《Saving My Beloved from a World on the Brink of Destruction》


 CH 1

    Greetings! I would like to begin by mentioning that I was requested to translate the first chapter of this novel. However, I have not yet decided if I will continue translating the following chapters. If there is sufficient interest, I may work with a co-translator to continue the translation, although the subsequent chapters will likely only be available to private members to avoid any potential DMCA notices from the original author. It¡¯s also important to mention that this chapter was translated using my limited Korean skills, machine translation software, and dictionaries. As a result, there may be some inaccuracies in the translation, so please keep that in mind while reading.


    That being said, I hope you find this chapter enjoyable!


    ¡°Attention, citizens. A gate has appeared in this area. As of this time, all locations within 100 meters of the gate are off limits. Again, I repeat¡­¡±


    ¡°Come this way-! Over there! Don¡¯t push-!¡±


    ¡°Why did the gate have to open on the day I came out to have fun?!¡±


    People swarmed like a tsunami. Employees from the association¡¯s administration department were breaking a sweat as they guided citizens to the escape routes. This time, even the advance notice of the S-class gate¡¯s appearance didn¡¯t help much.


    ¡°Please maintain order!!¡± The man who helped a fallen child stand wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.


    Being a D-class hero, his only task in this situation was to maintain order. Nevertheless, his abilities were utterly useless on-site. He had the nerve to apply for an S-rank gate without any fear, but it was fortunate if he didn¡¯t become a hindrance. ¡®Shit. If I¡¯d known this was coming, I¡¯d have prioritize my life over getting some reward.¡¯


    The gate made its first appearance five years ago. The monsters that spilled from it. At first, the emergence of Gates was not frequent, but when they did appear, a significant number of casualties occurred. Now that ¡®they¡¯ are here, it¡¯s comparatively better.


    Screeeech~~


    A car screeched to a halt across the street with an electrifying sound. BANG. A man with long legs got out of the door that opened refreshingly.


    With dazzling silver hair, the man entered the scene. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s huge. So big,¡± wearing an S-class hero¡¯s uniform and sunglasses, he whistled and looked up at the gate. His livery, accented with colorful strings, stood out noticeably.


    ¡°Save the admiration for later, huh?¡± A man with black hair followed him out of the car.


    ¡°Aigoo, did you get irritated while eating lunch, our Jaeha?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever think that it¡¯s because of you that I¡¯m annoyed?¡±


    Then another young man got out of the car and separated the two. A white headset slung over his shoulder, and his expressionless face. ¡°Guys, don¡¯t fight.¡±


    ¡°Right, if you want to fight, let¡¯s have a proper battle at the training center later!¡± yelled a short-haired beauty, her arm draped over the silent man¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°¡­Please, noona, don¡¯t pick any fights.¡±


    Kikiki~. The woman laughed while clutching her stomach, and the youngest-looking boy among them sighed deeply.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s the SH1 Unit. The SH1 Unit.¡±


    The D-Class members, who had been assessing the situation, instantly froze in place. They saluted. As they stood at attention, a man with silver hair walked casually past them. Nevertheless, they couldn¡¯t utter a word.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the famous S-rank. Yoo Hwa-shin.¡±


    ¡°Is that Cha Jaeha over there?¡±


    ¡°The one with noise-canceling headset killing it. Insane.¡±


    They can tell what the other is thinking just by looking into each other¡¯s eyes. Yoo Ji Ahn had completely captivated one of them.


    A D-rank meeting an S-rank in person is as rare as picking stars from the sky. No, it¡¯s more difficult than picking the stars. Meeting an S-rank from the SH1 Special Forces is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, if it occurs at all. The situation was already tense due to the rapid opening of S-rank gates.


    Ah, can you hear me?


    ¡°Yes, I can hear you perfectly,¡± Hwa-shin responded to the voice by lightly pressing the in-ear receiver.


    The gate that appeared this time is an ordinary S-class gate after a long time. Finish it quickly and come back.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it possible that people have gotten too lazy?¡±


    Contact me when it¡¯s done. If needed, you can respond in between. I¡¯ll be watching through a drone. Please, please don¡¯t get into any trouble.


    ¡°Yes, yes. Understood.¡±


    Cha Jaeha, Jeong Mu-eum, and Yoo Ji Ahn stood next to Yoo Hwa-shin, who had put on new sunglasses.


    Cha Jaeha asked while putting on his gloves, ¡°What are you staring at blankly?¡±


    ¡°Thinking about how to finish it efficiently,¡± he said, his voice relaxed and smooth.


    D-Class, who had been watching them nearby, swallowed their saliva nervously. The tension-filled scene from moments ago was now gone. This place was under SH1¡¯s protection, thus, making it a defensive zone. Monsters that had just come out of the gate charged toward them.


    Bang, bang, bang. The loud noise spread. The ground shook. In the midst of it all, SH1 still managed to have a leisurely conversation.


    ¡°All you have to do is stop them, and we¡¯ll come after you. How many seconds are too much¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Their power isn¡¯t all that great, so maybe 10 seconds? But I¡¯m capable of pushing myself.¡±


    ¡°Take it easy, hyung,¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s enough for me,¡± Yoo Ji Ahn said, pulling out the double axes attached to her back. Clang, clang. The sound of them clashing was striking.


    Hwa-shin laughed softly in response to their response. ¡°Alright. Let us get started right away.¡±


    Eventually, golden threads linked the monsters¡¯ movements toward an empty space. Hwa-shin muttered as he held the threads between his fingers.


    ¡¸Monsters before me. All of them,¡ªStop.¡¹


    I recall hearing something about this somewhere. Why is Yoo Hwa-shin, an S-class hero, so well-known? What made him so famous? His daring personality? His laid-back demeanor and manner of speech? Each of his characteristics contributed to his fame, but the biggest reason was his special ability.[1]


    ¡°¡­crazy.¡±


    One of the reporters filming the scene instinctively lowered their camera lens beyond the danger zone of the gate.


    Five monsters. Because of the five monsters, the ground rose up, buildings crumbled, and people were evacuated. Strange and massive monsters that D-class heroes couldn¡¯t even approach came to a halt.


    ¡ªRumble¡ª


    Cries could be heard intermittently. The monsters, on the other hand, remained motionless. No, they couldn¡¯t move. S-class hero, Yoo Hwa-shin¡¯s ability was such an ability.


    ¡°Mu-eum-ah.¡± At Yoo Hwa-shin¡¯s voice, as if waiting for his cue, a boy floating in the air dropped from the sky. His landing point was on the head of a massive lizard-like monster that had come to a halt.


    ¡°Hey, next time you cast a spell, can you please make the blood stop too? ¡­ It¡¯s no joke when blood splatters everywhere. It¡¯s so damn filthy,¡± Jeong Mu-eum said, slinging his headphones over his shoulder.


    Hwa-shin, the laid-back figure, stroked Mu-eum¡¯s head. ¡°Mu-eum-ah has such a pretty way of speaking.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s because you told me to try it once.¡±


    ¡°That bothers me. Hahaha.¡±


    ¡°Ah, please stop laughing!¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha.¡±


    Before the D-class heroes who were watching the scene could even let out a sigh of admiration, Yoo Ji Ahn¡¯s twin axes sliced the neck of one of the remaining monsters with a hearty voice, ¡°Don¡¯t relax after just killing one.¡±


    Just like that, once more¡ªYoo Ji Ahn¡¯s axes floated in midair. Jeong Mu-eum¡¯s fingers flicked forward. The monster¡¯s head moved at a fast pace and later pierced through the body of the same monster.


    ¡°¡­Wow.¡±


    It was impossible not to be moved by the unfolding scene. A natural flow, like running water, and their calm demeanor in the midst of it all. Plus¡­ There was no trace of the monster to be found on the road where the flames had raged.


    Despite the fact that the road had turned into a raging inferno, Hwa-shin stood leisurely, taking photos with his phone camera. ¡°My kids, they really do their job well, don¡¯t they?¡± he said, proudly, as if bragging about his firstborn child.


    ¡°¡­Ah, that.¡±


    That¡¯s right.


    Hwa-shin was overjoyed with himself for having made it this far. He was now here with the characters he had loved the most, as a (former) archmage, thanks to his possession of a character in the novel Your Hero is Here>.


    Ah, to begin this story, I must first talk about my past. In the past, I was called ¡®Elric¡¯. My former occupation was not a hero, but an archmage.


    While filming the scene with his video camera, Hwa-shin momentarily reminisced about his past before possessing his new body.


    ???


    The dark cave entrance gradually lit up as archmage Elric flicked his finger. Monsters swarmed around the entrance. They appeared to believe they could defeat the dying dragon who refused to leave the cave.


    As Elric leaned his head against a pillow that happened to be a dragon, the pillow spoke to him, ¡°Shall I help?¡±


    The dragon language flowed into Elric¡¯s mind. He smiled and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll handle it myself. It¡¯ll be more fun that way.¡±


    ¡°You always look for something interesting. Why don¡¯t you live like the hero in the neighboring town?¡±


    ¡°I did that about a hundred years ago,¡± Elric shrugged.


    ¡¸Dispel the barrier.¡¹


    With his voice, the flow of karma[2] surrounding the cave changed. The barrier blocking the entrance crumbled with a crackling sound. From hobgoblins to rainbow-furred mutant unicorns, all sorts of magical creatures rushed in.


    A goblin wielding a giant club led the charge.


    Another club, another brawl. Why do they always have the same repertoire? They¡¯re not even worth playing with.


    With a short sigh, Elric opened his mouth.


    ¡¸In the order you entered, starting with you.¡¹


    And pointed his staff at the goblin in the lead.


    ¡¸Explode. Neatly, if possible. ¡¹


    At Elric¡¯s single command, the body of the foremost goblin began to swell slowly. With a loud pop, its stretched green skin burst. The ripped, square-like pieces of flesh landed heavily on the floor.


    ¡°Gurrk?¡±


    ¡°Gurrk!¡±


    The pursuing monsters¡¯ footsteps came to a halt. Some of them ran back to the entrance. However, their fate,¡¯ sealed by the spell, could no longer be altered. Blood began to splatter in waves, pooling on the floor like a puddle. The stalactites that had grown from the floor on the ceiling turned blue as they became smeared with the monsters¡¯ blood.


    ¡°Well then, Yong, would you like to clean this up?¡±


    A voice devoid of excitement. A languid attitude, as if waking up from a tedious dream. Every day, the archmage Elric, who was well over 200 years old, was utterly bored.


    About 20 years ago, when life was dull for Elic, he found a dragon living in a cave. (He no longer counted the days properly, so this was also not accurate. Therefore, Elic did not know his own age correctly.)


