104
Ch.104 Secret Digger
"What on earth is this supposed to mean?" I frowned as I looked at Kage's lower half.
Noticing my expression, Yeo Woon-jae, who was standing beside me, intervened as if my frown alone was a refusal.
"Enough, Jung Ho-young. You claim superpower humans are equal, yet you demand he become your subordinate? I can’t stand to watch this any longer."
So, his earlier words were asking me to become his subordinate?
Then, no thanks.
Just as I understood his meaning and was about to properly refuse, the scent of emotions spreading around made me pause to observe the situation.
"Mr. Park Deun-deun, the man in front of you is Jung Ho-young, a superpower human. That’s all. Don’t let the name Kage deceive you and waste his remarkable talent."
"Quake—no, Professor Yeo. I’m currently recruiting a promising hero candidate. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t interfere."
"If you were looking for a hero, not a subordinate, I wouldn’t have stepped in. I have a responsibility to raise my student into a proper hero."
"Student? A superpower human who could’ve been a villain? You’ve changed your mind quite a bit since I last saw you."
"I judged with my own eyes. This person is a superpower human. One, I will teach and mold into a hero."
I have no intention of becoming a hero, so why are they deciding for me?
As Yeo Woon-jae and Kage began arguing on their own, I rolled my eyes back and forth.
An ambiguous hostility, as if they were pointing deadly blades at each other despite not having drawn them.
A pungent spiciness hidden deep inside, like dumplings filled with rich juices.
"I can’t leave him with you. All you’ll teach others now is superpower human supremacy, how to exploit others, and violence."
"The methods to protect oneself, to act without hesitation in the face of opportunity and choice, combat skills for survival—I teach superpower humans everything they need. What’s the problem?"
"Don’t you realize the most important thing is missing? You’re a hero in name only. Hollow inside."
Do Yeo Woon-jae and Kage not get along?
But their emotions are far too complex for that to be the case.
"Hollow, you say? It’s not missing—I’ve excised only the unnecessary parts myself. Tailored for the current reality."
"And after tailoring yourself to reality, your choice is to stand above everyone and do as you please?"
"What’s wrong with the most outstanding leading the rest?"
"The most outstanding… Keugh… To think the little one who awakened a barrier out of fear of monsters has grown up like this."
"Thanks to you. I grew up splendidly thanks to your many sacrifices."
As Yeo Woon-jae, shorter than Kage, tilted his head back and sneered as if looking down on him, Kage glanced at his severed arm and twisted leg.
"You’re not trying to be a hero—you want to be a king. You’re not looking for someone to save people alongside you, but a capable subordinate to serve you. If that’s not corruption, what is?"
"A king, you say…"
Kage laughed and raised his momentum.
"If that’s what this era needs, then I’ll gladly be a king. If someone must sit on the throne, let it be me."
"You’ve completely lost it, Jung Ho-young."
"Pioneers are often mistaken for madmen. What’s wrong with an outstanding hero also being a king? I’ll make far better judgments than inferior beings."
"Inferior beings? Don’t you realize you were born from those inferior beings?"
"Which is why I protect citizens, not reject them."
"One misstep, and your ideology is no different from a villain’s."
"Then I simply won’t misstep."
At Kage’s words, Yeo Woon-jae’s eyelids twitched.
The killing intent thickened like sticky chocolate fondue. Yeo Woon-jae emitted a strong chemical scent from the lab, faintly spreading the wavelength of his ability.
"You still believe everything you do is right."
"No, it’s not right. I’m just doing what’s necessary. What someone has to do."
"Was accepting countless villains who harmed people as heroes also necessary?"
"I’ve said it before—rotten society creates villains. Hate the sin, not the sinner. The ones I’ve accepted haven’t committed crimes since becoming heroes, and I don’t take in those inherently inclined to villainy."
"Keughugh… So absolving villains without proper punishment, placing those who tormented citizens beside them—that was necessary?"
"Yes. Heroes are always in short supply. Enough that I had to come here personally to recruit a capable superpower human."
"Don’t say heroes are scarce when you’re the one who made them so."
When Kage glanced at me, Yeo Woon-jae raised his hand to shield me from him.
Emotions grew sharper in the tense atmosphere.
All superpower humans present stiffened under the pressure of the two heroes glaring at each other.
Meanwhile, I kept smelling delicious food and grew hungrier.
Such dark, sticky emotions—it’s practically torture to wave tasty food in front of me without letting me eat.
"You’ve always been the type to teach a triangle and end up with a square. You add whatever you want and delude yourself into thinking it’s superior just because there’s more."
"Isn’t it superior? A square is closer to a perfect circle than a triangle."
"Perfect? Since when is a circle perfect? There’s also the Holy Trinity. Why can’t you see that your way isn’t the only answer? The further you stray from saving people, the more you corrupt."
"I haven’t corrupted. I’m still a hero who saves citizens, and right now, I’m recruiting capable superpower humans to make them safer. I’m just seeking more efficient methods."
"That is corruption."
"It’s adaptation. Ideals alone can’t keep up with reality. You should know that better than anyone."
"Who are you to speak of ideals when all you do is desperately hold back reality?"
"That’s exactly why I’m qualified to speak."
"Can I go home? I’m hungry."
"Sure, you’re hungry—"
Seeing no further mention of the lab, I decided there was no reason to stay. I rubbed my growling stomach and spoke.
At that, the two heroes, who had been glaring at each other, blinked in unison and turned to me.
"If you’re going to keep talking nonsense, at least feed me first."
"Wow, this guy’s got some nerve…"
When I called their conversation pointless, Baskerville, who had been silently watching, muttered in disbelief.
Kage’s eyes twitched with amusement at my words, while Yeo Woon-jae suppressed his chemical-laced emotions.
