Chapter 0 - Prologue
Prologue
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 0
Chapter Title: Prologue
-----------------------------------------------------------------
July in the year 1999 AD.
The year of Nostradamus's great prophecy, when the King of Terror was said to descend from the skies.
After that day, which everyone thought would end as nothing more than a minor incident,
some humans began manifesting superhuman abilities straight out of comic books.
The emergence of those known as "Awakeners."
Society plunged into uncontrollable chaos as a result... and the government established a new organization.
That was the "Great Superpower Countermeasures Headquarters."
It was the government's response to the surge in superpower-related crimes following humanity's awakening, and it became the predecessor to the current "Hero Association."
Awakeners affiliated with the Hero Association—known as "Heroes"—crack down on "Villains" stirring up trouble in society, in exchange for promises of social status and wealth.
With full backing from the government, the system took root... and Heroes became so wildly popular that they overshadowed traditional celebrities.
The number one job that elementary school kids dreamed of: Hero!
Every variety show, commercial, movie, and documentary featured Heroes.
Hero. Hero. Hero.
It was truly the age of "Heroes."
In this era of Heroes lived an ordinary everyman like me, Kim Do-han.
I was just a completely average guy running a modest cocktail bar on the outskirts of the city.
"Haa..."
The reason for the heavy sigh I let out right now, full of anguish.
"...Hehe. Boss... one moooore drink..."
"You've had plenty. You should really hold back now..."
"One! More! Drink!!"
It was all because of the one customer in front of me, half out of her mind and making a drunken scene.
"Booze is going dooown! Gulp! Guuulp! Gulgulp!"
"Ugh."
I stared at her with weary eyes, while my part-timer Ji-ah quietly sidled up beside me.
"Hey, should we just call the cops?"
"...Let's give her a pass on that."
I stopped Ji-ah as she started pulling out her smartphone to dial, and clutched my head again.
'Haa. That's why I told you to stop drinking... I had a bad feeling about this.'
If she were just some regular drunk, I'd have called the cops without hesitation... but there were a few unavoidable circumstances.
"How many times has this been...? I think we need to exorcise her or something... Hey! Don't cling to the boss like that!"
"Nooo... hehe... so warm..."
First off, the woman throwing this drunken tantrum—the blonde with blue eyes—was our shop's very first meaningful customer and our loyal regular who boosted our sales every time she visited...
"Hero Yoon Seol, could you please back off a bit? It's hot."
"Ugh. Don't call me that... I clocked out already..."
And second, this customer's true identity was none other than the hottest Hero on everyone's lips right now—Yoon Seol.