Chapter 4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: But I'm Strong? (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I somehow managed to escape the cafe successfully.
Following the guidance of the heroes directing the evacuation outside, I made my way to the shelter, sat down, and racked my brain over what to do, worrying endlessly.
The boss was probably at home anyway, and there was no way he could check the CCTV footage right now, so I still had time on my side.
'The surest way is still to smash that thing...'
I had no choice but to go back to my part-time job like normal and bide my time for an opportunity.
"Sniff... Mommy..."
"It's okay... The heroes will handle it..."
"This is insane... Totally insane..."
'Everyone's on edge.'
Chaos had erupted because some grotesque creature had suddenly appeared smack in the middle of Seoul.
Recalling that there'd been no lore about that thing in the original story led me to one conclusion.
'Noble Heroes Beginning canon, huh...'
Unlike the original comics and movies, which started and ended with villains' tales, this was the world inside the game.
As a growth-based game, it needed elements to facilitate leveling up, but labeling random trash mobs as villains felt off, so they'd spun off a new concept—monsters—diverging from the source material.
The incredibly open-world setting even explained away experimental aberrant lifeforms or monsters spilling out from dimensional rifts created in labs.
If this had been the original story, things might not have spiraled into such a mess.
'What now...'
The absolute worst-case scenario was that woman reviewing the cafe's CCTV footage.
If it came to that, there'd be no dodging it.
If only the boss had seen the video, I could've somehow talked him into burying it, but if she got a look...
'They gonna experiment on me or something?'
Or worse, decide on their own that I had powers and force me into becoming a hero.
As far as I knew, heroes weren't drafted by force or anything.
Then again, this was Korea—could be different...
I knew next to nothing about this world, so no matter what, I had to tread carefully.
Hell, maybe they even let you sub out military service for hero work.
Of course, having already served mine, that wasn't a concern.
'Seriously, no good options...'
No matter how I turned it over in my head, no solution emerged.
Looked like I'd have to shelve it and move on for now.
'First things first, gotta check the situation outside...'
The only way to do that right now was the internet.
"Aaah... It's over... The end is here..."
First, I needed to pull out my phone and get the latest info...
"Hee, heek... It's finally here... Aaah, O apocalypse..."
What the hell—from earlier?
Strange voices had been muttering around me.
And the way they were talking... it was off.
Sounded deranged...
Wait a sec. No way.
"God has at last bestowed the path to the end... As His will decrees..."
A barrage of words that set my nerves on edge—I turned to see a man with a unhinged expression, short daggers floating around him.
What happened next was instantaneous.
"Wh-what is this?! A kitchen knife?!"
"Kyaaak!"
He'd seized nearby people as hostages.
"Eek... Hee hee... The end is upon us... We shall live according to the natural order...!"
"Please, spare us!!"
"Heroes! Heroes anywhere?!"
The captives screamed as the hovering daggers pinned them in place.
"Where the hell are all the heroes?!"
"They all went outside, dammit!!"
This was a world where most people had superpowers, but the vast majority were weak, barely noticeable abilities.
The odds that any of these hostages had something potent were slim to none.
'Hostages? Hostages?'
I glanced around.
This wasn't outside the shelter—it was inside.
I had no clue how bad things were out there, but with A-Rank heroes patrolling everywhere, it was clear the situation sucked.
In a mess like that, of course there'd be no heroes stationed inside the shelter.
They were probably out hunting monsters.
Yelling for a hero now wouldn't summon one anytime soon.
And even if one showed up, it'd likely be too late.
'Why is this happening to me...'
I was already stressing over whether Kinesis had spotted my power, and now this on top of it...
To keep my identity hidden, staying put was the smart play.
Smart play...?
The best play?
'Even with all this power... I just sit here?'
The thought hit me out of nowhere.
I had no idea just how strong I was, but at least I wasn't some pushover who'd drop dead anywhere.
Sure, I needed to hide my identity.
With so little knowledge of this world, flashing my abilities recklessly could spell disaster—I had no clue what might happen.
It might seem like paranoia, but this whole world was a game to begin with, so who was to say it wasn't real?
My head got it.
But.
I turned my head.
"Eek... Sniff..."
"Mommyyy..."
"Why... why are you doing this...!"
Dozens of people stared at the man, their faces twisted in terror amid the ring of daggers.
"Why, you ask...? You heretics dare deny the end drawing near..."
Rage twisted the man's features.
"Kyaaak!"
In an instant, a dagger grazed the skin of the woman who'd cried out.
The man grinned darkly as she clutched the flowing blood and writhed in agony.
"Y-you... You're just... for spreading... the gospel... So shut your mouths...!!"
"Huk... Heuk... Heuk..."
"No... They're all dying anyway. What's one early send-off...?"
"Eek... Pl-please... Spare me..."
"Hee hee... Hee hi hi hi... Spare you? Wh-who spared me... Hee hee hit..."
They're gonna die.
A total stranger, dying so pointlessly.
"Ah."
A memory from back then flashed up—me, helpless to act.
Of course, as an ordinary human, there'd been nothing I could do.
How do you stop a car crash with bare hands?
Staring at myself, the lone survivor amid that hell... I despised who I saw.
But now was different.
Now, I had power.
Was I really going to sit idle again, drown in regret like before?
Let someone's family member die here, all to protect my secret?
Would that even work?
Was it worth it?
"Hah."
The whole premise was flawed.
This wasn't about weighing value.
"Eh...?"
Dealing with exposure could wait.
Better to cross that bridge when I came to it.
Power revealed or not, I wasn't about to watch another person die right in front of me...
Crack!
"What are you...?"
I never wanted to see that again.
The man panicked.
He'd flung the knife at the woman to assert control over the crowd and adhere to doctrine.
But this guy had casually snatched the kitchen knife—propelled by metal manipulation—and crushed it right there in midair.
He hadn't even swung.
Just pure grip strength.
The man stared blankly.
"What... are you?"
"None of your business. Back off while I'm asking nice."
"Hee... Hee hee... Back off? Back off what? What do you want me to stop??"
What was there to stop?
The man couldn't comprehend.
They were all dead anyway.
He was even doing them a favor, sparing them prolonged suffering—why interfere?
"Hee hee... Wh-what, wanna go first? Huh... Should've spoken up... Fine, I'll send you ahead... Yeah? With the power He gave me... Heek..."
The blades gripping the other hostages all whipped toward the interloper at once.
Do-yoon eyed the man coolly.
'As expected. A zealot like this would target me first if I stepped up.'
Not some villain with a grand scheme—just a fanatic from a doomsday cult.
His ravings screamed end-times cultist; no way he'd bother with hostages from the start.
Unless it was a desperate last stand when his life hung in the balance... But that only held if he brimmed with confidence.
Show him overwhelming dominance here, and who knew what panic might drive him to?
Had to end it in one shot.
"D-die...!!"
Dozens of blades rocketed toward the man blocking his path.
An ordinary person—or even a powerhouse—remained human at the end of the day.
No one survived getting run through by that many, no matter their gifts.
The man watched the loathsome fool before him with utter certainty, awaiting the shredding.
But,
Ting! Ting ting!
The blades couldn't pierce—bouncing harmlessly off.
As they ricocheted, he snatched each one, ensuring they didn't hit bystanders, and pulverized them.
"Eh...?"
His thoughts didn't last.
A colossal shock and pain slammed his whole body, blacking him out.
In his fading vision...
'Crazy...'
The man, posed like he'd just flicked a forehead snap.