Chapter 62

EP.62 Reevaluation

[What would have happened if Mango Stick hadn't destroyed the bridge... real fact]

Today, I will look into the black tentacle mass incident (a.k.a. Black Monster) that occurred in Seoul.

If the Black Monster had started from the Hanin Group headquarters in Yeongdeungpo District and continued straight across Mapo Bridge, the following would have happened:

Devastating damage to Mapo, Jung, Jongno, Seongbuk, Gangbuk, and Nowon Districts in the upper part of Seoul (estimated several hundred thousand deaths).

Yeoncheon, Pocheon, and Cheorwon would also be in ruins.

Furthermore, it is estimated that North Korea, China, and Russia would have suffered significant damage.

And the scariest part is, do you know what?

According to the data released by the American Hero Association, it states:

"Based on the video footage of the initial actions of the Korean-Black Disaster (Black Disaster), this creature appears to have a certain level of intelligence. Initially, it seems to have moved straight without fully regaining its senses, but it is expected to be able to actively change direction after fully regaining its intelligence."

In simpler terms, it means that the Hanin Group created Cthulhu. In fact, American netizens called it Cthulah or Worm.

They say that even if two or three American S-class heroes fought it for a whole day, they might not win. It's really fortunate that water is its weakness.

But even with a weakness, the problem is that it seems to have intelligence. If it had no intelligence and just moved straight, it could have been killed by a few bullets, but with intelligence, it's a different story. If it dodges heroes, even S-class heroes would find it hard to deal with.

Even if it were eliminated later, by that time, several million people in the upper part of Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, and North Korea would have died.

Conclusion: Praise Mango Stick

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=[Comments]=

[It seems the Mango Gang is already active in that Ego Stick fan cafe, praising him a lot lol]

-[They were getting a lot of hate, but the Mango Gang is back like a dog lol]

[I live in Seoul, and I really thought I was going to die. I was just fine, but there was a terrifying scream, like a siren, that shook the sky, and I thought the world was ending.]

[When I saw the black thing's movement path, it was right in front of my house lol. I almost said goodbye to my life.]

[We can only laugh about it now because the thing died so pointlessly. If it had survived, hundreds of thousands of people would have died, and a state of emergency would have been declared.]

[I was in Yeouido, and it was really scary... I was in a mart, and suddenly the sky shook with a glass-scraping scream, and kids were crying and peeing their pants, it was chaos.]

[The government and the association were so shocked that they were about to declare martial law lol]

[Now I'm more curious about Ego Stick than that dead monster. Isn't he a future S-class hero, Apple Mango?]

-[Even the -trolls- have to admit it. Ego Stick is a hero.]

-[The association is really slacking. Ego Stick is still listed as a villain due to a system error.]

-[Lol, these guys are really neglecting their duties.]

***

In the United States, where the world's strongest heroes gather,

and where the most ruthless villains gather,

and where the Hero Association's power and information are the strongest.

While the Korean Association was stunned by the sudden incident and repeatedly broadcasted a message to the public saying, "It seems the problem is now under control, so please go about your daily lives with peace of mind," the first to issue a report on the incident was the American Association, located on the other side of the world.

The American Association named it the Black Disaster.

And it was imported back, and the Korean Association officially named the incident the "Black Disaster."

This incident, which shocked South Korea,

where a monster that could make buildings collapse with just a slight movement emerged from the ground, causing a terrifying sound throughout Seoul, was something even Koreans, who were familiar with sudden terrorist attacks by villains, found bewildering.

In fact, those who witnessed "it" with their own eyes in Mapo District at that time, feeling cosmic horror from its terrifying appearance that covered the sky, also reported mental health issues.

Despite its overwhelming presence when it first appeared, many people were left speechless by how pointlessly it disappeared. Well, isn't it a good thing?

Now, we need to find the cause.

What exactly happened underground to make such a thing emerge?

What? It came out from the Hanin Group headquarters underground? Call all the top executives of the Hanin Group! Are they crazy?

...What? All Hanin Group employees are out of contact?

These guys?

As a result, the CEO of the Hanin Group, Dr. Kim Sun-woo, a key figure, and many others went missing and were placed on the wanted list. However, it was impossible to find out where they had fled.

Thus, one of the leading domestic conglomerates, the Hanin Group, went bankrupt overnight.

As the situation and background were gradually understood, and time passed, people's fear subsided, and they began to think differently.

Wow, if it hadn't died in the river, it could have caused a big disaster.

Oh? There was a bridge on the path it was taking.

But it died because the bridge was destroyed.

But who destroyed it?

Ah! Ego Stick destroyed it.

Among many bridges, the monster "coincidentally" tried to cross the bridge that Ego Stick "coincidentally" destroyed.

Is this... a coincidence?

A coincidence... twice?

Wait. Isn't it, logically speaking,

a coincidence... really?

[How is this a coincidence lol]

As the title of a post on a community site suggests, yes.

People began to consider the possibility that this was not a coincidence, but an intentional act.

