To Become Stronger (4)
The movie was just a straightforward clash between good and evil. The righteous Tyranno Rex, resurrected from ancient times, faced off against a cyborg mecha Tyranno Rex created from Rex's own genes. It was a thrilling one-on-one beastly showdown against a predator that had cloned itself—and one armored in modern civilization's tech at that.
"Let's go, Rex! Combine your mana with mine and crush that copy of yours!"
"Rawrgh!"
The Tyranno was a hero wielding the power of mana, while the Mecha Tyranno was the villain.
"Kuhaha! My hypothesis was right—dinosaurs are made of mana! With this Mecha Tyranno, everything will fall under my control!"
"You villain! How dare you do this for your own selfish desires!"
"I'll do anything to rule the world—even if it means trampling and killing everything underfoot!"
There was always some villain trying to resurrect ancient beings for twisted schemes, and the Mecha Tyranno they controlled smashed everything with mana-powered fury.
"It's dangerous! The dinosaur's resurrection is drawing cosmic energy to destroy Earth!"
"A meteor?!"
"Kuh, kuhaha! My hypothesis was spot on...! The cosmic force that wiped out the Cretaceous, the age of dinosaurs, targeted mana-based lifeforms like them! Come forth, will of the universe! Annihilate Earth! Uhahaha! Let this pathetic world perish!"
But wait—a meteor from there??
A massive meteor plummeted from the sky just as the world plunged into chaos.
"Climb on my back, Rex! We'll stop that meteor together!"
"Rawrgh—!"
"We failed 200 million years ago, but now we have humanity's will with us! Let's go—for the future of all life on this land—!"
Rex leaped onto the Mecha Tyranno, ramming its head into the meteor.
Boom—
The meteor shattered. The Mecha Tyranno's self-destruct vaporized it without a trace, and the Tyranno plummeted from the sky, shrinking into a small meteor that splashed into the Pacific Ocean. The end credits rolled with a puppy-sized Tyranno hatching.
"That was really fun."
"Is that so."
I'd heard the rumors, but seeing it on screen was overwhelmingly impressive. Unable to contain my curiosity, I'd come to watch the movie myself, only for the brain-dead ending to hit me—and now I was caught by a hero and treated to dinner.
This is the worst.
Setting aside the story or visuals entirely.
It was straight-up propaganda to shit on our organization.
The "villain scientist" was blatantly a twisted caricature of us. So grotesque and repulsive that midway through, I thought, The Total Leader might let it slide, but [Doctor] is gonna lose it.
No matter how I looked at it, the villain screamed [Doctor] inspiration.
"Doesn't suit your taste, perhaps?"
"No, not at all. I've hardly ever eaten at a place like this."
"Oh, sorry. I picked somewhere comfortable for me..."
Snow White—Baek Seolhui—gestured around with an awkward smile.
"You can talk freely about me here. It's under 'control.'"
This was a fine-dining restaurant serving course meals. At Baek Seolhui's suggestion, I'd ended up here—somewhere I'd never visited before the incident or after.
Was it good? Hell yeah.
"It's on me, so eat without holding back."
"Thank you."
Not paying out of pocket but getting fed? Fine by me. Eating at a place where a single course per person ran 300,000 won was unimaginable for someone like me. My eyes and ears, rotten from that movie, felt purified by this feast of gourmet delights.
"Allow me to explain the dish..."
"Ah, no need. Maybe next time."
"...Oh. Yes. Enjoy your meal."
But Baek Seolhui casually waved off the server who was about to explain the food with practiced ease. There must be a specific term for that kind of staff in English, but I'd never been to a place like this, so I had no clue.
"It's scallop and clam minced into a steak and grilled. Do you dislike seafood?"
"No, it's just been ages, so the taste feels unfamiliar. I used to eat it often before, but lately, I hardly get proper chances."
"Fishing in the East Sea is tricky these days."
After the meteor fall, mana buffs didn't just hit humans. Fish got them too, smartening up enough to spot human bait. Seafood prices skyrocketed as a result. Mackerel at 10,000 won a pop? Yeah, that was the new world. Unless it was land-slaughtered meat, eating out was tough.