    Elric, who roughly named the dragon ¡°Yong,¡± lived with the dragon and often listened to old stories, which were very interesting. One day, Yong threw a book at Elric, who was scratching his belly with a bored expression. The writing was in a different language from a different world and Elric could not read it. After a very long time, Elic finally succeeded in deciphering the book that Yong had handed to him!


    It was a novel titled ¡°Your Hero is Here,¡± which contained hero stories. However, the book referred to the hero as a ¡°hero[3]¡°.


    Elric began to chatter with Yong, who was seemingly falling asleep soon.


    ¡°Here, the hero is from the SH1 unit. He¡¯s so cute. My baby saving the world.¡±


    ¡°How old is he?¡±


    ¡°The protagonist is 25 years old.¡±


    ¡°Such a kid is going to save the world. What about you¡­?¡± Yong, who had opened his eyes, briefly looked down at Elric.


    And Elric was an expert at turning the conversation around, ¡°Anyway, thank you. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve heard an interesting story.¡±


    Elric went back and read the book several times after that. Although he could read the characters, expressions that he didn¡¯t understand sometimes became clearer to him as he read. Naturally, his affection for the protagonist, Chae Jae-ha, grew.


    ¡®Chae Jaeha needs to speak a little more softly.¡¯


    ¡®His tone is rough, but he is really kind. He should be more polite.¡¯


    ¡®Is the face on the book cover Cha Jaeha¡¯s? If he looked like this, he would be very popular.¡¯


    ¡®To prevent the destruction of the world, Cha Jae-ha dies. But the world is still destroyed. Can¡¯t I just rip the ending of this book?¡¯


    Elric spoke for a long time before approaching the unresponsive Yong and sitting down in front of him. The ¡®today¡¯ he had wished to avoid had arrived. Elric supported Yong¡¯s snout with both arms. His only friend¡¯s soul was now dying. Elric softly asked, ¡°¡­Are you not dead yet?¡±


    ¡°It would be difficult if you killed me just like that, Elric.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just live a little longer?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps if you had found me a little faster.¡±


    The conversation continued in a trivial manner. It was even better because the content was meaningless.


    ¡°When I¡¯m gone, you can go into a book or something, so you won¡¯t be bored. You hate being bored.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a completely random thing to say¡­Of course, if you weren¡¯t here, maybe being in a book would be better. And make sure to spare Cha Jaeha. I honestly cried when he died. Haha.¡±


    Elric stroked the dying dragon gently, holding it close. His hand clutched the silver scales, which had turned to dust. The dragon, who appeared to be losing the strength to speak, persisted until the end.


    ¡°Live well.¡±


    A dragon, which peacefully completed its life, returned to where it had been before. f it was earth, it went to earth; if it was fire, it went to fire; and if it was wind, it went to wind. Immediately, the dragon¡¯s body was enveloped in a white light. Later, after squeezing out the last ounce of its strength for the first and last time, the dying dragon spoke human language, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even without me, you won¡¯t be bored.¡±


    Elric¡¯s field of vision was soon engulfed by a blinding white light. Everything became cozy as he felt his soul embark on a journey with the dragon. Elric closed his eyes naturally. In any case, once the dragon vanished, he¡¯d be alone. He reasoned that it wouldn¡¯t hurt to go back to nature together.


    When he finally opened his eyes, he discovered his body in the middle of a pool of blood.


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s this?¡±


    He manipulated his karma to reattach his broken arm. There was some discomfort in his right ankle, but it was fine for now. Elric bent his legs, which seemed longer than his original body for some reason, and stood up with a grunt. He was wearing a black outfit in a shape he had never seen before, and the white sleeves were soaked in blue liquid.


    He flexed his clean long fingers. His current body was not his. He looked around, trapped in the darkness of the night, and saw many unfamiliar monsters lying dead all around him. He looked around as he kicked the carrionized flesh.


    Before long, the memories of the man who had been the owner of Elric¡¯s body started to return to Elric¡¯s mind. The memories quickly intertwined with Elric¡¯s original memories.


    Hero, Cha Jaeha, South Korea, Awakened, Gate.


    Among the scattered words, he realized where he was.


    The world where his most cherished hero existed, who vowed to save everyone even if it meant becoming a villain.


    ¡°¡­¡­Hahaha.¡±


    He had now entered to a new dimension within the novel, <Your Hero is Here>.


    That¡¯s right. Come to think of it, my dragon friend. ¡°It was a Dimensional Dragon.¡±


    [1] The one¡¯s speaking this is a reporter, not Yoo Hwa-shin


    [2] Literally karma in the raws.


    [3] Romanized sound of hero.

 CH 2

    Hello, everyone.


    This is Elric.


    I am a great archmage who hasn¡¯t aged since turning 200, and I can manipulate karma. I¡¯ve possessed a character in the novel ¡°Your Hero is Here.¡±


    The body I possessed belonged to someone named Yoo Hwa-shin, who I didn¡¯t even know the name of before. He¡¯s a new public servant who¡¯s been at work for a month, and he¡¯s even a lowly E-rank hero, just handling paperwork at the association.


    That¡¯s right. I¡¯m currently playing hooky, typing these words in a Word document.


    You may be amazed by my adaptability, but it¡¯s natural for someone who has lived for over 200 years and experienced various things. (If you want to argue, try living 200 years first ^^). Additionally, Yoo Hwa-shin¡¯s memories have flowed into me, making it easy to adapt to this world¡¯s culture and environment. Of course, there are confusing parts, but I¡¯ll gradually adapt.


    How did I end up possessing a character in a novel?


    When the dimensional dragon died, it returned to another dimension. It seems that the dragon sent me to this world.


    I¡¯m not complaining about the possession the dragon granted me. I had no lingering attachment to my former world since living for so long was boring. To express it in this world¡¯s words, I am quite happy to have entered the place where my ¡®ultimate bias¡¯s lives. I get to see Cha Jaeha in the flesh, as well as his colleagues.


    ¡­Well, it would be nice if only good things happened, but the problem is that this world is ultimately doomed for destruction. To add, in order to prevent that destruction, my favorite character, Cha Jaeha, dies.


    ¡°He dies.¡±


    ¡°Dying?¡±


    ¡°Yes, truly dying.¡±


    <Your Hero is Here> is a novel where the protagonist Cha Jaeha dies, his comrades die, and the world faces destruction.


    So, I¡¯ve even possessed someone¡¯s body, and I¡¯m trying to prevent my child from dying just once by staying close to my favorite character. If my favorite character dies, there might still be some meaning for the world¡¯s existence. Well, there probably is, but wouldn¡¯t it be better to live alongside my favorite character?


    In any case, to do that, I need to join the SH1 squad where the protagonist is going. There¡¯s something I need to do there, too. At least it seems more interesting than being here in the civil affairs department.


    ???


    Elric was able to quickly adapt to South Korea, the world he was transmigrated into, thanks to Hwa-shin¡¯s memories. But, after about a week of working non-stop, he realized: ¡®Office workers are more boring than being mages.¡¯


    ¡°Hwa Shin, should we go for lunch now?¡± a man yawned over Hwa-shin¡¯s shoulder as the latter scrolled through the Word document while reminiscing about his past.


    ¡°Ah, yes, Manager.¡±


    Hwa-shin followed his senior to the cafeteria. Established about 5 years ago, the department called ¡®Gate Security Management Division,¡¯ commonly known as the Hero Association, used a separate newly-built glass building. Although it was affiliated with the government, it was more convenient in many ways to be located in the middle of downtown due to the nature of the gates.


    Hwa-shin was assigned to the bottom rung of the hierarchy, the Civil Service Department. He originally wanted to join the Hero Management Department instead, but it was unlikely for an E-rank like him to enter that department.


    Initially, Hwa-shin was an extra who was supposed to die in a horrific incident that he experienced a week ago. And that accident he went through was the ¡®Hongdae Gate Incident,¡¯ which became the stepping stone for creating the SH (Special Hero) unit that the protagonist would join.


    ¡°Phew, it¡¯s a relief that Hwa-shin appears to be doing better than expected,¡± the senior joked as he tapped Hwa-shin on the arm. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say monsters burst out of the gate?¡± Because the gate tracking system is new, the coordinates are still being set. A gate hasn¡¯t appeared in the city center in a long time. Civilians were caught up in the chaos, and wasn¡¯t it all over the news all day?¡±


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re right,¡± Hwa-shin responded. ¡°I, too, was taken aback. ¡°I nearly died.¡±


    ¡®I didn¡¯t almost die, but I was dead.¡¯


    Hwa-shin pretended to choke himself while discussing his near-death experience.


    The junior¡¯s playful response seemed to amuse him, and the man laughed jovially, ¡°That¡¯s great! It¡¯s good for young people to have such a strong mentality. It seems that a new hero squad capable of responding to incidents like this would be created soon. What about you, Hwa-shin? Are you interested in that, even though you¡¯re E-rank?¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course.¡±


    The Hero SH Squad was initially planned to consist of only S-rank or A-rank heroes. It was so exceptional that it was even called the ¡°S of S-rank.¡± They did accept applications from lower-ranked heroes, but that was probably just for appearances¡¯ sake.


    ¡°Your Hero is Here,¡± or ¡°Dang-hi-got[1]¡± for short, tells the story of events that occurred after the SH Squad was formed. tells the story of what happened after the SH Squad was formed. So, currently, at this point in time, it was before the squad was formed when Cha Jae-ha was an active hero working under the government alone.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe I can join the SH unit along with the protagonist from the beginning. That means I get to see Cha Jae-ha at a much younger age. My heart skips a beat. To calm down my inflated heart due to excitement, I shift my gaze toward my superior¡¯s face.¡¯


    ¡®Alright,¡¯ he said, instantly calming himself down.


    Anyway, the question of whether a new E-rank recruit would apply to the SH unit was somewhat mocking. That superior of his probably aware that Yoo Hwa-shin originally applied to the Management Department, not the Civil Service Department.


    ¡°Well, even if I die and come back to life, I won¡¯t be able to go,¡± Hwa-shin shrugged. ¡°But I¡¯m still young, so I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡±


    The senior looked at him answering with a smile made a strange expression and quickly returned to his normal state. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll cheer you on! But don¡¯t have too high expectations, our new E-rank recruit.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, yes. Thanks for your support, sunbae. I¡¯ll definitely get away from the Civil Service Department,¡± Hwa-shin replied, striking a fighting pose by raising his arm.


    ¡°¡­Oh, right. Our department¡¯s newbie is overflowing with enthusiasm,¡± the senior looked back at Hwa-shin, thinking that a crazy person had finally joined in as a newcomer.


    ???


    Yoo Hwa-shin left work in the afternoon and went straight to the Hero Management Department, which was in charge of SH Division recruitment. The management department, located on the third floor, was a modern and clean space with a white-toned interior that matched well.


