Is This What a Hero Is?
Ugh, is this what a hero is?
A month and change had passed since the Yeonam-gu gate break. Amid all the swirling suspicions during that time, investigations had proceeded from every angle, leading to the conclusion that it hadn't occurred naturally. Not an accident, but an incident. There was no hard evidence, but the circumstances strongly suggested it was an artificial break. Still, they couldn't just announce that to the public. It would amount to saying that someone—whether an individual or an organization—had committed terrorism using a gate. If they could pinpoint the culprit or the motive with any clarity, they might publicize it and respond accordingly, but nothing like that had surfaced. It could only incite needless panic and potentially play right into the hands of whoever had orchestrated the break. Under that judgment, the Association decided to bury the truth for now and continue the investigation in secret.
"May I... join that investigation?"
Lee Seoryul saw this as an opportunity. By joining the investigation team, she could drain the Association's pus while resolving the suspicions she'd harbored for so long. Specifically, she planned to scrutinize the author of Lebalheonda, 'tls123', from every angle this time. A gate break appeared in the novel, and not long after, one happened in reality. Just like the depiction of Steel Guild deliberately triggering a break in the story, there were signs of artificial interference here too. With this incident stacked atop her mounting suspicions, she couldn't just let it slide. And what fueled Lee Seoryul's doubts even more was how the recent episodes of Lebalheonda portrayed the Association as the axis of evil. Like parasites driving their host to death, the Hunter Association in the novel was a hotbed of corruption. It eerily mirrored the Association from her memories, the one that had rotted to its core.
She wanted to uncover the author's true identity. Did they know something and write accordingly? If so, how much did they know, and why hint at it through fiction instead of issuing a direct warning? She burned to ask. But ordinarily, that risked escalating into thorny issues like "spying on civilians." She couldn't reveal her identity and send a note to arrange a meeting. She'd tried an indirect message, but there'd been no progress. Nor could she unilaterally dig into personal details and make contact. An Association agent investigating a webnovel author without clear justification? With Cha Yaeun, it had been simple—she was a registered F-rank hunter, even if just barely. But 'tls123' was a total civilian. Snooping on someone like that without ironclad grounds? Who knew how it might backfire later.
Lee Seoryul harbored grand ambitions to reform the Association from within before it devolved into a cesspool. With her eyes on a public career, she had to tread carefully, which made using private investigators impractical. She'd been racking her brain for a solution when this investigation team slot appeared—a perfect fix. Even if it was coincidence, she couldn't leave any suspicion unaddressed. It gave her license to probe the webnovel author, and she could "uncover" the Association's corruption during the process. That's why she volunteered so aggressively for the team.
"An official investigation? Hmm, Seoryul, you're a bit green for that..."
Her skills aside, her experience held her back. She was the Association's prized super rookie agent, sure, but her tenure was too short for this. Just one year since debuting as a supernova and becoming an agent. Her talent was acknowledged, but... still too junior. Seniority mattered in any organization, talent or no. The team leader was skeptical, but the higher-ups thought differently. They decided to let their ace agent gain experience. She'd been earmarked as someone to promote and nurture at the Association's level, so this was her chance to grab some credit. Plus, they planned to mold her into a hero—a veil to obscure inconvenient truths when publicity became tricky.
Young, beautiful, skilled, principled, and a promising newcomer. Many guilds had coveted this rookie who chose the Association out of conviction. She was pure clickbait. By making Lee Seoryul a hero, they could soothe public anxiety and divert eyes from the break until clarity emerged.
"Pushing her like this... what if she cracks? Do we really need to go this far?"
The director of Special Task Force 1, who cherished Lee Seoryul, was visibly displeased with the decision from above. Her direct superior and mentor felt the same—worried this talented subordinate might snap under the pressure. Promising stars crumbling under excessive scrutiny wasn't uncommon. To those unaware of the truth, Lee Seoryul seemed like a fragile sprout. In reality, she was a battle-hardened ancient oak—a regressor who'd failed once, broken, but clawed back for another shot. A hero of reversal, symbolized as hope—this wasn't her first rodeo. What others might find burdensome, she turned to her advantage. Thanks to it, she joined the team. 'The hero title does help with big tasks, after all.' Contrary to the higher-ups' intentions, she planned to use the "hero" leash they'd fitted her with to squeeze out the rot. She gladly bore the crown's weight.