Ego Stick, who, by destroying the bridge in advance, ultimately saved South Korea.

Attention began to focus on him.

Numerous speculations about him began to appear.

[S-class hero Apple Mango... I'm sorry for misunderstanding you until now T_T]

The theory that Ego Stick was actually a hero in a villain costume.

[Mango Gang, if you think he has precognition, it's really cool lol]

The theory that he has the ability to see the future.

[Isn't it obvious? He knew about the Hanin Group's actions through hacking and stopped it lol]

The theory that he deduced the Hanin Group's accident and preemptively stopped it.

The common feature of all those who view the Mapo Bridge collapse as an intentional act by Ego Stick is

that he caused the Mapo Bridge terrorist attack to save South Korea.

Until recently, Ego Stick was considered a villain who disgraced the nation, and those who supported him were branded as traitors to the nation.

But this changed overnight.

To the extent that you can feel it just by turning on YouTube.

[15 surprising facts about Ego Stick you didn't know.]

[In-depth investigation) Is Ego Stick a hero or a villain?]

[Survey results on Ego Stick among the MZ generation... 92% say "I like him," overwhelming support.]

[A petition to erect a statue of Ego Stick... How far does his popularity go?]

[The latest trendy item for 20-somethings at convenience stores? I tried Mango Stick myself.]

[Japanese Association President, finally in tears! "To think a villain like Ego Stick exists, South Korea is truly a blessed place." The diplomatic status of the South Korean government rises as the K-villain craze spreads worldwide!]

***

"Hello, this is the 9 PM news. Today, there is a villain who is currently a hot topic. We will start tonight's 9 PM news by looking into Ego Stick. Here is Dr. Jeon Won-bong, a professor of telekinesis at Seoul National University. Dr. Jeon, hello."

"Yes, hello."

"Recently, it's rare for a day to go by without mentioning Ego Stick. The number of members in the 'Mango Gang,' the nickname for his supporters, is increasing explosively. Why has he suddenly become so popular?"

"Yes, Ego Stick. He is a known villain with the dual abilities of telekinesis and teleportation, who has already caused four terrorist attacks and is quite well-known to the public. He has recently gained attention again due to the incident known as the 'Black Disaster.'"

"The Black Disaster, wasn't that caused by the Hanin Group? What does Ego Stick have to do with this incident?"

"Specifically, the bridge that Ego Stick destroyed in a terrorist attack played the biggest role in stopping this disaster. If the bridge had been there, the monster would have crossed it and advanced to the upper part of Seoul. In a sense, we can say that the disaster was averted thanks to Ego Stick."

"Ah, but wasn't that a perfect coincidence?"

"Netizens think differently. There are even rumors that he has precognition and destroyed the bridge in advance to save South Korea. The basis for this speculation seems to be the fact that the S-class hero Apple Mango, believed to be Ego Stick, stopped Monkey Spanner's terrorist attack in the past."

"Then, do you think differently, Dr. Jeon?"

"Yes. The idea that he has precognition is absurd. It's more likely that this was an incredible coincidence. However, personally, I believe that Ego Stick did stop it in advance, but not through precognition."

"What do you mean?"

"Perhaps he found out that something was being experimented with underground at the Hanin Group. That's what I think. Given his demonstrated hacking abilities, it's a plausible scenario...."

Beep.

Click.

Shin Hae-ru, who had been listening to this, turned off the TV.

There was no need to listen further.

She leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes, thinking slowly.

Ego Stick.

Privately killing other villains. Terrorist attacks where he told people to kill each other. A terrorist attack where he tied the train tracks and hit people. A terrorist attack where he threatened to drop a plane if a quiz was not answered correctly. A terrorist attack where he threatened to drop a bridge if money was not paid.

The numerous terrorist attacks he caused clearly define him as a villain.

However.

A terrorist attack where no one died. A warning not to expose one's identity. Suppressing a terrorist attack caused by his followers. Killing other villains. Sending a message of trust to save a plane. Stopping a terrorist attack as Apple Mango. Stopping a car from falling off a bridge.

And this time, stopping the disaster.

What does this mean in terms of defining him?

Well.

At this point, she had to admit it.

He is extreme, antisocial, arrogant, unpredictable, and kills other villains without hesitation.

He also causes terrorist attacks that threaten the public, and when he does intervene, he claims it's for his own amusement.

But in the end, when you look at the results,

he hasn't killed anyone, he has eliminated villains who threaten citizens' safety, and he has stopped terrorist attacks by provoking himself, mentioning himself, or just out of boredom.

"....."

She admitted it.

What?

She didn't know what to think anymore.

"Ha..."

Late at night.

The moonlight quietly shining through the window next to her house.

Beneath it, she only sighed in confusion.

She had been a hero for several years.

But no villain had ever confused her and made her so concerned as this one.

"Ego Stick."

She muttered his name without realizing it.

Ego Stick, what a ridiculous name.

But you.

What are you, exactly?

A villain, just a villain.

Why do you make me so concerned?