The dim sky over the huge crack. It was a hideous image to even imagine. It was to the point where one would get goose bumps just staring at it.


    ¡°What the fuck¡­..!¡±, I yelled.


    Everything was a mess. The streetlights were constantly blinking and changing as if they were broken. The same could be said for the LED billboards. The cars were all bunched up together, and everyone was running around deliriously.


    My legs started shaking. My heart felt like it was going to explode. I took my phone out to call my dad, but there wasn¡¯t any reception.


    ¡°This is crazy¡­¡­¡±


    I tried my best to calm down.


    But my head was everywhere, I didn¡¯t know what exactly was going on.  I knew I had to calm down as if everything can be normal.


    As I turned my head to look around, I saw people in what I thought were military uniforms. It was a special type of military uniform. They were controlling everyone that were running around and helping them get to safety.


    As they were screaming,


    ¡°Hey, Hey You!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay! Please calm down and follow our instructions. We will keep you civilians safe. If you listen to our instructions, nothing will happen to you. Do not worry!¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait a second! Listen to what I¡¯m saying!¡±


    ¡°Listen to our instructions¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Fuck, listen to what I have to say!!¡±


    Haneul couldn¡¯t contain himself and grabbed the officers arm.


    Although, Haneul didn¡¯t have a ripped body, with his strong grip and powerful arm, the officer¡¯s body swayed back and forth.


    In that moment, the officer¡¯s eyes changed.


    ¡°I am a law enforcer for the government!!! Please follow me.¡±


    At that moment, Haneul closed his mouth as he pondered if this is really a war that was happening or was what he saw just an earthquake. Haneul knew this was not the time to be asking questions.


    ¡°Ah, okay.¡±


    It happened as they were going along with the evacuation.


    Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang!!!


    It sounded like bombs were going off again and a building by the riverside came crashing down.


    ¡°RUN!!¡±


    The officer ran without turning back. But Haneul just stood there, not being able to move.


    When a person is placed in front of death, they can¡¯t do anything. Life flashing by? Fear? Everything is a lie. As the picture of death comes towards you, your head blanks out like a blank canvas.


    ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡±


    Chapter 1 ¨C End.

 Volume 1 - CH 2

    Chapter 2


    ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡±


    The still yelling Haneul was able to taste the freedom of soaring through the air. He was able to experience the lack of gravity for a time, and in an instant was plunging down towards the ground.


    ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡±


    ¡°Hey, you have a really nice voice there.¡±


    Startle.


    Once Haneul heard that calm voice, he opened his eyes to a guy wearing skin tight jersey with the letter B on the front of his chest.


    ¡°You, you are¡­¡­.?¡±


    While Haneul was making a bemused expression, the guy was helping Haneul back down onto flat ground.


    As the building collapsed in front of the station, everything near it was a mess, and that mess is where Haneul was at just a few moments ago. He would have died if he was still there. The moment he thought of that, goose bumps rose all over his body. He was really thankful to the guy that saved him and was relieved to be alive.


    ¡°What, what exactly are you?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell just from looking? I¡¯m a Hero!¡±


    ¡°Wh¡­What do you mean a hero¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°The one to bring justice to criminals and to protect the people; this generation¡¯s hero! People call me the Black Walker. Of course, people don¡¯t really call me that because my rank is too low. I¡¯m still at the Rank C level.¡±


    ¡°Black Walker¡­..¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stop our conversation here. Hurry and get yourself to safety little friend.¡±


    The Black Walker headed towards the catastrophe.


    Hero.


    I don¡¯t quite understand what he¡¯s talking about.


    Is this a movie set or something?


    While I was lost in thought and staring at the dust flowing out between the buildings, I saw a group of people running into the direction of where the civilians were running out from. They were the military officers.


    ¡°The heroes have arrived. Yes, that¡¯s right, five of them. They will engage the crisis soon. Hurry up and let headquarters know!¡±


    I clearly heard one of the military officer¡¯s yelling that into a wired communication device.


    He said hero.


    I wasn¡¯t dreaming. I¡¯m sure of it.


    Haneul slapped himself in the face.


    It hurt.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a dream. What the hell is this¡­..What is going on??¡±


    There were too many people on the street.


    There was no form of control for them, so the military officer¡¯s decided on saving the people that had control.


    Once the medics arrived on scene and started helping the people that were passed out, Haneul got up from his spot with wobbly legs and a dazed face.


    ¡®Snap out of it. This is reality.¡¯


    Haneul slapped himself again, swallowed his dry spit, and turned around. That¡¯s when he saw it.


    The disfigured body that was caught up in the collapse of the building.


    ¡°BARRFFFF!!¡±


    Haneul tried to move from the spot, but instead ended up throwing up some more before leaning against a wall.


    I don¡¯t know about heroes, but this is reality.


    I need to run.


    Haneul was panic stricken.


    ¡®I need to run. I need to run!!¡¯


    Haneul crazily looked around and started running, because from a distance, he saw that large amounts of peoplewere heading towards a direction.


    ¡°That area is dangerous!¡±


    An officer that saw Haneul from a distance, warned him. Unfortunately, Haneul wasn¡¯t able to hear anything at this moment.


    ¡®I got on the bus to get to grandma¡¯s house¡­¡­I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what I was trying to do, but how did the situation turn out like this?? I don¡¯t understand. Why did this happen. What the fuck is the problem¡¯


    Haneul could only think of this situation as being a time of war, he would be too confused if he thought otherwise. Haneul wasn¡¯t sure as to how he came to that conclusion, but that was the only logical thought that came into his mind.


    ¡°That fucking crazy bastard! Did he go crazy because of this chaotic situation? There¡¯s no helping him.¡±


    These words were said by the same officer that warned Haneul earlier, before he decided to ignore Haneul completely. Right at this moment, the officer received communication from headquarters through his wired communication device. The specifics of the content? They have officially confirmed that the center of the earthquake originated in Area F of the South Central region.


    ¡°Hey sergeant, hurry up and pack the communication device. Now that the area has officially been confirmed, Murray¡¯s monsters should be making their way up here. We will leave this place at once.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Hey you medics! You guys should hurry up and leave as well. This place will soon be classified as a warzone, so leave now!¡±


    Unable to save all the people that have fallen thus far, the paramedics make a pained expression as they make their way out to safety.


    ¡ª-


    Haneul Kang was running like there was no tomorrow.


    His breath was caught in his throat. Although, his stamina rose during his days in the military, he was still surprised to see that he ran so far and for so long. Unfortunately, with the thought of trying to run for his life, he was now lost in the middle of nowhere. There was no one in sight.


    ¡°Where, where am I. Hey! Where the fuck is everyone?!¡±


    His legs froze on him as his fear caught up with the thought of being alone.


    ¡°What, what the fuck is going on?!¡±


    That¡¯s when it happened.


    Boooomm!!


    As the sound of something hard beating against the eardrum resounded out, the frightened Haneul could do nothing but to fall down on the spot.


    ¡®What was that sound.¡¯


    Strong beating could be heard all around.


    Did North Korea push their way through and make it up to this spot?


    ¡®No way.¡¯


    Haneul couldn¡¯t move from his spot, because he couldn¡¯t put any strength into his legs.


    ¡°Please move!¡±


    Not too far away from his location, sounds of a battle could be heard.


    ¡°I can¡¯t die in a place like this, so please move you useless legs!¡±


    After pounding his legs until they became numb, the strength in his legs came back. Finally, I can now run away. I must be focused this time and go back the way I came from. The place where the people are, that¡¯s where I will be safe.


    As he turned around to make his way back, the ground started shaking.


    Koongkookookoong!!


    This was the first time Haneul felt an earthquake. His generation had never gone through it, so his first thoughts were of Japan. (TN ¨C Earthquakes are much more frequent in Japan)


    ¡®Was that an earthquake? If that¡¯s not it, was it a missile?¡¯


    As the sound faded away, the fallen Haneul got back up and started running. His goal was to reach the messy riverside, but as he was making his way across to the back of the terminal.


    ¡°AAHHHHHHHHH!¡±


    As the ground split apart, a huge crater formed in front of him.


    He would¡¯ve fallen down that deep black hole if he made one extra step.


    He could only make his way around it.


    A safe road, I must make it to a safe road.


    With these thoughts, he moved his foot over to the side.


    ¡°Creeeaaaaaaakkk.¡±


    His body froze as he heard an odd sound.


    Not even 10 meters away from the light, there was something standing on the overturned bus.


    ¡°What, what is that¡­..¡±


    Haneul muttered with a surprised expression.


    The thing looked puzzled.


    It was an organism at least 2 meters in size with an amazing physique. It was ¡®something¡¯ Haneul had never seen before. The body was filled with scales and had a tinge of green in them, making it look similar to a lizard.


    Haneul unconsciously took a step back.


    ¡°Mo, monster¡­..¡±


    The moment he muttered those words.


    ¡°KYYAAAAKKKKKKK!¡±


    The thing opened his mouth and started yelling.


    I¡¯m, I¡¯m going to die.


    I¡¯m going to die just like this, because I can¡¯t run away from that thing.


    It crouched and jumped high into the sky. The green figure high up in the air was aiming to land on him.


    ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡±


    Booom!!


    A strong wind rose up in front of him.


    The eyes that were once shut on Haneul¡¯s face was now open, and he saw the figure of a hero in front of him.


    ¡°B, Black Walker¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering who it was, but you¡¯re that guy from earlier. What happened? Why are you still lagging it around here? This place has already turned into a warzone, and if you don¡¯t listen to the evacuating instructions, you will die!!! Hurry up and run.¡±


    I survived.


    Haneul released a sigh of relief. The thought of thanking Black Walker was completely out of his mind.


    That¡¯s when it happened.


    The green monster that was sprawled upon the floor, jumped off the ground, and was fiercely rushing toward them.


    ¡°Black Walker!! Behind¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°UGHH!¡±


    PUUU PUKKKK!


    Haneul felt his throat clog up as he got the feeling of something flashing in front of him. His breathing was erratic and his vision climbed up towards the sky. It was the same feeling he got when he was in Black Walker¡¯s arms, flying in the sky. But something was a little off.


    This time he was flying without a break.


    He landed on top of a car with an entangled harness and felt his body screaming with pain.


    ¡°Kkeeukk.¡± (TN ¨C grunt)


    He turned his head.


    ¡°uugghhhhh¡­¡­.¡±


    He could see Black Walker throwing up massive amounts of blood. What once used to be a mask on his face, was now destroyed, and a face could be seen.


    He¡¯s young.


    He was a brother that was at most 6 years older than Haneul.


    ¡°Ahhhh, eeuuukkk¡­.¡±


    ¡°Are, are you ok??¡±


    Black Walker picked himself up as he threw up more blood.


    That¡¯s when Haneul was stricken with fear, because Black Walker¡¯s intestines were spilling out from the gaping hole in his side. He was forcing himself to hold and block that region.


    ¡°Ughhh!¡±


    Haneul felt something coming up his throat and was forced to block his own mouth. One could hear the light groans coming from Black Walker as he stood in front of Haneul.


    ¡°R, run¡­¡­.Immediately!!¡±


    ¡°W, what about you?!¡±


    ¡°Run¡­..Make haste¡­..¡±


    ¡°Ah, AHHHHHH!¡±


    Haneul did not have the strength to save that person.


    He would only be a burden if he stayed any longer, so he turned his head and started running.


    He wanted to save the person who had saved him. He wanted to run away together with that person, but the thought of wanting to live pushed all those thoughts aside.


    Haneul did not turn to look behind him. There was no way for him to fight the gigantic monster. This wasn¡¯t a dream, it was reality. Expecting something out of a movie was out of the question.


    ¡®I¡¯m not a main character!¡¯


    His foot got caught on a steel frame as he was running, making him fall hard onto the rough ground. It felt like the world had gone quiet, as no sound could be heard around him.


    The sound of his hard breathing cold be the only thing to be heard.


    I must run.


    That¡¯s when a weak, crying sound could be heard.


    ¡°Mom, Mommy¡­¡­.¡±


    It was the sound of a kid crying for his mom.


    Haneul turned unconsciously turned his head to where the sound was coming from, and noticed that it was coming from inside the terminal.


    ¡®What are you doing Hanuel, you need to hurry up and run. You threw away Black Walker and made it all the way here. This is not the time to be lagging around.¡¯


    That¡¯s what his reasoning was saying.


    There was no way Haneul was going to make it out of this unscathed, so there was no way he could save someone else.


    As he started to move again.


    ¡ª-R, run.


    He could envision the Black Walker in front of him.


    I wonder why?


    Is this heroism?


    Did I suddenly think that a life was precious and that I must save it, no matter the cost??


    ¡®I know I¡¯m not that type of person.¡¯


    I can¡¯t act out of impulse.


    Only people who are ¡°special¡± should be saving someone¡¯s life or giving them help. Normal people like me can¡¯t do amazing things like that, that¡¯s why running away is the correct thing to do.


    ¡®But why¡­¡­why won¡¯t my feet move.¡¯


    Crunchhh.


    Haneul turned his head and started running toward the terminal.


    ¡°W, Where are you?? I¡¯ll help you!! I¡¯ll save you!!¡±


    Not knowing if he fractured his ribs or not, Haneul was in pain with every breathe he took.


    In the corner of the broken down terminal, he could see a little girl holding herself. The crying that he heard earlier came from this little girl.


    ¡°C, come over here. Oppa will take you to a safe place.¡± (TN ¨C Oppa means older brother for females, Hyung means older brother for males)


    The little girl did not move from her spot because she was frozen with fear.


    As he was trying to get closer to her.


    BOOOM!


    Something flew in from the entrance, as it tumbled around on the ground and came to a stop. Haneul froze for a second, then made his way over with a pale face, to see what it was that flew in.


    It was a person bleeding profusely in a black attire, his breathing rugged. Haneul relieved a groan.


    ¡°How, How did¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­..Are, are you my support¡­¡­I¡¯m¡­¡­.glad. That fucking monster¡­is a type D reptile. P, Please be careful¡­¡­..It¡¯s fighting abilities are¡­¡­ too strong¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    Black Walker.


    Those words were spat out by this young hero, who had a huge hole on his side and was throwing up blood.


    He was confused.


    He thought Haneul was the support hero that came to his rescue.


    The man¡¯s breath was ever so slowly, getting weaker¡­


    Chapter 2 ¨C End.

 Volume 1 - CH 3

    Chapter 3


    ¡°Hey. W, wake up.¡±


    ¡°Ughh¡­..I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­I¡¯ve left you with the burden.¡±


    Black Walker can¡¯t hear the words that Haneul is saying.


    He¡¯s hurt so bad that he can¡¯t tell a person¡¯s voice apart.


    On reflex, Haneul looked out towards the exit of the terminal and saw the figure of that green monster. It was far away, but you could see that it was bent halfway towards the ground and walking towards them.


    Every step that it took, Haneul could feel fear so deep that it could be felt within his bones.


    His heart was pounding like it was going to explode.


    That¡¯s when it happened.


    With the sound of Black Walker¡¯s thin breath, he spoke.


    ¡°That, that things¡­..right th, thigh should have gotten hurtt¡­.even if a little¡­..so, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you¡­¡­I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry¡­..¡±


    Black Walker was on the verge of dying.


    He wasn¡¯t even able to tell who Haneul was. Through his cloudy eyes, he pictured Haneul to be his rescue and companion.


    Black Walker was dying, but he said he was sorry.


    For some reason, this really infuriated Haneul. He wasn¡¯t able to just watch as Black Walker died off like this. The reason why he¡¯s dying¡­¡­.


    ¡®He¡¯s in this situation because of me.¡¯


    Haneul started shaking him with a face stricken with fear. A person is going to die like this? Someone is going to die after risking their own life to save his??


    That can¡¯t happen.


    Haneul can¡¯t afford to take on that heavy responsibility.


    ¡°Hey, hey you! Get up!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t worry¡­.I¡¯m, I¡¯m okay¡­..If I just rest a little¡­..*cough*¡­¡­..I should be able to recover¡­.with a little bit of rest¡­¡±


    Recover?


    That¡¯s a lie.


    His side was completely ripped open with his intestines slowly seeping out. There was a fishy smell reeking off of him. That wasn¡¯t it, blood was oozing out from where his leg was cut off. Just watching all that blood oozing out would make one feel dizzy.


    ¡°Listen well! Someone like you can¡¯t die in a place like this! No one is going to recognize you for your act! You dumbass, what¡¯s a hero?? How is that a fucking hero?!!¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t need to recognize me¡­¡­..¡±


    At this point, he shouldn¡¯t even be able to hear or say anything with his condition. However, with his weak voice he had said his last sentence, as he never said anything thereafter.


    He was dead.


    The grim reaper had come to take his life.


    Haneul felt his heart turning cold as he thought of Black Walker¡¯s last words.


    It¡¯s fine to not be recognized?


    ¡°That¡¯s supposed to be a hero?¡±


    I don¡¯t get it. I can¡¯t understand this situation, and no matter how much I try to understand it with my head, I can¡¯t get a straight answer.


    Rather than feeling fear at the moment, Haneul felt a stronger emotion rise up in his heart.


    ¡°That¡¯s fucking bullshit. What kind of hero doesn¡¯t want to get recognized. That¡¯s nothing. If you die off like that, you amount to being nothing. Dying for the sake of another person, is just being stupid and impractical!¡±


    ¡°Kiiiikkkkk.¡±


    Haneul¡¯s head focused. The monster was closing in.


    He got up onto his feet and saw Black Worker¡¯s face. His dying expression was that of someone trusting in his support.


    Haneul clenched his teeth and started saying to himself. ¡®I will survive. I will do whatever it takes to get through this ordeal and I will find a way, until the moment I die.¡¯


    ¡®Black Walker, I definitely won¡¯t die here. I will be your testimony and let the world know that you did not die a worthless death.¡¯


    With the weight of Black Walker¡¯s life on his mind, Haneul knew that he couldn¡¯t die. If he did, he would never be able to rest in peace.


    The sad thing is, even if he wanted to run away, would he be able to? Black Walker had the skills to be able to fly around in the sky and yet died a gruesome death by that monster.


    Not only that, Haneul had to carry the little girl with him¡­¡­.


    He saw the figure of the shivering little girl.


    SHIT.


    Being unsure as to whether he was just being crazy or if he was trying to follow Black Walker¡¯s footsteps, he yelled out, ¡°You fucking piece of monster shit, come get me!¡±


    Just like his favorite heroes, he spat those words out, and started running like crazy.


    ¡°KYAKKKKKKKKK!!¡±


    BOOM!


    He could feel it, the strength of the thing chasing after him. ¡®If I turn my head to look behind me, would the monster be right at my face?¡¯


    He might just die at this rate, but¡­¡­¡­Dying like this without being able to do anything¡­¡­


    ¡°AHHHHH!!¡± The little girl¡¯s crying voice could be heard.


    Haneul turned to look behind him.


    The shitty monster didn¡¯t follow him.


    He miscalculated. His goal was to get the monster as far away as possible from the little girl, but it didn¡¯t happen like he had hoped.


    ¡°NOOOO!!!¡±


    With a low growl, the monster started walking towards the little girl. One could also see its tongue moving in and out, just like a reptiles.


    ¡°MOM!!! MOOOOMMMYY!!¡±


    At this moment, Haneul felt as if his blood was flowing backwards.


    ¡°You, you piece of shit!!¡±


    Haneul started running towards the monster as if there was no tomorrow.


    Keung Keung Keung!


    His heart beat rapidly as his mind blanked out. He¡¯s never been this stimulated before as the world seemed to slow down.


    ¡®I want to save that child¡¯s life. I can¡¯t let her die like this.¡¯


    Fists like steel, a body like steel, a mind like steel. These are the things that Haneul needed.


    The strength that the deceased Black Walker showed was miraculously all for this moment, Haneul cried in his heart.


    ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHKKKK!!¡±


    Haneul¡¯s yell reverberated through the sky as if the whole world could hear him. The strange thing was, what came after was the feeling of his body getting lighter.


    This is crazy.


    Haneul kicked off the ground and was flying through the air.


    That¡¯s when the monster finally looked toward Haneul¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Grrrrrrr.¡±


    As Haneul got closer, he threw out a punch. He knew this punch wasn¡¯t going to do much for him.


    ¡®You stupid bastard, what kind of death is this. A little while ago, you made a promise to yourself that you were never going to die, so what the hell are you doing? If you just faced the cold hard reality and ran away without that little girl¡­¡­¡­¡¯


    That¡¯s when the change happened. Haneul could feel intense heat on the edge of his fist, and in an instant the thing got bigger.


    Until this moment, the green reptile looking creature didn¡¯t think of Haneul as a threat and just continued to watch him.


    That¡¯s where it was wrong.


    KABOOOOM!!!


    The sound of an explosion could be heard as the sight of Haneul bouncing back could be seen.


    ¡°HUKKK HUKK¡­¡±


    Haneul¡¯s eyes grew wide as he tried to calm his breathing.


    He could feel some sort of energy leaving his body as his legs collapsed under him. He was surprised as to what just happened.


    Clunk.


    SHweeekkk.


    White steam could be seen pouring off of Haneul¡¯s arm, and the monster that was in front of him not too long ago, could be seen stuck into a parked car.


    He couldn¡¯t understand what happened. As the smoke cleared away from his right hand, he noticed a silver armor covering his whole right arm starting from his fist, to his shoulders.


    ¡°This is¡­..¡±


    Haneul opened and closed his hand. As he was confused, his vision stopped at the bizarre patterns in black.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­that ring???¡­¡­¡±


    ChwaReuReuk! (TN ¨C this is supposed to be the sound of something transforming in Korean, but I couldn¡¯t think of a proper sound to replace this with so I left it as is)


    The armor that covered his whole right arm started transforming, turned into liquid, and became the ring.


    ¡°WHOAH!¡±


    Just as Haneul guessed, the ring was what transformed his arm earlier.


    ¡°The ring is what changed it?¡±


    Suddenly, the ring started shining a bright light as it encompassed Haneul¡¯s arm again. But it didn¡¯t stop there. This time it continued past his shoulders, covering his whole body and even the face.


    The form it took was that of a sleek plate, excluding the chain that was hanging on him like a coat.


    He could see himself through a broken mirror.


    ¡®This is unbelievable.¡¯


    He could see the brilliant silver armor on him and there was no mistake about it, he was able to ¡°transform¡±.


    With a surprised face, Haneul got up from his spot and moved his body left and right. There was no uncomfortable feeling. It felt like he wasn¡¯t wearing anything and at the same time, he felt that his senses were much sharper than before.


    He could feel heat rising up from his body and as he clenched his right fist, an intense power could be felt.


    #


    <The warzone>


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. I can¡¯t get a confirmation as to what¡¯s happening right now. I¡¯ll go and ask the reconnaissance team.¡± said the captain of the rescue team, as he made his way over to squad 1 of the reconnaissance team.


    1st platoon 2nd squad Sergeant Minhyuk Kimwas relaying information to the refugees when he heard some news through the wired communication device. He began to frown as you screamed.


    ¡°Are you out of your fucking mind?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. It was formally stated that you manage the reconnaissance team and¡­..¡±


    ¡°Shit, what utter bullshit. I knew the Lieutenant was a crazy bastard, but to think he was this retarded. How does he expect us to go out there and gather information when we don¡¯t even know what could be happening. Is he telling us to just go and die? Fucking psycho.¡±


    Unfortunately, Minhyuk knew there was nothing he could do and decided to move. The heroes should have arrived at the location of the monsters, risking their lives to save everyone. There was no way for Minhyuk and his team to stay hidden, just so they can survive themselves.


    He could see squad 3 walking towards him. They were coming to take over the responsibility of relaying the information to the refugees.


    ¡°Now, you people from squad 2, I know everyone doesn¡¯t want to go but you must get ready to leave. You need to let us know what the situation is out there. You have no choice but to follow the words of that shitty Lieutenant.¡±


    There were no complaints.


    Refusal meant death.


    The moment the alarms went off for the earthquake, their disposition was already decided.


    As Minhyuk was checking his equipment, he could hear the noises coming from the direction of Murray¡¯s earthquake.


    ¡°They¡¯re still fighting. What time is it right now?¡±


    ¡°33 minutes have passed since the earthquake happened.¡±


    ¡°I guess that means they¡¯re still finishing up the first wave huh.¡±


    It happened as they were getting close to the terminal.


    Clunk Clunk.


    As the sound could be heard close to their vicinity, Minhyuk instructed his team to stop and slightly turned his head to see what the situation was.


    That¡¯s when he saw the back figure of someone clad in silver.


    ¡®It¡¯s not a monster.¡¯


    The thing looked to be pretty bizarre, but it was definitely the shape of a human being, too early to make any premature judgments.


    ¡°What does the detector say?¡±


    ¡°The magic value seems to be super high, sir. Most of his magic seems to be contained, so I can¡¯t give an accurate number but his magic level is near 1,000.¡±


    ¡°1,000? That means he¡¯s minimum at the C rank level. Is he a monster, or a hero¡­¡­..¡±


    Minhyuk killed off his breathing.


    He decided to watch the situation a bit more. That¡¯s when the silver clad figure started looking around his vicinity, showing what it was holding in its arms. The moment Minhyuk saw what it was, there was no point in hiding anymore.


    ¡°We will take care of protecting any civilians.¡±


    The silver clad figure was startled when Minhyuk jumped out from behind him.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Sgt. Minhyuk from 1st platoon 2nd squad, belonging to the special territory of the South Central sector.¡±


    He gave a salute.


    As a hero, no matter how low the ranking was in the association, they were considered to be at least the rank of an Army Captain. Thus, it was a given to salute the silver clad figure.


    ¡°Please take care of the civilian.¡±


    As Minyuk drew closer, the silver clad figure dropped the little girl down onto the ground. As if the girl was stunned, she had no spirit left in her.


    ¡°She seems to be in a shocked state because of the monster.¡±


    ¡°We will take her to the relief facilities as soon as possible. Please continue to do your best in your mission.¡±


    Minhyuk saluted again.


    Most heroes were arrogant and stupid, but for a hero to come out and save a child in a desolate area like this deserved ones respect.


    ¡°No, I¡­¡­¡­..¡±


    BA BOOM.


    The ground started shaking.


    Minhyuk was so startled, he lowered himself closer to the ground.


    ¡°Were you able to figure out the numbers from earlier?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir. The numbers seem to be fluctuating erratically. There¡¯s no doubt that this is the 2nd wave.¡±


    ¡°Chet. How unfortunate for the 2nd round to be starting already¡­¡­.Anywho, please make haste to the battlefield hero. If the operation is delayed any longer, there will be huge repercussions and many people who haven¡¯t been saved yet, will die.¡±


    Chapter 3 ¨C End.

 Volume 1 - CH 4

    Chapter 4


    Haneul was perplexed.


    ¡®What nonsense is this guy saying?¡¯


    Haneul wasn¡¯t a hero.


    He was supposed to be a citizen that needed to get saved as well, but this reconnaissance officer kept mistaking him to be a hero.


    ¡®It must be because of this get up.¡¯


    It would be strange if Haneul told the officer that he wasn¡¯t a hero.


    How am I supposed to explain this to him?


    Tell him that the ring transformed out of nowhere and that I became like this?


    ¡®This is making me crazy. Should I tell him that I¡¯m only wearing this armor because of how dangerous it is out here? Why do I have to fight those monsters¡­¡­..¡¯


    That¡¯s when Haneul recalled Black Walker.


    Black Walker threw his body out in order to save Haneul, and because of that wound, died.


    There was nothing else for him to say, but to blame himself.


    ¡®This is seriously crazy.¡¯


    ¡°Is there a problem here, sir?¡±,Minhyuk asked.


    It was because Haneul stopped moving at this point.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡­¡±


    As he was muttering his excuses, he saw the face of the little girl in Minhyuk¡¯s arms. She has been crying so hard that her eyes were puffy and there were still traces of her tears left.


    ¡°Oppa, where¡¯s mommy¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Do not worry, we¡¯ll help you find her.¡±, responded Minyuk, but the little girl¡¯s eyes were fixed on Haneul.


    Her eyes were filled with complete trust and hope towards Haneul, something he wasn¡¯t used to.


    ¡®What am I supposed to say?¡¯


    I don¡¯t know. This is a mess¡­I don¡¯t even know how many people died here.


    Her mom could have died in the chaotic situation. No, Haneul strongly believed that the little girl¡¯s mother was already dead and there¡¯s no way her mom left her to save herself.


    ¡®I wonder how many people died here today?¡¯


    I¡¯m sure she¡¯s not the only child in this situation. It could be said that hell was even better than this place.


    Haneul clenched his fist. The only thoughts he had before was to run away from here, do whatever it takes to leave with this little girl.


    But, at this moment, he could not be wishy washy and coldly re-evaluated his feelings in his heart.


    ¡®I have power. I made that monster fly with just one punch.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t easy to accept this situation so suddenly, but Haneul felt that what had happened today had determined his fate on saving peoples¡¯ lives.


    Even now, he could feel a strange power in his body, and he knew that he could fight if he had this power.


    ¡®This is something I can do¡­.¡¯


    As he pushed down the words of wanting to run away deep into his heart, he spoke. ¡°I leave this child to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir. Please do not worry.¡±, said Minhyuk, as he took on the role of protecting the little girl.


    The fight was already in full swing, so if one was to waltz into the danger zone for no reason, it would be the same as throwing their lives away.


    As if the reconnaissance team had the same thoughts as Haneul, their faces brightened up a little.


    Haneul turned his head, and he could capture a strange feeling coming from beyond the battlefield.


    ¡°Let me ask you one thing.¡±


    ¡°Yes? Please ask away with any questions you may have.¡±


    ¡°Is a hero employed by the government?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you if we get paid by the government for being heroes. Seeing as how you gave me a salute earlier, I¡¯m assuming heroes belong in the army group. Can you tell me specifically on what a hero¡¯s status is?¡±


    ¡°What, What are you talking about? As a hero you should¡­.¡±


    ¡°Just tell me what you know Sgt.¡±


    MinHyuk stared at Haneul strangely.


    ¡®I knew there were a lot of strange people amongst every hero, but what kind of unreasonable question was that during this type of situation? Is he trying to joke around?¡±


    Even if that was the case, there was no way Minhyuk could ignore Haneul¡¯s question.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.I have been informed that even the lowest D rank hero is considered to be the rank of an Army Captain.¡±


    ¡®A captain huh¡­¡­..Yeah, I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t treat us like regular soldiers when we¡¯re putting our lives on the line for everyone.¡¯


    Haneul cracked his neck.


    He was now planning on doing something crazy, but he couldn¡¯t feel any fear for some reason. Is it because of this armor?


    ¡°Sgt., If you go inside the station, you¡¯ll find Black Walker¡¯s corpse. Please make sure you give him the proper burial he deserves. I¡¯m not sure as to how the world works yet, but if heroes really do exist, he¡¯s someone who deserves to be treated like one.¡±


    With that said, Haneul started to run.


    His figure quickly faded away as he went deeper into the broken city.


    ¡°You heard him. Take care of the hero¡¯s body.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Minhyuk frowned.


    Heroes are transcended beings. They can¡¯t be hurt with normal human means, because they¡¯re able to use and nurture magic in their body. Their magic can come in various forms depending on their personality, so every hero looks different. But that armor was something Minhyuk had never seen before.


    ¡°Does it belong in the Cracker Weapon family? But it¡¯s too fancy to be, it pointlessly sticks out to the eyes. Can anyone even fight in that?¡±, muttered Minhyuk, as he shook his head.


    How can he understand the meaning of being a hero, when Minhyuk himself has not experienced the hero life.


    #


    ¡°What the, why the hell are these guys so tough?¡±, muttered one of the heroes being pushed back from the offense. He was holding a great sword in his hand and was a C rank hero for the Special Forces. His name was Seung Hyuk Yoo.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way this Reptile type can be D rank.¡±


    Reptile type.


    It was a type of nickname that people gave to monsters that looked like reptiles, and if they were anywhere from human size to 2 meters in length, they would be classified as the lowest D rank. These D ranks were a general body strengthening type.


    ¡°The authorities above informed us that these monsters could be taken care of by C rank heroes, but there¡¯s no way these things are D rank. They¡¯re faster and tougher than the average D rank. This is a problem.¡±


    Sung Hoon Na, who was fighting alongside Seung Hyuk also showed signs of frustration.


    After the start of the 2nd wave, the contact book that was attached to the wired communication device burned off from the monster¡¯s acid. This meant that all communication was lost.


    There were only 5 heroes who were sent out for this mission. Among them, one disappeared and couldn¡¯t be found again.


    ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t been able to see Black Walker for awhile.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way he could be dead. He¡¯s an existence that ranks within the top 50 for C rank heroes.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, I was hoping to raise my rank in this battle since they told us this was a C rank earthquake.¡±


    Seung Hyuk fixed his grip on the giant sword and infused his magic into it, forming a fiery blaze around the blades, giving him the nickname of Fire Blade.


    ¡°KIIIIKKKKKK.¡±


    The Type D Reptiles started to surround them, leaving the 2 heroes no gap to flee.


    They had no other choice now, but to lay down their lives and fight to the death.


    ¡°Well, since we¡¯ve already cleared 3 of these monsters off the battlefield, we can go home if both of us take 3 monsters each¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an unreasonable demand.¡±


    Sung Hoon clenched his right fist as he reminisced on how many monsters had fallen from it.


    ¡®There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to die today.¡¯


    ¡°KYAAAKKK!!¡±


    The Type D Reptiles closed in and started attacking from all around.


    KaKaKanngg.


    These 2 heroes were not your average weaklings as they looked for opportunities to strike back while blocking the large nails of the monsters. They knew that they could not give up until they were dead.


    Slash.


    ¡°KYAAAKKK!!!¡±


    One of the bastard¡¯s arm cut cleanly off and fell to the floor as it burned away to nothingness.


    ¡°Great!¡±


    SeungHyuk smiled. These monsters were a pain in the ass a little while ago, but as their skills grew during the fight, the situation started to change.


    At least, that¡¯s what they thought.


    It was a mistake to think that they were winning, because the monsters¡¯ were inviting them into a trap.


    ¡°Watch out!!!!!¡±


    Kwang!!


    Seung Hyuk¡¯s body was flying without pause through the air, as he crashed into a building and got imprinted into its wall.


    ¡°BARF!¡±


    He threw up blood. There was no color to his face and his complexion was looking horrible. The skin on his side was ripped open as blood started to pour out.


    If this situation was to continue, there was no way to avoid death.


    ¡°Shit!¡±, exclaimed Sung Hoon as his limbs started getting numb.


    ¡®Is this the end.¡¯


    As the amount of damages grew on Sung Hoon¡¯s body, his confidence from earlier was completely gone. He was unsure as to how much longer he could survive.


    Bang!!


    Right as he blocked the monster¡¯s claw from one side, another claw came flying out from the other.


    Sung Hoon closed his eyes.


    Boom!


    As a strange heat was felt all over Sung Hoon¡¯s skin, he opened his eyes to see that there was a strange existence in front of him, clad in silver armor.


    White steam was coming from his right fist, and below him was an obliterated corpse of that Type D Reptile.


    A new hero has arrived.


    Chapter 4 ¨C End.

 Volume 1 - CH 5

    Chapter 5


    ¡®I can do it.¡¯


    Haneul was assuring himself. It wasn¡¯t an accident, and he could feel the shocking strength from the silver armor. Especially when he looked at his right fist and saw the steam coming off of it, and that one punch which annihilated the despicable monster.


    ¡°Hyuuu, barely survived that.¡±, sighed Sung Hoon from the back.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t have a contact book to request back up from headquarters, but I¡¯m really glad to see you here. Let me make a request to you, since I really felt like I was going to die there. Headquarters made a mistake when they ranked these guys as Type D. There¡¯s no way for these ugly Reptiles to be that low.¡±


    Sung Hoon was completely sure that Haneul was a Rank B or higher hero. There was no argument against that because Haneul destroyed that Monster with just a single punch.


    Sung Hoon¡¯s thoughts were on point.


    Haneul was fighting without any wasted movements.


    The Silver Armor was so tough that the Type D Reptiles couldn¡¯t even leave a scratch mark on it.


    Snap.


    Everytime a loud sound rang out from Haneul¡¯s right arm, that arm would flash forward and destroy the monsters one by one.


    The fight was truly overwhelming and consistent.


    ¡®If there was a person like that to begin with, send him out right from the beginning.¡¯, muttered Sung Hoon, as he got closer to his partner to help him with his wounds. A hero¡¯s life-force was much stronger than a normal civilian¡¯s. What could be life threatening to a normal civilian, could be healed with a little bit of care for a hero.


    BOOOOMMM!!


    ¡°KIIIIIKKKKKKKK¡­¡­.¡±


    The last of the monsters fell.


    Rustle.


    As the steam from Haneul¡¯s body was floating away, he turned his head to look at Sung Hoon.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m okay, but my friend here doesn¡¯t appear to be doing too well.¡±


    Sung Hoon looked at his partner Seung Hyuk¡¯s damage and with a frustrated face, asked Haneul, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to ask this but, since my friend here is hurt like this and I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be of much help to you, do you think it would be okay for us to leave the battlefield?¡±


    ¡°Sure, go for it. If you go towards that direction, you should be able make contact with the soldiers,¡± said Haneul, as he showed Sung Hoon the direction he came from.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Sung Hoon gave Haneul a quick bow, picked up Seung Hyuk, and made his way out from the battlefield.


    Haneul turned back around.


    The aura that Seung Hyuk and Sung Hoon released were similar, yet completely different from the aura that the monsters released. The aura that he felt as he was running to that location, could be felt again just 200 meters away from him.


    ¡°Does this mean there are more of these bastards?¡±


    Haneul started moving towards that aura.


    As time went by, the feeling of the aura got stronger.


    ¡®This is weird. What the hell¡¯s going on. I¡¯m fighting as if I¡¯ve already known how to fight since I was born.¡±


    Is it because of this Silver Armor?


    As Haneul looked around, he could see the corpses of the Type D Reptiles strewn across the ground. What were once fearsome monsters to him, were now insignificant creatures. The fact that he was such a pussy back when Black Walker saved him, made him feel like a joke.


    That wasn¡¯t the only thing.


    Haneul was able to move about and match the movements of these monsters as if he¡¯s been doing it all his life. He felt no fear matching up to these things.


    ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time to be thinking about these things. Instead, I should be focused on fighting.¡±


    Haneul started running towards the area where the aura of the monsters could be felt.


    *     *     *     *


    ¡°Watch out over there.¡±


    ¡±Ah, yes. Thank you very much.¡±


    Mi Yeon Lee is a Hero reporter. The moment these earthquakes happen, is the moment her job starts. It¡¯s her job to go out, write, and capture the heroic deeds done by those who put their lives on the line to save innocent civilians.


    And these films she captures, gets shown to the whole world where the normal civilians can give praise to the heroes.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since the earthquake happened, but everything¡¯s a mess. Okay, let¡¯s film here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, okay.¡±


    The cameraman set the equipment up and pointed it towards Mi Yeon, and the hero protecting them slightly moved to the side.


    ¡°We are out here in downtown of Central South, Area F. Look at this horrible scene. Nobody would expect that, just moments ago, this street was peaceful and happy.¡±, as Mi Yeon said these words with a bitter tone, she headed towards the middle of the street. Cars ripped apart like paper and devastated buildings could be seen everywhere.


    ¡°The aftermath of this disaster, created by magic phenomenon, has completely changed the appearance of this city.¡±


    And as Mi Yeon turned around, she noticed something and started running towards it.


    ¡°Ah!! It¡¯s the Type D Reptile monster. It looks like it got killed by our honorable heroes, while fighting in this hell like city.¡±


    The camera captured the monster that was stuck into the side of a car, with its chest pierced through.


    As the camera was lowered, Mi Yeon carefully asked the hero, ¡°Isn¡¯t this area supposed to be the outside of the battlefield? For a monster to be killed here¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It just means that the situation is a little bit different from what the authorities know.¡±


    There was a twinkle in Mi Yeon¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s continue forward.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°This job is always dangerous, nothing new for me.¡±


    Mi Yeon continued forward, as the hero made a bewildered expression.


    ¡°Alright, then let me take the lead.¡±


    The hero protecting Mi Yeon is a ranked B hero by the name of Black Shoot. He¡¯s always wearing fancy black clothes, and has been working together with Mi Yeon for several years. No matter what scene a Hero reporter is assigned to, they will always be fixed with a Rank B hero.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been to and seen many different earthquakes, but the scale of this one seems to be on a different level. Looking at the appearance of these Reptiles, they don¡¯t seem to be your typical monsters from a level C earthquake. If the authorities really did mess up their information, then there might be casualties within the heroes as well.¡±


    When an earthquake happens, the authorities send out heroes that best fits the level of that earthquake. Authorities typically do not want to send out an over qualified hero to take care of a simple earthquake.


    One important reason is due to the Government Policy. The Government Policy states that a hero can increase his strength while fighting monsters with similar strength. This policy allows each hero to grow stronger and expand their level of hero ranking.  The second reason is that, the top rank heroes need to be prepared and ready for larger situations.


    For those reasons, all the Heroes committed to this earthquake were all around the C rank level, but Mi Yeon could feel that this C level earthquake was different from the others.


    That¡¯s when Black Shoot stopped walking.


    ¡°Stop. There¡¯s a battle going on not too far from here.¡±


    ¡°Then we should hurry and get there so that I can capture the fight.¡±


    Mi Yeon was never one to listen to Black Shoot¡¯s words, but this was simply just crazy.


    ¡®I hear it, I can hear it.¡¯


    Loud noises could be heard from the battle.


    ¡°Get the camera ready.¡±


    Suddenly, as Mi Yeon was rushing forward, a loud outburst of noise scared her.


    ¡°What is this sound?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a magic explosion,¡± muttered Black Shoot with a strange tone.


    ¡°But it¡¯s strange. There¡¯s no way for him to be a C rank hero with that much magic power.¡±


    That¡¯s when Mi Yeon and the cameraman spotted the figure of a hero, in the midst of fighting half a dozen monsters.


    ¡°Great, I should be able to get some good shots this time.¡±


    The hero was in a Silver Armor.


    Every time he swung forward with his fist, a loud noise could be heard, and a corpse of the monster could be seen. There¡¯s no way to count the amount of corpses slain by him.


    ¡°Amazing. I¡¯ve never seen a C rank hero as tough as this guy. Are you recording all of this?¡±


    The cameraman nodded.


    Booom!!


    Another punch was thrown as a monster came flying through the air, then crashing through a window and tumbling to a stop.


    Only one monster left.


    MI Yeon had an intuition.


    This hero had everything that the press loved writing about in mass communication. First being that he had a splendor about him that could be seen on the battlefield. He also had a full body armor.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know if that belongs in the Cracker Weapon family, but it¡¯s catching to the eye.¡¯


    Mi Yeon believed that this hero would become a star.


    *     *     *     *


    Shwiiikkkkkkk.


    The sound of dissipating smoke.


    Haneul turned his head.


    There¡¯s only one monster left.


    Haneul glared at the monster and initiated the battle. There¡¯s no problem. While fighting the Reptile types, he was able to seize and memorize their habits, reaction, speed, as well as their auras.


    ¡®But something¡¯s a little different.¡¯


    Haneul stared at the remaining monster closely.


    ¡°W, Watch out. That one is the only one that¡¯s a Type C.¡±, warned a hero. He was a hero that fell off into a corner, when the fight started getting bad.


    Type C?


    Now that Haneul thought about it, all the bastards that he had fought till now were only at the Type D level. If that¡¯s the case, the form of this monster is the same, yet different.


    ¡®I see. They¡¯re the same monsters, but the exterior as well as the size of this guy is different from the other ones.¡¯


    Now he was able to see the monster clearly.


    Although they were both the same Reptile types, a Type C and Type D were completely different. The most noticeable difference being their shape, Type C¡¯s were much bigger than Type D¡¯s and looked much uglier. Their overall skill and speed were superior to the Type D¡¯s.


    ¡®So, that¡¯s what was different.¡¯


    The fallen hero made an alarmed face.


    The earthquake this time is weird. Heroes of the same rank are getting wasted by these Type D monsters, and now a Type C is mixed in with them.


    Generally speaking, unless the width of the earthquake level changes, there should be no way for a different type to be mixed in.


    ¡°Well, I guess this just means that this guy is the boss.¡±


    Haneul clenched his fist.


    Snap!


    Steam started to rise intensely.


    ¡°I had a feeling there was something unusual about you, since you were just watching everything from the sidelines.¡±


    Haneul lit up his will to fight.


    This monster was just watching the situation as all the Type D¡¯s died in Haneul¡¯s hands, one by one. From the start till the end, all it did was watch.


    ¡°Alright, if you¡¯re not going to come at me, then I might as well go to you.¡±


    Haneul started attacking and as he closed the distance with his quick speed, the little bastard jumped to the side. The monster was swift with its evasion, but that wasn¡¯t all it did. With the sound of rushing air, something flew over from the back of its head, towards Haneul¡¯s face.


    Boom!


    Slide.


    Haneul was pushed back by the shock of the force.


    On reflex, he blocked whatever it was with his left arm, so there was nothing to worry about.


    ¡®His tail?¡¯


    This was a fighting pattern Haneul wasn¡¯t used to, when he fought the Type D Reptiles.


    Haneul made a strange expression. The biggest difference he could see between the Type C¡¯s and Type D¡¯s was the existence of the tail. It was fast and strong. A lot of heroes would have fallen without being able to react to it.


    ¡®It¡¯s quite heavy, but not dangerous.¡¯


    Haneul got a taste of the tail¡¯s force, but as always, there was no fear. His mind was very peaceful.


    ¡®Let¡¯s go.¡¯


    Haneul kicked off the floor, and just as the first time, the monster jumped to the side and swung its tail.


    But, Haneul wasn¡¯t the type to fall for the same tricks.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for that!¡±


    Because Haneul knew how the Type C was going to approach him, he reacted with his counterattack. His left arm grabbed the incoming tail and pulled.


    ¡°KIIKKK!¡±


    There was a sparkle in Haneul¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°This is the end!¡±


    Haneul punched forward with his right fist, and the steaming right fist landed straight onto the Type C¡¯s head.


    Booom!!!


    One strike. Even the Type C wasn¡¯t an exception. The monster¡¯s wreck falls to the ground. One can tell how bizarre Haneul¡¯s level was, because there hasn¡¯t been a single monster that has been able to withstand his one strike.


    ¡°Hyuuuu.¡±, sighed Haneul.


    The fight was over.


    ¡®No. Maybe it¡¯s just this area where the fight is over.¡¯


    No aura of the monsters can be felt around the area, but that doesn¡¯t mean that they weren¡¯t somewhere else in the region.


    ¡°Th, Thank you. We were able to survive because of you,¡± muttered the hero leaning against the wall. If Haneul didn¡¯t arrive in time, the 2 heroes would have definitely died there.


    ¡°Is the fight over now?¡±


    ¡°Huh? I¡¯m not really sure about that¡­..¡± muttered the hero, then out of nowhere said, ¡°Ah.¡± and nodded.


    ¡°It feels like the magical phenomenon is getting weaker.¡±


    He looked up at the sky, as did Haneul.


    They could see that the ugly torn sky was twitching, and gradually changing back to how it was before.


    It was true.


    The weird and acidic feeling that was once permeating all around, was gradually disappearing.


    ¡°Are we allowed to withdraw if there aren¡¯t any more monsters around?¡±


    ¡°Yes? Ah, Yes. Of course. There needs to be evidence that you were at the scene, but you have us two to vouch for your presence. And you saved us as well.¡±


    He looked at Haneul as if this info was something he should have already known.


    That¡¯s when heavy breathing could be heard, as another hero could be seen walking out. As his injuries weren¡¯t light, Haneul walked towards the hero to help with the injuries.


    ¡°Ah, No. I¡¯m okay. A, Anyways who are you? You¡¯re a hero I¡¯ve never seen before¡­¡­¡±


    From this man¡¯s point of view, it was weird for Haneul to not be known when his individuality was so strong; from his brilliant Silver Armor to his exciting fighting style.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Haneul thought about it for a little while.


    I¡¯m just a student passing by, I¡¯m not a hero.


    If he said something like that, these 2 people would turn out to be a joke because he was so much better than them.


    But, as he was thinking up an excuse.


    ¡°Ah, that was an amazing fight everyone.¡±


    Mi Yeon who was hiding in a corner until the battle finished, came out in front of the heroes. Noticing who she was, the hurt heroes tried to get up from the floor, but her only interest was on Haneul.


    ¡°Hello, they call me the Hero reporter Mi Yeon. Do you have some time to talk regarding this earthquake?¡±


    Chapter 5 ¨C End.


    Volume 1 ¨C End.

 Volume 2 - CH 1

    Chapter 1


    ¡°¡­¡­.You¡¯re a hero with a very quiet personality, but I get the feeling we¡¯ll be seeing each other a lot from now on. Well, today was a very grand day for these heroes, yet a sad day for the deceased. I am the hero reporter Mi Yeon Lee, reporting to you on scene.¡±


    That¡¯s how the broadcast finished.


    The sudden interview was just 2 hours ago, but for it to be all over the internet already¡­


    Haneul was reading through each and every one of the articles with a blank face.


    ¡®THE SILVER HERO IN QUESTION!! SAVES OTHER HEROES!!¡¯


    ¡®THE GOVERNMENT¡¯S MISTAKES. A LIE IN THE EARTHQUAKE LEVEL.¡¯


    In the middle of all these articles popping up, the netizens were just as busy leaving comments. The majority of these comments had nothing to do with the government and the incorrect earthquake level, but about a Hero in Silver who appeared out of nowhere.


    ¨C ¡°He looks so cool. Does anybody know who that hero is?¡±


    -¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s in the Hero list.¡±


    ¨C ¡°Please tell me who he is.¡±


    Haneul walked away from the computer, and the moment he did, another person took his spot.


    A cone like structure, raised up like a tent, was set up as a relief facility and everyone who had to deal with the sudden disaster was in it.


    Everything just felt and looked unreal to Haneul.


    ¡®How exactly did all of this happen? Am I the only one that thinks this is weird? Am I the only one that thinks this situation is surreal?¡¯


    A hero reporter that appeared out of nowhere after the fight, came with sparkling eyes and asked many questions.


    ¨C What is your name? Your hero name.


    Haneul wasn¡¯t able to answer to any of the questions that were asked, as he stayed quiet until the end of the interview, and then disappeared as if running away from something. He then got rid of his armor in a secluded area, and blended in with the refugees.


    The situation seemed to have calmed down, but it seemed like the military were still keeping the civilians inside this oddly shaped relief facility.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s because it¡¯s dangerous outside.¡¯


    Haneul looked around him.


    The people were getting a proficient amount of food to eat, while listening to the directions of the military personnel. Even with everything being chaotic, with the efforts of the military, the refugees were able to adapt to the situation as if it was normal.


    No, It felt like this situation was normal.


    One can tell just by looking at the news articles getting populated that the existence of heroes was an everyday norm, and the only one that felt out of place was Haneul.


    At that moment, Haneul was able to see several soldiers divulging in a conversation.


    As soon as the instructions were given, the soldiers that were blocking the refugees from leaving the camp, walked outside.


    ¡°It seems like it¡¯s finally over.¡±, muttered a weak person, sitting on the side.


    Suddenly, one of the soldiers picked up the mic and said, ¡°The last wave from the earthquake seems to have been confirmed as being finished. Several buses will come to take everyone to their respective neighborhoods, so please follow our instructions and make way towards the correct bus.¡±


    People got up one after the other and started moving to their respective spots, as Haneul followed behind them.


    There was still no reception on his Smartphone.


    As the line progressed down towards the outskirts of the city, dozens of military buses could be seen. Each and every one of them were peculiar, thought Haneul.


    ¡°Is this something that happens frequently?¡±, Haneul asked the person next to him, and a lady next to that person stared at him as if he was crazy.


    After looking at her expression, Haneul realized that asking anymore questions would be unwise.


    Something must have happened.


    Either the world flipped over or Haneul was going crazy.


    The bus took them from Seoul to the North side of Kyung-gi Do, and from there it went straight down towards the South side. Haneul¡¯s house was just in front of his nose, and that¡¯s exactly when his Smartphone started to get reception. (TN ¨C Kyung-gi Do is a populous province surrounding Seoul.)


    As soon as Haneul got off the bus, he called his father, and after the phone rang 3 times, his father picked up.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    <Oh, hey son.>


    Haneul frowned. What should have been the voice of man, came the voice of a woman through the phone.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I think I got the wrong number.¡±


    Haneul hung up and looked at his father¡¯s number again. It was correct. There was no doubt about it that the call he placed just now was correct. Since the call was made through his contact book, there was no way that the number was wrong.


    ¡®Is this an effect that¡¯s still being caused by that earthquake?¡¯


    Haneul felt that thing¡¯s should have been fine, so he called the number again.


    After the phone rang twice, someone picked up the call.


    <Son, what¡¯s going on right now? Why are you saying weird things all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Haneul blinked.


    <Son?>


    ¡°Um, excuse me¡­¡­..Is this not the number of Sung Shik Kang¡¯s cell phone?¡±


    <What? Son, what are you saying right now? If you keep saying these strange things, I¡¯m (his mother) going to get mad. Why are you bring up your father¡¯s name right now, when he passed away 9 years ago?>


    The name of my father that passed away 9 years ago?


    ¡°M¡­¡­¡­om?¡±


    <That¡¯s right, is something wrong?>


    Haneul¡¯s face went awry.


    *     *     *     *


    Haneul returned back to his home.


    The three of them used to live here in the past, but now he was alone and the scenery inside the house didn¡¯t feel too different from before.


    Haneul¡¯s head was hurting and everything just felt like a dream.


    He was sure that once he slept and woke back up, everything would be back in place.


    Haneul fell asleep as if he fainted and by the time he opened his eyes and awoke, the sky outside was dark. Monsters, transforming, heroes, and¡­¡­.his mother.


    It was too hard to say that everything was a dream, because this ¡°dream¡± was too vivid with details.


    Haneul turned his computer on to search for news articles.


    The Hero in Silver¡­¡­..


    It wasn¡¯t a dream.


    Haneul tried to pull the ring off his middle finger again, but as usual, the ring didn¡¯t budge. If only it had a will of its own¡­¡­


    Flutter.


    A bright silver light flew out from the ring and enclosed itself around Haneul.


    His head ached.


    Haneul searched online, meticulously, regarding heroes and earthquakes.


    Each search came with quick results.


    The first earthquake phenomenon happened in the early 70s, where it simultaneously sprung up all over the world. At first, it turned out to be a strange anomaly but as time passed by, monsters started to appear. This was also around the time when humans with special powers started to awaken. These people were so strong, that they were unable to be compared with normal human beings. The government recruited them, and they were later known to be called as heroes.


    All of this info was something very new to Haneul, but for the rest of the world, not knowing these details was even weirder.


    Haneul looked at his ring.


    ¡°Yeah, it must be this ring. Everything seems to have changed after I put it on. I knew there was something different about it.¡±


    The fact that the ring didn¡¯t come off, and with the incidents that happened at the terminal, the more Haneul thought about it, he realized that the world flipped upside down after he got hit with the strange dizzy feeling.


    Would everything change back to what it was once I take the ring off?


    That¡¯s when Haneul¡¯s messenger rang.


    Minah Choi.


    His eyes grew round as he saw the name and picture of the person who messaged him.


    ¡°Minah? What for¡­¡­¡±


    The messenger continues to ring.


    ¨C Hey, Silver Hero!


    ¨C Nobody else can recognize you, but I can! Why didn¡¯t you tell me?


    ¨C Why aren¡¯t you responding back? Are you busy?


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    With a blank expression, Haneul looked at his log book and saw that Minah was part of his contacts.


    Another situation that was different from his ¡°other world¡±. Minah was just someone who he said Hi to every now and then, not someone he messaged on the phone. He didn¡¯t even have her number to begin with.


    ¨C I see that your reading my messages, but you¡¯re not responding. If you continue to ignore me, I¡¯m going to call you instead.


    Call?


    They were close enough to be on a calling level?


    ¨C Oh, sorry. Is there something wrong?


    ¨C I guess now you decide to respond back to my text huh? What do you mean is there something wrong? You¡¯re trying to hide this even from me? I¡¯m just texting you to congratulate you on your awakening.


    ¨C Awakening?


    ¨C Stop trying to play with me. That Silver Armor. You used to always show off saying that when you awaken, you were going to look like that. What did you say again, Silver Knight? Yeah, that¡¯s right, Silver Knight. You seemed to have had a spectacular debut yesterday morning, in Central South, without even telling me.


    She told him as if it was a matter of fact, but it was something that Haneul knew nothing about.


    Minah seems to be someone who¡¯s really close to Haneul in this world.


    ¨C Even if you¡¯re someone who likes getting attention, I¡¯m sure there are a lot of people who wouldn¡¯t like it if they knew you didn¡¯t properly register with the organization, yet still went out and fought like you did yesterday. Well, I don¡¯t know what you had in mind when you did that, but feel free to tell me everything. I¡¯m right around the corner from your house, so come out right now.


    ¨C What??


    ¨C Don¡¯t make me wait. I¡¯m going to get mad.


    As Haneul looked at the time, it was past 7 P.M.


    Minah came here just to meet him?


    With a frustrated expression, Haneul threw on some clothes and walked out.


    There were a lot of things running through his mind.


    What type of relation did he have with Minah in this world?


    ¡®And awakening?¡­¡­Does that mean that the Haneul in this world originally didn¡¯t have the ability to transform?¡¯


    That meant that nobody in this world knew the type of powers that Haneul had in his hands.


    Haneul walked with a complicated face, and decided to take things one step at a time.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not going crazy. There¡¯s nothing wrong with me.¡±, muttered Haneul, as if he was reassuring himself.


    The place where Haneul was supposed to meet Minah at was a cafe known for its cheap prices.


    Haneul was pacing back and forth outside the cafe. Minah, the girl he always looked at secretly,  was meeting him one on one. His head felt like it was going to explode with so many questions, yet his heart was beating fast regardless.


    As Haneul was pacing back and forth outside of the cafe, he glimpsed inside to see a girl sitting there alone.


    ¡®Minah¡­¡­.¡¯


    It really was that Minah. A slender face with big eyes, she was even fashionable and super popular with all the guys. Even now, all the guys inside the cafe were secretly staring at her and admiring her.


    With a firm decision, Haneul walked into the cafe.


    As soon as he did, Minah lifted her head and with a smiling face, she waved her hand. All the guys that were staring at her in secret, now looked at Haneul with envy and jealousy.


    Haneul walked up to her with a disbelieving face.


    ¡°What are you doing? Sit.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡±


    Haneul sat in front of her.


    ¡°Are you going to drink anything?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, I¡¯m okay.¡±


    ¡°Really? Alright. Now, can you start telling me the details. Why were you hiding the fact that you awakened? No, Isn¡¯t it normal to have at least told me about it?¡±


    Awakening¡­..


    The existences known as heroes always go through an awakening phase, which only half of those who hold magic will go through. When the internal magic blooms and opens a path to special powers, that¡¯s when it¡¯s called an awakening.


    ¡°What, why aren¡¯t you talking? You¡¯re being weird today. With your face expression from earlier as well, what¡¯s wrong? Are you not feeling well? Is it because of your awakening?¡±


    Minah extended her hand and placed it on top of Haneul¡¯s forehead. A shocked expression could be seen.


    ¡°Wow!! Haneul, the amount of magic in your body has skyrocketed.¡±, said Minah with an excited face, but Haneul didn¡¯t hear her at all.


    It was because of her action just now, that his heart was beating fast.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to ask this out of nowhere but¡­¡­what exactly is our relationship?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Minah¡¯s face became cold.


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°Ah, nothing, there¡¯s no meaning behind it. It¡¯s just¡­¡­..I¡¯m not in the right mind right now. There are a couple of things I can¡¯t seem to remember. I, I hit my head on the scene yesterday, as I was fighting.¡±


    ¡°What? If that¡¯s true, you should go to the hospital. Have you gone? You should have gotten a hero examination at least. That reminds me, it¡¯s been told that there have been situations of people being anxious after awakening. Since it¡¯s late tonight, let¡¯s go get it checked tomorrow.¡±


    Haneul was sure of it now. He and Minah weren¡¯t normal friends and could be something closer to being girlfriend/boyfriend status. Her face expression from before proved it all.