"...My apologies. I owe you an apology, Professor Yeo. We just don’t see eye to eye."
"It’s about time for a meal. You’re free to leave whenever."
"No, I’ll go. I’ve spent too much time arguing with you. I have a meeting."
"I’ll prepare the car immediately."
As Kage checked his wristwatch, an A-rank hero standing like a secretary exited the training room first.
Yeo Woon-jae silently glared at Kage as if telling him to leave already.
"We’ll talk another time. Baskerville."
"Mhm."
As Kage turned to leave, Baskerville followed but paused briefly near me.
"I like you."
Fwing! Baskerville flicked a bullet from his wrist toward me with his fingers.
"You know what that is, right? A gift. Use it however you want—just once."
"Why give me something inedible? I don’t need it."
"First time I’ve seen someone refuse a magic bullet… If you ever want to join the Hound Team, just say the word."
When I tossed the bullet back, Baskerville left, looking intrigued.
After the two S-rank heroes left, I exited the training room as well.
A short while later, as I walked down the hallway, hurried footsteps approached from behind.
Turning around, I saw Yeo Woon-jae’s two disciples catching up to me.
"What is it?"
"Mr. Park Deun-deun, you said you were hungry, right?"
"Would you like to have a meal together?"
"Huh?"
Why were these two suddenly inviting me to eat?
Then, a conversation I overheard from construction workers flashed in my mind.
Middle-aged men bragging about how women used to ask them out to meals, implying it led to a fun time at a hotel that night.
They said when a woman invites a man to eat, it’s never just about the food.
They also claimed that showing off a body hardened by labor naturally attracted women… Hmm, is that it?
"Do you want to mate?"
"Excuse me?"
"What…?"
My words drew bitter emotions from the two women.
One radiated pure disgust, irritation, and anger, while the other added a hint of bewilderment.
"Sigh… This is why men tainted by superpower human supremacy are so…"
"Please don’t get the wrong idea."
"No?"
"No. Our teacher asked us to treat you to a meal as an apology for today’s events."
"Hmm… So you’re buying me food?"
"Yes. We’d also like to talk, so would you join us?"
"Fine."
Even with a superpower human registration card, free food is always welcome—but the talk part bothered me.
Somehow, I had a feeling they’d bring up something tedious again.
I was about to refuse and return to the hotel to eat when Gu Seo-ryong’s words came to mind. I swallowed my refusal.
Information, investigation, conversation… These two are the closest to Yeo Woon-jae.
If I play my cards right, I might learn something about the lab.
"Alright."
I left with Yeo Woon-jae’s two disciples for the meal.
***
"Slurrrp!"
A-City certainly has a lot of delicious food.
Black noodles, spicy seafood noodles, sweet-salty black sauce noodles, and sweet-spicy-sour-salty red sauce noodles.
Faced with dishes that stirred hazy memories from my human days, I lifted the bowl and alternated between shoveling in black noodles and spicy seafood noodles.
"Can’t you… Eat more properly?"
"How vulgar…"
"Tasty. Is this Male Wax?"
"It’s Nanzhuangsi. Please don’t make up weird names."
"Don’t you know how to use chopsticks?"
As I stabbed the Nanzhuangsi with chopsticks to skewer and eat it, an employee brought a plate of sweet and sour pork.
Followed by crispy fried chicken, small dragon buns, and cream shrimp… While I indulged in these first-time dishes, Wave pushed a glass of alcohol toward me.
"I don’t like alcohol."
"Good. It’s better not to drink this stuff."
As she said that, glug—she downed her glass and refilled it, sliding it toward Vibe.
Whoooosh—the glass, propelled by her vibrating ability, slid to a perfect stop in front of Vibe.
The two women seemed to have something to say but hesitated, drinking instead.
"If you have something to say, say it."
"Sigh… Fine, I’ll say it."
"We’d appreciate it if you listened while eating. We’d like you to stop coming to the training room."
"Slurrrp!"
At the request to listen while eating, I noisily slurped noodles before swallowing and answering.
"Why?"
"If you’re there, Kage and Baskerville will keep visiting. They’ll do anything to recruit a capable superpower human."
"Normally, our teacher would’ve given up, but… He seems to like you a lot."
"At this rate, he’ll keep clashing with Kage because of you."
"We don’t want them to keep fighting."
"Hmm… No."
I have a goal—finding the lab. I can’t give up Yeo Woon-jae as a connection.
"Of course, it’s hard to pass up the chance to grow stronger as a superpower human."
"In return, we’ll grant you one wish. Anything."
"Money? If you want fame, we’ll let you defeat us miserably in a match."
"I don’t need either."
As I refused and dug into a fresh bowl of black noodles, the two sighed as if expecting this and exchanged glances.
"We did say anything."
"I don’t want anything from you."
"That’s a lie. Earlier, you mentioned… Mating."
"You’re still a man. If that’s what you want, then…"
"Huh?"
As the two bit their lips and spoke while radiating reluctance, I sensed a familiar ability and looked down.
Forcibly coupled ability—a space connected to my shadow.
"Brother? Mating again? Smells tasty! Is this mating?"
"Who—who are you?"
"Was that an ability just now?"
Sagugu, who had popped out of my shadow, climbed onto my lap and pointed at my black noodles.
If Sagugu was here, Gu Seo-ryong must be nearby.
Suppressing the monster core’s presence, I scanned the area and spotted Gu Seo-ryong sneaking up behind me. She slung an arm over my shoulder.
"Oh my, sweetie, what a coincidence! Fancy meeting you here."
With a smile, Gu Seo-ryong eyed the two women, her fingers twitching as if ready to snap at any moment.
"But hey, you bitches—what kind of nonsense are you spouting to my man?"