    ¡°Hello. My name is Yoo Hwa-shin from the Gate Civil Service Department.¡±


    ¡°Yes, how may I assist you?¡± the counter employee¡¯s gaze was drawn quickly to Hwa-employee shin¡¯s ID. All employees working in hero-related departments were required to indicate their hero grades under their employee IDs. The employee¡¯s expression changed instantly after learning that Hwa-shin was an E-rank. Seeing this, the employee immediately remarked, ¡°By the way, anything related to civil affairs will be handled by our management department¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not why I¡¯m here. I want to apply for the SH unit,¡± Hwa-shin said, handing over the application form.


    The employee¡¯s glasses glinted as he checked Hwa-shin¡¯s employee ID again with a puzzled expression. ¡®¡­It¡¯s E-rank. But, SH unit?¡¯


    Then, the employee asked back, ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the SH unit.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°That one?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this one, not one over there.¡±


    The employee furrowed his eyebrows at Hwa-shin¡¯s light tone. ¡®What the hell is this guy doing? An E-rank applying for SH unit.¡¯ It was hard for him to accept the request rationally. ¡°Of course, the division accepts applications from E-rank heroes as well,¡± the employee said after coughing to clear his throat. ¡°¡­Has your rank recently changed? If your status has changed, please notify us immediately after checking your status screen.¡±


    Hwa-shin shook his head. ¡°Ah, no changes. It¡¯s still E-rank.¡±


    In fact, Hwa-shin had no way of knowing whether he was still E-rank or had advanced to S-rank. To begin with, he couldn¡¯t even see or access the status window.


    Status Window and Hero Rankings.


    The world established official criteria to manage the heroes who protect their countries by defeating monsters coming from the gates. They used an artificial intelligence program to calculate the overall score based on these criteria and assigned rankings accordingly. The status window accurately displayed these rankings and abilities.


    Yoo Hwa-shin, unfortunately, couldn¡¯t see the status window. It was most likely because the ability Elric¡¯s soul, no, his original soul used was not originally from this world. When he entered Hwa-shin¡¯s body, he had already confirmed that using the undead skill was possible by manipulating karma while repairing the damaged body. He planned to find out the finer details such as the scope and conditions later.


    The employee questioned Hwa-shin again, who said there had been no changes. ¡°Are you still applying to SH unit?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The employee sighed deeply in response to Hwa-shin¡¯s innocent smile and response. ¡®A troublesome guy has come. Seems like someone had been watching comics and immersed in playing hero, is soaked in the fantasy of ¡°I¡¯ll save the world!¡±¡¯


    ¡°Excuse me for a moment,¡± the employee said as he dialed a phone number. After hearing some explanations, he spoke to Hwa-shin again, saying, ¡°Although the SH unit¡¯s recruitment regulations accept all applicants, you¡¯re our first E-ranked applicant. If you register incorrectly, there may be rumors later, so would it be okay to measure your ability again before we proceed with the registration process?¡±


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s fine with me.¡±


    ¡®In any case, it¡¯s a win since they couldn¡¯t confirm it.¡¯


    As soon as Hwa-shin accepted, the man grimaced and grabbed a few documents from under the desk. Then Hwa-shin wondered, if he had been promoted, would he have had to go through the arduous process of handling a public servant¡¯s paperwork and approvals himself?


    ¡®Where did such a cute and annoying guy appear from?¡¯


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go to the measurement room,¡± the employee¡¯s enraged expression as he suggested going to the measurement room resembled that of a monster charging at Hwa-shin to kill him.


    ¡®It would be nice if you did what you had to do with a smile.¡¯


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Hwa-Shin gently tapped the man¡¯s shoulder and bowed slightly.


    As the man turned around, their eyes met at a distance of about one fathom apart. The employee frowned, seemingly uncomfortable with their close proximity.


    ¡°¡­What is it?¡±


    Hwa-Shin¡¯s gaze curved downward. ¡°Are all your employees naturally this brusque?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just curious.¡±


    ¡°¡­..There¡¯s no need to waste time smiling while working.¡±


    Karma¡¯s flow flickered before Hwa-shin¡¯s eyes. After confirming the required amount of karma, the flow changed in response to Hwa-shin¡¯s voice:


    ¡¸¡°You¡¯d look much better with a smile, though. Come on, just keep smiling until we get to the measurement room, okay?¡±¡¹Hwa-shin made a gesture with his index fingers, lifting the corners of his mouth.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the corners of the man¡¯s mouth began to rise. ¡°Huh, what¡¯s this? ¡°Why am I like this?¡± The man couldn¡¯t show any signs of being flustered, even though he was. Questions raced through his mind.


    Hwa-shin lightly draped his arm over the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡®Hmm, his face has finally changed to a more pleasant expression.¡¯ Hwa-shin laughed loudly, ¡°Alright! Should we go to the measurement room?¡±


    Their footsteps were light in the amicable atmosphere.


    At least that¡¯s what Hwa-shin believed.


    Footnote


    [1] Basically an acronym of the first letter of the novel¡¯s title, (??? ???? ??? ??).

 CH 3

    As mentioned previously, this is the last chapter we¡¯ll update on NU before going private. Please sign up as a member on our site, then join our discord and request a role in #private-novel-request channel to read all future private chapters for this novel. That¡¯s all! Enjoy this chapter


    Note: The novel is written in third person omniscient, which means that there is a random switch between the characters¡¯ POVs in the form of narrative text, as well as occasional monologues from multiple characters. My co-TL and I are doing our best to translate the text so that it is understandable to the readers. However, there may be some details that we missed, so please bear with us. Thanks.


    The measurement room was located at the very end of the hallway on the left side of the third floor. It was tucked away in the corner, due to the fact that S and A offense-type heroes were known to cause massive explosions and noise. Inside, the room was lit with lights that emitted a faint glow, barely enough to illuminate faces, with the grading machine looming in the center boasting its magnificence.


    The employee pointed to a scaffold directly in front of the machine and said, ¡°You can stand on this.¡± The corner of his mouth which was forced to turn upwards soon tingled. He then squeezed the stack of papers he held in his hand.


    ¡®What the hell was that just now?¡¯


    Immediately, the corners of his mouth twitched and fell back into place as quickly as they had before, right after he opened the door to the measurement room. It was obvious that the hero beside him did it, but he had no proof.


    ¡®Telling me to smile¡­?¡¯


    However, the ability to manipulate people with words has yet to be discovered. ¡­. And it¡¯s unlikely that someone with that ability would be an E-rank, the employee internally concluded.


    ¡°Even though you have measured it before, the laser emitted by the machine measures overall physical and magical strength. Generally, the heroes¡¯ power is similar to the energy flowing from the gate. The energy is called magic power for convenience, and the ranking is based on that magic power,¡± the employee explained.


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s fascinating,¡± Hwa-shin said to himself after the employee¡¯s convincing explanation.


    ¡®Then the ranking would not change anytime soon.¡¯


    In the first place, the power of karma was not something that could be given or borrowed. Moreover, I didn¡¯t have to manipulate any magic within my body, which is why I was able to use it more easily than other mages. In fact, there was some disagreement among mages as to whether what I did could even be defined as magic.


    ¡°I mean, there¡¯s no foundation. Foundation. What kind of magic is made just by going ¡®poof!¡¯? If it¡¯s magic, it should be a collection of formulas, magic circles, and beautiful calculations!¡±


    ¡°Look, if this is not magic, what is it? If that guy, Elric, tells you to dance, you will dance right away.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that hypnosis! Hypnosis!¡±


    ¡°So are you saying hypnosis isn¡¯t magic? There are families that have been hypnotists for generations! Are you picking a fight with us?¡±


    ¡®¡­Ugh, just imagining it is noisy.¡¯


    What exactly is karma? In a nutshell, karma refers to the actions that a person has accumulated, or will accumulate, during his lifetime, resulting in karma. Every action has an effect, a karmic result. Simply put, if you do good, good things will happen; if you do bad, bad things will happen. And it is this energy, which is associated with both good and bad deeds, that causes the flow of karma.


    Elric¡¯s ¡°words¡± was magic that could manipulate such karma. At a young age, Elric realized that he could see the flow of karma and manipulate it. In a literal sense, he could easily manipulate others¡¯ actions and twist their fate.


    So what would be the most effective way to manipulate others¡¯ fate, and their karma?


    In truth, it¡¯s all about determining the outcome for the other party in advance.


    You don¡¯t smile because you¡¯re happy, but rather because you¡¯re smiling. You don¡¯t explode because something is wrong with you, you explode because you want to. It¡¯s the ability to dispense with all the processes involved in thoughts, words, and actions and just specify the outcome. It was this ability to speak through karma that made Elric the most powerful mage of all.


    Of course, there were limitations. If it were all-powerful, Elric wouldn¡¯t have let the dragon die.


    ¡ªThe measurement is complete¡ª


    ¡± You are welcome to come down, please wait over there.¡±


    As Hwa-shin contemplated the scope of karma¡¯s usage, the ranking measurement had finished. He hopped down from the mechanical platform and sat on a sofa in the corner, waiting for the results. It seemed the results were revealed after the data was stored in the device.


    The employee who checked Hwashin¡¯s rank, sprawled like seaweed on the chair, muttered softly, ¡®¡­.This is unbelievable.¡¯


    ¡°¡­.It makes no sense.¡±


    Hwa-shin, who had been observing the employee¡¯s expression, became curious about the outcome. ¡®Could it be that karma was also measured as energy like magical power? Well, there¡¯s a possibility.¡¯ Nonetheless, he wasn¡¯t sure how karma worked in this world. It might be possible if they measured the magical power floating around.


    ¡®Was the previous measurement wrong then?¡¯


    As for the employee, he frantically rifled through the documents he had been holding. It seemed as if he was trying to examine the past records that Yoo Hwa-shin had measured.


    ¡°No. He¡¯s been tested at least twice.¡±


    Eventually, the employee resigned to the new results and approached Yoo Hwa-shin in deep thought.


    ¡°Mr. Yoo Hwa-shin, um¡­¡±


    Yoo Hwa-shin¡¯s eyebrows rose.


    Before the employee could finish speaking, he first handed over the measurement results to Yoo Hwa-shin


    The overall ability score for basic physical strength is D.


    ¡®It¡¯s the same as the previous record, so was this body¡¯s magical ability lacking from the start? It¡¯s true that having high basic physical strength wouldn¡¯t be very useful in real combat without combat abilities, so my magical power is¡ª¡¯


    ¡°¡­Magic power is F?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve dropped one rank since the last time we measured you when you were an E-rank. On top of that, you don¡¯t seem to have any of the skills you used to have.¡±


    Contrary to the man who looked pitifully at himself with drooping eyebrows, Hwa-shin took the two sheets of paper he was handed over with a carefree expression. ¡°Do you mind if I take these records?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. I have the originals, and that¡¯s a copy.¡±


    ¡®What on earth did this man believe in when he tried to apply for the SH squad? Was it really an illusion that I felt my mouth lift earlier?¡¯ the employee who had been watching all of this became concerned about Yoo Hwa-shin, whom he had initially thought was just a nuisance. Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind.