    ¡°Hey Minah.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me like that. It sounds like we¡¯re complete strangers. You really can¡¯t tell who I am? Can you not recognize me at all? Should we try going to the hospital right now? No, we should definitely go. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    With an anxious face, Minah grabbed Haneul by the arm and tried to get him to stand up. But he didn¡¯t budge.


    Going to the hospital wasn¡¯t a good idea.


    If he told them that he came from a world without heroes and magic, he was sure that they would think he was crazy.


    ¡®Let¡¯s tell her the truth. If the ¡®me¡¯ from this world has a special relationship with her, it¡¯s better off letting her know everything.¡¯


    ¡°I have something to tell you. It¡¯s something you need to know if we are in a serious relationship.¡±


    Chapter 1 ¨C End.

 Volume 2 - CH 2

    Chapter 2


    *     *     *     *


    ¡°So, were you able to confirm anything?¡±


    The Korean Hero Organization was currently holding a conference regarding the unknown hero that appeared in Central South 2 days ago. The people participating in this conference were the president, vice president, and HR director of the Organization.


    ¡°We weren¡¯t able to confirm anything yet. We¡¯ve never seen a hero with that appearance until the last battle. Checking the C rank and B rank list has proved to be useless, because he doesn¡¯t seem to be registered.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a hero that hasn¡¯t registered yet¡­..how irritating.¡±


    It was already bad enough that he was an existence of the unknown to the organization, but what made it worse was that he went and showed a spectacular battle 2 days ago.


    ¡°Things have turned out a lot worse than I have imagined and there¡¯s no way we can cover this up. It¡¯s already bad enough that we released wrong information regarding the level of the earthquake, yet now that hero is known to everyone through the media. Many civilians are asking for information regarding the new hero, but we can¡¯t tell them that he¡¯s an unregistered, unknown being.¡±


    On top of that, there were many complaints because, the lack of manpower at this ¡°C level¡± earthquake led to many unnecessary casualties.


    In order to divert the media¡¯s focus to something else, the Organization had to figure out who the Hero in Silver was and put him/her out in the open.


    ¡°President Kim, search for him. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s somewhere around us. Call the colleges and have them test their students, and make sure the hospitals are also informed about this matter.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    President YooShik Kim pushed his glasses up.


    ¡°Also, Vice President Choi, were you able to figure out what hero ranking the Hero in Silver should be placed into?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, to be honest, we weren¡¯t supplied with a good magic detector this time, so we weren¡¯t able to get any good readings off of it. Looking at it from the situation though,  my theory suggests that destroying the Type D and Type C monsters with a single punch indicates he has the strengthof at least a B rank, possibly reaching up to the A rank.¡±


    Everyone nodded as it was an important information to consider.


    The messenger kept ringing.


    It was a message sent by Minah.


    Since the last time Haneul and Minah met, Haneul would constantly be receiving meaningless messages from Minah.  As most of the conversations would start off normal but end up leading to ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital.¡± In all honesty though, Minah just couldn¡¯t accept the truth.


    ¡°If it was something that could be fixed by going to the hospital, I would have definitely gone already.¡±


    Haneul was also very frustrated.


    It would be weird if he wasn¡¯t, because the world and life he knew changed completely in a single moment.


    He¡¯s been thinking about every little detail that has happened since Thanksgiving, and that¡¯s when he noticed it.


    There was another thing that changed.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    The department of heroes.


    Haneul was majoring in computer engineering, yet in this world, it showed that he was majoring in the department of heroes.


    ¡®What the hell is¡­¡­.¡¯


    As always, Haneul felt like he was the odd one around here. Although, it seemed like the number of students studying in college dropped, everyone majoring in the department of heroes walked around as if it was normal.


    Haneul didn¡¯t go to class, and instead sat down on a bench with a blank expression. All the other students around him were conversing with each other as they were passing by.


    ¡°Hey Haneul.¡±


    He turned his head to look beside him and saw a frustrated Minah.


    ¡°Are you still not able to remember anything about me?¡±


    ¡°I told you everything last time.¡±


    Haneul had truthfully told Minah everything. The fact that he was no longer the Haneul that she knew from before and that in his world there were no earthquakes and heroes.


    Unfortunately, Minah wasn¡¯t willing to accept it and from her point of view she had all the right not to accept it.


    It¡¯s only been 2 months since Haneul was discharged from the army, but in just a couple of days, his whole life had changed.


    Haneul got up from his seat.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    There was nothing he could say besides that.


    Haneul went inside his classroom.  He figured since he was here at school anyways, he wanted to try and see what a hero¡¯s class would entail.


    They were currently studying the application of magic. The teacher was explaining the process of feeling the magic from around the world and then applying it for use, but because the class was based off of theories nobody was practicing.


    At first, Haneul was barely listening to what was going on because everything seemed like a joke.


    But as time went on, his attitude changed. Although, Haneul hated theory based classes. He found this classto be different. He took every word the teacher was saying seriously because it matched perfectly with his own experience.


    ¡®That feeling I get deep within me as I was fighting the monsters¡­so that was magic.¡¯


    Haneul could sense a feeling all around him as if he could just reach out and grab it if he wanted to.


    ¡°We¡¯ll finish up at this point today. Oh, also, if anyone has awakened recently, please make sure to register with the Organization. If you¡¯re not registered, you won¡¯t be able to gain the perks of a Hero, nor would you be able to bring out your powers to its full potential. You can also fall to the dark side and become a villain, so I hope you students take a note of what I¡¯m saying right now.¡±


    After saying that, the teacher walked out.


    As Haneul thought about how beneficial this class was to him, he walked outside. That¡¯s when Minah blocked his front, making it hard for him to take another step forward.


    The students passing by were staring at the couple. Their atmosphere seemed to have changed and it was quite different from normal.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Haneul, I understand. Let¡¯s say everything you said is the truth, what can we do from here to make things back to how it used to be?¡±


    ¡°If I knew the answer to that, we wouldn¡¯t be in this situation to begin with. Although you might feel shocked and annoyed right now, it¡¯s the same for me. I was normally a computer engineering student, but in this world, I¡¯m in a weird school learning about magic applications and what not.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Alright, alright, okay. Then let¡¯s sit down and try to resolve this issue together.¡±


    ¡°Do you finally trust everything that I¡¯ve told you?¡±


    With that question from Haneul, Minah crinkled her eyes.


    ¡°Sorry. To be honest, I can¡¯t believe it. In my opinion, I really think you should go get yourself checked at a hospital. You might be having a bad reaction to your magic awakening.¡±


    ¡°Sigh. I guess it¡¯s normal to be thinking like that. I can¡¯t even believe myself right now, so it¡¯s no wonder you can¡¯t either.¡±


    ¡°But, I know you¡¯re not joking around right now, so I want to be able to help you.¡±


    Haneul didn¡¯t know she had such a stubborn personality. Guess it¡¯s different when you only look at someone from afar.


    ¡°Hey Haneul, when you see recordings of yourself fighting as the Hero in Silver, you were fighting really well. Isn¡¯t it weird that you could fight like that when you came from a world without any of this? How are you able to fight like that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡±


    What Minah said was correct.


    Haneul knew nothing about heroes, and it¡¯s even more awkward for him to be able to fight like he did a couple days ago if he was just a normal civilian.


    ¡°My body just moved on its own. I don¡¯t even know myself on how I did it.¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm¡­..Don¡¯t get mad and just listen to what I have to say. How do you feel about us going to the hospital together?¡±


    That again.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you¡¯re weird, but if there¡¯s a problem, I think we should get things tested even if we don¡¯t get an answer quickly.¡±


    Minah¡¯s eyes were filled with worry, and what she was saying was true.


    He felt rejected, but there really was something that could be wrong with his head.


    ¡®Let¡¯s not talk about the other world or the ring, but let¡¯s at least see if there¡¯s anything wrong with me physically.¡¯


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to the hospital then.¡±


    The testing process took about 2 hours.


    Both Haneul and Minah were now walking out of the hospital.


    ¡°Your magic rank seems to be at the B rank. That¡¯s surprising. It¡¯s very rare to see someone at that level right after awakening. I knew you were special after I saw your fights, but you¡¯re more special than I had thought¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Even if you tell me that, I don¡¯t quite understand it.¡±


    The test results.


    Haneul had no problems physically, and was extremely healthy. Rather, the hospital was shocked after seeing his magic ranking. The previous physical exam he took had shown that he had some magic potential, but after his awakening, Haneul now grasped amazing amount of powers. His exact hero ranking was unable to be determined by the test, as the decisions are made by the Hero Organization. However, based on the amount of magic that was in the test result, he was clearly matching levels of a B ranked Hero.


    ¡°Either way, you¡¯re now famous. The Hero everyone was curious about turns out to be at least a B rank, and you happen to be my boyfriend. My heart¡¯s a little complicated.¡±


    ¡°Minah, are you also majoring to become a hero?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We met in our first year of college, and you were super stubborn.¡±


    ¡°I was?¡±


    ¡°Yup, and your stubbornness is what opened my heart.¡±


    ¡°The more I hear about this, the more shocked I get.¡±


    ¡°You talking in third person right now, is what¡¯s surprising,¡± said Minah as she sighed.


    ¡°Anyways, the hospital should be contacting the Hero Organization, because the truth is that a student like you awakened and is now a hero. A little after that, you would have to register yourself. Are you going to name yourself as the Silver Knight like before?¡±


    ¡°S, Silver Knight¡­.You¡¯re saying that I thought up that childish name?¡±


    ¡°Childish? You think so? I honestly think that¡¯s a very normal name¡­¡­..Nice Silver, Genius Silver, Metallic Super Knight, these were all names that you thought up as well.¡±


    Haneul¡¯s face changed.


    Aside from all the strange things that Haneul has been going through, the Haneul from this world had a horrible sense in names!


    Haneul was now at home and lost in his own thoughts.


    The past few days have been very confusing and there were still a lot of unanswered questions, but one thing¡¯s for sure, he had to adapt to this new world.


    He thought about many things.


    Staying as his confused-self right now wouldn¡¯t change anything.


    ¡®What should I do now.¡¯


    At that moment, everything that was confusing to Haneul had disappeared and his eyes started to relax.


    Let¡¯s calm down and adapt, since it¡¯s not like I can go back in time.


    ¡°A hero huh¡­¡­.¡±


    *     *     *     *


    Flipping through the channels on TV, one was able to see the crying families of those that died in Central South. Their faces¡¯ were full of tears, and it made Haneul very uncomfortable. He didn¡¯t even know their names or know them personally, but the fact that so many people died had made Haneul very melancholy.


    Then it also showed the picture of someone who had died, that was related to Haneul¡­..


    ¡®¡­¡­..I¡¯m sure someone out there is crying for Black Walker right?¡¯


    The next day, Haneul left his house early in the morning. After seeing the news the night before, although late, he decided to go and visit the funeral site for those who had died.


    The vicinity of the terminal was still in disarray.


    The sun was bright as if that day had never happened, but the broken wreckage of cars and buildings seemed to speak of otherwise.


    The funeral site was around the vicinity of the hospital.


    There were many people who went to pay their respects, and the whole place was filled with tears.


    After looking through several people¡¯s names, Haneul finally came across Black Walker¡¯s. There were a half a dozen people surrounding his name, and when Haneul saw the little picture that was set on top of Black Walker¡¯s name, his mind went blank.


    Black Walker was dead.


    Haneul¡¯s heart was overflowing with guilt, because he remembered how Black Walker said he was going to survive, yet died.


    ¡°Who are you¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡­.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t tell them that he survived that hell like situation because of Black Walker.


    ¡°This hero has helped me before.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for making your way over here¡­¡­.He was a child that loved to help those around him. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s happier up there now.¡±


    A lady in her 50¡¯s.


    She looked to be Black Walker¡¯s mother.


    Haneul watched her melancholic back, and after some time passed asked, ¡°What type of person was Black Walker? I know this isn¡¯t the right time to be asking, but it¡¯s very important to me.¡±


    ¡°That child was¡­¡­.¡±


    Chapter 2 ¨C End.

 Volume 2 - CH 3

    Chapter 3


    Once the sun went down and night fell, Haneul got back home and received a phone call.


    <Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Seung Ji Ahn from the Hero Organization. Are you the Haneul Kang that took the health tests at the college¡¯s hospital?>


    It was a call from the Hero Organization.


    I knew it was going to happen eventually, but they sure work quickly.


    ¡®It¡¯s exactly as Minah predicted.¡¯


    Because of the large amount of casualties that happened from the misinformation given by the Organization, Minah told me that the Organization would be on the lookout for me. The official number of those that died in that incident was 1,500 people.


    With that many casualties, if it was world A (where he¡¯s normally from), that would have been a large number of people dead. Unfortunately, in world B (where he¡¯s at now), that many people dying was a common occurrence once the earthquake hit a certain level.


    ¨C ¡°When the massive earthquake hit us 4 years ago, there were 4 waves of monsters. Many more people died that day, and even heroes were dying left and right.¡±


    Minah messaged nonchalantly.


    That¡¯s when I started to understand things a little better.


    In world B, people live their lives as if they¡¯re going to die at any moment.


    ¡®So that¡¯s why everyone was so nonchalant in that gory situation. They say people are adapting animals, and I guess that¡¯s true. They just accept things as how they are and continue to live their lives normally.¡¯


    Anyways, because the Hero Organization was getting a lot of negative public opinions regarding their error, they needed to find a scapegoat which would be the unidentified Hero in Silver. That¡¯s just how the world seems to work.


    ¡®Well, at least things are a lot clearer for me since their reaction is so transparent.¡¯


    <Hello, Haneul?>


    ¡°Yes, I understand. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    <Thank you.>


    The phone disconnected.


    The organization was very clever, and Haneul felt that he needed to adapt to this world.


    He was still confused with many things, but he was clear on what he needed to do.


    ¡®I have strength right now, so I need to use it for a good cause.¡¯


    The Haneul from the past would have never thought like this, but the Haneul now was able to think decisively on what he needed to do.


    Although he wasn¡¯t able to recognize it himself, Haneul could feel a change inside his heart.


    Whether that change came from his transport to a different world, or if it was because of the hero Black Walker, or if it was from the strength given from the silver ring, nobody knew.


    But the truth was that Haneul was currently changing.


    *     *     *     *


    ¡°Oh man, it¡¯s already time.¡±


    Haneul went outside.


    The Hero Organization was located in Gangnam. Now that I think about it, the original world¡­¡­Just out of convenience, let¡¯s separate the worlds as world A and world B. Either way, Haneul was able to find another difference with the 2 different worlds, and because there were so many differences, it was harder for Haneul to find similarities. Anyways, the other difference was the name of the locations.


    For world B, the vicinity in and around Seoul up to Kyung-gi do, was considered to be a special territory. As for the other locations, they were separated into Second Territory, Third Territory and so forth.


    It¡¯s not exactly the same, but it felt similar to America¡¯s administrative system of independence, which is why these territories were able to become closed territories.


    ¡®This would never have happened in World A¡¯s South Korea.¡¯


    The phone rang.


    Haneul frowned and debated on whether he should pick up or not.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    <Hey son, it¡¯s mom.>


    ¡°Hey mom, what¡¯d you need?¡±


    <I heard the good news. You were able to awaken huh? Congratulations. I heard you¡¯re already in Rank B, is that true?>


    ¡°Yeah, it just happened that way.¡±


    <That¡¯s great! Congratulations! Should I go over and make you some good food?>


    She¡¯s going to come?


    Haneul felt very uncomfortable.


    The him from World B might think differently, but the him from world A had lost his mother 9 years ago. This was the evidence that showed that he did not belong in this world. He already recognized his mom¡¯s death, so he could just be rejecting her right now. Having to think about all this by himself was already weird.


    No matter what, his mom will always be his mom.


    ¡®Why do I feel so uncomfortable with having to meet mom?¡¯


    <Hello?>


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m listening.¡±


    <What¡¯s going on again? You¡¯ve been acting weird since yesterday.>


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Alright. Please make me something good to eat.¡±


    <Okay, see you tonight!>


    After the phone disconnected and even to the point where he got off the subway, Haneul had a very uncomfortable expression.


    Until just moments ago, Haneul had his mind filled with the conversations he might have at the Organization, and the type of people he might meet there, but now all he could think about was his mom.


    That¡¯s when the messenger rang.


    ¨C Hey Haneul, I¡¯m asking because I¡¯m worried but you¡¯re not lost are you?


    It was Minah.


    ¨C There¡¯s nothing to be worried about. I told you, the basics are still the same as my world.


    ¨C Well that¡¯s a relief. I¡¯m still worried though, since you don¡¯t seem to be stable. It would¡¯ve been better if I went with you, because I¡¯ve been there a couple times before.


    She¡¯s been there before?


    ¨C Why did you go there? Is that a place where normal people usually go to?


    ¨C Huh? What do you mean why?  Did you forget that I¡¯m also a hero?


    Minah¡¯s a hero?


    How shocking.


    During his conversation with Minah, he finally left the station and now stood in front of the Hero Organization¡¯s grand building.


    ¡°What reason are you here for?¡±


    ¡°Ah, my name is Haneul Kang and I was scheduled to come here today.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re Haneul, we¡¯ve been expecting you. Follow me please.¡±


    The guide passed over a visitor¡¯s pass with a smile.


    Gulp.


    Haneul was already feeling overwhelmed with just looking at the exterior of the magnificent building.


    He was a normal civilian. If this was still world A, he would¡¯ve finished his major in computer engineering and found a job within that field. This building he was in now was something he would have only seen from his drama shows he watched.


    The first place they stopped by at was the 3rd floor.


    With the view of what looked to be an office, Haneul couldn¡¯t calm his heart down.


    That¡¯s when someone from inside the office appeared.


    ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯ve finally come. Welcome, it¡¯s nice to meet you. My name is Yoo Shik Kim, and I am the HR director for the Hero Organization.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hello. My name is Haneul Kang.¡±


    If he¡¯s the HR director, isn¡¯t that a pretty a high position?


    As the female guide put her head down and walked away, Haneul followed HR Director YooShik into the office.


    As they stepped into the office, Haneul was even more anxious.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be anxious. Now, in order to get things started, will you please sign a couple of basic paperwork for me please?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    The first document presented was the document of registering as a Hero.


    Hero name.


    Haneul hesitated a bit at the first blank spot.


    ¡®Should I put my name down as the Silver Knight?¡¯


    The him from this world used that name and the other names Minah said he thought of were too horrible to even consider as Hero names.


    There has been examples of hero¡¯s using their real names, but for the most part, they would create a separate persona for when they were acting as heroes. It was similar to when super stars made separate nicknames, it was so that people could remember them more easily.


    A hero¡¯s income had a lot to do with their popularity level, but if you are popular and have strong skills, people will respect you more. This could be the reason why heroes try to stand out to the population by having fancy costumes or fancy names.


    And there were a couple of other truths that Haneul found out after surfing the web. The heroes in this world were closer to being super stars more than anything and was completely different from what he pictured.


    Many heroes would create blogs for themselves and write about the deeds that they¡¯ve done. They would also schedule interviews on it and try to appeal to the people. There has also been cases where these heroes would show up as a guest on TV programs.


    As stated before, heroes did this in order to raise their popularity and to make extra income on the side. One can say that the money they got from the government was close to being non-existent, because there are many cases where hero¡¯s would make more money from doing side jobs.


    ¡®A Rank C hero relatively does the least amount of work in an earthquake situation, but there are still cases of deaths like Black Walker. Their salary is at about $4,000 a month, but for a B rank hero who gets mobilized frequently, their salary is at about $6,000. Seems pretty unfair. In world A, no one would want to fight and protect the people with that little amount of money, but I guess this world is like this because it¡¯s in a special situation.¡¯


    Either way, Haneul has never made that much money before so to him, it was quite a lot of money. If only the job wasn¡¯t so dangerous.


    Haneul thought it was weird for a hero to have such low income when their lives were on the line, so he decided to look up a regular civilian¡¯s salary.


    He was able to see how different his knowledge was when it came to money in this world and his previous world.


    In this world, the valueof life was very low so Life Insurance was basically non-existent.  Haneul found out that even the most expensive Life Insurance was only $20,000.


    ¡®I guess the value of life dropped because of the frequent deaths that happened every day.¡¯


    That wasn¡¯t the only thing, this world¡¯s tax percentage was unusually high as well. It wouldn¡¯t be a lie if one said that the government took almost half of the income made. At the same time though, the society¡¯s dependence on the government is also quite high.


    But for heroes, they were able to take home all of their income and no tax was taken off from it. On top of that, heroes were able to gain various benefits from public institutions.


    ¡®The South Korea in my world is so different from the one in this world.¡¯


    The name was the same, but there were way too many differences outside of that.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing. I zoned out for a second.¡±


    ¡°Many people think hard when it comes to their hero name, since it¡¯s something that will stick with them for the rest of their lives.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s true,¡± responded Haneul with a short answer, and continued to write down Silver Knight.


    YooShik stared at Haneul intensely.


    ¡°You have a very different image compared to what I pictured. It¡¯s a very realistic feeling. No, I guess it¡¯s closer to being too normal. You first appeared in front of everyone with so much splendor that I thought you would definitely love being in the lime light. Haha, any who, are you okay with the name Silver Knight? Now that I look at it, even the name is really normal.¡±


    Normal huh¡­¡­¡­..


    Haneul first thought that Silver Knight was a very embarrassing name, but that changed when he looked up other people¡¯s names online. Silver Knight was a very normal name.


    It¡¯s quite spectacle to see when you look up the popular names on the hero list.


    Mister Goldman, Perfect Revolution, Master King, Grand Kaiser, Darkman of the Night¡­¡­..


    How do heroes walk around with names like that when it¡¯s so embarrassing.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s move on to the next test.¡±


    The elevator stopped on the 4th floor.


    ¡°Welcome. The test you will be taking today will be¡­¡­.:


    In an empty room painted with white walls, the atrophied Haneul was standing in the center, preparing for his test.


    The tests consisted of testing one¡¯s magic volume, physical, psychological, and in-depth oral interview, but Haneul had no idea what was going on.


    ¡°Ummm¡­¡­..¡±


    ¡°Oh, please place your hand on that machine there and supply it with your magic.¡±


    ¡°Supply it with magic¡­¡­¡±


    Haneul tilted his head.


    ¡®I wonder if this will work.¡¯


    The hospital didn¡¯t tell Haneul how to apply his magic, so he tried to remember the feeling from back when he fought the monsters.


    At that moment, something warm flowed out from his hand.


    RINGG.


    <Magic volume is Rank B.>


    The result was out.


    The person in charge of running the tests had a shocked expression.


    ¡°How outstanding. There aren¡¯t many heroes who awaken with such strong powers right from the beginning.¡±


    Haneu was told that some heroes live their whole lives staying within their same rank. When compared to them, Haneul was gifted.


    Once the measuring was completed, Haneul proceeded to the room next door.


    ¡°Hello, it¡¯s nice to meet you. My name is Kyung Shik Yoo and I¡¯ll be in charge of testing your magic mastery. To start with, are you able to control your magic yet?¡±


    ¡°Control my magic? Is this what you¡¯re talking about?¡±


    At that moment, the ring on his finger emitted a bright light and magic was released.


    Flutter.


    The silver armor wrapped around Haneul¡¯s body in a quick second, and Kyung Shik stared at him with wide eyes.


    He was told from the top to check Haneul very thoroughly, but it seems like he didn¡¯t need to anymore. There was no mistake that the person in front of him was the hero that showed the electrifying battles in Central South a little while ago. That brilliant silver armor, it¡¯s the Hero in Silver.


    ¡°The Hero in Silver! So, it seems like you really are the hero from Central South. It¡¯s an honor to meet you. There isn¡¯t anyone as hot of a topic as you are right now.¡±


    ¡°It kind of just happened that way I guess.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no reason for us to continue with this test. You¡¯ve already shown us your powers and skills through your battles. Please proceed to the next test.¡±


    Kyung Shik showed the way to the next room with a face full of smiles.


    The next test was a psychological test.


    Heroes had super powers and if there was a problem with them psychologically, many problems could arise. Those who weren¡¯t registered with the Organization usually turned out to be criminals.


    That was the reason why the psychological test was mandatory.


    All the questions were regarding justice and self sacrifice, so finding the correct answers weren¡¯t hard. Should I say it¡¯s similar to a moral test one takes at school when they¡¯re younger?


    Once the test was finished, Haneul confidently waited for the test results to come out.


    The results were out.


    ¡°Ummm, the result was a 72 percent. It¡¯s right on the borderline but you were able to pass.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Haneul¡¯s eyes went wide from the test results.


    It was a result he¡¯s never thought of. He was sure that even if he made mistakes, there would only be a couple. To be 72%¡­¡­..


    ¡­¡­finding the correct answers weren¡¯t easy.


    Chapter 3 ¨C End.

 Volume 2 - CH 4

    Chapter 4


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we can see each other again.¡±


    Yoo Shik was calmly sitting in the middle of the white filled room.


    This was clearly the HR Director from before.


    ¡°I was told this would be the last test, am I correct to think that it¡¯s going to be with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re correct. Because I¡¯m in charge of the whole hiring process, I never let anyone else do this portion except myself. I make decisions with my own eyes and ears. Now, let¡¯s get things started. Can you please sit in front of me?¡±


    Yoo shik was still and acting calmly, but Haneul felt that there was something different about him at this moment.


    ¡®He¡¯s somewhat sharper.¡¯


    ¡°Thanks to you, everyone on the internet has been on a rage, and even the top brass were excited. Thankfully, we were able to find you a lot sooner than we had hoped. Once we got a call from the hospital regarding your prowess, we decided to do some research on who you were and it seems like you have been getting excellent grades in school.¡±


    Excellent grades? It seems like the Haneul from world B was superior compared to the one in world A.


    ¡®Should¡¯ve known that the moment I found out ¡°I¡± snatched the beautiful Minah for myself.¡¯


    ¡°The psychological test seems to have been on the low side, but putting everything together, you have more than enough qualifications to become a hero.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean I¡¯m registered now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, once you complete the final interview with us, you will formerly be registered as a hero.¡±


    ¡°Is it related to the interview we¡¯re having right now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. It¡¯s not a simple procedure or test, but a way for us to communicate as people and to draw out the things we couldn¡¯t find out through the normal tests.¡±


    In other words, an in-depth test.


    ¡®How thorough.¡¯


    Haneul nodded without emotion.


    ¡°Mr. Haneul, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask you on a personal level.¡±


    ¡°Alright, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m told that you were at the earthquake situation in Central South a little while ago, is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°Why were you there?¡±


    Why


    I was thinking of going down to see my family for Thanksgiving, but when I did, the whole world flipped upside down.


    Haneul was thinking, he wasn¡¯t sure why the Haneul from World B was there.


    ¡°I was thinking of meeting someone I know.¡±


    ¡°You ran into the battlefield when you weren¡¯t a hero, why? and when was the exact time of when you awakened?¡±


    ¡®He said this was going to be an interview, but if it¡¯s this much, it¡¯s closer to being an interrogation.¡¯


    Haneul was slowly starting to get angry.


    ¡°It was on that day. I just felt my magic powers awakening out of nowhere. Something felt like it was going to burst out from within me, and it did. What can I say after that? A hard to describe realization came over me where I felt that, with this power, I needed to save and protect the people. It¡¯s surprising but I think this is what they call the strength of justice.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Haneul, let¡¯s stop with the bullshit there.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m lying then?¡±


    Haneul stared straight into Yoo Shik¡¯s eyes.


    Due to his job, Yoo Shik had met many different kind of heroes and knew exactly what type of person Haneul was.


    ¡°I¡¯m a person that has met many different types of people, and through the psychological test and conversations, I¡¯m generally able to judge the characteristics of that person. In my opinion, you do not have the mind of a hero.¡±


    ¡°I will not deny it.¡±


    ¡°Hero Principle, Article 1, Heroes will fight for the government and for its people.¡±


    ¡°I know that¡¯s what the principle says, but I don¡¯t think every hero in this world fights with that being their primary reason.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. It seems like you¡¯re not doing it for honor, and you¡¯re pretty far off from the Principle. Is it the money then?¡±


    I wonder.


    Haneul was deep in thought from that question.


    He¡¯s never made much money before besides the couple of part time jobs he had. His knowledge on money was still that of a student¡¯s, and that¡¯s why a hero¡¯s income was definitely large.


    ¡®But that¡¯s not the reason why I¡¯m here. I figure it¡¯s something I can do, and that it¡¯s just a rule of this world.¡¯


    He was just following the natural social mechanism of being a part of the Organization, because he was a person that as awakened and held magic powers.


    ¡°I¡¯m just following the normal steps. I don¡¯t believe that I got my powers by chance, and I think there¡¯s a reason why I have it.¡±


    ¡°Black Walker.¡±


    The moment that name came out of Yoo Shik¡¯s mouth, Haneul¡¯s calm face turned stiff.


    ¡°After some research, I found that you were the first person on scene when the C rank hero, Black Walker died. Is that related to your awakening? Because of his death you awakened, and because of guilt you fought. Does that sound reasonable?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±


    Haneul didn¡¯t answer and just continued to stare at Yoo Shik.


    ¡®Hmm?¡¯


    Yoo Shik was able to see the fires of anger and hatred in Haneul¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°HR Director Yoo Shik, I¡¯m not sure on how an in-depth interview works, but let¡¯s be honest with each other. What you want and what I want is pretty clear isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about. There is no clarity at all with what I want and with what you want. I just want to know the truth and see if Black Walker¡¯s death was the driving force¡­..¡±


    Koong.


    Haneul slammed his leg hard into the ground.


    The ground was ringing because he reinforced his leg with magic.


    The 2 heroes who were waiting outside, rushed into the office.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s okay. There¡¯s nothing wrong so you guys can go back outside.¡±


    The two heroes walked out and closed the door behind them.


    ¡°I apologize if I made you uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve made me very uncomfortable. I don¡¯t think an employee of the Organization should have the right to lightly say the name of a Hero that died in the line of duty. Don¡¯t you think so HR Director Yoo Shik?¡±


    It was a very threatening and emotional confrontation, but YooShik was satisfied. One can see the thoughts and motives of a person through their emotions.


    ¡®Black Walker huh.¡¯


    ¡°I apologize. I¡¯ve overstepped my boundary. Then let¡¯s try flipping the conversation around. I¡¯m not completely sure yet on what you want, but I think I got the gist of it. Now, I¡¯m curious as to what you mean when you say it¡¯s clear on what I want.¡±


    ¡°Are we being pretentious now? I¡¯m not the one sitting on top of fire, it¡¯s you guys. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good for you guys to be getting hit on so hard by the media.¡±


    *     *     *     *


    Haneul came out from the building.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of talking in circles. Are they just going to keep poking around with questions like that?¡±


    At first, Haneul¡¯s body would freeze because it was his first time going into a grand building like that, but no matter how grand the building was, what lived there were humans.


    And those humans wanted Haneul right now.


    To be exact, they wanted his name.


    The level of the Organization and a hero has always been the same. There has never been a case where one was above the other.


    Haneul¡¯s footsteps on his way back home were very light. Yoo Shik had told him that a formal notification would be out within 24 hours, however the Organization has no other choice.


    Technically, Haneul has already become a part of the Organization.


    ¡®I got angrier than I imagined.¡¯


    Black Walker was a bigger part of Haneul than he had thought.


    On another note, while Haneul was on his way back home, Yoo Shik was thinking about the conversation he just had with Haneul.


    ¡®I thought he was just a little punk, but he¡¯s much more presumptuous than I thought.¡¯


    Haneul was a very wise person and he knew exactly where his standing was in the current situation.


    ¡®I was hoping he¡¯d be a spoiled brat that liked going on a rampage, but that isn¡¯t the case. He seems to have some justice in him¡­¡­Any who, I¡¯ll keep watching over him.¡¯


    Yoo Shik walked towards Kyung Shik, the person in charge of testing Haneuls¡¯ magic.


    ¡°Department Chief Yoo, Were you able to grasp his powers through the test?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I captured his magic value from when he used his powers but¡­..¡±


    ¡°Was there a problem?¡±


    ¡°I think the level is a little off. The potential value isn¡¯t coming out.¡±


    Yoo Shik walked towards the computer with a shocked expression in order to verify Kyung Shik¡¯s words. 6 cameras were operating from different spots as they captured Haneul releasing his magic.


    With this they were able to tell the origin of the magic activating and see the potential value of its powers, but for Haneul, it came out as unknown.


    ¡°How can you not even do yout job correctly?¡±


    Yoo Shik frowned and vented. He was thinking that this error occurred because the Department Chief wasn¡¯t being attentive to his job.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s put his potential value aside for now and move onto his actual magic value. An overall rank should have been given right?¡±


    The results came out after some time passed, but this made Yoo Shik¡¯s face frown with confusion.


    ¡°Is there something wrong with this?¡±


    ¡°N, No.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the error rate for the result?¡±


    ¡°That is¡­¡­¡­only 0.5 percent.¡±


    The mark floating on the screen, A Rank.


    It was completely different from everyone¡¯s thoughts, because everyone believed Haneul was at most a B rank from the videos they watched.


    Of course, a person¡¯s eyes aren¡¯t exact and there would definitely be errors, but not to this extent.


    It was out of the ordinary for a hero¡¯s first test after awakening to be this high.


    ¡®How exactly did he awaken in order for his magic to be A Rank? If it¡¯s this high, I¡¯m not surprised to see that the computer couldn¡¯t read his potential value,¡¯ thought Yoo Shik.


    Although, magic rank and value can¡¯t determine everything about a hero, it was an undeniable fact that it was a hero¡¯s base indicator.


    ¡°Haneul Kang, you¡¯re not the average Joe I see.¡±


    ¡°Umm, HR Director. Look at this. There¡¯s something here that¡¯s hard to overlook.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a part here that we over looked thinking it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal, but it has to do with his transformation process.¡±


    Transformation process?


    What¡¯s so special about that¡­¡­


    Yoo Shik looked at the screen and made a strange expression.


    ¡°This is¡­..It¡¯s not the usual Cracker Weapon. It¡¯s even greater. Have you checked the registered inventory yet?¡±


    ¡°I have, but I have yet to find anything regarding this Cracker Weapon.¡±


    Yoo Shik¡¯s interest grew even thicker.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anybody else for now. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, understood.¡±


    ¡®What is its true identity I wonder?¡¯


    Yoo Shik was so excited that he couldn¡¯t maintain his calm composure.


    Chapter 4 ¨C End.

 Volume 2 - CH 5

    Chapter 5


    As Haneul returned home and felt warmth within his house, he froze.


    ¡°Good Job. You must have just gotten home.¡±


    ¡°M¡­¡­..other?¡±


    ¡°Mother? You shameful! Son, just call me how you normally would. Why are you being like this all of the sudden.¡±


    Haneul¡¯s mind went blank as he saw his mother¡¯s figure receding back into the kitchen. He forgot that he asked his mother to make him something delicious for dinner tonight.


    ¡°What are you doing not coming in?¡±


    Haneul walked in.


    He changed his clothes and sat there with a stunned expression. He could hear a tong tong sound coming from the cutting board, as well as the bubbling sound from his mother¡¯s soup.


    ¡®It¡¯s mom¡¯s sound.¡¯


    It was the sound his mother made before she passed away 9 years ago.


    She still looked the same as she did back then, which made Haneul confused.


    However, Haneul shook his head.


    ¡®This is definitely different from the world that I used to live in, however mom¡­¡­.will always be mom.¡¯


    ¡°Come eat.¡±


    As soon as Haneul walked into the dining room, he could see a myriad of different kinds of food. There was Soybean Paste Soup, Rolled Omelet, Stir-Fried Anchovies, etc.


    ¡°Thank¡­¡­.you for the food.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, eat a lot.¡±


    As Haneul was eating away, he suddenly started to choke up.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, it just went down the wrong tube¡­..¡±


    ¡°Here, drink some water while you eat.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­.¡±


    After Haneul quickly finished one bowl of rice, he started to take glimpses of his mom. She was infallibly Haneul¡¯s mom.


    ¡®My father passed away in this life huh.¡¯


    ¡°Umm, mother.¡±


    ¡°I told you not to call me that.¡±


    ¡°M¡­¡­.om.¡±


    ¡°Yes, what?¡±


    ¡°Do you by any chance remember how father passed away?¡±


    His mother¡¯s hands, which were washing dishes, abruptly stopped moving.


    ¡°Why are you suddenly bringing all of this up?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the earthquake that happened not too long ago in Central South? I hit my head during an accident there and can¡¯t seem to recall most of my memories.¡±


    ¡°What? Why are you telling me this now?¡±


    Haneul¡¯s mom walked up to him with a worried expression, and started to look over his head.


    ¡°Did you go to the hospital?¡±


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t find any scars. I¡¯m just a little confused. Please tell me, how did father pass away? I can¡¯t seem to remember.¡±


    The next day, Haneul headed towards his school.


    Because he had to commute to school, Haneul had to leave an hour before it started.


    He was now on the train, trying to recollect his thoughts from the conversation he had with his mom the night before.


    ¡®It was the same.¡¯


    The day that his father passed away in World B, was the same as the day his mother passed away in World A. The reason was the same as well. Traffic accident. Haneul being a hero showed evidence to the difference between World A and World B, but the biggest for him was his mom and dad.


    ¡°I have no idea how things are being played out right now.¡±


    Haneul got off the train, got on his bike, and starting climbing uphill. The strange thing was, he wasn¡¯t feeling tired in the slightest way. This hill was sharp to the point where he would normally be gasping for air, or would have to get off and climb up while carrying the bike, but not today.


    He felt free.


    Finally, after getting to the top of the hill, Haneul was now in front of the school.


    ¡®What¡¯s this? Is my stamina amazing in World B?¡¯


    As much as a hero school is needed in order to raise a hero, one¡¯s stamina must also be up to par.


    ¡°Today, in Comprehensive Response System, we will be taking a practical exam for the different techniques needed for the various TYPES of monsters.¡±


    An obstinate looking, old professor.


    When I used to major in computer science, there was that one teacher that everyone hated in their first year. With the alias of Psycho Doctor, he was an old professor with a head filled with grey hair. He had that alias because his voice was raspy, always made it his goal to give the lowest possible grade, and had the most evil laugh in the world.


    At least that¡¯s what he did in World A. In World B, it seems like he¡¯s in charge of this eccentric class called Comprehensive Response System, and just as eccentric as the name is, the experiments and experience seems just as eccentric.


    ¡°KYAAAAKKKKKK!!!¡±


    It was the sound of a giant monster that was caged in.


    It was the same Type D Reptile that was going around destroying things in Central South not too long ago.


    ¡°As everyone already knows, the alias we give these monsters is Reptile because they¡¯re similar to the lizard. The monster¡¯s form could have a limitless amount of differences, but we only look at their size as well as their attack power. Let¡¯s discuss the Hero Organization¡¯s current classification for these monsters.¡±


    The psycho doctor pointed towards the back where Haneul was sitting.


    As soon as he did that, everyone looked back at him.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were sparkling. Nobody was saying anything, but everyone already knew. The results from the school hospital spread out to all the students, because they loved gossiping about people awakening.


    ¡°That is¡­¡­..a Type D Reptile. Any of those that are similar in height to a human, up to 2 meters, falls into that category.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful. That is correct. We will be taking a practical exam on the weaknesses and techniques needed to handle these Type D Reptiles. We¡¯ll do this in order. Everyone gathered here today received excellent grades last semester, and also have the most stable and excellent magic in the school. I feel that this Type D would be easy to get rid of for everyone in here.¡±


    Even if that¡¯s the case, is it okay to use a real monster like this in class? Although that¡¯s what Haneul was thinking, it seems to be a normal occurrence at the school.


    Everyone got in line as if it wasn¡¯t anything new, and continued to talk to each other on the techniques needed to handle the monster.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s start.¡±


    These students were on a higher level than Haneul thought.


    He figured that everyone here had the capabilities to be in the Murray¡¯s Heroes list.


    The problem was, Haneul didn¡¯t know the weaknesses or features of the Type D Reptiles.


    In the midst of the chained monster¡¯s loud grunts, students were going up with different weapons and overpowering the monster with sharp movements.


    Haneul was completely focused on watching the other students.


    When it was finally his turn, everyone got quiet and watched him attentively.


    ¡®This is very uncomfortable. Since when have I ever been in this type of situation¡­..¡¯


    ¡°Now, hurry and try it.¡±


    Haneul reluctantly picked up a sword and did the exact same thing the 3rd student before him did.


    While the Psycho Doctor could visibly be seen getting disappointed, Haneul tried to go back to his seat after putting away the weapon.


    ¡°What the, there¡¯s rumor going around saying he¡¯s the Hero in Silver, but I guess he¡¯s not? He doesn¡¯t even know how to take care of a Type D Reptile.¡±


    Haneul quickly spun his head.


    Someone definitely said some nasty things just now, but it got quiet again as if nothing was ever said.


    ¡®Oh ho, look at these guys?¡¯


    A fire was lit inside Haneul.


    He turned back around.


    ¡°Professor, can I destroy that thing?¡±


    ¡°Why are you suddenly¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°From my understanding, that monster is in the care of the Organization, correct? It shouldn¡¯t be easy for a normal public institution to be able to get their hands on one.¡±


    ¡°Th, that¡¯s right but¡­¡­..¡±


    At that moment, Haneul walked up to the Type D Reptile. The captured monster opened its mouth to show a bunch of its teeth missing. Not only that, they shot muscle relaxants into its system, so its movements were even slow.


    If compared to the real Type D Reptile, it was incomparably weak.


    There was a glint of light in Haneul¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Hold on, If you get that close to it, it¡¯ll be dang¡­¡­¡­!¡±


    Booomm!


    Flesh exploded and scattered everywhere.


    A huge hole could be seen in the torso of the monster as it fell to the floor to breathe its last breath.


    It was finished in one blow.


    Everyone turned pale with surprise.


    No one was able to see what Haneul did, not even the professor.


    ¡®Just as I thought.¡¯


    There was a difference in the amount of magic energy that could be released, but the way to release it wasn¡¯t too different. Even without the armor on, Haneul was able to employ a certain amount of his powers.


    Haneul turned his head. His face was brindled with blood.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I think these students wanted an extreme practical experience, Professor Sung Hwan Yoo.¡±


    Chapter 5 ¨C End.


    Volume 2 ¨C End.

 Volume 3 - CH 1

    Chapter 1


    ¡°Stupid.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°The students are always going to show jealousy and envy. Furthermore, it just so happens that the newbie hero that appears in our school is the hero that the whole nation shows interest in.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t like me then.¡±


    ¡°You knew yet you acted that way?¡±


    ¡°I got mad.¡±


    ¡°I guess you were always like that.¡±


    Minah was sitting next to Haneul as she shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°However, acting that way just because you got mad is a problem. They¡¯re definitely going to be gossiping about it. I¡¯m guessing you forgot that you won¡¯t be able to finish school for awhile?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was my bad. I¡¯m regretting it right now.¡±


    Haneul normally doesn¡¯t have the personality to cause big incidents as he did in class. If compared to the light, he was dark; he wasn¡¯t a leader, he was a follower.


    But once he came to World B, everything started to change.


    ¡®It¡¯s not a bad feeling but¡­¡­How should I say it. I feel like I¡¯m overfilled with confidence.¡¯


    ¡°You must be caught up in deep thought again? Tell it to me, your girlfriend. I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    ¡°I told you. I¡¯m not the Haneul that was your boyfriend. That¡¯s why we can¡¯t act the way we used to.¡±


    ¡°You did say that.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­.¡±


    ¡°So what about it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°From the way I see it, the Haneul that I knew just got a little bit different compared to before. Besides that, everything is still the same. It means whatever it was before or now, I still like you.¡±


    Damn.


    Haneul became flustered as his face became as red as an apple.


    ¡°You, how can you say things like¡­..¡±


    ¡°Are you embarrassed? How cute. That reaction is definitely the same as the Haneul from before. Actually, I might be liking this reaction better? It¡¯s been 2 years since we¡¯ve been together and we¡¯ve slowly begun to fall apart. In that sense, we can act as if this is a new start for us.¡±


    Minah smiled brightly and grabbed Haneul¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Haneul, don¡¯t worry! Even if you say you forgot everything about me, I don¡¯t care. Even if you were to forget about me at this moment, I will still make you fall in love with me again.¡±


    *     *     *     *     *


    There was contact from the Organization.


    It was the acceptance notification. I thought it was a spam message at first. The message from them was very simple.


    <Congrats! Accepted. You have officially become a hero Haneul. ¨C Hero Organization ¨C >


    That was it.


    That was all they could write for a Hero Organization that was ran by the government?


    Haneul thought a hero had a heavier meaning to it.


    Heroes were an existence where one could become one, if they deserved it. An existence that protects justice and the people.


    ¡®It seems like certain concepts are hard to get rid of. I keep thinking in regards to the standards of World A.¡¯


    It was to the point where a nameless hero would be at the same level as a common labor official.


    Just in case, Haneul decided to message Minah.


    ¨C Yes, you¡¯re right. They¡¯re normally like that. It¡¯s pretty crappy huh? But usually, that¡¯s the normal response. For a hero that¡¯s falling in ranks, they may get many messages throughout the day, so they decided to get rid of the empty formalities and instead be simple, and concise. Still, they should be sending out an appreciation plaque. You¡¯re now officially a hero. Congrats.


    (TN ¨C The Organization seems to send messages to a hero if their ranking drops. For some heroes, they can drop many times within the same day. Hence the reason why they decide to cut out the BS formalities.)


    Guess this is normal.


    ¡®It feels like they¡¯re being very sloppy¡­¡­..Well, I guess it¡¯s okay since I¡¯m not going to blatantly talk about me being a hero like the celebrities do.¡¯


    ¨C When does the money come out?


    ¨C Wow, Haneul from the new world is showing me a new side to him. Should I say that there¡¯s been an upgrade to your ability in being able to survive? Any who, your salary comes in the day before the 11th.


    (TN ¨C So the 10th, lol.)


    If it¡¯s the 11th then¡­¡­.It¡¯s a little over 2 weeks from now.


    If half the pay comes in, then about $3,000 will be¡­¡­.


    Haneul laughed with a sweet smile on his face and thought of what to get for his first paycheck. First, get rid of the debt from everyday life¡­¡­and then eating out would be nice.


    ¨C Oh, by the way Haneul. What rank are you?


    ¨C Where can I see that at?


    ¨C It wasn¡¯t in your message? That¡¯s weird, they normally send a rank out on those messages as well.


    Haneul didn¡¯t think much of it.


    He¡¯ll roughly be at Rank B, because that¡¯s what people were gossiping about online.


    ¡®Is Rank B considered high?¡¯


    Thinking about it as an alphabet and what Haneul read online, the rank shouldn¡¯t be on the low side but he was still unsure.


    ¨C By the way, what is your rank at?


    ¨C I¡¯m rank B, level 102.


    Haneul¡¯s eyes went round in shock.


    Minah is in the B ranking? Haneul was shocked to find that Minah was a hero, but it was even more shocking and unheard of for her level to be so high.


    Because Haneul stopped talking, Minah continued to press forward with the conversation.


    ¨C Well, you were just placed in the ranking and there has yet to be an announcement for your rank, so just wait a little while. Once your rank is decided, they¡¯ll be placing you in the level system as well. The information should come out in a few days.


    ¨C Okay, understood.


    Haneul was unable to comprehend where Minah¡¯s strength would come from when her body looked so frail.


    ¡®Minah. The more I learn about her, the less I¡¯m able to comprehend.¡¯


    As Haneul continued to think about Minah, he eventually fell asleep.


    *     *     *     *


    Downtown, completely filled with darkness.


    The scenery looked very dismal with no people in sight. The neon lights were broken and the only thing lighting the way were street lights.


    It looked like a place where a drunk would occasionally pop out in the middle of the night.


    Right then, a drunk guy tipsily drinking away at alcohol appeared and walked clumsily towards a bench. He lay upon it, looking up at the sky. He was drunk to the point where he couldn¡¯t control his body, and it even felt like he was seeing hallucinations.


    It was odd.


    The clouds were in a peculiar shape.


    ¡°What the? Is the sky spinning around in circles?¡±


    With those thoughts, the man rubbed his eyes.


    Out of nowhere, as if the sky was splitting, the clouds split up into spider websand shot out everywhere.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The drunk¡¯s eyes were wide with surprise.


    The alcohol in his body vanished in an instant.


    He looked back up towards the sky.


    This wasn¡¯t a hallucination.


    ¡°Earthquake, it¡¯s an earthquake!¡±


    The drunk was shocked and started to run away.


    Soon, sirens were heard everywhere.


    The briefing room was filled with the hustle and bustle of people.


    It was the same as the last earthquake. Another situation occurred without any signs.


    ¡°Grab a hold of the director immediately!¡±


    The person in charge of the briefing room quickly yelled.


    Suddenly, JooHyuk Park flew out from the director¡¯s office.


    ¡°What is it! What¡¯s going on!¡±


    ¡°D, director¡­Why are you¡­..¡±


    ¡°Report! Why did it appear again without any signs? When did the signs start to occur!¡±


    ¡°A, about 10 minutes ago.¡±


    ¡°What have you been doing for the past 10 minutes?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know the d, director was there!¡±


    ¡°Get the Special Ops ready immediately and send a draft call out to the heroes!  Measure the density of the earthquake as well as the level!¡±


    Because of the incident from Central South not too long ago, Ops Director JooHyuk Park was burdened with a lot of work and was pulling an all-nighter. A little while after he fell asleep, he woke up to the noise being made outside of his office.


    Unbeknownst to him, another situation had arisen.


    It was another earthquake.


    ¡°The n, numbers keep increasing. It has exceeded a Level B earthquake!¡±


    ¡°Mother fucker! This is bullshit. It hasn¡¯t even been that long since the last incident¡­¡­¡±


    JooHyuk Park gritted his teeth.


    Chapter 1-End.

 Volume 3 - CH 2

    Chapter 2


    ¡°Hmmmm¡­..¡±


    Haneul was tossing and turning in the middle of the night.


    He was having a troublesome dream.


    Suddenly, his eyes opened wide.


    He saw something exploding in front of his eyes.


    ¡°Gasp, gasp!¡±


    Cold sweat was dripping down all over his body.


    It wasn¡¯t a simple nightmare.


    Haneul¡¯s body felt like it was on fire. Was it a flu or a body ache? He frowned as he thought of these ideas and raised his arm to bring it toward his head.


    The ring on his finger was shining brightly.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Haneul snapped out from his sleep. He was able to feel some form of heat forming on his finger. It was the same feeling as when he first wore the Silver Armor.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? What¡¯s going on right now?¡±


    That¡¯s when the light from the ring subsided.


    Haneul rubbed his eyes and tried touching his ring again, but the light was gone as if it was never there. He was wondering if the light from the ring was connected to the nightmare he was having earlier.


    Haneul turned his smart phone on. It was 3:30am, about an hour since he fell asleep.


    ¡®Is it just a weird feeling?¡¯


    The ring was very strange. As Haneul tossed and turned, he kept on staring at the ring.


    Chwarararak.


    Haneul put his armor on, but there wasn¡¯t anything different about it. It must¡¯ve just been a weird feeling he was getting, and as he was trying to fall back asleep, something happened.


    The phone suddenly started to ring.


    It was a phone call from the Hero Organization.


    ¡®At this time?¡¯


    With an absurd expression, Haneul picked up the phone.


    <Is this the Silver Knight?>


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Silver Knight¡­¡­.Right as Haneul was going to ask him who Silver Knight was, he recalled that it was the name he chose when he became a hero.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. Yes, I am the Silver Knight.¡±


    ¡°No, wait, wait! Are you saying that an earthquake just hit?¡±


    <You don¡¯t have much time. I hope you can make it to the location as soon as possible.>


    The phone was disconnected and a text message was sent right after. It contained the location of the First city in the East area.


    ¡°Fuck. Where the hell is the East area? If you¡¯re Korean, you should tell me in a Korean way.¡±


    English was hopeless to him.


    Haneul turned the computer on to check for the location on the map.


    After some research, Haneul found that the East area was the place on the east side of Seoul. The First city that they spoke of was Goori city. (TN ¨C Goori city is the name of city in Korea.)


    ¡°There¡¯s an earthquake in Goori?¡±


    Haneul walked out to the veranda. It was late at night and the streets were empty and quiet.


    Was there really an earthquake just as the Organization said earlier?


    As Haneul was deep in thought, he walked closer towards the window and looked out far into the horizon. As his eyes came across the skies, south of Goori, he frowned because Haneul was able to see a huge cut in the sky.


    It was the same sky he saw that day, when he looked out from the terminal.


    Earthquake. An earthquake has happened again.


    Haneul immediately checked the news. He was frustrated to know that it took him this long to notice when there were so many discussions going on.


    Suddenly, there was something that caught his eye.


    ¨C The Special Ops has confirmed that the Earthquake this time in East area is at Level A. In order to correct this problem as soon as possible, any information will¡­¡­..


    ¡°What? Level A? Then this is going to be super dangerous. What does this mean though? Aren¡¯t I a Rank B hero? Why do I have to go to a high level earthquake when it¡¯s so dangerous?¡±


    In case Haneul might have missed something, he went back to the message to reread it. He was able to notice another message that he received 40 minutes prior to his last.


    <You a Rank A hero. Congratulations.>


    Haneul¡¯s eyes grew wide with surprise. He was completely sure that he was only at the Rank B level, but it seemed that he was wrong and was actually Rank A.


    ¡®What do they mean Rank A, did they send this message to the right person?¡¯


    Not only that, but there was a hot topic going around about Haneul on the internet.


    A grand debut for the new Rank B hero?


    There were several topics with titles similar to this.


    It was the same explosion as when people gossiped about a top star and their lover.


    It¡¯s not too peculiar if you think of heroes as a famous top star, but it was hard to get used to when the conversation was about yourself.


    A hero who had a grand debut while being the interest of the whole world. Honestly, it was because of the fact that Haneul was a Rank B hero, but there would be even more chaos if they found out that he was actually Rank A.


    The Hero in Silver was going around like hot potato because of his popularity as well as charisma.


    ¡°Shit, I don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s move for now. I¡¯m sure this order came down to me because I have the power to help them.¡±


    If Haneul went and had a hard time with the fight, it wouldn¡¯t be bad if a stronger hero helped him.


    He packed away his phone, his wallet¡­¡­¡­


    ¡°Am I even going to need this stuff when I¡¯m going to go fight? Meh, Oh wells.¡±


    Haneul left his house. If he used his magic, his physical rose up by high margins. If it was him in the past, this wouldn¡¯t have been possible, but now he was running towards Goori.


    ¡°Geez, so unfriendly. If they were going to make me do something special, they could¡¯ve at least sent me a car or something.¡±


    Haneul was running hard. As he was picking up on speed in a deserted street, he noticed that his ring was displaying a light glow.


    As the Silver Armor covered his Haneul¡¯s body, he put strength into his legs and disappeared into the darkness.


    Chapter 2 ¨C End.

 Volume 3 - CH 3

    Chapter 3


    *      *     *     *


    One can only differentiate a Level A earthquake when the magic seeps out from the ground. The difference can¡¯t be seen from other levels until that happens. To begin with, strong magic combusts in the center of it all, where the atmospheric pressure is so strong, normal people wouldn¡¯t be able to breathe in it. Not long after, earthquake, heavy rain, heat waves, and storms will hit, changing consistently.


    Only one word can be described for such a place, hell.


    And within this hell like place, the most weakest monster is at the C level. In order to fight off and block these dangerous creatures, a specialist way above that level is needed.


    That means, the hero must at least be of A rank.


    For Level A earthquakes and up, any existing laws are void. Whether the heroes are A rank or S rank, every one of them who¡¯s useful is mobilized.


    ¡°How many heroes are on scene so far?¡±


    ¡°Currently there are only 10 Rank A heroes on scene.¡±


    A small headquarter has been created at the location of the Level A earthquake by the Hero Organization. There are a minimum of 200 officials mobilized here, and each floor has more than a hundred computers being utilized.


    ¡°Turn the screen on! Do whatever you can to try and get a transmission through.¡±


    ¡°There is a disturbance because of the incredible amount of magic being released. Until the wired equipment is set up, we won¡¯t be able to see anything.¡±


    ¡®When are you planning to set the equipment up?! It¡¯s already been 32 minutes since the incident, and you guys dare to still say that. Do you want to see everybody die?!¡±


    Director JooHyuk Park yelled furiously.


    ¡°Director! Special Ops team 2201 has reached the destination!¡±


    ¡°Special Ops team 2205 has already reached their destination!¡±


    ¡°Tell them to hurry and move about! Their top priority is to save the citizens. I¡¯m positive there are citizens that haven¡¯t been able to make it out yet. Also, send some other troops out to set up the wiring equipment. How can the Organization relay directions if they can¡¯t even see the circumstances?!¡±


    Director JooHyuk is very competent.


    In only 15 minutes since the incident happened, the Director rushed out to the scene, set up a mini headquarter, and relayed his commands.


    His men knew of the Director¡¯s capabilities, so they continued to work without a retort. There were a considerable amount of people¡¯s lives in their hands.


    Ever since the earthquakes first started happening, a new law was placed where it was very hard to get permission for 15+ floor building. The reason was simple. When an earthquake hits, all the building would get destroyed.


    Especially when the magic starts pouring out, the things that happen within it can be devastating.


    Even if one was to follow the new law and construct a building within its standards, it¡¯s hard to say that the building would come out safe.


    ¡°That building should be collapsing soon.¡±


    Rank A, level 45 hero, Psychic President.


    A man wearing a purple suit flipped his slick hair back.


    ¡°Any who, how much longer until the reporter gets here? I¡¯m not able to use my strength well if there isn¡¯t a camera rolling.¡±


    Right then, a soldier geared with equipment came running out.


    ¡°Psychic President, this is an order that I got from the Director not too long ago. There seems to be about 100 or so people below the collapsing Han Young University Hospital. You must intervene immediately¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, of course!¡± (TN ¨C the ¡®of course¡¯ part was said in English haha.)


    Even before the soldier completed his sentence, Psychic President release his magic like a hurricane.


    He flew up several hundred meters to impress those in front of him.


    This wonderful scene made the first time soldiers chat with liveliness.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing. He looks so all-mighty. I¡¯m guessing that is Psychic President¡¯s, psychic energy?¡±


    ¡°For someone from the Special Ops to be saying something like that. How disappointing. What psychic energy? That¡¯s just magic he¡¯s using.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Psychic President is a hero with superb strength. He is always splendid and attracts the attention of everyone. He also states that his powers are psychic energy. However, this is just his way of appealing and stating that his powers are different from other heroes. Psychic President uses his powers as if they were Telekinesis, but it isn¡¯t too different from other heroes. It is a huge and overwhelming magic.


    dididi.


    At that moment, a building from across the way started collapsing but was suddenly caught in midair. The sick refugees who were late on taking refuge, sighed in relief.


    In that situation, the Special Ops representatives were busy trying to get the people to safety.


    ¡°Hmm, what a sad turn of events. I¡¯m using my magnificent telekinesis to save these people here, yet no one knows what I just did.¡±


    Psychic President made a sad face like his heart was hurting.


    Surprisingly, although he had to use his magic in order to stop the huge building from falling, he didn¡¯t seem to be tired.


    This was the true colors of a Rank A hero.


    A human being with superior abilities.


    And within this location, there were more than 10 odd number of people with that same amount of ability.


    ¡°The situation will quickly be controlled, because of these heroes.¡±


    Mumbled superior San Hyuk Ha.


    There has only been one other time where such a huge earthquake had occurred. And during that time, an uncountable number of soldiers died, resulting in the reorganization of the forces. Because of that incident, there are currently no veterans on the field that has experienced a Level A earthquake, which is why there were many soldiers in fear. However, after seeing the strength of a Rank A hero, their uneasiness completely disappeared.


    Chi jijijiik!


    The wired equipment was still unable to connect correctly.


    ¡°Are you still not able to get on the correct channel?¡±


    ¡°That, that is, there is too much interference coming from the magic being released. Even after I connected it to cable, all I get is static.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this! Murray¡¯s wave is about to start. It¡¯s already been 45 minutes since the earthquake hit. If you look at it typically, the wave should start in the next 10 minutes. We need to communicate with headquarters! Hurry it up.¡±


    The Special Ops team was the bridge of communication for the Heroes and the Organization. Especially with the wired equipment. Not too long ago, they were briefly able to connect with the Organization, but it seems to be dead again.


