Chapter 6
In this era, there were many superhumans with all sorts of abilities, but not everyone could become a hero. When there were that many people, standouts were bound to emerge. Most of those exceptional individuals became heroes, and only the truly outstanding among them rose to fame. So even though countless people possessed unique powers, the vast majority lived ordinary lives.
That said, it wasn't as if heroes were in short supply. With villains popping up every day, the number of hero volunteers was growing just as quickly. They were plentiful enough; it was just a matter of whether they received deference or disdain based on their rank.
To manage them efficiently, the system grouped them into teams. That's how it worked.
"Are you insane?!?!"
"Whoa, you scared me. My eardrums are gonna burst."
In the Hero Association's A-Building, on the fourth floor in Team 1's office, a rare bellow echoed through the room.
"Hyung—no, Team Leader. What's the big deal? Retiring from being a hero isn't anything special."
"Are you out of your mind, you little shit? Hey, Lee Seojin. Did you eat something bad?"
"Nah. Just pizza and chicken last night, nothing else."
"Then did you go somewhere after a long time out and accidentally eat rat poison you'd forgotten about in some corner?"
"I don't keep that stuff around."
"Then why the hell are you quitting being a hero?!?!"
The slightly bearded man in a sleek suit shouted, and I plugged my ears.
"Hyung, tone it down. Your voice is too loud."
"Hey, you think I could keep it down if you pulled this on me?"
"It's not like quitting heroes is a huge deal."
"Hah..."
The man sighing in exasperation before him, yelling his head off since morning, was Kim Hoyeon—my hyung, six years older than me. We'd been close even before becoming heroes, and by sheer luck, we'd ended up on the same team afterward, sticking together ever since. He was one of the few people who'd stayed by my side, like a brother... but in my previous life, I'd sent him off pointlessly, obsessed with nothing but strength.
"Sigh... Fine, let's say that's true. But what about getting stronger? Your dream of becoming an EX-rank hero—where'd that go?"
"Oh, that... I decided not to bother."
"...Go see a doctor or something. No matter how I look at it, this isn't the Lee Seojin I know."
"For real, Hoyeon hyung! I'm quitting 'cause I wanna live a chill life!"
"That's bullshit! Think about it. Just a couple months ago, you were swinging your sword like a maniac in the training grounds, talking about nothing but getting stronger—and now you wanna retire? For a 'chill life'? Might as well say you're running off 'cause war broke out!"
For a split second, I almost blurted out that yeah, war would break out... But damn, I hadn't expected this much pushback. Then again, he'd been the one giving me advice, helping me out more than anyone, always pushing me toward higher ranks. No wonder he was worried about my sudden retirement talk.
In my past life, I wouldn't have gotten it. But now, I had a pretty good idea.
"Hyung, I'm fine. Really. I just wanna live easy. Swords, ranks... I'm sick of chasing strength and status."
"Hah..."
Kim Hoyeon dropped his head and let out a deep sigh. He eyed me with heavy suspicion, but there was worry there too as he asked,
"...You sure you're okay? This really you? Or... have you changed?"
"It's me, hyung. For real."
"...Ugh. Fine, whatever. The guy who didn't even have a proper hero name but got called 'Lone Wolf' anyway... Guess even you can change. Hard to believe, but I'll buy it."
"Haha..."
In my previous life, my hero name had been Sword Saint, but before earning that, I had no official title. Among the heroes at the Association, though, they had a nickname for me: Lone Wolf.
I trained in the gym without fail every single day, swinging my sword endlessly at superhumans in pointless drills. And that wasn't enough—I hunted villains regardless of rank, just to gain experience and get stronger. Even if it put my life on the line.
I'd nearly died several times. Looking back, I have no idea how I survived. But... those experiences had been useful. They'd been key to surviving against hordes of villains in the war.
"Alright, fine. I get it."
"Thanks for understanding, hyung."
"Ugh... Hero rank evaluation's coming up soon. With your skills, you'd be A-rank for sure. What about that?"
"Too much hassle. And A-rank means even more crap to deal with."
"True that. Still, the retirement payout's way better for A than B... Nah, forget it. You've smashed enough villains; you'll be fine."
Hero ranks went from E to EX: E, D, C, B, A, S, EX. But in my past life, I never made A or higher—no matter what. Partly because the war kept evaluations on hold, but S-ranks and above required a lot more. S-ranks got national respect; EX were global celebrities, treated like royalty anywhere. They drew massive attention, stars rivaling idols—beyond just protecting people, they needed charisma. Which I lacked.
Thinking back now, though... I'd cut down S- and EX-rank villains like nothing. Ironic.
"...You gonna be okay out there? Got a plan for eating?"
"Eh, with my track record, I can do anything. I'm the Lone Wolf, hyung. I won't starve."
"So, no plan at all?"
"...Yeah."
"Figured. Hold on."
Hyung rummaged in his desk drawer, pulled something out, and set it down. It was an application form titled [Adriel Hero Academy Instructor Application] in big letters at the top.