    [Rising Young Hero Suicides Due to Pessimism Over Rankings, Up 20% From Last Year¡­ ]


    ¡®What if he¡¯s so depressed about his demotion that he commits suicide at the SH Unit testing site?¡¯


    In a testing site mainly composed of high-ranked heroes, the suicide of a low-ranked hero would undoubtedly become a hot topic. The employee clenched his lips tightly.


    ¡®So, he lied about being an E-rank on purpose earlier because he couldn¡¯t bear admitting he¡¯s an F-rank, this guy.¡¯


    The employee gripped the remaining documents in his hand with a resolute determination. Afterward, he slightly lifted his glasses, which were resting on his nose, and opened his mouth with a grave expression, ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Yoo Hwa-shin, I don¡¯t usually say this to someone I¡¯ve just met, but¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re considering killing yourself during the SH Unit selection test, I wouldn¡¯t recommend it. Of course, it would become a hot topic, but that¡¯s as far as it would go.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too pessimistic about your dropped ranking. Aside from one¡¯s rank, there are many valuable things in life.¡±


    ¡®What¡¯s the deal with this guy?¡¯ Yoo Hwa-shin couldn¡¯t help but find the man who had misunderstood him and calmly tried to persuade him amusing. The employee that seemed to be in his early to mid-30s, was currently worrying about him¡ªwho had lived for over 200 years.


    ¡®Suicide due to rank pessimism.¡¯


    Indeed.


    Rank was the most important measure in hero activities. Even though they were public servants, the amount of money earned significantly changed as their rank increased. The polarization would only worsen after the SH Unit was formed. But who could criticize the high salaries given to those who fought monsters? After all, it was a situation where it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that a country could be destroyed without them.


    Yoo Hwa-shin folded the paper in his hand into the shape of a fan and lightly tapped the trembling employee¡¯s hand with the fan before continuing to speak, ¡°Are you worried about me right now?¡±


    ¡°Not really, I¡¯m just trying to get you to realize that¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, so please just make sure to properly register the application I left on the counter earlier,¡± Yoo Hwa-shin added before gathering the documents and opening the door to the measurement room. The bright light from the hallway seeped into the dark room. Due to the backlit glare, the employee couldn¡¯t read his expression. ¡°If you don¡¯t like the idea of me dying, you can come and watch me later.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Yoo Hwa-shin, please, about your application¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, please make sure to do it. See you then, dear employee,¡± Yoo Hwa-shin said, leaving the employee with a somewhat cheeky tone.


    The employee that was left alone could only stare blankly at Yoo Hwa-shin¡¯s retreating figure.


    An F-rank SH Unit applicant.


    It was beyond worrying and now downright absurd.


    ¡°This is insane, really.¡±


    ¡®¡­Huh. I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t understand what that guy is trying to do at all.¡¯


    ???


    The civil affairs division was bustling. People gathered around Hwa-shin, who was leisurely humming a tune.


    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this? I¡¯m quite the popular star today, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Employees looked down at Yoo Hwa-shin, who was wearing a bright smile. They surrounded him and whispered a few words to each other in secrecy. Of course, Hwa-shin could hear everything. It would be strange if he didn¡¯t hear anything at this distance.


    Eventually, one of the bosses who seemed to be their representative asked in a worried tone, ¡°Mr. Hwa-shin, did you really apply for the SH unit? I mean, I thought it was just a joke.¡±


    ¡°Do you know that you¡¯re the only one with an F rank on the SH Unit support list on the website?¡±


    ¡°If you check the website, it¡¯s right there! You¡¯re the only one with an F rank!¡±


    ¡°Really? Wow, I don¡¯t know what to do when everyone looks at me like that. I¡¯m going to be quite a celebrity. How embarrassing.¡± Yoo Hwa-shin, with a flower in his hand, twisted his body as if embarrassed.


    ¡°No, Mr. Hwa-shin, this really isn¡¯t the time for that. Please cancel it quickly.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about? I¡¯ve been waiting for this day for so long.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I knew they¡¯d pick a few people. But even if they only pick a few, you¡¯re still an F rank¡­¡±


    Hwa-shin, of course, already knew how many people would be chosen.


    Seven.


    The government had chosen a total of 7 members for SH Unit. Although all seven members of the SH Unit belonged to the same unit, the SH Unit is divided into three separate units, each with a different role. The 1st unit is responsible for killing monsters that emerge from domestic Gates and rescuing civilians, the 2nd unit enters the Gates and investigates them, and the 3rd unit is primarily focused on international cooperation and is dispatched overseas. Naturally, in the original work, all three units are made up of S- or A-class heroes. The protagonist, Cha Jaeha, and his colleagues were assigned to the 1st unit.


    As for Hwa-shin, he was spinning his newly received, shiny ID card around while rocking his chair back and forth among the anxious faces around him.


    [Yoo Hwa-shin, F-rank, Gate Security Management Department, Gate Civil Affairs Division]


    ¡°Hehehe.¡±


    The time had come to meet Cha Jaeha and his soon-to-be SH-1 Unit colleagues.

 CH 4

    Around 30 heroes applied to join the SH Unit. Many of them were S-rank or A-rank heroes, including those who gave up on applying to the SH Unit a while ago. In front of the waiting room for the SH Unit, two government officials borrowed from the Public Relations and Management departments were organizing documents. Their job was to verify the identity and paperwork of the heroes who came for the SH Unit selection test.


    ¡°Did this person apply too? I heard that he has been really busy lately.¡±


    ¡°Well, all S-ranks are required to participate. It¡¯s weird if there are no S-ranks at the SH unit test site in the first place.¡±


    ¡°True. Ahh, I envy S-ranks¡­ no, but still, it¡¯s nice to see their faces once in a while.¡±


    S-ranks were not even a presence that heroes could frequently encounter. Just as one cannot see top-tier celebrities every day, the chance to face an S-rank was very rare. Their popularity was also similar. In fact, in terms of recognition alone, heroes were ranked even higher than celebrities.


    Among the S-rank and A-rank heroes, there were many who had fans that rivaled those of celebrities due to their flashy appearance and skills. Even just by looking at community forums, there were several personal bulletin boards for the top heroes, and the related comments never stopped even if you just searched their names.


    ¨C Hey Hero Jeong Mu-eum, are you wearing an Apple¡¯s headphones?


    Yeah, he switched to the new Silver line that just came out. Let¡¯s get them together lol.


    ¨C Old woman, even if you meet a monster, you won¡¯t hesitate to die after seeing Cha Jae-ha¡¯s face.


    ¨C The god must have had a mental breakdown while sculpting Chan-yeong¡¯s face. He probably thinks his creation¡¯s face is better looking than his own.


    Have you even seen a god¡¯s face lol?


    God is Chan-yeong. Believe in him and go to heaven. If you don¡¯t, prepare to fall into hell with disbelief.¡±


    ¨C Moo-eum, I love you (¡äÆH£à).


    Just being able to see their faces and talk to them directly made the competition for this job very fierce.


    ¡°Oh, Ji Ahn is here too. Do you want to get her autograph?¡±


    ¡°She already went in when you were in the bathroom.¡±


    ¡°Ah, are you kidding me? You should have told me earlier.¡±


    In the middle of their pointless banter, one employee found a strange application form.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? Did it get mixed up with other applications? It¡¯s an F-rank?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. I personally registered the application documents,¡± the bespectacled man replied nonchalantly. Even he couldn¡¯t believe what he was saying.


    F-rank, Civil Affairs Division, Yoo Hwa-shin. The applicant had no proper offensive abilities, and although he¡¯s an awakened individual, his physical strength¡¯s base was only slightly better than an average person¡¯s. Ordinary people didn¡¯t even have a visible rank in physical or magical power.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t stop him? One hit from an S-rank would probably finish him off.¡±


    ¡°He insisted on going, so what could I do?¡±


    ¡®Who wouldn¡¯t want to stop him?¡¯ Just thinking about that person made the employee sigh.


    A remarkably innocent individual with a memorable appearance. If only that person had better abilities, his decent looks and personality could have garnered some popularity. The more the employee thought about it, the more his head involuntarily drooped.


    What could you expect from an F-rank anyway?


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    An odd intonation was felt in the greeting.


    Yoo Hwa-shin, who had been curiously looking around, stood in front of the two men. Unlike the tension felt in the waiting room, there was no trace of nervousness in Yoo Hwa-shin.


    ¡°Hello, I am Yoo Hwa-shin from the Civil Affairs Division, who applied for the SH Unit. ¡­Oh! You are that employee! Did you come to see me?¡±


    Yoo Hwa-shin recognized the employee and happily offered a handshake first.


    The unhappy-looking employee let out a short sigh and handed him a numbered ticket instead of shaking hands. ¡°Unfortunately, you¡¯re just here by chance. Your identity has already been confirmed, so you can just go in.¡±


    Yoo Hwa-shin, with a pitiful expression, shook the hand holding the number ticket. ¡°You¡¯re not even going to shake my hand. That¡¯s disappointing. After the match, you¡¯ll shake my hand, right?¡±


    At the absurd question, the employee mumbled a vague response, ¡°If you¡¯re still alive, that is.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha, then I¡¯ll consider that a promise. I just need to go to the waiting room written here, right? ¡­Alright! Then! Everyone, good luck with your work. Fighting, fighting.¡±


    Yoo Hwa-shin entered the waiting room leisurely. The anxiety seemed to have transferred to the employee who had been watching them.


    ¡®Sigh.¡¯


    Feeling a sudden churning in his stomach, the employee pressed his temple firmly.


    ???


    Following the number 2 on the waiting room ticket, Hwa-shin headed to his assigned room. He wondered if there would be any vacancies in the hero-only waiting area, as it seemed that all the rooms on this floor were being used. The conference room had been repurposed as a waiting area. As he opened the door, he saw a large rectangular space with five two-seater sofas and a conference table with snacks.


    In the waiting room Hwa-shin entered, four heroes were each doing their own thing. One of them was lying down on a sofa, sound asleep. Another hero sitting across from Hwa-shin gave him a glare while he was carelessly picking out some snacks and sitting on a random sofa.


    And, it was this hero that talked to him first.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    While unwrapping a snack, Hwa-shin briefly scanned the man from top to bottom. ¡®¡­ Did this guy appear in the novel?¡¯ his mind jogged. At the same time, he twisted a cream sandwich, only placing the un-creamed top side on his tongue.


    Mmm, sweet. As expected, the snacks in this world were tasty.


    The man, whose face grew more sinister due to Hwa-shin not responding and only eating the snack, crossed his arms. His large build and muscles made it difficult to properly fold them.