    Suddenly, the commander heard from another Special Ops team, that they were able to get connection.


    ¡°Shit, what are you guys doing! Are you guys going to roll around like this until you throw up? Hurry up and connect with the cable!¡±


    As Lt. Colonel Kyu Hyun Kim went on a rant, the staff sgt. and sgts. were busy running around with frustrated expressions.


    The situation continued without any connection between the heroes and the Organization. Because of it, nobody from the city was able to know what was going on¡­¡­


    That this earthquake was quite a bit different from the previous ones.


    Chapter  3 ¨C End.

 Volume 3 - CH 4

    Chapter 4


    *     *     *     *


    Creeaaakkk


    Within the wreckage of the building, something the size of a little kid popped out. With a quick glance it seemed to look like a dog. However, once the dog like figure came out towards the light, anyone who could see the dog like figure would say that it wasn¡¯t as simple as it being a dog.


    There were 3 blinking eyes.


    It also had antennae, like blades protruding out of its body.


    It was definitely a monster.


    A Type D monster that was nicknamed as ¡®hound¡¯. It was a type of species that existed in level D earthquakes.


    Suddenly, another one came out from the other side. It was the same type as the first, a Type D Hound. Their numbers were continuing to expand as time went by.


    They opened the gate to this world through the earthquake.


    ¡°Ki KiKik.¡±


    Their red eyes were looking around left and right, then quickly turned their heads. At first they had a puzzled face, then as if they confirmed something, they started to move forward.


    Du DuDu .


    As these hounds continued to pick up speed, their numbers also continued to grow exponentially. What started out as a mere 10, continued to grow to a couple dozen, then to a couple hundred.


    They were running in concert towards the direction of the shelter.


    As always, monsters were able to feel where the humans were, and moved in order to kill off humanity.


    Currently, there were about 60,000 civilians in this shelter. About half of the civilians from downtown were able to make it out to the outer shelter, but the other half weren¡¯t and could only rush to the shelter not too far from the center of downtown.


    This shelter has been here and ready since the early 90¡¯s. It was structured so that even if the place was bombed, it wouldn¡¯t move even the slightest. However, it¡¯s already been 20 years since its creation and the facilities seemed to be underdeveloped.


    Even electricity wasn¡¯t working correctly so the shelter was covered with thousands of candle lights.


    The people within were struck with fear.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since the last one¡­¡­So weird, why are there so many all of sudden¡­..¡±


    Everyone was anxious.


    The topic was already discussed several times on the news. The frequency of the earthquakes were rising sharply. Within just this year, there has already been several big and small earthquakes. Not only that, each one of them had significant amount of casualties.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, it¡¯s ok. The heroes will come and save us¡­..¡±


    Said a mother trying to calm her crying baby. With those words, it seemed like the people around this lady also toughened up and calmed down.


    That¡¯s right.


    This dark night felt like an endless eternity to these people, but they knew that they had hope. No matter how dark the situation was, the civilians were sure that the heroes would save them.


    As they always have.


    However, compared to the civilians who thought of such ideas, there were some who knew the dangerous situation this earthquake could bring. These people were the heroes that were mixed in with the regular people in the shelter.


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like this situation is that simple.¡¯


    Thought Ironman, a Rank D level 342 hero.


    The earthquake this time around was on a completely different level from the previous ones. There has never been a time where they felt such thickness of magic in the airas they did this time.


    The only ones who were able to feel this were the heroes.


    ¡®I¡¯m not the only that has been feeling this way.¡¯


    Ironman looked around to look at the other heroes around him, and every single one of them had a serious expression on their face.


    These heroes evacuated to the shelter with the civilians when the earthquake hit. They also didn¡¯t have enough time to make it to the outer part of downtown. There were cars filling up the streets, and there was no control over the situation.


    There was just too little time to avoid the entirety of the earthquake. Previously, once the warning sirens went off, people had 3 ¨C 4 hours of time to reach a safe haven, but this time it was different.


    Not even an hour since the beginning of the incident, and they were already in a hazardous state.


    ¡®There¡¯s a 1 in a 10,000th chance of us having to fight.¡¯


    Thought the hero who fights with a metal pipe. He was a popular fellow. No, most Rank D heroes were like that. They were different from higher ranked heroes and had to rely on the assistance of other people therefore, most of their tactics involved group formations. Also, they had the job of going out and cleaning out the ruins of the city once the earthquakes were over.


    The refugee hero Joong Hyun Kim, aka Ironman, felt that this earthquake was different from the others.


    ¡®At the least, it should be a level B earthquake.¡¯


    The level 3 earthquake alert was still ongoing, which meant that the disaster in the Special Territory hasn¡¯t been completed yet. Even if they were able to stop the earthquake this time, there was no proof that they¡¯d be able to stop the next one.


    Currently, the Special Territorywas the center of South Korea. If the economy flow ended in the Special Territory then there would be devastating results to everyone. If the Organization doesn¡¯t hurry and stop the population from rushing towards the outer part of the city, then there was a high possibility that this region would become a ghost town. Of course, the economy flow wasn¡¯t the only reason that was important,there was a bigger reason than that.


    Which was to block any chain earthquakes.


    Currently, there were no scientific studies to prove this, but the level of earthquakes in each region was already fixed. However, if the whole population was to leave that region without a single person being left, the earthquake wouldn¡¯t happen. Instead, it would be pushed off to another region which still had people in it. When that happens, the earthquake will transcend your imagination.


    The big wave that hit in the 80¡¯s caused a casualty count of over several 10,000s.


    Anyways, with those reasons, the affected territory was closed off.


    Even if this earthquake was to end, this hell like situation would not be over.


    Joong Hyun, aka Ironman, was very prideful with the fact that he was a hero. However, he knew what level his powers were at.


    ¡°I hope my house is at least okay.¡±


    Prayed Ironman.


    Booooommmm.


    The entire ground beneath the shelter was shaking.


    People started to scream.


    ¡°What the, What is this sound?¡±


    ¡°Did, did someone just attack the shelter?¡±


    Everyone quickly fell into a state of panic. This situation wasn¡¯t something that happened very often. Heroes should have made it to the center of the earthquake, yet they were still getting attacked at the shelter.


    Ironman checked the time.


    ¡®It¡¯s been about an hour and a half since all of this started. It should be enough time for the stronger heroes to have hit the monster waves. Could there be a problem?¡¯


    Boooom!!


    This time there was a loud noise above the shelter.


    As people were running around left and right, the situation because hectic and hellish.


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    As Ironman continued to cuss, he made his way towards to upper- front part of the shelter, closer to the ground. Although he wasn¡¯t sure as to what was happening on the outside, he knew he had to do something if the shelter was being attacked.


    ¡°Get away from the front! We need to head down into the underground, as soon as possible.¡±


    Chapter 4 ¨C End.

 Volume 3 - CH 5

    Chapter 5


    The underdeveloped facilities of the shelter were too old and small to be able to contain all the refugees, which was why the top front part of the shelter should have been a people free zone. Unfortunately, because of the size of the shelter, there were a thousand plus people here.


    Including Ironman, all the other heroes in the shelter were now helping lead the refugees take cover underground.


    ¡°I hope everyone can maintain their order. If you rush through right now, many people will be injured.¡±


    As the refugees were trying to make it fully in to the shelter, there were several dozen people heading towards Ironman.


    ¡°I seem to have spotted a couple of familiar faces here.¡±


    ¡°Haha. This earthquake isn¡¯t normal yet I seem to have found some pathetic people trying to get involved with it. You must be in a rush to die.¡±


    The dozens of people heading towards Ironman were all heroes.


    ¡°Get back!! It¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    Yelled the soldiers in charge of controlling the crowd, with an expression as white as paper. However, these heroes did not stop.


    ¡°We are heroes.¡±


    All the Rank D and Rank C heroes were now gathered in the interior of the shelter.


    Amongst them, the strongest hero was a Rank C hero named Grey-Haired King. He was a grandpa that wouldbe turning 70 this year. This Grey-Haired King that was slightly bent at the waist and laughing, had a shocking power of making the enemy explode the moment battle started.


    ¡°I wonder if we can see some of your virtue Grey-Haired King.¡±


    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry about the virtue of an old guy like me. You youngsters go and fight as you wish.¡±


    In the midst of this conversation, another loud Booomm!!!was heard. There was a slight difference each time, but the sound was definitely growing.


    It was noise that could be heard at the edge of the entrance in the ceiling.


    ¡°There¡¯s no mistake about it. It¡¯s in front of this.¡±


    Ironman grasped his pipe tighter. His partner, the metal pipe, was very sturdy and although there wasn¡¯t much to look at besides that fact, it saved his life several times throughout his work as a hero.


    ¡°You both have been through much hardship. It doesn¡¯t look like you can control this area, so you should leave this area to us and go inside to help the people.¡±


    As the confused soldiers in the entrance way were debating on what to do, they made a decision and nodded their heads.


    ¡°Th, thank you! We wish you luck!¡±


    ¡°What luck¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Ironman, heroes must always be strong.¡± (Justice Man)


    Muttered Justice Man, the one next to Ironman. Justice Man wore a weird mask and trained his body to be extremely huge with muscles. He was a Rank C hero with a thick awareness of being a muscle maniac.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like listening to your ridiculous beliefs¡­..¡±


    As Ironman was going to rebuke Justice Man with an annoyed face, the second half of his sentence was cut off by a loud noise.


    BOOOOOM!!


    ¡°Fuck, it¡¯s finally here.¡±


    Ironman continued to grasp his pipe tightly as he cussed.


    The entryway to the shelter was bent because of the force and many blinking red eyes could be seen through the gap.


    Pu Puk!!


    There was an explosion of Type D Hound¡¯s bustling into the shelter.


    Grey-Haired King¡¯s magic shot forth. The amount of monsters that he killed in that moment was already over 10.


    ¡°Fall back now Grandpa Grey-Haired King!¡±


    A hero that was in the back, now moved forward.


    Grey-Haired King¡¯s endurance was very weak. He¡¯s already at an age where he could be retired, so his strength was weakening by the day.


    ¡°Gasp gasp, I¡¯ve gotten too old¡­¡­¡±


    The Grey-Haired King fell back and with cold sweat running down, tried to catch his breath. Ironman decided to move to the front as well.


    ¡°AHHHHHHHHHH! I am Ironman!!!!¡±


    The pipe in his hand shined with light as he killed off a Hound and fell back.


    All the heroes were struggling.


    The normal civilians that were running away as the entrance broke open, turned back around and started to cheer with loud voices.


    ¡°You can do it! You can do it!¡±


    All the heroes that were currently fighting, were heroes that were famous. They¡¯ve come out on TV many times, and contributed to saving many lives without thinking about their own promotions.


    These heroes were now fighting with their lives on the line.


    ¡°You can do it! You will never lose!¡±


    From young to old, everyone¡¯s minds seemed to become one as they continued to cheer.


    And as the heroes received these cheers, they fought with even more fierceness. They were destroying the endless amount of monsters rushing into the small space. It was the first time for everyone, to be fighting this many monsters at once.


    Each hero member has now killed off at least 10 monsters.


    ¡°Gasp gasp.¡±


    Even without anyone saying anything, the heroes were tired.


    With the little bit of magic that their body contained, they weren¡¯t used to fighting endless amounts of monsters.


    ¡°Keep pushing through a little while longer! There isn¡¯t much left!¡±


    As Justice Man yelled, he continued to move forward. In the beginning, he was busy using as much magic as he could, but now that he was tired he could only fight with magic in his fists.


    ¡®Shit, I really feel like dying. Do they think it¡¯s normal for Rank D heroes to be fighting this many monsters?¡¯


    Ironman was beginning to get dizzy. He¡¯s used up too much magic and even if someone lightly kicked him, he would probably still fall.


    ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡±


    Smash.


    Another monster was fiercely flown away as Ironman fell backwards to catch his breath.


    ¡®This is the end.¡¯


    He didn¡¯t have any energy left to move.


    Suddenly, he could feel someone picking him up and carrying him.


    ¡°You did well Ironman! However, you are a hero. It¡¯ll be troublesome for you to show a weak side when people are watching you fight.¡±


    ¡°Gasp Gasp. The monsters¡­¡­.and the monsters gone now?¡±


    ¡°Not sure. We seem to have at least blocked off the monsters that made it into the shelter.¡±


    Justice Man was the one to carry Ironman.


    At first¡­¡­¡­


    As he was thinking ¡®what a relief¡¯, there was a sudden ¡°WAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡±


    Chapter 5 ¨C End.

 Volume 3 - CH 6

    Chapter 6


    ¡°WAAAAAAHHHHHH!!¡±


    The people were cheering.


    They were watching the heroes risk their lives to save theirs. It wasn¡¯t often that they were able to see a hero in action, so this would be an experience that they would never forget for their entire life.


    It was also the same for the heroes.


    They were used to fighting desperately at the locations where the earthquakes hit.


    However, it was different now.


    No one knew who did it first, but eventually, all the heroes had their hands raised. They were responding to the cheers that the civilians were making.


    The fight wasn¡¯t over yet, however, the heroes that continued to struggle to protect the people were giving them hope.


    The hope of being able to survive.


    Sadly, it only took 5 minutes to break this dream.


    Squish.


    ¡°Uh,uhhkkkk¡­¡­¡±


    The Grey-Haired King¡¯s body shook. A tentacle was sticking out through the center of his chest. As the hero turned around to see what it was, he was torn to pieces everywhere.


    ¡°KYAAAAAAKKKKKKK!¡±


    People were screaming of fright and in the midst of blood being sprayed everywhere.


    BOOOOOM!!


    The entrance to the shelter fell apart.


    The doors that could even survive severe bombings simply fell apart. Even before anyone could identify the owner of the tentacle that killed The Grey-Haired King, an overwhelming despair pushed its head through the entrance.


    ¡°Giant type¡­¡­.¡±


    A Giant humanoid, that was 6m in height, peered into the shelter with a drooling face.


    ¡°KWWWAAAHHHHH!!¡±


    A robust fist flew through the air.


    BOOOOOMMM!!


    ¡°Ughhhhh¡­.¡±


    Ironman shook his head in order to focus his thoughts and hazy eyes. He could see the waning sky. The wreckage of a broken building, and the torn sky.


    It was the strange appearance that the sky produced when an earthquake hit.


    Ironman¡¯s body felt light. What exactly happened?


    At that moment, he recalled the fight that he had within the shelter and the sudden appearance of the Giant type monster. With just its size, it looked to be a Type B or Type C.


    ¡°F, fuck¡­¡­¡±


    Even if a Rank C hero had 2 lives, he would never be able to kill a Giant type that was Type B or Type C.


    The first appearance of the Giant type was found in North America.


    At that time, there was a huge earthquake with no precedence to its level, so it was marked as an S level earthquake. 3 states were also completely swept through in the center of North America.


    The ones to lead this plight were 5 Type C monsters as well as a Type B Giant, and now a Giant type has appeared on this land as well.


    ¡®It¡¯s completely impossible. There¡¯s nothing that I can do now. The only strength that I have is to pour my magic into this pipe, and release it at the point of contact. With just this, there¡¯s no way that I can even be challenged to these types of monsters!¡¯


    The name of ¡®Ironman¡¯ is worthless in front of the Giant. He was nothing but a regular civilian in the eyes of the monster.


    ¡°Mom, MOMMM!!!¡±


    As Ironman was locked in despair, a loud scream was heard, which woke him up from his dreams. In the shelter that was now half destroyed,the civilians were madly screaming. There was also a kid crying his eye out, because he had lost his mother from right under his nose.


    The child¡¯s mother was dead. She was struck down by the wreckage of the broken shelter.


    ¡°Kid, Hurry and head into¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom, MOM! MOMMMM¡­!!¡±


    He was a kid that lost his mother. There were no words that could reach him. Ironman forcefully picked the child up and ran into the interior. The child continued to struggle as he called out for his mom, but Ironman didn¡¯t budge and rushed inside. As the people were in a state of panic, Ironman found the  woman who seemed to be the calmest, and handed the child over to her. She already had 2 other children with her.


    ¡°I apologize, this child has just lost his mother. Is there any way you can hold onto him for now?¡±


    ¡°A, alright. I will take care of this child, so please¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, okay. Don¡¯t worry. I will protect you all. That¡¯s what a hero needs to do.¡±


    It was an outrageous thing to say.


    There was nothing that he could do.


    A normal hero like himself could not fight off the preposterous monsters.


    Truly a stupid thing to say.


    Were his reasons paralyzed due to the country¡¯s brainwashing about justice and self-sacrifices?


    However, Ironman was able to see it, the slight relief on the woman¡¯s face.


    At that moment, for an unknown reason, Ironman was about to cry.


    [Heroes must be strong.


    They should never be weak and should never give up.


    Even at the last moment, they must continue to give hope because that is their existence.]


    This was the hero commandment that he learned in college.


    ¡®Why am I remembering this all of a suddenly.¡¯


    Once a person is verified with having an ability, they are placed in a ¡®hero development¡¯ agency, where they spend their childhood in, and is put into the Hero Department once they enter college. Which is why they always await the moment their powers awaken.


    Ironman was the same.


    The powers that finally awakened though, were worthless and of the lowest rank. Not only that, but there was no improvement even when training hard.


    ¡®That monster is not an enemy I can face, however¡­¡­¡¯


    Babooom!


    The Giant hasn¡¯t been able to make it into the shelter yet, because with every movement it made, the building shook. It was fortunate for them, however, there were now Hounds gathering across the way.


    ¡°This is a fucking mess. For it to be a level where both Giants and Hounds are appearing. There¡¯s no doubt that this earthquake is at least a level A rank.¡±


    Ironman gripped his pipe tightly.


    All the other heroes were nowhere to be seen.


    This was going to be a fight he had to go through by himself.


    ¡°GRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!


    Chapter 6 ¨C End.

 Volume 3 - CH 7

    Chapter 7


    *     *     *     *


    ¡°What a mess.¡±, muttered Haneul.


    When he arrived to the battlefield, all he could see were wreckages of broken buildings and streets that were ripped open. It wasn¡¯t a busy street, but there were still a lot of change from when the neon lights were blinking with many cars bustling about.


    Haneul looked around his vicinity.


    It was in order to capture the monster aura¡¯s around him.


    ¡®Am I too late?¡¯


    Haneul shockingly crossed over 30km in less than 10 minutes to reach his destination. His body level transcended his previous by leaps and bounds. However, Haneul was still unable to understand his true level of abilities.


    He felt that there was a possibility that everything was already finished due to him being late, and continued to run around frantically.


    Haneul could feel the aura of the monsters that came out from Murray¡¯s earthquake. He wasn¡¯t sure as to how long he¡¯s been running around for, but he could feel a familiar aura from a distance not too far from him. It was an aura that was much greater than the Reptile¡¯s that he fought previously. However, the special patterns radiating from the aura wasn¡¯t much different from the Reptile¡¯s.


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s to be expected.¡±


    Haneul ran towards the huge aura and was soon able to see his adversary.


    ¡°Wow, that thing is huge.¡±


    It was a being that was the size of an average building and it was obvious that it was a monster. However, when compared to his previous experience, it was a monster that was 3 times bigger.


    Right when he was about to head towards the monster, he noticed that it was fighting with someone else already.


    BOOOM!!


    The Giant took a few steps back and fell. Suddenly, a huge boulder rose up to the sky and dropped heavily onto the Giant.


    It was a shocking sight.


    ¡®Amazing.¡¯


    Haneul was able to feel the thin layer of magic that was wrapped around that huge boulder.


    Psychic President was at that location.


    ¡°What a stubborn fellow. Only good thing about it is it¡¯s life force.¡±


    The  Giant wasn¡¯t prone to falling down easily. Even modern firearms did nothing to the monsters that came out from earthquakes, let alone indirect damage. When compared with the other monsters, the Giant was much more superior in ability and endurance.


    ¡°OOOOOOO WUHHHHHHHHH!¡±


    A shocking vibrant shout.


    ¡®Is it because it¡¯s a Level A earthquake that things are definitely different. Just looking at the monster visually, it was much stronger and more dangerous than the Reptiles.¡¯


    Haneul swallowed a dry spit. Whether it was the scale of the fight or the method, it was too big of a gap from his experience.


    ¡®Shit, the Organization must have gotten something wrong. There¡¯s no way that I¡¯m a Rank A hero. No, even if I was, isn¡¯t it suicide to send me on a mission like this when I¡¯m new?¡¯


    No matter how much Haneul thought about it, the way they handled people were too rough.


    I¡¯m still new, yet they didn¡¯t even tell me what I should be expecting.


    ¡®Shitty bastards, just cause it¡¯s not their own life they use us how ever they want to.¡¯


    Haneul received a manual for a Rank C fights, but none for any of the ranks above that.


    Reason?


    It was simple. There was no way for a newby to be fighting in anything above a Rank C fight.


    Whatever the reason, Haneul showed outstanding skills at Central South recently, and officially registered with the Organization while rating his latent powers.


    The result? He was established as a Rank A hero.


    In that situation, an earthquake hit. As it turned out to be a Level A earthquake, the hectic Organization had no choice but to send out all of their reinforcements. Haneul was unlucky to be registered as a Rank A hero and was sent out to fight.


    As Haneul didn¡¯t know the truth, his only choice was to blend in with the veteran heroes and survive through this ordeal.


    ¡®Huh? Who are you?!¡±


    As Haneul slightly peeked out from an alley way, someone was rushing towards him.


    Haneul coughed and stated, ¡°I am a hero.¡±


    ¡®What¡¯s wrong with my voice?¡¯


    Haneul just noticed how thick his voice came out. The thick voice seemed to be one of the functions of his armor.


    ¡®I¡¯m loving this thing more and more.¡¯


    The man tilted his head and reached Haneul¡¯s location. Seeing him up close, this man was tall with a mountain like body. He looked like a true man.


    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re a hero I¡¯ve never seen before. Any who, I¡¯m glad you came. The fact that you¡¯re hero proves that you¡¯re also a Rank A hero. Now, hurry and move! Starting now, we¡¯re going to move toward the shelter!¡±


    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time to explain everything! Time does not wait for the youth!¡±


    Where is this ¡®youth¡¯ coming from¡­¡­


    ¡°Now listen. Not long ago, the shelter was attacked. Those stupid monsters, as cunning as they are were using diversion tactics on us. The monster¡¯s main force are currently at this location, and because we were short staffed I was going to head to the shelter myself. But, I¡¯m glad to have  found a tardy hero. No point in going there when they have more manpower, so we should be able to end this a lot quicker since you¡¯re also here.¡±


    ¡°Hold on a minute. Shelter? You¡¯re saying there are people at the shelter right now?¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking such an obvious question? We don¡¯t have time. You nameless hero! Hurry and start moving!¡±


    At that moment, Haneul¡¯s facial expression inside his armor, changed.


    The thoughts of him wanting to just survive this situation completely vanished.


    ¡°Where is the shelter located?¡±


    The middle-aged man laughed as he nodded.


    ¡°Those are good eyes. Let¡¯s go together. Ah, I forgot to ask you. What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Han¡­¡­no, Silver Knight.¡±


    ¡°What an awesome name. You can call me Burning Soul.¡±


    The two heroes rushed forth. Thinking of the people¡¯s lives, they quickly disappeared from their location.


    Chapter 7 ¨C End.

 Volume 3 - CH 8

    Chapter 8


    Less than a minute after Burning Soul and Haneul disappeared, a new person appeared. They were fully equipped with gear.


    ¡°What the, where did Burning Soul run off to?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m not sure. Maybe he already left for the battlefield?¡±


    These people were the Hero Reporter and cameraman. They quickly rushed over after hearing Haneul and Burning Soul¡¯s dialogue, but they were already too late.


    ¡°Man, seriously! We have to get a shot of Burning Soul! There¡¯s not much difference if we film Psychic President like the other Hero Reporter¡¯s!¡±


    However, because the Reporter had no other choice, they turned back around. They were now headed towards a Rank A hero¡¯s fight.


    Starting with the Psychic President, there were plenty of fierce battles going on.  Either way, a Reporter¡¯s job is to show the sacrifices a hero makes in order to protect the people, so there was no point in complaining.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We can¡¯t go back empty handed you know.¡±


    They started to run. Just as the heroes were risking their lives, this occupation resulted in their lives getting risked as well.


    *     *     *     *


    ¡°Director, it seems like the species of monsters on the battlefield has grown by one more.¡±


    ¡®What do you mean? The Hound¡¯s and Giant¡¯s are already on the field, how can there be another type of monster?¡±


    ¡°We were able to confirm that they opened the gate and stepped through.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so bullshit. So, what monster appeared?¡±


    ¡°That is¡­.. not too long ago, we confirmed the appearance of  the Wizard types.¡±


    Suddenly, Director JooHyuk Park¡¯s face distorted.


    At the sound of hearing that it was the Wizard types, Director JooHyuk Park¡¯s aides faces also hardened.


    The reason why was because, if it was true, the whole circumstance changed.


    Whether, it were the Giants, Hounds, or Reptiles, none of them can compare to the Wizards. They were on a different scale when compared to normal monsters.


    ¡°For Wizards to appear¡­..This is the worst case scenario.¡±


    The base of a Wizard¡¯s firepower was completely different. Just as the name states, they do not depend on physical force like the other monsters, and just like heroes, they¡¯re able to use their magic in order to bring about special powers. Just looking back at the results from different earthquakes, whenever a Wizard appeared, there was never a time where they fully contained the situation. Also because there are so many Wizard entities, the Organization has not been able to put them in a specific classification.


    ¡°So, how many Wizards are there?¡±


    ¡°Currently, we¡¯re able to see two of them and they seem to be releasing a lot of energy near many Rank A heroes.¡±


    ¡°What are the unique types for these Wizards?¡±


    ¡°One of them seems to be in the Tentacle family, and the other one seems to be from the Flame family.¡±


    ¡°Chet. Everything is going down the shithole. Who the fuck is the one that¡¯s been specifying the level for the earthquakes? We got so much shit from the last earthquake at Central South, yet you guys make the same mistake?!  Everyone open your fucking ears and listen up! Starting now, we are not considering the East Area as a Level A Earthquake.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir! What level do you deem it to be then?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? Obviously it¡¯s Level S. Also, make sure you immediately let the heroes out there know the changes, and tell the Rank S heroes to fight in the front line.¡±


    ¡°Director, we only have one Rank S hero out on the battlefield currently!¡±


    JooHyuk Park¡¯s head felt like it was about to split. Usually, higher ranked heroes were never sent out when an earthquake was Level A or below. The reason was, because there was much more growth when fighting in a dangerous environment.


    ¡°So, which Rank S hero is at the location?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Level 19, Rank S hero Burning Soul.¡±


    Level 19, Rank S hero Burning Soul. That hero that boasts his overwhelming firepower is on the battlefield right now?


    ¡°Our luck is good then. That person is on the field right now? Then inform the Rank A heroes to not push themselves, and instead support Burning Soul.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡±


    However, during JooHyuk Park¡¯s orders, a message was relayed.


    ¡°Bu, Burning Soul is currently on an independent mission sir!¡±


    ¡°What was that? Are we not able to communicate with him?¡±


    ¡°N, no sir. We were told that he left on his own to the shelter for a rescue mission.¡±


    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake! He should¡¯ve told headquarters if he was going to go on an independent mission. There¡¯s nothing we can do, since it¡¯s already happened. Hurry and organize some personnel¡¯s and stick them with Burning Soul! With the appearance of the Wizard¡¯s, we have no idea which monsters are going to be located by the shelter!!¡±


    It¡¯s only been 16 minutes since the main headquarters received the news that the shelter was in danger.


    There was no use thinking about it. There is an overwhelming 60,000 people at the shelter, unable to move or do anything. If they weren¡¯t able to save these 60,000 people, this whole mission was pointless.


    Heroes fought in order to protect.


    That is why the moment JooHyuk Park found out about the Wizards, he gave out orders to organize a hero team to go and protect the shelter. Even this was before the Wizards came out, and the earthquake was still Level A, JooHyuk Park wouldn¡¯t have been too worried even if Burning Soul moved about independently.


    However, with the appearance of the Wizards, there are no guarantees that the fight could be won even with a Rank S hero like Burning Soul. This was how fearsome the Wizard types were.


    Suddenly, the visual showing on the screen shook and turned off.


    ¡°What the, what happened?!¡±


    ¡°It seems like moments ago, the Flame type wizard swept through and killed the reconnaissance team!!¡±


    Every problem was being piled upon each other.


    BANG!


    ¡°FUCK! WHY ISN¡¯T ANYTHING WORKING OUT! THOSE DAMNED FUCKERS!¡±


    Chapter 8 ¨C End.

 Volume 3 - CH 9

    Chapter 9


    *     *     *     *


    The first monsters that the Rank A heroes fought since the earthquake appeared were the Giants. These Giants were hard to kill because of their defense and ability to take blows.


    Even the Psychic President, who liked to boast about his powerful ¡®ESP¡¯ and long distance prowess, could do nothing but complain. The Giants were natural enemies to his abilities.


    ¡°Chet, you dirty little friends. When do you guys plan on getting back up?¡±


    Although, ¡®ESP¡¯ was limitless with the amount of ways it could be utilized, the amount of magic used each time was that much more exhausting. In the end, near the late half of the fights, the heroes on standby had to come in to finish the job.


    The battles would be much easier if everyone joined in on the fights, but the heroes still felt confident in their skills because none of these monsters were life threatening yet.


    ¡°This monster is a hard opponent for you to fight Psychic President, why don¡¯t you leave it for someone else now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, stop trying to solo it.¡±


    Mister Black and Wild Bolt were now trying to take the front. Both heroes were melee type heroes. Although, they weren¡¯t the most effective match against the Giants, they weren¡¯t a horrible match either.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do then. I¡¯ll leave it to you two misters.¡± (Psychic President)


    As Psychic President moved back, the two heroes jumped forward in a hurry and attacked the Giant with all they had.


    That¡¯s when it happened.


    The first appearance of the Wizard, and the first one to identify it was the Green Eagle.


    Because he was a hero that also excelled in long distance battles, he was able to see things several meters in advance compared to melee heroes.


    ¡°Wizard type¡­¡­.:


    The Wizard type was dangerous. They had a very unusual type of firepower and there wasn¡¯t much information regarding them. However, the number one rule after seeing them was to kill them as quickly as possible.


    ¡°For there to be a wizard. Is this really a simple Level A earthquake? For there to be three different type of monsters appearing..¡±


    As Green Eagle was surprised and perplexed about the situation, he immediately told the reconnaissance team that was on standby next to him.


    That¡¯s when the main headquarters found out about the first appearance of the Wizards.


    ¡®Hopefully the heroes that are currently on the battlefield have noticed its existence, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case¡­¡­.¡¯


    Green Eagle pulled his bowstring and filled it with magic.


    He wanted to identify the Wizards exact family type.


    The magic filled arrow shined brightly as it cut through the air. The magic arrow shot through from the alleyway moved at the speed of light towards the Wizard. The Wizard seemed to be the size of a little kid.


    And, the moment the arrow was close to it.


    BOOOOOOM!!


    The magic filled arrow exploded forth, however, Green Eagle¡¯s face looked even more distorted.


    ¡°Fuck, it seems to be from the tentacle family¡­¡­¡±


    Of the identified types of Wizards seen so far, the tentacle Wizards had absolute defense when it came to long rang and mid range attacks. Using the hundreds and thousands of tentacle like arms, they were able to render any of the attacks to nothingness.


    This meant that, Green Eagle was absolutely not its opponent. Suddenly, in another battlefield to the right of the tentacle Wizard, a superbly red flame rose up into the sky.


    Out of all the monsters identified so far, it¡¯s very uncommon for there to be one with such mighty flames.


    ¡°Did another Wizard show up over there as well? Shit, how many types of monsters are going to be showing up exactly?¡±


    With the appearance of the Wizard types, none of the Rank A heroes were confident anymore. They now had to give it their all in order to kill them as quickly as possible.


    As twenty of the heroes tried to move forward together, 2 Giants suddenly appeared from the back to block them from their advancement.


    They were assigned their own roles.


    ¡°Does this mean these monsters are working together to fill their specific roles¡­¡­?¡± muttered the reconnaissance team superior, who barely survived the barrage from the flame Wizard.


    Even in that dangerous situation, he tried his best to protect and recover his wired equipment. Thankfully, the one that was placed in reserve was unaffected by the attack. Headquarters had to see this situation as soon as possible. That was the only way they would be able to make it out of this alive.


    On another note, Burning Soul and Haneul were currently running frantically towards the shelter, and they were unaware of the level change for the earthquake.


    ¡°Little shits. There¡¯s definitely a lot of them.¡±


    Burning Soul raised his hand in order to stop Haneul from moving forward.


    ¡°The Hounds aren¡¯t much of an issue, but the Giants are a bit annoying to take care of. Seeing as how there¡¯s so many of them here, it seems like they smelled the humans that were hiding within the shelter.¡±


    ¡°Are we going to be fighting here then?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s good. Your momentum hasn¡¯t dropped even though we have to fight off all those monsters with just the two of us.¡±


    Just looking from a glance, there were already 4 Giants to fight off.


    Each step they took shook the Earth and crushed the grounds, yet they didn¡¯t look too dangerous.


    ¡°Taking a quick look at them, they seem to be regular Type C Giants. Silver Knight, do you have any experience fighting the Giants?¡±


    ¡°No, I have none.¡±


    ¡°How resolute. Well, that¡¯s what I thought in the first place. You look like you have very little experience. However, to have come here as a Rank A hero must mean you¡¯re able to fight a little bit. I led you to this location as a fellow colleague, so let me ask you. Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°Burning Soul, if you¡¯re a hero, don¡¯t worry about my safety and just save the refugees. I will do what I need to do by myself.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d you say? BAHAHAHAHAHA! What great ambition. I can feel the confidence of youth! I expect you to back that big talk you just made with some skills. I¡¯m not the type to fight while getting help or support. What about you?¡±


    How about me?


    I don¡¯t know.


    The only battle experience that Haneul had so far was from Central South. He didn¡¯t know what it felt like to work together as a team, so if he was to choose which side he was more comfortable with¡­..


    ¡°I¡¯m also the type to fight solo.¡±


    ¡°BAHAHAHAHA! Great, I feel like you and I will become good friends. Then let¡¯s hope that we can survive through this so that we can meet again.¡±


    Burning Soul smiled and jumped away. The moment he unleashed his magic, his whole body was shining with a light as bright as the sun.


    BOOOOM!!!


    It was thrilling to see Burning Soul jump into the middle of enemy territory and rip everything to shreds.


    ¡®Amazing. That¡¯s what a Rank A hero is like? If it¡¯s like that, it¡¯s hard to even call him a human being. How am I on the same level as that beast?¡¯


    As Haneul was shocked with Burning Soul¡¯s performance, he shook his head in order to awaken from his stupor. It wasn¡¯t the time to be shocked. There could be civilians getting attacked at this moment by these evil monsters.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this!!¡±


    Chapter 9 ¨C End.

 Volume 3 - CH 10

    Chapter 10


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this!!¡±


    Haneul clenched his fist tightly. A warm aura gushed out from his body, and his magic wriggled about as it was released. From that point on, his fighting spirit started to rise up.


    *     *     *     *


    The monsters that were around the shelter were moving differently now.


    ¡°Grrrr.¡±


    The Giants and Hounds stopped moving. They were able to feel an extremely strong magic welling up behind them.


    It was Dangerous.


    With the arrival of this overwhelming magic, their fellow companions were dying.


    It was an enemy.


    The monsters turned to look back.


    They were now able to see who their newly arrived enemy was, and all of his strong fighting spirit and magic. His magic was overwhelming, just like the sun.


    This new enemy was Burning Soul. The monsters were being drawn to his brilliant magic, just like the planets are drawn to the sun.


    Burning Soul¡¯s fight was very domineering. With every punch and kick that flew, every monster that got hit was enveloped by flames and burnt to nothingness.


    As the majority of the monsters headed towards Burning Soul, Haneul was thankful that he was only getting a small portion of them.


    He did not want to fight the monsters in the middle of their huge swarm. Haneul felt that he was still a normal, newby hero unlike the beastly Burning Soul. Either way, Haneul¡¯s first target that he chose were the weaker looking Hounds, rather than the Giants.


    ¡°Ki KiKik!¡±


    One of the Hounds that were getting ready to attack Burning Soul suddenly stopped moving, turned its head, and looked towards Haneul. It was very hostile.


    However, before the monster could attack, Haneul jumped in first.


    BOOOM!


    As the Hound was hit with a fist that came out at lightning speed, its body was torn into pieces and fell onto the ground. The Hound wasn¡¯t able to contain the burst of magic that erupted at the point of contact.


    Even Burning Soul, who was at the peak of his fighting, suddenly stopped fighting and felt the subsiding magic.


    ¡°BAHAHAHAHAHA! Good, good! You¡¯re a much stronger hero than I thought.¡±


    Although Haneul and Burning Soul were now separated with a good amount of distance, Haneul was still able to hear Burning Soul¡¯s laughter very clearly.


    ¡°He¡¯s actually laughing in the midst of all those monsters. Are there no mentally sane heroes?¡±


    Haneul was confused as to how Burning Soul was able to laugh in a hell like situation like this.


    ¡®Either way, these Hounds don¡¯t just LOOK weak, but actually ARE weak.¡¯


    That¡¯s right.


    These monsters were weak.


    Haneul was already able to kill off ten of these monsters.


    He never had to raise more than one fist in order to finish them off.


    One hit kill.


    Although Haneul¡¯s fighting style was completely different from Burning Soul¡¯s, he was very overwhelming to these weak little monsters.


    And although he wasn¡¯t aware of it currently, Haneul¡¯s movements were also getting very concise. This meant that his physique was adapting at an amazingly fast pace.


    ¡°Now I know for sure, the exact amount of magic I need to use in order to kill you guys.¡±


    At first, Haneul wasn¡¯t sure as to how many punches he needed to throw out in order to kill the Hounds, so he held back on his magic. However, now he was able to feel how much magic he needed to use.


    With the type of defense that the Hounds had, they weren¡¯t able to support the burst of magic coming out through Haneul¡¯s fists.


    These hounds were super fast when it came to speed. However, their attack was very weak. Even if Haneul was to get hit with their attacks, his silver armor wouldn¡¯t even get a scratch.


    ¡®I¡¯m strong, I can do this.¡¯


    Haneul¡¯s confidence was gradually growing.


    As his body was starting to get warmed up, Haneul was able to feel the same feelings he felt when he was fighting in Central South. It felt like his hands and feet were moving on its own.


    Boom! Ba Boom!


    The Hounds weren¡¯t able to bear the magic being released from Haneul¡¯s hands and feet. Their heads were either blown up or their bodies were torn to pieces, and rolled about on the ground.


    With the corpses being built up, Haneul¡¯s existence was now grabbing the attention of all the other monsters.


    They recognized Haneul to be a strong person, so the army of monsters immediately changed its movements.


    If attacking Burning Soul was the goal before, for these monsters, it wasn¡¯t like that anymore. One of the Giants stepping about loudly, turned its head, and started heading towards Haneul.


    Haneul also turned his head.


    ¡®I¡¯m guessing this monster is the main type for the earthquake this time around?¡¯


    They were very different from Hounds. As Haneul was a bit nervous, he calculated the distance between himself and the Giant, and suddenly moved at lightning speed.


    BOOOOOM!!


    The Giant had smashed down at the location where Haneul was just at, and the ground was now shaking violently.


    ¡®What a crazy amount of strength. One hit of that and it¡¯ll definitely get dangerous. However, that¡¯s it. Its attacking speed is way too slow, and way too easy to be dodged.¡¯


    As big as its body was, the Giant¡¯s movements were sluggish.


    If that¡¯s the case, dealing with the Giant wasn¡¯t going to be too hard.


    Click.


    Magic was quickly being gathers into the silver plate on Haneul¡¯s wrist.


    Haneul bent low to the ground as he was about to attack the Giant head on.


    He waited until a critical moment, and brought down a fatal blow to the Giants body.


    There was no fear in Haneul¡¯s heart, only certainty.


    Chapter 10 ¨C End.

 Volume 3 - CH 11

    Chapter 11


    As Haneul was about to make his move again, he felt a similar aura being disseminated behind him, as the Giant in front of him.


    As Haneul was spellbound by that aura, he bounced back and broke the flow of his attack in one tempo.


    He glanced at the location where he could feel the aura. There was a monster there that looked to be similar to the Giant that he was currently facing.


    However, itsappearance was slightly different.


    It had its back towards Haneul, and it was scrunched up looking for something. Haneul wasn¡¯t able to see this monster before because it was being blocked out by a building.


    ¡®What is it doing?¡¯


    As Haneul was thinking that, his face distorted severely.


    The Giant that Haneul was facing earlier knew Haneul had his attention elsewhere, and decided it was the perfect time to attack.


    It quickly raised its fist, and struck down intensely.


    ¡°KUWWUHHHH!!¡±


    BANG!!


    The ground shook, then suddenly¡­


    BA BANGG!!


    The Giant¡¯s body shook as it dropped down onto its knees. There was red blood flowing out from its slightly opened lip.


    ¡°KU WUH WUK¡­¡­.¡±


    The Giant¡¯s neck was now rammed into the ground.


    In the middle of its body, a sizzling heat could be seen.


    Sizzle.


    A combustive reaction was flowing out from the white magic.


    Haneul roughly tossed the Giant¡¯s body to the side to look at its appearance.


    The monster¡¯s appearance was smeared with blood, when suddenly, the blood vaporized and disappeared. Haneul¡¯s whole body was heating up, and nothing could be seen in his eyes except extreme anger.


    Crack.


    It was the shelter.


    There was no doubt about it that the hidden Giant that was currently looking for something, was right in front of the shelter.


    BANG!


    Haneul kicked hard onto the ground and shot up into the air.


    *     *     *     *


    ¡°Gasp gasp.¡±


    Ironman was spitting as he tried to breathe. His heart was beating so hard that it felt like it was going to burst, and although he was already having a tough time breathing, he did not give up.


    ¡°GRAAAHHHHHH!!¡±


    SMASH!


    Another Hound was destroyed.


    It was pointless to count how many Hounds were killed by Ironman. He was just desperately fighting. All of his veins were protruding out, as he was completely depleted of magic.


    ¡°Ironman¡­¡±


    Even the civilians couldn¡¯t bring themselves to cheer.


    Anyone could clearly see that Ironman was way past his limit. He did everything he could in order to kill off the herd of Hounds, and because of that, was covered with blood.


    He was in no condition to fight, yet he was still standing and blocking the path towards the civilians.


    ¡°Goooooo¡­¡­¡±


    A giant was pushing away some of the wreckage with its big hands.


    Ironman was able to successfully block off the wave of Hounds, but this was the end. If the Giant was to attack earnestly, there was no way for them to survive it.


    The civilians were shaking in fear.


    In the end, the heroes were unable to save them, even though they fought their hardest from the beginning to the end.


    At that time, one of the civilians overcame their fear, walked towards Ironman, and placed their hand onto his shoulder.


    Ironman turned around as he flinched.


    A middle aged man was looking at him and smiling, nodding away as if to say ¡°You¡¯ve fought well, Thanks¡­..¡±


    Although they were still scared, the people behind the middle aged man made the same face expressions while looking at Ironman.


    With a blank expression, Ironman stared at the people and clenched his teeth. He was on the verge of crying and could feel the tears welling up.


    ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorr¡­¡­sorry¡­¡­..I¡¯m not a strong hero¡­¡­¡±


    Ironman tried his best to keep himself from crying, but in the end, tears dropped like waterfalls down his eyes. He turned back around and looked forward.


    ¡°I, I will still not give up. Heroes do not give up. I will become your hope until the very last moment.¡±


    Ironman refined his breathing.


    He had the feeling that, if it was now, he could do anything.


    Running forth frantically, he jumped over the shelter¡¯s wreckage, heading towards the Giant that was tilting his head behind an iron frame.


    With this opportunity, Ironman¡¯s goal was to hit the Giant in the back of the neck, because that was its weakness. If done correctly, he would have time to rush out to the open where the other heroes might be located.


    There was a loud noise that he heard earlier, so he believed there to be a hero fighting nearby.


    If he was able to gain even a little bit of time while stalling the Giant, it was considered a miracle since he¡¯s only a Rank D hero.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, let¡¯s just do what I can do.¡±


    Chapter 11 ¨C End.

 Volume 3 - CH 12

    Chapter 12


    Somewhere deep inside Ironman, a miraculous event was happening and magic started to well up. It was like a message from the heavens telling him not to give up.


    Protecting the civilians was the job of a hero, and was what made up a hero. Ironman instantly jumped high into the sky, as he poured all his magic into the metal pipe. The pipe was radiating with light.


    BAAMMMM!


    The sound of the metal pipe hitting the back of the Giant¡¯s neck could be heard.


    ¡°Grrrrr¡­¡­¡±


    The Giant turned around as it flinched from the shock on the back of its neck.


    Ironman could feel his magic disappearing at an alarming rate, so he strongly kicked off of the Giant in order to make it out towards the city.


    ¡°UUUWWUUUUUKKKKKK!!!!¡±


    BANG BANGBANG!


    In the midst of stone debris flying around everywhere, Ironman used all of his strength to run as fast as he could. As he felt a sweet tasting liquid in his mouth, Ironman saw a huge army of monsters moving about. However, they weren¡¯t rushing towards the shelter and were heading out towards the opposite direction.


    ¡®Is it another hero?¡¯


    As he was thinking such thoughts, Ironman suddenly got the chills. He jumped to the side without any hesitation, and his feelings were correct.


    BOOOOOMMM!!


    ¡°Gasp gasp.¡±


    Ironman struggled to catch his breath. He was able to dodge the attack, however, he lost all of strength as he weakly fell to the ground.


    He did not have any energy left to move on.


    Just as he was thinking that, someone spoke out to him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well.¡±


    As Ironman was starting to lose his vision, he lifted up his neck to see who it was.


    And as he did, he was able to see a broad, wide back. A shiny silver armor was now standing in front of him and enveloping that wide back.


    ¡°You, You are¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I am a hero just like yourself, you can call me the Silver Knight.¡±


    Chapter 12 ¨C End.

 Volume 4 - CH 1

    Chapter 1


    Haneul¡¯s heart became heavy as he looked at Ironman¡¯s gory appearance and heavy breathing. He was able to tell with one glance that, although Ironman was a hero, he didn¡¯t have much magic within him.


    That type of person continued to fight until the end, and even tried to fight off the Giant that tried to make its way into the shelter.


    That self-sacrifice type of mentality really gave Ironman a heroic feeling.


    And because of that, Haneul felt weird calling himself a hero now. Haneul only became a hero in order to fulfill his dream and for profit. Not because he had a strong sense of justice and a self-sacrificing mentality.


    ¡®However because of that, I need to¡­¡¯


    Try and understand a little bit more of Ironman¡¯s attributes. If I do, I won¡¯t ever run away and will instead fight until the end. I will overcome my limits and disadvantageous situations with responsibility.


    Haneul¡¯s eyes were shining with a different light.


    ¡°Grrrr¡­..¡±


    The Giant rolled its eyes filled with madness.


    It was unhappy with the fact that a small rat didn¡¯t know its place, and instead attacked the Giant. The Giant raised its fist and didn¡¯t care that another rat appeared to its side.


    With its huge fist raised to the sky, The Giant dropped it down with an immense speed.


    The Giant looked down on the two rats, because he saw them as small, weak little creatures.


    It was unable to understand what happened afterwards.


    BA BOOM!


    It sounded as if lightning dropped from the sky. The Giant¡¯s bones were broken and it fell down to its side.


    BANG BANG!


    As the Giant¡¯s huge body fell, it pushed against a nearby building.


    ¡°KWWWUHHHHHHH!!!¡±


    Not understanding why it was falling, the Giant¡¯s anger exploded forth as it tried to get back up. However, as it tried to get back up, the Giant got a feeling that something was a little off. It could feel its body tilting forward and its knees stuck to the ground.


    ¡°I guess the majority of monsters are this foolish and stupid.¡±


    As the Giant heard this calm voice, it turned its head around and swung its fist.


    BA BANG!


    An oppressing shockwave cause the nearby buildings to collapse.


    ¡°Krrrrrr!!¡±


    The Giant was growling.


    It wasn¡¯t able to hit the insignificant creature that should be dead after one hit.


    That was when the Giant realized that the new hero that arrived was a dangerous existence.


    With an amazingly fast speed, Silver Knight ran across the Giant¡¯s straightened arm and readied his fist.


    Clang.


    The moment the cover on his fist filled up with magic, an intense heat gathered up like a whirlwind. As Haneul¡¯sfist hit the Giant¡¯s face, something exploded.


    BANNGGGG!


    Patter patter.


    The Giant¡¯s face exploded as its blood sprang forth and shot into the air. The organs and blood fell onto the ground with a pitter patter, and its headless body dropped to the ground.


    ¡°Un, unbelievable.¡±


    Ironman had his mouth wide open and was filled with admiration.


    It only took two hits.


    Two hits to take down the Giant.


    The first hit that dropped down sounded like a lightning drop, and was aimed at the Giant¡¯s stable legs. This caused the Giant to get knocked down to its knees.


    The Giant seemed to be confused as to why it was kneeling on the ground, and right then, the arm that was shot out got dodged as something rushed forth and hit its face.


    What looked to be an invincible beast was taken down so easily.


    However, there were currently still hundreds and thousands of monsters from the earthquake, and Ironman was worried that Silver Knight might have used up all his magic on the Giant.


    BAANG!


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    It was unfounded.


    The monsters that flowed in to attack afterwards were immediately killed off with one hit each.


    Silver Knight surprisingly had mighty punching techniques.


    As Ironman continued to watch the Hounds explode one after the other, he felt that everything was unrealistic.


    ¡®Is, is this a top rank hero?¡¯


    Silver Knight? That was an unknown name to Ironman. Of course, he didn¡¯t know every hero¡¯s names. However, it was weird for a hero with such a strong individuality to be unknown.


    ¡®One thing¡¯s for certain though, he¡¯s immensely powerful.¡¯


    There were already over 30 Hounds that got destroyed with only one blow each. The path that Silver Knight walked was filling up with more corpses.


    Suddenly, a thought rushed into Ironman¡¯s head.


    There was no doubt that the Hero in Silver from Central South a little while ago, was the same Silver Knight that was in front of him today.


    Chapter 1 ¨C End.

 Volume 4 - CH 2

    The Hero


    Volume 4 ¨C Wizard Type


    Chapter 2


    Heroes usually don¡¯t separate their daily lifestyles with their hero lifestyles. However, Haneul made up his mind to thoroughly hide his real name. After being recognized officially as a Rank A hero, it was a normal occurrence that Haneul would be the talk of many people.


    The realization of having to keep up with a certain ¡®image¡¯ was a very scary thought. If a certain image of himself was formed, his movements would be restricted and that would cause dissonance to his everyday life.


    Haneul did not want to be in the limelight everyday like a superstar.


    However, in this world, there existed people called Hero Reporters and they risked their lives by coming into a hell like place like the earthquake, and captured footages of heroic deeds.


    A Hero and Hero Reporter have a very strange, symbiotic relationship. Although Heroes were prone to dangerous missions and risking their lives, the amount of income they got was low. You could say that they were walking on a very thin, and risky line. However, the majority of Heroes never argued about their income.


    The reason was simple.


    Being a hero was an infinitely honorable existence. This has been an enforced education for a very long time, and could be considered to be the end result of brainwashing.


    Also, the ones to raise the notch up another for these honorable heroes, were the Hero Reporters. They would capture the heroes¡¯ fights, which allowed the whole world to see the strengths and sacrifices of these heroes. No one knew how much income the Reporters made, but supposedly it was the same amount as the Heroes. This shows how peculiar the view points are for this world.


    ¡®An education that¡¯s similar to brainwashing is a very scary thought, and reality showed that it was normal here. I¡¯m sure with this in mind, the Hero Reporters are probably in this area as well right now?¡¯


    Out on the field, Hero Reporters risked their lives just like Heroes did. There was a very high chance that these people were within this warzone right now as well.


    The earthquake level this time around was Level A. This meant that, most of the heroes that were currently here fighting, were of the A Rank. The reason this was said is very simple. Silver Knight was a Rank A hero that had a splendid debut during Central South¡¯s earthquake, and was currently in the limelight, internationally.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure if people knew of my existence right now, there would be way too much talk.¡¯


    The talk about Central South, was finally slowly starting to die down.


    Right then, Haneul picked up Ironman¡¯s body and jumped backwards.


    BOOOM!


    ¡°For a guy who has such a huge build, it¡¯s quite a bit sneaky.¡±


    As Haneul muttered these words, he dropped the loose bodied Ironman to the safety of the rear, then fiercely ran forward with his legs.


    He was about to use the same method as before.


    With an extraordinary speed, Haneul crossed through a great gap to reach the Giant, then flung his fist. A great explosion was caused from the fist, breaking the huge Giant¡¯s posture.


    Bang.


    ¡°Kuuuuuuuuu!¡±, the Giant screamed loudly.


    Clang.


    As Silver Knight¡¯s right arm was reloaded with magic, he thrustedit forward and pounded the Giant in the face.


    BA BOOOMM!!


    The head exploded as its shredded pieces flew out everywhere.


    There was no exception either this time around.


    With Haneul¡¯s overwhelming attack power, 2 Giant¡¯s have already been killed, just like that.


    ¡°WAAAHHHHHHH!!¡±


    A loud cheer could be heard from inside. The sound was coming from the civilians who were able to see the collapse of the Giant, through the holes of the shelter. They were told not to come up, but it seems like the civilians already made their way up to the front. These civilians thought for sure, that the Giant was beaten by Ironman.


    ¡°Ironman! Ironman!¡±


    The people were cheering very warmly, and Ironman who could hear everything outside, couldn¡¯t lift his head up due to embarrassment. The truth was that Ironman made it past the Giant, ran away, and almost got killed at the same time.


    ¡®I would have nothing to say even if Silver Knight mocked me.¡¯


    ¡°Ironman? What are you doing, the people are calling for you.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Please respond to their cheers. The one who protected them was you.¡±


    ¡°B, but¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°A hero¡¯s job is to protect the lives of innocent people right? You did an admirable job of doing just that. It has nothing to do with me.¡±


    Ironman was very shocked.


    He could never recall a time where a hero gave up their honor and fame.


    ¡®He¡¯s on a whole different level. This must be how heroes are if they¡¯re Rank A or above. It¡¯s something a guy like me wouldn¡¯t be able to do.¡¯, thought Ironman.


    However, it was hard for him to follow through with Haneul¡¯s request, because his conscience wouldn¡¯t allow it. Since Silver Knight wanted to be away from the limelight, Ironman could do nothing but stay silent.


    After getting rid of the Giant, the road back to the shelter was clear.


    Haneul carried the weak and magicless Ironman back to the entrance of the shelter.


    ¡°Ah! It¡¯s Ironman!¡±


    ¡°Wahhhhhhh!!¡±


    More cheers could be heard.


    Ironman was extremely embarrassed, but stood tall as he listened to the cheers.


    ¡°Uht! The hero next to him is¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Hero in Silver. It¡¯s the Hero in Silver!!¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s the Hero in Silver, then¡­¡­¡­the Rank B hero from Central South?¡±


    The majority of those from the shelter were madly gossiping. Everyone was interested in this famous hero, who was now standing in front of them.


    That¡¯s when Haneul, carrying Ironman, walked into the interior of the broken down shelter. Everyone thought Haneul would say something cool or fabulous like all the other heroes.


    However, Haneul just slightly lowered his head to bow, and ran out of the shelter as fast as he could.


    There was no way to say that the shelter was safe. The gate from the earthquake was still open, and it was unpredictable when more monsters would rush through from the other side.


    Haneul solidified that thought in his mind.


    Chapter 2 ¨C End.

 Volume 4 - CH 3

    The Hero


    Volume 4 ¨C Wizard Type


    Chapter 3


    ¡°What a peculiar Hero. He¡¯s not even introducing himself to us?¡±


    ¡°Seriously. He should¡¯ve at least told us his Hero name.¡±


    People were saying such things as they were disappointed with the fact that they could not learn more about this new Hero. They walked up to Ironman, thanked him, and asked him if he was alright. However, there were those one or 2 people that had bad things to say on the side.


    ¡°No matter how you look at it, that Silver Hero was the one that took care of the monsters outside¡­¡­I guess that¡¯s all a Rank D can amount to. The heroes get paid through our taxes, yet they can¡¯t do a simple job? The Organization needs to lower the pay for these Rank D heroes!¡±


    The surrounding civilians that heard these comments frowned from discomfort.


    ¡°How can you say such bullcrap!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! We were only able to survive due to the efforts of Ironman and the other heroes that were protecting us!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Who the hell is it that¡¯s saying all this crap, and can¡¯t even thank our saviors?¡±


    As the other civilians started voicing out these opinions, the negative people hid behind their tails and slowly blended back into the crowd.


    Ironman was completely embarrassed. He was willing to take in all the bad comments that were thrown out, yet many others were still protecting his honor.


    Haneul smiled as he was outside the shelter, listening in on the comments being said inside the shelter.


    ¡°Everything worked out.¡±


    Haneul stood up.


    No monsters could be seen within the vicinity.


    The chaotic waves of Hounds that were near the shelter previously were nowhere to be seen. This meant that they all headed towards the direction of Burning Soul.


    ¡°That guy, when he fights, he fights hard.¡±


    Loud noises could be heard everywhere, as well as, explosive amounts of overwhelming magic.


    Haneul was shocked and lost his words as he saw Burning Soul¡¯s splendid battle style.


    Haneul ran towards an area where he was able to feel monster auras. He wasn¡¯t able to differentiate the exact ranks for the Giants and Hounds, but Haneul now knew that they were adversaries that he did not have to fear.


    ¡®I¡¯m strong.¡¯


    Because it was a Level A Earthquake, Haneul was worried that it would be super dangerous. However, now that he was on the battlefield, it wasn¡¯t as bad as he imagined it to be. It was to the point where he was starting to ask himself ¡®Is that it?¡¯!!!


    The monsters were ugly, and their numbers were threatening, just as you would see in movies. However, Haneul was much stronger than that. When the magic in his fists exploded forth, anything that it touched would also explode. Haneul rendered any enemy powerless.


    ¡®That¡¯s right, I can do this. I should hurry up and get rid of the remaining monsters. I need to hurry up and end this earthquake.¡¯


    With the way things were going, it wasn¡¯t abnormal for Haneul to be thinking such thoughts. However, those are the times when danger starts to creep up.


    Winning several light battles can lead to carelessness.


    Haneul was able to move and fight with caution up until this point, because he was worried about the monsters and the unknown fighting styles they had.


    That¡¯s why when Haneul carelessly jumped out from the alleyway into a huge, open road, he was a little late to notice what it was that appeared right in front of his face.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    As Haneul raised both of his arms to block the front, he was able to feel all the bones in his arms vibrating.


    He flew back without stopping, tumbled around on the ground several times, crushed a car across the way, and finally landed inside a villa.


    In the midst of the dust floating around, Haneul slowly got back up.


    ¡°Cough cough. What the fuck¡­¡­.I almost got destroyed.¡±


    As Haneul recollected his thoughts on what just happened, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from cussing. He was also able to feel a throbbing in his left arm after blocking the last attack.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    The armor that would never even get a scratch had a slight dent in it. Haneul¡¯s eyes grew round with surprise.


    ¡°This, this piece ofshit!!¡±


    Crack.


    Haneul really fancied the armor to the point that he thought about doing his own fashion show in front of a mirror.


    Snap!


    An outrageous amount of magic was being increased due to Haneul¡¯s rage, and a powerful amount of heat was spilling forth from his right arm.


    *     *     *     *


    Ba Bang Bang!


    ¡°Hmm??¡±


    As Burning Soul used burning breath to burn a Giant into a crisp, he was able to feel a huge amount of magic that came and disappeared like the wind.


    ¡°What the, what was that magic I just felt? It was freakishly huge. Surely it wasn¡¯t that guy right? No, there¡¯s no way for a little baby like him to possess that much magic¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Burning Soul remembered the Hero that called himself Silver Knight. He felt that Silver Knight was endowed with a huge amount of talent, however, it wasn¡¯t at the S Rank Level yet.


