Chapter 8
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Activity (3)
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“I thought they got away, but you actually caught them.”
The B-Rank Hero Aeros, who had chased the villain fleeing into the mountains, let out a sigh of relief as she looked down at the captured villain.
Shadow Step, the other B-Rank Hero who had followed her, asked in disbelief.
“You’ve got flight powers, and you couldn’t catch this guy?”
“I still chased them down, didn’t I? But what can I do? This one’s my target.”
Her ability manipulated air currents.
Simply whipping up some wind wasn’t enough to gain the upper hand against a villain who controlled the earth itself—rocks, no less.
Even if she descended and slashed wind blades at them, they’d just block with stone. How was she supposed to attack through that?
“But this is weird. Why’s this guy so terrified? That vicious bitch must’ve done something freaky again.”
“What’re you talking about? I didn’t do anything! They were like this from the moment I got here. For some reason, they used their own power to restrain themselves.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.”
“Hey, I’m serious!”
Ignoring Aeros, who was yelling while floating in the sky, Shadow Step approached the villain and reached out to wake them—only to sense something off.
“What the— they’re passed out? Wait, no… they’re foaming at the mouth?! Hey, didn’t you check the villain’s condition properly?!”
“Huh? Passed out? I really didn’t do anything!”
“Transport them now, quick!”
Killing a villain in self-defense wasn’t a big issue, but using powers on one who’d lost the will to resist was a problem.
Villains were human too, after all, and had rights.
Aeros wasn’t thrilled about it, but with the villain’s life at stake, transport was necessary.
“Ugh, this is so annoying… Hey, give me a hand!”
“Your powers could get you there in no time.”
“Not in a flat area like this—there’re no shadows! You think shadows connect all the way to the hospital, you idiot?!”
“Hee hee.”
Aeros reluctantly used her powers to lift Shadow Step, who had pulled the villain from the rock using shadows, and the villain themselves into the air.
A moment later,
‘Hm?’
Aeros’s eyes caught shattered trees and a deep crater in the ground.
More importantly, given how terrified the villain had been shaking just moments ago, someone else must have subdued them right here in her place.
“Hey, any chance there’s CCTV around? Or some way to check what happened here?”
“In the mountains? Yeah, right. Just hurry up and transport them before things get messy.”
“I guess…”
It wasn’t a big deal anyway—she could report it later.
Aeros shrugged it off and sped toward the city with her powers.
First things first, they had to save the villain’s life.
‘Phew…’
I’d been on pins and needles, thinking I’d been caught.
Back on level ground, I watched the heroes take the villain away before resuming my steps.
As if nothing had happened, I suddenly remembered the old man who’d been there earlier was gone.
“Eh… he’s probably fine. I didn’t tell him who I am.”
He might’ve just thought he’d seen things and gone home.
Logically, anyone seeing a human leap off a cliff hundreds of meters high and land without a scratch would assume it was a hallucination.
‘Or maybe not… From a normal person’s view, they probably couldn’t even confirm a safe landing from that height.’
No point dwelling on it now.
What’s done is done, and I didn’t even know where the old man lived to ask him to keep quiet.
I’d told him not to tell anyone before jumping, so if he was a decent guy, he wouldn’t.
And even if he did, there’d be no way to pin it on me.
“I’ve tested my power enough. Time to head home.”
I’d accomplished my goal for today’s outing.
Now I needed to check the heroes’ levels back home.
If this world was Noble Heroes Beginning, who knew what might happen in Korea next.
This incident alone hadn’t happened in the original story—hordes of unseen monsters had appeared out of nowhere.
I didn’t know how the game’s plot progressed, but if this was the game world, massive world-ending events could unfold.
‘I thought staying out of the game’s story would be enough at first…’
After facing those monsters, I couldn’t shake the need to get stronger myself.
The caution about acting carefully stemmed from my social status as a Powerless. If word got out about this insane power, who knew what would happen.
But what if I hid my identity and did hero work?
What if I gained influence that way?
Even if my identity leaked and my Powerless status came out, the good I’d done would tie the government’s hands.
And I could train my power through activities.
It was all upside.
Above all, to prepare for what was coming, I needed to gauge my strength accurately and find ways to maximize it.
‘Yeah, secret hero activities it is.’
Avoid civilians as much as possible, subdue villains without killing.
Without a hero license or way to get one, that was the best way to stay legal.
Even if caught, my good deeds and no-kill record should keep it minor.
Probably.
.
.
.
.
The world was changing rapidly.
Just days ago, Earth had been invaded by mysterious alien creatures sweeping the globe.
Nations were scrambling for countermeasures.
Countries without resources to train Superpowers had suffered devastating losses in the last invasion.
This time, the monsters weren’t as strong, so damage was lighter—but no one could guarantee they’d stay that way.
Preparation wasn’t optional; it was essential.
“Haa…”
A green-haired woman wiped sweat from her chin, released her power, and sighed.
Countless debris fragments littered the area around her.
“Perfect as always today. How’s your condition?”
“So-so.”
“Yeah? Your power level doesn’t seem much different from before. Any personal differences you feel?”
“Not really.”
“Hm… I was hoping to check for changes post-Gate incident… Guess nothing major yet.”
“It’s only been a week.”
“Still, Seoul stabilized fast thanks to you. Everyone’s singing your praises.”
“Eh.”
The woman checking data looked up at her assigned hero.
“Kinesis.”
“…Just call me by name here, Yoon-seo.”
“Should I, Lee Seo-yul?”
“Sigh…”
Ignoring Yoon-seo’s teasing, Seo-yul recalled the incident from a week ago.
About a week back.
The bizarre encounter at the cafe she’d rushed into, fearing civilians might be inside.
“Yoon-seo.”
“Yeah?”
“Any new physical-type heroes registered lately?”
“New ones? Around when?”
“From before this incident to today.”
“Hold on. Heroes are a dime a dozen—searching would take forever…”
“B-Rank or higher, minimum.”
“That narrows it.”
After checking her tablet, Yoon-seo shook her head.
“No B-Rank or higher physical-types in the last week.”
“That small monster from before… what was it?”
“Kobold?”
“Right. To take one down easily and punch a one-meter radius hole through the cafe’s concrete walls… what rank minimum?”
“At least C-Rank. E-Rank could handle a kobold, but those interior walls are 10-15cm thick. Punching a 1m hole? Energy-type D-Rank, physical C-Rank.”
“Right?”
“Why?”
“…Nothing. Any C-Ranks?”
“Hm… Probably a few matching that. Want me to look?”
“No, it’s fine. Thanks.”
Seo-yul stood up.
‘Not a hero after all, huh.’
So someone with that power wasn’t registering as a hero?
Or had someone else cleaned up and left?
She had no hero’s urge to uncover identities.
She’d just checked because they might be dangerous.
The stabbing incident’s culprits were tied to the Doomsday Cult.
Having beaten their followers, they wouldn’t stay quiet.
It nagged her, but pushing further would make her a stalker—and she knew it.
‘…Hope I run into them again.’
Next time, she’d ask what she couldn’t before.
And share info.
If they didn’t want to answer, fine.
Why hide, though?
‘Am I scary…?’
Since becoming a hero, she’d tried softening her expressions, but her personality made it tough.
“Pfft… Hey, what’re you doing?!”
“…”
In her private hero room, standing before the mirror practicing a fake smile, Seo-yul stopped as Yoon-seo passed by and snickered.
“Ow!”
She lightly flicked Yoon-seo’s shin with her power.