    ¡°You, what¡¯s your hero rank? I¡¯ve never seen you among S or A ranks.¡±


    Hwa-shin only answered after swallowing the sandwich he had been chewing, ¡°Because its F-rank.¡±


    ¡°Ha! I thought you¡¯d at least be C, but F-rank?¡± the man raised his voice in annoyance. ¡°If a brat like you joins the SH unit, what will happen to the status of the heroes who applied this time?¡±


    ¡­I was wondering what¡¯s he going to say. Even a goblin¡¯s cry would be less idiotic than this.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Would it get higher?¡±


    Whether it was due to his unique smirking expression or his sarcastic answer, the man¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°People will think the selection test is easy if someone like you participates! At least someone like me, an A-rank, should be here to maintain the prestige. Tsk.¡±


    Naturally, there were characters with such rank-centrism in this novel. People will act as if it¡¯s an absolute reason when given a reason to discriminate. Really, how did they live when there were no ranks?


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you forfeit now, you loser?¡±


    At his words, Hwa-shin held a snack to his ear and nodded, ¡°Huh? What? The loser doesn¡¯t want to? ¡­Oh, what should I do? He says no?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you, do you know who I am to respond like that?¡±


    Hwa-shin put the remaining half of the sandwich in his mouth, pretended to seriously consider the man¡¯s words, and then opened his mouth again. He spoke with an innocent smile, ¡°What would I do even if I knew? To a weakling?¡±


    At his words, the infuriated man stood up abruptly, walked over with large strides, and grabbed Hwa-shin¡¯s collar. With the man¡¯s hand gripping him, Hwa-shin dangled lifelessly like a doll. Even as Hwa-shin contemplated whether to retaliate, the man continued to yell at him, ¡°This bast*rd is an F-rank, yet dares to call someone weak-!¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ it¡¯s really noisy in here.¡±


    A petulant voice filled the waiting room. A boy who had been sleeping with a sleep mask on slowly raised his upper body from the sofa. ¡°Why are you fighting here? I¡¯m exhausted from fighting a monster yesterday. Can¡¯t you take it outside?¡±


    Brown hair with a baby perm, a white headset hanging around his neck, and a school uniform with a haphazardly tied necktie. Given his fearless attitude as he woke up and complained¡­


    The corners of Hwa-shin¡¯s mouth involuntarily curled up.


    Finally, they met.


    And,


    ¡°It¡¯s Jeong Mu-eum.¡±


    One of the future colleagues that Cha Jaeha trusted and worked with. A prospective member of the SH1 unit, S-rank Hero Jeong Mu-eum.


    ???


    Jeong Mu-eum. Age 18. Personality, like a Chihuahua.


    His fans had given him various nicknames, from ¡°My phone is on silent mode¡± to ¡°Jeong No-Noise¡± and ¡°Silent Chihuahua¡±. The name of his fan club was ¡°Silent Mode.¡±


    In the novel, Jeong Mu-eum¡¯s face was described as ¡°rivaling an idol¡¯s,¡± but at the time, Hwa-shin didn¡¯t know exactly what that meant. He didn¡¯t even know what an idol was. However! Having absorbed all of Yoo Hwa-shin¡¯s memories, he now understood the phrase perfectly.


    ¡®What do they mean, rivaling an idol?¡¯


    It was more like outshining an idol.


    Jeong Mu-eum was the cutest guy he had ever seen. Even with his eyes covered by a sleep mask, it was evident. There was a saying that handsome men had a different aura. Moreover, his face coupled with that way of speaking didn¡¯t annoy Hwa-shin at all.


    The A-rank gorilla who had been showing off seemed to be unaware that S-rank Jeong Mu-eum was in the waiting room. He now tucked his short tail between his legs.


    ¡°¡­Sorry it was noisy,¡± the burly man said and went back to the sofa after leaving a message to Hwa-shin, ¡®You¡¯ll see¡¯.


    ¡®Did we have a close enough relationship for him to tell me to watch and see?¡¯


    Although the commotion had died down, Mu-eum scratched his head and looked around. Then, with a troubled voice, he spoke to Hwa-shin, ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    Hwa-shin couldn¡¯t help but laugh at his next words.


    ¡°Can you tell me if there¡¯s something wrong with my eyes? I can¡¯t see anything right now.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t see?¡±


    ¡°I mean, my eyes are open, but it¡¯s pitch black.¡±


    ¡­Well, that¡¯s because you¡¯re wearing a sleep mask, Mu-eum.


    Jeong Mu-eum would often show a seriously careless side, which was a cute point in the novel, making him laugh throughout. Seeing it directly in front of him was even more amusing. As Hwa-shin laughed heartily, holding his stomach, Mu-eum furrowed his eyebrows above the sleep mask, seemingly annoyed by the sound.


    ¡°Excuse me, why are you laughing when I can¡¯t see anything?¡±


    ¡°Well, just a moment.¡±


    Hwa-shin walked over to the sofa where he was sitting and lifted the blindfold for him. Only then did Mu-eum furrow his brows at the white light that had flooded in and opened his eyes wide.


    ¡°Ah, right. The sleep mask.¡±


    ¡°It would be fun if you were wearing earplugs next time too.¡±


    ¡°Please help me then as well. But don¡¯t just laugh like you did today.¡±


    Shamelessly responding, Jeong Mu-eum stretched as he got up from his seat. He was quite short for a high school student, maybe a little less than 170cm. After removing his sleep mask, his round, mono-lidded eyes accentuated his puppy-like appearance.


    It made sense that Cha Jaeha, even with ¡®that¡¯ kind of personality of his, would find Jeong Mu-eum particularly adorable later on. Even if Mu-eum kid got angry, the kid would only look like a Chihuahua barking.


    Hwa-shin smiled and introduced himself first, ¡°I¡¯m Yoo Hwa-shin.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ah, yes. I¡¯m Jeong Mu-eum.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Before they could exchange their full names, the door to the waiting room opened. A staff member dressed in a formal suit gestured towards the hallway.


    ¡°Heroes in waiting room 2, we¡¯ll be moving to the stadium.¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess we won¡¯t even have time for a proper introduction, right?¡±


    Without a moment to chat with Mu-eum further, the SH unit selection test began.

 CH 5

    The guide¡¯s voice was clear and resonant. The other heroes were nowhere to be seen even after walking down the hallway for quite some time, implying that each waiting room had a different order to exit.


    It¡¯s a shame that I couldn¡¯t see Cha Jaeha.


    ¡°As a result, this year¡¯s SH Unit selection exam will be held in a tournament format.¡± The heroes who applied will have 30 minutes total, and you will choose your opponent from among the heroes who were in the same waiting room as you. To ensure fairness, the order within each waiting room will be determined at random beginning with waiting room 1¡­.¡±


    Huh? Why does she keep staring at me as she speaks? Well, I can guess why.


    ¡®Jeong Mu-eum is certainly attractive.¡¯


    Throughout her explanation, she kept looking at Mu-eum¡¯s face, and Hwa-shin could completely understand her emotions.


    ¡°The match ends when one side is judged to be unable to continue the fight or declares defeat,¡± the guide said, clenching her fist lightly in front of her lips. ¡°However, killing your opponent is strictly forbidden, so please keep that in mind. Let¡¯s have a pleasant experience without any discomfort! Heroes, please show your full potential!¡± her voice remained upbeat until the very end.


    She¡¯s so energetic. Is she a rookie? ¡­Ah, I¡¯m a rookie too. Although my body had become younger, but my age has not.


    Hwa-shin,with a soul that had lived for 200 years, listened to the guide¡¯s passionate explanation half-heartedly. With Jeong Mu-eum beside him, he couldn¡¯t concentrate on the explanation.


    At this rate, Jeong Mu-eum and Cha Jaeha would meet in the arena at this rate. A past that had not been adequately described in the novel.


    As a reader, Hwa-shin¡¯s heart was pounding with anticipation for the novel¡¯s unreleased prequel episode. And, of course, his gaze, which had been blatantly stealing glances, was naturally caught by Mu-eum.


    Mu-eum, who had previously ignored the man next to him, sighed heavily and finally opened his mouth, ¡°Mister, can you please stop staring at me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, is it obvious?¡±


    ¡°Yes, very much.¡±


    At those words, Hwa-shin didn¡¯t hesitate to flash a wide smile. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m a fan of yours, Mu-eum.¡±


    ¡°¡­A fan?¡±


    Of course, in the novel, Cha Jaeha was unquestionably his favorite. The protagonist was his favourite and also considered his reverse scale.


    But that didn¡¯t mean he disliked the rest of the SH1 team. All of them did rely on each other and trusted each other exclusively. It was impossible for Elric, the man who had read ¡°Your Hero Is Here,¡± not to admire the SH1 unit, which displayed a bond stronger than blood brothers.


    ¡°How am I going to survive without you, hyung?¡± What¡¯s the point of living in this world?¡± raged Jeong Mu-eum, claiming that Cha Jae-ha¡¯s death rendered the world meaningless. Even in a monster-infested world, he refused to give up. After all, even if the world without Cha Jaeha was unworthy of protection, it was still the world that his hyung wished to safeguard.


    How could I hate Mu-eum when I knew exactly what kind of guy he is?


    ¡°Are you really my fan?¡±


    Hwa-shin, who had received a full dose of Jeong Mu-eum¡¯s suspicious gaze, hung a smile on the corner of his mouth, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m a fan.¡±


    For some reason, Jeong Mu-eum couldn¡¯t fully trust the man¡¯s eyes, which were tracing him up and down in a lyrical manner, much like a con-artist. He then pursed his lips grumpily, indicating that he wouldn¡¯t believe the other person¡¯s words anyway.


    ¡°Where did you see me? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been on TV much, though.¡±


    ¡°Well, you were pretty famous on the internet. Oh, will you take a picture with me later?¡±


    Hwa-shin shook his phone like a pet owner shaking a treat for their cat. Jeong Mu-eum, on the other hand, was never a cat.


    ¡°Do I look like someone who takes pictures for 5,000 won?¡±


    ¡°If I give you the money, will you take one?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Hah!¡±


    What kind of person is this?


    To Jeong Mu-eum, Yoo Hwa-shin seemed out of place, like a character who suddenly jumped out of a book.[1] Despite the man¡¯s youth-looking face, he had addressed him with formal honorifics and seemed far too comfortable speaking in this manner. The man¡¯s appearance and actions were completely mismatched. Moreover, Hwa-shin¡¯s face also looked like it had never been stained in his lifetime.


    Who is your favorite hero, Jeong Mu-eum? Oh, is it Ms. Yu Ji Ahn by any chance? And do you have any side dishes you don¡¯t like?


    He was also asking questions like this.


    Even the questions Hwa-shin threw at him were unsatisfying. Also, the fact that the man didn¡¯t appear to be looking for information about him raised suspicions.


