SS-Class Hero: Sinnyeo

A roundhouse kick came flying straight at my face. What the hell was that speed? This was the power of a B-Class hero? In the blink of an eye, the heel of her boot was right in front of my nose — agility that didn't even belong in the same universe as a regular human. If that kick landed, my skull was going to crack open. No question.

At that instant, a targeting reticle bloomed across the heads-up display inside my gas mask, locking onto Baekho's boot.

Alpha's mechanical voice rang out. Then the mechanical exoskeleton attached to my body reflexively took a step back.

Holy shit!

I just aged ten years. That thing barely grazed past the filter canister!

But Baekho's assault didn't end there. She spun again, and the instep of her boot came whipping in — another precise strike, this time aimed at my temple. But Alpha, whose superconducting reflex nerves operated at the speed of light, wasn't about to miss that. I dropped into a squat so fast it looked like I was about to take a dump, dodging the kick, and instead thrust out my crystal-orb staff — the Protocol Cane. Baekho's foot skimmed past the crown of my head by a hair's breadth.

"What...?"

Baekho's startled voice reached me.

"Hiyahhh!"

I was just as shocked, for the record...

At the same time, Alpha's mechanical voice sounded.

Huh? Wait a second.

The instant I heard that, I nearly had a heart attack.

"Oh no! Stop! Stoooop!!"

If she took a plasma beam at point-blank range, Baekho would burn to a crisp with zero energy loss. I couldn't lose the next generation's new hope like this! I quickly put some distance between us.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Please calm down! If you keep resisting, you will most certainly die!"

Baekho staggered, her eyes narrowing.

"If I just... take you down... peace will... ngh!"

She finally crumpled right in front of me. I shook my head.

"Kee-heet! See? Ultimate was the same way. The problem with heroes these days is they never listen to a person until the very end."

Baekho gasped for breath, coughing up blood.

"Cough... stay away... don't... touch my body... khh..."

I approached her and crouched ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠down.

"Alpha. What's Baekho's condition?"

So.

Why the hell wouldn't she just believe me? This is why we have this mess! I told her I was a genuine, law-abiding citizen! I even set up the whole situation so she could rescue me!!

...Though Frankenmate's intervention was admittedly unexpected.

"Franken."

At my call, Frankenmate leaped into the office.

KRAANG!

His massive bulk cracked the floor.

"Master hurt. Bad guy. Punish!"

"Non, no, no. That's not it. Bullying the 'weak' is what's truly evil. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Urgh! Weakling! No bully! Me good!"

"Excellent."

I crooked a finger.

"So then, Franken. Let's draw a little blood for the 'weak,' shall we?"

Was Baekho glaring at me? Must have been my imagination. Of course it was. I was her savior, after all! Those tears were clearly overflowing gratitude.

A sharp needle sprang from the wrist of my robotic gauntlet. I pulled, and an IV line unspooled at length. Then I plunged the needle into Franken's vein.

"Master. Hurts."

"Ah! I forgot to say it. This'll sting."

Violet blood flowed through the IV line. I flicked the needle on the other end, and a few drops of purple blood fell. Baekho's eyes, which had been slipping shut, flew wide open.

"You... what... what are you doing?"

"What else? A simple blood transfusion. So please, don't worry. Kishishishishishit!"

I smiled to put her at ease. The blood was an unusual color because it lacked red blood cells and hemoglobin, but it was a special type that could be transfused into anyone regardless of blood type. I'd prepared it just in case of an emergency. Turns out it was coming in handy.

I grabbed Baekho by the forehead.

"Now, now! Don't move! If you do, you might tear an artery. Kee-hee-hee-heet!"

"Nooo! Let go of me!!"

I forcibly held her head still as she thrashed it from side to side.

"Alright! This'll sting!"

This time I warned her before sticking it in.

"Hahk!"

The needle sank into Baekho's slender neck.

"Don't... put... something weird... inside me... ahhh..."

Hey! Stop saying things that people will take the wrong way if they overhear!

I clamped my mechanical gauntlet over Baekho's mouth.

"Mmph! Mmph!!"

An open abdominal surgery without anesthesia could send her into fatal shock. Plus the infection risk was high and recovery would be slow. So I opted for an endoscopic approach. Coated bundles of wire slithered from the palm of my gauntlet and slid down into Baekho's mouth, traveling deeper along her throat.

"Mmph?! Khh... nngh!"

Baekho's internal condition appeared on the HUD. Whoa... it's even more wrecked than I thought.

"Alpha. Begin restoration."

As expected of my capable AI assistant. Alpha added a rather good idea.

"Well, of course. Baekho is, after all, a 'human.'"

Huh? That's actually a pretty solid proposal.

I was planning to train Baekho anyway. Might as well upgrade her body while I'm at it, right?

"Alright. Remodeling her while we're at it wouldn't be so bad! Kishishit!"