    ¡®Hmm, if I really think about it though, he should at least be within the top 30 for Rank A heroes.¡¯


    Does that mean that there was another S Rank hero that arrived besides himself?


    The possibility was high.


    A good amount of time has already passed since the start of the earthquake, and the 2nd wave should be near its end already.


    Burning Soul gathered a great amount of flames in both of his hands, and struck down against the ground. As he did, cracks started to form, and a huge amount of flames started to spew forth from the ground. Burning Soul¡¯s magic was called ¡®Solar Prominence¡¯, and it was able to be used for omnidirectional attacks such as this. (TN ¨C Solar Prominence is another way to call sun spots.)


    As several dozens of monsters were killed off with that one attack, 3 Giants stampeded forth and shortened the distance between themselves and Burning Soul.


    If one was in the midst of all these monsters, they would feel that they were going up against nature itself.


    However, Burning Soul was laughing with a haughty laugh.


    ¡°BAHAHAHAHA! I should have killed a lot of these monsters already, yet there¡¯s still so many!! Good, very good. I feel like I can finally fight to my heart¡¯s content. The night is still long. Let¡¯s merrily dance until the end of the night!!¡±


    Chapter 3 ¨C End.

 Volume 4 - CH 4

    The Hero


    Volume 4 ¨C Wizard Type


    Chapter 4


    Burning Soul could not move from his spot, because of the many enemies surrounding him and continued to fight on. Haneul similarly could not move.


    The fight seemed to be similar circumstances, but it was completely different.


    It was hard to consider a Wizard type as an archenemy for a Hero who¡¯s basically fighting in his first real battle. For extremely unlucky circumstances, a Hero with a certain power might have a negative impact on the enemy, and might not be able to do any damage at all.


    BOOOM!!


    Haneul was hiding behind a building fragment as the tentacles were lashing around like a whip. His confidence in this fight was completely down, and he was extremely embarrassed with how he acted all tough in the beginning¡­..


    ¡®Fuck. That thing is way too strong. I have no doubt that that thing is the main enemy for this Level A Earthquake.¡¯


    The amount of information that Haneul had regarding this mission was extremely low. He wasn¡¯t listening to instructions from the Organization, nor did he even have any form of communication with them.


    Haneul still thought that this Earthquake was Level A.


    However, it¡¯s already been established that this Earthquake is now a Level S. This change was due to the appearance of the Wizard types.


    They were the most dangerous with their indefinite features, and this particular Wizard was a Hero Killer that destroyed the D rank ad C rank heroes in the shelter.


    Rustle.


    The strands of tentacles started damaging the ground heavily again.


    Bang BangBangBanggg!!


    ¡®Shit, I¡¯m not able to close the gap like I did earlier. What should I do?¡¯


    Haneul fought battles with a very simple style until now.


    He would gather up his magic, condense it, close the gap between himself and the enemy, then throw out a punch with his condensed magic. When he did, Haneul was able to win every single battle with one punch.


    Every battle Haneul fought, he was able to overwhelm the monsters with his power, once he got into a close range. Haneul has never fought with a long ranged monster. That is why, facing the Tentacle type Wizard was such a hassle and annoyance.


    The main physique for its body was slightly bigger than the Hound. To put it simply, I guess it was the size of a 10 year old kid? The problem was, in between Haneul and the Wizard¡¯s main body were thousands and thousands of long tentacles.


    Once those tentacles split apart and thrashed about in omnidirectional movements, it was hard to get through for an attack.


    ¡®If I can¡¯t get in to attack at close range, I need to figure out a way to attack it from long range¡­..¡¯


    Haneul figured he needed to do something whether it worked or not. He wasn¡¯t able to follow through with the same battle tactics in this fight. The tentacles continued to whip about, causing havoc and destruction to its surroundings.


    There was only one way to destroy this Wizard and that was to use explosive magic from afar.


    A method to do such an attack formed inside Haneul¡¯s mind.


    However, the problem was whether it was doable in reality or not.


    Haneul clenched his fist very tightly.


    Magic started condensing into his fist as a large amount of heat was produced.


    Haneul first needed to measure the distance.


    Suddenly, the tentacle Wizard started raising its own magic as the speed of its tentacles moved about multiple times faster than before. The tentacles were aiming for Haneul¡¯s location.


    BANG BANG BANNG!


    Right then, in the midst of all the debris and dust flying about, a figure clad in Silver Armor jumped out with the speed of a thunderbolt.


    ¡®I can do it! I can get close to it now!¡¯ thought Haneul.


    Currently, a great amount of tentacles were lodged in and stuck inside the ground. It would take some time for the Wizard to pull them back out for another attack and Haneul would not miss this chance.


    With extreme focus, Haneul stuck close to the ground as if he¡¯d touch it, and moved with speed. He wanted to get rid of this monster with one punch! If only he could pour the correct amount of magic into his one punch!


    Suddenly the tentacles on the right made noise and started spinning as if it was a fan.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Boom boomboom.


    Haneul started falling back from the force of the tentacles hitting his body. He straightened out his body and mind as he waved his arms around, attacking everything around him.


    BAAM!


    With a huge explosion, tentacles ripped into shreds. The monster quickly retracted the arms that were spinning like a fan. Half of tentacles burst into pieces through the random punches that Haneul threw out.


    Behind a collapsed part of a building, Haneul sat down as he tried to calm his breathing. He felt a huge danger from the fan like tentacles from earlier, and thought he was going to die.


    ¡°I¡¯m so dizzy.¡±


    In the midst of Haneul¡¯s heart beating madly, the Tentacle continued to press forth with its attacks.


    BANG BANGBANG!


    As if the monster was able to feel the dangers of Haneul¡¯s fists from earlier, it now condensed the tentacles to be much thicker, and it lashed out with much stronger and dangerous attacks.


    Haneul, who¡¯s been in hiding until now, dodged the attack that was coming from above and jumped out. As he did, he busily moved from side to side in order to dodge the attacks.


    ¡®Chet chet. Gracious me. This would be so much simpler if its attacks were still random just as it was in the beginning. Then I would¡¯ve been able to destroy all of the tentacles one by one and closed the gap between us.¡¯


    However, the attacks from the tentacles were now different, and what Haneul was thinking was not feasible.


    As Haneul slowly tried to condense more magic into his arms, the Tentacle used its arms to attack more consistently, and even harder than it had before. Because the rhythm was faster and different, Haneul who was used to its previous pace, was now having a hard time dodging.


    Boom!


    As the tentacles were flying about, Haneul was once again hit on his side as he flew out and tumbled several times on the ground.


    ¡°Ugh this piece of shit. It¡¯s really becoming annoying now.¡±


    The cussing Haneul now felt that there was nothing else that he could do. He needed to get rid of the magic that was condensed in his arm and he needed to do it from long distance.


    ¡°With the situation being as it is, there¡¯s nothing more I can do but test it out.¡±


    Chapter 4 ¨C End.

 Volume 4 - CH 5

    The Hero


    Volume 4 ¨C Wizard Type


    Chapter 5


    Haneul wasn¡¯t sure on how his long range attack would work, but things have somehow fallen into place until now. He swung out his fist filled with magic, into the air.


    FLY OUT!


    However, nothing happened afterward. The only thing that could be seen was a fist flying through the air fiercely.


    ¡°Shit, did I fail?¡±


    Right then, the tentacles started moving again.


    BAAAM!


    Haneul felt shockwaves within his body as he was pushed back once again.


    ¡°Gasp, gasp.¡±


    Haneul was gasping for air.


    After his first initial failure, Haneul continued to try out his long range methods but got nothing in return. The magic that was condensed into his fist would not move, as if stuck onto his body.


    ¡®Is there no method?¡¯


    Haneul was now lightly gasping for air.


    With the constant running and dodging, a great amount of fatigue was hitting Haneul. Being helpful with the attacks and not being able to do anything will lead to his demise.


    ¡®There¡¯s nothing I can do. Let¡¯s take a step back and ask Burning Soul for some help. He¡¯s a legit Rank A hero, so he should be able to do something about it.¡¯


    As Haneul was thinking such thoughts, he moved behind a building and turned away from the Wizard. As he did, the Tentacle reacted and started its attacks again.


    Haneul thought, for sure, that the attack would be aimed at him. However, it wasn¡¯t. The Tentacle¡¯s right arms were flying out towards the shelter.


    Haneul¡¯s complexion changed.


    ¡°THIS MOTHER FUCKER!¡±


    Haneul slammed his leg into the ground, as he rushed towards the Wizard with all his might. Haneul knew that he wouldn¡¯t die because of his defense, but the civilians within the shelter were different. They would be cut apart like tofu.


    In just moments, Haneul closed the gap with his amazing speed and powerfully jumped up towards the Tentacle, his fist being fiercely thrown out.


    The destructive force of his magic as well as his speed put sheer force into his fist and was unstoppable.


    However, the Tentacle was already aware of Haneul¡¯s destructive power. It would be very troublesome for it to take this fist head on.


    Wizard types were very cunning monsters. It new that there was no point for it to face danger by fighting head-on with Haneul.


    One of the tentacles moved about in zig zags as it approached Haneul from the side and twisted around his fist and body.


    The fist that was flying forward with great speed, stopped right in front of the Tentacle¡¯s face.


    Rumble.


    ¡°Keeeeeuukkk.¡±


    Haneul grinded his teeth.


    ¡°This dog shit¡­..toying around with me.¡±


    As the Tentacle¡¯s pupils rolled to the side, it started to wrap its arms tighter around Haneul. The pressure was growing, but there was no effect on Haneul¡¯s armor with this much strength.


    Creak.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to hold on to me as tight as you can, because the moment you release me, I¡¯m going to obliterate you.¡±


    Suddenly, as Haneul grinded his teeth.


    BABOOOM!!


    A strong explosion occurred nearby.


    In the midst of the tentacles burning in a heat wave, the restraint on Haneul was loosened and he moved closer to the Tentacle. It was an unbalanced state, and there was no way for him to lose this opportunity.


    ¡°Die!!¡±


    The tentacles that should have stopped Haneul reacted too late, and the tentacle that was loosely holding onto Haneul¡¯s fist couldn¡¯t hold onto it. His fist collided with the Tentacle¡¯s face.


    BANG!


    White steam rose up.


    The magic exploded instantly once the fist made contact with the Tentacle, and a combustion had occur. The Tentacle¡¯s flesh was shredded into pieces, and scattered about on the ground.


    Haneul collapsed onto the ground and was gasping for air.


    ¡°Sigh, this little bitch. Making me do so much work¡­¡­.Who was it that came to help me earlier?¡±


    Right before the huge explosion from earlier, Haneul was able to feel something flying over from a distance.


    He couldn¡¯t see anything from the location where it might have flown in from. No matter, Haneul was sure that it might have been from a place outside of the Earthquake, or from a place far away from his location.


    Haneul looked around and felt that he should at least thank the person that helped him, so he waves his hand side to side.


    Approximately 1.5 km away from Haneul¡¯s location.


    Near the outer regions of the earthquake, a female wearing black tights could be seen sitting on the roof of a building. She moved her face away from the anti-tank sniper and smiled.


    ¡°You have a cute side to you, Hero in Silver.¡±


    (TN ¨C Slowly becoming a harem?)


    Chapter 5 ¨C End.

 Volume 4 - CH 6

    The Hero


    Volume 4 ¨C Wizard Type


    Chapter 6


    Haneul put his brain to work.


    The sky was starting to turn back into what it once was before.


    ¡®That¡¯s a sign I can understand. This battle is over now. What am I supposed to do now?¡¯


    Haneul knew nothing of what was to be done now.


    The thing he was most afraid of currently, was the appearance of the reporters.


    ¡®How difficult. Wouldn¡¯t there be a lot of talk again if I came out on TV? The gossip about me has finally started to die down.¡¯


    If that was the case, it was best for Haneul to disappear from the battlefield as soon as possible.


    Right as Haneul was about to jump away, reality smacked him right in the face.


    ¨C If one does not comply with a summon from the Organization, he/she will be charged with a felony.


    Haneul needed to inform the Organization that he was at the battlefield, but he did not know how to go about doing that.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t even bring my cell phone¡­¡­Ah, now that I think about, due to the magic fluctuations, I probably won¡¯t be able to use my cell phone anyways.¡¯


    As Haneul thought this, he quickly turned his head around.


    He was able to hear a loud ¡®BAHAHAHA¡¯ laughter on the other side.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I can just tell that person over there and leave.¡±


    Around the time the Tentacle Wizard dropped, Burning Soul was also finished with his fight. The overwhelming wave of monsters started to lessen in numbers, and a few hundred monster corpses were piled up into a mountain.


    There were over 10 Giants included in them, so it proved that Burning Soul¡¯s contributions were enormous.


    ¡°Mm, that was fun. I haven¡¯t fought like that in a long time.¡±


    Burning Soul mumbled such words with a very satisfied face.


    Suddenly, Burning Soul was able to feel a fast moving object running towards him.


    It¡¯s the Hero in Silver.


    ¡°Hey mister!¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Were you the owner of that overwhelming power earlier?¡±


    ¡°Mister Burning Soul, who am I?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean who are you? You said you were Silver Knight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I was here at the battlefield and fought. I just had a death match with that weird monster with wavy things, and you were able to witness it.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing right now? And what¡¯s this about wavy things?¡±


    Just as Burning Soul tilted his head and showed his curiosity, Haneul lightly bowed and disappeared.


    ¡°Huh, what an interested friend. But what did he mean by wavy things¡­..No way, is he by chance talking about the Tentacle Type?¡±


    Burning Soul wasn¡¯t able to contain his curiosity.


    He immediately rushed to the location where Haneul came from.


    At the location, Burning Soul was able to see a fairly good amount of corpses piled up.


    It was definitely certain.


    The power he sensed earlier was from Silver Knight.


    Not only that, but there really was the corpse of a Tentacle Type spread out everywhere on the ground.


    ¡°Pretty good, Silver Knight.¡±


    *     *     *     *


    A little bit to the east of the shelter.


    This was the location where most of the heroes fought at, and there were piles of monsters everywhere. Thanks to the appearance of the Rank A heroes, most of the situation was contained with little to no casualties.


    Also, with the appearance of another Rank S hero by the name of Photon Shooter, they were able to confirm the death of the Flame Wizard.


    ¡°It seems like the Earthquake is finished for now, so I should be okay to leave now right? If I don¡¯t sleep at night, I won¡¯t be able to sleep in the morning. I¡¯ve been suffering from insomnia for a while now, so I was hoping to get some good sleep tonight¡­¡­¡±


    Photon Shooter unilaterally spoke these words, then disappeared from the battlefield. This situation occurred a little more than 20 minutes before the end of the Earthquake. However, the countermeasure headquarters of the Organization had no thoughts of keeping Photon Shooter from leaving.


    The Earthquake was about to end.


    ¡°The magic level in the Earthquake is rapidly decreasing right now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good news. What wave number did it stop at?¡±


    ¡°There were 14 waves of monsters, sir.¡±


    JooHyuk made an unbelievable annoyed face.


    ¡°That¡¯s insane. Does that mean the Gates were opening consecutively? What annoying bastards. They were really trying their best to kill off humanity.¡±


    Although the situation was contained due to the quick assembly of the heroes, that was an overstatement. 2 Rank S heroes had to participate in this battle.


    ¡®And we were lucky. The number of Wizard types were rather small.¡¯


    Because there weren¡¯t many Wizard types that came out early in the battle, things were a lot easier. If there were many of them, the situation would have ended much different than how it ended today.


    ¡°Move the special forces over to the shelter and have them add more man power to the relief team. Also, which monsters remain on the battlefield currently?¡±


    ¡°Only the Tentacle, sir.¡±


    ¡°The Wizard Type is still alive? What the hell is everyone doing? Hurry and gather some forces to annihilate that thing! There¡¯s only 1 monster left, yet 20+ heroes are just idling around!!¡±


    ¡°That is, it¡¯s been hard to bring a decisive end to the monster because of how cunning its movements are.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean cunning movements, what the hell is the bastard doing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hiding in between buildings and intercepting anything that comes up from the back; excluding the Giants and the Hounds, sir.¡±


    ¡°Mother fucker. That¡¯s why they should have gotten rid of the Wizard types first!!¡±


    Although the Wizard types were a pain to deal with, there was another reason as to why it was best to kill them from the beginning of the fight. The reason was, the intellect of the monsters that came out to the battlefield, grew at an alarming rate. These monsters were able to understand and perceive the situations happening on the battlefield, and would use that to their advantage.


    The heroes should have known this fact already, so it was a failure on their part for not taking care of the Wizard types first. This Earthquake had consecutive waves of monsters pouring out. With the overwhelming number of monsters coming out like that, the Wizard types were able to last through the battle until the very end.


    There was only 1 type of monster, yet the remaining heroes were having trouble getting rid of it.


    However, comparing the level of the Earthquake and the heroes within it, it was understandable as to why they weren¡¯t able to finish the job.


    The Earthquake was raised up to the S Level. The reason for this was because of the appearance of the Wizard Types. The fact that they appeared with the other monster types was proof of how dangerous this battle was.


    With the help of Photon Shooter, the Flame Wizard which boasted of its amazing long distance magic, was destroyed.


    There was huge gap between a Rank A hero and a Rank S hero.


    Although there were quite a few of Rank A heroes on the battlefield currently, none of them were above level 40. That¡¯s why it was so much harder for them to get rid of the defensive Tentacle type, compared to the offensive Flame type. The only way would be to be as powerful as Photon Shooter.


    The situation could¡¯ve been worse, but with the confusion and indecisiveness of the rule makers, time just flew by.


    People in the Organization were able to see the long, drawn out fight of the Tentacle and heroes, through the screen.


    ¡°Damn it! Send any hero that can obliterate the Tentacles body through the back building!¡±


    Chapter 6 ¨C End.

 Volume 4 - CH 7

    The Hero


    Volume 4 ¨C Wizard Type


    Chapter 7


    All the heroes trying to fight the Tentacle were cussing under their breaths because of its defense.


    ¡°Damn that thing, its defense is way too strong.¡±


    ¡°Ever since we pushed it back into a corner, it¡¯s just been standing there waving those tentacles around as defense. That thing isn¡¯t thinking about running away later is it?¡±


    The monster waves were already finished. As the magic level in the location was dropping, the sky slowly started reverting back to normal as well. If they were to lose this chance of finishing off the Tentacle, things would get way too complicated.


    To start off, after the start of an Earthquake, the magic that comes from the location affects everything around it and causes a chain reaction. And because of this, normal civilians that are outside of the Earthquake, are also in danger.


    However, once the battle is over, the magic in the area quickly will start to disappear. From that point on, it becomes even harder to capture or contain a target. The reason is because an existence with even a little bit of magic can exist anywhere.


    Hero candidates and retired heroes were typically the same. Just as they¡¯re able to blend in with a crowd of people, it¡¯d be a great pain to search for monsters that were blended in with the crowd.


    Furthermore, the monster that the heroes aren¡¯t able to extinguish right now, is an evil Wizard type with a lot of individuality and special powers. There were still many thing that were mysterious and uncertain about these monster types.


    ¡°There¡¯s no choice.¡±


    Rank A hero level 56, Tae Do Yum.


    His battle merit today wasn¡¯t too bad with the support of killing off 15 Type C Giants, and 43 Hounds. Tae Do felt that he accomplished enough for today and was planning on laying low.


    Tae Do was an upright person that did not like standing out, and did not like grabbing other peoples¡¯ attention. But, because of the Tentacle type, he was in no position to choose what he liked and didn¡¯t like.


    Tae Do had to give it his all.


    The weapon that Tae Do favored was a thin and super long sword. Its brilliance could be seen even in the darkness, and anyone would be able to recognize its brightness.


    The swaying sword blade slowly started to rise in heat. His name Tae Do Yum was very straight to the point. It meant that once his heat magic was sucked into the sword blade, Tae Do would be able to unleash a flame against its opponent.


    Burn.


    As the fire started getting intensely hot, the heroes around Tae Do slowly starting stepping back.


    ¡°Tae Do Yum, Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°If I couldn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t be trying in the first place. In the last year, I¡¯ve been able to come up with a technique to get rid of my enemies with one attack. As a person who walks a certain path in martial arts, I¡¯ve put in a lot of effort and practice for the innocent civilians.¡±


    Tae Do took a couple steps forward.


    And he closed his eyes. The heroes that doubted Tae Do were now backed away, and the Tentacle that¡¯s been in a corner until now, moved its eyes around curiously.


    Right as the tentacles were about to creep out.


    ¡°Go back to the place you came from, you monster.¡±


    The moment Tae Do¡¯s fire reached up to the skies, it fell upon the building and the monsters¡¯ body. A Giant¡¯s strength less corpse was used as a shield, and was horribly burning. The whole region around the Tentacle was also bathed in a sea of flames.


    Swwooooooshh!


    As the vicinity was filled with intense heat and flames, the heroes that backed away were now whistling and clapping. This attack from Tae Do was very flashy, yet powerful to the extreme.


    The situation seems to have been handled.


    In front of this overwhelming power, the tentacles seem to be burning and exploding as it cooks into nothingness.


    Tae Do has finished off the Tentacle.


    ¡°Hey there!!! Do you have some time for an interview?¡±


    A reporter was quickly by Tae Do¡¯s side.


    It was because of that flashy fire skill.


    Although Tae Do looked to be unhappy, he was able to calculate at least this much happening and decided to answer silently.


    ¡°What is the name of that skill you just used?¡±


    ¡°I named it, the cosmos-destroying conflagration¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Just as it is flashy, that¡¯s an amazing name!! This skill¡­¡­..¡±


    All the monsters from Earthquake were now destroyed.


    And the battlefield was coming to an end.


    The Special Forces were sent to the shelter to help out the civilians, and the reconnaissance team were in a rush to get information over to the Organization.


    ¡°On September 19, 6:03am, the situation has come to a close.¡±


    The battle that has continued on through the night has finally come to an end. Heroes that were busy fighting within that time were now relaxing, leaning on a wall and talking, or heading back towards their respective homes.


    Reporters were running back and forth trying to catch the last interviews with these heroes. Although the battle scenes were important, they did not want to miss out on the scenes of them interviewing these hard working, winning heroes.


    Everyone felt relaxed.


    The Earthquake ended very well. Even with it being a hard to be seen, high leveled earthquake, the heroes did a fantastic job containing the situation. The Reporters were sweating on their feet as they rushed from one hero to the next.


    Although the battle was over, the Reporters weren¡¯t able to see the monsters dying within the flames. This may have just been for reassurance.


    Of course, even if this was a normal battle, it would¡¯ve been hard for them to see such a scene.


    Within the sea of flames.


    A very small lump of something avoided the deadly flames, as it wiggled its way into the ground. And as it dug in deeply into the ground, it landed itself into an all puddle of water in the waterworks.


    Sizzle.


    Although there was a sharp reaction from the intense flames that the lump felt, it was able to survive with its extraordinary amount of vitality.


    CheepCheep.


    As a rat came by to stare at the lump, the burnt lump stared back at it.


    It was life.


    A supply for one with low vitality.


    The dying lump quickly attacked the rat. The surprised rat made a frantic, last-ditch effort. However, the lump was heavily stuck onto the rat¡¯s body. A cold shriek could be heard, as the rat was tumbling about in pain underground.


    Chapter 7 ¨C End.

 Volume 4 - CH 8

    The Hero


    Volume 4 ¨C Wizard Type


    Chapter 8


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡±


    As the morning sun was rising up, the workers at the Organization were busy running around saying their thanks.


    Not even an hour ago, these people were busy staring at a screen and on edge trying to figure out if there are any other problems occurring.


    There were people who were drinking coffee, people who were lying on the ground sleeping, or people snoring on the sofa.


    Everyone was different.


    As the battle ended, fatigue rushed up at once. Starting now, the follow up team will move separately to check the damaged areas as well as the costs. The Organization also needed to check how many civilians were killed from the collapse of buildings, and see how many civilians weren¡¯t able to reach the shelter and went into hiding.


    ¡°Sigh. I don¡¯t have to worry about it since it¡¯s not within my jurisdiction.¡±


    Sighed Joo Hyuk Park with his hoarse voice as he went into his office.


    ¡°I really thought I was going to die. I wish someone would tell me first if something big like this is going to happen. Shitty bastard.¡±


    Joo Hyuk stretched his body as he cursed the existence that was sending these monsters over to their world.


    Suddenly, Joo Hyuk¡¯s office door flew open as Director An rushed in.


    ¡°Head Director! The shelter seems to have had some casualties, but for the most part, they were unharmed.¡±


    ¡°Great. that¡¯s great news.¡±


    The battle was really over. Just as there were huge battles on the battlefield, there was always hope that there wouldn¡¯t be any monsters at the shelter. But having that  hope become reality was a completely different feeling.


    ¡°Load my computer screen up with visuals from the site.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Will do.¡±


    Moments after Director An walked out, Joo Hyuk¡¯s computer screen showed visuals of the shelter site. At that moment, his eyes grew round.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    At this location, there were several hundreds of corpses that were rotting away or burning as well. And in the midst of all the chaos, Burning Soul was laughing away with his ¡®BAHAHA¡¯ laugh.


    ¡®Burning Soul, definitely deserves to be a Rank S hero. I knew he wasn¡¯t a normal human being, but he¡¯s completely exceeded my imagination. What exactly did you do??¡±


    Through the use of the Special Forces, Joo Hyuk sent a message to Burning Soul, thanking him for his hard work.


    With Joo Hyuk¡¯s message sent, Burning Soul laughed and nodded his head.


    ¡°However, Silver Knight should¡¯ve done more work than I did. From intuition, it seems like that guy fought off against the Wizard type!! BAHAHAAHAHA, I thought he was a Rank A noob, but I didn¡¯t think he would be able to fight it off. To be able to match the Tentacle shows that he¡¯s not a noob. He must be near the top of the Rank A heroes? If not that, then an S Rank hero like me. But strangely, I¡¯ve never heard of his name before!! What a great rookie, a great rookie!!¡±


    If Burning Soul¡¯s message got through to Joo Hyuk, he would have probably opened his eyes wide in astonishment, and tried his best to look for the hero that fought together with Burning Soul. Joo Hyuk would have also spoke with the hero regarding his huge success.


    However, with a great amount of fatigue hitting him, Joo Hyuk was nodding off to sleep.


    Only a very limited amount of people knew of Silver Knight¡¯s huge success, and was actually able to see his battle. Just as Haneul had wished, his ordeal was quietly being straightened out.


    As Haneul¡¯s first battle as a registered Hero, he was able to put on a great show.


    Chapter 8 ¨C End.


    Volume 4 ¨C End.

 Volume 5 - CH 1

    The Hero


    Volume 5 ¨C Silver Knight


    Chapter 1


    Ghost stories in cities are probably passed around like this.


    ¡°You know that Hero in Silver that fought in Central South? I heard that Hero was also in the 1st city of the East Area a little while ago, and was kicking some monster ass.¡±


    ¡°No way. That¡¯s not the only thing. I heard he also revealed his name as being Silver Knight.¡±


    ¡°Silver Knight? That¡¯s right. For a guy with a silver armor like that, that¡¯s a good name. But, wasn¡¯t that guy a Rank B hero? The Earthquake that happened not that long ago was a Level A Earthquake.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why he¡¯s even more amazing. He¡¯s a Rank B hero that was also evacuated to the shelter, but he couldn¡¯t contain himself anymore so I heard he went out into the battlefield to fight against the monsters.¡±


    ¡°Wow, he¡¯s such an amazing person¡­¡­I really wish I could meet him at least once.¡±


    ¡­¡­..


    A conversation like that was going about right next to Haneul.


    Haneul squinted his eyes. He was experiencing just how these strange rumors come to be.


    In the college, the only conversation going around right now was about the recent Earthquake.


    ¡°Is that the truth?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Were you really at the battlefield fighting?¡±


    Minah asked as if she wasn¡¯t too interested. She didn¡¯t believe in the rumors. Either way, there was no evidence when it came to rumors, and it was true that Minah has known Haneul for a very long time.


    ¡®Fighting and showing activity in a Level A Earthquake¡­¡­¡­¡¯


    Even being a Rank B hero is a big deal. With that being the case, Haneul can be considered to be a super rookie and was the center of gossip all over the internet, and now they think he¡¯s a Rank A Hero? They¡¯re definitely over speculating things.


    ¡°Does this mean that you don¡¯t believe the rumors?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t believe it. First off, there¡¯s nothing coming out in the news. Not even a small mention of it. Not only that, you¡¯re not even a Rank A hero.¡±


    ¡°SHHHH.¡±


    Haneul wanted Minah to be quiet and places his finger over her mouth. It¡¯s already a tough situation where he might get found out at any moment, yet here Minah was, pouring oil to the fire.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°Can you please be more careful? My personal life may disappear at this rate. Aren¡¯t you able to catch on with the situation being the way it is?¡±


    ¡°Poot. Did you by any chance catch the hero disease?¡± (TN ¨C Similar to Korea¡¯s ???, princess disease. It¡¯s basically when someone thinks they¡¯re all that, a narcissist.)


    Although Haneul wasn¡¯t sure what Minah was talking about, he understood the connotation. It¡¯s probably similar to the stardom disease that famous people go through. When their self-consciousness grows so big thateven nearby people don¡¯tnotice them. Famous people act questionably because they don¡¯t want to be found out.


    Haneul also thought of this possibility, however, it was definitely not the case for himself. There are even conversations about Haneul going on right behind him. And it something new he¡¯s never even heard of.


    It wasn¡¯t strange for his consciousness to be where it¡¯s at right now.


    After the 1st city in East area was hit with an Earthquake, Haneul fought an incredible fight.  When he was able to see that the battle was over, he headed straight home. He was afraid that if he lingered around after the battle, a Hero Reporter would sneak up on him and ask for an interview.


    There was definitely fruition from Haneul¡¯s efforts.


    His name was not covered at all on the news to the point where it was a little bit disappointing.


    ¡®I fought that hard, but no one recognized my efforts?¡¯


    Although Haneul was a little bit disappointed, it was his choice to leave the battlefield as soon as possible, so there was nothing that could be done about it. (TN ¨C this guy doesn¡¯t know what he wants to do, be famous or not? lol.)


    A person¡¯s heart was this cunning. Just like a star, Haneul did not want peoples¡¯ attention on him when walking down the street, but now he was disappointed that there was no news covered about him.


    ¡°It seems like people just believe what they want to believe in. They¡¯re making Silver Knight into a legendary Hero. Just like a firework, you first get a lot of attention for awakening as a Rank B hero. After you fought off monsters in a Level S Earthquake, everything exploded. All of this happened in less than a month. Here, look.¡±


    Minah stuck her smart phone out to show Haneul what she was talking about. The number one search on the search engine was about the S Level Earthquake in the 1st city of the East area.


    That was normal.


    However, 2nd place was Silver Knight.


    ¡°HUH?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting isn¡¯t it? Your Hero name popped right up with speculation articles. But, the contents within them are all slightly different. The strange thing is, the people within these articles all saw the same scene. Is that even possible?¡±


    Minah was making a face filled with wonder and she continued to stare intently at Haneul.


    Haneul pretended not to notice her gaze and he slowly read the articles.


    An article regarding a declaration from one of the witnesses.


    Haneul didn¡¯t think about the civilians from the shelter. If it¡¯s the people from there, they definitely saw Haneul at the battlefield. Although he left the scene without saying a word, if someone was to ask any one of the refugees regarding the Silver Knight, they would definitely be able to declare that they saw the Silver Knight.


    The only people that knew Haneul was at the scene were the civilians from the shelter, as well as, Burning Soul and Ironman.


    Suddenly, Minah snatched her smart phone away.


    ¡°Why are you so serious all of the suddenly. Did you really go and fight?¡±


    ¡°W, what are you talking about? Y, You think I¡¯m a man filled with justice or something¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Why are you stuttering?¡±


    Minah laughed. As she was laughing, she completely stopped joking and started to whisper.


    ¡°If this article really is the truth, do not do something crazy like this anymore. There is a reason why you don¡¯t get summoned by the Organization to these battles. Although you¡¯re not sure on how to get back to your own world, you should contain yourself from being reckless.¡±


    ¡°I, It¡¯s not me? I¡¯m telling you it¡¯s not me. Come on, let¡¯s leave. It¡¯s a little hot today, no?¡±


    Haneul nervously jumped up and rushed outside.


    Haneul wasn¡¯t too great at switching topics or lying. However, he had quick and sharp mind. He was able to tell that Minah was cleverly asking him if he was at the 1st city of the East area during the battle.


    ¡°So what rank are you?¡±


    Minah suddenly asked as Haneul tried to change the topic.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m Rank B. Didn¡¯t you read the articles online?¡±


    ¡°Peoples¡¯ evaluation online and the Organization¡¯s evaluation isn¡¯t always the same. Anyways, you still seem to have come out as B Rank. That¡¯s amazing. Then your hero name is Silver Knight?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Which team were you assigned to then for cleaning up the aftermath?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t check yet? You should have gotten something through your mail. Heroes that are Rank B and below are assigned to a team to work on the aftermath of the battle. Rescue and cleaning are all part of a heroes duties.¡±


    ¡°Ah, ah ah¡­¡­.That¡¯s right huh? Of course, I¡¯ll go home and check.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s best that you check it out as soon as possible. If you don¡¯t go at the correct time, you¡¯ll be considered to be absent and they¡¯ll take a cut from your paycheck. Although cleaning up won¡¯t be put into any special information, but the restoration of the city is considered to be very important, so they won¡¯t be taking any excuses from you.¡±


    ¡°I see. What time are you going to be going then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going tomorrow night.¡±


    Shock.


    They gather so quickly once the summon is commanded?


    ¡°Is that so? You should hurry up and go home then. I need to figure out my time as well.¡±


    ¡°Haneul, aren¡¯t you curious as to what kind of hero I am?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Minah looked straight into Haneul¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°If it was the past you, you would already know what type of hero I am, so I probably wouldn¡¯t ask you this. However, you don¡¯t know who I am, right?¡±


    Minah laughed bitterly as she turned her head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving. It¡¯s almost time for work. If we end up working together, I¡¯ll come talk to you.¡±


    Minah walked away gallantly.


    She¡¯s always been bright and aggressive, so Haneul didn¡¯t think too much about it. However, it was Haneul¡¯s egoistic mind to think that Minah wouldn¡¯t get hurt over his change.


    Haneul was a person that was completely different from the one she loved. And because Haneul was instantly busy, he wasn¡¯t able to figure out all of Minah¡¯s feelings until now.


    Chapter 1 ¨C End.

 Volume 5 - CH 2

    Volume 5 ¨C Silver Knight


    Chapter 2


    *     *     *     *


    ¡®This is a big problem. I didn¡¯t receive any mail, nor was my name within the Heroes that were summoned.¡¯


    Haneul made a serious expression.


    Externally, the summons for the clean-up crew were already sent out. However, for Heroes Rank A and above that fought in the battle, were exempt from showing.


    This was a matter of course, but Haneul was going around telling people that he was a Rank B hero. It would be strange if he did not participate, seeing as how none of the reporters were able to show evidence that Haneul was at the scene.


    Furthermore, Minah was already having doubts with the things Haneul had told her.


    ¡®No, actually, what was the point in me hiding it from her? Isn¡¯t it better for me if I was to tell Minah everything?¡¯


    Haneul thought hard, but he couldn¡¯t find an answer. He just didn¡¯t feel like telling Minah the truth. It could be because he was worried that Minah would be worried? If it wasn¡¯t that, then it was probably because Haneul didn¡¯t fully trust Minah yet.


    Haneul felt confused.


    It was because of the expression that he saw on Minah as they were parting ways.


    It was the expression of someone who looked like they were hurting. As if the other party already knew that Haneul was lying to them.


    Haneul felt that he wouldn¡¯t feel comfortable until he apologized to Minah.


    ¡°Whatever happens, let¡¯s just tell her everything.¡±


    If Haneul was to show up at the summons without a word, someone might say ¡®Mr. Silver Knight, you¡¯re a Rank A hero that already fought in the last battle. You don¡¯t need to be here.¡¯ So, out of worry, Haneul tried calling the Organization¡¯s HR Director, YooShik Kim.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    <I¡¯m shocked to see that you would call me first. Silver Knight.>


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m happy to be calling another guy right now? I just had something to say to you.¡±


    <Okay, tell me what you need.>


    ¡°Can I bother you to help me with something?¡±


    <Sure, anything¡¯s fine.>


    ¡°Can you let me join the clean-up crew for the 1st city of the East area?¡±


    <The clean-up crew? That¡¯s not too hard to do, but can I ask what the reason is?>


    Haneul truthfully told his situation to YooShik.


    YooShik seriously listened to Haneul¡¯s situation thinking it would be a huge ordeal, but as YooShik later found out that it was just for personal reasons, he chuckled.


    ¡®Hmm, what an interesting person.¡¯


    ¡°Alright. I will do that then. You don¡¯t have to be too worried because we don¡¯t publish the heroes list internally. Which means a Heroes ranking won¡¯t leak out easily. Normally, Heroes aren¡¯t allowed to share their own rankings. However, it¡¯s hard to block such an act which is why the world knows which Heroes are ranked what. A Hero will voluntarily share that information with the civilians, so there¡¯s no reason for our Organization to do such a thing.¡±


    <That¡¯s great to hear then.>


    Haneul from the start, was an out of the ordinary figure. He was established as a Rank A hero not long ago, yet was immediately put to the test. Against the thoughts of the media, the one to place Haneul at that rank was YooShik.


    Who would¡¯ve known that an Earthquake would happen the same day Haneul registered as an official Hero.


    YooShik is the HR Director, and the amount of Heroes that he needed to take care of were over the 100¡¯s number. Of course, he didn¡¯t know of Haneul¡¯s situation until the Earthquake was finished.


    That¡¯s why YooShik didn¡¯t hear of the details until the end of the battle.


    So, in the 1st batch of Heroes that were sent out to restore the city, YooShik sent one message out to the civilians that were at the shelter.


    And that message was regarding the Hero in Silver.


    ¡®Silver Knight.¡¯


    The civilians weren¡¯t mistaken, and Silver Knight was checked off as responding to the summons. He was a Rank A hero, but he was still a noob, how reckless.


    Yooshik knew of his mistake, yet couldn¡¯t contain his astonishment.


    ¨C BAHAHAHA, Silver Knight, he had a lot of ambition and was an excellent hero!! Yes, all Heroes should have that aspect with them!


    Stated Burning Soul.


    Also, the hot reaction from the press.


    Everything was circulating with Silver Knight as the center.


    ¡°There¡¯s no denying that he will become a star in the Organization. His skills will slowly grow and one day blossom into a beautiful flower. If that happens, his name will be known transnational, no, it¡¯s more like it will be known to the whole world.¡±


    Haneul had a lot of potential!


    The potential to become a Rank S hero. And, if that was to happen, the one to realize his potential (YooShik) would also be able to grow.


    ¡®That¡¯s not the only thing. I feel like there¡¯s still more to him than that.¡¯


    YooShik was still unsure as to what that was. However, there has never been a time when his gut feeling was wrong.


    YooShik gave out instructions.


    It was to add Silver Knight to the list of names going out on the clean-up session tomorrow night.


    *     *     *     *


    Silver Knight.


    His name was updated.


    ¡°Finally.¡±


    Now that Haneul¡¯s name was showing up withtomorrow¡¯s clean-up crew, it was time for him to apologize to Minah. Although it wasn¡¯t his intentions to lie to her, it was true that Haneul had hurt Minah¡¯s feelings.


    ¡®My head hurts. This is why I said let¡¯s break up.¡¯


    But, what was it that Minah said.


    Didn¡¯t she exclaim that she would make Haneul change his mind, no matter what?


    Either way, there¡¯s no denying that half of Minah¡¯s rant actually worked, seeing as how confused Haneul¡¯s heart was because of her.


    Chapter 2 ¨C End.

 Volume 5 - CH 3

    Volume 5 ¨C Silver Knight


    Chapter 3


    Early morning, Haneul washed his head, and ate a light breakfast while he browsed around on the web. As he was looking up articles regarding the last Earthquake, Haneul kept looking at his messenger with unrest.


    This whole region received the summons, so surely there were many people at the location. It would be difficult to find Minah within the huge group, and there was no saying what Haneul was to do once he reached the location.


    Haneul thought hard. He recalled the image of Minah¡¯s sad face as they parted ways last time.


    Haneul mustered up his courage.


    He dropped a line on his messenger, and as soon as he did, a response came back.


    ¨C Your name came out in the 3rd batch of heroes cleaning up?


    She was talking as if nothing happened, and Haneul shockingly talked to her normally without being surprised.


    ¨C Okay, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then!


    Haneul finished his message with a smile on his face, then it suddenly became a straight face.


    ¡°If I write it like this, it looks like I like her.¡±


    There¡¯s no way.


    Haneul was a virgin. To be exact, he was a virgin. He didn¡¯t have any goals or any hope of making money in World A. Which is why meeting women and marrying was also out of the question. Haneul¡¯s future was bleak, so there was no way he could have dated women. Then those thoughts slowly disappeared to the point where he started thinking, ¡®Do I even need it¡¯.


    However, Haneul in World B was different.


    He had talent and abilities.


    Not only that, he was already working.


    He was a Hero.


    To say the least, the Haneul from this world was living a life filled with accomplishments.


    ¡®Dating, and the future¡­¡­¡¯


    They were strange things to be thinking about. Haneul gave them both up in World A, because of how unrealistic these thoughts were for him. Yet, in this world, all of it was attainable just by stretching his hand out.


    The next day.


    Because the promised time was near, Haneul was currently on the bus.


    ¡°We don¡¯t go all the way to the 1st city. Only up to the urban area of the 2nd city.¡±


    With these words, Haneul immediately got on the bus.


    Haneul was already aware of how bad the situation was at the 1st city. He was at the scene not too long ago, and the only thing on the news these days was regarding the Earthquake.


    Then, Haneul saw a familiar face getting on the bus.


    It was a guy that was in the same class as him back in high school.


    Haneul couldn¡¯t recall his name. However, they kept a very proper friendship.


    ¡®How vague.¡¯


    Because of that vague relationship, it was even harder for Haneul to decide on how to treat him.


    Haneul wasn¡¯t great at being social, so he pretended not to notice his ¡®friend¡¯. As Haneul was thinking this and turning his head away, he noticed that most of the people were getting off at the last stop,most adjacent to the 1st city.


    Haneul¡¯s¡¯friend¡¯ was also the same. As they were both looking around, Haneul and his ¡®friend¡¯ ended up making eye contact, but as if his ¡®friend¡¯ didn¡¯t notice Haneul, he slowly got off the bus.


    The guy didn¡¯t even think for a little while. He stared at Haneul as if he didn¡¯t know him.


    ¡®What the?¡¯


    Did Haneul not see correctly?


    There¡¯s no way. Haneul had great memory.


    Does that mean that in this world, they weren¡¯t acquainted?


    ¡®There¡¯s definitely a possibility for that. He wasn¡¯t just pretending right now.¡¯


    Suddenly, Haneul was able to hear the conversation between his ¡®friend¡¯ and the last person to get off the bus.


    ¡°So, how much are they paying us today?¡±


    ¡°If you calculate it, it comes to about $7 an hour. It¡¯s probably the same as normal right?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, how stingy.¡±


    There were many people walking while talking about today¡¯s pay.


    They were walking towards an area that was a complete disaster.


    ¡°Surely, these people aren¡¯t ALL Heroes, right?¡±


    Mumbled Haneul with a shocked expression. These people looked like normal students, aunts, and uncles that one could see walking down the street.


    ¡°Most Rank D Heroes are like that.¡±


    Haneul turned his head.


    Minah was currently wearing comfortable sportswear while walking towards Haneul.


    ¡°They look quite different from the Heroes that you¡¯ve seen so far huh? There are less than 500 D Rank Heroes, but rather than fight monsters, most of them either clean up afterwards or are part of the rescue team.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it was. I didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°Usually, everyone knows this info¡­¡­.Well, you¡¯re kind of in a special situation right now. Since you flew over from a different world. One more thing to add, the students who are preparing to become Heroes but have yet to awaken yet, are put into the Rank D group as well to help out with these type of work.¡±


    Minah calmly told Haneul, as if nothing happened. To put it simply, she acted the same as she always did.


    ¡®Is she not mad anymore? Either way, let¡¯s finish up with the work first and then tell her everything.¡¯


    There were Heroes that fought off monsters while risking their lives, and there were Heroes that helped out in the shadows.


    Haneul thought this was just volunteer work, but after listening to what Minah said, he knew it wasn¡¯t just that.


    He was also able to confirm even more so, after he got to the location.


    Every person used their own abilities to move debris over to one side, while the Army trucks were busy moving about.


    Haneul was also busy pushing huge boulders and working hard. He knew if he turned into the Silver Knight, he would attract a lot of attention, so he was using his magic without transforming. Haneul had formidable amounts of magic within him, so his strength couldn¡¯t be compared with a Rank D Hero¡¯s.


    ¡°Sir, Hero! Can you please come over here!¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be right there!¡±


    As Haneul was running around helping others, he was able to see many different Rank B Heroes and was also able to confirm something.


    The level of the Rank B Heroes.


    ¡®There¡¯s a huge gap between them and A Rank Heroes. Now I understand.¡¯


    Haneul wasn¡¯t sure because there wasn¡¯t much to compare in his first battle in Central South.


    However, as he¡¯s able to see the magic and skills being used by these Rank B Heroes now, things were a lot clearer now.


    And Minah was definitely a Rank B Hero.


    She wasn¡¯t the type to use absurd amounts of strength, but was the shooter type that shot out light from the tips of her fingers.


    ¡°My skills are similar to the S Rank Hero Photon Shooter, but much weaker than him.¡±


    Laughed Minah with an embarrassed face.


    However, Minah¡¯s power was very diverse and had many utilities. She would finely destroy huge buildings that couldn¡¯t be moved, and Haneul would shovel those parts and push them to a corner.


    ¡°Who is that Hero? He¡¯s super strong.¡±


    People were shocked.


    It¡¯s been 3 hours since they¡¯ve started working, yet Haneul wasn¡¯t tired at all and was constantly pulling out magic and working.


    Minah continued to control her magic and helpedHaneul from the side, but as it passed the 3 hour mark, Minah was now sweating and tired.


    ¡°Hoooo. Let¡¯s rest as well.¡±


    Said Haneul as he wiped away beads of sweat.


    Chapter 3 ¨C End.

 Volume 5 - CH 4

    Volume 5 ¨C Silver Knight


    Chapter 4


    Although Haneul¡¯s group was the 3rd batch to be sent out to restore the 1st city, the devastated city still needed much work to be back to what it used to be.


    That¡¯s when Minah slowly spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen this city through the TV, but it really is in a devastated state. The Heroes that fought that day must¡¯ve had a very hard time. Any who, Haneul, which monster made this huge impression on this building over here?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that one was made as a big guy was falling down. It¡¯s a monster called the Giant type, and I think I heard someone say they were type C¡¯s? Either way, that¡¯s the type of monster it was. Its stature is ridiculously huge, it¡¯s really¡­¡­..AHH!¡±


    As Haneul was muttering these words while wiping off his sweat, he suddenly stopped talking.


    ¡°As I thought.¡±


    Haneul close his eyes and turned his head.


    ¡°Haneul, this is a request. Please tell me everything. You¡¯re not a Rank B Hero are you?¡±


    Minah was staring at Haneul with an earnest expression.


    Although, Haneul wanted to try and avoid answering the question, he wasn¡¯t able to ignore the strength coming out from Minah¡¯s eyes.


    Haneul wanted to tell her everything.


    But this wasn¡¯t the right time to tell her.


    ¡®Shit, I¡¯m so freaking stupid¡­¡­¡¯


    Haneul told Minah the truth.


    ¡°I know, I understand why you did that. It¡¯s because of the peoples¡¯ attention right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, honestly speaking, I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because I¡¯m not a person from this world, but I don¡¯t have great pride in being a special figure like a hero. Being able to protect people because I have the power to it¡¯s completely fine. There¡¯s a system set up for it, and I just need to follow it. However, living in stardom is not what I have in mind.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Minah was silent.


    She didn¡¯t believe it at first. She couldn¡¯t believe the fact that Haneul was a completely different person, because how is that even possible.


    However, Minah was now certain that this was the truth.


    The Haneul from the past, and the Haneul in the present was completely different.


    The Haneul before was a person that radiated strongly like the sun. He had a strong sense of justice and took great pride in being a hero student. He wanted to become a great Hero later in the future and wanted to save many lives. Although this age needed Heroes like that, it was hard to see many with those characteristics.


    However, the Haneul currently had a cold side to him.


    It could also be seen that Haneul would look at the benefits of situations.


    Same face, yet different personalities and behavior.


    ¡®He really is a different person.¡¯


    Minah accepted the truth. Then suddenly, she was thinking about the whereabouts of the other Haneul.


    ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to tell you, but¡­¡­I just felt that it¡¯d be best if nobody knew about it. Honestly, it was because I thought nobody would understand.¡±


    It was just as Haneul thought.


    Minah wasn¡¯t sure as to how Haneul came to that conclusion. She worked hard to solidify her abilities to rank up from C Rank to B Rank. It¡¯s been 4 years since she¡¯s been a hero, and although 4 years isn¡¯t a long time, considering the fact that it¡¯s only been 20 years since the appearance of magic, Minah had to work hard to get to where she¡¯s at now.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay¡­¡­I¡¯m just a little confused. You¡¯re not the Haneul that I know of.¡±


    ¡°I already told you that several times before. I¡¯m not the Haneul that you know.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    With Haneul¡¯s last words, Minah was quiet.


    It¡¯s true. Haneul already told her several times.


    Haneul blamed himself.


    It was normal to see that Minah stopped talking to Haneul after that, as she silently worked the rest of her shift and went back home. Why did I keep it a secret when it¡¯s not that big of a deal?


    It¡¯s strange that the one person most strongly aware of Silver Knight right now wasHaneul himself.


    ¡®No, no way. I shouldn¡¯t think about it too hard. Since things have turned out this way, it¡¯s for the better.¡¯


    Haneul shook his head.


    Either way, the person Minah was looking at was a different person. The Haneul from World B. That¡¯s why this relationship was so iffy to begin with.


    Haneul changed his thoughts, and returned back home when he suddenly received an email.


    It was a generic email sent out to everyone from the Organization. It was a thank you message to all the Heroes that participated in today¡¯s clean-up crew.


    As Haneul was about to turn off the computer with a positive attitude, a new message arrived.


    It was a message from Woon Rim College.


    ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯


    At first Haneul thought it was another generic message and was about to trash the message, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case.


    The email was directed to Haneul himself.


    There was a long essay like introduction in it, but to summarize the message, it was basically asking Haneul to meet with them.


    The school dean was hoping to meet with Haneul.


    ¡®What reason does this guy want to meet me?¡¯


    The next day, Haneul got on the train early in the morning.


    Since registering himself as a Hero, Haneulwas placed as a graduate from his college and did not have to go back anymore.Everything has been paid off by the government and there was no current debt, it was unfortunate to suddenly stop going back to school.


    The walk back to school was light.


    The reason was because Haneul was on his way to meet the Dean, but Haneul was actually looking forward to a fateful meeting with Minah. Since she now became a research student with the suggestion of the Dean, and was helping him oversee the school. It was considered to be a part time job, but she seemed to be making good money. Haneul was informed that there were many research students amongst the Heroes.


    Chapter 4 ¨C End.

 Volume 5 - CH 5

    Volume 5 ¨C Silver Knight


    Chapter 5


    It¡¯s been a couple days since Haneul¡¯s last visit to the school, but the interior was bustling with many students. It could be the same for the exterior. There were many students bustling about.


    ¡®Where was the Dean¡¯s office again.¡¯


    As Haneul was walking around inside the school, he finally found the door that said ¡®Dean¡¯s office¡¯ and made his way towards that direction.


    Knock knock.


    The moment Haneul knocked on the door, the door flung open.


    A baptism of flashes could be seen.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    As Haneul fell back from surprise, 3 cameras surrounded him.


    ¡°Hello, Haneul. My name is Miyeon Lee and I am a Hero Reporter for the MBB. I¡¯ve met you once before, do you remember?¡±


    ¡®Mother fucker.¡¯


    Haneul felt that everything was starting to make sense now as to why the Dean suddenly invited him over to meet. Silver Knight is currently a rising Hero in the world, and the Dean who knew of Haneul¡¯s identity, wanted to make use of him in order to advertise his own school.


    ¡°Now now, let¡¯s all go back into the room and calmly discuss this. Are you guys going to surround a person and make him feel fully surprised and uncomfortable?¡± (Dean)


    As if the Dean was afraid that Haneul would run away, he quickly came out and grabbed Haneul by the hand to guide him into the room.


    Haneul had no choice but to end up in the Dean¡¯s room, and to start with the interviews.


    ¡°Please stop.¡±


    Said Haneul with a straight face, and the reporters who were asking Haneul many questions, suddenly stopped talking and looked at him with a slightly surprised face.


    ¡°Are you not happy with something? I apologize if we made a mistake with something.¡±


    ¡°Mistake? Isn¡¯t it strange for you to be even asking me something like that? You guys made a huge mistake. First off, I¡¯ve never even said that I wanted to be doing interviews. How are you guys continuing with your work without even asking me for my opinion?¡±


    Haneul¡¯s searing gaze looked towards the Dean, and the Dean with his half bald head, seemed to be on the verge of embarrassment.


    ¡°Ah, no Haneul. This is also good for yourself, as well as the school. Don¡¯t you hope for talented Hero trainees to come to our Woon Rim College after we advertise about how you came from our school?¡± (Dean)


    Haneul frowned.


    He was basically called over for marketing reasons, yet hoped it would be for something else.


    Haneul stood up.


    The reporters looked confused and did not know what was happening.


    ¡°Silver Knight. This is great for the school, and just as the Dean said, this is also good for yourself. It¡¯s definitely going to be posted in an article, and it will also pop up in the news. The people want a Hero. A Hero that is special amongst all the other Heroes, especially during the tough times like recently.¡±


    Haneul was about to walk out, but he suddenly recalled the civilians that were at the shelter, shaking out of fear. He remembered the one Hero that gave it his all in order to protect the civilians.


    At the least, Haneul thought some of the articles would talk about that person, but no matter how hard he searched he wasn¡¯t able to find any articles regarding this Hero.


    With face filled with wonder, the Dean and the reporters were staring intently at Haneul¡¯s back.


    Haneul clenched his fist and stood still.


    ¡®That¡¯s right, there¡¯s something wrong with this world.¡¯


    The people from this world overly focused on Heroes with certain powers. For example, a Hero that has 50 strength, but can harness 25 of it was praiseworthy. But, a Hero who had 10 strength and harnessed all, no, tried his best to harness all of it, wasn¡¯t given any attention. Actually, they weren¡¯t even being recognized at all. This was¡­¡­Haneul felt that this was very wrong.


    Haneul turned his head.


    ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no reason I can¡¯t do this. However, I have a condition for you.¡±


    ¡°Now we¡¯re talking. What is it? If it¡¯s something within our powers, we would do anything we can to fulfill it.¡±


    ¡°There is a certain Hero that protected the civilians at the shelter in the last Earthquake. It was something that I¡¯ve inquired from other people but I¡¯m not too certain about it.¡±


    ¡°Haha, of course. There was definitely an impressive Hero at the shelter that day. That hero was SILVER KNIGHT! You¡¯re quite tactful. Did you want us to write that you were there at the location?¡±


    ¡°No. It has nothing to do with Silver Knight. A Hero by the name of Ironman was there. I honestly look up to a Hero like him. If you all think that I have the capability to have an interview with you guys then I want to have an interview with him by my side.¡±


    *     *     *     *


    Haneul was barely able to get away from the MBB reporters.


    ¡®They¡¯re so clingy that it was hard for me to get rid of them.¡¯


    Haneul was fed up.


    As soon as Haneul brought up Ironman, the reporters started asking him many questions as to who that Hero was. At that moment, Haneul wanted to take back what he said, but it was something that already came out from his mouth.


    Haneul walked away into an area where there weren¡¯t many people, and sat down on a bench, underneath a Zelkova tree. That¡¯s when Haneul received a call.


    ¡°Hello, Haneul speaking.¡±


    It was the Dean.


    He was apologizing for what had happened earlier, and really didn¡¯t know that Haneul hated the idea of having interviews.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to say that. I¡¯m alright.¡±


    Honestly speaking, Haneul was still angry regarding the whole situation.


    It was very selfish of the Dean to go through with that whole charade without even asking him for his opinion. However, Haneul knew the Dean had his reasons.


    Most Heroes never miss the chance to get themselves well known and famous. Even the government was all for the promoting of the Heroes. If a popular Hero was to get on TV and talk about their preparations and thoughts on their job, there would be a huge amount of people watching the program.


    With this, the Hero will make their base money that they would normally get, and also receive extra incentives from the program. There were times when Heroes would be able to make double their normal pay, which showed how strongly this world focused on a Hero¡¯s image. It would also show which nation was focusing on which Hero.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Yes, I¡¯m serious. However, can you please tell me about the situation before something like that happens again? I really hate random happenings like that.¡±


    The Dean stuttered as he agreed to Haneul¡¯s wishes, and was now worried that Haneul might be uncomfortable with him. The Dean was a hard figure for Haneul to even meet in the previous world, but in this world, the Dean was trying his best to stay on Haneul¡¯s good side.


    ¡®So this is what it means to have a social position.¡¯


    Chapter 5 ¨C End.

 Volume 5 - CH 6

    Volume 5 ¨C Silver Knight


    Chapter 6


    It wasn¡¯t too hard to guess as to why the Dean was being so cautious of Haneul. Although Woon Rim College was a national school, if one was to look at the area it was placed in, it was located in the outskirts of the city. There weren¡¯t any famous Heroes from the school, and although it wasn¡¯t too noticeable, the amount of students applying to the school was gradually decreasing. In a situation like that, advertising a famous Hero was great marketing for the school.


    <¡­¡­..I know this may sound shameless, but can I ask for one last favor? If by chance you were to do this interview, I would be very thankful if you could speak a little bit about our school. Is it too hard of a favor?>


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    Haneul ended the call like that.


    ¡°Hoo. Are things going to be okay like this.¡±


    Everything just happened on impulse and anger.


    Haneul tried hard to separate his personal and work life.


    Thankfully, Haneul was promised to be interviewed with his armor on, and without being known for his true name.


    ¨C Really? We¡¯d be very thankful if you could! Honestly, that¡¯s better for us!


    Surprisingly, the reporters seem to like that idea more than I thought.


    Either way, Haneul agreed to the interview out of impulse and anger.


    So, there really wasn¡¯t anything to regret.


    Haneul felt that, if what he did at the scene of the earthquake was extraordinary, then the other Heroes that were passed out from fighting the monsters should also get recognized.


    It¡¯s absurd that fancy and active Heroes get popular after every Earthquake, yet none of the Heroes who died while protecting the civilians in the shelter even get their names announced.


    Especially how Ironman was fighting without any regards to his life, Haneul knew he didn¡¯t have that sort of strength, yet he was the one being put in the limelight.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this? Why is such a famous person like you just sitting around leisurely at school?¡±


    Haneul turned his head around.


    There was a tall guys standing there with a smirk, and with his hands in his pockets.


    ¡®Do I know this guy?¡¯


    He was a face Haneul has never seen around school before.


    ¡°I really can¡¯t stand looking at your dull face. What? Because the Dean called you over and started saying Silver Knight this, Silver Knight that, you really think that he¡¯s talking about you?¡±


    There was one thing Haneul was sure about, and that is this guy is not confronting him with kind intentions.


    ¡°You need something from me?¡±


    ¡°Do I need something from you? This piece of shit is being pretentious. You don¡¯t remember what you fucking said to me last time? That you will be my opponent once you become a hero? What, now that you became a hero, are you scared?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be your opponent when I become a hero? What are you talking about?¡±


    Haneul had no idea what the guy was saying.


    As Haneul was frowning, he was able to feel magic slowly pouring out from the guy standing in front of him.


    ¡®He¡¯s a hero.¡¯


    He¡¯s not at a laughable level like the Dean.