And she wasn't the only one wearing it. This one was foisted upon her, closer to being used than choosing it.
"Congratulations on your C-rank promotion, Hunter Cha Yaeun! Care to share a few words?"
"Huh? Uh, wh-what...?"
"From F to C in one leap! A true human victory! What's the secret to your growth?"
"You received the Brave Hunter Award from the Association for defending Yeonam High School shelter, right? Weren't you scared facing the boss monster?"
"Records show you contributed to capturing an A-rank international villain as a porter. Is that true? How'd you pull it off? Had you already fully awakened back then?"
"Ugh, uwaaah—?!"
Porter Cha Yaeun. The epitome of human triumph, chosen as a hero by the civilian media. Seo Dami had shone too, but her narrative lacked punch here. Fresh off her S-rank promotion, she was already overexposed, her image worn thin—insufficient spark to rebrand her as a hero now. Cha Yaeun, by contrast, was media catnip: a perfect "story." New face. Pretty. Tragic backstory. Unyielding grit. Effort rewarded. Narrative gold. Heartwarming tale. In these turbulent times, she was a box-office smash. "Human victory" fit her to a T, and saving her siblings had incidentally saved others—a heroic feat. Holding the shelter despite her meager power only amplified the shine.
Cha Yaeun hit the headlines daily. Coverage poured in even before her official rank reassessment. Overwhelmed by unprecedented attention, she was utterly lost. And as the saying goes, praise begets hate: some dismissed her as "just C-rank," crediting others for the shelter cleanup. Jealousy flared at a mere porter rocketing to C-rank overnight; others suspected ambition. Some ignorant souls just dunked on the middling grade. But C-rank was no joke—ace reserves. More importantly, spotlight her timeline. Skeptics claimed full awakening predated it, but officially, she'd hit C-rank in under half a year at breakneck speed. A spoonful in catching Blood Demon, skill gained from that ordeal, then life-or-death trials honing it to C-rank. Even with her growth-boosting skill, the pace was astonishing. National team potential loomed.
This rare success story inspired envy and curiosity: How can I become like Hunter Cha Yaeun? Journalists, cloaking it as the public's right to know, hounded her.
"Won't you share your growth secrets for the public good?!"
Asking a hunter for growth tips? Some shared know-how altruistically online, sure. But this felt like barging into a chef's kitchen demanding the secret sauce. Offensive to some, but Cha Yaeun saw opportunity.
"Sure, I'll tell you how I grew this far. I've always hoped others could benefit too."
The reporter, who'd probed like testing unripe persimmons, was stunned. He'd never expected a straight answer—maybe vague platitudes like "fighting for my life." But look at Cha Yaeun's blazing eyes now. A fervor rivaling Seo Dami's flames, burning with missionary zeal to share her path, just like those true believers.
Super rookie Cha Yaeun. Her rapid-growth secret. This interview would explode on air. As she exited the Association post-reassessment, the mob surged, ears perked in rapt silence. Mics poised to capture her words, drowning out noise. In that heavy hush thick with anticipation, Cha Yaeun spoke.
"I—"
Her lips parted. Eyes locked on. And the revealed secret was...!
"—was able to grow this much thanks to reading the novel Lebalheonda. The info in it helped me escape danger multiple times, seize opportunities, and achieve growth—"
".........Huh?"
A statement begging disbelief: Is she seriously calling that the key to strength?
And that day, sparked by the interview, Cha Yaeun earned monikers like Fourth-Dimensional Hunter, Tee-Bagging Hunter, and Deceptive Cha Yaeun. The media's hero-making campaign slammed to a halt. Simultaneously.