Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Second Superpower
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"This is pretty good. I don't get why everyone else hates it so much. Hey, want some?"
"..."
She's crossing the line. I can tolerate pineapple pizza, but mixing mint chocolate sauce on top? What the hell is that abomination? Did the pineapple pizza faction and mint chocolate faction finally unite?
'Okay, confirmed.'
I quickly scanned Bal Jeong-nam's memories to figure out how to deal with Bal Ji-na. Their relationship wasn't bad—in fact, they were pretty close.
She acted cocky around him, calling him "hey," but behind his back, she cherished and worried about her one and only brother more than anyone.
Especially when they were kids, Ji-na had trailed after her brother everywhere.
Their parents, Bal Ji-un and Stephanie Yu, were good parents who loved and doted on their kids.
But they loved each other even more.
They often left the siblings with Uncle Chris and were away from home. They were busy with company work, especially at night when they were out stealing. And they had to make time for their love life too, so they rarely came home.
With all that passion, it's a wonder they only had two kids.
Naturally, young Ji-na depended on her brother instead of their parents, and little Bal Jeong-nam took devoted care of his sister.
Then, when Ji-na hit puberty, she switched from calling him "oppa" to "hey," her speech got shorter, and she turned into the person she is now. Teenage Bal Jeong-nam just chuckled "Heh heh heh~" and let her do whatever she wanted.
But seriously, why was that guy like that? He was such an old soul. Why was he laughing like some geezer with "Heh heh heh~"?
Anyway, they got along great until Ji-na turned 24 and left for Red Town to study abroad. And four years later, today, she returned after finishing her studies.
'First, check Ji-na's status window... Hmm?'
Her parents were superpowered individuals with considerable talent, and so am I. Naturally, there was a high chance Ji-na was one too.
'Hey! Show me Ji-na's status window before you go! And give me selection tickets, not level up ones! Hey, you bastard!'
"..."
The system went silent after that curt response and never appeared again. No more tutorial system.
"Hey~ Play with me~ I'm so bored~"
"Go hang out with your friends."
"All my friends are in Red Town~ I don't have any here~ Play with me~ Play with me~"
Ji-na whined the whole way up to my room that she wanted to play. I don't have time to play with you right now, you little brat.
She said she had no friends, but I knew that was a blatant lie. I'd checked Bal Jeong-nam's memories.
Unlike the social outcast Bal Jeong-nam, Ji-na was a super extrovert. Not just any extrovert—a nuclear extrovert.
Chaebol heiress with a pretty face and killer body. Add a great personality, and friends were always around her.
Of course, Bal Jeong-nam had the exact same advantages, but he thought training even a little more was way better than hanging out with friends. A true gym rat of this era.
No way four years abroad would make her friends vanish.
'She really likes her brother. Wait—could this be... incest?!'
Incest? No way! That's not allowed! How could we have incest in our land of propriety and manners!
'...But she's not my real sister, right?'
Blood might connect our bodies, but not our minds. I'm Bal Jeong-nam and not Bal Jeong-nam at the same time.
So it's fine? She doesn't quite match Yuna or Elizabeth's figures, but she's cute enough!
Big breasts have their charm, small ones theirs. I'm a big man who embraces all breasts in the world.
'But that's for later.'
As I said before, I have a lot to do right now. Top priority: find a replacement for the tutorial system.
Viewing enemy status windows is a massive cheat ability. Especially for heroes hiding their identities—I can easily uncover names and ages with this.
For my grand goal of gathering female heroes and villains into a harem, it's essential.
"Ah, play with me~ Play with me, you muscle pig bastard! Hey! I'm talking to you! Listen when someone talks! Come on! Can't you hear me?!"
"Aah... my ears are bleeding... Hey, I'm tired, so I'll sleep a bit and play after."
"For real? How long?"
"About an hour?"
One hour of sleep wipes away all fatigue.
"One hour? You said one hour. If you back out later, I'll put you in an armbar. I learned martial arts!"
"Armbar?"
I glanced at Ji-na's smooth legs at the mention of an armbar. Imagining her locking me in one... Those plump thighs around my arm? Sounds amazing?
"Yeah! I swear on our parents' names and honor! If you wake up and renege, I'll armbar you! Definitely! Twice! No, armbar you forever!"
"...What? That sounds really unpleasant right now. Am I imagining it? No, more importantly, don't swear on Mom and Dad for something like that!"
"It's your imagination! Anyway, I'm going to sleep, so see you in an hour."
"Got it. Don't forget! One hour!"
"Yeah, yeah."
I'll definitely renege later. Time for an armbar.
'Let's see...'
After showering and changing into comfy clothes, I summoned the system.
'Use one [Superpower Selection Ticket].'
[2. Body Shifter]
[3. Flame Dominator]
[4. Gravity Dominator]
.
.
.
'Huh? No 1? Oh right, 1 was Body Enhancer.'
I wondered why there was no 1, but it was the Body Enhancer superpower I'd chosen—it got removed from the list. Can't acquire duplicates, apparently.