Baekho's eyes were sliding shut as she slipped toward unconsciousness. She was still trying to keep them open somehow, shaking her head with what little strength she had left.

"Mmph... nngh... hh..."

She finally lost consciousness.

"You'll feel refreshed after a good night's sleep. Good night, my hope."

I grabbed Franken's leg. A portion of his skin was absorbed into the gauntlet and traveled down the endoscopic wires.

"Good. Very good!"

Should I just take her to the Super-science Dungeon like this and upgrade her entire body? Just look at Hongryeon — her combat power improved considerably. And more importantly, there was barely any change to her appearance. All of this was only possible thanks to Frankenmate, that failed experiment.

But my grand plan wasn't going to proceed that smoothly. The ceiling collapsed, and a familiar figure came crashing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠down.

KRAAAAAANG!

"Kh!"

A maid, covered in dust.

"Hongryeon?!"

Violet blood was dripping from the corner of her mouth. Someone had pushed Hongryeon — who was on par with an upper-tier Dungeon Lord — this far? Who the hell?! I looked up through the collapsed ceiling.

"Hey. Trash."

She emerged from the darkness. A black warrior's hanbok, an outfit that also resembled a soldier's garb, her sleeves fluttering wide as they spread. She descended, floating through the air.

Good lord...

"The SS-Class hero... Sinnyeo...?"

The high-energy approach was supposed to be a bluff to shake off Mechaman and Hongryeon! But an actual SS-Class showed up? Oh, you've got to be kidding me!

...

No, wait. I should actually be welcoming this! If she wipes out the Mains and rescues me, that's a win, right?

But Sinnyeo's atmosphere was anything but ordinary. She narrowed her eyes and looked down at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me.

She flicked her hand, and talismans poured from her sleeves in a cascade. Yellow talismans inscribed with red characters swirled around me, encircling me completely.

"Wait... this is...?!"

What? Why is she suddenly attacking me? Anyone can see I'm treating a hero! So why?!

Alpha manipulated the mechanical skeleton and aimed the Protocol Cane at the talismans.

The crystal orb, already flickering with plasma, flooded with a burst of light.

"Sinnyeo! Stop this foolishness! Have you forgotten that I have the B-Class hero Baekho in my hands?!"

Sinnyeo tilted her head.

"Baekho? Where's that girl?"

My eyes went wide as I looked down. Instead of Baekho, who had been undergoing remodeling surgery just moments ago, a straw doll lay in her place.

"What?!"

At the same time, Alpha's mechanical voice sounded.

A beam of tremendous heat erupted from the crystal orb and lanced toward Sinnyeo. Round holes punched through the building in succession, everything melting away. But Sinnyeo's talismans began to ignite as well.

"Kh!"

I'm about to get roasted alive here!

As flames surged up in a swirling inferno, I flew through the fire toward the tower as if pulled by a magnet.

FWOOSH!

BANG!

"This is extremely difficult to accept!!"

Why is everyone so desperate to eat me alive?!

"Is this how an SS-Class hero treats an innocent civilian?!"

But Sinnyeo rose high into the air as well, levitating.

"Civilian? Cut the crap and go to hell with that scrap heap."

Countless talismans poured from her sleeves. They plastered themselves across the tower, covering it completely. Sinnyeo's black hair whipped in the wind. She formed a mudra with her fingers and shouted.

The talismans covering the tower detonated all at once.

BOOOOOOM!!

BABABABOOM!!

No! My prototype Orbis!!

Phew... thank goodness. The core didn't go down.

No, wait — is this really something to be thankful for? An SS-Class hero showed up, and instead of rescuing me, she's hell-bent on taking me down too.

"Well, this is just... the plan has completely fallen apart."

I entered the smoldering hangar entrance. The Mecha Legion was being pulled toward the tower as if drawn by a magnet. Among them were the wounded Hongryeon and Mechaman, whose lower body was gone. Well, Sinnyeo's spirit-descent Gift was a natural enemy of the Mausoleum Temple, after all.

"We'll leave it here for today. Next time, I'll return with an upgraded plan! Kee-hee-hee-hee-heet!!"

Sinnyeo fluttered her sleeve and drew out a new talisman.

"Next time? Hmph. There won't be a next time."

The hangar door closed, and I walked on, my white coat billowing behind me.

At that moment, an engine roar echoed across all of Seoul.

VVVVVVVVVVMMMM!

The tower began to shoot into the sky. Go ahead and try to catch Mach 25 if you think you can. My life is precious, so I at least put some thought into the escape. The tower soared beyond the atmosphere into space. Then, from that height, it plunged like a meteor toward the waters of the West Sea.

SHHHHHHHHH!

"Adios..."

I was just posing because the Mini-Mechas were watching.

Fuck. What now?

I've been marked by an SS-Class hero. Where the hell did I go wrong? Was my approach the problem?

Damn it. I'll have to go back and come up with a new method.