102
Ch.102 Come Under Me
"Ha, haaat...!"
"Yaaah!"
"Jjaaaaat!"
The training hall was filled with strange, overly forceful shouts. Students and heroes were demonstrating their abilities with all their might. Yet, everyone's gaze kept shifting toward one particular spot.
In the corner of the training hall stood Yeo Woon-jae, quietly observing, flanked by his disciples and A-rank heroes. Next to them was a hero whose face I recognized—Kage, accompanied by the A-rank female heroes who followed him around.
On the opposite side stood an unfamiliar hero—a man with an unusually shaped gun holstered at his waist and long hair hanging loosely over his face. A bracelet on his wrist held a large-caliber bullet I had seen before. That man was likely Baskerville.
From the start of the class, Yeo Woon-jae had explained that the two S-rank heroes were merely observing the future heroes-in-training. Since such occurrences weren’t entirely rare, the students weren’t particularly surprised. The two S-rank heroes exchanged quiet words.
"I didn’t expect you to come in person."
"I heard news of promising superhumans. How could I not come and see for myself?"
"Aren’t you busy? I’m not sure you should be here."
"Don’t worry. My preparations are complete. If anything, I’m more concerned about your side."
"I’m ready anytime."
A faint aura of hostility and tension emanated from the two. After their cryptic exchange, they turned their attention to me and discussed my abilities.
"Speaking of which… Limit Break, huh? Quite an archaic ability."
"Do you think he has the potential to reach S-rank?"
"It might take time, but given that he’s already reached A-rank on his own, he’s got talent."
"Another S-rank hero candidate? The cities lacking heroes will be pleased."
"Still… He seems rather lazy. He wouldn’t fit my team."
I lay sprawled among the heroes, diligently showcasing their abilities, yawning. Ever since arriving in A-City, I’d been losing sleep thanks to Gu Seo-ryong and Sagugu, leaving me exhausted.
"Two S-rank heroes and even Yeo Woon-jae are here, yet he’s lounging around. Is he that confident or just thoughtless?"
"Either way, it’s clear he has no reverence for heroes."
"Would you two mind keeping quiet during class?"
As Baskerville and Kage continued their conversation, Yeo Woon-jae, who had been instructing the students, frowned. Kage chuckled slightly and nodded, while Baskerville scowled. And so, Yeo Woon-jae’s dull lecture resumed.
"Emotions heavily influence the instantaneous output of abilities. If you can control your emotions, you can reduce unnecessary waste of energy and, conversely, increase your output…"
Another day, another lecture on human abilities—useless to me. I tuned it out and dozed off. Soon enough, sparring time arrived.
However, the students were so distracted that their matches turned into a mess. Flashy but ineffective techniques—more like peacocks flaunting their feathers than actual combat. Yeo Woon-jae clapped his hands, calling an end to the sparring.
"...It’s better to observe today rather than spar."
He approached me as I yawned silently on the floor and extended his hand.
"Park Deun-deun, would you like to spar?"
"Hmm."
Bored, I got up and faced him. To wake myself up, I kicked off the ground, asking him to throw me. Yeo Woon-jae launched me much higher than before. Fun.
"Poor judgment. You keep charging in the same way."
"Your movements are too broad."
After a few more throws, Yeo Woon-jae twisted his neck and arms with a crack, gesturing for me to attack properly. Warm-up over, time to get serious.
I switched tactics, throwing a barrage of shockwaves—techniques I’d learned from him, now twice as fast and powerful.
"Hoh? Using pure physical force…"
"Shockwaves against Yeo Woon-jae? That’s like throwing firewood into flames."
This time, he absorbed the shockwaves with his body instead of deflecting them.
KOOOOM!
The shockwaves rippled outward from his stomp, then surged back in, amplified. For a brief moment, Yeo Woon-jae emitted an S-rank aura, closing the distance unnaturally fast. He thrust both palms forward.
Pah!
A violent shockwave tore through my body, centered on my abdomen. The pain felt like my skin and muscles were being ripped apart. Annoyed, I grabbed his wrist and hurled him down.
KWAANG!
As he hit the ground, he redirected the impact back at me. My hands went numb from the force, and he slipped free like water, countering with a kick.
My vision flashed red as my skull shattered. Rapid regeneration fixed my head, and I glared at him.
He had briefly strengthened himself by absorbing surrounding energy, not by moving his body, but by manipulating the energy within it. Now, he was weak again.
