Chapter 8
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: A New Beginning (3)
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‘Wait, why is she here?’
I was a little thrown off by Bang Han-na’s totally unexpected appearance.
Why was this girl, whose house was so far away, here of all places? And why was she fighting the goblins all by herself?
Kieeeek───!
Right then, a goblin that had somehow circled behind her lunged at the child,
and I snapped to attention, yelling at Bang Han-na as fast as I could.
“Watch your back!!!”
“!”
Thud─!
Bang Han-na barely managed to swat the goblin away and defend successfully.
She quickly hid the child behind her and edged back toward the wall, staying vigilant of her surroundings.
I clenched my fist in resolve at her defense and hurriedly climbed down the rubble.
Then I pulled out the sleep grenade from my pocket and was about to hurl it at the goblins closing in on Bang Han-na...
Crunch─!
“Ugh...!”
The spot I stepped on suddenly crumbled, sending the sleep grenade flying off weirdly.
Pop─!
Some of the goblins were drawn to the sleep grenade exploding in the wrong place.
Kieeeek───!
In the end, the goblins spotted me and came charging over in a horde.
“Tch...!”
About 17 meters to go before they reached me.
With no choice, I pulled out my last sleep grenade and chucked it at the goblins with all my strength.
Pop─!
Gruruk... Guruk...
This time, the goblins properly succumbed to the sleep grenade, staggering around drunkenly,
and seizing the opening, I dashed past the goblin pack, grabbing a short steel beam scattered in the debris as I shouted to Bang Han-na.
“Bang Han-na! Charge in and draw their attention!”
“P-Produce─...!?”
Bang Han-na, who’d only just recognized me, looked stunned for a moment...
“Got it!”
Then she raised her shield with grim determination and shouted.
“Raaah...!”
Bang Han-na charged at the goblins without hesitation to follow my order,
Gruruk... Gruruk...
and the goblins faltered a bit, seemingly thrown off by her sudden assault.
Goblins love swaggering around in packs and get cocky against the weak but cower against the strong─a classic case of the strong preying on the weak.
They couldn’t cope properly now that Bang Han-na, who’d only been defending, was counterattacking!
“Fall back again! If they don’t dodge, they’ll get hit!”
“Yes!”
Bang Han-na swiftly retreated per my instructions.
I adapted the technique I’d stolen from Hong Yu-ra, channeling magic power into the steel beam I held and hurling it.
Whirrr─! Thunk─!
The boomerang-like steel beam embedded itself right in the middle of the goblin horde,
Gruruk...?
and as the goblins’ eyes locked onto it,
I clenched my fist─and detonated the magic power infused in the beam.
KABOOOM─────!!!
Kieeeek───!!!
Kueeeek──!!!
Magic power explosion.
A application of the magic technique I’d stolen from Im A-rin.
“P-Produce─...!”
“M-Mommy...!”
I rushed over to the two huddled in a corner out of the rising dust cloud and shouted.
“You two okay!?”
“Y-Yes...! I’m fine!”
“Waaah...”
The child burst into sobs and burrowed into Bang Han-na’s arms. I scanned the surroundings, looking for an escape route for the three of us.
‘Climbing back up’s not an option.’
The rubble I’d come down was steeply sloped.
Coming down was one thing, but going back up was way too dangerous.
In the end, we had no choice but to break through the monsters and circle around widely to escape...
“Producer! What now...!”
“For now...”
Right then.
Gruk... Gruruk...
Gruruk... Gruruk...
A new goblin horde was swarming in through the settling dust cloud.
They’d been drawn by the explosion.
“Uh, uhh...! Th-There! More goblins coming!”
Why do all the bad things happen at once?
Even the goblins knocked out by the sleep grenade had woken up and were angrily descending the slope.
“P-Produce─...!”
“Damn it...”
We were surrounded by goblins front and back.
It’d be great if I could use another magic explosion, but I didn’t have enough magic power to wipe out this many.
In the end...
I had no choice.
Gulp─
After hesitating for a long time, I picked up a long rod rolling nearby with faintly trembling hands.
And to steady the shaking, I gripped it─tightly, giving Bang Han-na calm instructions.
“When I draw their attention, grab the kid and run no matter what.”
“Yes! Understo─... Huh?”
Bang Han-na asked again, sensing something off...
“......Hoo......”
But I had no time to listen.
Thump-thump-thump-thump──
My heart pounded madly in anxiety, echoing in my head.
‘I can do this... I can do it...’
I kept repeating it to myself, trying to build confidence...
But the deeply embedded trauma wouldn’t budge.
“......Hoo......”
I was scared.
Scared to pick up a weapon.
Scared I’d charge in again, get hurt, and never get back up.
And the uneasy tremor blooming from that fear spread through my whole body.
The trauma from training with Im A-rin still hadn’t faded.
“......I can do it......”
As I kept hypnotizing myself like a mantra,
Kieeeek───!
Kieeeek────!
The goblins charged at us.
“Run!!”
“...Y-Yes...!”
The moment Bang Han-na, with the child on her back, tried to bolt per the order.
Craaaack─────!!!!!!
A frigid chill struck like lightning, freezing the entire goblin horde solid into a massive iceberg.