    ¡°You¡¯re not on the same level as a normal student. Are you by any chance a Hero?¡±


    ¡°Ha, Look at this fucker. Are you really not able to remember? Or are you just pretending? You¡¯re making me dumfounded. I heard you¡¯ve been out of it these days, but it seems to be true huh? Did something happen to your head after you awakened?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to say. You having problems with communication? If I asked you a question, you should be answering. Who are you to ask if there¡¯s a problem with me?


    ¡°Keke, that¡¯s how you should be. You¡¯ve been acting a little different recently, but you still seem to be you. That sharp tongue of yours is still the same, that way it¡¯s more fun for me to step all over you. I didn¡¯t mess with you before since you weren¡¯t worth my time, but now there shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right?¡±


    ¡°What is it that you want?¡±


    ¡°You should know. Well, if you¡¯re scared now then you can continue talking that way. If you stand behind Minah again, I guess I can let you off.¡±


    Haneul¡¯s expression gradually turned chilly.


    The crap this guy has spouted so far, has finally hitHaneul¡¯s nerves.


    From the way he¡¯s talking, it seems like something happened between himself and the guy in the past. And whatever that reason was, it seems like Minah was a part of it as well.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but it doesn¡¯t seem like you don¡¯t have ANY commons sense. Since you didn¡¯t bother with a non-awakened person.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not in my tastes to step all over someone who¡¯s not worth my time. Even now, much hasn¡¯t changed, but I¡¯m getting sick of you sticking your head here and there. I hate bitches who think they¡¯re more than they really are.¡±


    ¡°So, what is it you want to do?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t understand me? Let¡¯s fight till one person looks like a bloody pig.¡±


    ¡°You should have just said that in the first place then. Why do you have so much to bitch about?¡±


    As soon as Haneul spoke with a chilly tone, the guy¡¯s face froze over.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be a lie that you were able to become a Hero, seeing as how you¡¯re not running away. Follow me. Even for a nobody like you, you should know that it¡¯s against the law for Heroes to fight one another.¡±


    ¡°Good. Lead the way.¡±


    Haneul stood up. As a matter of fact, Haneul already wasn¡¯t in a good mood, because of situations that he could not control.


    Kyung Chul Lee made a face filled with ridicule.


    ¡°You¡¯re actually arrogant enough to come out. Hey, you¡¯re really going to die. You can¡¯t understand the situation that you¡¯re in right now? Do you feel like the world is below your feet, since you were able to awaken? Ha, this guy is really being over confident and trying to act big. Do you really think I won¡¯t be able to kill off an existence like you?¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up and eat shit. You really talk too much. When are you going to stop spouting bullshit when you¡¯re the one that wanted to fight?¡±


    Chapter 6 ¨C End.

 Volume 5 - CH 7

    Volume 5 ¨C Silver Knight


    Chapter 7


    *     *     *     *


    Nobody knows how long Kyung Chul Lee has been waiting for this moment.


    ¡®Finally, finally I can step all over this piece of shit.¡¯


    As Kyung Chul thought of this, a chilly pleasure dominated his mind. He never thought a day like this would finally come.


    The past Haneul¡¯s level was way too low, so the chance of him awakening was low and even if he did, he should only be Rank D at most. Stepping over a piece of shit like him would be nothing.


    ¡®Minah, I¡¯ll at least agree to this much. Your eyes weren¡¯t wrong. In the end, this bastard even awakened.¡¯


    To Rank B at that.


    However, it¡¯s really uncommon for someone to awaken into a high level right from the get go.


    ¡®There¡¯s no way he¡¯s Rank B. That defies common sense. It¡¯s probably just the press messing around.¡¯


    Kyung Chul has always been watching over Haneul, ever since he¡¯s been formally dating Minah.


    Minah¡¯s endowment has always been excellent. There were many talks of her stating that she awakened near the same time Murray¡¯s Earthquake hit. That¡¯s why, right after enrolling into school, she was able to become a Hero right away.


    That¡¯s why the guy she should be dating should be a guy who¡¯s the best of the best.


    Because she was the perfect existence!


    ¡®However, that¡¯s not you Haneul.¡¯


    To Kyung Chul, Haneul was less than being nothing. It was a well-known fact that awakening was really hard to do. However, a guy like Haneul enrolled into the army, then came back and awakened out of nowhere.


    Kyung Chul was honestly happy.


    He could now step on Haneul.


    KyunChul stopped walking.


    The location he chose was an area that was about 30 kilometers north of the school.


    They had to take the taxi over to the control zone, then walk quite a bit to reach their destination which was a grayish landscape.


    This place was similar to a wrecked city after an Earthquake. It was a place filled with emptiness and loneliness.


    ¡°What do you think, this spot should be good enough, right?¡±


    Kyung Chul smiled brightly.


    ¡°This is the location of where the disappeared 4th city was at. An earthquake this place 12 years ago, and the strong monsters that appeared wasted this place to nothingness. After that, a lot of things similar to magic started appearing here, so it turned into a place where civilians can¡¯t live in anymore.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying we can avoid the Organization¡¯s eyes here?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s forbidden for Heroes to fight each other, because they affect and damage the surroundings too much. However, this place is okay, because it¡¯s already been abandoned.¡±


    Haneul looked at Kyung Chul.


    There was a murderous intent in his eyes.


    It felt like it really wouldn¡¯t matter if someone was to die here today.


    ¡°You want to kill me huh.¡±


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯re scared now that you¡¯re here. Alright. I¡¯m a hero and I know what it means to show mercy. Get on your knees and beg. If you do that, I¡¯ll at least spare your life. However, if you want your body to be left intact, make sure you beg with both your hands and knees touching the ground.¡±


    Haneul¡¯s expression changed.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°What? So you forgot my name too. Keke. You must really have something wrong with you¡­..¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up and answer my question. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Haneul¡¯s whole atmosphere changed.


    Even Kyung Chul was able to feel it.


    ¡°Open your damn ears and listen well. My name is KyunChul Lee. Don¡¯t forget it, even after your death.¡±


    ¡°Kyung Chul eh. I have no idea who you are. I thought if I knew who you were, I¡¯d remember once I heard your name but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case.¡±


    ¡°What crap are you saying now?¡±


    ¡°Ever since I came to this weird world, I knew that not every hero would have a sacrificing heart or would give it their all to protect the civilians. I knew there would be people like you. That¡¯s to be expected, since we¡¯re all humans.¡±


    Haneul¡¯s expression relaxed.


    After realizing Kyung Chul¡¯s childish intentions, Haneul¡¯s thoughts and unrest completely disappeared.


    Haneul thought that the existence of Heroes in this world were all the same, just normal people who transcended into Heroes.


    ¡®That¡¯s right, it¡¯s normal to have these types of people.¡¯


    Haneul for some reason thought and was pressured into thinking that he himself had to be filled with justice, have a heroic spirit, and fight with everything he had.


    However, somewhere in his heart, he wanted to deny this part of him. He didn¡¯t want to believe that all Heroes were going to be like that.


    Because they were humans, they were able to show justice filled actions.


    And because they were humans, they were able to show other ugly actions.


    If Black Walker and Ironman were categorized to be in the previous group, then Kyung Chul right now would fit in the latter.


    ¡°For some reason, I want to thank you. My heart feels like it was able to relax a little. That¡¯s why Kyung Chul, what is your motivation? You waited until I awakened, and also brought me out to this location, so what is your motivation for all this.¡±


    Kyung Chul was pissed.


    ¡®Does this piece of shit really not remember anything? Yet he still followed me over here?¡¯


    Kyung Chul was overflowing with anger. He was the only one that felt sour in his heart and could not forgive Haneul. At first, Kyung Chul just wanted to beat the shit out of Haneul, so he wouldn¡¯t be able to walk around arrogantly in front of him.


    But now, his thoughts changed.


    Crack.


    Kyung Chul¡¯s eyes changed.


    ¡®Am I person that¡¯s not noticeable to him? To the point where he can¡¯t even remember me!!¡¯


    Kyung Chul has always spent time thinking about Haneul, filling himself up with rage and jealousy, yet Haneul didn¡¯t even know who he was or what his motivation was.


    Kyung Chul really wanted to kill him now.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of Minah! Minah shouldn¡¯t have been obtainable by a piece of shit like you. What¡¯s the reason? Why is it that an insignificant guy like you can be next to her? She¡¯s a perfect existence. Her abilities, appearance, everything is perfect! But what are you? You barely just awakened now. You¡¯re such a sneaky bastard. Are you like Rank C or something? Do you think you¡¯ve actually become something because of the press messing around? No, that¡¯s not it. Even before that, I don¡¯t believe that you¡¯re Silver Knight. I know. You¡¯re a wicked piece of¡­¡­..¡±


    ¡°Is that all you have to say?¡±


    Haneul cut Kyung Chul short.


    He couldn¡¯t listen to his nonsense anymore.


    Haneul thought it would be a bigger reason than that.


    Chapter 7 ¨C End.

 Volume 5 - CH 8

    Volume 5 ¨C Silver Knight


    Chapter 8


    Haneul thought he would be able to understand what type of person the other Haneul of this world was, whether it was good or bad.


    ¡®But it was nothing but jealousy.¡¯


    Kyung Chul had a crush on Minah, but his feelings weren¡¯t accepted by her. That¡¯s why he felt betrayed, and ended up get angry at Haneul for no reason.


    There was nothing more to hear. That was it.


    Laughter came out from Haneul¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny!!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just so trivial.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d you say?¡±


    ¡°For you to be putting your life on something like that. You¡¯re a hopeless retard. I¡¯m done with you now, so you can start the fight. I don¡¯t have the time to talk with dumbasses like you. You don¡¯t have to worry though, since I won¡¯t kill you. I¡¯ll just beat you enough to where you¡¯re not dead.¡±


    A smile could be seen on Kyung Chul¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to beating that confident face of yours.¡±


    At that moment, Kyung Chul release his magic.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Kyung Chul yelled out as wind occupied the surrounding of his arm.


    ¡°N, No way.¡±


    Kyung Chul groaned.


    He was a Rank B Hero.


    He was one of many outstanding Heroes that was dispatched from Woon Rim College, and his future looked promising. His Hero name was Wind Breaker.


    Kyung Chul¡¯s battle sense was very high. He was able to learn all of the school¡¯s martial techniques and would graft it together with his magic.


    Which is why the tricks he learned were all so powerful. Kyung Chul felt that he could cut through anything, and that there were no monsters that could take an attack from him, even from B Level Earthquakes.


    At the least, he thought that there wouldn¡¯t be any Rank B Heroes that could block his wind attack.


    However, it was blocked!


    And it wasn¡¯t any other person, but by Haneul.


    ¡°My, my Wind Blade doesn¡¯t work? What the hell is that?¡±


    On Haneul¡¯s right arm, it was covered by a shiny Silver Armor.


    Kyung Chul couldn¡¯t understand its purpose.


    Kyung Chul¡¯s Wind Blade was a powerful attack that could even cut through himself, yet it couldn¡¯t do anything to that Silver Armor.


    ¡°Th, there¡¯s no way.¡±


    He suddenly recalled the fact that Silver Knight was a Rank B Hero.


    ¡°A bitch like you is a Rank B Hero like me? No way. That¡¯s not true. That¡¯s a fucking lie.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    Haneul didn¡¯t respond back at all.


    Kyung Chul wasn¡¯t worth his time.


    ¡°No way. That doesn¡¯t make sense. That can¡¯t be true!! You¡¯re trash. How can a trash like you become a Rank B Hero in an instant! That¡¯s absurd. That¡¯s unfair. That¡¯s a scam!!!¡± (TN ¨C This guy is a lunatic and needs to chill out..)


    Kyung Chul made a last ditch effort and pounced on Haneul.


    He lost his reasoning.


    With a superbly red bad, he jumped up into the air and extended out his fist.


    A spiral of wind formed into a sharp Wind Blade. It was a skill that ripped off flesh and would make blood spurt out on impact.


    However, it did not affect Haneul in the slightest.


    ¡°Do you not have the ability to learn from your mistakes?¡±


    Grinnddddd.


    The Armor that covered Haneul¡¯s right arm extended out and formed into the ribs of a fan, and blocked the front of his fist.


    ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHH!¡±


    As Kyung Chul screamed out, he twisted his arm and foot.


    GRIND!


    A strong sound of wind crushing metal could be heard. The attack flew in from a diverse angle, and Kyung Chul¡¯s spiral was grafted in from every direction.


    But Haneul just lightly moved his hand as he blocked off all the attacks from the wind.


    ¡®This is the skill of a Rank B Hero.¡¯


    Haneul coldly grasped Kyung Chul¡¯s attack power.


    Every attack was returned back to Kyung Chul, and it was impossible to block Haneul.


    In front of that overwhelming defense, Kyung Chul gulped down his spit as he slowly stepped back.


    ¡°Gasp gasp.¡±


    Haneul was an existence that Kyung Chul couldn¡¯t even touch with the tips of his fingers.


    ¡°Are you done?¡±


    Suddenly, The Silver Amor covered the entirety of Haneul¡¯s body, as Silver Knight appeared onto this bleak location.


    ¡°What the hell is that? I, I¡¯ve never heard there was a Cracker Weapon like that¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Cracker Weapon? I¡¯m assuming that¡¯s what you guys call this. That¡¯s the only good information I¡¯ve heard from your mouth all day.¡±


    Haneul spoke calmly as his right fist extended forward with lightning speed.


    BANG!


    Kyung Chul¡¯s body flew up into the air as it skipped several times on the ground.


    ¡°KEUUAAKKKK!¡±


    Kyung Chul screamed out in pain.


    It was difficult for Haneul to control his strength, so that he did not kill Kyung Chul.


    ¡°This mother fucker, you dare¡­¡­a bitch like you would dare to hit me?¡±


    Kyung Chul yelled as he got up. There was blood dripping down from his disfigured nose. However, he seemed to be releasing a sharper atmosphere compared to before.


    ¡°A bitch like you¡­¡­.!¡±


    Kyung Chul started to pounce toward Haneul again.


    Haneul was able to match his speed with Kyung Chul, as he threw out a cross counter. There was an immense gap between Haneul¡¯s and Kyung Chul¡¯s reflex.


    CRACK!


    Kyung Chul¡¯s body fell deeply into the ground as he slid through a distance. He was not able to get back up, and was just shaking on the ground.


    The fight concluded very quickly. But, once the fight started, the anger in Haneul¡¯s heart quickly subsided.


    ¡®Is there this big of a difference between Rank B Heroes and Rank A Heroes?¡¯


    Haneul pondered.


    The unconscious Kyung Chul was still shaking on the ground. His nose was disfigured, his cheekbone was depressed, and blood was pouring out from his mouth. His face looked pitiful to Haneul.


    Kyung Chul became like this even though Haneul tried his best to control his strength.


    ¡°Get home by yourself. Even though you look like this now, you¡¯re a sturdy Hero so getting home shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    A bright light shone in the middle area of Haneul¡¯s hand.


    The Armor made a fluttering noise as it condensed back into a ring.


    Haneul got on the bus and on the way back home, Haneul stared out into the dark streets as he fell into deep thought.


    ¡®Did the Haneul from this world know that he was going to be awakening? Why did he tell Kyung Chul that he would fight with him once he awakened? You can tell from first glance that that guy wasn¡¯t in his right mind¡­¡­¡±


    Haneul was confused.


    Chapter 8 ¨C End.

 Volume 5 - CH 9

    Volume 5 ¨C Silver Knight


    Chapter 9


    It was confusing to see what type of person Haneul of this world was. As time flows by and with the help of the people around him, Haneul was clear that this world¡¯s Haneul was different from himself.


    Suddenly, Haneul¡¯s phone rang.


    It was the reporter. It was a call regarding the interview that was to take place with himself and Ironman, the day after tomorrow.


    Haneul accepted the call.


    His heart was still feeling some conflict, as he was unsure as to what his strength was supposed to be used for. However, he felt like Ironman would be able to give him the answer.


    *     *     *     *


    There were many Heroes in this World that were still unknown.


    Most of the Rank D and Rank C Heroes fit this category. It was very hard to raise their awareness, especially for the Rank D Heroes, which is why they weren¡¯t able to make themselves aware to the World. At the least, Haneul had to dig through the website to even find anything regarding them.


    For the most part, one could luckily gain popularity starting from the Rank C threshold. From that point on, they¡¯re able to participate in the battlefield and rack up points into their major.


    Once time passes, they would be able to interview with reporters and appear on the news.


    Awareness is built up starting from that point on.


    That¡¯s why Ironman knew for a very long time now, that he would never appear on TV.


    ¡°S, s, so the thing is¡­¡­W, Where my strength came from¡­¡­.it, it, was from¡­¡­.¡±


    Ironman was laying in bed at the hospital, and because he was stuttering so much during the interview, the reporter swiped her hand. There was no point in continuing the interview right now, because there was no way they could post this interview up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s rest a little while before we start again.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡­¡±


    As the staff walked out from the room, Ironman released a sigh.


    ¡°Why are you so nervous?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because of the camera in front of me¡­¡­There has never been a chance for me to be in front of it before. I¡¯ve never even thought of it before, and I don¡¯t think it will ever happen again¡­¡­.¡±


    Haneul softly laughed, but there was no way for Ironman to be able to see it. He was currently completely covered up by his Silver Armor.


    ¡®Is this person really the same person that was at the scene last time?¡¯


    The exterior appeared to be the same, but for some reason, Haneul wasn¡¯t able to match it together. The strong and courageous Ironman that was willing to sacrifice his life for others.


    The Hero that fought against his fear was a very unsophisticated person. Haneul could see that this person was only a couple of years ahead of him.


    ¡°But, are you really that Silver Knight?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I already told you this.¡±


    ¡°But, I¡¯m still not able to comprehend. Everyone in the World says that you¡¯re a Rank B Hero. However, there¡¯s no way someone who has such powerful strength only be Rank B. How can you be lying that you were one of the Heroes that were hiding inside the shelter¡­¡­..¡±


    ¡°Because the World will become too loud. I don¡¯t really like it when people gossip about me, because interest is the same as a boiling pot of water that rises up, then quickly dies back down.¡±


    ¡°Is, is that so¡­¡­.¡±


    Haneul¡¯s words were something Ironman was envious of. He wanted to get strong and famous. After finding out that his Rank was only at D, Ironman did whatever he could in order to raise the level of his strength.


    He kept telling himself that as long as he kept trying, he would be able to see great results.


    Sadly, reality was a bit harsh. No matter how much time passed by, there was no change in his magic level.


    It was cruel, but that was reality.


    At that point, his hope became despair.


    And a never ending swirl was formed within his heart.


    ¡°I¡¯m quite envious of you.¡±


    These words Ironman said were barely audible. However, Haneul was able to hear it clearly. At that moment, Haneul¡¯s face completely changed.


    That¡¯s when the reporter came back in.


    ¡°Were you able to calm yourself down now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think I will be okay now. I¡¯ve calmed myself.¡±


    Ironman continued through the interview with a consistent and composed tone of his voice. In the midst of the interview, Haneul was also asked several questions but his mind blanked out and he could not recall what he answered in the interview.


    ¡®I¡¯ve made a mistake. I answered my questions with indifference and without any thought.¡¯


    Haneul had a sour taste in his mouth.


    To have been this empty headed. It was to the point where Haneul wanted to hit his own mouth hard.


    ¡°Today¡­¡­.I felt like I was more of a nuisance than anything.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m thankful. Even if I was to thank you several times, it still wouldn¡¯t be enough. With this, my life will get a little bit better. To be honest, Rank D Heroes like myself are usually just stuck at the sideline.¡±


    With the words ¡®sideline¡¯, Haneul felt sad.


    He thought of this before, but this was a problem. A person that possessed magic was not able to dream of their own future. They would immediately be put into training in order to become a Hero. But, if they¡¯re unable to awaken or if they awaken but don¡¯t have strong powers, they¡¯re just thrown away like this.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s pretty unfair. If you really think about it, even the fact that you guys get such low income doesn¡¯t make sense. Heroes are amazing people, and it¡¯s natural for them to be treated well. Ironman, that¡¯s the same for you as well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s a tough time for everyone. Other countries are pretty similar to us, so I can¡¯t be the only one to be complaining. But, to be able to hear such words from a true Hero like yourself, brings me comfort. It makes me feel like I¡¯m doing the same job as you are.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that it feels like we¡¯re doing the same job. We ARE doing the same job.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s different.¡±


    Although a bit cold, Ironman answered in that way.


    Haneul shut his mouth.


    ¡°I apologize if I said anything that I shouldn¡¯t have. I just thought a person like yourself should be known to others. The courage that you¡¯ve shown where you put your life on the line and never backed down, I feel that it¡¯s wrong for people not to know of it.¡±


    Ironman was looking outside has window, but turned his head to look at Haneul.


    ¡°How nice of you.¡±


    ¡°Th, that¡¯s not it¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°However, your consideration and kindness seems to hurt more. With just a professional mind and heart¡­¡­¡­you cannot save the world or people. I¡¯m sadly part of that category. It is my limit, and no matter how you try to word it, there¡¯s nothing that I can change. I cannot fight like you.¡±


    Haneul had no way to respond.


    Haneul felt like he was able to feel Ironman¡¯s misery in his heart. Haneul¡¯s actions so far have made him feel embarassed. How he didn¡¯t want to be known, or how he didn¡¯t like it when people gossiped about him¡­¡­.It was the same pungent feeling as earlier.


    ¡°My thoughts were a little short.¡±


    Haneul said a lot of words he shouldn¡¯t have in front of the true Hero that he recognized.


    ¡®Embarrassed. I¡¯m so embarrassed I can¡¯t lift my head up. What bullshit did I spout in front of this person?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you did nothing wrong to be apologizing. I¡¯m just thankful. The fact that this interview was in my favor, and that all the words that you said to me earlier were the truth. That¡¯s why, you shouldn¡¯t apologize. I¡¯m okay.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±


    ¡°Silver Knight, I¡¯ll continue rooting for you. You¡¯re already an amazing Hero, so please save more people. I hope your future is filled with glory.¡±


    Chapter 9 ¨C End.

 Volume 5 - CH 10

    Volume 5 ¨C Silver Knight


    Chapter 10


    Haneul came out from the hospital room into the hallway, and just stood there.


    The nurses passing by were glancing over at him as they walked by. However, the nurses in this area were restricted from doing anything outside of what was needed, so all they could do was glance a couple of times.


    With a clouded mind, Haneul headed towards the roof.


    This National Hospital was the biggest Hero hospital in East Area and because it was 3 km away from the 1st city, it was able to avoid calamity.


    However, the amount of Heroes that were hurt this past Earthquake were quite a few. 10 Rank A Heroes, 20+ Rank B Heroes, and Both Rank C and Rank D Heroes had over a hundred Heroes that were hurt.


    Normally, there wouldn¡¯t be this many Rank C and D casualties. However, the shelter was attacked. The monsters focused on attacking the shelter, and Heroes that were there as refugees volunteered to fight against the monsters.


    There were plenty of heroes like Ironman at the hospital.


    In the midst of the staff running around back and forth, Haneul felt a weight on his shoulders of the people he had to protect.


    It was all about saving lives.


    It wasn¡¯t as simple as doing a job and receiving money for it.


    As the Armor faded away from Haneul¡¯s body, he felt the wind caress him on top of the roof.


    As he walked out from the hospital, a change could be seen within his eyes.


    ¡®Let¡¯s not bitch about something that¡¯s outside of my control right now. Whether it¡¯s returning back to my own world, or who I am currently, nobody has an answer. Let¡¯s just focus on what I can do right now and what I can do in this world.¡¯


    *     *     *     *


    The thing that was moving around in the darkness has now become the size of a little dog. It now had no problem with moving its body. As time passed, its knowledge of other life forces grew, and it was able to understand how to divide its cells.


    Shockingly, the Wizard that almost died found a good mechanism it could use, and made that its new goal.


    In order to survive, its new goal was to become the most perfect existence. In order to do that, it could not stay in this place. This place was focused too heavily on just surviving, so it could not evolve. It was already struggling to just live.


    One thing was clear, its flesh that was already at its limit, would start to disintegrate the moment it tried to surpass a hurdle. The smaller the life, the more apparent it was. There was also another big reason.


    The energy that circulated within its flesh could not be found here, and here that energy was called magic.


    If it was not able to grasp the magic within its hands, the only way to survive was to go from one living thing to another. This was a very incomplete and dangerous way to exist.


    It had to find it. An existence with energy.


    As soon as it tried to crawl around outside as a rat, it was attacked by a cat. And although its weak rat body started to shrivel, it was not an existence of this world. It was a monster that came from the Earthquake.


    The rat¡¯s body suddenly extended forth and covered the cat¡¯s body instead.


    MEEEOOOWWW!


    The cat¡¯s painful cry within the darkness, slowly drifted away and dropped to nothingness. As it consumed the cat¡¯s body, it was able to find itself a bigger and faster body, and continued to move forward with caution.


    This new body didn¡¯t have any energy either. However, on the bright side, the brain was bigger and its physique was a lot more flexible compared to before.


    It must find magic energy and it must grasp the magic within its hands in order to gain strength again. This was the prerequisite for its evolution.


    Evolution. Gaining strength. Jumping above the limits of one¡¯s flesh. This was its only goal and desire. In order to evolve, this ¡®thing¡¯ continued to look for life containing magic energy.


    As it continued to do so, it was finally able to find its goal. Not too far away from it, it was able to feel many beings with magic energy, and it pushed forward towards it.


    The location it was aiming for.


    The National Hospital.


    The Organization made magic sensor towers and posted them up everywhere.


    If World A had many Wi-Fi towers posted up in order to release signals, this World had things called magic sensor towers. In order to capture the moment when magic is released from Earthquakes, if a certain number is hit from the sensors, it would immediately inform the Organization.


    That¡¯s why the status room was always active in the Organization, and they would thoroughly scan through the magic captured by the sensors.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    They were able to capture some magic a little while ago in the eastern side of Central East. Jae Kyung Kim from the status room was the one to notice the numbers.


    It was a larger number compared to normal.


    ¡®These numbers are quite high¡¯


    However, the numbers did not show that another Earthquake was going to hit. The rise in numbers was temporary, and the graph was now flowing in a consistent motion. If it was a sign of an Earthquake occurring, there was no way for the graph to be looking this stable.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t this area where the National Hospital is located?¡¯


    It all made sense now as to why there was a sudden spike of magic. Heroes that were hurt would usually have nightmares and would release their magic subconsciously. It was something that occurred often and was nothing to worry about.


    The person in charge of the status room just pushed it aside as if it was nothing.


    He continued to talk with his friends through the messenger.


    Who knew something out of the ordinary would happen out of his negligence?


    Chapter 10 ¨C End.

 Volume 5 - CH 11

    Chapter 11


    *     *     *     *


    The current Organization was under the command of the minister. However, the minister only made big decisions here and there, while the rest of the decisions were made within the Organization. And recently, these decisions made from within have been made pretty well.


    However, the higher ups have been complaining that the Organization has been incompetent recently with the things that have occurred in the most recent Earthquake.


    There were reasonable grounds for it though, because in this recent Earthquake, the Organization made naive and inadequate responses. The Earthquake level was decided to be Level A in the beginning, but as the situation unfolded, the Level was changed to S internally.


    It was already hard to miss a Level S Earthquake, yet the people responsible for checking the magic levels deemed it to be a Level A. There were no excuses that they could¡¯ve made in front of the cold hard facts.


    Not only that, but these mistakes weren¡¯t the first.  Similar to the Rank C Level Earthquake that happened before. In reality it was much worst, and a huge disaster would¡¯ve happened if the Rank B Heroes weren¡¯t deployed. Wouldn¡¯t there have been a huge amount of casualties?


    Fortunately, a Hero was able to awaken in the midst of all that chaos and prevented the situation from getting any worse than it already was.


    ¡°Chet.¡±


    The Chairman of the Organization got in deep trouble when he was present at the recent Minister meeting. It was something he had to bear, but he could not control his anger for he was a human being.


    ¡°Summon all the Directors.¡±


    The Chairman wanted to rest today because of the stress and headache he had, but there wasn¡¯t the time to do that. Two Earthquakes occurred in the span of a couple of days. The frequency of these Earthquakes weren¡¯t shocking, but the problem was its contents.


    Before an hour even passed, all of the Directors were gathered inside the Chairman¡¯s office. Every one of them had a disheveled look to them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you guys know why I called you guys here today. I should have told you in the meeting we had two days ago.¡±


    The Chairman proceeded with his talk.


    Meetings were always this sudden, and there weren¡¯t any formalities. This meeting continued on without any freedom to any of the Directors.


    ¡°If I may¡­..I feel that that time has come again.¡±


    ¡°That time you say¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the operations division also thinks this way, and they should be able to make a decision once they¡¯re able to analyze two more Earthquakes. There¡¯s definitely something happening in the Outlands though. As everyone should already know regarding the Earthquake that occurred in the 1st city, of the East Area recently, several complex entities appeared. There were 3 different types of entities, 2 of which were the typical Level A monsters, the Giants and Hounds, and the other type was the main character for the Level S Earthquakes, Wizard types. We need to put special attention into the fact that several different type of entities came out, instead of just a single type. And, we also must not look over the fact that a hard to kill Wizard type also appeared. As always, the mysterious Wizard types are much different compared to regular monsters. Whether it be regarding growth, abilities, or wisdom, these dangerous entities will definitely be appearing in the next Earthquakes.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you guys should be able to tell if that time has come or not, once we have 1 or 2 more Earthquakes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I can¡¯t say that it¡¯s going to be definite, but if the next few Earthquakes end up being similar to the recent Earthquakes we¡¯ve had, then there¡¯s a high chance that we should be able to decide. Personally, I can see that there is definitely change happening right now and feel that something big is definitely going to be happening soon.¡±


    All the Director¡¯s faces were distraught and dark.


    They already had their own ideas regarding everything that has happened. In the recent Earthquake and the one before it, the predicted levels were completely missed. It was a huge difference where they had to raise the level up by one.


    There was a similar situation that happened in the past. The difference in the actual Level of the Earthquake and the measures that were taken.


    All the data they¡¯ve been able to compile has led to the same thing.


    A time where the levels had to be raised.


    The time of 20 years back has come upon them once again.


    Chapter 11 ¨C End.


    Volume 5 ¨C End.

 Volume 6 - CH 1

    Volume 6 ¨C Dominator


    Chapter 1


    ¡°Yawn.¡±


    A person could be seen coming outside with a hot cup of coffee in his hands.


    The thing hidden within the dark lay closer to the ground, inquiring the person. Although faint, there was a certain strength being emitted by the person.


    There was no doubt about it. It was magic.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The guy drinking his coffee while yawning, saw a black cat quietly appear in front of him, so he bent down to touch it.


    The guy was in a black outfit and as he smiled warmly at the cat, he extended his hand out. No matter who saw it, the cat looked like a cat burglar, but the guy liked animals. And as if the animals could understand his feelings, they were prone to follow him.


    ¡°Come here, whistle.¡± (TN ¨C The author actually has ??? (OoJjooJjoo) down, which is a sound effect people usually use on babies or cute animals. Didn¡¯t know what to write down that was equivalent to it, so I put down whistle.)


    ¡°Meoooowww.¡±


    The cat was alert at first, but ended up walking up to the person. As its face was being rubbed, it stood still. The person thought it was a cat burglar, but it didn¡¯t seem like that was the case.


    ¡°This guy, it¡¯s really affectionate towards people. I wonder if it has an owner?¡±


    ¡®I guess I can spend the rest of my night duty together with this little guy.¡¯


    Thought the guy. He was wondering what to do for the next couple of hours, so he was fortunate to meet the cat. (TN ¨C Is he really fortunate? O.O)


    Sadly, that thought did not last too long.


    The cat that was receiving his rubs suddenly released a strange light out from his eyes.


    Wrap.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The guy¡¯s eyes grew round with shock.


    ¡°UGH!¡±


    His right hand was enclosed with the cat¡¯s body. As the guy freaked out and took several steps back, the cat¡¯s whole body expanded wrapped itself around the guy¡¯s body.


    ¡°AGH! S, Save¡­¡­.¡±


    As the guy moved about to get himself free, he fell down to the ground.


    His screams were immediately swallowed by the darkness.


    Gulp gulp.


    The guy¡¯s foot shook erratically.


    If someone was able to see the situation that was happening currently, they would have been able to stop things from getting worse. However, there was nobody around to witness the situation. It was 10 minutes past midnight, and it was too late for people to be walking about.


    Ironman was laying in bed staring out into the starry sky.


    Today was a day he would never be able to forget for the rest of his life. It was his first time having an interview with a reporter, and he was broadcasted at night. It was awesome. As soon as Ironman¡¯s face came out on TV, his phone was ringing with calls and messages, as if it was on fire.


    Ironman received many calls from his friends as well as family, telling him how proud they were of him.


    Ironman was feeling great.


    He felt like he was able to become the Hero he¡¯s always dreamed of being.


    However, he knew the truth. It was a fact that Ironman wasn¡¯t the one to save the refugees in the shelter, but was actually Silver Knight.


    When Ironman heard Silver Knight saying that he didn¡¯t want to be known to the people, it was true that he really did get angry inside. However, if one thought about it, it wasn¡¯t right to impose into someone else¡¯s life, even if they are Heroes.


    A person¡¯s life can change completely, just for being born with magic within their body. And, some people think that this is irrational and absurd, so they shouldn¡¯t be forced to sacrifice their personal life.


    ¡®That person looked like he had a lot on his mind as well.¡¯


    Now that Ironman thinks about it, Haneul was a very special person.


    There has never been a person until now, willing to be considerate of his feelings. Yet, strangely, Haneul tried to be considerate, and also tried to console him.


    As soon as Ironman thought of that, he was able to realize how unseemly his actions were today.


    ¡®It¡¯s all because of my shortcomings¡­¡­..¡¯


    Because Haneul was being so considerate, Ironman acted completely different from how he would normally act. He was normally a person that thought of others before himself, but today it was the opposite way around.


    ¡®How embarrassing.¡¯


    Ironman scratched his head, and he was not able to sleep for awhile because of the thoughts in his mind. He wanted to call Silver Knight tomorrow morning in order to apologize.


    As he thought this and closed his eyes to sleep, it happened.


    ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯


    Ironman immediately got up.


    ¡°Hey, Tigerman. Did you feel anything just now?¡±


    Ironman asked Tigerman, who was resting next to him. However, all Ironman could hear was loud heavy snores.


    ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯


    Ironman had a complex expression.


    He was able to feel a sharp feeling from outside earlier. It wasn¡¯t just his imagination. He was definitely able to feel something. However, there was nobody else in the hospital who was able to feel it except himself?


    ¡®Was it just my imagination?¡¯


    His mind could have gotten sharper, because of his recent fight to the death in the battlefield. Ironman tried to lay back in bed to sleep, but it happened again.


    Ironman frowned and jumped right back up from the bed.


    ¡®No. It¡¯s not just my imagination. I was able to feel it again.¡¯


    In the first floor of this hospital, Ironman has been feeling a fluctuation of magic since earlier. It definitely wasn¡¯t at a level that could be mistaken. It was strong enough for him to immediately jump out of bed, so it didn¡¯t make sense that nobody else was reacting to it in the hospital.


    ¡®Again. I just felt it again.¡¯


    Chapter 1 ¨C End.

 Volume 6 - CH 2

    Volume 6 ¨C Dominator


    Chapter 2


    Ironman could feel the magic around the 1st floor of the hospital. He was certain of it. He couldn¡¯t just stand still and not do anything anymore. Ironman got up off the bed and walked out to the hallway.


    It was late into the night and there was nothing but darkness in the hallway.


    The on call nurse looked at Ironman¡¯s serious expression and was filled with curiosity.


    ¡°Are you not feeling well somewhere?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. Although weak, I¡¯ve been able to feel magic fluctuations since earlier.¡±


    ¡°What? But, none of the other Heroes here are saying anything about it¡­¡­.¡±


    The nurse was asking Ironman if he was just mistaken.


    However, that wasn¡¯t the case. Ironman was very certain of what he felt.


    ¡®It might just be that I¡¯ve become the weird one. Did my fight in the previous Earthquake mess with my senses?¡¯


    There were currently plenty of other Heroes at the hospital, not including Ironman. In the midst of all those Heroes, there was also a Rank A Hero. It was weird to see that nobody else felt anything besides Ironman.


    Normally, this feeling would have been put aside, but for some reason, it was bothering Ironman to the max.


    It was okay to tell Ironman that he was wrong, but this uncomfortable feeling made it so that he couldn¡¯t sit still.


    ¡°Let me go check and see what this weird fluctuation is.¡±


    The nurse frowned as if to show her denial.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite late tonight. Let me call the 1st floor to confirm for you instead. Ah, there are also other Heroes here working as bodyguards, so we can also contact them to help.¡±


    The nurse had a point.


    Ironman decided not to be stubborn and returned back to his room.


    He laid back down on the bed as he closed his eyes.


    As usual, he¡¯s still able to feel that strange feeling.


    ¡®It¡¯s nothing. I shouldn¡¯t be focusing on it. The nurse said she was going to take care of it, so I should be able to learn what it is soon. But, I¡¯m certain that what I felt isn¡¯t wrong.¡¯


    The nurse made the call with a face will with exhaustion. She was trying to reach out to the nurse in charge of the 1st floor, in order to inform her of what Ironman said. The nurse wanted to confirm and see if there was anything strange happening currently.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the one in charge of the 3rd floor. Was there any special¡­¡­..¡±


    Suddenly, she stopped talking.


    Scratch scratch.


    ¡°Huh? Why is it like this all of a sudden?¡±


    Is the phone broken? With a confused face, the nurse called again. However, no one was responding this time. No, to say the least, the phone was at least ringing.


    Beep Beep.


    At first, the nurse thought little of it. However, even after some time passed by, it was still the same.


    After waiting for another minute, the nurse tried calling again.


    ¡°Not picking up?¡±


    Asked another nurse. The nurse in charge of the 3rd floor nodded.


    The 2 people¡¯s faces now changed to a serious expression. There was no way for the 2 to leave their post. That¡¯s why the only way for them to know the situation on the 1st floor was through the phone.


    A situation like this was very rare.


    There was no doubt that something was happening down there.


    The nurse immediately called the guard leader.


    <Yes, how may I help you?>


    ¡°I think there¡¯s a problem on the 1st floor right now. The phone hasn¡¯t been connecting for them since earlier.¡±


    <I will immediately go and check to see what the problem is.>


    The nurse¡¯s voice sounded desperate.


    The guard leader was up on the 5th floor and would speak with an agent on each floor, every hour, in order to receive a report from them. It¡¯s only been 10 minutes since the guard leader received a report from the agent on the 1st floor.


    A problem must have occurred if no one is picking up the phone¡­¡­


    The guard leader tried to contact the 1st floor agent through the radio, but as if there was radio interference, all he heard were scratch marks.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening all of a sudden? Is something happening right now?¡±


    He tried to contact the agent from the 2nd floor.


    There was no contact for a while until finally, there was a response.


    <2nd, 2nd dog here. What¡¯s going on.>


    ¡°I can¡¯t connect with the 1st dog right now. Go and see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    <Scratch scratch. Will do.>


    The scratch mark was not going away.


    Is there a problem with the radio? As the guard leader shook the radio and let out a sigh, he saw the outline of the 5th floor nurse.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Several patients were out on the roof talking with the nurse. The guard leader thought nothing of it and went to talk with the group as quick as he could.


    ¡°Umm, is there a problem?¡±


    *     *     *     *


    The agent from the 2nd floor was heading downstairs through the emergency stairs. It was currently 12:12 a.m. This was usually the time where he would be super tired since there would be nothing to do.


    ¡®What¡¯s the best action to take in a situation like this?¡¯


    For this job, the Organization chose a limited amount of Rank C Heroes. A 2 shift rotation was set up throughout the day so there wasn¡¯t much to do, but it was still mentally taxing.


    Once in a while, they would follow instructions like this.


    ¡°Mister Sung Yul, where are you?¡±


    Hero names were rarely used when it came to working these types of jobs. It was a job for Heroes on the sideline, so it was a custom in the industry to ¡®pretend not to know, even if you know.¡¯


    That¡¯s why the 2nd agent called out the 1st agent¡¯s real name.


    However, it was strange.


    Sung Yul wasn¡¯t at the location he should have been at.


    ¡°Where did this guy go?¡±


    It didn¡¯t seem like the 1st agent lost his radio. The 2nd agent walked to the reception desk.


    ¡°Nurse.¡±


    He called out to the nurse many times at the reception desk. However, it was strange. Nobody seemed to even be near the desk.


    ¡®What the hell happened? Why isn¡¯t there a single person anywhere?¡¯


    Chapter 2 ¨C End.

 Volume 6 - CH 3

    Volume 6 ¨C Dominator


    Chapter 3


    It was now that the 2nd agent felt that something was wrong. Not just the 1st agent is missing, but also the nurses that should be at the reception desk.


    It happened right as the 2nd agent turned his head towards the entrance.


    There was a person standing there in front of the vending machine.


    Sung Yul liked drinking coffee.


    The 2nd agent let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Mr. Sung Yul, you should¡¯ve responded if you were here. I¡¯ve been looking for you for a while now. Did you know that the guard leader has also been trying to contact you this whole time? I know this is something you wouldn¡¯t normally do.¡±


    The 2nd agent was mumbling with a very tired expression.


    However, there was no response from the Sung Yul.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯


    The 2nd agent felt that something was off.


    Suddenly, Sung Yul turned his face, and the 2nd agent quickly moved back.


    Sung Yul¡¯s body was shaking nonstop, and there seemed to be an outline of monstrosity attached to his head.


    The 2nd agent quickly released his magic as he turned his radio on.


    ¡°2nd dog, 2nd dog! A monster has been spotted on the 1st floor!¡±


    ¡°Scratch scratchscratch.¡±


    The black blob stuck on Sung Yul moved and his body shook again. As it did, Sung Yul made a very strange noise as he rotated his body. He moved in a very peculiar way, as if he was a mechanical robot.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°Looking at your get-up and magic, you must also be a Hero. Are you the guard team that was dispatched from headquarters?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. It is my job to protect the casualties from the previous Earthquake. What kind of turmoil is this in the middle of the night?¡±


    The guard leader, Sung TaekJin, asked the 3 Heroes calmly hoping to deescalate the situation.


    However, the 3 just gritted their teeth.


    ¡°Shit, you weren¡¯t able to feel it. I guess that¡¯s obvious since you guards are barely Rank C to Rank B! Although weak, there was definitely a fluctuation of magic, so it¡¯s not the time for you to be standing there calmly. Hurry and contact the Organization.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait just a second. Please calm down. What are you guys talking about?¡±


    Sung Taek made a serious expression.


    The 5th floor was normally used for higher ranked Heroes. These Heroes had mental problems and were usually isolated, but it seemed like the Hospital didn¡¯t have a choice this time.


    ¡®What a pain. It will definitely be a big problem if these higher ranked Heroes caused a riot.¡±


    At this time, Sung Taek still thought these 3 Heroes were just going through post-war syndrome. Heroes who are usually hurt from an Earthquake would usually show this type of reaction.


    That¡¯s when a scratching noise came from the radio.


    Everyone looked towards the radio.


    <Scratch scratch scratch¡­¡­2nd dog! A monster has been spotted on the 1st floor!>


    Monster?


    Sung Taek made a surprised expression.


    What did this mean all of a sudden?


    *     *     *    *


    It¡¯s been a long time since he¡¯s been to the Korean sauna.


    ¡®How many years has it been?¡¯


    He hasn¡¯t been to one since he became an adult, and went to Jeju-do Island with his friends.


    Has it been about 3 years?


    The way he accommodated his lodging when he was younger and poor was through the Korean Sauna.


    Everyone ranging from kids to adults, would sleep together within the same space. It was quite marvelous at first, seeing how everyone was sleeping together in a wide open space.


    Although this current location wasn¡¯t as great as the first one he went to, it was still a dollar cheaper. Well, it kind of made up for the cheap facilities.


    ¡®Who knew the buses would stop running so early.¡¯


    Haneul scratched his head.


    This was definitely a situation he did not expect.


    After the collapse of the 1st city, the buses that moved from Central East to the 2nd city were very limited. That¡¯s why the buses that headed back to Haneul¡¯s home were cut off early.


    He had such vigor when he was at the hospital, but it was a mistake for Haneul to not have gotten on the bus before the sun fell. He killed time looking around the neighborhood, and ended up not being able to get back home.


    Because Haneul lived alone and didn¡¯t need to go back home, he went straight to the Korean sauna. It wasn¡¯t a lie though to say that Haneul was pretty uncomfortable with his situation currently.


    ¡®How uncomfortable. Now that I have a stable income coming in, should I buy a car?¡¯


    He suddenly thought of this idea.


    Although Haneul hasn¡¯t seen any money in his account yet, he knew it wasn¡¯t much work to get himself a car for an everyday use.


    A Rank B Hero made a good amount of money, so Haneul was curious as to how much a Rank A Hero made, so he looked it up online.


    A Rank A Hero showed to be making a monthly income of 10,000$. It was a huge amount of money that he never thought he would be able to make. Not only that, but because he also did the interview, there would be a plus alpha amount coming into his account. Realizing that this money was going to be coming into his account in the next few days, Haneul¡¯s heart started to pound.


    ¡®Should I really buy a car?¡¯


    Thinking of ways to spend his money, Haneul¡¯s time flew by pretty quickly. As people slowly started falling asleep one by one, the lights were also slowly starting to turn off. It now felt like a sleeping atmosphere.


    Haneul was now seriously thinking about the things he needed to do moving forward.


    There were many things to think about after finishing his interview today. It was definitely the right answer to have met Ironman. His upright thoughts cleared away Haneul¡¯s confusion, and he also understood why he was so focused with Ironman¡¯s situation.


    ¡®Black Walker¡­..¡±


    Haneul recalled the name of the Hero that died in order to save him.


    Black Walker was the first hero that Haneul was able to meet after coming to this world, and he¡¯s also was the reason why Haneul is able to live today. The thought that Black Walker died on behalf of Haneul has become a huge burden, stuck deeply within his heart. And this is what Haneul saw when he saw Ironman.


    Sacrifice, courage, justice.


    Not being able to notice his worries earlier has entwined around Haneul¡¯s mind.


    It was an insignificant death that no one even recognized.


    However, Haneul would never be able to forget it.


    ¡®Ever.¡¯


    Haneul was going to continue living as a Hero.


    That¡¯s what he decided.


    Chapter 3 ¨C End.

 Volume 6 - CH 4

    Volume 6 ¨C Dominator


    Chapter 4


    After the news was televised, the top searches on the browser were all regarding Ironman and his contributions. Haneul felt that what he did was the correct thing to do. It was exactly what he was hoping for.


    The coverage of Silver Knight was kept to a bare minimum, almost to the point where it felt like he wasn¡¯t even part of it. The news focused on Ironman and how he risked his life in order to protect the people. The talk regarding Silver Knight was like side dish to a main course meal, and the Reporters also calculated that focusing on Ironman would bring them more viewers.


    Awesome, this is what Haneul hoped for.


    Thinking this thought, he turned his phone on.


    It¡¯s been a couple of days since he¡¯s received any messages on his messenger.


    Normally, Minah should have contacted him first but after that day, she has never called or messaged.


    Even Haneul who had no experience regarding dating knew.


    It was over.


    There was nothing left connecting their relationship together.


    That¡¯s what Haneul felt.


    Right as Haneul put away his phone and closed his eyes to sleep, something happened.


    Flash.


    Haneul quickly opened his eyes.


    Earlier, he was able to feel some sort of sharp feeling.


    Haneul quickly got up and turned his head. As he focused on the feeling, he was able to sense a magic that was growing stronger by the second. There was no doubt about it.


    ¡®It¡¯s coming from the hospital.¡¯


    Haneul rushed outside immediately.


    In the midst of the cold air blowing late at night, Haneul quickly started running. He could feel it. He was certain of it. It was the same feeling he got after an Earthquake appeared.


    Haneul was assured that this magic feeling was different from a Hero¡¯s.


    It was a much sharper and complex pattern.


    Suddenly, Haneul received a message through his phone. It was a message from the Organization. Currently, there was an unknown entity with a small magic phenomenon occurring, basically meaning that a monster had appeared.


    ¡°As I thought!¡±


    Haneul focused his magic into the ring.


    Jiiinnng.


    The Silver ring moved as it instantly covered Haneul¡¯s whole body.


    Silver Armor Hero. Silver Knight.


    ¡°They really don¡¯t take a break. It¡¯s only been a couple of days since they last appeared.¡±


    Haneul has yet to see and sight an Earthquake happening.


    However, he was definitely able to feel the monster¡¯s magic.


    Haneul kicked hard against the ground and jumped into the air. He instantly appeared on the roof of a building and continued forth with his maximum speed towards the hospital.


    As Haneul was jumping through downtown, he was able to feel a strong vitality which he wasn¡¯t able to feel before when he was still on the ground. People may think that Haneul is crazy if he said this, but he could not think of a life without fighting off monsters now.


    This electrifying feeling made Haneul feel alive, and assured him of his existence in this world.


    ¡®I am a Hero.¡¯


    *     *     *     *


    BOOOM!


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    The pathways from the 2nd floor to the 1st floor were completely blocked off. The Heroes that backed away up to the 3rd floor were panting.


    In the midst of these Heroes was Ironman. He was holding onto his metal pipe while swallowing down dry saliva.


    ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t get rid of it, we will be the ones to suffer¡­¡­.The problem is that there are regular citizens mixed in with the Heroes. Fuck, what kind of situation is this¡­¡­¡±


    The first time the monster appeared was on the 1st floor.


    The guard in charge of the 1st floor, Sung Yul, was slowly getting eaten away by the monster. The first guard to arrive on scene was the guard in charge of the 2nd floor, Byung In. He was very frustrated on how he should go about getting rid of the monster. There was no doubt that it was a monster, but in order to get rid of it, the 2nd guard also had to get rid of the Hero it was eating.


    As the 2nd guard Byung In was thinking of ways to handle the situation, the problem just escalated into a whole different level.


    The monster¡¯s magic was growing to the point where it was starting to fill its surroundings. Not too long ago, a person sensitive enough to magic had to really focus in order to feel it, but now it¡¯s been amplified.


    After that, another frustrating situation occurred.


    A nurse that suddenly appeared from behind. That nurse also had some weird, detestable thing attached to her head.


    Contagion.


    That thing looked like a virus that was contagious.


    As if the thing knew of the merits it had with the ability to infect others, the monster quickly expanded and infected more of its surroundings.


    ¡°Is there still no word from the Organization?¡±


    ¡°Fuck, it¡¯s not connecting. The magic here is continuing to grow. This place is slowly transitioning into an Earthquake.¡±


    There weren¡¯t many Heroes that were fully recovered.


    Thankfully, Ironman was almost recovered and had the strength to fight. However, the problem was that their location was currently closed off and could not receive any orders from the Organization. Going into a fight in this kind of situation would only lead to the Heroes suffering more.


    BOOOM!


    The iron door that was blocking the path flew away again.


    ¡°I think we should head outside first¡­¡­¡­..¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t! The alert hasn¡¯t been issued yet. If those things can infect more people, the moment we make it outside, the ones who will be in danger are the civilians.¡±


    ¡°Shit! Then let¡¯s go up for now. The top floor has Rank A Heroes, so we should try talking with them and ask for their advice.¡±


    With Ironman¡¯s words, everyone nodded with agreement.


    As Ironman was helping lead the hurt people up towards the upper floor, he turned around and saw a person strangely following them. A face filled with confusion, and a monstrous life form situation on top of their head. The thing looked similar to a human¡¯s brain, but there were two huge eyes connected to it.


    There has never been a monster that looked like this before.


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    Chapter 4 ¨C End.

 Volume 6 - CH 5

    Volume 6 ¨C Dominator


    Chapter 5


    Getting rid of these monsters who infest humans and use them as shields was the only option they had. However, if that was to happen¡­¡­


    Focusing on the normal civilians in the hospital, the push up towards the upper floors continued on and the 5th floor became the makeshift shelter, with 1 Rank A Hero leading the operations.


    ¡°This really puts me in a bind. I¡¯m only the lowest level of the Rank A Heroes.¡±


    The Rank A Heroes that got hurt in the last Earthquake weren¡¯t much. It was quite embarrassing however, this Hero was in the group of Heroes that were hurt.


    This Hero¡¯s name was Gunman.


    He focused magic in to the tips of his fingers and shot them out like a gun.


    Once a person becomes Rank A, they get an exclusive right to give out commands, and the lower ranked Heroes at the hospital were waiting for the commands of this higher ranked Hero. They were in a situation where they did not know how to attack the monsters because they were using their fellow comrades¡¯ bodies as a shield.


    However, even a Rank A Hero was having a hard time making a decision. Not only that, but Gunman¡¯s powers significantly dropped when it came to protecting a broad amount of people.


    ¡®Shit, this is quite the burden. What exactly is that monster? An Earthquake hasn¡¯t even happened, so where the hell did it come out from?¡¯


    ¡°Have you not been able to contact the Organization yet?¡±


    ¡°The interference from the magic being released is too strong. Without using wired equipment to transmit the message¡­¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Fuck, who knew wireless transmitters would be this useless, what the hell is the Organization doing?¡±


    Suddenly, a loud alarm rang out into the night sky. It was a loud noise that woke the night up from its lonely sleep.


    ¡°Finally! The Organization has finally realized it!¡±


    There was now hope showing on these Heroes¡¯ faces.


    ¡°Good. Now we just need to survive. Everyone, please don¡¯t be rash on engaging the enemy and keep it to a minimum. And, I¡¯m going to ask just in case, but does anybody know anything about that monster?¡±


    Gunman looked around his vicinity. Nobody knew.


    ¡°Shit. It must be a new type, and on an unknown level.¡±


    New monsters were the most dangerous existence to Heroes. A monster appearing for the first time would not have any info inputted into the system, so there was no way to know how strong they were or what their specialty were. That¡¯s why they were known to be on the unknown level. There was nothing scarier than fighting an enemy without any information.


    Not only that, but this new type had some form of way of infecting humans. There was no way to know what one¡¯s outcome was after losing the battle with the monster.


    ¡°U, ummmm¡­¡­.Th, then how much longer do we have to stay here for?¡±


    Asked the shaking chief nurse.


    Gunman hesitated.


    With the sirens going off, it could be seen that this situation was a legitimate situation.


    30 minutes, this is the time it takes for the necessary Heroes to arrive and the Special forces to come in and set up a command station.


    With the sirens going off, people will probably start to evacuate. But, if this monster wasn¡¯t just hanging out at this spot, and was also located outside of the hospital¡­¡­.


    ¡°If that¡¯s true, then that would be the worst situation. Most we can do is to hope that, that isn¡¯t the case. Either way, there really isn¡¯t anything that¡¯s guaranteed right now, so we must do our best to survive since we can¡¯t receive any commands from the Organization. However, I can assure you that the Organization will not throw us aside.¡±


    In the midst of everyone silently affirming what they just heard, Ironman felt that it was best to help these people vent. So, he brought up a couple of things he noticed regarding the monster.


    ¡°The main enemy seems to be able to exhibit mighty powers in close to mid range. That power is able to crush open iron doors that are shut closed in a mere moment. I¡¯ll say this again but it would be very dangerous to be hit by it.¡±


    With what Ironman just said, Gunman straightened up.


    The highest ranked Hero currently was himself, and he knew he must not fall into despair.


    Gunman looked towards the nurse that was shivering in fright.


    ¡°Did the casualties on the 4th floor evacuate completely?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they were all able to evacuate.¡±


    ¡°Have the normal civilians all head over to the roof. Since the siren has rung, there should be a special team coming out to rescue the civilians. Until that time comes, we will do our best to block off the monsters.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Now, everyone please listen well. I know everyone here has come to the Hospital in order to heal, because I too am also trying to heal. However, it does not change the fact that everyone here are Heroes at any given time. Not only that, but the situation is currently at its worst, and there are regular civilians stuck together with us. First, for those of you who don¡¯t have any problems with moving around, let¡¯s try and block off those guys outside. It¡¯s our job to protect the civilians.¡±


    Gunman said it as calmly as he could. He was never a guy to take the role as a leader like this, but someone had to do it and those that were gathered here were currently placing him as the pillar of their group.


    ¡°Awesome. Let¡¯s give it a shot.¡±


    All the Hero¡¯s nodded with a determined face.


    *     *     *     *


    The sirens were ringing.


    WIIIIIIINNNNNGGGG.


    The quiet streets were now slowly coming back alive as the sirens continued to ring out.


    Everyone knew what situation usually occurred after they heard the sirens.


    The police and military personnel arrived and were now leading civilians away from the city.


    ¡°Please move in an orderly fashion! You must move calmly in times like this. Don¡¯t push the person in front of you and move according to the manual!¡±


    In just a short moment, there were many people in a mess, running outside without being able to properly put on their clothes.


    Seeing this, Haneul was astonished.


    These people were filled with fear, yet they were really moving well in an orderly fashion.


    ¡®This is something you would never be able to imagine in my previous world.¡¯


    Thought Haneul.


    Suddenly, his phone rang.


    <I heard you were one of the Heroes to arrive at the current scene. Are you the Rank A Hero Silver Knight?>


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m currently 100m away from the scene, watching over the civilians being rescued.¡±


    <Awesome. It seems like the interference from magic hasn¡¯t reached out to your area yet, so you seem to be able to receive reception. The first thing we need you to do is¡­¡­..>


    The phone disconnected midway through.


    Chapter 5 ¨C End.

 Volume 6 - CH 6

    Volume 6 ¨C Dominator


    Chapter 6


    Haneul was clearly able to feel the growing magic phenomenon.


    ¡®It¡¯s become a situation where I can¡¯t receive any more instructions from the Organization. I need to move independently and make my own decisions. If I wait for the Organization to contact me, I have no idea how bad the situation will get.¡¯


    Haneul picked up his pace and disappeared into the night.


    The situation this time is irrelevant to anEarthquake.


    That¡¯s why there were many things happening that were outside of calculations, and at the same time was easier for the public to understand the situation.


    Hero Reporter¡¯s were already on a helicopter, flying towards the sound of the sirens.


    The Reporter Miyeon from MBB had a congested face, staring hard from above the sky, trying to figure out what the situation was like.


    ¡°It¡¯s so dark that I can¡¯t see the situation clearly. I can¡¯t even see the monster yet, so why did the sirens go off?¡±


    Suddenly, there was a blackout with the hospital being the center of it all. The blackout was very clear to see from up in the sky.


    ¡°Gasp, it¡¯s magic. It¡¯s a magic phenomenon!¡±


    That wasn¡¯t the only thing. People were also starting to appear on the roof of the hospital. As the civilians saw the helicopter, they waved their arms hard asking to be rescued.


    ¡°Is there any way we can get close to the hospital?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way! If we get hit by the magic phenomenon, the power will go out and we will all end up dying.¡±


    The fact that Miyeon couldn¡¯t help the people waving their arms around, made her heart feel uncomfortable. However, this helicopter wasn¡¯t flying in the air right now in order to rescue people.


    ¡°Alright. Then let¡¯s do the things that we can do.¡±


    That¡¯s when it happened.


    From across the way, there was a right light quickly rushing towards the hospital, and Miyeon happened to see it.


    ¡°Hero!¡±


    Finally, this was the first hero to arrive since the sirens started going off.


    ¡°This is the limit. I can¡¯t stabilize the altitude. Let¡¯s move out further away from this location. There¡¯s a high chance for us to be hit with the magic phenomenon here.¡±


    As the pilot started turning the helicopter, Miyeon yelled out to the cameraman to not miss the shot of the Hero.


    ¡°Everyone, look! In the midst of the unknown situation currently going on right now, the first hero has finally arrived! The very first hero to make it onto the scene!¡±


    A silver figure disappeared into the dark.


    After the situation arose, the very first Hero to arrive on scene was coincidentally a Hero who was there earlier for an interview but couldn¡¯t make it back home in time. It was Silver Knight!


    ¡®There isn¡¯t even an Earthquake, yet there¡¯s supposed to be a monster here?¡¯


    The magic phenomenon here couldn¡¯t compare to an Earthquake, but once Haneul got close enough to the hospital, he was able to feel waves of magic hitting against him.