The author must hate seafood or be obsessed with meat—one or the other.
Of course, none of that applied to our moneyed S-rank hero. For her, the food mattered less than the privacy and untouchable vibe.
"Do you come here often?"
"...Not 'often' exactly."
"Surprising. I figured you did."
"...I come every time."
Baek Seolhui flushed as she sliced the abalone steak with her knife.
"It's a government-collaborative spot—operates like a heroes' cafeteria on weekdays."
"So today...?"
"Not today. They rotate restaurants by day. I'm just a regular customer now, so it's fine. ...They owe me enough favors that I can walk in without reservations."
"I see. Then, uh, is it uncomfortable having me join you for dinner?"
"Why?"
Baek Seolhui tilted her head, genuinely puzzled.
"Well, scandals could pop up from eating with me. Paparazzi snapping pics of a young guy and girl together these days. Especially someone like you, miss..."
"Scandal...?"
"Yeah. They'd plaster it everywhere."
"If they run junk articles like that, sunglassed uncles show up pronto."
Baek Seolhui gave a wry smile, continuing to slice the abalone.
"The government's strict on ability users under them. Especially me—they keep close tabs for various reasons."
"One of Korea's only seven S-ranks. Fourth globally among the thirty S-ranks."
"...Saying it like that embarrasses me a bit, but yes."
Baek Seolhui placed a hand proudly on her chest with a beaming smile.
"Not the strongest yet, but Busan's pride. I'm S-rank for a reason."
"Impressive. Thanks to you, we live peacefully another day."
"Thanks. But..."
Baek Seolhui set down her utensils and looked at me.
"What's surprising is you don't look at me like that at all."
Shit.
"From midway through the movie, you were immersed. Even after we got here, you relaxed right after I ordered. Doesn't seem like an ordinary person."
No way.
"...What, unregistered awakener or something? Awakened ability but hiding mana from the government?"
"Me? Haha. I'm just a mana-less normie."
"Really?"
Chilly. Her gaze stabbed like daggers into my chest... Nah. No sweat for me.
Actually, better not to backpedal now. She had no solid proof I was Dokkaebi. Gut feeling? World's not that irrational.
"I'm honored and thrilled to meet someone like you, but your confusion about my gaze... It's because you're off-duty today."
"...?"
"You weren't here as hero Snow White, right? Just Busan citizen Baek Seolhui catching a flick."
"......"
"Even heroes and celebs deserve everyday lives. No clamoring for autographs, photos, or SNS posts about Snow White watching a movie solo."
Others already hound her plenty; no need for me to join in.
"Or do you want me to stare like that?"
"...No. It's refreshing. Thanks for saying so."
"Surely you have a couple people like that around?"
"...Sorry. Looking around, no."
Baek Seolhui gave a wry smile and sipped her tea.
"Everyone wants to use me, exploit me, win me over, hate me, envy me—with those eyes."
"I can look that way if you want."
"No, no. This is perfect. It's fate, so let's meet up more often."
"...Pardon?"
Was she right in the head?
"Hey, that movie we just saw."
Baek Seolhui's eyes sparkled.
"If an ability user has enough mana, could they break the atmosphere like the Mecha Tyranno or survive in space like Rex without breathing?"
"......"
"What'd you think? You seemed hooked."
"...It was engaging."
Dinos riding mecha dinos into space for a meteor kamikaze? Yeah.
"Everything's new to me. Haven't seen any of it."
Once I get back to Earth, I'll make novels, webtoons, movies—whatever. Stockpile all these "ongoing series" that wrap up here.
And haul them back.
"In this era where superpowers are real, my hobby's 21st-century comics, movies, novels—all that 'literature.' That's why I became a librarian."
A spoonful of plausible excuse for public ears.
"Someday, novelist or screenwriter—want to write stories myself."
I'll definitely return to Earth.
"Take a world ended by someone else and carry it toward the future with my own power."
For all the unresolved series crammed in my head—for the readers back home aching in anticipation.