The moment I sensed his vulnerability, my vision narrowed instinctively. Yeo Woon-jae recoiled, but my clawed fingers tore through his prosthetic arm. Wires and cables tangled around my fingers as I twisted my waist, accelerating my strike, slicing clean through his prosthetic.
"Haha, let’s stop here."
Like a lizard shedding its tail, he detached the prosthetic and picked up the severed piece. The cross-section was as smooth as tofu cut by a knife. Delighted, he tossed the fragment and split it midair.
"Accelerated force grows sharper toward the extremities. I haven’t even taught you that yet… Focus on the fingertips first."
"Hmm."
I mimicked him, picking up a piece and slicing it with my hand. Yeo Woon-jae applauded, pleased.
"Excellent. As expected."
"...To think another human could learn that."
"Truly overflowing with talent."
Baskerville sounded astonished. Kage, satisfied, added his praise. Yeo Woon-jae resumed his lecture, using me as an example.
"Park Deun-deun here is a perfect example. Pure physical enhancement—something anyone can achieve with training…"
Meanwhile, the two S-rank heroes kept whispering.
"His ability’s wavelength is undetectable. If he’d revealed himself sooner, he could’ve been a great asset."
"Something’s off about him. If he were a villain hired by the government, why show up at a training facility? And he’s blatantly using a fake name, as if daring us to suspect him."
"Didn’t your teammate register him? What did they say?"
"Something about him being a rare, old-school hero."
After class, the students hesitated before leaving, stealing glances at the S-rank heroes. Some clutched pens and notebooks, ready to ask Kage for autographs. But the surrounding A-rank heroes signaled for them to leave.
As I followed the students out, Yeo Woon-jae’s disciples stopped me.
"Park Deun-deun, you’re staying."
Left behind with the S-rank heroes, I watched as Baskerville spoke first.
"Hey, I’ll keep it short. Join me."
"Huh?"
"Your ability is stealth—I can maximize it. I’ll teach you what you lack. I’ll make you leader of the Hound Team."
"Hmm?"
I thought they were just here to observe. What’s this sudden recruitment?
As I frowned in confusion, Kage extended a hand with a smile. When I didn’t shake it, he casually crossed his arms.
"Pleasure. Is Park Deun-deun your name?"
"It is."
"You haven’t been back in A-City long, right? First, let me welcome and thank you. As an A-rank superpower human, your mere presence helps this city."
"Hmm…"
Really? I nodded at the sudden greeting. Kage continued with annoying questions.
"But as the strongest hero here, it’s my duty to ask—are you a threat to this city?"
"I’m not a villain."
"Family?"
"None. You?"
"All killed by monsters."
"Hmm. Only my mom died."
"Ah, so we share the pain of losing family to monsters."
Kage smiled amiably.
"We’re both superpower humans with the same scars. But you’re not a hero, and I am. So tell me—what’s the difference?"
"Heroes act for humanity, no?"
"Correct. More precisely, it’s responsibility. The difference lies in how we wield our power."
He thumped his chest.
"As a superpower human, you understand—we’re different from humans. Inferior beings of the old era, while we are superior. Not in humanity, but in ability."
Any superpower human would agree. Bodies that break blades, crush steel, and shatter ground—hunters of monsters who prey on humans.
"Superpower humans are the next stage of evolution, adapted to a world of monsters."
Everyone present shared the same look—though the underlying emotions varied.
"As evolved beings, what must we do? Simple. Lead the inferior humans. That’s how we ensure humanity’s survival—and prove our superiority."
"Is that so?"
"If that doesn’t resonate, let me put it another way… How did it feel when monsters killed your family? Despair? Agony?"
Kage clenched his fist.
"That pain awakened us. Our abilities emerged from survival, struggle, and vengeance against humanity’s predators. Would you let weaker humans suffer as you did? Let that cycle continue?"
"Hmm…"
"Of course not! We must kill them all! Every last filthy monster!"
A faint aura pulsed from Kage, lending weight to his words.
"Some heroes say, 'If someone must act, it falls to those who can'."
"Huh?"
"We already hold that power. The strength to guide ignorant humans, to slaughter monsters. So we must act."
Why did that sound familiar? Kage composed himself, pointing at me.
"Your power can save countless lives. I’ll ensure you use it correctly."
His hand lowered, offering a handshake.
"Join me."