    BANG!


    That¡¯s when an explosion rang out from the top floor, as the windows shattered and a plume of fire rushed out. A blank white smoke was rising up towards the sky. This was a combustion reaction caused by magic.


    There was fight going on within the hospital.


    Haneul did not wait and quickly rushed into the 1st floor.


    Near the stairs leading towards the 2nd floor, a body was lying on the ground shaking. Haneul immediately ran to the body.


    As he approached closer to it, the neck completely rotated over and something ran straight into Haneul at an amazing speed.


    When Haneul blocked it with his left arm and stepped back, he was able to see what that thing was.


    An ugly shape. A monster that looked like a human¡¯s brain with a sharp tentacle tip, was constantly trying to poke through Haneul¡¯s armor to enter through it.


    ¡°Monster?¡±


    Haneul frowned as he gathered magic into his right fist and hit.


    BANGG!!


    Tumble.


    The exploded brain fell down to the floor. It seemed like the monster¡¯s defense and attack wasn¡¯t too strong,


    Haneul got up and walked towards the person lying on the ground.


    Looking from up close, he could see that it was a nurse.


    ¡°Are you¡­¡­¡±


    As he was about to ask her if she was okay, Haneul realized that the nurse was already dead. The body was completely dry, and there was no blood within the body. Looking at the body, right in the middle of the back area where the spine was located; the shirt was ripped open and a pool of blood was soaked within it.


    ¡®Spine? Was it the works of that nasty monster earlier?¡¯


    At that moment, Haneul realized what the dead monster was trying to do as it attacked him.


    ¡°That thing was trying to take over my flesh.¡±


    Suddenly, a thought hit him like lightning.


    This place was a hospital.


    If this monster was the type to multiply by infesting a person¡¯s flesh, every living human within this hospital was its goal.


    ¡®But why is it this place?¡¯


    Questioned Haneul, but he was quickly able to guess why. The monster was an existence that came out from the waves of magic within an Earthquake. Being attracted to magic was definite and this place was filled with humans that could use magic.


    Haneul sharply opened his eyes and ran up to the 2nd floor.


    The hallway was filled with darkness because the electricity was out. In the midst of an unwelcomed noise ringing out next to Haneul¡¯s ears, he was able to see a person walking uncomfortably within the darkness.


    Haneul focused his eyes. As magic gathered into his eyes, his pupils expanded out and everything could be seen much more clearly.


    A person was walking towards him with a huge something hanging on top of the person¡¯s head.


    Chapter 6 ¨C End.

 Volume 6 - CH 7

    Volume 6 ¨C Dominator


    Chapter 7


    Haneul¡¯s eyes turned scary. His magic started to rise and leak out, in accordance to his feelings.


    At that moment, the thing on top of the head shook violently and the body that was walking slowly and awkwardly, suddenly became quick. The body quickly covered the space between itself and Haneul to attack.


    With this speed and reaction, a normal human would definitely be eaten by it. However, the one it was currently facing was an appointed Rank A Hero, Silver Knight.


    Haneul¡¯s right fist flew like a thunderbolt in a straight line, and hit straight into the monster.


    Booom.


    Tumble.


    As the monster splattered onto the ground, the body it was attached to also fell to the ground, as if a puppet that lost its strings. Haneul checked the pulse of the person in order to confirm their state.


    They were worse off compared to the person downstairs.


    The collapsed person¡¯s veins were completely shut off and was not even breathing.


    ¡®Does this mean it¡¯s pointless for the body even if I get rid of the monster?¡¯


    Crack.


    Two bizarre feelings could be felt near Haneul.


    Sensing the weak magic that was being emitted, they seemed to be the same type of monsters as the ones before them.


    ¡°These pieces of shits.¡±


    Haneul moved.


    Feeling the magic that was being released by Haneul, these monsters also started moving towards him.


    ¡°Are you guys wanting the power that I have?¡±


    ¡°Ki kikiki.¡±


    The monster¡¯s eyes were blinking and the bodies that were taken over seemed to be drooling, while their eyes were flipped back.


    These people lost all connection to their senses and have just become mindless puppets.


    They awkwardly and slowly walked towards Haneul and just like before, suddenly changed pace and moved quickly.


    ¡°You must think that I¡¯m just going to sit here and get attacked by you guys huh.¡±


    Haneul¡¯s fist flashed like thunder consecutively. As his fists moved forward in a straight line, the powerful fist would touch the head of monster and a loud sound could instantly be heard.


    As the monsters died, the infested humans would also fall to the ground and die.


    Haneul frowned.


    His heart was feeling heavy because he was not sure if he was killing the monsters, or the humans.


    ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    The Heroes that were pushed up from the 6th floor to the emergency exit leading to the roof, had embarrassed expressions.


    They wanted to do their best to protect the civilians, but the expansion of these monsters were inhumanely fast. The Heroes felt like they were becoming fodder to the civilians that they could not save on the 1st and 2nd floor.


    The thankful thing was that these monsters weren¡¯t as strong as the Heroes initially thought they would be.


    The monsters were slow, and if one was to be careful of the magic being released by them in a certain distance, there was nothing to be worried about.


    However, there was a reason why these Heroes couldn¡¯t move from this spot right now.


    The Heroes briefly engaged in combat with the monsters in order to retreat. Therefore, they focused on attacking the center of the brain of the monsters to inflict damage and to kill them.


    But, the host also ended up falling to the ground.


    Not being able to check if that person was okay or not was what was making them unable to move.


    They were Heroes that needed to protect the humans. If attacking the monsters in order to kill them also affected the humans, and killed them as well, it was the same thing as the Heroes causing a huge massacre.


    ¡°Gunman, their fighting capabilities seem to be on a low level. If they stay the same as they are now, I think we should be able to take them on.¡±


    ¡°That I already know as well. However, even if that was true, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the right decision to fight them right now. That monster is very wicked and it¡¯s using the people as a shield.¡±


    ¡°But, if we don¡¯t do anything now, we¡¯re just going to end up being pushed up into the roof. If the magic phenomenon isn¡¯t gone, the helicopter won¡¯t even be able to get near this area. In the end, we will all be pushed into a corner.¡±


    As Gunman was starting to hesitate, another Hero started spouting out firm opinions. That was because there was no place else that they could go to.


    ¡°Shit. That¡¯s not the only thing. As everyone should be able to feel as well, the magic phenomenon is also growing in a rapid rate. There is a leader amongst these monsters releasing the magic that¡¯s causing the phenomenon. We must make the decisions soon!¡±


    BANG!


    The door to the stairs got destroyed.


    The Heroes had nervous expressions as they backed away.


    There were quite a bit of obstacles set up within the emergency exit, but there was no way to stop the monster from combusting magic in order to get rid of those obstacles.


    ¡°Gunman, this is it. If we get pushed back from here, there won¡¯t be any more methods in stopping them. The civilians behind us will also get involved. We need to put them as our number 1 priority! Religious precepts are important but you should understand what our priorities should be!¡±


    BA BANG!


    The obstacles were starting to fall apart.


    ¡®Is this the limit?¡¯


    Gunman¡¯s closed eyes, abruptly opened.


    ¡°Alright. Seeing as how the situation came this far, there¡¯s nothing much we can do. Let¡¯s fight. There¡¯s no doubt that there will be more casualties if we don¡¯t decide to act now. Worrying whether those people are dead or not, and being pushed back isn¡¯t helping any of us right now.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait! Everyone please wait! Those people there are also civilians. We Heroes have the mission to protect those people too! What is the reason for our existence?? We¡¯re not, we¡¯re not at our limit yet. If this place can¡¯t be held, then we can still move up to the emergency exit near the roof!¡±


    There was a person yelling out with a strong voice.


    It was Ironman. He did not see this situation as being the limit. He felt that they were still able to hold up even a little bit longer.


    ¡°No, this is the limit.¡±


    Affirmed Gunman.


    Chapter 7 ¨C End.

 Volume 6 - CH 8

    Volume 6 ¨C Dominator


    Chapter 8


    Everybody was impatient at this moment because the magic phenomenon was growing, which would end up affecting the civilians on the roof. Normal civilians will become intoxicated inside a magic phenomenon.


    ¡®Even if I get some blood on my hands, I need to do whatever I can.¡¯


    Ironman shut his eyes.


    He really hoped that a situation like this wouldn¡¯t arise, but there were no other options anymore.


    As the other Heroes nodded in agreement, they got ready for battle.


    It was at that same moment that it happened.


    BANNG!


    As the banged up door flew open, many people with strange monsters on their head could be seen.


    The very first one to approach from the front was Gunman.


    ¡®I must take the initiative as a Rank A Hero!¡¯


    As Gunman flicked his hand, a light of magic flew out.


    It landed exactly onto the monster¡¯s brain as blood poured out and a scream could be heard. The person also fell down to the ground.


    ¡®There¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡¯


    As Gunman tried to flick his wrist again and throw out another light of magic, something happened.


    ¡°It, It hu¡­¡­It hurts!!!!!!¡±


    The other people that had the monsters still stuck to their heads, were crying and yelling out in pain.


    That¡¯s also when the Hero facing Gunman started showing fear on his face.


    *     *     *     *


    BOOM!


    Without rest, Haneul continued to smash down on the monsters that approached him as he moved forward.


    The number of monsters that Haneul already got rid of exceeded above 7. There was nothing special about their battle power. However, the fact that people were being used as hosts left a bad taste in Haneul¡¯s mouth.


    There was no time to hesitate.


    Just as much as the puppets were growing with each person being infected, there was no way to contain the situation if no one was to get rid of the main body.


    Haneul passed the stairs as he continued forth towards the next floor, and as he was getting closer to the 4th floor, he was able to capture many monsters walking sloppily over to a location.


    ¡°Kuhhhkkkk! KKeeuuhhhh!¡±


    ¡°KKyaaaakkkk!¡±


    A howl so loud that it could make a person stop breathing, and continuing right after that, a scream pierced through from the darkness.


    Haneul quickly ran forth towards that direction.


    At the end of the hallway, 3 people with monsters attached to them, were gathered in a corner. In that corner was a person, and that person was desperately using anything they could to keep the 3 monsters away.


    ¡°Help! Save me!¡±


    ¡°You piece of shits!¡±


    As Haneul gathered magic in to his right fist, the 3 who were attacking the person turned their heads towards him.


    One thing Haneul was sure of was that these monsters were very sensitive to magic, and they would walk towards the magic as if drawn to it. The theory he first had in his mind was correct.


    ¡°Giiiiii.¡±


    As the monsters approached Haneul, tentacles could be seen stretching out.


    Ting.


    The Silver Armor was covering Haneul¡¯s whole body, and it was tough to the point that those tentacles couldn¡¯t do anything to him


    Ting tingting!


    ¡°Gigigi!¡±


    In the midst of the monsters moving their eyes back and forth, Haneul extended out his hand and grabbed one of their head¡¯s. The magic in his fist was released as heat sprang forth.


    Sizzle.


    ¡°GGGIIIIIIIIi!!¡±


    The monster was screaming in pain.


    ¡°Does it hurt, you sack of shits!¡±


    Haneul¡¯s magic property was scorching with heat. The moment it touch something, an explosive amount of heat destroys everything. The moment that magic is gathered within his hands, high temperature will linger there as if fire could be produced at any time.


    As the flesh was burning, the monster was now starting to melt.


    A repulsive smell was being spread, and the other 2 monsters backed away with their eyes rolling around


    ¡°Ggi.¡±


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re running away to!¡±


    Haneul extended his hand out in a flash and grabbed onto the tentacle retreating away. The monster that was stuck so heavily on a person, roughly fell off as it started to sizzle in Haneul¡¯s hand and melt.


    ¡°GGigigigigigi!¡±


    ¡°I heard that the world¡¯s most painful way to die was by being burned. Since you guys are still considered to be living objects, I¡¯m assuming you guys can feel the same pain.¡±


    The monster melting in Haneul¡¯s hand tried to make a last ditch effort, as it tried to do whatever it could to get out of Haneul¡¯s hand. Then, it pulled out its tail from the spine of the person it infected and stabbed away at Haneul¡¯s arm several times.


    As the monster fell away from its host, the desperate guy trying to survive in front of the host, collapsed to the ground.


    ¡°S, save¡­¡­¡±


    The collapsed person was breathing heavily as it mumble out those words.


    Haneul¡¯s mind was jolted. He tossed away the monster burning away in his hand, and quickly knelt down on the ground


    ¡°Are, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Save¡­¡­Save me¡­¡­¡±


    The middle-aged person was drooling as that person kept repeating those words. Looking at the rolled back eyes and the repeating of those words, it could not be said that that person was truly alive.


    Haneul clenched his jaw and grabbed the last monster slowly trying to run away, and gathered his magic into his hand.


    Sizzlllleeeee.


    The burning monster was dying from the pain.


    ¡°GIIIIII!¡±


    ¡°You bastards, I will kill you off with the worst and most painful method that I know of. You will feel pain until the very last moment of your death.¡±


    Chapter 8 ¨C End.

 Volume 6 - CH 9

    Volume 6 ¨C Dominator


    Chapter 9


    In the midst of a strong smell of burning, Haneul looked back again towards the location where the monsters were rushing to earlier. There seemed to be cleaning tools and a bed used as a barrier to block out the monsters.


    Haneul could see that there was a high school girl shaking behind the barrier, wearing patient clothes.


    As Haneul extended his hand out, the girl screamed as she grabbed a broken mop and started attacking.


    She was not acting herself due to fear.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s gone now.¡±


    Hit hit.


    With a pitiful face, Haneul slowly and carefully reached out with his left hand.


    ¡°Grab my hand.¡±


    The girl stopped moving for a while. She seemed to be scared to the point where she couldn¡¯t differentiate between a monster and a person. Because of what happened at the shelter and Haneul¡¯s promise, his heart felt warm.


    He quietly walked over to the shaking girl and lightly hugged her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect you. I¡¯m¡­¡­¡±


    Haneul stopped for a moment, and became more firm.


    ¡°A Hero. I¡¯ll keep you safe and protect you.¡±


    At that moment, the girl started pouring with tears and buried herself into Haneul. As if feeling a heavy burden on his shoulder, Haneul carefully tapped the girl¡¯s back.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Calm down. Everything¡¯s going to be fine now.¡±


    The girl continued to cry out in sadness, as Haneul listened to her cries and clenched his teeth.


    Haneul finally got the girl to calm down, and as Haneul was leading the girl out from the hallway, he saw 5 more monsters awkwardly walking over from a distance. As the girl saw the monsters walking out from the darkness, her fear came over her once again.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. Didn¡¯t I say that I was going to protect you?¡±


    ¡°Y, yes¡­..¡±


    ¡°Those things will never be able to touch you, because I¡¯m here to protect you.¡±


    Even with those words, the girl was still filled with fear and there was nothing she could do about it. In the hands (tentacles) of those monsters, many Heroes and civilians were eaten up in an instant, and turned into those weird beings and she was there to witness it all.


    ¡°Wait here for a little while.¡±


    The girl nodded her head.


    And she continued to watch. The Hero in Silver Armor walked over to the monsters and destroyed them all with one punch. This was all very overwhelming to see for the girl.


    She continued to stare drunkenly at her savior, who brought her back to life from the dead.


    At the age of 18, she has never had a more shocking experience then what she had gone through just now.


    A brutal monster was getting destroyed into nothingness right in front of her, and this was a shocking scene that she had never been able to experience in her life.


    Hero.


    There was a Hero in front of her.


    This Hero promised her that he would protect her. Her heart pounded intensely as she felt that this moment was the turning point of her life.


    Min HeeJoo felt that she finally became crazy out of her fear of the monsters.


    However, her eyes were swaying with warmth.


    *     *     *     *


    ¡°How¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°It seems like Silver Knight is currently inside the Hospital and being engaged. The Special Forces are besieging the vicinity, moving alongside the search team while they work on precise confirmations.¡±


    ¡°What are the other Heroes doing?¡±


    ¡°The Rank A Hero and Rank B Hero, who are quick on their feet, seem to be helping out with the search operation.¡±


    ¡°Motherfucker, how many times did I tell you to send every Hero to the scene!!¡±


    Yelled JooHyuk Park.


    ¡°Connect me to the Special Forces on scene this instant!¡±


    As soon as the connection was put through, JooHyuk yelled out his instructions and started cussing out the Heroes that were currently helping out the Special Forces. The language was so abusive that the people near JooHyuk turned pale with surprise.


    ¡°If you guys don¡¯t hurry up and get your asses into the Hospital, I will do whatever I can to put you motherfuckers into prison!¡±


    JooHyuk finished off the connection with those words.


    ¡°D, Director¡­¡­Is it okay for you to hang up after saying those words?¡±


    ¡°Those pieces of shits. Tell them to do whatever they want. The only reason why those bitches are staying in that place helping the search operation is because they want to save their pitiful little lives. They think I won¡¯t be able to do it? I¡¯ll get them for aborting their mission and hit them hard with a heavy punishment!!¡±


    Huff Huff.


    JooHyuk¡¯s rage was reasonable.


    It¡¯s already been 23 minutes since orders were given.


    5 Heroes already arrived on scene. However, excluding 1 Hero, all the other Heroes were currently working together with the search team, checking to see if the monsters made it outside the Hospital.


    So-called Heroes.


    ¡°Motherfucking bitches. This must mean that they¡¯re scared of the current monster.¡±


    Heroes are different from other public officials, but they are still considered to be public officials.


    In other words, even if they were to just kill off time, Heroes would still be able to get their pay. Everyone thinks of the Hero title as something sacred because it¡¯s related to public safety, and Heroes think of protecting civilians as a supreme task, but it was very hard to block a Hero from stepping back because of their human born fear.


    It could be said that this was the reason why the Heroes currently on scene, weren¡¯t really participating on scene. They didn¡¯t want to risk their lives against something they had no information on.


    Seeing as the screen that showed the scene didn¡¯t have any changes even after all the yelling, JooHyuk exploded once again.


    ¡°Are they still just sitting around and sucking on their little fingers!!!¡±


    ¡®I, I will try and inform them once again.¡±


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t understand what I said, even after all that. These fucking idiots. They¡¯re so busy taking care of their own bodies when we have no idea what¡¯s going on inside the Hospital. Will they start moving if I really lock up 1 or 2 of these Heroes!!¡±


    Chapter 9 ¨C End.

 Volume 6 - CH 10

    Volume 6 ¨C Dominator


    Chapter 10


    JooHyuk¡¯s aide carefully walked up to his side.


    ¡°Director, please calm down.¡±


    ¡°Does it look like I can right now! Look at the situation! What is a Hero! What are Heroes for! There are people who wish they could fight but don¡¯t have the power to, yet these guys are just sitting here doing nothing while getting paid. Motherfuckers!¡±


    JooHyuk loosened his tie. His blood pressure went up so the back of his neck felt really stiff.


    Being a Director in the Hero Organization is a high status that no one can deny. Especially for the state of affairs Director JooHyuk Park. He had successfully been a part of the military defense system and had 4 stars on his shoulders in the past.


    There wasn¡¯t any indicator to show what status a Director had, but they were treated as special officials with the ranking of a general or higher.


    In other words, this meant that if JooHyuk really wanted to put a Hero or 2 down to the ground, he could. Especially for situations like this where the Heroes weren¡¯t obeying orders and following through with their mission, JooHyuk could get a couple of their past situations and add it onto their crimes.


    The problem was that, JooHyuk was the one in charge of this mission, and if anything happened, the one to be hit with the biggest offense was himself.


    That¡¯s when one of the Heroes finally decided to be brave and started to move.


    ¡°There has been contact from the Special Forces. Not too long ago, the Rank A Hero Sonic Boom was seen heading into the scene by himself.¡±


    ¡°Sonic Boom huh. Good, at least there¡¯s another fucker that can understand and obey orders. However, why aren¡¯t the other ones moving as well! Contact them again!¡±


    As JooHyuk finished off the last sentence while holding in his anger, he gave out the next orders.


    ¡°Have the Special Forces continue their current mission, but have them choose a separate team to act independently. Silver Knight was the first to enter the scene, so the situation should be somewhat finished by now. Try to evade in engaging battles as much as possible, and also make it a priority to send as much detail to headquarters regarding the current situation as often as possible.¡±


    As JooHyuk¡¯s orders were in place, the Special Forces started moving. An independent team was quickly made and sent over to the hospital at the fastest rate, as the situation was captured on the screen.


    As the team got closer to the hospital, the screen continued to get blurry. However, using special equipment that could even work within an Earthquake, the scene continued to work although the sound was completely fuzzy.


    <We will now be heading into the scene.>


    At last, as they walked into the Hospital, the interior was captured on screen. It showed a messy interior, and lying on the ground was a carcass of a nurse that was currently not moving.


    ¡°We found life. We think it¡¯s the corps of the monster!¡±


    ¡°Tell them to immediately send the forensics team to find out more information about the monster.¡±


    Less than 10 minutes after the orders were given, the forensic teams came in to check the body.


    <The shape is a bit crushed, but it seems to be the same shape as a human¡¯s brain. It seems to be a type that uses a tentacle, and shoves it into a person¡¯s spine to control them.¡±


    ¡°What a horrific bastard. Starting now, that monster will be known as the dominator type and will be put into its own category. That guy¡¯s current level is unavailable, but treat it as being at least at the B Level range when confronting it.¡±


    Looking at everything that¡¯s happened in the Hospital so far and the engaging aspect, Level A would probably be the highest level given to it.


    ¡®Is it a parasitic type that multiplies itself? It doesn¡¯t seem to have much of a destructive type of power, but it¡¯s not an easy adversary. If that thing was to make its way out from the current scene¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°This is going to be super tiring.¡±


    JooHyuk took out a cigarette as he sighed.


    Bang!!


    The number of monsters coming in succession was starting to grow. Everyone within this Hospital might have already turned into monsters.


    ¡°Fuck, there¡¯s no end to this.¡±


    Monsters kept appearing from everywhere.


    ¡®Ironman might have already been done in as well.¡¯


    If the situation continued like this, it would be difficult to fight while protecting Minhee. It also seemed like the monster¡¯s noticed Haneul was trying to advance as quickly as possible. If not that, then they knew it would be hard for Haneul to fight while protecting all of the weak civilians, because the monster¡¯s attacks were becoming more relentless.


    ¡®How difficult. I¡¯m not really good at fighting while protecting someone.¡¯


    Haneul¡¯s fighting capabilities were very high, but he had to be able to reach out with his hands and fight the enemy in close combat. This mean that, Haneul¡¯s fighting style was inadequate to protect and fight at the same time.


    ¡®Let¡¯s fight to get this girl away from this situation and into a safer place.¡¯


    The monsters continued to appear at the stairs.


    Thankfully, these monsters were all reaching out and trying to get to the person with the highest amount of magic.


    ¡®Is the main body on the 5th floor?¡¯


    Different from what Haneul¡¯s felt so far, there was a huge wave of magic pouring out from a place not too far from him. The magic wave Haneul felt was a lot smaller when he first came into the Hospital.


    ¡®Is this thing evolving or something?¡¯


    As Haneul thought this, he checked his retreating line.


    He needed to find a safe route to take Minhee out from the Hospital. However, Haneul could not see that the monsters were guiding their hosts to surround him.


    Haneul¡¯s capabilities of sensing wasn¡¯t too great. At the same time, he could not capture senses in an omnidirectional circumstance.


    ¡®Shit. While I was trying to focus on the main body, I didn¡¯t realize that I¡¯ve been surrounded. It would be okay if I was by myself, but this girl will get hurt. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it. Getting in this situation, there¡¯s not much I can do but jump out from the window. I¡¯ll shoot straight through to my retreating route.¡¯


    Right when Haneul turned his head.


    ¡°Stop it¡­¡­..It hurts¡­¡­¡±


    As Haneul tried to punch out, a tentacle stopped moving and muttered those words.


    Haneul¡¯s face distorted.


    ¡°Stop it¡­¡­.It hurts¡­¡­..Save me¡­¡­.¡±


    With a shocked expression, Haneul started walking backwards.


    These guys were different compared to before. The people in front of Haneul were talking as if they had their own conscience. Asking to be saved!


    Chapter 10 ¨C End.

 Volume 6 - CH 11

    Volume 6 ¨C Dominator


    Chapter 11


    ¡°Kill them!!¡±


    That¡¯s when Minhee yelled out from the back.


    Haneul quickly snapped out of it.


    Suddenly, a tentacle reached out towards his face.


    Boom!


    With a ringing feeling on his face, Haneul threw out a fist on reflex.


    Bang!


    As Haneul¡¯sfist hit the Dominator, it exploded and its innards were thrown out all over the wall.


    ¡°Kill them. Kill them off completely! They¡¯re all monsters!! Kill them all!¡±


    Minhee kept screaming behind Haneul.


    Filled with hatred and excitement, Minhee was acting very different. The fear she had must have turned into anger.


    However, Haneul¡¯s lips felt like they were super dry.


    ¡°What are you talking about! Weren¡¯t you able to hear it? That person just asked for us to save his life. I¡¯m sure he has a conscience. I¡¯m sure of it! If that¡¯s the case, then all the people that I¡¯ve killed so far¡­.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, it¡¯s a hoax from the monster! Get a hold of yourself. They attacked you, so you might be the one to end up dying instead! You said you were a Hero, and that you would protect me! Keep your promise. Don¡¯t be fooled by those things!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Haneul clenched his teeth.


    Minhee was not in her right mind. Because of fear, she was not able to look at the situation correctly. The person asking to be saved just now was not something the monster was capable of doing. It was definitely something that came out from the person.


    ¡°Stop it¡­..¡±


    Again.


    ¡°Look at that! That sound is¡­..¡±


    ¡°Kyaaakkk!!¡±


    Minhee closed her eyes and yelled.


    Bangggg!


    Another ringing sound from the head.


    As Haneul wasn¡¯t able to focus, another monster tried to take over his flesh and control him. At that moment, Haneul¡¯s eyes were filled with flames.


    ¡°You fucking bastards!!¡±


    Just as he was about to attack.


    ¡°It hurts¡­¡­¡­Please stop it now¡­¡­S, save me please¡­¡­¡±


    Another person asking to be saved again.


    Crack.


    Haneul¡¯s expression was filled with fury as he threw out a punch. A blazing right fist grabbed onto the brain like monster as the smell of burning could be smelt.


    ¡°KKIIIIIIIII!!¡±


    ¡°It hurts, it hurts¡­¡­..!!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!! I¡¯m telling you to shut up! Stop asking to be saved. Why would you yell that out as you¡¯re attacking me!!!¡±


    Haneul yelled in fury. His face was now filled with suffer and madness.


    Sizzzleesizzzlleee!!


    ¡°It hurts, HURRTSSS¡­¡­.!!¡±


    ¡°Is that all you can say?!¡±


    Crunch!


    As the Dominator¡¯s brain exploded, the crying and yelling body fell to the ground and slid down the stairs.


    Haneul¡¯s face was filled with pain inside his helmet.


    ¡°You dirty fuckers¡­¡­.Are you guys playing with a person¡¯s heart now as well.¡±


    Unforgiveable.


    Haneul¡¯s whole body was now covered with explosive heat as his magic poured out.


    ¡°You shits, I will not let any one of you survive.¡±


    Any hesitation has now completely left Haneul¡¯s heart. He rushed out and punched furiously at all the Dominators¡¯ brains and had them explode with his mighty grip. Every time one died, a person would drop to the floor as if the lines were cut off of a puppet.


    ¡°Graaahhhhhhhhh!!!!¡±


    With Haneul¡¯s yell, Minhee¡¯s body in the back started to shake.


    She was scared. The Hero in front of her might end up dying and the corpses on the stairs were continuing to grow.


    Minhee closed her eyes tightly. She didn¡¯t want to see anything anymore. This place she was at was filled with death. Her mind was bewildered. This might be the limit now. In the near future, she was going to become a monster and end up hurting people as well.


    Suddenly, a sound could be heard in front of her.


    ¡°KYYAAAAKKK!!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I told you it¡¯s going to be okay! I¡¯m going to save you!¡±


    Haneul was covered in blood and flesh and standing in front of Minhee.


    ¡°S, sir¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out. I¡¯ve thought about how I could get you to safety, and this is the only thing I could think of with my head. So, think of this as the best thing I can do for you currently.¡±


    Haneul said with an exhausted voice. Without waiting for Minhee¡¯s answer, Haneul picked her up. This should have been the first thing he should have done.


    ¡®Now I understand. Honestly, I was scared in the beginning as well.¡¯


    Haneul wanted someone to be with him, because he was scared to think that what he was currently doing right now was mass murder. He needed someone to tell him that this wasn¡¯t a mass murder.


    Haneul ran with all his strength.


    Thanks to throwing off all the monsters earlier, the pathway from the hallway to the window was wide open. However, there was still a window blocking them.


    ¡°W, Wait! Hold on a second!¡±


    Minhee yelled out, however, Haneul held onto Minhee tightly and flew towards the window.


    Crash!


    ¡°KKYYAAAAKKKK!!¡±


    Boom.


    Chapter 11 ¨C End.

 Volume 6 - CH 12

    Volume 6 ¨C Dominator


    Chapter 12


    In the midst of Minhee screaming frantically, Haneul landed back onto the ground safely. The crew that was surrounding the Hospital and checking the situation, pointed the muzzle of their guns at Haneul out of fright. As soon as they realized that what crashed through the window was a Hero, they immediately lowered their guns.


    ¡°She is a civilian. Please protect her.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes sir!¡±


    Haneul lightly put Minhee down onto the ground. Her legs lost the strength to stand and she collapsed onto the ground.


    Haneul looked back to the window where he jumped out from.


    He did not want to go back into that hell like place.


    He did not want to fight.


    And as all these thoughts were hitting his head like a tsunami, he suddenly recalled something.


    ¨C They don¡¯t even need to recognize who I am¡­¡­¡­..


    Haneul remembered this voice.


    It was the last message that was given to him by Black Walker.


    At that moment, Haneul¡¯s eyes were once again filled with vigor and strength. The Haneul standing here today was not the same person that was just a regular civilian in the past.


    He was a well known Hero now, known as Silver Knight.


    ¡°W, wait on second¡­¡­¡±


    Minhee grabbed Haneul¡¯s hand.


    Haneul slightly rotated his head.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t blame yourself. That is, That is not your fault¡­¡­. This situation is out of control. So, don¡¯t carry the burden by yourself and be in pain. I¡¯m sure the people that you were able to set free from the grips of those monsters, would not want you to feel that way about yourself. Also, as the last thing I want to say, I¡¯m sorry. For yelling that is¡­¡­..¡±


    Haneul pet Minhee on the head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a sir, I¡¯m an oppa. You¡¯re going to be safe now.¡± (TN ¨C Oppa is the female version of older brother in Korean. Hyung is the male version of it.)


    After saying those words, Haneul kicked off the ground and instantly shot himself up to the 5th floor. The soldiers that saw this scene were very surprised. However, they were still able to send a proper message over to Headquarters.


    ¡°Currently, the Hero in Silver, Silver Knight, jumped out from the Hospital with a civilian, dropped her off, and headed back into the scene.¡±


    <Good, make sure the civilian is protected, and continue to watch over the scene.>


    ¡°All of you disappear from my sight!¡±


    With every punch thrown out by Haneul, the monsters exploded one by one as a wave of flames overcame them.


    ¡°KKKIIIIIKIIIKIKIKII!!¡±


    A bunch of monsters were gathered together as they burned together with their hosts.


    Those people will not be able to change back to how they once were.


    They passed the line that they shouldn¡¯t have crossed.


    ¡°Please sleep well. Your guys¡¯ flesh will not be dirtied anymore by those despicable monsters, and I will personally take care of everything with these 2 hands.¡±


    Haneul¡¯s fury was soaring into the sky.


    Every Dominator exploded with a throw of his fist.


    ¡°Save¡­¡­¡±


    Pain filled voices started ringing out again, however they disappeared with the scene of blood exploding everywhere.


    ¡°That will not work on me anymore, you fucking bitches!¡±


    An immense amount of magic was pouring out from Haneul¡¯s whole body, and a scorching aura was being emanated, burning away at the air.


    Seeing a figure filled with magic and looking as if he was covered in fire, the Dominators were filled with fear and were slowly starting to move away from him.


    However, Haneul did not stop.


    He looked like a runaway train with no end in sight.


    BANG!!


    A Dominator trying to run away exploded and fell to the ground.


    Then another one also followed suit after that.


    Suddenly, as if in concert, all of them were filled with tears, and yelling out to save them.


    Ba Bang!!!


    ¡°I told you that¡¯s not going to work on me anymore!¡±


    As a sea of flames were pushed forward, 2 monsters tumbled to the floor at the same time.


    ¡°Kki ki ki.¡±


    As if they knew that nothing could save them anymore, they turned away and ran as fast as they could.


    From that point on was overkill.


    Haneul attacked them all individually and destroyed their brains.


    It¡¯s only been 10 minutes since he came back through from the window, yet the amount of Dominator¡¯s that have died in his hands were already more than 20.


    As Haneul was busy getting rid of the monsters in the hallway, something happened.


    Pingg.


    A sharp magic wave could be felt.


    Almost as if it was done on reflex, Haneul swung his hand.


    Ba bang!!!!


    A strong resistance could be felt from his hand.


    The combustion of magic was filling the air in front of him, making it hard for Haneul to see. At that moment, a great amount of balls of magic were violently flying towards Haneul.


    Chapter 12 ¨C End.

 Volume 6 - CH 13

    Volume 6 ¨C Dominator


    Chapter 13


    Bang bangbang.


    ¡®This is a skill I¡¯ve never seen until now. Are they able to use a special skill like that once they take over a Hero¡¯s body?¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t that dangerous. However, an attack that covered one whole eyesight, and paraded down from a distance made it difficult to even get close to.


    Haneul once again hid his body inside the ward and as soon as he did, the attacks stopped.


    ¡®Does this mean they only attack if I¡¯m in the hallway? If I can¡¯t get through from the front, I¡¯m going to have to get through from the side.¡¯


    Haneul¡¯s movements became drastic. He got close to the wall and smashed his fist against it.


    BOOM!


    The building shook from the force and as the wall fell down, the adjacent ward could be seen. In there, there were three Dominators waiting. The sudden appearance of Haneul made the three yell out in shock and rush forward to attack.


    At this moment, a sudden thought came across Haneul¡¯s mind and an image appeared where he could get rid of all three monsters in one movement.


    ¡°If it¡¯s now then!!!¡±


    A certain image of being able to release an intense heat wave. It was something similar to a game that Haneul used to play in the past.


    The moment Haneul¡¯s fist burst forth through the air, a huge raging fire flew out and swept across the three Dominators.


    They fell down onto their backs as their bodies shook out of pain.


    Haneul walked over to a burning, flopping Dominator and stepped on its nucleus, making it explode into pieces. He turned his head.


    Haneul walked out towards the hallway from the adjacent ward, and was hit with a strong wave of magic. A more complex enemy has now appeared in the hallway, compared to what he¡¯s been fighting until now.


    ¡®I can¡¯t measure the exact distance of the thing, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s somewhere in front of me.¡¯


    Haneul broke down another wall.


    Ba bang.


    With an explosion, the building shook. Haneul quickly moved through the wall, into the next ward, and immediately swept through and destroyed the Dominator¡¯s within that room.


    Haneul was now able to feel that huge wave of magic not too far from where he was.


    As he was trying to use the same method of breaking down the next wall and moving over, something happened.


    Even before Haneul could break down the wall, the wall fell down and many strong balls of magic paraded out.


    BA BA BANG!!!


    Using both hands, Haneul blocked the onslaught.


    As he thought, individually, these magic balls weren¡¯t much of a threat but it didn¡¯t give him any openings to work with.


    ¡°Ugh! Be more moderate about it.¡±


    Believing in his armor¡¯s defense, Haneul bent back his arm and punched out.


    PUH PUH PUNGG!


    The magic balls and the flames mix together as it causes an explosion, causing massive heat waves around its vicinity.


    Short timeframe.


    Haneul lowered his body and rushed forth.


    These things barely gave any gaps in between their attacks.


    The only way to handle this is to attack without delay!


    Detecting the correct magic waves spilling forth, Haneul¡¯s fists shot out with lightning speed, through whirlwind of heat.


    PUH PUH PUK.


    Haneul¡¯s punches flashed out as each punch destroyed a monster, turning them into sludge. Suddenly, a bright flash appeared in the distance and an attack stronger than the previous rained down on Haneul.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    As he quickly tried to raise his guard up, Haneul was pushed back and fell onto the floor.


    ¡®These guys are definitely different.¡¯


    Haneul pushed forth with his left foot and flew into the ward again.


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    The bundle of magic balls and the fire that was released by Haneul, subsided in the air. And as it did, a magic combustion occurred. Any and all magic that appears in a static exterior will naturally scatter and its nature will be changed. When it does, a pure-white smoke will form.


    This is what¡¯s known as a magic combustion.


    Because of the abundant smoke within the hallway, it completely covered one¡¯s sight. This made things very difficult for Haneul when it came to finding the exact location of the monsters.


    ¡®Things are continuing to get worse.¡¯


    Haneul clicked his tongue as he perked up his senses.


    Darkness, either way, fighting through a bundle of magic balls with eyesight was impossible. Everything will have to be dealt with through senses.


    ¡®Let¡¯s go.¡¯


    Haneul rolled to the side, pushed hard against the ground, as he rushed forward, gathering heat into his fists.


    Chapter 13 ¨C End.

 Volume 6 - CH 14

    Volume 6 ¨C Dominator


    Chapter 14


    Haneul rushed forth while creating hot air.


    Sizzleeeee!!


    In the midst of a huge flame hurricane moving forward, a metallic sound could be heard as magic was being activated. Right at that moment, a wave of magic was being released from the opposite end.


    Pi pipipingg!!!


    4 beams of light shot through.


    Comparing it to the first wave of magic that was released, it was much faster and much more dangerous.


    ¡®If I dodge it, I won¡¯t be able to close the distance between us.¡¯


    Haneul decided in a single moment.


    Even if he was to get hit a couple times, he was going to close the distance. Haneul was going to trust his Armor, and try to get a solid hit in.


    Haneul was confident.


    Confident in the power that¡¯s being gathered within his fist. There hasn¡¯t been a single monster that has been able to receive the full impact of his fists.


    ¡°Eat this!!¡±


    Bang bangbangbang!!


    As multiple lights were exploding out from the Armor, a massively hot flame was being released from Haneul¡¯s whole body. The moment Haneul struck out while resisting the onslaught of attacks, he knew what the outcome of the battle was going to be by intuition.


    WINNNNNGGGG!


    That is to say, if Haneul didn¡¯t hear that sharp sound coming from his right.


    BANNGGG!!


    Feeling as if his innards were flipped upside down,Haneul was slammed into the wall of the ward next to the reception desk. Because of the explosiveness that occurred, the power that was stored up within his fist was now expelled, resulting in the loss of his explosive power.


    Within the crumbling wall, Haneul jumped up and stood up.


    Chapter 14 ¨C End.

 Volume 7 - CH 1

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 1


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡­..I¡¯m telling you guys to all come out at once.¡±


    With Haneul¡¯s internal organs damaged, he swallowed a mouthful of saliva as he focused his magic into his right arm. He again tried to summon and launch out a heat wave.


    ¡°Wait! Wait, hold on a second! I¡¯m telling you to stop!¡±


    Hearing someone¡¯s voice from across the way, Haneul stopped and retracted his fist back.


    ¡°Shit, we¡¯re on the same side!! Stop it! Hey, Gunman over there, you stop too. What are you doing right now? What are you Heroes going to gain by fighting each other?¡±


    Haneul turned his head to the direction of where the voice was coming from as he raised a weaker hot air. As the smoke was starting to dissipate, the figure of a person could be seen beyond the dark.


    There wasn¡¯t a Dominator above his head.


    ¡°Hero, are you a Hero?¡±


    ¡°Silver Armor¡­¡­.You can¡¯t be, Silver Knight?¡±


    The two reevaluated the person in front of them, who they thought was an enemy.


    Both sides stared at each other with a blank face.


    Haneul frowned.


    ¡°The bundle of light rays that were shot at me earlier. Was that you?¡±


    ¡°Was the person that was rushing at me like a pissed off rhino you then?¡±


    A short time of silence passed.


    As if he was exhausted, the gunman release a long sigh.


    ¡°Shit. How fortunate. I really thought I was going to die. Thank you, Sonic Boom. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I would have been killed by a friendly force.¡±


    Gunman felt exhausted thinking about the scary attack that was just in his face a few moments ago. It felt like a volcano on the verge of exploding.


    ¡°But how did things end up this way? I¡¯m pretty sure that I was fighting with an enemy until now.¡±


    ¡°I also thought that as well.¡±


    Fighting with strong powers, they were both about to kill each other off friendly fire. The thankful thing was that they were both able to stop before it happened. Haneul¡¯s magic nature was to immensely compress his explosive power until the moment of impact. Lighting up the air and raising a hurricane of fire was something that occurred along the way. Because, Haneul didn¡¯t hit an object, he was able to pause in between his attack.


    Walking out from the broken wreckage, Haneul frowned. Thinking about it again, the magic waves being emitted from half way through, were different from normal.


    ¡®Why wasn¡¯t I able to notice it? Was it being really clever and confusing our senses? One thing¡¯s for sure. The true body has itself hidden somewhere within this area.¡¯


    Right as Haneul was thinking of that.


    ¡°Well, where is the true body?¡±


    Muttered Gunman after much speculation.


    Focusing his senses, Haneul started to feel out the different magic patters being emitted from the inside of the Hospital.


    ¡°Are the people above this floor all Heroes?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Yes. That¡¯s correct. We were protecting them from the stairs by fighting these little bastards.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? What do you mean true body¡­¡­Didn¡¯t the both of you guys already deal with it?¡± (Sonic Boom)


    Arriving a little bit later, Sonic Boom asked Haneul and Gunman with a frustrated expression. When Sonic Boom arrived, his heart was on the light side because he thought it was the end of the situation. Looking at all the dead people within the Hospital, this fight wasn¡¯t really taxing on the physical body, but more on the mentality.


    Gunman shook his head.


    ¡°Nope, there is a boss within this group of monsters. It¡¯s watching everything and it¡¯s an existence that¡¯s giving out all of the instructions. We need to find that thing. Sonic Boom, you hurry and go tell the Special Forces this info. Because that thing is the true body that¡¯s made everything the way it is now.¡±


    Understanding the situation now, Sonic Boom summoned the wind as he jumped out from the window.


    Closing his eyes, Haneul was doing his best to detect the magic waves.


    ¡®It shouldn¡¯t have been able to run away to the outside yet. However, it¡¯s a very cunning bastard. I don¡¯t know how it did it, but it somehow got our side to fight each other and thinking we were each other¡¯s enemy. It was then able to move.¡¯


    As Gunman went upstairs to ascertain the current situation, Haneul continued to feel out the weak magic waves and started to follow it. Although the feeling was starting to disappear, if he was to continue following this feeling¡­¡­.


    ¡°It, it¡¯s this place! Silver Knight, it¡¯s over here!¡±


    Haneul turned his head.


    Looking back at the direction of where the voice was coming from, Haneul could see a person wearing patient clothes as he held a metal pipe.


    ¡°Ironman? It seems like you were safe.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time! It¡¯s this place right here! Are you not able to feel it? That bastard went in that direction.¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡­..¡±


    ¡°With my powers, I¡¯m not able to get rid of it. However, I¡¯m sure you can. There¡¯s no time to waste by stopping here. We must move immediately!¡±


    The location where Ironman was pointing out to.


    It was within the reception area.


    Chapter 1 ¨C End.

 Volume 7 - CH 2

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 2


    Haneul frowned, and with a confused face, he continued forward towards the reception area. As he did, he soon realized that what Ironman said wasn¡¯t wrong. Inside that area was a gigantic hole, and the gigantic hole connected through to the lower levels, looking unnatural and artificial.


    ¡®I wasn¡¯t able to feel it, but Ironman was able to ¡°feel¡± the magic waves?¡¯


    ¡°Hurry up and go! You need to hurry and follow it!¡±


    ¡°Ironman, in order to catch that monster, I¡¯m going to need your help.¡±


    Haneul knew that Ironman¡¯s senses towards the magic waves were above his own. If that was the case, then Haneul need to borrow Ironman¡¯s strength.


    ¡°M, My help?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I need your help. I¡¯m not able to capture the location of the bastard monster. Nothing at all. However, you¡¯re able to feel it right now, correct?¡±


    Ironman nodded his head with a dumbfounded expression.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move together.¡±


    ¡°Al, Alright.¡±


    Ironman did not even worry about his own safety, and he will continue to do so. If he was to be standing here as a Hero right now, he need to participate in the work. That¡¯s what a Hero is.


    ¡°What the hell¡­¡­¡±


    As the 2 people disappeared from the beat up ground they were standing on, the other Heroes were in disarray as they were confused on what the current situation was.


    However, the fight was not over.


    It was true that the true body was currently away from the current location, but there were still quite a bit of its leftover monsters within the hospital.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave the true body to Silver Knight. Our fight is still not over. Let¡¯s get rid of all these sick little monsters inside this Hospital.¡±


    Gunman clenched his teeth as his eyes changed.


    The Heroes behind him followed suit with resolute expressions.


    As Gunman and the other Heroes were making their decisions on what to do next in order to protect the civilians within the Hospital, the Special Forces outside of the Hospital were also busily moving about.


    Sonic Boom was just inside the Hospital and as he felt that the situation was being dealt with, he came out and started to surround the exterior of the Hospital under the order of the Organization, knowing the true body was not within the Hospital.


    ¡°Are there any Heroes here that specialize in detecting monsters?¡±


    ¡°No such Heroes have arrived at this time, sir.¡±


    As the superior from the Special Forces said these words, Sonic Boom bit his tongue. There were many Heroes that were C rank when it came to detection skills. As it was hard for these Heroes to fight off big monsters, and on top of the fact that these Heroes didn¡¯t hold much base magic, it was hard for them to place higher than the Rank C level.


    Not only that, but when the draft calls were sent out, the level was set to unknown, making the Rank C Heroes exempt from participating in the battle. It¡¯s no wonder why there weren¡¯t any Heroes at the location that specialized in detecting monsters.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about it. Once our circle is complete and we surround the Hospital, make sure you guys aren¡¯t feeling even the slightest bit of magic waves coming through to you.¡±


    *     *     *     *


    Haneul continued to walk down towards the lower levels.


    ¡°Shit. This piece of shit, is really working his butt off to run away from this Hospital.¡±


    Even through the 2nd floor, the monster dug itself a hole and continued down.


    As well as to the 1st floor. However, there weren¡¯t any more holes after that.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any more holes. What¡¯s going on? I¡¯m not able to feel the bastard¡¯s magic anymore, did we possibly lose it or something?¡±


    Haneul looked towards Ironman.


    Ironman closed his eyes as he tried to feel the magic waves, then he turned his head.


    ¡°No! We didn¡¯t lose it. It¡¯s this way. There¡¯s no arguing that the thing found its way to where it can get down underground!¡±


    ¡°Fantastic.¡±


    Ironman was surprisingly very sensitive to reading the magic waves, and this helped it so that Haneul didn¡¯t have to hesitate or waste time on looking for the true body of the Dominator.


    There was no denying that the bastard was trying to use the sewers.


    It was trying to hide itself underground.


    ¡°It sure is a clever one.¡±


    There was no time left. If it was to hide itself at this point, it¡¯d be very hard to find it again. If one was to use the sewers to hide, with it being a dark place, it¡¯d be very difficult to find them.


    Right as Haneul was looking around and was trying to focus his mind, it happened.


    ¡°Approximately 1.5 km away from our currently location, I¡¯m able to feel the monster.¡±


    Said Ironman, as he came down and immediately closed his eyes.


    ¡®1.5 km? Does that mean that Ironman is able to feel the magic from that far away?¡¯


    Ironman was surprising Haneul time and time again.


    Chapter 2 ¨C End.

 Volume 7 - CH 3

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 3


    Joong Hyun Kim (Ironman) believed that he was just an ordinary Hero, however that was not the case. He could feel that his ability to detect things was overpowered, since they¡¯ve been at the hospital, but not to this extent.


    ¡°Ironman, get on right now.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean by get on¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can match my speed? We¡¯re in a situation where we need to utilize your ability. It¡¯s impossible by myself.¡±


    Ironman opened his eyes wide in shock, and whilst doing so, nodded his head and jumped onto Haneul¡¯s back.


    Bringing out strength from deep within his chest, Haneul routed it towards his legs and kicked off the ground.


    ¡°Oooooo Euk!¡±


    With the sheer force on his body, Ironman couldn¡¯t do anything but to release a sound.


    ¡°You can leave everything to me and just tell me where the location is!¡±


    That was a sound decision.


    It was smarter to rely on Ironman¡¯s sensitivity, rather than Silver Knight¡¯s. Ironman closed his eyes, and tried to locate the monster.


    ¡°I, it¡¯s 300m to the left!¡±


    Suddenly, a heavy rebound could be felt on the body.


    ¡®Eu geu geuk.¡±


    Clenching his teeth, he tried hard to cling on.


    Right then, Ironman¡¯s face changed.


    ¡®What¡¯s this? The monsters aura split. It split into 2.¡±


    Even Haneul was slowly able to feel the monster¡¯s aura.


    ¡®I can feel it!¡¯


    The escaping Dominator¡¯s speed was incredibly fast.


    However, its speed was slower than Haneul¡¯s


    The Dominator was now in view.


    With its incredible body, twice the normal size, it was swinging around a human body while utilizing its many legs to run away on the rooftops.


    A chilly smile rose on Haneul¡¯s face.


    Twisting his body and using his left leg as support, he took an incredible step with a bang.


    The Dominator that was moving at incredible speeds, turned its head around.


    ¡°This is the end!¡±


    Yelled Haneul with a thunderous voice, and at this moment, he released his explosive acceleration!


    SHWEEAAAK!


    JJUNGG!


    An overwhelming attack that¡¯s able to split apart the air. Haneul twisted his body and blocked the attack with his left arm. The shock was extraordinary. Haneul and Ironman flew off to a completely different direction, and was in danger of getting smashed into a wall.


    Haneul quickly spun his body, kicked against the wall, and barely made the landing.


    ¡°GGI GI GIK.¡±


    As if giving up with the escape, the Dominator that was running for dear life was now completely immobile.


    ¡®No, it wasn¡¯t giving up. It was trying to make a decision on whether it would run or try and catch us.¡¯


    Haneul¡¯s vision reached beyond the darkness.


    He was able to see a human figure walking out with heavy footsteps. Thankfully it wasn¡¯t an ally, but strangely, there didn¡¯t seem to be a Dominator on top of his/her head.


    ¡®What is that?¡¯


    The aura he/she was exuding was that of a monster¡¯s. The complicated magic pattern and sharpness could be felt through the nerves.


    ¡°Silver Knight, a little while ago, that thing¡¯s aura split into 2. I¡¯m afraid that the main body split apart from that host.¡±


    Haneul frowned.


    He saw with his own eyes, that when a Dominator splits off from the host, that it would become disabled. Yet, now that wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡®Is it because it¡¯s the main body.¡¯


    The person walking out from the dark was a woman.


    However, it was clear to see that she wasn¡¯t a normal person.


    The pupils were filled with blood, and one could not find any sanity or conscience within them.


    It was no different from the monster.


    ¡°KEU REU REUK.¡±


    A growl similar to a beast¡¯s. It was different from the other individuals that were taken over from its multiplication. Movement, the killing intent being released, aura. Everything was different, as if it was trying to give out a warning.


    ¡°Is this the identity of the overwhelming, and cold aura that I felt.¡±


    Haneul got into his combat stance. This monster was different from all the other Dominator¡¯s thus far. At the least, only this thing can¡¯t be considered to be a simple host while it¡¯s following the commands of the main body.


    ¡°KYAAAAKK!¡±


    Showing its teeth, the host that has transformed into a Dominator yelled with vigor. Suddenly, a gust of magic started to rage.


    On reflex, Haneul throughout a punch. However, the attack hit nothing but air.


    ¡®It dodged it?¡¯


    At that moment, an enormous impact could be felt on his left side.


    Kwang!


    ¡°Oot!¡±


    The heavy impact penetrated through his armor and delivered pain that could even be felt with his bones. Realizing the effectiveness of the attack, the host goggled its eyes, raised its arms, and attempted to grab Haneul¡¯s head.


    Clenching his teeth, Haneul throughout his left arm.


    BBUK!


    The host that was hit with Haneul¡¯s abrupt punch was now stuck within the sewer wall.


    Kwang!


    They received each other¡¯s blows.


    ¡®Its destructive force is quite strong, and more than anything, its instantaneous reaction speed is alarming. However, that movement is not normal. Just before, it completely defied the laws of inertia. With that type of speed, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for the bones to take damage.¡¯


    ¡°KI GI GI.¡±


    The Dominator¡¯s main body was attached to the ceiling, using its eyes to determine the situation.


    Ironman clenched his teeth. If the main body is caught, the host will break apart as if the strings to a puppet are cut off, leading to an end to this fight.


    However, he was unable to move forward with that plan.


    ¡®If I was to make a rash movement right now and get caught, I would just become a burden.¡¯


    With his fists clenched tight, Ironman continued to watch the fight. There was nothing he could do, but to believe in Silver Knight.


    Chapter 3 Completed.

 Volume 7 - CH 4

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 4


    Kwang Kwang Kwang!


    The host¡¯s shocking reaction speed did not slow down since the beginning. Rather, the acceleration speed continued to rise in level.


    Quite a dangerous foe.


    However, Haneul¡¯s eyes began to fill with composure as time passed.


    ¡®That body can¡¯t fight for long periods of time. Not like that at least.¡¯


    Haneul figured out that there was no meaning in fighting the enemy this way.


    It was too strong of an adversary.


    If he was to categorize this monster¡¯s level, it was at the Level A range. It¡¯s just as strong and dangerous as the Tentacle type that Haneul fought before. In a short- term battle, this thing was much stronger than the Tentacle type. However, if it¡¯s a long-term battle, the whole outcome and situation changed.


    ¡®The weakness is obvious. It¡¯s very clear what the host¡¯s limit is. The aggressive and relentless movements are breaking down the host¡¯s body, and will surely show a gap.¡¯


    Gga ga gang!


    Haneul focused on blocking and dodging the attacks.


    The Dominator¡¯s main body was, more or less, short on time.


    If it was able to understand the food chain of this world better, it would¡¯ve made the choice of moving about in a more secretive, covert way. However, without magic, it was unable to find stability in its hosts, therefore reaching this kind of conclusion.


    In order to create the perfect host for itself, it needed time, yet it was unable to get that needed time.


    That¡¯s just the way it was.


    Haneul is a well-rounded, offense and defense equipped, close-range combat Hero. He is the arch nemesis for an unstable Dominator host.


    Goooooooo.


    Heat started to form within Haneul¡¯s right hand.


    He just had to hit the thing properly once.


    There was no point in exchanging clumsy attacks.


    As Haneul got into a defensive stance, the host became more relentless with its attacks.


    ¡®I guess it thinks that it can suppress me.¡¯


    A chilly smile rose on Haneul¡¯s face.


    The Dominator turned his body around. The body that looked as if it was going to run away at any given time, was now looking as if it would join in with attacking Haneul.


    Haneul keenly looked to see the distance between the Dominator and the host.


    Kwa Kwang!


    Another powerful knee kick flew in aiming for Haneul¡¯s face and chest. Although it was an attack from an unstable position, the force behind it went beyond the armor¡¯s defense.


    However, it was different from the first.


    The power behind the attack was definitely weaker.


    Haneul could hear it.


    The evolved body of the host was screaming.


    The broken bones that were deviated, and the harmony coming from the grinding of those pieces.


    ¡®It¡¯s past its limit.¡¯


    The Dominator did its best to control the human body till the end. However, it was still unsure and unable to understand the limits and mechanisms of the human body.


    And, that lack of understanding is what brought it to its current situation.


    As Haneul tried to fall back, the host pushed forth and continued with its overwhelming attacks.


    ¡°Silver Knight!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will be the one to end this fight.¡±


    Responded Haneul, in a composed manner.


    Ironman clenched his fist and opened his eyes wide, and continued to watch the fight till the end. That was all he could do at this moment.


    ¡®I will watch his fight, till the end. He said he will end it, so he will end it. That¡¯s the type of Hero Silver Knight is.¡¯


    At that moment, a barrage of magic bullets spewed forth from the host¡¯s hands, and completely blocked Haneul¡¯s front. It was the same attack that destroyed the hallways of the hospital.


    Doo Doo Doo Doo!


    An intense attack that destroyed the ground.


    However, an attack like that was unable to break through the defense of Haneul¡¯s armor.


    ¡°You should have realized long ago, that an attack like that is useless on me.¡±


    Suddenly, the outline of the host was bent low and with a bang, rushing forth. In order to deliver a critical blow on Haneul, it decided to resort to close-range combat.


    The normal reaction speed of the host was 1.5x faster. Therefore, a fierce battle would lead itself with an overwhelming advantage. Using that speed, it was trying to force in a critical blow.


    The knee kick that was effective the first time.


    ¡°Do you really think I¡¯ll keep falling for this same trick!¡±


    As Haneul unleashed a thunderous yell, the host¡¯s body came to a stop. It was because midway through, Haneul¡¯s right fist suddenly flew out. The timing of the attack against the speed of the host¡¯s body going in for the rush.


    It was the perfect counter.


    SHWI AK!


    KWANG!


    The host¡¯s body flew off at an incredible speed, ricocheted off the ground, and stuck itself to the wall.


    The power of heat that was formed within Haneul¡¯s right hand, formed into a blazing fire and scattered everywhere ¨C lighting up the darkness.


    CHEEEEE EEEKK.


    The moisture that was gathered on the floor was swept away by the heat and vaporized.


    ¡°Ki gi gi.¡±


    The main body of the Dominator flinched as it slowly tried to move back.


    The situation was instantly reversed.


    Its eyes were spinning around. This was an unthinkable situation, yet it was still unable to decide on how it should move.


    Although it was a powerful attack, the host had yet to be incapacitated.


    Chapter 4 Completed.

 Volume 7 - CH 5

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 5


    Suddenly, in the midst of the destruction, the host¡¯s body squirmed as it stood up inside the sewage.


    The vicinity around the left chest, where it was hit by Haneul¡¯s fist, was smashed open and its insides were showing. Yet, surprisingly, the flesh started twisting and overlapping against each other, as it quickly began to heal itself.


    ¡®Does it mean that a human¡¯s body is just a shell?¡¯


    The mystical power known as magic is capable of increasing recovery rate through the explosive use of a person¡¯s vitality. This is the reason why Heroes are able to quickly heal themselves, even if they damage their membranes. However, the speed was not to that extent. That is just abnormal.


    Haneul continued to watch the situation with a defensive stance. As he did, the main body also decided to continue watching the situation as it kept its distance.


    A newly evolved body.


    There was a newly evolved parasitic host in front of its eyes, and it was too perfect to overlook.


    (Djinn ¨C guess the little sucker evolved itself)


    In response to its desire, the host body quickly rushed forward.


    Haneul figured, that there was a high chance that the Dominator wasn¡¯t going to back off.


    ¡®It¡¯s time to end this.¡¯


    Due to the Dominator¡¯s main body, the modified host¡¯s attack power was incredible. Especially its movement speed and reaction speed, they exceeded one¡¯s imaginations. However, it was plain to see that those movements weren¡¯t natural.


    The host body released its limit, and all the magic that it absorbed from the other Heroes exploded forth. But, that was all.


    If a body without any balance was to release its limits in speed, its muscles would rupture and fracture. Not only that, but it would also lead to the degradation of its comprehensive abilities.


    The host¡¯s body was now moving much slower than it did in the beginning. It was very noticeable, and Haneul was waiting for the moment its abilities would start to degrade.


    ¡°Right for this moment!!¡±


    KOOONNGG!


    Haneul kicked the ground hard with his left foot and rushed forth. His speed was faster and sharper than the host¡¯s.


    Powerful magic quickly migrated from his foot to his arm.


    At the next moment, his arm shot out.


    A whirlwind wrapped around Haneul as it vaporized all of the water. And, with a burst of power, he struck the host¡¯s stomach. The aftereffect of the magic that was prepared just for this moment didn¡¯t stop there as it continued up into the sky.