    ¡­.Is he really my fan?


    Ignoring Hwa-shin¡¯s questions, Jeong Mu-eum spat out one word: ¡°Did you even hear the staff¡¯s explanation earlier?¡±


    Explanation?


    Hwa-shin blinked his eyes open and replied, ¡°Ah~~,¡± before continuing, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve heard the match¡¯s explanation.¡±


    ¡°Then you can roughly predict what happens next,¡± Jeong Mu-eum said, jutting his chin at the man in front of them both. The man who had earlier fought Yoo Hwa-shin in the waiting room was now walking ahead of the staff.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that guy will pick you. He¡¯s also notorious for having a bad personality.¡±


    Besides, based on the employee badge he¡¯s wearing, he¡¯s clearly an F-rank, Mu-eum reasoned.


    As a result, he warned Yoo Hwa-shin to be cautious. At the same time, he was perplexed as to why he was saying this. He could have simply ignored him. What difference did it make if someone he met for the first time today failed the exam?


    ¡­Is it because he said he¡¯s my fan? Ugh! It¡¯s making me worry for no reason!


    Mu-eum clicked his tongue quietly.


    Yoo Hwa-shin later responded to Mu-eum¡¯s advice with a playful smile devoid of seriousness, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± He leaned in, pretended to look around, and whispered into Mu-eum¡¯s ear, ¡°That guy seems weak,¡± emphasizing the word ¡®weak¡¯ strangely.


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    Mu-eum looked up at Hwa-shin with a bored expression.


    Is he delusional? Does he really think that muscle man looks weak with his current body?


    Mu-eum arched his brow like a caterpillar. ¡°If that guy hits you, you¡¯ll break, in my opinion.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, is that so? Well, I¡¯m not as strong as an old man on the inside.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What are you saying now.¡±


    Whatever he said, the relaxed F-rank didn¡¯t seem to take his words seriously. Mu-eum eventually turned his head again.


    ¡°Anyway, I warned you.¡±


    There¡¯s nothing more I could do for him anyway. This is troublesome. Plus, I¡¯m not some philanthropist.


    ???


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived!¡± the staff stretched out both arms with a refreshing expression.


    Dozens of LED lights, separate from the hallway lighting, shone brightly on the stadium.


    Separate from the hallway lighting, dozens of LED lights shone brightly on the stadium.


    The exam was held in the basement of the Association¡¯s headquarters. There was a separate training ground for heroes, which appeared to have been renovated to make way for the stadium.


    A massive oval-shaped arena, with reinforced glass separating it from the ceiling-side spectator seats. High-ranking officials from various departments were chatting amongst themselves. It was only natural for such dignitaries to attend, given the newly established special forces to protect the country, the SH unit.


    ¡°When you go down, you¡¯ll find other heroes there. Good luck! And please continue to look after our country!¡± the staff member bowed politely, opened the door to the hallway, and left.


    Hwa-shin descended down the stairs with light footsteps. As soon as he stepped on the ground, he spread his arms wide. He took a calm breath of air and exhaled.


    The entire SH1 unit had gathered here, and now he could finally see them in person!


    ¡°I¡¯m so excited!¡±


    Jeong Mueum, who had been watching from behind, looked at him with a ¡°hmm¡± expression. ¡®¡­What a strange man.¡¯


    In the center of the stadium, heroes were gathered, and those who were acquainted or had connections were already engaged in conversation. There were so many unfamiliar faces.


    ¡®Anyway, I just need to find Cha Jaeha.¡¯


    <Your Hero is Here> was a novel centered around protagonist Cha Jaeha¡¯s SH1 unit. Naturally, descriptions of heroes belonging to other units were limited.


    ¡®Cha Jaeha, Cha Jaeha. Where are you, Cha Jaeha~?¡¯


    Hwashin shifted his gaze. Indeed, most heroes ranked S or A-class appeared to be managed and had exceptional appearances.


    ¡®Am I not going to find him at this rate?¡¯


    All he knew about Cha Jaeha was the few lines of description in the novel: Common black hair, an emotionless face among the colorful crowd. Yet, well-organized, and harmonious features. Sharp and fierce eyes.


    Despite all that, a radiant face, a distinguished aura.


    ¡­Wow.


    ¡®¡­Sorry I said that.¡¯


    An involuntary sense of awe filled the area.


    The time he wasted worrying about not recognizing Chae Jaeha was rendered meaningless the moment he discovered him.


    ¡®With that face¡­ he could¡¯ve been royalty in my world. Is it because he¡¯s the protagonist?¡¯


    Even though Yoo Hwa-shin, whose body Elric was currently possessing, was quite attractive, Chae Jaeha¡¯s face only¡­ proved to him that he was finally able to understand why there had been so many frivolous comments on the internet.


    Moreover,


    How can someone describe the thrill of meeting the protagonist of a novel they¡¯ve been reading for several years?


    Goosebumps covered his entire body.


    ¡°Hehehe.¡±


    Someone tapped his arm as he laughed creepily. Hwa-shin saw Mu-eum as he lowered his head. Mu-eum pointed to the first row of audience seats behind them with an uninterested expression.


    ¡°The waiting room number 2 sitting area is over there. ¡­Were you looking at Cha Jaeha?¡±


    Mu-eum also examined the group to which Cha Jaeha belonged. To be more specific, several heroes gathered around Cha Jaeha, bombarding him with things to say.


    ¡®¡­I want to join them, really,¡¯ Hwa-shin mused to himself and then replied, ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± with a face that seemed to say he understood.


    Afterward, Mu-eum turned his head, ¡°We have to sit down before it starts.¡±


    Then, Hwa-shin, who had been trailing the small Mu-eum, asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you close with Cha Jaeha? You didn¡¯t even greet him.¡±


    It was a question born out of pure curiosity. They seemed quite close when they worked together.


    ¡°We can¡¯t be close,¡± Mu-eum replied, furrowing one brow. ¡°We¡¯ve never worked together in the first place.¡±


    ¡®Hmm. Maybe the two of them didn¡¯t know each other very well at this point in time. After all, Jeong Mu-eum had just started as a hero. They may not have had any contact with one another.¡¯


    Following Mu-eum, Hwa-shin took a seat in the far right of the first row. It was the closest seat to the entrance they entered and was adjacent to the arena.


    ¡°Is there no hero close to Cha Jaeha?¡± he inquired. ¡°Like Yoo Ji Ahn?¡± he later added, casually dropping the name of a hero who was most likely a member of the SH1 unit.


    In response, Mu-eum grumbled, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like he has any close friends.¡± He¡¯s not even paired up with anyone, so how can he get close to anyone in the first place? Although, it seems like he¡¯s started pairing up recently.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t form pairs?¡±


    ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t. He even refused my request, and I¡¯m an S-rank.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    That was surprising.


    The majority of the heroes in ¡®Your Hero Is Here¡¯ worked together to solve missions. It made sense for them to form groups so that they could defeat monsters and close gates as quickly as possible, minimizing civilian casualties.


    ¡®It¡¯s funny how he doesn¡¯t pair up when there¡¯s no reason not to.¡¯


    However, S-rank heroes were an exception.


    The reason? It¡¯s because they¡¯re S-rank.


    That¡¯s the reason. It would be fortunate if a rookie hero didn¡¯t hinder an S-rank hero when they are paired up together. Of course, even for S-rank heroes, if a rookie hero was injured or killed, it would be an awkward situation for the government. As a result, one senior hero was required to accompany one junior hero. Mu-eum was also a rookie, so he was no exception.


    ¡°I¡¯m a rookie, you know. Cha Jaeha was the only hero around during my first mission, so I asked to team up with him, but he flatly refused.¡±


    ¡°What was his reason? You¡¯re both S-rank heroes, after all.¡±


    ¡°He said that I, along with everyone else, would interfere with him using his abilities.¡±


    Mu-eum leaned back in his chair. He thought he had forgotten about it, but recalling it enraged him. Cha Jaeha. There isn¡¯t a hero alive who doesn¡¯t admire him. There were even people who shed tears just hearing his name.


    Cha Jaeha had always worked alone and didn¡¯t want to pair up¡ªalthough he was criticized for it, he was the only one who could deal with an S-rank gate as quickly and efficiently as possible.


    Mu-eum, for his part, was no exception. Cha Jaeha was someone he admired. When he first asked to pair up, he was confident. They were both S-rank, after all. He never expected to be rejected by that person.


    When Mu-eum remembered this, he muttered, ¡°¡­.I¡¯m a genius, you know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very good at putting my skills to use.¡±


    Hwa-shin, having read the book, knew better than anyone that Jeong Mu-eum, who could manipulate gravity, had no reason to attend the training center. After all, the high school student had an innate talent. He was a genius who would rise to the top of those who taught him the moment he learned something new.


    With quite a serious look in his eyes, he stared at Mu-eum.


    ¡°You said Cha Jaeha refused you because he thought it was bothersome. ¡°Did he really say that?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m curious if Cha Jae-ha personally said it bothered him.¡±


    Footnote


    [1] It¡¯s the  other way around though £¨¡Ñ£ï¡Ñ£©

 CH 6

    ¡®Did he really say that?¡¯


    Jeong Mu-eum looked back at him in disbelief. ¡°Why would I make that up? Seriously. At least that¡¯s how it was back then.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡®He didn¡¯t want Mu-eum to tag along because it was bothersome,¡¯ he said.


    Hwa-shin hid his expression behind crossed arms. It was clear that his favorite character didn¡¯t particularly like working as a pair with someone. No, it would be more accurate to say he was averse to it. It was even mentioned that Cha Jaeha tended to be like this in <Your Hero is Here>. Cha Jaeha at the time must have been inexperienced in controlling his powers.


    ¡®Well, it makes sense. Given his past.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s not something that can be overcome easily. It¡¯s also the foundation of Cha Jaeha¡¯s character.¡¯


    The childhood trauma of Cha Jaeha.


    On the day the Gate opened, Cha Jaeha, upon awakening, burnt his parents to death with his power. At least, that¡¯s what Cha Jaeha believed. The burnt bodies turned to ashes, making it impossible to recover them. He had burned them completely, his own parents, with his own hands, using his own powers.


    During his parents¡¯ funeral yet without their bodies, young Cha Jaeha didn¡¯t cry. In the original work, Cha Jaeha described himself as a beastly child, a creature that should be in hell.


    ¡®I don¡¯t have the right to cry. How could a beast that killed its own parents shed tears? At least, it should have been a person, not a beast. I am worse than a beastly child.¡¯


    Since then, Cha Jaeha obsessively tried to save people using his powers. At the same time, he didn¡¯t value his own life very highly. He tended to think that, as a sinner, his death would be a just outcome.


    He cursed himself for having the power to kill and struggled to use that power to save others.


