Chapter 39

EP.39 Clown

In this place where countless people huddled together in fear, it was so quiet that it was almost eerie, as if even the mice had died.

The hostages who were trembling, the terrorists holding guns, and the man standing proudly atop the tower of chairs—all were silent at this moment.

Then, a man in the crowd began to clap.

Clap, clap, clap, clap.

It was not the kind of half-hearted clapping that just made a faint sound.

It was a clear and resonant applause, as if he had studied how to make a louder sound with great effort.

The applause was so well-projected that it seemed impossible for just one person to produce.

It was so well-projected that it captured everyone's attention.

The man who was clapping in this quiet place was observed by Monkey Spanner, the mastermind of all this terrorism and an A-rank villain.

He opened his mouth.

"What the hell is that guy doing?"

Literally.

While the terrorists, who were ready to shoot at the slightest provocation, had their eyes wide open, this man suddenly stood up and clapped, drawing everyone's attention. What else could he be but a lunatic?

Moreover, the sight of his bizarre face only reinforced this impression.

A man wearing a mask that covered his entire face.

A bright yellow—was it slightly orange?—unbalanced yellow mask. Even the mask seemed to be smiling slightly, with stars under the eyes, making him look like a clown.

With such a bizarre appearance, even the terrorists, and the seasoned villain Monkey Spanner, who had seen it all, were taken aback.

First, he signaled the cameraman to turn off the camera with a nod. There was no point in broadcasting an unexpected situation.

Who is Monkey Spanner?

His ability is actually quite weak. Weak super strength. His bulging muscles, visible even through his clothes, easily revealed his power.

However, unlike other villains with similar abilities, Monkey Spanner, despite his weak power, was designated as an A-rank villain by the Association.

Even considering the Association's tendency to overrate villains compared to heroes, this was truly an exceptional case.

The reason for his high rank lies in his outstanding organizational skills.

Somehow, he managed to command hundreds of subordinates like his own limbs.

Together with the group known as the "Jumping Monkey Club," they operated underground in South Korea, robbing banks and selling drugs.

Until Monkey Spanner, the boss, decided to play in bigger waters and led his subordinates to Mexico.

They went to Mexico with the bold plan to take over the drug cartel, but ended up being completely stripped by the cartel.

His subordinates, who once numbered in the hundreds, were now down to about a hundred.

The money they had made from terrorism was also gone.

Thus, he returned to his hometown, limping.

Feeling that he would fail if things continued this way, he came up with a brilliant plan.

He would stage a large-scale terrorism in South Korea to make money and then go to Mexico again!

So, he sneaked into Busan Port and waited for the right opportunity.

Originally, he planned to act immediately upon his return, but the terrorist attack in Seoul by Legostick or someone else thwarted his plans.

Terrorism thrives on drawing attention, and starting an attack while someone else is already drawing attention would only result in less government interest and, consequently, less money.

...Thus, he waited for the right opportunity, and finally, the best chance came.

The Dark Ruler, Shadow Walker, had fallen.

For the first time, it was possible to stage a terrorist attack at night.

And he, the experienced Monkey Spanner, did not miss this opportunity. He was the first to act, different from others.

To summarize:

Although he failed in Mexico, Monkey Spanner is fundamentally a quick-witted and capable villain who once commanded hundreds of subordinates.

And his intuition, developed over years, concluded that the man in the mask was not ordinary.

"...What the hell are you doing?!"

He said this to buy time.

If this were a world without superpowers, he would have just shot the man.

But in this world, where he didn't know what power the man possessed, he had to be cautious.

'Damn, why did such a guy show up?'

Superpowered individuals are rarer than winning the lottery.

The lottery has a winner every week.

It's rare for one to appear among this many people.

However, who is Monkey Spanner?

He is the one who has survived tenaciously while maintaining his influence among many superpowered heroes.

He believed he could handle this kind of situation with his own strength.

...For now.

*

"...What the hell are you doing?!"

The man standing on the tower of chairs, shouting at me.

If you ask who he is, I'll tell you.

I stood calmly, shrugged, and opened my mouth.

"My name is..."

I hesitated.

Wait, shouldn't I avoid revealing that I'm Ego Stick?

I might sound a bit conceited, but I'm quite a well-known figure in South Korea.

I've appeared on the news a few times.

...Of course, I didn't even need to go to the news; I live-streamed the terrorist attack myself.

Anyway, revealing my name here would do me no good.

The moment I say my name, they'll realize I have telekinesis and teleportation.

So, I had to change my mind about revealing my name.

"My name... you don't need to know. Just call me a passing citizen."

I said this with a sly smile.

The man's face twisted. From his relaxed attitude and calm tone, he seemed to think I was unexpectedly strong.

I mean, if I were in his shoes, I'd be surprised if a guy in a clown mask showed up and started taunting me during a terrorist attack.

And this is part of my strategy.

To make the opponent overestimate me!

Strong people lull their opponents into a false sense of security and then strike, but the strategy for the weak is different.

The weak must inflate themselves, making themselves appear much stronger than they are.

This way, the opponent will be more cautious, and the more cautious they are, the more time I can buy.

That's why I drew attention with the initial applause.

To be honest, I don't really know what Monkey Spanner does. I only know about the enemies I fight in Seoul with Stardust; I don't know what happens in Busan. The Northern Sea Ice Maiden probably handles it.

So, I secretly searched for his abilities just now. Super strength, weak super strength.

...Super strength is a bit problematic. If he tries to fold my spine in half, I can just teleport away, but the issue is my attack.

Super strength means enhanced physical strength, so normal guns or bombs won't even scratch him. Without special attack methods, it's a bit difficult for me. His internal organs are also tough, so it's uncertain if poison gas would work. Besides, using poison gas here would kill everyone.

So, let's start with what I can handle.

Thud, thud.

I pushed through the crowd and kept moving forward.

Until I reached the front of the tower of chairs.

No one tried to stop me.

The other masked henchmen aimed their guns at me, but Monkey Spanner, sitting atop the tower, stopped them with a hand gesture.

He didn't know what might happen.

Finally, I reached the base of the tower and looked up at him, sneering.

"Really... really. I came all the way here, dragging my heavy body, because I heard something interesting was happening. It turns out it's just a joke. Is sitting on that heavy ass and perching up there all you can do? You baldy."

My sudden insults and provocations clearly angered him.

"You, this is no safe place! I'll make you regret it!"

He, who had been observing the situation, finally jumped from the top of the tower and charged at me.

Besides being angry, he probably thought it wouldn't be good to be mocked in front of so many subordinates and civilians.

But the moment he charged and stomped where I was standing, I was already gone.

He didn't know, but my ability is teleportation.

Just before he noticed, I was already sitting cross-legged on the top of the tower of chairs where he had been sitting.

"Really... pathetic."

I yawned, looking down at him from above, as if bored.

At the same time, the guns held by the surrounding henchmen flew out of their hands and floated in the air.

They all turned their barrels and aimed at their former owners.

In an instant, the guns they had just been holding fired at their owners.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!!!"

Blood splattered.

In that moment, dozens of terrorists were killed instantly, before they could even realize what was happening.

"Phew..."

Is anyone filming this?

If the Association sees this, they'll probably promote me to S-rank...

Regardless, I just used up all the telekinesis I had stored for months.

Ah, why is my ability so weak?