    ¡°GGI GI GI!¡±


    The Dominator (main body) quickly tried to run. However, it was too late. The explosive power caused a chain of explosions to occur, as if it was meant to destroy everything. And, the main body that tried to run away, was swept away by it.


    Kwang Kwang Kwang!


    An incredible shockwave shot forth.


    ¡°Huk!¡±


    Ironman drew his breath in. The heat was so intense that it felt like his face was melting and he quickly retreated. However, at that moment, a gust of angry winds swarmed in, faster than Ironman could retreat. Not being able to bear it any longer, Ironman flew back.


    Even though his eyes were shut, Ironman was able to vividly see the overwhelming tornado of magic around Silver Knight; just as if his eyes were open.


    ¡°R, red dragon¡­¡­.¡±


    The image of a huge fire red dragon could be seen wrapping up towards the heavens and illuminating the dark skies.


    Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeek.


    With a clang, Haneul¡¯s right fist released a distinctly white steam.


    It was over.


    The sensation of the energy disappearing from the point of origin.


    Haneul had a hunch.


    The fight was over.


    And, Ironman who was at the scene barely got up, and walked his way over to Haneul. It was too thrilling. Especially at the last moment, it was too overwhelming.


    Ironman had no way to understand Silver Knight¡¯s limits. However, there was only one thing he could say at this point.


    ¡°Th, thanks for your work. Everything is finally over. Silver Knight, you should get some rest now.¡±


    ¡°I think the main body is dead, but the fight isn¡¯t over yet. There are still many of those wicked things left over at the hospital. If they¡¯re not disposed of quickly, there may be more casualties.¡±


    With an unsettled heart, Haneul looked up towards the hole in the sky. Because of his burst of power, the sky was torn through.


    At that moment, Ironman grabbed Haneul¡¯s shoulder.


    Cheeekk.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    Haneul quickly retreated.


    His whole body was still emanating an intense amount of heat. That heat had yet to disperse, so it was very dangerous for someone to touch him right now.


    At least until it dissipated.


    ¡°Silver Knight, you¡¯ve done enough for today.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s enough. You¡¯re not the only Hero here right now. There¡¯s no reason to try and handle everything by yourself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. I¡¯m just trying to fight, because I know that the fight¡¯s not over yet.¡±


    ¡°That is a problem for the other Heroes. You¡¯ve done your part for today. I may be overstepping my boundaries, but I¡¯ll still say it. It would be best for you to just return home and rest for the day. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re already exhausted. Don¡¯t overdo it anymore.¡±


    Haneul felt as if he was being saved.


    He wanted to rest.


    His whole body was heavy, more so his mentality than his physical body. His head was full of thoughts of wanting to rest, but knowing that there was still work to be done, his mind was tied up.


    ¡°I am a Hero. As a Hero¡­..¡±


    ¡°I told you. You¡¯re not the only Hero. Please rest. It is also a Hero¡¯s job to control oneself and to get some rest. Especially so, if it¡¯s a Hero of your caliber. If that¡¯s not it, does it mean that you can¡¯t place your faith into other Heroes?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Haneul could not respond back.


    The words Ironman used to tell him to rest, were spinning around in his head.


    Chapter 5 Completed.

 Volume 7 - CH 6

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 6


    ¡°Things may start getting a bit noisy. What are your plans from now on?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. However, I have no intentions to avoid it now.¡±


    ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve made up your mind.¡±


    Haneul nodded his head and walked off.


    ¡°As I thought, you¡¯re a real Hero. Feeling the weight of many lives on your shoulders, and fulfilling the responsibilities and duties for those lives, is something only a Hero can do¡­..¡±


    Ironman felt honored to have been able to survive and be together at the scene with such an amazing Hero. As he thought this, he followed after Haneul.


    *     *     *     *


    Kwang Kwang Kwang!


    ¡°Wh, what is that?¡±


    The Heroes that were part of the search operation, saw the fire red pillar shoot into the sky and were dumbfounded. The amount of magic that instantaneously exploded forth from it was incredible.


    Heroes hurriedly started gathering at that location.


    ¡°D, did a new monster appear or something?¡±


    However, it didn¡¯t seem like the emergence of a monster.


    At that moment, a misty combustive reaction covered the surrounding area.


    Drop.


    ¡°Huk!!!¡±


    Something had dropped from the sky.


    It was a corpse that was fully roasted and burnt black.


    The corpse had a hole punctured through its stomach and its flesh was completely and wretchedly cooked.


    ¡°Is this a person that got done in by the monster?¡±


    ¡°This is a situation where we¡¯re unsure of whether it¡¯s a civilian or a Hero, so hurry up and grab the corpse so we can identify who it is!¡±


    The soldiers and Heroes were gathered at the same location. It was the exact location where they saw that fire red pillar shoot up into the sky.


    ¡°What the hell exactly happened?¡±


    At that moment, a Hero with silver armor appeared amongst white smoke.


    Shweeeeeeekkkk.


    His whole body seemed to be releasing a combustive magic reaction.


    The overall sharp feeling that was being released from the armor, made all the people gathered at that location look towards it.


    ¡°Y, you are¡­¡­..¡±


    ¡°S, Silver Knight?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you at the scene of battle? Why are you here?¡±


    The whole area started getting listless.


    A Hero who was supposed to be at the Hospital right now, was now outside and standing in front of them.


    ¡°I caught the monster that was presumed to be the main body.¡±


    Hearing the words of Silver Knight that appeared out of nowhere, everyone¡¯s eyes went wide with surprise.


    Haneul walked off after responding back with a husky voice, and as he did, Ironman appeared from behind him.


    Silver Knight was known to be an A rank Hero, and because of the heavy mood that was being released from him, the surrounding people could not ask him any questions. However, when the comparatively weaker Ironman appeared, many questions were being thrown out.


    ¡±O, One person at a time and I will answer!¡±


    Ignoring everyone that was showing incredible interest in the situation and was surrounding Ironman, Haneul walked towards the reconnaissance team.


    ¡±Are you connected to HQ¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. That¡¯s correct. Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°I have something I want to say.¡±


    ¡°Got it, sir. Please wait one moment.¡±


    Coincidentally, the reconnaissance team was already busily relaying information back to HQ¡¯s regarding Silver Knight.


    The sergeant handed the mic over to Haneul.


    ¡°I am Silver Knight and currently on scene.¡±


    <I am Joohyuk Park from HQ¡¯s.>


    Joohyuk immediately responded back. He¡¯s been monitoring the situation of everything that¡¯s been happening, and watching Silver Knight¡¯s activities, there was nothing he could do but be amazed.


    ¡°The main body that was the center of this ordeal has been exterminated.¡±


    Haneul relayed the message with a dull voice.


    An amazing cheer could be heard from HQs.


    Chapter 6 Completed.

 Volume 7 - CH 7

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 7


    A red pillar of flame had risen up into the sky, and not long after, Ironman and Silver Knight appeared. HQ¡¯s had no idea as to what the situation was.


    However, at this moment, Silver Knight had just explained the truth.


    JooHyuk Park sighed a breath of relief and quickly fell onto his chair.


    He wasn¡¯t able to be completely relieved, but with this, he could at least catch his breath.


    ¡°Silver Knight, I sincerely express my respect to you.¡±


    <Can I take it that the situation can be considered to be concluded?>


    ¡°I think so. I can¡¯t resolutely say that it¡¯s finished, but the back end work is also complete. So, I don¡¯t think you need to be worried anymore. You should leave the scene and go rest.¡±


    JooHyuk Park already understood Silver Knight¡¯s personality and actions after meeting him once. He was a person that didn¡¯t like getting too much attention.


    <Will that be okay?>


    ¡°This is not an advice, but an order from a commander with the highest authority for this operation. No matter what anyone says, you have done a major military service for us today. However, putting it in a different way, it means that the other Heroes there have barely done anything. Are you going to monopolize all the military services today?¡±


    Haneul knew that JooHyuk Park was being considerate.


    <Thank you. I hope you can handle the rest efficiently. Also, there¡¯s one more thing that I¡¯d like to relay.>


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    <The contribution for getting rid of the monster¡¯s main body shouldn¡¯t solely come to me, but also to a D ranked Hero called Ironman. If he wasn¡¯t there, I would have never been able to catch the monster, and the situation would¡¯ve been completely different from what it is now.>


    ¡°D rank Hero, Ironman?¡±


    JooHyuk Park asked back as if he couldn¡¯t understand. Without exaggerating or making things up, Haneul relayed everything that happened from the Hospital until now.


    <If Ironman didn¡¯t have such an outstanding ability, we may have lost the monster. His ability is amazing. I keep questioning if he really is just an ordinary D rank Hero. I hope the Director can make the judgment on that. That is all I have to say. Goodbye¡­¡­>


    ¡°Wait, wait a minute!¡±


    However, Silver Knight¡¯s voice couldn¡¯t be heard anymore.


    Everyone in the situation room had a blank face. If everything that Silver Knight had said was the truth, Ironman¡¯s contribution was shocking. Being able to figure out who the monster was, even when it was in a different appearance, and chasing after the monster. It was quite a big contribution that Ironman had made.


    ¡°He definitely said Ironman a little while ago, right? Bring his detailed info up onto the screen.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Soon after, Ironman¡¯s real name came up through the Hero Management List.


    His face, his rank, his magic capacity, and many other information was shown. Looking at the figures, there was nothing much to look at.


    ¡°However, it didn¡¯t seem like he was lying. Most of all, from my recollection, I know that Ironman didn¡¯t have an amazing detecting ability?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. His talent is mediocre, and with his recent routine checkup, there was no difference to his numbers.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Silver Knight would lie about something that can be easily exposed.¡±


    Joo Hyuk thought for a moment.


    Internally, the Earthquake has proceeded to the next phase, so no one knew what would happen in the future. If so, the Hero Organization had to respond to Heroes in a different way.


    ¡°Summon Ironman to the Organization and have him retake his checkup.¡±


    ¡°But, looking at the renewal list data, he has taken his routine checkup prior to his half year mark.¡±


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that? The important thing is that we figure out the changes that happened to him within the timespan, prior to his last checkup.¡±


    JooHyuk felt doubtful, however, Silver Knight¡¯s words stuck to him. It made him feel that he should look into this matter at least once.


    ¡°Understood, sir.¡±


    ¡°Putting that aside, let¡¯s focus on the matter at hand. Thanks to Silver Knight¡¯s performance, we were able to get past the dangerous point, but the situation isn¡¯t over yet. Send the rescue team and doctors over to the scene, and have everyone else on standby.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Joohyuk closed his eyes, and as if he just remembered something, he raised his head up.


    ¡°Oh yeah, also, I¡¯m sure we were able to capture a footage of that red pillar of flame. How much longer until we get an exact number on it?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re currently working on it right now. I¡¯m afraid it will take a few more hours until we have an answer for you, sir.¡±


    ¡°Good, then let me know as soon as you get the results.¡±


    At that moment, a call arrived from the scene.


    ¡°Headquarters. Forensics? This isn¡¯t the time to hear the results of¡­¡­¡­.. What does that mean? Report properly. Are you saying that the body is reviving?¡±


    The situation was finishing up, so what was going on.


    JooHyuk frowned.


    ¡°Connect the line to me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Director JooHyuk here. What were you saying?¡±


    <The corpse of the host body that Silver Knight killed is having a strange phenomenon.>


    ¡°Tell me in detail.¡±


    <The corpse is of a 20 something year old female with her limbs torn apart, and the shape of her body is completely distorted. But, surprisingly, its cells are starting to regenerate, noticeable to the eyes, and it¡¯s really fast.>


    ¡°Is there any danger to it?¡±


    <No, sir. Although its cells seem to be regenerating, its body is so thoroughly destroyed that it won¡¯t be able to function as a living organism.>


    JooHyuk¡¯s eyes grew narrow.


    It would be best to listen to this in more detail, so he gave out an order to a different state of affairs agent.


    ¡°Connect me to Ironman this instant.¡±


    <Director, what should we do about the corpse? The forensics team is currently excited, because of this special corpse. If we take it to the lab, we should be able to figure some things out through it.>


    ¡°Understood. Make sure you confine the body well, and bring it over to the HQ¡¯s lab.¡±


    <Yes, sir!>


    Chapter 7 Completed.

 Volume 7 - CH 8

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 8


    *     *     *     *


    A little less than 30 minutes after Silver Knight left the scene, everything was concluded. The inside of the Hospital was cleaned out, and all of the parasitic monsters were deemed dead.


    Right as everything concluded, it happened. On the far side of the road, a beautiful girl with a rugged expression was running over while panting.


    ¡°Hey, wait one second. Can we talk real quick?!¡±


    ¡°Are you by chance looking for me?¡±


    Sonic Boom smiled and approached the reporter. However, MiYeon Lee ran past him and approached Ironman instead.


    He was currently talking to the soldiers and telling them what had happened in detail. It hadn¡¯t even been a day yet, since he¡¯s last seen MiYeon Lee.


    ¡°Ironman, you remember me right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you conducted yesterday¡¯s interview¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Then this conversation will move along pretty quickly. I wanted to have a conversation with you regarding the things that happened last night. Is that okay? Because, it seems like the protagonist Silver Knight, has already left the scene.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s, going to be a little difficult. The scene has yet to be regulated¡­¡­¡­..and even I don¡¯t know much about the situation.¡±


    Ironman had already received an order of secrecy from HQs regarding the situation. As the Earthquake this time around was abnormal, and talking about it would just cause a panic within the civilians.


    ¡°Okay. I understand. You just have to tell me the parts that are allowed to be relayed to the civilians. I¡¯m sure the situation this time has nothing to do with the previous Earthquake, so the civilians are going to be questioning how it came about. I¡¯m sure HQs didn¡¯t tell you to keep your mouth shut completely, right? What do you think? Is what I¡¯m saying correct? Just tell me the things that you¡¯re allowed to tell me.¡±


    Around that time, Haneul had reached the outskirts of the city.


    Although the battle was over, he continued to adorn his armor.


    He was determined.


    Haneul figured that it was also a Hero¡¯s job to stand in front of the people, so he decided not to neglect any interviews. He was determined to become a shining light within the darkness of this world.


    However, Ironman and Director JooHyuk Park told him to rest. They thought they were being considerate towards him by telling him not to overdo it, and that there was no need to place all of the burden onto himself.


    However, Haneul felt that something was lacking.


    He felt an oppressive feeling that Black Walker¡¯s resolution was much more than this.


    ¡®Is it okay for me to rush out of the scene as if I¡¯m running away? Maybe I¡¯m just being too spoiled.¡¯


    Haneul shook his head out of confusion.


    From here on out, without them resisting each other, it was going to be difficult to live life as Haneul and as a Hero. That was because, within the armor of the Hero known as Silver Knight, there was a person named Haneul who just wanted to live a normal life.


    The streets were empty.


    Everything was swallowed by the darkness of night.


    Being alone on such a street, Haneul started remembering the battle that he just had.


    The battle was tough.


    Haneul felt the weight of human lives, and had to whip himself to realize what it meant to be known as a Hero. He wanted to run, and he felt like he was going to collapse. It was a fight where one had to endure an agony of pain.


    Shiver.


    His arms suddenly shook.


    No, it wasn¡¯t his arms. It was his whole body.


    A mix of fear, guilt, and rage rushed forth, almost making Haneul collapse.


    Not wanting to lose himself, Haneul barely wrapped his arms around his body.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay. It was what I had to do. Not something I could have neglected.¡¯


    Having heard the cries of those that needed to be saved, Haneul had hoped his ears would become unusable. Being driven by madness, his only focus was to get rid of the enemy in front of him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­.¡±


    That was the beginning.


    He apologized to each and every one that died in front of his eyes, then clenched the wall, closed his eyes, and started taking deep breaths.


    As he did, Haneul¡¯s mind had finally started to calm down. It was a shocking way of controlling his own mind.


    It was the same feeling that he got when he was transported to this other world. He was able to hold himself up again, just as he did when he figured out that his whole life had changed.


    The armor that hugged Haneul made noise as it started to undo itself. It stopped itself at the forearm, and then disappeared towards the middle finger.


    The ring that was on Haneul¡¯s right middle finger was shining brightly.


    Haneul started running.


    His mind and body were both exhausted.


    He didn¡¯t want to think about anything anymore. He just wanted to release the heavy burdens within him and sleep.


    The long night was finally coming to an end.


    Chapter 8 Completed.

 Volume 7 - CH 9

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 9


    3 basement levels below the Hero Organization¡¯s HQ.


    This was where all the researchers were busy working on the advent of the new monster. All preexisting research was suspended, and full focus was placed on researching the Dominator.


    ¡°Professor, look at this.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, it truly is alive.¡±


    Looking through the microscope and seeing the sample for the first time, it was surprisingly regenerating its cells at a fast rate, reshaping the many body pieces that it had split into.


    ¡°Even though it¡¯s been obliterated into such tiny pieces, it¡¯s still alive?¡±


    ¡°The basic characteristic of the cell is very similar to the monster that we¡¯ve recently identified.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you can say they¡¯re identical. WIZ-03, the Wizard type Tentacle. The cell characteristics are amazingly consistent between the two, and if we were to look at that as the truth, then we can say that the Dominator is possibly a piece of the Tentacle that came out during the previous Earthquake. For the monster to have suddenly appeared without an earthquake is a situation that has never happened before.¡±


    Professor Yoo coldly stated.


    As he did, he walked further into the lab. This location of the lab was an enclosed space and it was also where the corpse was being placed. It¡¯s been about 3 hours since the corpse had been placed here.


    Cheeeekkk.


    After the carbon alloy door opened, the shape of a person could be seen that was bound by multiple restraints. Although thin, seeing the chest fluctuating, one could see that the thing was ¡®alive¡¯.


    ¡°Nothing much has changed since its last convalescent.¡±


    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s going to awaken at any time, and it isn¡¯t considered to be brain dead yet, so make sure that to stay vigilant at all times.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. WIZ-03-2. This specimen is definitely special compared to other individuals. An individual that can be an extension of the newly classified Dominator type, or if it¡¯s not that, then it is something that transcends all preexisting ideas.¡±


    ¡°Transcends¡­..If that¡¯s the case, then does professor think that the WIZ-03-2 is a new species of monsters?¡±


    ¡°I think there¡¯s a really high chance of it.¡±


    ¡°Professor, if these new species were to come out one after the other, does that mean that the Earthquakes are going into a new state? Of course, we can¡¯t confirm anything with the appearance of these Wizard types, but there¡¯s never been such a big ¡®evolution¡¯ to a type of monster before, right?¡±


    ¡°Who knows, I can¡¯t say. I don¡¯t know if it was born out of coincidence, or if it was following a set plan. Either way, we are researchers. We need to investigate the phenomenon that occurs during Earthquakes, then wait for our future assignments. Merely, if we are to compare our present data with the preexisting data, it clearly shows that there are some differences. Something is going to happen.¡±


    Professor Yoo turned to his side and stared at the specimen.


    At first, the face of the body was completely destroyed, but after 3 hours, it had reverted back into the face of a young woman.


    The Hero Organization had deemed her dead, and that there was 0 possibility for her to revive. This was normal. All the cells within the body were changed to a Dominator¡¯s, or it was to say that it was similar to a Wizard type. Even if she was to awaken, she couldn¡¯t be considered a human anymore.


    This specimen¡¯s personal info has already been grasped.


    The female was a 27 year old D rank Hero.


    Name NaYoung Lee.


    She was hurt during the last Earthquake, and sent to the hospital to recuperate. Her body was then taken over by the Dominator.


    ¡®Someone who had high fighting abilities and was capable of fighting against the A rank Hero, Silver Knight.¡¯


    This was what Professor Yoo had judged.


    This muscle fiber of the corpse was tightly knitted, and as time passed, it was becoming more elastic. This meant that the body was continuously changing.


    ¡®For a monster to be evolving this quickly, it would be a disaster to humanity. Does this mean that all the Wizard types that appear from now on have the capabilities to become a Dominator?¡¯


    Professor Yoo sighed.


    The researchers at HQs kind of understood the mechanisms as to why the Dominators were parasitic.


    No matter what, all host bodies that were taken over by Dominator¡¯s became brain dead. Hosts that get their biogenic energy consumed too quickly will also die an instant death. Many of those who died instantly were civilians that weren¡¯t able to release any magic powers.


    Either way, the common pattern would be the body¡¯s nerves getting cut off, the brain functions ceasing, and then death.


    Simply put, a person that was caught by the Dominator would never be able to return again.


    Yet, this specimen here was a little different.


    Her brain was active like a normal persons. No, it was even more active than the norm.


    She was considered to be dead, and when she was brought to this location, she barely had lively cells.


    However, now, she was gradually coming back to life. The brain cells were growing, and the limbs that were once torn apart were now becoming whole again. There was no mistaking it. It was going back to its original form.


    All figures were pointing to the rebirth of the woman.


    The expert in biological research, Professor Yoo, became curious. What would happen if this specimen was to open its eyes? Would it be a person? Or a monster?


    Although its nerve tissues have been rebuilt, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that it would be impossible for it to escape this laboratory, because its brain functions have significantly dropped.


    Of course, the danger was still there. Nothing can be affirmed without any evidence.


    However, even with the danger, there was still value in doing research on this specimen.


    NaYoung Lee, as if it was filled with blood, this specimen¡¯s eyes were still dyed in red. Its dulled out pupils were ever so closer to death.


    Looking at the brainwave figures, she seemed to be dreaming of something.


    ¡®This woman¡­¡­¡­No, this existence, I wonder what she¡¯s dreaming about.¡¯


    Chapter 9 Completed.

 Volume 7 - CH 10

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 10


    *     *     *     *


    A black world.


    Nothing existed here in the beginning.


    It was a serene and tranquil world.


    However, this place suddenly began to swell. Soon afterwards, a sharp line cut across the darkness, and it looked as if it was trying to rip apart to the left and right.


    Jju uk.


    Eventually, a black space was opened.


    A world with a spider-web like hideous scar.


    This was a rift.


    A nasty mess of chaos pervaded inside of it.


    However, for some reason, the awareness of the current world¡¯s conscience was slowly getting closer to this rift. As it did, it suddenly flew towards the rift and stuck its head inside. At that moment, everything became topsy-turvy.


    Not knowing which way was up, down, left, or right, the conscience slowly began to break apart within this eternal chaos.


    However, right before that happened, something began to form within that chaos.


    It was extremely massive, and had 3 pairs of eyes that were blood red. It was an overwhelming existence that couldn¡¯t be compared, and even chaos was silent before it.


    That thing was slowly getting closer.


    It was aiming for the entrance to the rift.


    It wasn¡¯t too far away now. Soon, the grand doors to the rift were going to open, and the massive existence that could swallow all of chaos would arrive. However, this was just the prelude to the beginning.


    Bun jjuk.


    Haneul¡¯s eyes opened.


    The dream that he just had was very weird and unpleasant.


    He felt nauseous, and his body had cold sweat all over.


    ¡®What kind of dream was that?¡¯


    Haneul tried his best to recall his dream, but he couldn¡¯t recall it in the least. He just knew that it was unpleasant and it gave him an apprehensive feeling.


    Not knowing if it was because of his nightmare, Haneul¡¯s fatigue did not go away.


    Suddenly, everything that had occurred the night before was running through his mind ¨C as if it just happened moments ago.


    The fight at the Hospital.


    He¡¯s fought several times before.


    However, he¡¯s never had such an exhausting fight.


    Without thinking, Haneul looked at his fist.


    It still felt like his fist was stained with blood, but he wasn¡¯t so weak to fall apart like the night before.


    Haneul walked into the bathroom and began washing his body with cold water. The heat that wrapped around Haneul¡¯s body moments before, was now disappearing.


    The unpleasant feeling from before was also disappearing.


    ¡®Now that I think about it, did I not get heavily injured last night?¡¯


    The fight that started from the Hospital, till the fight with the Dominator¡¯s host body.


    Haneul did not feel any pain, but he had been in intense battles all throughout the night, yet his body was completely fine. It was quite a peculiar feeling. However, it showed that a Hero¡¯s recovery ability was outstanding.


    ¡°I guess I got better within a day.¡±


    Although, Haneul¡¯s head was feeling heavy and sleepy, his stomach was very precise in telling him that he was hungry.


    Looking at his smartphone, he had practically slept through 1 whole day.


    ¡®Why do I have so many text messages?¡¯


    Haneul¡¯s head tilted in confusion as he began to read the texts.


    The texts were from the Organization.


    The first text was a formal greeting, thanking him for his active part at the Hospital. The next text was regarding a bonus that was transferred over to his bank account. And, the last text was informing him that it was forbidden to give the media any info regarding the night before.


    ¡®The Organization isn¡¯t planning on revealing everything that had happened yesterday to the media. Does that mean that my judgment, regarding the operation that had happened within the Hospital, was correct?¡¯


    In Haneul¡¯s mind, reacting in a quick manner led to the least amount of damage. Not only that, but he became the core for yesterday¡¯s independent actions.


    However, if this was to be released by the media, it would be difficult to avoid arousing controversy regarding the Organization¡¯s judgment. They would be questioned regarding human rights issues, ethics, and morality. More than anything, the Dominator had appeared without any rifts. It was best to release things to the world carefully when unexpected things happen.


    This is why the Organization released the info that they could, and covered up the things that they needed to cover up.


    It wasn¡¯t an independent decision made by Director Park, but was a decision made by someone higher than him.


    Chapter 10 Completed.

 Volume 7 - CH 11

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 11


    On TV, one could see the appearance of the Hospital.


    One by one, names were being listed. It was listing all the people that had died at the incident the night before. Haneul knew that a lot of people had died, but there were much more than he thought.


    Eventually, it showed the scene of a funeral with many people showing heavy expressions.


    <That person was a D rank Hero, yet I don¡¯t know how he got tangled into his mess.>


    Muttered one of the fallen Heroes acquaintance.


    D Rank Heroes usually weren¡¯t given the task to fight against monsters. That¡¯s why, there weren¡¯t many cases where a large quantity of them would die like this. For a situation to occur like this, not long after the previous incident.


    Haneul turned the TV off.


    Watching it made his heart hurt, but there was nothing he could do or change about it. As he lay on the floor staring at the ceiling, Haneul reread the messages that he had received from the Organization.


    He finally noticed the message that stated the transfer of a bonus into his account.


    He quickly opened his online banking. He normally had about $450 left in his account, but the numbers had now changed.


    In front of the $450, there seemed to be an extra 8.


    The Organization had sent him a bonus of $8,000.


    This was something Haneul had never seen on his account before. When would a college student who¡¯s never had a decent job before, get to see this much money?


    ¡°$8,000?¡±


    In all honestly, this wasn¡¯t considered to be a lot of money to the general public. The fact that there wasn¡¯t more damage to the civilians was all due to the independent actions of Silver Knight.


    If Haneul was to calculate with this thought in mind, he should have received much more money than this. However, he was still only 23 years old. His only knowledge of society is the time he spent in college. That¡¯s why his sense of money was different to the general public.


    Of course, even if his sense of money was on par with the general public, not much would have changed. If just looking at his achievement and contribution to the recent incident, he definitely had a huge part in it, but standards were a bit different in this world. Excluding S Rank Heroes, receiving a bonus of $8,000 was very unusual.


    The Hero Organization belonged to the government, and could be said to be a special force of the military that handles the policing of monsters.


    Not only that, but the national budget had collapsed and it was currently undergoing a recovery process. The government¡¯s primary focus was to respond to rifts opening and to its own survival. They honestly did not have much money that they could provide for the Heroes, so they instead provided them with much more honor and respect. Giving Heroes money that the government could not afford would only lead to self-collapse. However, if some compensation wasn¡¯t given, nobody would want to be a Hero. This was a dilemma that all nations were currently going through.


    Regardless, Haneul was delighted with these global trends and proper wage issues.


    ¡°To think that I would be able to make so much money. Not only that, but since this is just a bonus, it¡¯s separate from my normal salary. First off, I should have a splendid dinner with father¡­¡­..¡±


    As Haneul was about to punch in a phone number, he stiffened.


    This world did not have his father.


    In return, he had his mother.


    Mother¡­¡­.As ever, it was quite an unfamiliar feeling.


    Haneul was curious as to how his father was doing in his original world.


    He suddenly had a thought. Even in his previous world, he only met with his father every 2-3 months. Therefore, he honestly hasn¡¯t been hit with reality yet, that his father wasn¡¯t in this world.


    ¡®If I¡¯m not in that world, who is? Is the Haneul from this world over there?¡¯


    Without thinking, Haneul began to touch his ring. As ever, his ring did not budge as if it had become one with him.


    ¡®Would I go back to my original world if I took this ring off?¡¯


    It was strange that Haneul had never thought of this since he¡¯s been transported to this world. He just assumed that there was no way to return.


    Bringing over a flat-head screwdriver, Haneul tried to push it in between the ring and his finger. That¡¯s when it happened.


    Chwarak.


    Haneul¡¯s eyes grew wide with surprise.


    The shape of the ring suddenly changed to a shield like shape, as it flicked the flat-head screwdriver away.


    ¡®Is the ring rejecting it?¡¯


    This was a new discovery.


    After that, Haneul continued to try several more times, but the result was always the same. He figured that it had always been impossible to take the ring off through outside force.


    ¡®Sigh. Whatever. Let¡¯s stop. Even if I was to take the ring off, there is no guarantee that I would be able to go back, and it would be even worse if I was to lose the strength of a Hero. Let¡¯s go out and eat with mother first.¡¯


    To sit face to face with his mother and eat; just thinking about it made Haneul nauseous, because he didn¡¯t know what he should talk about with her.


    Suddenly, his smartphone blinked and a new message arrived.


    ¨C Thank you. Thank you so very much.


    It was a sudden text message from Ironman. And, that was all that was written in the text.


    ¡®What is he thanking me for?¡¯


    Haneul was confused as to what Ironman would be thankful for. Thinking for a moment, he finally remembered the words that he had said to Director Park.


    If Ironman was to have received a lot of money like Haneul, it was understandable to see him so happy.


    Haneul always felt that Ironman was treated poorly, and because of it, he always felt uncomfortable. But now, Haneul felt much better. As he stretched out his body, a thunder rumbled down in his stomach.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat something first.¡±


    Having made a lot of money, Haneul decided be extravagant for the first time. Something he has never been able to do till now.


    Chapter 11 Completed.

 Volume 7 - CH 12

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 12


    ¡°Son! I heard my son was the talk of the town these days! Even the news was talking about you last night! Silver Knight is my son!¡±


    Early morning the following day, Haneul¡¯s mother approached the house excitedly ¨C jumping around everywhere as if she couldn¡¯t contain herself. Both her hands were filled with something.


    The night before, Haneul had drunken beer by himself, late into the night, while watching movies, TV shows, and other programs.


    Having just woken up, Haneul was now reading the article regarding himself.


    ¨C The Hero that obstructed the disaster at the Hospital!


    ¨C The Silver light that broke through the darkness!


    ¨C The hottest Hero in town, Silver Knight.


    There were tons of praised filled articles lined up.


    Although a rift hadn¡¯t appeared, the articles were clearly written about how Silver Knight disposed the recent horrible disaster.


    Suddenly, Haneul¡¯s mother began cleaning his dirty room and living room.


    ¡°Son, did you have a party last night? Why did you order so many different kinds of food? Besides, most of them are still pretty full.¡±


    The roasted chicken and pizza were half eaten, and more than half of the pigs¡¯ feet was still left over.


    With a shamefaced look, Haneul came out of his room and told his mother about the $8,000 that he had received.


    ¡°Is that the truth? Wow, my son¡¯s abilities are off the charts! So proud, I¡¯m so proud of you!¡±


    As Haneul¡¯s mother approached him and hugged him without hesitation, he stood there frozen. However, because of the warmth and familiarity, Haneul began to smile. It was the smell of his mother that he had forgotten.


    ¡°Now, instead of these things, your mother will make you some delicious food today!¡±


    Haneul turned on the TV as he started to hum. He could not take his eyes off of his mother as she was busily prepping food within his kitchen.


    It wasn¡¯t weird.


    For the Haneul that had lived in this world, it was an extremely natural scene to see. That¡¯s right. It wasn¡¯t fake. This place was undoubtedly real as well.


    ¡®That person is my mother.¡¯


    ¡°Today, I¡¯m going to make everything that you like. It¡¯s going to be a sumptuous feast that even a sovereign would be jealous of. My son has such a respectable occupation, and is even famous now. I will congratulate you magnificently.¡±


    Haneul and his mother sat in front of each other, and began talking. Most of the conversations were started by his mother, and Haneul was on the receiving end, answering her questions.


    ¡°Thank you for the food.¡±


    ¡°Eat more.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I ate a lot.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you ate a lot?! You need to eat much more, so you can revitalize your strength. Although, being a Hero is an honorable and incredible occupation, it¡¯s nothing without proper amounts of food.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really okay. My stomach feels like it¡¯s going to burst.¡±


    Haneul waved his hand as he really looked like he couldn¡¯t eat anymore. He then began to clean the side dishes. Haneul¡¯s mother gave him a queer look and he felt some sort of disharmony.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been acting weird lately. For some reason, you seem much more mature.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve come back from the army, and now I work as a Hero. It would be weird if I wasn¡¯t mature.¡±


    Haneul responded back as if it was trivial.


    However, inwardly, his heart sank.


    Even if they were living with the same face, and same timeline, the Haneul from World A was different from the Haneul from World B.


    ¡®However, I am me. I can¡¯t act like somebody else.¡¯


    Haneul felt that it was finally time to ask the question that had been constantly going through his mind. He had to confirm it with his own eyes, no matter what it took.


    ¡°Father, he¡¯s still there right?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Father. I was thinking of visiting him tomorrow.¡±


    It was very obvious to see that Haneul¡¯s mother¡¯s face had stiffened.


    However, Haneul did not want to step back. Seeing as how there wasn¡¯t any way to return back to his world right now, he felt that it would be very unfilial to not meet his father at least once. Even if his father from this world was no longer alive.


    ¡°Alright, go and visit him. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be proud of you too.¡±


    Was it because she was thinking about his father? Haneul¡¯s mother¡¯s back seemed to be filled with melancholy.


    Chapter 12 Completed.

 Volume 7 - CH 13

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 13


    *     *     *     *


    The Hero Organization was very busy for the next few days, because of the tempest that had swept through them previously.


    ¡°No matter how many times I see it, I still can¡¯t believe it.¡±


    YooShik Kim was staring at the updated information regarding the D Rank Hero, Ironman.


    It was the Hero who had retaken his body examination.


    When he had received the instruction to provide a reexamination from his superior, YooShik Kim was confused as to why he had to do this kind of laborious work.


    However, looking at the figures that had shown up after having established the reexamination, he understood why.


    Thinking that something might be wrong with the system, YooShik Kim had inspected the data multiple times. Yet, the results did not change.


    An in-depth examination consisted of a detailed process that inspected various things. Not only did it examine one¡¯s magic capacity, but it also calculated one¡¯s fighting abilities, instant reaction speed, detecting abilities, etc.


    Receiving a sudden summons from the Organization, Ironman had sincerely done his part to retake the exam, even though he was filled with wonder. He looked as if he did not understand the current situation.


    The inspection was done repeatedly, but the results were always the same. Most of the figures show on the results weren¡¯t special.


    However, there was one thing that showed a big difference.


    ¡®His detecting abilities increased exponentially. How is this possible? There has never been a situation like this before.¡¯


    Not being able to understand even with his own knowledge, YooShik Kim decided to consult with the researchers. However, they were also thinking that the situation was strange.


    The doctors began showing interest, because this was something that has never happened before.


    ¡®How exactly am I supposed to explain this situation?¡¯


    Yooshik Kim quickly informed Director Park regarding his findings.


    <Come up for a little bit. Let¡¯s talk.>


    ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    YooShik Kim made his way towards the Director¡¯s office.


    Within the last few days, Director Park¡¯s eyes seemed to have grown a few shades darker.


    ¡°You look very tired, sir.¡±


    ¡°That goes to show you how ¡®out of standards¡¯ this last situation was. Although the casualties aren¡¯t as high, the back-end work is on a whole different level. Either way, I¡¯ve seen the results for Ironman. I hear you had already consulted the researchers?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. Seeing that this situation was a first for me as well, I had no choice but to suspect my own eyes.¡±


    ¡°If limited to detecting abilities, he seems to have reached the level of an A Rank Hero¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no doubt that there has been some change with him internally. There¡¯s never been an instance where a Hero has increased their abilities so significantly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I agree with you. Following the changes with the rifts, this goes to show you that an awakening within humans is also happening.¡±


    ¡°Sir. I¡¯m sure there was a reason why you had wanted us to reexamine Ironman. Would you be able to tell me what that reason was? If you were to tell me the reason, I may be able to find a clue to solving this puzzle.¡±


    ¡°Clue you say¡­¡­..¡±


    Director Park thought for a moment.


    Looking at the glint in YookShik Kim¡¯s eyes, Director Park could tell that he was a passionate person.


    ¡°Before that, let¡¯s talk about another person.¡±


    ¡°Sir, why do we need to talk about another¡­¡­¡±


    Suddenly, a light was shown on the big monitor behind Director Park.


    It was a woman that looked to be in high school.


    ¡°Who is this? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen someone like that amongst the Heroes.¡±


    Chapter 13 Completed.

 Volume 7 - CH 14

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 14


    ¡°It is just as you¡¯ve said. This girl isn¡¯t a Hero. She¡¯s a civilian.¡±


    ¡°But then why¡­¡­..¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the girl that dramatically survived the Hospital incident. If the Heroes were late even a little, this girl would probably have been another victim to the Dominator.¡±


    YooShik Kim had a face of displeasure. They were talking about Ironman, and the future of Heroes, but now they were suddenly talking about this girl.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any responsibility towards civilian¡­.¡±


    ¡°Department head Kim, you handle the affairs of Hero Candidates, right?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Suddenly, what had appeared on the screen changed.


    The girl¡¯s name, age, location of birth, and many other detailed information was shown.


    ¡°Director, what are you trying to say? Didn¡¯t you say this girl was a civilian?¡±


    ¡°Department head Kim, I thought you would understand even after saying this much. What I¡¯m trying to say is that this student has awakened her abilities during this past situation.¡±


    ¡°What? However¡­¡­.this girl is 17 years old. It¡¯s very rare for a civilian to suddenly awaken her powers, when she hasn¡¯t shown any symptoms of it previously. Especially even more so, if she¡¯s lived a life completely unrelated to Heroes.¡±


    Asserted YooShik Kim.


    Within his hands, he had information regarding all the people in the nation that had shown symptoms of awakening. Having overwhelming amount of data dating back to the beginning of Heroes, he was very familiar with how Heroes were born.


    ¡°I know, there aren¡¯t any cases like that. But, there¡¯s something in common regarding Ironman and this civilian girl. It¡¯s the fact that both are situations that are unheard of. Now, should I give you a problem to solve? Why do you think I suddenly spoke to you regarding this girl?¡±


    ¡°That is¡­.¡±


    That¡¯s when a thought suddenly passed through YooShik Kim¡¯s mind like lightning. It was the commonality that he had yet to acquire regarding Ironman, and this little girl, MinHee Joo.


    ¡°Does this have anything to do with the event that had occurred at Central East recently? No, that was the wrong question. There definitely is a connection. And Director, you have found a certain key in that area.¡±


    YooShik Kim was excited.


    The qualitative leap in Ironman¡¯s detection ability.


    The awakening of the girl¡¯s powers.


    It was very clear.


    It was possible to consolidate a Hero using the key that the Director had found.


    Director Park had continued to be silent.


    ¡°Director!¡±


    Suddenly, Director Park clicked his mouse.


    The monitor changed back to what it was previously.


    YooShik Kim¡¯s eyes grew wide.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This person is the key that Department head Kim was speaking about.¡±


    On the screen, a Hero wearing a Silver armor could be seen.


    It was the existence that had been very hot on all media outlets recently.


    Silver Knight.


    ¡°Can¡¯t be, he is¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s nothing certain for now. However, he simply has something special about him, excluding his special powers as a Hero. That¡¯s the only assumption I can make right now. All the situations that have occurred since he¡¯s appeared has been completely different from its predecessors. I can¡¯t possibly think that all of this can just be a coincidence.¡±


    *     *     *     *


    The next day, Haneul had arrived at the cemetery.


    His father in World B was located here.


    ¡®Father is at the same location as where mother was, interestingly enough.¡¯


    In the picture, the smiling face of his father could be seen. Haneul was a little younger in the picture, and his father and mother were still together. It was always like that. In pictures, his father was always smiling so brightly, but when he saw his father in reality, he was never smiling. Haneul¡¯s mother was a big part of his father¡¯s life, just as much as it was for himself. A hole had formed in his father¡¯s heart after she passed, and it had never gone away.


    ¡®Compared to you, mother in this world seems to be better off. I always thought you were strong father, but it seems like mother is much stronger than you.¡¯


    Haneul continued to speak in front of his father regarding everything that had occurred since he came to this world.


    Chapter 14 Completed.

 Volume 7 - CH 15

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 15


    ¡°You really did pass away in this world.¡±


    It was weird. There was no sense of reality. Was it because Haneul hadn¡¯t personally witnessed his father passing? It just felt like his father was somewhere far away, and silently working.


    Haneul had stood at the same spot for a while, then he turned around.


    He seemed to have accepted the reality of things.


    As he walked out of the cemetery, he stared up at the clear sky.


    ¡°Everything seems the same¡­¡­¡±


    In retrospect, Haneul had adapted at a very fast rate. And, occasionally, he found that he had changed a bit inside.


    Accepting the fact that he was a Hero, Haneul lightly embraced the world where disaster filled rifts existed. It may have been because Haneul from World B had naturally mixed together with Haneul from World A. That¡¯s why, he was much more daring and driven compared to the him from the past.


    Haneul went towards the information center.


    ¡°What can I help you with?¡±


    ¡°I heard there was a special place you guys enshrined Heroes in?¡±


    ¡°You just have to go towards that direction.¡±


    National Cemetery.


    It was the second National Cemetery that was specifically made to house the death of Heroes that died during rifts. In this world, it was a local place, but in World A, it wasn¡¯t.


    This place only enshrined the Heroes that had died in rifts.


    After finishing up his conversation with Ironman at the Hospital, Haneul had to meet a certain Hero here no matter what. He was currently enshrined at this National Cemetery.


    Right as he was about to get on the bus that would lead him to his destination.


    ¡°Hey, hold on a sec.¡±


    A middle-aged woman had grabbed onto Haneul.


    Haneul turned his head and stared at her. It was a face he did not recognize. However, the lady seemed to have an expression that she recognized him. She then smiled as if she was delighted to meet him.


    ¡°Ah, I was right! I wasn¡¯t mistaken. Good to see you. You¡¯re Haneul, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m JoonYoung¡¯s mom. You don¡¯t recognize me? I¡¯m a little disappointed.¡±


    JoonYoung?


    At that moment, Haneul¡¯s face became stiff.


    JoonYoung Lee was his best friend in middle school. The middle-aged lady that was in front of him currently, was JoonYoung¡¯s mother. Haneul now recognized her face.


    ¡°Oh, it was you ma¡¯am. Why¡­¡­¡±


    Haneul shut his mouth.


    During middle school, JoonYoung had died because of a traffic accident. And, even without asking JoonYoung¡¯s mother, it was plain to see why she was here at the cemetery.


    ¡®So, JoonYoung was also sleeping here.¡¯


    Haneul had no idea.


    To think JoonYoung, who he had spent every day of his junior high school life with, would be sleeping here.


    ¡°What a coincidence though. To think that I would meet you here¡­¡­¡­.do you have someone to meet here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my¡­¡­¡­dad is here.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±


    ¡°Is¡­¡­¡­.he here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Do you want to meet him before you leave?¡±


    Without hesitating, Haneul decided to follow JoonYoung¡¯s mother.


    Going back into the entrance, they turned to the right and walked further in. It was the complete opposite direction of where his father was. After a little while, JoonYoung¡¯s mother suddenly stopped.


    This seemed to be the location that JoonYoung was currently sleeping at.


    ¡°JoonSung, I¡¯m back. I¡¯ve even brought your brother¡¯s friend this time.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Haneul blinked his eyes.


    JoonSung? JoonYoung¡¯s younger brother?


    Something was wrong.


    Stepping closer, Haneul confirmed the picture and name.


    He then frowned.


    Is was the same day that JoonYoung had died. However¡­¡­


    ¡®JoonSung Lee?¡¯


    Chapter 15 Completed.

 Volume 7 - CH 16

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 16


    JoonSung was JoonYoung¡¯s younger brother by three years. Haneul remembered that, when he used to visit JoonYoung during junior high, they would often play with JoonSung as well.


    However, that wasn¡¯t the important part at this moment.


    In this world, JoongSung had died in place of JoonYoung.


    ¡®Did something go wrong again?¡¯


    There was no other way to put it except that. No matter how much Haneul rubbed his eyes, the name on the plate still said JoonSung.


    JoonSung had died rather than JoonYoung.


    Haneul tried to pretend to be as normal as possible.


    ¡°Is JoonYoung¡­¡­.well?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he is. He¡¯s alright now. Rather, he seems to be a lot more active recently. To see you asking me such a question. I guess, you guys aren¡¯t in contact anymore¡­¡­.. You guys used to play so well together in the past.¡±


    ¡°It just happened to be this way.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, JoonYoung is currently working as a Hero in the 3rd district. It seems like he recently got a new assignment out in the special district, so he seems to be living in Central right now. I¡¯ll give you his number, so give him a call.¡±


    Haneul opened his eyes wide.


    JoonYoung is alive. Not only that, but he¡¯s also a Hero?


    Haneul could not remember the conversation that had happened after this point.


    When he had come to his senses, JoonYoung¡¯s mother was already gone, and Haneul was left alone at the same spot.


    ¡®JoonYoung isn¡¯t dead. He¡¯s alive in this world.¡¯


    Haneul wanted to meet JoonYoung immediately. However, he did not know what to talk about with him. His memories and the memories of JoonYoung were different.


    After clearing his mind, Haneul visited his father once more, then headed towards the National Cemetery.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be grave #422.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    This was the place that proved that Black Walker lived his life as a Hero. Although it was difficult to explain his life with a few words, this place only had basic information. How many times Black Walker participated in a rift, and how many civilians he had saved.


    Haneul stood in front of Black Walker.


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know how many amazing people are buried here. I don¡¯t know their names, nor do I know what they have done. However, you are different. You are an existence that is different to the others. Black Walker, you are the index and opportunity to my life in this world.¡±


    Black Walker had known.


    The last rift that he had participated in, was something way out of his league. But, even still, he had fought with everything he had for his mission.


    To follow his mission as a Hero.


    It was stupid.


    If he had known that his abilities were low, it would¡¯ve been fine for him to step back a little.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever find a Hero as stupid as you. To place your life in front of another to save them. There¡¯s no one else like that in this world.¡±


    Haneul clenched his fist, and the tip of his nose twitched. The more he felt the weight of being a Hero, and the more he gauged his own life against another¡¯s, he understood.


    He understood how sacred Black Walker¡¯s sacrifice was, and how much courage he needed to have to do what he did.


    Suddenly, someone appeared beside him.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t do it to get recognition. It was his calling, and the reason for his existence in this world. He wanted to do things that he normally couldn¡¯t do, and he didn¡¯t care if anyone recognized him for it. He was that type of Hero, and the figure that he was aiming for.¡±


    Haneul turned his head.


    An only lady in her mid-fifties, was gently smiling.


    ¡°We meet again.¡±


    Haneul deeply lowered his head. It was a face that he would never forget. It was the person that had told him what type of person Black Walker was.


    It was Black Walker¡¯s mother.


    Chapter 16 Completed.

 Volume 7 - CH 17

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 17


    ¡°The words that I just said were the words that my undutiful child used to say. Quite absurd, isn¡¯t it? What reason is there if no one recognizes you. Either way, low ranking Heroes don¡¯t get much honor anyways. Money isn¡¯t that great for a job that¡¯s so dangerous, and if you look at it realistically, it¡¯s an occupation that holds no merit. Yet, for this son of mine, being a Hero¡­¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°However, he held true to the things he said. He liked it even if nobody gave him any recognition. It¡¯s stupid, just like you said. However, there¡¯s one thing that your wrong about.¡±


    Haneul lifted his head.


    With wet and lonely eyes, she spoke.


    ¡°You said that there wasn¡¯t any person like that in the world. However, he was that type of person. The person you came to look for, and the one who is my son. And, the person who was saved by such a person, was you.¡±


    Haneul clenched his teeth.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡­¡­.sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. I know that you realize this as well. It¡¯s weight that the living has to carry on with.¡±


    She walked closer to Black Walker¡¯s grave and placed a flower on it.


    ¡°I think the way that I¡¯ve been thinking has been wrong. I had thought that the only thing that this child had left me was this tiny grave, but I realized that he¡¯s left much more. You and many of the people he had saved is also here.¡±


    The water that had gathered on Haneul¡¯s eyes began to drop.


    What can he say to Black Walker¡¯s mother right now. All he could do for now was to drop his head and walk away.


    ¡°For me! My son¡¯s name is HyunShik Choi, not some bizarre name like Black Walker. I would have been happy with whatever HyunShik would have done, as long as he continued to live.¡±


    Crunch.


    Haneul¡¯s footsteps stopped.


    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is¡­¡­..I don¡¯t resent you. Although it¡¯s weird to say that there is absolutely no resentment, it¡¯s the truth. I just want to ask you for a favor. If you think that your life right now is time that was given to you, because of HyunShik¡­¡­then do not live life so carelessly. Please.¡±


    Haneul stopped his tears from dropping.


    The civilian that had been saved by Black Walker had now become a Hero.


    Haneul turned his head, and within his eyes, a strong light could be seen.


    ¡°Betting with my life, I will make this promise with you in front of Black Walker. I will never give up, even if death surrounds me.¡±


    As Haneul was walking out from the National Cemetery, his eyes were filled with a determined resolution. Somewhere deep within him, he had declared that he would not waver any longer.


    He will never sully Black Walker¡¯s name.


    No, he was going to make Black Walker¡¯s name renowned throughout the whole world.


    Haneul¡¯s path was now set. He was going to let everyone know how much of an amazing Hero Black Walker was, and let them know who had received his strong will.


    *     *     *     *


    On the way back home.


    Haneul called JoonYoung¡¯s number that he had received today.


    JoonYoung was Haneul¡¯s closest friend in life.


    At least in World A.


    When he had heard the news of JoonYoung¡¯s death in junior high, Haneul had received a huge shock. He did not go to school and had locked himself inside of his house for an entire week. That was the first time that Haneul had realized how vain, futile, and scary death was.


    ¡®But, what exactly am I anticipating right now?¡¯


    The JoonYoung from this world must have lived a different life from his current memories, which meant that, this Joonyoung was someone that Haneul did not know.


    Either way, Haneul could not stop himself from wanting to meet and talk with his friend.


    The phone stopped ringing.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    Chapter 17 Completed.

 Volume 7 - CH 18

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 18


    The following day, Haneul got on the train.


    The voice that he had heard over his telephone receiver was not the voice of JoonYoung from his memories. It was deeper and manly, unlike his voice when he was going through puberty.


    However, it was definitely JoonYoung¡¯s voice.


    Rather, JoonYoung asked very coolly as to why Haneul had called. It was very difficult to explain how Haneul felt.


    ¡°Let¡¯s meet up. Let¡¯s talk after we meet.¡±


    Haneul thoughtlessly spoke, and although JoonYoung was surprised, he agreed.


    Haneul got off at G City, which was a huge zone within Central South. If he was to compare the place to the world that he was from, Haneul compared it to Yongsan.


    (Djinn- Yongsan is a place in Korea, south of Seoul.)


    This was the place where Haneul had lived at previously.


    However, the atmosphere that it used to have back in the days, were now gone. Having had rifts appear within it several times already, it had completely become a new town.


    Haneul headed towards the caf¨¦ that JoonYoung had marked on the map. There were several people within the restaurant. As Haneul sat by the window to wait for JoonYoung, he suddenly received a phone call.


    It was from the Hero Organization.


    ¡°Yes, how can I help you?¡±


    <Hello, it¡¯s YooShik Kim from the HR department. I apologize for contacting you out of the blue, but we would like to do a rerun of a couple of tests with you at the Organization as soon as possible. Would that be okay?>


    ¡°Well. I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    Tests. Do they want to do the same thing as they did last time?


    Haneul wasn¡¯t really willing to.


    <W, please wait just a moment! This will help us advance in our research, so please don¡¯t reject it and come.>


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any problems with my body, so what tests do you need to run?¡±


    <I promise you that you don¡¯t have any problems. It¡¯s just, we need to run some tests that will help us in the future, so I implore that you help us. And, I understand that we¡¯re taking up your precious time, so we will also provide you with a bonus.>


    Haneul who had been indifferent till now, suddenly showed interest on his face.


    ¡°Bonus?¡±


    <Yes, that¡¯s right.>


    ¡°How much are we talking about?¡±


    Haneul asked in a frank manner.


    YooShik Kim froze for a moment. He had said empty words to get some tests in, but he did not think that such a response would be shown.


    He thought for a moment and yelled out a large amount of money.


    It was an amount that Haneul would never think of.


    ¡®Is it okay to be giving away so much money? They¡¯re easily giving away over $1,000, even though it¡¯s just running some tests.¡¯


    Haneul would¡¯ve gone even if they said that they would give $100, yet an extra 0 was added to it.


    There was no reason to reject. Either way, Heroes didn¡¯t have much to do on a normal basis.


    ¡°Alright. When should I stop by?¡±


    <If you¡¯re okay, even now would be¡­¡­¡­..>


    ¡°Ah, it would be a bit difficult right now, so I¡¯ll stop by next time.¡±


    Suddenly, with the ringing of bells, a man entered the caf¨¦.


    Haneul¡¯s eyes naturally moved towards that direction. A guy with a big stature with dyed blonde hair. His features were well-defined, and jaw line was sharp. However, Haneul immediately recognized who he was.


    ¡®JoonYoung Lee.¡¯


    His face had definitely lost the baby fat from the past, but he still looked the same.


    ¡°I will call you back.¡±


    Haneul hung up.


    Suddenly, JoonYoung turned his head, spotted Haneul, and walked towards him.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Chapter 18 Completed.

 Volume 7 - CH 19

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 19


    Haneul¡¯s mouth would not open. JoonYoung, that was currently in his 20¡¯s, was definitely different from what Haneul remembered. His general features were very defined and he had a manly aura around him.


    Haneul was extremely anxious.


    ¡°How long has it been?¡±


    ¡°Who knows, probably around 4 years?


    4 years? That means that they had met, even after the accident. But, why was it that they weren¡¯t contacting each other anymore?


    Haneul began to reminisce.


    ¡°It¡¯s really¡­¡­.really great to see you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a burdensome reaction. Very different from the last time we met?¡±


    Something must have happened that Haneul was unaware of. Something that could cause the both of them to cut ties with each other.


    ¡°Well, either way. I never thought that you would be the one to contact me like this. I honestly thought that we would never see each other again.¡±


    ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Problem? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not being serious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m honestly asking. I¡¯ve been through an accident, so there are many things that I can¡¯t remember right now. I guess you can say that I have a short circuit in my memory right now.¡±


    Haneul moderately spoke.


    Although JoonYoung¡¯s attitude was a bit chilly, he felt that if they talked about their conflict, they would be able to clear their misunderstanding.


    JoonYoung smiled.


    ¡°An accident huh¡­¡­although I don¡¯t know what happened, it really seems like something is wrong with your memories. You¡¯re face expression, the way you¡¯re speaking, and actions are all different from what I can remember.¡±


    ¡°Were you and I not in a good relationship?¡±


    ¡°It was great. At least, before that accident happened and my heart broke.¡±


    ¡°Accident?¡±


    Something was weird.


    JoonSung, JoonYoung¡¯s brother, was the one that was dead in this world.


    If that was the case, it would be normal for everything to be fine with JoonYoung.


    Although there was doubt within Haneul, he decided to fully listen to what JoonYoung had to say.


    ¡°After the accident, everyone treated me as if I was crazy. However, in my eyes, this world, and the people living in this world, were the ones that looked weird.¡±


    ¡°Accident? What do you mean they looked weird?¡±


    ¡°There really is a problem. You don¡¯t remember anything, yet you remember me. Are you able to live a normal life?¡±


    JoonYoung coldly laughed.


    Haneul could clearly feel it.


    JoonYoung had hostility towards him.


    What exactly did he do to receive such a stare from JoonYoung?


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you always had that expression. Always looking like you didn¡¯t understand what was going on. You don¡¯t remember? Good, very good. However, even if that¡¯s true, human nature doesn¡¯t change. You still think that I¡¯m weird. If you don¡¯t remember, I¡¯ll tell you. Because, even if you forget, I¡¯ll clearly remember.¡±


    -JoonYoung, stop talking nonsense and slowly adapt. Normal? Abnormal? Whatever it is, nothing will change, even if you continue to speak nonsense. Are you going to keep living your life cooped up within this insane asylum? Then do it. To go crazy while having so much talent. This will also be the last time I come here to visit you. Such a waste of your talent. I¡¯m just wasting my time. A talent that¡¯s unable to awaken is the same as trash. You have no worth, and you¡¯re useless.


    It was a face that he had never seen before.


    JoonYoung clearly remembered how Haneul looked that day.


    He wasn¡¯t the friend that he remembered. It was the first time that JoonYoung had received a gaze filled with so much contempt. That¡¯s why, he got up and did his best to adapt. With an unyielding spirit, JoonYoung accepted the circumstances in which they were placed.


    ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯re half the reason why I became a Hero.¡±


    ¡°I, I said those words?¡±


    Chapter 19 Completed.

 Volume 7 - CH 20

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 20


    ¡°Hahahaa, I¡¯m not sure if you really have memory loss, or if you¡¯re trying to act like a cool Hero in front of me. I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re not who you act like you are in front of other people. Don¡¯t act on pretense in front of me, it¡¯s disgusting. At least the Haneul in this world, I know there¡¯s more to him than meets the eye.¡±


    Haneul¡¯s true nature.


    JoonYoung knew that he was different. However, was he the type of person to say such words to his close friend? It wasn¡¯t Haneul. It was someone very different.


    ¡®No, wait¡­..¡¯


    In this world.


    Haneul opened his eyes wide.


    JoonYoung definitely just said ¡®the Haneul in this world¡¯. It was something that Haneul couldn¡¯t ignore, and it was more important than trying to figure out what type of person Haneul was in this world.


    Haneul fell silent and was lost in thought. As if he was annoyed, JoonYoung got up from his seat.


    ¡°Nevermind. I was wondering why you suddenly called me, but as usual, you¡¯re hard to figure out. I have nothing more to say, so I¡¯ll be leaving now. Although late, I thought you would at least apologize, but I guess I was expecting too much from you. Either way, let¡¯s not see each other ever again. I have no good memories of you to dwell on anyways.¡±


    ¡°JoonYoung, you died.¡±


    Suddenly, JoonYoung who was walking out towards the door, stopped moving. His face as he turned around, was ghastly.


    Seeing his face, Haneul was sure.


    It was very clear.


    ¡°October 21, 2006. A car accident in the morning. A truck driver fell asleep, and crossed over the pavement. At that time, you had died.¡±


    JoonYoung stared at Haneul with wide eyes.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The one who had died was not your brother JoonSung. JoonYoung, it was you.¡±


    ¡°I just asked you, what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I told you, the one who died in the car accident¡­¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you saying! Who are you saying died? My brother died because of a rift!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    This time, it was Haneul who felt like someone had hit him in the head.


    Rift?


    Since JoonYoung¡¯s brother had died on the same day, he had not suspected anything. He thought that JoonSung had for sure died through a car accident. However, that was not the case. JoonYoung was saying that his brother had died because of a rift, not because of a car accident.


    ¡°No, no. That¡¯s not what¡¯s important right now. You, What are you¡­¡­..what exactly do you know. How did you know that I had gotten into a car accident? That was something that had not occurred in this world¡­¡­.Ah, okay. Yeah. Did you hear from someone? No doubt about it. You must have heard from someone. When I was going crazy, the staff from the insane asylum was running around saying it. You probably heard it then, so why are you acting like you know what you¡¯re talking about!¡±


    Haneul glared fiercely.