Adriel Hero Academy Instructor Application
"What's this?"
"Can't you read? It's an academy instructor application."
"I see that. But don't academies usually only take A-rank heroes?"
Superhuman powers didn't care about age. Kids could awaken young, so they needed oversight. Academies dotted the nation to train promising heroes. Ironically, when war broke out, those same academies spawned hordes of villains.
"Yeah. But with your skills, you could get in easy. Apply here when you need a job later."
"I'm just B-rank. That okay?"
"Sure. I know people there, and this one's lax about it. Wait, you don't know it's famous?"
"Nope."
"...Figures. You never cared about that stuff."
Hyung shook his head with a sigh. Why give me this, though? I had no plans to work until I found the sisters and sorted things out. Of course, I couldn't say that.
"But hyung, I..."
"I know, I get your stance... But you never know. Keep it. Academies always need instructors; you can join anytime."
"...Got it."
In my past life, I'd brushed off gestures like this. But I'd vowed to change, so I took it. It wasn't urgent; it'd come in handy someday.
"Thanks, hyung. Or should I say, Team Leader Kim Hoyeon."
"...Hmph. Brat. Good work all this time. Keep in touch even after you leave."
"You think I'm that heartless? Obviously."
"Given how you've lived so far, yeah."
"Ugh..."
It stung, and I couldn't argue. But things would be different from now on. At least I wouldn't lose people pointlessly in the war. Eight years left. Plenty of time.
I knew who the Hero and Demon King were. Now, it was about forging new bonds. And I needed to get stronger than before—just in case war still came. A backup plan couldn't hurt.
"I'll head out then."
"...Take care. Don't get hurt."
"Don't worry. You too, hyung."
Leaving Hoyeon hyung with his bittersweet expression, I stepped out of the room. Someone was waiting: my popular junior who always greeted me brightly every morning. Her eyes were misty, like she might cry, gazing at me sadly.
"Seojin sunbae... You're really leaving...?"
"Not your sunbae anymore."
"...Then what do I call you?"
"Just my name."
"Your name..."
Han Sujung dipped her head slightly, mumbling something. When she looked up again, her face was brighter. She seemed almost... happy? Must be my imagination.
"Hehe, got it, sunbae."
"Not sunbae."
"I know. But this feels right. Calling you by name just... feels weird."
She turned her head away, cheeks flushing like she was embarrassed. Guess dropping "sunbae" and using my name felt too strange. Seeing the usually cheerful, energetic girl like this was a bit odd—but cute.
"Take care."
"Ah..."
I ruffled her hair once as I passed. And with that, my retirement request was done.
※ I submitted the official retirement application at the Hero Association headquarters. Until then, I still had duties, so right now, I was out hunting villains.
'A-rank, huh... Not too tough.'
I rubbed my chin, pondering the assignment. My last job: catch an A-rank villain despite being B-rank. It happened sometimes—heroes eager to test their limits. Nothing unusual.
"...Reminds me of the war."
War had meant endless villains. A-ranks? They were everywhere. As it worsened, high-rankers multiplied—some defecting from heroes, others joining villains from the start.
...The more I thought about it, the more pissed I got. They bitched and moaned without fighting, blaming us for failures or losses. Villains kept growing; heroes dwindled.
...Maybe I should become a villain?
"...Damn, what am I thinking."
After all the Hero had done for me? Insane. Besides, villains were massively outnumbered now—heroes dominated. Unless you were low-rank, benefits were great; it was an era of respect. Assuming no war, heroes had way more perks.
"Lemme check. Target is..."
I pulled up the alert pad for villain details: Steelron of Lightning. Wrapped in electricity for high-speed movement. Last seen in the slum district. Looked like an average guy. Notable: he wielded a spear. High destructive power. Huh, another weapon user like me. But weapons alone didn't make A-rank. How fast was he?
'Weaker than war ones, probably.'
I'd seen cocky speedsters; they all died. I was faster. More precise, sharper, refined.
Thinking back, I'd been pretty damn strong in my past life.
"...Hold up."
A sudden realization hit while reminiscing. My current state differed from before. My soul and mind were the same, but this body was a total novice—weak as hell.
Superhuman power stored in the flesh. I'd slaved over training before... so,
"...No way I can unleash 100% of my past strength."
I sighed deeply and slumped down. Frustrating. All the knowledge and insights in my head, but the body couldn't keep up. Building it like before would take ages. No shortcuts.
Headache. Hadn't anticipated this—my biggest, most fatal issue.
"Haa... Whatever."
No point moping. I shook it off and stood. Man, this slum looked rundown. Like wartime villages. Superhumans had widened the wealth gap, spawning problems.
Were the sisters living like this? Or worse?
...It hurt to think about.
"...Let's go."
I stepped forward, eager to retire quick and find them. That's when a familiar voice rang out from somewhere.
"Oh. It's the old man!"