Chapter 49
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Terror (2)
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“Where the hell is this place?”
I'd been inside the stadium just moments ago?
Doesn't superpowers not work on me?
If my guess was right, that last villain I saw must have teleported me here.
So the question was, how did he manage to move me here...
Maybe because spatial transfer isn't direct harm?
My body only has resistance to superpowers that touch me directly, plus absurd levels of durability...
Though I couldn't be entirely sure about that.
I'd reacted to what I could see right in front of me, but not knowing what power that villain had was a big factor.
If I'd known he planned to teleport me, I might have countered it...
“...First things first, I need to figure out where I am...”
The moment that thought hit me, I pulled out my phone first thing.
But when I turned it on and checked, I had no choice but to put it away with a pang of regret.
As expected, there was no signal at all.
Typical America...
Covering this massive country with service is the real impossible feat.
Still, coming from a place where you get signal everywhere, it was hard not to feel bummed out.
Well, he probably did this because I don't know the way.
Or to buy time so I arrive even a little later.
I might be hundreds of kilometers from where I started.
“Haaah...”
Should've downloaded an offline map...
I chuckled inwardly at the thought.
I never even imagined a villain would launch a terrorist attack in the first place—how could I prepare for something like this?
“Guess I should look for a house nearby.”
The area was just endless desert, so I doubted there'd be anything... but if he really wanted me dead, he could've flung me into space or something. Instead, he dumped me on some deserted road, so maybe he can't use his power that extensively...
If that's the case, it probably isn't too far...
Doesn't matter if it's far or near anyway.
Even hundreds of kilometers is nothing if I sprint there.
First priority is figuring out the direction.
Luckily, the terrain here is mostly flat despite some undulations, so a jump of a few dozen meters up should give me a view of tens of kilometers around.
I leaped lightly into the sky.
My body was already plenty warmed up from earlier, and with time of the essence, I needed to get back ASAP.
Shooting up dozens of meters in an instant, I scanned the surroundings before falling to check for buildings.
Oh, there it is.
Way off at the edge, but my eyesight is sharp enough to spot it fine.
Looks like some long, stretched-out building—maybe a rest stop?
Doesn't matter what it is; just having something nearby is lucky enough.
Thud! Boom!
Spotting it, I veered off the road to avoid cratering the pavement and bolted straight there.
The sand sinking deep under my feet was annoying, but it wasn't enough to slow my leg strength.
Even tens of kilometers away, I arrived in no time.
Screeech.
I pushed open the door and stepped inside, where the presumed owner stared at me in bewilderment.
Then he glanced at the crackling TV, back at me, and muttered,
[...Aren't you that guy from the TV just now...?]
What're you saying?
I had no clue what he meant, but the TV mention suggested he knew about the incident back there.
I took a deep breath and sorted my thoughts.
Keep it simple...
Uh...
[Road. Go back.]
Ah...
I'll seriously practice my English when I get back...
[Uh...]
The guy, hearing my clumsy English, pulled out his phone and tapped at it, gesturing for me to do the same.
No way...?
I took out my phone to check.
The bars that were at zero earlier were now full.
The second I confirmed data was working, I opened the maps app and pinpointed my location.
Whoa... how far did he send me?
Nearly 1,000 km.
No wonder it felt like the middle of a desert.
Anyway, I confirmed the direction and route I needed, even snapping a photo just in case.
This should do it.
Feels kinda ridiculous what I'm doing...
But if I don't get back soon, everyone's screwed.
“Thank you, sir.”
I said that to the owner and stepped back outside.
Then, off the road, I crouched into position for another sprint.
This time, in one go...
Without wrecking the road... and bulldozing anything in my path.
Once tall buildings come into view... sorry, but I'll push max speed without hurting people, so there might be some chaos.
Heroes smashing up the surroundings during fights is commonplace anyway, so the US government will deal with it.
Let's go.
Get back fast, wrap up the terror attack first.
Worry about the international exchange later.
I kicked off the ground and shot forward.
At a speed no one would see.
“Haa... haa...”
Seo-yul wiped cold sweat from her brow as she surveyed the surroundings.
The collapsed stadium and civilians badly injured or dead.
Some had fled, but most hadn't escaped in time and fell victim to the villains' terror.
Many heroes were holding the line to buy time for the civilians to evacuate, but they were hopelessly outnumbered.
Notable villains were rampaging freely, each doing as they pleased.
The heroes might be superior in quality, but against such numerical inferiority, they couldn't fully contain the assault.
Focus on one spot, and a villain pops up elsewhere to wreak havoc—heroes were gradually wearing down.
On top of that, Overwhelming—the one who could turn the tide—and Do-yoon, who'd been holding his own against him until moments ago, were both gone.
No one knew where they'd vanished to, thickening the air of defeat.
They were trying to track them, but without GPS implants, and with both disappearing via spatial transfer, it was no easy task.
Think about it.
Finding someone without a single trace left behind isn't simple.
“Still no luck...?!”
“Of course not...! How the hell do you even track something like this...!”
The support heroes were practically screaming in despair.
They were giving their all to resolve this, but how do you find people who vanished without a trace?
America had plenty of strong heroes besides Overwhelming.
All the local ones had shown up, but it still wasn't enough.
Gathering S- and A-Rank heroes from across the vast country, scattered by state, naturally took time.
They could hold out until reinforcements arrived, but surviving that long with their current numbers was nearly impossible.
The higher-ups had predicted no one would dare touch this event with Overwhelming there, plus top heroes from around the world competing directly—it was a flawless upset.
“Hoo... You okay...?”
“...Yes... I'm fine, but...”
Yu-ah lowered her sword, her face a mask of unease.
She was anxious, replaying the last sight of Do-yoon in her mind.
“He'll be okay, right...?”
“Hate to say it, but we need to focus on the situation at hand... Oppa will definitely come...!”
He'd never failed their expectations before.
This time might be different, but right now, believing in him was their only option.
“What? You're Korean?”
A villain who'd overheard them approached with mock friendliness.
The two shifted into combat stances, but he just kept grinning and talking.
“Saw you fighting that monster earlier... Doubt he'll make it back here in time?”
The half-smashed-faced villain let out a grotesque laugh, prompting Seo-yul to snap back.
“...What?”
“Just what I said. We flung him hundreds—maybe thousands—of kilometers away. How's he supposed to cover that fast? Even Overwhelming couldn't.”
Seo-yul bit her lip at his words.
“And he won't even know where he is. It's over. This terror attack succeeded. You lot won't get backup—you're all gonna die here.”
The man's smile deepened.
“Kinesis... Sword Fairy... If I kill both of you here, I'll finally get some recognition...? Heh... heheheh...”
“......”
The two silently raised hand and sword.
First, take down the enemy in front of them.