I unwittingly dropped the rod at that overwhelming power...
And blankly looked up at her─standing atop the frozen monsters, coldly surveying the surroundings.
‘...Seol Ju-hee...’
The real protagonist had arrived.
With Seol Ju-hee’s appearance, the incident resolved swiftly.
The boss monster at the gate’s center disintegrated without a trace, and the unstable gate closed in an instant.
The government reported around 900 official casualties.
Damage costs kept rising, but considering the gate’s size, location, and timing, it was practically a miracle.
The government and media focused on the magic anomaly detected hours before the gate, crediting ability users from all walks who helped repel it.
Among them, the one drawing the most attention was the “Queen,” Seol Ju-hee.
People called her a hero, even invoking noblesse oblige to exalt her feats.
Many other citizen heroes made headlines too, boosting national morale despite the disaster.
Hunters who drew weapons without hesitation to fight the monsters.
A restaurant owner who evacuated customers and staff instead of fleeing first.
And...
[Even in the dire situation, two citizen heroes who risked their lives to protect a child are stealing the spotlight. Right after the incident, Bang Han-na, who was evacuating per instructions, spotted a child separated from their parents and without hesitation...]
Grind─
Seol Ju-hee, in a shower robe watching the news, unconsciously ground her teeth, twisting her expression.
[In that moment of crisis, Do Ji-hyeok appeared and showed his mettle, saving the two. Known as the former Lead Producer of Queens, Do Ji-hyeok is currently producing a new team for Seoul City...]
“Hah.”
Seol Ju-hee didn’t like the news hyping up Do Ji-hyeok.
He wasn’t the kind of guy worthy of being called a citizen hero.
‘That trash getting called a hero? Pathetic.’
Seol Ju-hee was convinced Do Ji-hyeok had some ulterior motive.
The interview alone proved it.
[Nothing heroic about it... I just did what needed doing.]
Do Ji-hyeok was brazenly smiling on camera, subtly elevating his status.
Seol Ju-hee firmly believed he had dark intentions, and after the interview revealed he was on the same team as Bang Han-na, she was certain he’d targeted her.
‘Trash who only thinks with his dick...’
Staring at Bang Han-na’s jiggling chest on the monitor, Seol Ju-hee regretted chugging strawberry milk daily to grow hers, grinding her teeth,
[The Producer is such a caring guy! He always looks out for us...]
Crack─!
At the sight of Do Ji-hyeok standing close to Bang Han-na, she smashed the TV in the end.
A few days later.
I decided to head straight back to work without extra rest.
I wasn’t hurt, and the country hadn’t ground to a halt from massive damage.
‘This is within expected range.’
In the original novel Supreme Expert, the Central Square area collapsed entirely, halting the city for a bit.
Compared to that, far fewer casualties and most buildings intact made this a very good outcome.
‘If things go this well every time... I might really be able to change it.’
Dreaming of a hopeful future, I arrived at work.
“Whoa... If it isn’t our citizen hero! Don’t you need more rest?”
“I’m good.”
“Nah, you might be fine, but Han-na might not be. How’s she supposed to rest if you’re here?”
“...She’ll be fine too.”
“Ugh... How’d a guy like you end up a hero...”
Kim Jun-hyeong, who’d heard about me on the news, teasingly scolded me for not dressing up more, and shared that I’d come up in the group chat for city hall civil servants.
“Everyone kept asking about you. Like, ‘You know him?’”
“...For real?”
“Dead serious. Even my old department wants an intro...”
“She hot?”
“Not introducing you, so don’t ask.”
As we bantered idly crossing city hall,
“So Han-na and the others are coming soon too...”
“Do Ji-hyeok! Do Ji-hyeok, right?”
“...Yeah?”
Some young woman approached, acting like we knew each other.
“Whoa... I saw you on TV! Heard you went through hell─you okay?”
Turned out she was one of the people who’d seen me on the news.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“You must’ve been through so much... Heading to your team now?”
“Yes.”
“After all that... You’re amazing! Here, have this and power through today!”
“Uh... Thanks.”
She firmly placed a vitamin drink in my hand, said her piece, and dashed off,
“...What’s that?”
Kim Jun-hyeong, who’d been quietly watching, snatched the drink from my hand and read something on it aloud.
“Planning and Coordination Office, Budget Division, Kang Ji-young...? Well, well. Even the number’s here?”
“It says that?”
Kim Jun-hyeong narrowed his eyes displeasedly at me, then cracked open the drink and downed it himself.
“Hey, you psycho! Why’re you drinking that!?”
“Gulp...! Phew. I’d die before seeing you date a pretty girl like that! Nom!”
“You maniac... Give it back.”
“You gonna text her?”
“She gave it to me─gotta at least say thanks. And... Planning office? No harm in getting friendly.”
“...No way. I mean, I can’t!”
We bickered like high schoolers heading to the office,
“Producer! You feeling okay?”
“Long time no see. Thanks to you, I’m good. The kids?”
“They’re coming soon!”
“Hey, Gyu-ri. No hello for me?”
“......”
“Huh? Ignoring me here...?”
“Jun-hyeong, just contact the rented gym already.”
“...Geez.”
At last, our long-awaited first training session began.