    If Cha Jaeha, who had such trauma, struggled to control his powers¡­


    ¡®He probably refused to pair up because he was worried he might be a hindrance to someone else. And, Jeong Mu-eum is a genius who could control his powers well from the start.¡¯


    Hwa-shin sighed softly.


    All Cha Jaeha had to do was say, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m worried my fire might kill you,¡± but instead, he stubbornly kept his mouth shut. It was frustrating, even if he was his favorite character.


    Cha Jaeha was like that with everything. He always tried to handle things on his own.


    Taking on the danger himself, saving others himself. That¡¯s how he operated until he started to change gradually after a fight with Yoo Ji Ahn.


    You need to fix your attitude first. What¡¯s the point of being strong? You said you wanted to save more people, that it¡¯s your role! Yeah, you¡¯ll save more people in that state when things get worse. Get your head straight. I¡¯m part of SH1 Squad, and so are you. You want to act like a hero? Then fight with us.


    Yoo Ji Ahn had such a way with words.


    I¡¯m eager to see her fight soon.


    Thinking of his favorite characters brings a smile to his face.


    Right then, Jeong Mu-eum, with his weird grin, interjects with a groan, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m just saying, don¡¯t get your hopes up about teaming up with Cha Jae-ha. You probably won¡¯t even make it into the SH Squad.¡±


    ¡®Despite his seemingly nonchalant appearance, he¡¯s surprisingly good at looking after others.¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re younger than me, Mu-eum, but you really take care of people well. Have you always been like that?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Jeong Mu-eum¡¯s ears turn bright red.


    ¡®Indeed, being young means that his reactions come quickly.¡¯


    ¡®When I think about it, Jeong Mu-eum in <Your Hero is Here> was a character who, despite his edgy nature, took great care of his people. He looked after his teammates¡¯ meals and health without them even realizing it. It was all thanks to him.


    And how well he treated his fans! The guy who rejected all idol castings because he couldn¡¯t be cute smiled brightly in front of his fans. That scene filled an entire page in the novel.


    If you smile with that face, it¡¯s a crime, you rascal.¡¯


    However, the Mu-eum in front of him, with a red face contrasting his previous expression, frowned and answered, ¡°When did I ever?¡±


    At that moment, Yoo Hwa-shin felt certain.


    Ah, of course.


    It¡¯s fun to tease Mu-eum.


    After a brief speech by a high-ranking official that Yoo Hwa-shin didn¡¯t recall, the selection test began, starting with waiting room number one. As initially explained, a hero was randomly selected from the first waiting room to enter the arena.


    The chosen person was an S-rank male with a similar appearance to Mu-eum, cute and young. ¡®He¡¯s probably popular too,¡¯ Hwa-shin mused to himself. Although, the hero¡¯s cheerful smile seemed to have a completely opposite personality. It would be quite amusing if they were both in the same room.


    After a brief explanation of the match, it began right away. It was a match between S-rank and A-rank heroes.


    ¡®I wonder what kind of ability the S-ranks have.¡¯


    There was one S-class hero in each waiting room, with Cha Jae-ha in the fifth waiting room. They would have to wait at least one round.


    Hwa-shin yawned widely. ¡®It would be nice if it didn¡¯t take too long.¡¯


    However, contrary to Hwa-shin¡¯s expectations, the match ended disappointingly fast and bland.


    The A-rank hero seemed to have a cloning ability within the offensive category, as he duplicated himself into four bodies and charged at the S-rank hero. Since the S-rank hero had a small build, the assault might have been quite effective if it had landed.


    However, the man soon stopped. His clones also stopped following him.


    The rank A hero mumbled something and shed tears. Then, he desperately begged someone. Not long after, he grabbed his throat with both hands. The once lively black pupils had disappeared behind his eyelids, leaving only the whites exposed.


    ¡®Huh, the illusion-type ability is quite remarkable.¡¯


    All of his joints twisted in the opposite direction for no apparent reason.


    Arghh!


    The Rank A hero screamed in agony, foaming at the mouth before collapsing to the ground. Since he fell forward, his cheekbone was probably broken. Even lying down, the man was having convulsions. His writhing resembled a fish unable to return to water.


    There was no exchange of blows. The arena was silent.


    ¡®Indeed, illusion-type abilities are interesting, but they¡¯re no fun.¡¯


    Wiping away the tears from his yawn, Hwa-shin leaned back.


    ¡ª¡±¡­ due to one side being incapacitated.¡±¡ª


    The staff member overseeing the match was also surprised by the contest that ended in just one minute. Along with a thunderous cheer, the staff member announced the result.


    ¡°The victory goes to Jin!¡±


    Among the heroes, there were those who used aliases instead of their real names. Jin, who belonged to the 3rd Division, was one of them.


    ¡®Now that I¡¯ve heard the name, I¡¯m sure.¡¯


    Illusion-type Rank S Hero, Jin.


    Even though there was no mention other than a description of him being innocent and cheerful, Hwa-shin thought it was interesting seeing the man evoked a completely different feeling compared to Cha Jaeha and Jung Mu-eum.


    This place, where even the extras lived in earnest, was a world of its own. A truly existing world. That fact sent chills down Hwa-shin¡¯s spine once again.


    Jin, who even blew a hand kiss towards the heroes in the audience, exited the stage.


    Jin and Teo were a few of the heroes joining the SH3 Division. Teo seemed to have a completely opposite personality from Jin. Hwa-shin scratched his chin.


    Meanwhile,


    ¡°It¡¯s our turn for the waiting room.¡±


    Mu-eum pointed at the staff member who started the draw. The number written on the paper drawn by the staff member was cruelly 2-1.


    The owner of number 2-1, as if fate was playing a joke, was


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    The muscleman from before. He immediately grabbed the microphone as soon as he stood on the stage. His deep, rumbling voice called out to his desired opponent.


    ¡°Rank F, Yoo Hwa-shin!¡±


    ¡®I knew it.¡¯


    As if expecting this, Hwa-shin got up from his seat, rotating his arms a couple of times.


    ¡°¡­ popularity comes with a heavy price, right?¡±


    Attention instantly focused on Hwa-shin as soon as the term ¡°Rank F¡± was mentioned. Of course, it wasn¡¯t the most favorable gaze.


    However, Hwa-shin seemed to be quite enjoying the situation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    Hwa-shin, who gave Mu-eum a gentle eye-smile, headed towards the arena. If his plan had worked, he might have been a pretty good opponent.


    ???


    On the arena.


    Standing about 1 meter apart, the two awaited the start of the match. The first round had ended easily, so not much time was needed for recovery.


    Hwa-shin slowly turned his neck.


    Even before light exercises, a brief warm-up was essential. The bulky man bumped his fists together like rocks. Hwa-shin closed his eyes, as it seemed too stupid to be an intimidation tactic.


    ¡®Let¡¯s see. The staff from the Inspection Department said it earlier¡­ What¡¯s this guy¡¯s name?¡¯


    ¡®Ah, right. Go Young¡­ Oh? Woo? Ah, Go Young. What a cute name.¡¯


    Hwa-shin slightly opened one of his previously closed eyes. He didn¡¯t know what the man¡¯s abilities were, but it didn¡¯t seem like it would take much karma to place a command on him.


    A few days ago, after testing it out himself, Hwa-shin¡¯s body wasn¡¯t very efficient at using karma.


    His karma manipulation ability remained the same, but it didn¡¯t harmonize well with his body. Naturally, the number of times he could use it was limited. It wouldn¡¯t matter for ordinary people, but if an awakened person forced themselves to use a command, they might end up with a hole in their lungs or suffer from internal bleeding.


    ¡®Even if I get injured, healing is easy, but I still need to properly manage my karma usage.¡¯


    That¡¯s not to say it was difficult to just blow away that gorilla-like man.


    ¡°Judging by your speechless, scared face, this will be over quickly.¡±


    Instead of answering the man¡¯s provocation, Hwa-shin responded with a wide, wicked smile. ¡®¡­Maybe I should just kill him. There¡¯s no way killing one awakened person would make me vomit blood.¡¯


    ¡®¡­But the situation isn¡¯t great for that.¡¯


    He had to join SH1 squad and stay by the protagonist¡¯s side to prevent his death.


    But now, he was only an F rank. If he showed off flashy abilities, they would doubt why his ranking wasn¡¯t measured correctly.


    ¡®I¡¯ll likely be placed under special surveillance even before joining the SH1 squad.¡¯


    Moreover, if it was just about destroying or blowing something up, Yoo Ji Ahn or Jeong Moo-eum would be more suitable. The ability the SH1 squad lacked wasn¡¯t in that area.


    Even so, trying to match Cha Jaeha¡¯s abilities and affinity was difficult. To do that, a nature-based ability would be needed, but manipulating that category using a language ability proved to be a complicated condition. In the first place, magic utilizing karma in addition to nature type didn¡¯t really have the best affinity.


    So, without the flashy stuff, without the nature-based abilities, and something moderate. An ability that would be absolutely necessary in the first unit but might be judged as an F-rank depending on the evaluation criteria.


    Since it¡¯s a tournament, they could just casually pass the first round with luck, and starting from the second round, they would probably appear to have gotten used to the ability.


    Such an ability. Hwa-shin clapped his hands.


    ¡®¡­.I really don¡¯t have a clue, do I?¡¯


    ¡°Then, we will begin the match for the heroes in the second waiting room. I, a personnel from the Inspection Department, will be in charge of judging. The decision of victory or defeat will be when it is determined that the match cannot proceed, or when a defeat is declared.¡±


    Hmm, what could it be? Hwa-shin furrowed his brow and racked his brain, but nothing came to mind. He needed to think of something that could meet all those conditions.


    Cruelly, time continued to pass, and soon the start of the match approached.


    ¡°Then, the first match of the second waiting room.¡±


    ¡°Uhahaha! My fists are roaring! Yoo Hwa-shin, let me teach you a lesson!¡±


    ¡®¡­Ugh. I really want to kill him.¡¯


    The staff member¡¯s hand shot up towards the ceiling lights.


    ¡°Start!¡±

 CH 7

    A personnel who was organizing the remaining documents checked his phone and then nudged his colleague sitting next to him.


    ¡°Before nudging someone, how about telling me what you want first? With that kind of attitude, how did you even pass the Association¡¯s personality test?¡±


    ¡°Hey, we finished work early. Wanna go watch the match?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do we really have to?¡± the bespectacled employee frowned.


    ¡°Why are you being so dry about it? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll be fun?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    It was obvious how Yoo Hwa-shin would tease and mock him if he went without thinking.


    Mister! You said you weren¡¯t coming, but now you¡¯re here? You must have been interested in me, right? Right?


    It was exhausting just imagining it. He pressed his thumb against his temples, his stress rising. Yoo Hwa-shin had an uncanny ability to get inside people¡¯s heads despite only meeting them a few times.