    Something that was difficult to overlook came out from JoonYoung¡¯s mouth again.


    Haneul did not know if JoonYoung really knew or not, but he was talking as if he knew that this world was a ¡®different¡¯ place.


    Car accident.


    ¡°JoonYoung, in the world that I lived in, you died through a car accident. It wasn¡¯t because of a rift. The one that died was you.¡±


    ¡°Bull¡­.bullshit!¡±


    ¡°My family! You should know. Which one of my parents are alive? Answer me.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­¡±


    JoonYoung rolled his eyes. There was no reason for him to answer. However, as if he was locked onto by Haneul¡¯s fierce glare, he could not evade the question.


    He couldn¡¯t understand why Haneul was asking such a question, but JoonYoung was certain.


    ¡°Your father. Your father is the one that¡¯s alive.¡±


    With this, there was no mistake about it.


    JoonYoung was not a person from this world.


    Chapter 20 Completed.

 Volume 7 - CH 21

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 21


    With that answer from earlier, Haneul was convinced.


    He wasn¡¯t the only one that had fallen into this world.


    ¡°In this world, my father has already passed. The one who is left in my family is my mother now.¡±


    Haneul coolly spoke the truth.


    JoonYoung¡¯s eyes began to shake. He quickly tried to escape from his current spot.


    ¡°It, it was a mistake. I¡¯m fine now. I don¡¯t have any problems with my head. I¡¯m fine!¡±


    ¡°I know. You¡¯re not crazy. You might seem that way for others, but I will never think that way. You should know as well. You and I have the same memories from our world!¡±


    Haneul yelled.


    Everyone in the caf¨¦ turned to stare at him.


    However, Haneul did not care.


    A heavy silence fell between the two.


    Haneul did not dodge JoonYoung¡¯s eyes. He continued to stare straight into them.


    JoonYoung also did not want to leave his spot anymore. He had no reason to run. With a cold look to his face, he sat back down.


    ¡°Do you think I can believe what you¡¯re saying right now? It was 1 year at the least, that I was stuck inside the insane asylum. You probably don¡¯t know what happens to people who awaken when they¡¯re not in the right state of mind. Thinking that I might start a huge problem, I was imprisoned, and it all began from my own family. That¡¯s why, in order to get back into the normal flow of things, I put in quite the effort. I had to prove that that was something that had occurred from momentary shock.¡±


    JoonYoung had put in bone grinding effort to come out from that place.


    ¡°Because I put in the effort, I am able to be here today. It¡¯s been so many years since it¡¯s happened, so why are you in front of me again and saying such things? What are you expecting?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not expecting anything. I just want to know the truth. The things that you have gone through and the things about this world.¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth, Haneul. Do you think you can understand the things that I have been through?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s exactly as you¡¯ve said. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been through in this world. However, the life that you¡¯ve lived, the life that you¡¯re trying to cover, I¡¯m the only one that you can share it with. Because, just like you, I am an alien to this world. Trust me.¡±


    Alien.


    That word melted into JoonYoung¡¯s heart.


    It was just as Haneul had said.


    JoonYoung was an alien to this world.


    Nobody in this world believed in what he was saying. They just assumed that it was an illness. A syndrome that had risen from a wound during a rift.


    For 1 whole year, he had to receive psychotherapy, and during that whole time, JoonYoung had cried out loudly. That there weren¡¯t such things as rifts in his world. That he had believed to have gone unconscious for a moment, because of a truck that had run into him. He had thought that he was dead. Yet, that¡¯s when he realized that, in order for him to get out of the asylum, what he needed wasn¡¯t the truth, but lies.


    ¡°I really can¡¯t understand what you want from me.¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t understand?¡±


    Haneul was trying his best to control his emotions, but suddenly, his face expression completely changed.


    ¡°JoonYoung Lee, open your damn eyes, collect your mind, and look at me. Just like you, I was suddenly transported to this world. We are the same. You should understand by now, so why are you trying to look away from the truth?¡±


    A long silence fell between the two, as if it was planned.


    The coffee was now completely cold.


    JoonYoung was unable to take his eyes off Haneul, and was lost in thought. As always, his face was filled with disbelief.


    However, that expression had now become a bit gentler, as he affirmed the truth that he had heard from Haneul just moments ago.


    Haneul now felt that JoonYoung was ready to speak with him.


    ¡°You died that day. In the world that I had lived, you were no longer existing. Even after the accident, until the moment that I got transported to world B, you were still dead.¡±


    ¡°Okay. If my chance to come to this world was because of my death, then what about you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because of this ring.¡±


    Haneul showed JoonYoung the silver ring.


    ¡°Ring?¡±


    ¡°A little after I put this ring on, everything changed.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that even makes sense?¡±


    ¡°Is there a reason why it wouldn¡¯t make sense? To me, Heroes, monsters, magic and the like are all things that don¡¯t make sense.¡±


    ¡°How absurd. You¡¯re saying you came to this world after you put the ring on? Anyone would think that what you¡¯re saying is a joke.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that I would want to meet you here right now to joke around about something like that?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.Then why are you still wearing that ring?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t come off.¡±


    As if to tell JoonYoung to try and take off the ring, Haneul stuck his hand out. JoonYoung tried to take it off, but no matter how much strength he put into it, the ring didn¡¯t budge as if it had become one with Haneul¡¯s body.


    ¡°There definitely is something wrong here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to strain myself to take it off. Even if I take it off, there¡¯s no proof that I¡¯ll be able to go back anyways.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to accept it so simply? It took me a whole year to accept that fact.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s weird for me too. The amount of time it took me to adapt to this world is abnormal. Something weird is going on with me.¡±


    Haneul coldly stated his own condition.


    Speaking with JoonYoung and thinking back to his own past, Haneul felt that something was weird. Personality, demeanor, behavior, driving force¡­¡­..Everything was comparatively different to the Haneul from the past. He could say that it was a result of his decision and experience, but even still, Haneul felt that he was a completely different person from who he was in World A.


    Seeing that Haneul was lost in thought, JoonYoung tried to change the atmosphere.


    ¡°Do you remember the thing that happened in 6th grade? During the school field trip, NaKyung Yoo¡­¡­..¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about when she kissed WoonSung Kim outside?¡±


    JoonYoung made a shocked expression.


    Haneul smiled.


    ¡°Back then, you used to teach me sex education. Even when you were young, you were always horny. Since, I didn¡¯t know anything, I always had to go to you for clarity. And, because you weren¡¯t too sure yourself, you would always tell me the wrong things.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±


    JoonYoung closed his mouth.


    In the beginning, he was suspicious, and until just a few moments ago, he was thinking ¡®maybe¡¯. However, at this moment, he was now sure.


    The memories that he had buried in the past was now coming out from someone else¡¯s mouth. His best friend that was with him from elementary school till junior high ¨C Haneul was in front of him.


    Chapter 21 Completed.

 Volume 7 - CH 22

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 22


    ¡°I really can¡¯t believe it. However, I¡¯m now in a situation where I have no choice but to believe it. In this world, you¡­¡­.had awakened to your powers and was sent to the special class. We were in different rooms, so we never went on school trips together. That¡¯s the truth that had happened in this world. And, I¡¯ve never told anyone else, the things that had happened in my previous world¡¯s school trip. There¡¯s no way that you could have heard it from anyone else.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad. Do you believe me now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still hard for me to believe it, but I have no choice but to accept it. Then, if those are your memories, does that mean that you have the memories of the Haneul from this world?¡±


    Haneul shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any memories of the Haneul from this world. I don¡¯t even have a single idea on how I¡¯ve been living until this point. All I know is that Haneul from World A had been living here. That¡¯s why, I have no clue as to how the Haneul from this world was, whether he was a good person or a bad person.¡±


    Good person.


    JoonYoung was skeptical.


    The Haneul right now was completely different from before. He was like the twin, but with a better personality.


    ¡®What the hell happened. Although JoonYoung and I have the same memories from our previous world, there¡¯s one thing that¡¯s definitely different. It¡¯s the ability to adapt.¡¯


    Listening to the conversation till now, JoonYoung was unable to accept the gap between this world, and his previous world. It was completely different from how Haneul had adjusted to his new life.


    Humans are known to be adapting animals, but looking back on it, Haneul¡¯s was a bit severe. No matter how one looked at it, he had adapted at an abnormally fast speed. As if, he was a person originally from this world.


    ¡°So, how are you even able to accept this situation? Why are you so calm? It¡¯s only been one month since you¡¯ve been transported here, yet you understand everything that¡¯s going on right now? No, not only that, but you¡¯re also a Hero right now. Quite a famous one too. Utilizing intel from Headquarters, I¡¯ve already looked into you. How are you able to do it? Adapting to society, and fighting in a battle is a completely different story.¡±


    ¡°Even if I was to explain it to you, it¡¯s a bit ambiguous. My body just moves on its own when it needs to. It¡¯s as if I¡¯m not really me.¡±


    That was the only way that Haneul could explain it.


    His body moves.


    Before he could even think about anything, he would start acting against the monsters.


    JoonYoung began to play with mental games again.


    ¡°Again, it¡¯s such a difficult explanation to comprehend. You¡¯re saying your body moves, even though you don¡¯t have any memories from this world? In this world, you have to take certain steps in order to become a Hero. Whether it¡¯s you, or me, we¡¯ve faithfully stepped into it. Yet, you¡¯re saying that you don¡¯t have any memories of it? It was something that I mastered after several years in order to make it my own again.¡±


    ¡°JoonYoung, all I know is that, ever since I came to this world, I¡¯ve began learning and memorizing everything. It¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t understand. However, I can¡¯t say anything for certain right now, except the fact that my body somehow remembers it. That¡¯s why my body just moves on its own, as if I¡¯ve been practicing all this time.¡±


    ¡°How absurd. Even movies are more realistic than that.¡±


    ¡°Yet, it¡¯s the truth.¡±


    JoonYoung stared at Haneul again.


    ¡®True. This is how I used to converse with Haneul.¡¯


    The conversations that they used to have, before JoonYoung¡¯s life was turned upside down, was very similar to the way they were talking to each other now.


    Haneul was always subtle when he spoke, and always very calm and orderly. That¡¯s why, every time they spoke to each other, JoonYoung felt as if his head was clearing.


    ¡°JoonYoung, is it difficult to manage for you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It would be a lie if I said that I could accept all of this without even flinching.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to think of this in a complicated way. No matter how much you think about it, it¡¯s not something that you can fix. It¡¯s a truth that wouldn¡¯t be spoken of if it wasn¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°Do you not want to go back?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Haneul did not reply.


    It was true that he was confused. However, if someone was to ask him if his previous life was better than his current one, he would not be able to give an answer.


    JoonYoung did not wait to listen for an answer.


    ¡°Never mind. Forget it. Even if we were to put our heads together, we still wouldn¡¯t be able to come up with a solution.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not what¡¯s important right now.¡±


    Haneul lifted up his head and looked straight at JoonYoung.


    At that moment, JoonYoung clearly knew the reason why Haneul had sought him out.


    ¡®Friend.¡¯


    It was a word that even JoonYoung had forgotten about.


    Haneul said that he did not expect anything. However, that was a lie. Haneul had come today in order to meet with his friend. The friend that he had buried in his heart, because of the accident.


    ¡®It really is the same Haneul.¡¯


    The moment that JoonYoung realized it, Haneul put his hand out.


    ¡°JoonYoung, I congratulate you for coming back alive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a weird way to put it. I never died in the first place.¡±


    The both of them smiled, grabbed each other¡¯s hands, and shook.


    For the first time since coming to this world, Haneul had finally found a person that he could share all of his thoughts with, and someone who he could reminisce with about the past.


    A person that he could call a friend.


    Chapter 22 Completed.

 Volume 7 - CH 23

    Volume 7 ¨C Disjunction


    Chapter 23


    *     *     *     *


    Haneul and JoonYoung spoke with each other until daybreak.


    They were reminiscing about the past, about a world that did not have Heroes or monsters. Forgetting everything, the two spoke to each other loudly and with lots of laughter.


    Although Haneul did not like drinking, he was very happy to be drinking together with JoonYoung.


    As the night was slowly turning into morning, the two got up off their seats.


    They then stood still and stared at each other underneath the pallid sky.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you next time.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    There was nothing more to say.


    They were no longer alone in this world.


    Haneul fell asleep in a sauna, and after spending about half the day sleeping, he began to walk towards the Hero Organization.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll go to the Organization right now.¡±


    After speaking with YooShik on the phone, Haneul began walking towards his destination.


    Since, they were giving him money to take some tests, there was no reason for him not to go. As soon as he entered the entrance to the building, several people in the lobby were busily bustling about.


    In order to go in further, certain procedures needed to be done.


    The receptionist looked at Haneul and gave a slight bow.


    ¡°I can help you. For what reason have you come today?¡±


    ¡°I had an appointment with YooShik, the chief of the personnel department.¡±


    ¡°Please wait a moment.¡±


    After speaking so, the receptionist checked the computer to confirm the appointment. Her eyes grew wide with surprise.


    The person who was set to meet with YooShik today was the Hero, Silver Knight.


    ¡°Are you perhaps Silver Knight¡­¡­.?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    The receptionist made a surprised face.


    It was very normal to meet many kinds of Heroes while working at Headquarters. However, the mysterious Hero that no one knew of, Silver Knight, was standing in front of her without any armor on. This was the side that many civilians had wanted to see.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, there isn¡¯t. I apologize. Do you perhaps have a Hero identification card?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    Haneul showed the Hero identification card that he had received through the mail.


    ¡°Heroes just need to scan their ID¡¯s in order to go in.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know.


    Haneul didn¡¯t have many reasons to come to Headquarters.


    As soon as the receptionist placed the card near the scanner, a beeping sound could be heard and the door was opened.


    ¡°That person said he¡¯s Silver Knight.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s much more normal than I thought?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean normal!? Did you not see his eyes? It was no joke!¡±


    The sound of the two receptionists talking could be heard very clearly. Although they looked as if they were whispering to each other, to Haneul, it was the same as them speaking right into his ear.


    ¡®Are my ears able to hear better?¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t really a good feeling, since he could hear things he didn¡¯t want to hear.


    At that moment, the sounds of whispering could not be heard.


    It was as if the volume was suddenly lowered. As soon as Haneul decided that he wanted to control his hearing, it automatically happened. It was so perfect, that it even surprised himself.


    ¡®It¡¯s not just a feeling. I¡¯m definitely changing, little by little. Slowly becoming stronger.¡¯


    Haneul just had this feeling.


    Chapter 23 Completed.

 Volume 8 - CH 1

    Volume 8 ¨C Motive


    Chapter 1


    The elevator stopped at the 1st floor.


    Haneul got on the elevator.


    As the doors were about to close, a leg quickly shot in to block them from closing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    The doors opened again.


    Haneul slightly moved to the side and opened his eyes wide.


    ¡°Minah?¡±


    ¡°Haneul¡­¡­¡±


    Wearing comfortable clothes and a brown leather jacket, Minah stood in front of Haneul with a slightly hardened face.


    ¡°Why are you here¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­..What do you mean why? I told you. I¡¯m a Hero too.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±


    As Haneul still wore a surprised expression, Minah got onto the elevator with a composed face. She then calmly pressed the floor number she was heading towards.


    ¡°You seem to have been summoned to take a retest?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    This was the end of their conversation.


    Although Haneul wanted to speak with her more, Minah was radiating an aura saying ¡®do not speak to me so lightly¡¯.


    ¡®What should I do.¡¯


    As Haneul was lost in thought, he scratched his head. As he did, the elevator stopped on the 4th floor.


    Before Haneul could say anything, Minah quickly got off and Haneul followed after. On the 4th floor of the Hero Organization¡¯s HQ, Heroes were tested on their talent and ability. It was a place where Haneul had come to before.


    At the entrance of the examination room, a researcher with a white coat on, saw the 2 and greeted.


    ¡°Hello there. Silver Knight, sir. Silver Witch, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Haneul¡¯s eyes went wide with surprise. Silver Knight was himself, so Silver Witch must have been Minah that was standing next to him.


    ¡®Minah¡¯s Hero name¡­¡­.¡±


    Now that he thought about it, he had never asked Minah what her Hero name was.


    Silver Witch. It wasn¡¯t bad.


    However, the problem was that their Hero names seemed to be names for couples.


    As Haneul slightly glanced to the side, Minah¡¯s brows were heavily furrowed and her face was flushed.


    She was embarrassed.


    ¡°Do not ask me anything. This was normally your idea. You were the one that wanted to match our names like this, even though I had told you that I didn¡¯t want to several times.¡±


    Haneul had tried to hold himself from laughing, but staring and Minah, he couldn¡¯t himself in any longer and laughed out loud.


    ¡°Don¡¯t laugh! I told you not to laugh!¡±


    *     *     *     *


    Following the researcher inside, the 2 of them went further into the testing room and into the conference room. A completely white room. YooShik was inside drinking an aromatic coffee.


    Within the conference room, there were 2 other people, excluding Minah and Haneul.


    Haneul¡¯s face slightly changed.


    It was because the 2 other people were acquaintances of Haneul.


    ¡°You¡¯ve come.¡±


    Seeing Haneul, YooShik quickly got up from his seat and warmly greeted him.


    As he did, the 2 people that had arrived first, turned their heads.


    1 of them was JoongHyun Kim, or Ironman.


    And, the other was MinHee Joo. Seeing the 2 walk in, her eyes naturally turned towards Haneul. Then, her eyes suddenly grew wide like a rabbit¡¯s as her expression became perplexed.


    ¡°Silver Knight?¡±


    ¡°How¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you really Silver Knight?¡±


    MinHee smiled brightly and walked towards Haneul without hesitation.


    The appearance of her screaming out of terror was now completely gone. She had changed so much that, if they had passed each other on the streets, he would not have recognized her.


    ¡°Can you tell me what exactly happened?¡±


    Haneul stared at YooShik as he asked.


    Although it could have just been a coincidence to have met with Minah today, only the people Haneul was acquainted with were gathered here.


    ¡°Now, it seems like everyone has arrived, so can you please sit down first? I will now begin to explain why I have asked for everyone to gather here today.¡±


    The 4 people were waiting for YooShik to continue speaking.


    ¡°Before I get started, there¡¯s something I need to tell you first. This information hasn¡¯t been released yet, but MinHee, who was a civilian and had gone through the incident at the Hospital from before, has awakened to her powers and has now become a new Hero candidate. Even if I say this, she still needs plenty of training, so she will not be able to get in any field work yet.¡±


    ¡°She will be?¡±


    Haneul¡¯s face was filled with confusion, as if he couldn¡¯t understand anything.


    Even with the state of things, if she had awakened to magic internally, there was no way for her to not have realized it. Haneul knew because he was the one that had saved her.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s possible. There definitely wasn¡¯t anything that I could sense from her, so how did she¡­¡­..¡±


    Haneul focused his senses, and when he did, he had surprisingly found a high amount of power radiating off of MinHee. It was a power that was unadulterated and innocent.


    ¡®How?¡¯


    Chapter 1 Completed.

 Volume 8 - CH 2

    The Hero


    Volume 8 ¨C Motive


    Chapter 2


    ¡°Minhee was a normal civilian without any aptitude for magic. However, during the situation with the Dominator, we assume that that was when she had awakened to her powers. She isn¡¯t a simple holder of magic, but someone who had awakened to it.¡±


    Haneul had a face full of confusion.


    He had never heard of such a thing before. In a short amount of time, Haneul had read plenty of information regarding Heroes. Everything from the minor things, to the important things, he had read every bit of information. And, there was one thing that he clearly remembered.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit different from what I had read on the internet. It had said that it was very unlikely and a very low probability for a person to acquire magic. Is this information wrong?¡±


    ¡°No. What you know is correct, Silver Knight. Generally speaking, that would be the case. It¡¯s very rare for someone to acquire magic or to suddenly enhance their abilities. Judging from the facts that we know as of now, even if we were to check all the current Heroes and Hero candidates, there¡¯s less that a 1% chance of something like that happening. Even overseas, such a case is almost nonexistent. Furthermore, even if someone was to acquire magic, it¡¯s hard to say that they would have high abilities with it. Generally, they would be around the Rank D level or lower. It would be difficult for them to fight against monsters, and would instead be in charge of public affairs at the general level.¡±


    YooShik had a sullen expression. It was because he himself was a Rank D Hero.


    Ignoring that fact, YooShik continued to speak.


    ¡°And because of that singularity, you guys were summoned here today. As of yesterday, MinHee has been specially fixed to Rank C, but her numerical values for her dormant powers show that she would be able to contend with the top of Rank B.¡±


    MinHee giggled sweetly.


    ¡°Currently, we at the Hero Organization believe that the biggest cause for this situation is through contact with Silver Knight.¡±


    ¡°W, what is that supposed to mean?¡±


    Haneul slurred his words as he was dumbfounded with this information.


    ¡°Although you may think that this information is absurd, it¡¯s not without evidence. Ironman¡¯s detecting abilities have drastically changed from what it was 6 months ago.¡±


    This time, everyone¡¯s eyes moved towards JoongHyun.


    ¡°His change could also be related to Silver Knight. Does everyone here remember the S level rift that had occurred at the East Area, of the 1st city, not that long ago? Not many people know this, but Silver Knight had played a very active role in that situation. He was separated from the other Heroes, as he fought to protect a shelter by himself. At that place, Silver Knight had shown outstanding abilities, and there was one specific Hero that he had come into contact with.¡±


    Haneul¡¯s eyes naturally moved towards JoongHyun.


    Ironman.


    Excluding Burning Soul, the only person that Haneul had come into contact with, was Ironman.


    JoongHyun, MinHee.


    It was doubtful to simply call this coincidence.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all. Minah¡¯s awakening was also the same.¡±


    This time, everyone¡¯s eyes moved towards Minah.


    She seemed to have a calm expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s been several years since Silver Witch had gotten tested for awakening. Less than 5 years to be exact. However, compared to general standards, her growth rate is superb. She is already at the top of Rank B Heroes. Of course, she¡¯s not the only one that has shown amazing growth, but what I want to point out is that she has an intimate relationship with Silver Knight.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Haneul continued to be sullen. Listening to everything YooShik was saying, everyone that had gathered here today really was connected with Haneul in some way.


    ¡°The commonality that you three people share, is the fact that you all have some sort of relationship with Silver Knight.¡±


    After YooShik had finished speaking, nobody spoke. Listening to his words, Haneul had become some sort of great existence.


    ¡°You spoke as if I¡¯ve done something amazing, but I haven¡¯t don¡¯t anything¡­¡­..¡±


    ¡°For now, it¡¯s just a potent hypothesis. There¡¯s nothing definitive at this point, and that¡¯s why you guys are here today. We need to take detailed tests for all of you guys. If by chance, coming into contact with Silver Knight had allowed you to acquire powers or grow in abilities, something will change in the future.¡±


    YooShik was excited. Although he had said that nothing was definitive at this point, but Haneul knew that he was already definite on the answer.


    With this, briefing was over.


    One person after another began to take their tests.


    It was similar to the tests that he had taken previously, and although it was made up of similar procedures, it was much more detailed.


    Chapter 2 Completed.

 Volume 8 - CH 3

    Volume 8 ¨C Motive


    Chapter 3


    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t think too hard on it. Just do it like you did before.¡±


    Don¡¯t think too hard on it, he says.


    However, Haneul turned his gaze elsewhere. Through the windows, he could see over 10 researchers. They were busily talking with each other with a serious expression, and staring at the monitor.


    Haneul placed his hand on top of something, and began to pour his mana into it. Before, he was told to focus on his mana, so he was very nervous. He wasn¡¯t used to this thing called ¡®mana¡¯ at the time. However, now it was different. He had been engaged in many battles thereafter, and he was used to utilizing his mana now.


    Ring.


    As the sound rang out, the results were shown.


    Haneul¡¯s face changed in a weird way.


    It was because of the result that was shown on the huge monitor.


    <You are a Rank A.>


    It clearly said that he was Rank B before. That¡¯s why, Haneul had thought that he was Rank B, and that there was no mistake about it. Yet, his numbers now showed that his Rank had gone up by one.


    ¡®When I was deemed as Rank B before, the overall result from the tests resulted in me being Rank A. Then does that mean, I¡¯m one level above that now? I can¡¯t possibly be Rank S.¡¯


    In the midst of Haneul¡¯s turmoil, many conversations were being discussed from inside.


    Haneul waited until the discussions were over.


    <I apologize. You¡¯ve waited quite long. Please take the inspection test next.>


    As Haneul waited with a blank expression for 5 minutes, he suddenly heard YooShik¡¯s voice.


    He then went into the next room, and proceeded to take the test as instructed. It was a test that he had skipped through before, but this time, he had to take every test.


    It was a complex test that proved one¡¯s evading abilities, instant emission of mana, detecting capabilities, etc.


    And, for the last test.


    <You just have to hit the target in front of you.>


    ¡°As hard as I can?¡±


    <No. You are currently a Rank A Hero, Silver Knight. This means that you have the ability to destroy any normal building with one hit. If you were to use your full strength, do you think that machine would be able to take it?>


    YooShik quickly added.


    ¡°Then how do you want me to hit it.¡±


    As Haneul grumbled, he clenched his fist. Suddenly, a Silver Armor appeared and covered his right arm.


    ¡°Then is half my strength okay?¡±


    <That should be okay.>


    At that moment, a light turned on from the thing that looked like a punching machine, as it came to a stop in front of Haneul.


    Haneul was troubled. He knew how to hit as hard as he could and with all of his strength, but he wasn¡¯t sure on how to hold back his strength and use only half of his power.


    ¡®Would this be enough?¡¯


    Haneul slowly pulled his fist back.


    Bang!


    The building shook.


    The HQ of the Hero Organization was constructed in a special way, and was normally made to mitigate damage. Especially with the 4th floor, since such tests had to be administered, it was constructed to be many times thicker and sturdier than the other parts of the building.


    ¡°Such dangerous strength.¡±


    Mumbled YooShik.


    The machine was completely destroyed, and without an end, the ceiling and floor seemed to have been ripped apart. The sudden emission of heat energy caused the earth and sky to burn. Thankfully, the walls were created with material that was able to resist against fire.


    ¡°Damn it. The other departments are going to have a mouthful of things to say.¡±


    YooShik scratched his head.


    Suddenly, a researcher that was sitting in the back and was wearing a white gown, approached YooShik. The man who looked to be in his mid-30¡¯s, was Dr. SungIl An from the laboratory in the basement of the HQ building.


    ¡°It seems that I have made a mistake. If I knew this Hero had such immense abilities, we should have tested him outside instead of inside.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was just thinking that myself. By the way, have the numbers come out?¡±


    ¡°Since the machine wasn¡¯t able to take the impact, I can¡¯t say that the numbers are exact.¡±


    Dr. SungIl An laughed as if it was absurd.


    YooShik stared at the monitor.


    And, then he laughed as if it was absurd.


    ¡°Ha¡­¡­.¡±


    The specific numbers had passed a certain level.


    A red graph showing a vertical rise.


    And, it¡¯s overall results showing the numerical value of Rank S.


    Chapter 3 Completed.

 Volume 8 - CH 4

    Volume 8 ¨C Motive


    Chapter 4


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to see. Evasion abilities are between Rank A and Rank S. This shows that it wasn¡¯t strange to have seen his amazing close combat abilities during battle. Only, his detection abilities are between Rank C and Rank B, and¡­¡­¡±


    The last thing left was the measurement of his instant emission of mana.


    ¡°The instant release of destructive power that he can do in a single shot, is over Rank SS.¡±


    As YooShik stared at the researcher who gave him this info., his face turned pale with fright. Not at the Rank S level, but Rank SS? Only a handful of people in the world had such numbers.


    ¡°It¡¯s pointless to administer more tests. Even if we were to retake the tests, the result won¡¯t be too different from what it¡¯s showing right now. It wouldn¡¯t be weird to call him a monster.¡±


    YooShik opened his mouth and stared at Haneul through the window. Haneul looked to be surprised with the broken machine. And, although YooShik had had the feeling that Haneul was an extraordinary character, this was just ridiculous.


    ¡°Even though I saw it with my own eyes, I still can¡¯t believe it¡­¡­ I, I will go visit the director really quick. I¡¯ll leave the rest of the testing process to you.¡±


    ¡°You want to continue testing Silver Knight?¡±


    ¡°No. I feel that it would be useless to do so. I was talking about the remaining tests for the other Heroes.¡±


    YooShik went up to the top floor.


    Operation command center.


    It was a place that was as big as a gym, and filled with several dozens of people and computers. Although it looked ridiculous to have so many people in one room, their true abilities came out when a rift appeared.


    And, within the deep regions of the command center, there existed a small room.


    It was the Director¡¯s office where the Director of operations worked at.


    It was a very narrow room to be considered a Director¡¯s office.


    Knock knock.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    YooShik opened the door and walked inside.


    As JooHyuk Park saw who walked in, he put down the documents he was holding.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s department head Kim. That must mean the shock must have been from the 4th floor then. Now, hurry and sit.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Do you want some coffee?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll prepare it, sir.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. This is my room, and you¡¯re my guest.¡±


    Although it was a weird thing to say, YooShik did not respond back to it. There wasn¡¯t anybody in this building that didn¡¯t know of Director Park¡¯s stubbornness.


    As hot water was poured into the coffee pot, a fragrant coffee aroma filled the room.


    ¡°Then shall we get straight to the point. Seeing as how you didn¡¯t use the internal line to call me, and came here in person instead, you must have gotten results. Does he have the strength of a Rank S Hero as you¡¯ve thought?¡±


    ¡°No, sir.¡±


    YooShik shook his head, and as JooHyuk frowned, his face was filled with disappointment.


    ¡°It¡¯s too bad. I thought a Hero that could compete against the world ranks was going to appear here in Korea. Does that mean that the numerical values that had come out from the pillar of fire was due to an error?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. The numbers show that he is of the Rank SS level.¡±


    JooHyuk¡¯s eyes suddenly grew wide with surprise.


    Then YooShik quickly added.


    ¡°It¡¯s not his overall score, however his instant emission of mana is above that of Rank SS. Furthermore, compared to before, almost all numerical values are showing a margin of growth. That means there¡¯s a possibility that he might be more than that.¡±


    ¡°Rank SS¡­¡­so ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t use his full strength when he hit the target, so there might be an error. However, there¡¯s a high chance that the expected values will generally be higher. There¡¯s no mistake that Silver Knight is a Hero beyond description.¡±


    Feeling the dryness within his mouth, JooHyuk took a sip of his coffee.


    ¡°Although this should be information I should be happy about, I feel like all of this is an omen for what¡¯s to come in the near future. The same feeling I got with the recent Dominator as well.¡±


    *     *     *     *


    ¡°All tests have been completed.¡±


    YooShik gave each of them their own test results in an envelope.


    They each checked their own results.


    Thinking that it couldn¡¯t be true, Haneul opened the envelope to look at the results. As soon as he did, his face stiffened.


    ¡®Rank S?¡¯


    ¡°Corresponding to your results, any adjustment that needs to be made for your rank will be made at a later time. Only, because of the current formula for the classification system, there are some of you that will not be getting a rank change. I hope that you do not feel disappointed regarding this matter. Now, I think I¡¯ve relayed everything I needed to, so it¡¯s okay for all of you to return. Thank you for following through with our sudden request to come to HQ¡¯s.¡±


    Chapter 4 Completed.

 Volume 8 - CH 5

    Volume 8 ¨C Motive


    Chapter 5


    Many stories regarding Rank S Heroes were written on the internet, most of which were telling heroic tales regarding them. There were so many stories for each Hero, that it didn¡¯t seem possible for them to do it all.


    Haneul had never seen a Rank S Hero in person.


    Within the rift of the East area, he had met Burning Soul, and had assumed that he was a Rank A Hero. He later then found out that Burning Soul was actually Rank S.


    While emitting scarlet flames, Burning Soul didn¡¯t look like the average human, so it was understandable that such an amazing person was considered to be Rank S. However, as for himself¡­¡­


    YooShik got closer.


    ¡°Is there a problem with the results?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t really say that it¡¯s a problem, but there may have been a mistake with the tests.¡±


    ¡°No. There are no problems with the results. We are planning on adjusting your rank as soon as possible. Only, it will take some time for us to receive permission for it. The standard procedures become a little more complicated once you become a Rank S Hero, so I hope you understand.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.I understand.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t completely convinced yet, but there was no point in denying the test results. As Haneul was about to walk out, YooShik quickly added in.


    ¡°Will I be able to see you again tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the tests were complete?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say that everything is complete yet. We have yet to figure out anything regarding your special ability.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t come back tomorrow, but is it okay for you to be giving me so many bonuses?¡±


    YooShik laughed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Then, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. Your bonus for today should have already been deposited into your account.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite fast.¡±


    ¡°Of course. We¡¯re different from the other government agencies.¡±


    As YooShik said that, he slightly lowered his head.


    His attitude was completely different from when Haneul had met him for the first time. Before, YooShik seemed to speak to him as if he was slightly above him. However, now it was different. YooShik spoke in a careful manner, making sure that there was no discomfort for Haneul.


    With this, it showed how high Haneul¡¯s position was within the Organization.


    The moment YooShik got back into his office, he relayed some orders to his HR team. It was regarding the rank change for Haneul, and to provide an aide for Haneul¡¯s use.


    Night had already fallen outside.


    The tests took much longer than planned.


    ¡®Is there really an outstanding ability within me?¡¯


    ¡°Umm..¡±


    As Haneul was lost in thought, someone called out to him. He quickly turned his head to see who it was, and found MinHee standing in front of him. Everyone had been waiting for him outside.


    ¡°You came out late. Was there something more to discuss?¡±


    ¡°If I knew everyone was waiting outside, I would have just come straight out.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Even if we waited, it¡¯s only been about 5 minutes. Anyways, what¡¯s your name, oppa?¡±


    (Djinn ¨C not sure how many of you know this, but oppa means older brother. Females say oppa, while males say hyung)


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Your name. Silver Knight is too long, and more than anything, you¡¯re not Silver Knight right now. Right?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I forgot I haven¡¯t told you my name yet. It¡¯s Haneul Kang.¡±


    ¡°What a pretty name. Haneul oppa, you already know my name, right? It¡¯s Minhee Joo.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know it¡¯s a little late to say this, but I¡¯m glad to see that you¡¯re doing well. It hasn¡¯t been long since the hospital incident, shouldn¡¯t you be resting a bit more?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m completely fine!¡±


    MinHee laughed out loud.


    ¡°That¡¯s great to hear. You didn¡¯t look too well the last time I saw you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, oppa. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I would already be dead.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, even if it wasn¡¯t me¡­..¡±


    ¡°No. The person who had saved me at that moment, was you. You¡¯re the one that had saved my life, so there¡¯s no point in you saying anything else.¡±


    MinHee stuck her hand out.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Hurry and give it to me.¡±


    ¡°Give what?¡±


    ¡°Your phone. Aren¡¯t we going to exchange numbers? You are the savior of my life, so let¡¯s continue to keep a friendly relationship.¡±


    ¡°A, alright.¡±


    Haneul took out his phone.


    ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t this like 2 years old?¡±


    ¡°Well, it just happened that way. I had no reason to switch it, and it¡¯s pretty durable.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    MinHee was happy with anything Haneul had to say, as she proceeded to dial a number. From her own phone, a lively ringtone could be heard, and it was a pop song that Haneul liked.


    Without thought, he began to hum to the music. MinHee¡¯s eyes grew wide as she stared up at Haneul.


    ¡°You like this song?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah. I like it.¡±


    ¡°Wow, there aren¡¯t that many people that like this song. Do you think this is fate?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Haneul laughed as if what she said was funny.


    ¡°By the way, your voice when you wear your armor is husky, but why is it that it sounds different now? I was sure that you were an old man with that voice.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m able to change my voice through the armor.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I see. Although I like that deep, husky voice, I think I like your current voice even more. Either way, let¡¯s go eat together!¡±


    Thinking as if it was a good idea, JoongHyun walked closer to Haneul.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re gathered like this, so we should at least eat together.¡±


    Haneul nodded his head, as he slightly glanced to his side.


    Shiver.


    Minah was glaring at him with a fearsome expression.


    ¡®It seems like she¡¯s still mad at me.¡¯


    Seeing Minah¡¯s disposition, Haneul was sure that she wouldn¡¯t agree to eating dinner together.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s eat together.¡±


    Minah willingly consented, with a slightly stiff expression, as Haneul felt that the dinner arrangement would be an uncomfortable one.


    Chapter 5 Completed.

 Volume 8 - CH 6

    Volume 8 ¨C Motive


    Chapter 6


    Just as Haneul had thought, it had come true.


    First off, MinHee wasn¡¯t of age yet, so it was difficult to properly drink alcohol. And, the atmosphere was a bit chilly, because of Minah¡¯s lack of friendliness and impassive expression.


    JoongHyun tried his best to make the atmosphere better by cracking jokes that weren¡¯t funny, and Haneul tried by laughing at the jokes. But, Minah¡¯s expression was impassive from beginning to end, and MinHee was scandalously stuck to Haneul.


    That¡¯s when it happened.


    ¡°Oppa, eat this.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    It was ssam (rice and condiments wrapped in leaves of lettuce).


    To think that such a thing would happen.


    A Situation that he had only seen on TV and in movies, was now happening to him in reality. It seemed to be that MinHee had a favorable impression of Haneul, because he had saved her life. Although Haneul was ignorant when it came to dating, he was able to understand what was happening right now.


    ¡°My arms are hurting.¡±


    ¡°A, alright.¡±


    As Haneul was about to accept the ssam and eat it, he felt chills run down his spine.


    Opposite from him, Minah was currently staring at him with chilly eyes.


    Avoiding her eyes, Haneul put the ssam into his mouth.


    ¡®There¡¯s no reason to feel wrong about this. We¡¯re over with anyways. And, it¡¯s not like Minah was dating me. She was dating the Haneul from World B. No, either way, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m dating this girl anyways.¡¯


    MinHee was still a high school student.


    Although there wasn¡¯t a huge difference in age, she was still a high school student. She wasn¡¯t an option for dating.


    ¡°Haha. By the way, if we really did improve our abilities because of you Haneul, wouldn¡¯t that be insane?¡±


    JoongHyun abruptly said.


    As he did, the atmosphere that was slowly relaxing, had suddenly become stiff again.


    ¡°Did I say something silly? Isn¡¯t this something to be happy about?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I like it. I don¡¯t like being powerless anymore, and having other people fight for my sake. I want to be able to fight as well, just like my savior.¡±


    MinHee nodded her head as if to be on sync with JoongHyun¡¯s words.


    However, Haneul made a complicated expression.


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not too sure. Even now, I can¡¯t believe that such a great power is within me.¡±


    ¡°Oppa, don¡¯t think too deeply into it. I¡¯m sure the Organization will investigate that matter from now on. More than that, right now¡­¡­¡±


    MinHee perceptively looked around, and as she caught sight of Minah being silent, she turned back to Haneul and asked.


    ¡°Did unni awaken her powers through you, oppa?¡±


    (Djinn ¨C unni means older sister in Korean. Females say unni, while males say noona)


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Minah did not say anything.


    ¡°That unni hasn¡¯t said anything since earlier. I guess she¡¯s just an unfriendly person. But, didn¡¯t she come together with you? What can¡¯t of relationship do you guys have?¡±


    ¡°Huh? We¡¯re just friends.¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm.¡±


    Haneul answered back like so, then tilted his head sideways. He could have sworn that YooShik had told everyone that he and Minah were intimate.


    ¡®No way, she couldn¡¯t have asked on purpose, could she?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s already this late. Shall we get up now? We all need to get back home.¡±


    Haneul felt thankful as JoongHyun said those words just in time.


    After dinner was finished, they all walked outside. They had planned to eat a simple meal, but their conversations grew too long.


    ¡°In many ways, I had a great time today. I¡¯ll see you all again another day.¡±


    ¡°Oppa, I¡¯ll be leaving too. See you later unni!¡±


    With a light heart, Haneul waved his hand.


    Excluding Minah and his own family, this was the first time Haneul had had a good time with people who showed their goodwill towards him, since coming to this world.


    ¡®Now, I guess the problem starts now.¡¯


    The road back home for Minah and Haneul was the same. As Minah was quietly walking towards the station, Haneul followed behind her.


    The situation was much more uncomfortable than he had thought.


    ¡®I¡¯m screwed. If the atmosphere is going to be like this all the way through, then I might die before I get home.¡¯


    At that moment, a message rang on Haneul¡¯s phone.


    As he was trying to secretly check the message, several more messages came in. There wasn¡¯t anyone special to send him this many messages¡­¡­.


    As he was thinking such thoughts, the name above the messages showed as ¡®Beautiful MinHee¡¯.


    Beautiful MinHee?


    Checking his contacts, there was a person named Beautiful MinHee.


    ¡®This is what she put herself as in my phone?¡¯


    As Haneul laughed, it happened.


    ¡°You seem to be happy.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Why? You like it that a pretty little high schooler was flirting with you?¡±


    ¡°What? What are you talking about? Flirting with me¡­.she was just thankful, that¡¯s all. I¡¯m sure it would have been the same for anyone else. I was the one who saved her life, and I¡¯m sure her personality is normally like that.¡±


    Minah quickly turned her head. She had a sinister look that Haneul had never seen before.


    ¡°You don¡¯t really think that¡¯s true, do you?¡±


    It was a heavy atmosphere, where he felt like he would get hit if he agreed.


    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±


    ¡°Guys are really stupid. She¡¯s totally acting like a sly fox in front of you, yet you can¡¯t tell. Why can¡¯t you see it? She was being even more forceful, because I was there.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you just overreacting?¡±


    ¡°Answer me! I¡¯ve always known that you were insensitive, but how can you be this bad?¡±


    Minah¡¯s face was red with rage, and Haneul scratched his head. Sly fox? Was Minah that irritated that MinHee made me a ssam?


    ¡®I guess she really does like me.¡¯


    There was no doubt that she was jealous.


    Minah did not say another word until the bus arrived, and as soon as it did, she walked towards the back and sat down. Nobody was seated next to her, so Haneul cautiously sat within that spot.


    ¡°Why are you sitting next to me?¡±


    ¡°Then should I sit somewhere else?¡±


    ¡°If you want.¡±


    As Minah turned her head away with anger, Haneul laughed.


    ¡°Are you jealous right now?¡±


    ¡°What? Who would be jealous for you!¡±


    Minah glared at Haneul then turned her head away again. At first, it looked fearsome, but now it seemed cute.


    ¡°She¡¯s in high school.¡±


    ¡°What about it. Is she not a woman then? Either way, biologically, she¡¯s more than enough to be considered an adult.¡±


    ¡°Biologically?¡±


    As Haneul thought of MinHee, Minah suddenly pinched Haneul¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    ¡°You lolicon. I¡¯m going to report you.¡±


    ¡°W, what do you mean lolicon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a disease you have. She¡¯s a high schooler. To think that you would¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Lower your voice. I¡¯ll become a pervert at this rate.¡±


    ¡°Heung, I don¡¯t care.¡±


    Chapter 6 Completed.

 Volume 8 - CH 7

    Volume 8 ¨C Motive


    Chapter 7


    Haneul laughed out loud as he saw Minah acting like a child.


    She felt like someone who was from another planet, and it was always like that. Even in World A, she was that type of existence. She was a person that was completely unrelated to him, so when he had found out that she was his girlfriend in World B, Haneul didn¡¯t know what to do. It felt surreal.


    However, now Minah felt like a normal person to him.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    ¡°Just, I think I¡¯ve now become more comfortable around you.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t changed. If anyone changed, it¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Haneul released all of his burdens.


    The fact that he was his girlfriend, and her fantasies about him from the past.


    Haneul felt that he was too obsessed with such stupid things. He was himself.


    If he was to continue comparing the him from now, and the him from the past, there would be no end to it.


    ¡®Whatever it is, I am myself.¡¯


    Even though it was something he had thought of himself, Haneul felt that this was a clear answer.


    From that point on, Haneul was able to speak with Minah without any issues. Although it was abrupt for Minah, she continued to respond back to Haneul, and it began to get closer for them to separate.


    The topic they were currently discussing was about Minah¡¯s plans for the next day.


    ¡°I had promised the teacher that I would help him tomorrow. It seems like he¡¯s going to be discussing topics regarding rifts, so he had invited several Heroes that had actual experience being in one. I will also be talking about my experiences.¡±


    All Candidates had the potential to awaken their powers and become Heroes someday. This was the reason why they didn¡¯t neglect their training and their studies, so it was a great experience for them to be able to hear stories from experienced Heroes.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.Do you want to come tomorrow too?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think you would be able to talk about much more things compared to any other Heroes.¡±


    ¡°Who knows. I would be thankful if there wasn¡¯t an uproar from me participating in it.¡±


    He remembered the time when the Dean arranged an interview for him without his consent, and hadn¡¯t heard from the Dean since.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a great place for you to be at. Why don¡¯t you come? It¡¯s the first class tomorrow, so you¡¯re probably going to have to wake up really early to get to school on time. So¡­¡­..¡±


    Haneul did not say anything, but Minah continued to speak.


    ¡°If you, well¡­..want to do it, then you can sleep in my room¡­¡­.¡±


    As Minah averted her eyes and her face flushed, it happened.


    Haneul, who was lost in thought, suddenly yelled out and cut Minah off.


    ¡°Ah, I forgot. I promised to go to the Hero Organization again tomorrow.¡±


    Having been lost in thought for so long, Haneul wasn¡¯t able to hear Minah¡¯s words properly.


    ¡°Sorry, but what did you just say right now?¡±


    ¡°Forget it. Alright.¡±


    Minah responded back coldly.


    As Haneul was surprised from the sudden change in attitude, a familiar town appeared.


    ¡°Sorry, I completely forgot that I had promised the Organization that I would visit them again tomorrow. I¡¯ll call you if I have any reasons to go to school.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±


    Minah did not even look at Haneul as he got off the bus. Then, she stared at him through the window with fierce eyes, and shaped out a word with her mouth.


    ¡°Idiot?¡±


    Haneul had a confused look on his face.


    The time was past 11 pm, and only a few cars were driving on the road.


    Haneul¡¯s house was at the outskirts of the city, so during this time, there weren¡¯t many people who were walking around.


    ¡®It¡¯s late. I should hurry and get home,¡¯


    He quickly moved his feet towards a dark road, which was a shortcut, and although it wasn¡¯t a road that was properly maintained, it was the quickest way for him to get home.


    Suddenly, he felt the presence of a person in front of him.


    It was a pedestrian, but Haneul walked past him without any regards,


    Right at that moment.


    Shiver.


    Clank clank clank.


    The ring on his finger radiated a bright light, and quickly wrapped around his body.


    Chapter 7 Completed.

 Volume 8 - CH 8

    Volume 8 ¨C Motive


    Chapter 8


    Haneul immediately got into a combat ready stance.


    It was an instant response.


    His vision pierced through the darkness, and sharply looked around every direction.


    ¡®What the? What was that feeling just now¡­..¡±


    The feeling was too real to be called an illusion. However, there was nobody around the vicinity. He had reacted instantly. Does that mean someone was able to disappear from his senses that quickly?


    There were no traces of a human anywhere.


    Haneul was alone within the darkness.


    He wasn¡¯t sure how long he was standing there while looking at the surroundings, but Haneul took his armor off. Clang clang clang. Following his will, the armor separated from his body and changed back into the ring.


    ¡®Is this some kind of aftereffect?¡¯


    Haneul figured that the tension from the most recent fight, hadn¡¯t gone away yet. Thinking back on it, it was quite an intense fight. It wasn¡¯t weird if there was still some sort of tension left over. Since he was going back to the Organization tomorrow, Haneul decided that it would be best to ask them about his current situation.


    Haneul began to walk towards his house again.


    Silence within the darkness.


    About 10 minutes after Haneul left the location, a figure of a doll slowly slid out. It was the passerby that had passed by Haneul.


    It wasn¡¯t an illusion.


    ¡°His reaction is quite sharp.¡±


    The young voice filled with laughter, mumbled to himself, then quickly called to a certain location.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. It¡¯s just as you have said. He¡¯s quite interesting. It was definitely worth coming to this small country. There¡¯s a high chance that it¡¯s the thing that we¡¯ve been looking for all this time.  It¡¯s not your average Kraken weapon. The thing responded first, before he could even feel or react to me. Of course, even still, I can¡¯t really say if it¡¯s the Dimension Matter, but I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s a special substance that I¡¯ve never seen before. Hahaha. Yes, of course. It¡¯s beyond our expectations. Just as promised, I¡¯ll be working together with you.¡±


    The call ended.


    The man walked out to a street covered with streetlights, and had a content expression.


    ¡°Interesting. So interesting,¡±


    It seemed like he could hear it. The collapse of the current equilibrium, and soon, everything will accelerate into the prelude of collapse.


    The man¡¯s name was Doctor Grey.


    He was the genius scientist to ever utilize the Kraken matter found within rifts, in order to create Kraken weapons. And, he was also a person presumed to be dead about 20 something years ago.


    The night sky was filled with dark clouds, as it hid the moon behind it.


    *     *     *


    The next day, Haneul went to the Organization. Passing the familiar lobby, he got onto the elevator and went up to the 4thfloor.


    Knock knock.


    YooShik was sitting down within the conference room staring at a thick stack of paperwork. He then lifted up his head and spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you today as well.¡±


    Following YooShik¡¯s guidance, Haneul walked towards the big conference hall.


    ¡°Have you confirmed the money?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was deposited into my account.¡±


    YooShik was quick-witted and knew that Haneul was sensitive to money. Yooshik also liked these type of people, as it was easier to talk with people who were sure of what they wanted. If someone was stuffy to no purpose, the talk would just drag out. In that respect, Haneul clearly knew what he wanted.


    ¡°What you will be doing today is conversing with over a 100 people.¡±


    ¡°Conversing?¡±


    At that moment, a door opened.


    Haneul¡¯s mouth dropped.


    A huge chandelier that was radiating out a beautiful light, and the interior was something you would see within a TV drama showing high class people.


    ¡°You can just be at ease, and go back home once the time is up.¡±


    After speaking those last words, YooShik left the room, leaving Haneul inside.


    ¡°Even if you tell me to be at ease and leave¡­¡­.¡±


    Haneul looked around. There were many people staring at him, and their eyes made him feel uneasy.


    ¡®Let¡¯s go eat something for now.¡¯


    Haneul walked towards the food, and he felt hungry just in time. As he filled his plate up with food, he began to eat in the corner by himself.


    Suddenly, a woman walked towards him and began to speak.


    ¡°First time meeting you. What¡¯s your Hero name? Most of the Heroes here are acquaintances, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you before.¡±


    ¡°So, this place is well known to the people here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we occasionally meet up like this. Although, the Organization strangely set us up with such a gorgeous place to meet at this time.¡±


    At last, Haneul looked straight at the woman. She seemed to be about 2-3 years older than him, and her clothes¡­¡­her fashion senses were great. She wore her clothes well. On one side it looked cute, while the other looked sexy.


    ¡°Scanning me? So, what¡¯s my score?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I just think you have great fashion sense.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the compliment. But, you still haven¡¯t answered my question. What is your Hero name? Ah, now that I think about it, I didn¡¯t introduce myself yet. They call me Black Cat.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m known as¡­¡­.Silver Knight.¡±


    At that moment, everyone¡¯s eyes looked towards Haneul.


    As Haneul slightly became flustered.


    ¡®Wh, what¡¯s this?¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re Silver Knight?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes I am.¡±


    ¡°Are you really Silver Knight?¡±


    ¡°What an honor this is!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s interests grew as Haneul was the hottest topic on the internet these days, and yet he was now standing in front of them. There were many who wanted to speak with famous people.


    With a gush of questions being asked at once, Haneul was at a loss.


    As he was busily trying to answer all of the questions and conversing with the people, an hour quickly passed by, then the 2ndhour came.


    ¡°C, can I get your autograph?


    ¡°Autograph?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    An innocent looking woman took out a piece of paper, and passed it over to Haneul.


    ¡°Ah, and I would also be happy if you can take a picture with me.¡±


    Haneul was amazed to be experiencing something so new, and it made him feel like a celebrity.


    However, it wasn¡¯t as bad as he thought it would be.


    Chapter 8 Completed.

 Volume 8 - CH 9

    Volume 8 ¨C Motive


    Chapter 9


    The special feeling that Haneul had did not go very long. There were so many questions being asked that he could not even eat properly. As the people slowly left, he was finally able to eat the food on his plate.


    The person who called herself Black Cat was standing off to the side with an apologetic expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to deal with all that because of me. I didn¡¯t know you were that famous of a Hero.¡±


    ¡°I knew that I was being talked about a lot on the news these days, but I didn¡¯t think I was this famous either. I had thought that I had become a celebrity for a second.¡±


    ¡°Haha, a celebrity you say? What are you talking about. You know that a Hero¡¯s fame is a level above a celebrity¡¯s.¡±


    It might be that way in World B, but in World A, Heroes were getting as much attention as a celebrity would.


    ¡°However, you¡¯re much younger than I imagined you to be.¡±


    ¡°Other people seem to say the same thing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because many people were saying that your voice was very husky. Hence the reason why I had thought that you were older. To think that you were such a handsome young man. Anyways, that¡¯s that, but I have one thing I would like to ask. Would it be okay for me to?¡±


    ¡°Yes, if it¡¯s a question that I can answer.¡±


    ¡°It seems like you have quite the close relationship with the Rank D Hero Ironman.¡±


    ¡°Having met him on the battlegrounds a few times, we ended up becoming closer. He¡¯s a courageous Hero that¡¯s rare to find, and is someone I truly admire.¡±


    ¡°Admire you say, it sounds somewhat special. It¡¯s strange to hear that an outstanding Hero like yourself would admire a nobody¡±


    The look in Haneul¡¯s eyes slightly changed. The word ¡®nobody¡¯ bothered him, and even if a Ranking of a Hero was everything in this world, Haneul was still dissatisfied.


    ¡°Do you know him?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then how do you know if he¡¯s a nobody, or a completely outstanding person?¡±


    ¡°Oh my, I made a slip of the tongue. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Although Black Cat had apologized immediately, Haneul was unable get rid of his uncomfortable feeling.


    This community was filled with people of outstanding abilities, so it was normal for them to disregard and look down on those that did not have high abilities.


    As soon as Haneul heard Ironman being disregarded, it felt like the deceased Black Walker was being insulted.


    Noticing that his face was still stiff, Black Cat quickly added on.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I really wasn¡¯t trying to disregard him in any way. I was just speaking in common opinion.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something you should be apologizing to me for.¡±


    ¡°You really treat him in a special way. By any chance, would I also be able to form a special relationship with you?¡±


    Black Cat wore a gentle smile.


    Seeing where the conversation was leading to, Haneul¡¯s brows furrowed.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    At that moment, Black Cat slowly got closer and whispered.


    ¡°Your fight with the Wizard Type Tentacle was impressive. I was watching you from quite a distance, but it was extremely electrifying,¡±


    Haneul¡¯s eyes suddenly grew round.


    ¡®No way, the person that helped me¡­¡­.¡¯


    ¡°Was it you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Haneul could feel his uncomfortableness slowly dissipating. If it wasn¡¯t for her help at that time, the situation could have been very dangerous.


    ¡°I¡¯m really thankful for your help that time.¡±


    ¡°No problem. If it¡¯s Silver Knight, I¡¯m sure you would have been able to deal with the situation by yourself. I was worried that I may have spoiled things for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nothing special¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Why. You¡¯re a very outstanding person. Not only that, but there¡¯s also a rumor going around that Silver Knight had a hand in increasing Ironman¡¯s abilities.¡±


    This was something Haneul had found out yesterday, yet how was she able to know this?


    Seeing as how Haneul was being silent, Black Cat laughed.


    ¡°Does that reaction mean that it¡¯s true?¡±


    ¡°Are you by chance trying to feel something out?¡±


    ¡°Quite sensitive. This is nothing more than idle talk between Heroes.¡±


    Even though the time was nearly coming to an end for this gathering, Black Cat did not move away from Haneul. The people around them began to speak while staring.


    ¡°That girl isn¡¯t even planning on separating. Who the hell is she?¡±


    ¡°She said her name is Black Cat.¡±


    ¡°What? Black Cat? Is it THE Black Cat that I know of? The Rank A Hero.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°A big shot like that is here?¡±


    ¡°I think the rumor that¡¯s been going around is true.¡±


    Everyone stared at Haneul with greed.


    Just as Black Cat had said, there weren¡¯t many people that did not know of the rumor.


    It was a rumor that stated that Silver Knight had some type of unknown powers, and that it was possible for him to increase a Heroes ability.


    Chapter 9 Completed.

 Volume 8 - CH 10

    Volume 8 ¨C Motive


    Chapter 10


    As the sun began to set, night time came.


    Suddenly, the door swung open.


    ¡°Today¡¯s gathering will end here. Please make sure that you have not forgotten any of your items, and make sure to return back home,¡±


    People quickly began to leave.


    Although the gathering was filled with joy in the beginning, it was quite uncomfortable to be stuck in a single place all day.


    Even Black Cat smiled and slowly moved away from Haneul.


    ¡°See you next time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, next time¡­..¡±


    Haneul responded back, but could not shake the strange feeling that he was getting. They were together all day, and had talked about many things, but he did not know what her true name was, what she liked, or what type of person she was.


    ¡®She¡¯s truly an interesting person.¡¯


    Haneul felt tired.


    He did not have a sociable personality. Because of that, he tended to get tired when he had to meet with many people. Furthermore, it was even more so because he had spent all day with a person like Black Cat, who was mysterious and hard to deal with.


    ¡°Thank you for today.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    YooShik lowered his head and bowed. However, Haneul had no idea what he had even done today. He felt troubled to just be leaving like that.


    ¡°I have something I¡¯d like to ask you before I leave. What exactly were you trying to do today? All I did was meet with some people, talk, and ate¡­¡­ How is it that you¡¯re giving me so much money for doing something so simple? Yesterday I at least took some tests for you, but there weren¡¯t any signs of anything like that today.¡±


    ¡°Haha, there¡¯s nothing for you to be worried about. Even the gathering today was a type of experiment.¡±


    ¡°Experiment?¡±


    ¡°Yes, didn¡¯t I tell you yesterday? That Silver Knight had some sort of power that other Heroes didn¡¯t have. The Organization thinks that this may have something to do with you forming certain relationships with people, hence the reason why we had people gathered here today. It was a form of experiment.¡±


    Haneul shook his head.


    He now understood why he was part of the social gathering. It was to check and see what type of relationships were needed in order to help with the increase in abilities and such.


    Suddenly, YooShik straightened his back, and deeply lowered his head towards Haneul.


    ¡°Why are you being like this all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Silver Knight, can I impudently speak as the representative of the Organization and request something of you? The power that is within you is something that will be the future for mankind, so can you please continue to run these experiments with us? Of course, we will keep paying you as much as you want, so please become the protagonist for this Hero project.¡±


    *     *     *


    The scenery outside was quickly passing by.


    YooShik had made a request with his head lowered.


    It was all for humanity.


    A contribution to future threats.


    Haneul believed that everything YooShik had said was right.


    If JoongHyun, Minah, MinHee, etc were all able to become stronger due to his strength, then it showed how important he was in fighting against future dangers.


    If he was in the same shoes as the Organization and YooShik, he would have also requested it himself.


    It was the proper thing to do for a great cause.


    If it was possible to mass produce Heroes and to even enhance them, it would become a huge step for the world and its people.


    Haneul understood everything within his head.


    However, regardless of his understanding and empathy, Haneul replied like this.


    ¡°I will think about it.¡±


    YooShik seemed to have a restless expression, but could not say anything back. It was like this from the beginning. It was Haneul¡¯s decision, and was not something that could be pressured.


    YooShik continued to stick beside Haneul, until he had completely left the building, speaking about the importance of the project and bowed his head several more times.


    If it was for the world, a proper decision had to be made.


    ¡®Sacrifice?¡¯


    However, there was a different feeling from that.


    Haneul had become a Hero and fought because he had received Black Walker¡¯s will. It was a decision that he had made himself. However, if he was to be asked if this case was the same situation, he would not be able to answer back.


    The special strength that he had, and the experiments. None of them were his own volition.


    Chapter 10 Completed.