'Don't need anything else. Only info-checking ones.'
I filtered for info-checking superpowers.
[9. Three Thousand Eyes]
[36. Clairvoyance]
[50. Superpower Analyst]
"Fuck, not this one."
[Three Thousand Eyes] was definitely strong. It could do what would take masses of skilled personnel in a dictatorship—solo.
But what I needed wasn't surveillance. I needed something like the tutorial system to check personal info and superpowers.
Pass, regrettably.
"Not this either!"
"Aah... Is this the best? You sure? Is this really the best?! System! I'm still a noob! Keep the tutorial going!"
"Fuck this shitty system."
Disappointing, but no perfect match for the tutorial. Closest was #50 [Superpower Analyst].
"If you can't get pheasant, take chicken. Create [Superpower Analyst]."
"Use 10 Superpower Level Up Tickets to bring it to level 10."
"This sucks. New superpowers should start at level 1, not 0. Whose numbering is this?"
Creating a superpower doesn't let you pick traits right away.
It starts at 0, and only at 1 can you assign traits. So to max at 10, it costs 10 tickets.
"Let's see. Pick this trait, this one too..."
I assigned 10 traits diligently and checked my status window.
Name: Bal Jeong-nam
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Height: 191cm
Weight: 104kg
Values: Winner Takes All
Disposition: Chaotic
Motto: There's no such thing as bad money.
Superpowers: Body Enhancer (Lv.10), Superpower Analyst (Lv.10)
HP: 400
Superpower Analyst (Lv.10) Skill Tree
My second superpower was complete.
Bang-!
"Hey! Get up! It's been an hour! Play with me!"
Exactly one hour later, Ji-na burst into my room without knocking.
"Ku... cool..."
Ji-na entered, but I kept pretending to sleep. Armbar! Hurry and armbar me!
"Hey! You asleep? Hey, hey. Wake up."
"Zzz... snore! Zzz snore!"
"...For real? Even though I'm here? You're really not gonna play?"
'Huh?'
I thought she'd pounce like a beast for the armbar, but instead, I heard her unexpectedly dejected voice.
"Tch... You're really just gonna sleep? With such a pretty sister here?"
Ji-na sat on the edge of the bed and stroked my hair. What the? What's with her suddenly?
"I heard from Uncle Chris. You're busy lately. Even went to the company yourself. I heard you said you have a lot you want to do."
'What's this situation?'
"Oppa. I want you to do what you want. Do we lack money? We have so much you could blow millions and be fine. What's the big deal? If you're worried about Mom and Dad, leave it to me. I'll take over the company for you and let you live like a king."
'For real? You'll really earn money for me?'
"You took such good care of me when I was little. Carried me everywhere. I'll repay all the love you gave me back then. So do whatever you want, however you want."
'For real? Even though I'm a villain, live however I want?'
"But if you're too busy and ignore me, you're dead. Actually, I didn't tell you or Mom and Dad, but... I'm a superpowered individual too? No matter how strong you are, I'm way beyond a punch's reach for you. So treat me well unless you want tears streaming. Got it?"
"..."
"Sleep well, oppa."
Mwah-!
She kissed my forehead and quietly left, closing the door. Feeling her presence fade, I sat up.
"...Does she have a brother complex?"
I might've found Ji-na's point.
Wait—no! The armbar?! Hey! Armbar me before you go!
Slap-!
"Are you insane?! Who the hell do you think they are to dare arrest them?!"
"...I'm sorry."
Ice Queen bowed her head and apologized to Gizman Director after he slapped her.
But her apology didn't calm his rage. Or rather, he nitpicked.
"Because of you, the Hero Association can't catch a break! Think their parents are ordinary? Do you know how much sponsorship money their parents give? No? The chairman already cut funding because you couldn't stop that Steel Armor bastard, and now you touch other chaebol heirs? Do you know how pissed the chaebols are?! They're threatening to cut all funding! Do you know how hard I worked to talk them down?!"
"..."
"And it wasn't just chaebol kids—mayor's son, politicians' kids too! Because of you, chaebols and politicians are about to turn against us!"
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry isn't gonna...!"
"Chairman Valencia has arrived."
"Huff huff!"
"..."
Gizman Director, who had been furiously berating Ice Queen, stopped at the announcement of Valencia Hero Association Chairman's arrival.
The door opened, and Chairman Valencia entered the conference room.
"Chairman! Do you know what happened?! Do you know what that Ice Queen you favor so much did?!"
Gizman Director yelled at the chairman.
Ice Queen was the chairman's ally hero, while Gizman Director was his political rival aiming for the next chairman position.
"..."
Chairman Valencia paused on his way to his seat at Gizman Director's shout.
He glanced at the huffing director, then up at the ceiling.
"Haa..."
With a sigh, he walked straight toward Gizman Director. Surprised people stood to stop him.
"Ch-Chairman!"
"Wait...!"
Crack-!
"Gaaahhh!"
But before they could reach, Chairman Valencia approached and kicked Gizman Director squarely in the shin.