    ¡°My inside source says the first match is already over.¡± With Jin¡¯s triumph.¡±


    As he spread his arms high, the bespectacled personnel¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°That S-rank guy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Even among S-class, he¡¯s a master of illusions. At first, he wasn¡¯t acknowledged as S-rank but was later promoted. Wow, isn¡¯t his story just perfect?¡±


    Awakened individuals and rankings.


    What had once seemed like a dream had become a reality, and people adapted within just five years.


    Of course, the reality did not include the fantasies of hunters, skyrocketing salaries, and dungeon raids that people had fantasized about in the past.


    Unidentified monsters infiltrated the real world through gates, killing people. People were devoured by monsters, burned, sliced, or blown apart. The various causes of death left horrifying piles of corpses strewn about the streets.


    Death was a reality. People had to cry as they watched their parents die before their eyes, and even if they witnessed that scene, they had to abandon the corpses and flee to save their own lives.


    The opening of Korea¡¯s first gate. Seoul that day was in utter chaos.


    The situation quickly spiraled out of control. Not long after, the Awakened appeared as if by a miracle. The first gate in Korea was closed only after all of the monsters were killed by the Awakened.


    When it was discovered that the gates were a worldwide phenomenon, the United States led the way in establishing an international agreement. Each country¡¯s government will manage awakened individuals, and those who refuse to join the government will be denied the right to use their abilities.


    Following the agreement, Korea designated all Awakened people to a special national position known as ¡°Hero.¡± Many objected to the childish name ¡®Hero¡¯ being proposed for this role instead of ¡®Hunter,¡¯ but the Awakened eventually became ¡®Heroes.¡¯


    As time passed, international standards for managing each country¡¯s Heroes were established. As a result, some became S-rank, others B-rank, and others ranked lower. At the same time, status windows were created.


    Status windows were programs that allowed Awakened people to see their bodies¡¯ and mana structures through holograms.


    Only the individual could see the information, which appeared in their eyes like an amazing new technology. When there were changes in their abilities, the rank, abilities, and precautions would automatically update. If an unregistered ability was discovered, it would be automatically updated in the global server.


    However, unlike in a game, the status window did not display detailed numerical values or levels. In the status window, only the Awakened individual¡¯s perceived abilities, specific skills, and rank based on standards were listed.


    Ha Cheongwon was no exception.


    Overall Rank: B


    Basic Physical Strength: B


    Possessed Mana: B


    The reality wasn¡¯t a game, and strength couldn¡¯t be determined solely by numbers or levels.


    At times, a B-rank could defeat an A-rank, and a C-rank offense-type ability might be more suited to the field than a B-rank support hero.


    Nevertheless, there were limits. There was a clear difference between the ranks. The gap widened the higher the rank. So, it was absurd to say that an F-rank could defeat an A-rank or an S-rank.


    ¡°Who do you think will be in the SH Squad? Ah, I¡¯m already looking forward to it!¡±


    Hearing his colleague¡¯s excited voice, Ha Cheong-won calmly responded while wiping his dirty glasses, ¡°Of course, it will be filled with S-rank heroes. It would be easier to promote our country¡¯s heroes that way.¡±


    ¡°Really? Anyway! Let¡¯s go watch the matches quickly. Weren¡¯t you acquainted with that F-rank guy from earlier? His match against an A-rank just started moments ago!¡±


    Ha Cheongwon put his glasses back on. The difference in hero ranks and abilities became more pronounced the higher the rank. So, there¡¯s no way that F-rank man could defeat an A-rank.


    ¡°Alright, alright, stop nagging.¡±


    Eventually, under his peer¡¯s urging, Ha Cheongwon grabbed his coat and headed toward the underground arena where the match was taking place. He could feel his pulse quickening as he got closer to the door where the light was leaking in.


    Yes, this wasn¡¯t anticipation, but anxiety. It was the unreasonable anxiety that perhaps the F-rank man could somehow defeat the A-rank.


    ¡®What exactly is going on?¡¯


    It was strange.


    Go Young-woo had no intention of flaunting his abilities against an F-rank. Doing so would only make him a laughingstock among the higher-ranked heroes who were watching the match.


    So, he just intended to teach the guy a lesson.


    He thought that if he threw a few punches and showed some intimidation, the F-rank would realize that he didn¡¯t belong here and would naturally back off.


    ¡°Heuk, heuk.¡±


    But what was the reality? His fists never reached Yoo Hwa-shin. Whenever he thought they would, there was no one there. The power behind his punches had wasted without him knowing why.


    Moreover.


    ¡°Haaa. You¡¯re too slow. Can¡¯t you move a bit faster? If we keep going like this, everyone will realize how strong I am.¡±


    The annoying, snide remarks that came in between. There was nothing about the situation that Go Young-woo liked.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Go Young-woo yelled, his teeth clenched in frustration.


    In truth, his true strength lay in his fast speed rather than his massive muscles.


    He stretched his right arm back and charged. He grabbed the F-rank¡¯s shoulder who was trying to dodge his attacks. Yoo Hwa-shin, who was now firmly caught in his grasp, couldn¡¯t move. Go Young-woo swung his fist that he had been holding back. Finally, it was done. He landed it. This time, he felt like he could finally punch that irritating face, but¡­.


    ¡®¡­What.¡¯


    Yoo Hwa-shin, who was supposed to be right in front of him, was nowhere to be found. He was certain he had apprehended him.


    Before he knew it, Hwa-shin removed the grip on his shoulder and forcefully pushed Go Young-woo¡¯s left shin with the sole of his foot. Although Go Young-woo¡¯s basic physical strength was only at a D-level, he was still an awakened individual. However, his body had been slightly pushed backward by the guy¡¯s sudden attack.


    In contrast, his opponent¡¯s body was completely unscathed, without a single scratch. The man¡¯s clothes were as pristine as when they had first started. A well-fitted shirt and black slacks.


    It should be difficult to move in such a getup, but how on earth was he dodging all of my attacks?


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    In sharp contrast to the enraged Go Young-woo, the leisurely Hwa-shin was still debating which of his abilities to employ.


    ¡®I did say something to Mu-eum, and I do want to show off something here. But choosing a reasonably good ability is proving to be quite a hassle.¡¯


    ¡°Hey! F-rank.¡±


    ¡®Ah, right.¡¯


    It was only then that Hwa-shin looked at the man before him with round eyes. ¡°Ah, sorry. I was so deep in thought that I forgot to play with you from time to time. Haha.¡±


    ¡®What in the world?¡¯


    Surprisingly, that brazen apology only served to enrage Go Young-woo even more. His nostrils flared, emitting an inaudible heat. ¡®Playing with me? Forgot?¡¯


    ¡°You son of a-!¡±


    Hwa-shin sighed deeply.


    ¡®¡­Being that angry makes it even easier to read you.¡¯


    ¡°Haaah!¡±


    Go Young-woo threw another punch with a powerful shout. However, the trajectory was slightly different this time. Unlike his previous punch, which was aimed at the Hwa-shin¡¯s shoulder, this one was aimed at the stomach. He had anticipated Hwa-shin¡¯s movement and adjusted his course accordingly.


    ¡®This guy¡¯s body doesn¡¯t have a single muscle in his abdomen, so it¡¯ll hurt like hell.¡¯


    But then, Hwa-shin casually uttered a word, ¡°Stomach?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± anticipating his movement.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Go Young-woo¡¯s face crumpled up like a discarded receipt in a garbage can. ¡®How did he¡­? ¡­Could it be? Is he a precognitive ability user? No. There are no registered heroes in the country who have precognitive abilities that are versatile enough to be used in combat.¡¯¡¯


    Nevertheless, for Go Young-woo, even if he had already realized he was being read, it was now impossible for him to change the trajectory of his fist. His body had already begun to move in a predetermined direction.


    ¡°You-!¡±


    Go Young-woo tried to grab hold of Hwa-shin as his punch barely grazed his waist, but he couldn¡¯t catch the evasive Hwa-shin. Hwa-shin slid back with smooth and agile movements, avoiding Go Young-woo¡¯s outstretched hand.


    His opponent was always one step ahead of him, nimble yet precise, with no wasted effort. The man¡¯s stamina consumption was minimal. Go Young-woo, on the other hand, felt as if he were chasing a ghost.


    ¡°Go Young-ie,¡±


    ¡®Damn it, my name is Go Young-woo, you bast*rd.¡¯


    In an instant, a cute new nickname, ¡®Go Young-ie¡¯ had been given to him¡­


    ¡®No,¡¯ Go Young-woo frowned.


    Despite deliberately mispronouncing the burly guy¡¯s name, Yoo Hwa-shin stood in his place, drew a circle with his finger towards his heart, and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious how I dodge all your attacks?¡±


    How he could predict and avoid everything like this was quite simple.


    ¡°Destiny is like a cogwheel made of threads.¡±


    The few laws he had discovered while observing, manipulating, and reconstructing karma.


    ¡°Countless threads come together to form you, and through those threads, I can predict you.¡±


    To understand the flow, he had to have the phenomenon of karma itself embedded in his mind.


    ¡°Something like that principle -¡±


    ¡°Are you a fraud? Sorry, but I don¡¯t believe in that stuff,¡± Go Young-woo spat out his saliva and snorted.


    Yoo Hwa-shin shrugged his shoulders, adding, ¡°Even when I explain, you really don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    Seeing the flow of karma was more than just bending fate and manipulating the actions of others. To manipulate actions, one had to see the flow, and once that flow was focused on, the flow in front of one¡¯s eyes revealed a short but definite future. So, reading the karma of a simple, muscle-bound brute was an easy task. It was too slow to begin with.


    ¡®But now, it¡¯s time for me to decide what kind of ability I want to show.¡¯


    As Hwa-shin was deep in thought, Go Young-woo¡¯s patience had reached its limit, and he was boiling over with rage.


    So what if he became a laughingstock? He didn¡¯t want to lose this match! He wanted to join the SH Unit! He wanted to stand above others!


    He became a hero to experience the feeling of superiority!


    He didn¡¯t have time to waste on an F-rank like this. In the end, Go Young-woo decided to use his ability. He spread his arms wide and shouted, ¡°Shadow!¡±


    With just one word, the shadow on the ground surged up massively. Go Young-woo¡¯s shadow had grown to at least ten times its original size, resembling a golem from the world Yoo Hwa-shin had previously lived in.


    Moreover, it was in excellent shape, resembling its master. The black shadow¡¯s muscular outline was incredibly distinct.


    Go Young-woo¡¯s ability was ¡°Shadow Doppelganger.¡± He could freely transform and manipulate his own shadow.


    He swung at Yoo Hwa-shin and shouted again, ¡°Go and devour him!¡±


    In an instant, the shadow engulfed Hwa-shin.