Chapter 64

EP.64 The Labyrinth Named Jihwa

"Swish, yes. I don't think I can enter. There's something black attached to the wall that prevents me from using darkness. It's also difficult to use Shadow Travel."

"I see. Wasn't that Dr. Kim Seon-woo? What exactly did he create...?"

"President, can't I go too? It's too dangerous for Haru to go alone!"

"Icicle, I already told you. It's too dangerous. Even if you have physical strength, you're vulnerable to ambushes, right? Entering in a state where you can't defend yourself is a gamble."

In the conference room at the top floor of the Association.

In that conference room, where only the Association President, three A-class heroes, and the highest-ranking officials were gathered, a heated debate was taking place.

"Whine... But then! It doesn't make sense for Haru to go alone, does it?"

"Ha... I kept opposing it. But Stardust kept insisting. Icicle, try to talk him out of it."

"Haru! Why are you suddenly going there? It's already sealed off, so there's no need to rush in, right?"

Looking at Seol-a, who was whining at her, Haru chose her words carefully for a moment.

Why she was going there.

There are many reasons.

"Seol-a, we don't know when the safety measures will fail and the monsters will escape. It's better to take care of it in advance. And we don't know if Han Group is hiding something else, so I'll try to gather some information."

"Sniff..."

Seeing Seol-a, who couldn't refute and was grumbling, Haru swallowed the rest of her words.

Actually, she didn't really want to go so urgently.

However.

Her strengthened power compared to before gave her the confidence that no matter what happened there, she could return unharmed.

And.

She was a bit anxious.

In fact, Shin Haru had a certain level of confidence.

She believed that she could handle almost all the villains in Seoul and prevent terrorism.

Indeed, she had apprehended and imprisoned all the villains except for Egoistic, and even managed to prevent the terrorism he caused.

That's why.

When she saw the disaster that occurred this time, she was greatly shocked.

If Egoistic hadn't been there, how many thousands of people would have died? It was terrifying to think about.

Therefore, she had to admit.

She was, in a way, useless compared to a mere villain.

A villain had practically solved a problem that she, a hero, couldn't.

Thinking about it, this wasn't the first time.

The terrorism caused by the villain Alligator Man last time would have caused even greater damage if Egoistic hadn't been there.

'This can't go on.'

She was actually a bit anxious.

A hero being worse than a villain? That can't happen.

At the very least, proper post-incident handling should be done to avoid disgracing the name of a hero.

"Still, wouldn't it be better to spend some time and then go...?"

To Icicle's timid suggestion, Shadow Walker, who was standing next to her, interjected.

"Anyway, as I saw when I entered, the deeper you go, the worse the signal gets, so there's no point in wasting time. If we're going to enter, it's better to do it quickly before it's too late..."

In the end, Icicle's final objection was dismissed, and she looked at Stardust with concern.

Stardust only smiled at Icicle, as if to reassure her.

Yes, Jihwa.

She would definitely uncover what Han Group had been up to there...

"Alright, let's plan this out."

Thus, the top floor of the Hero Association remained lit late into the night, as they discussed the upcoming operation to infiltrate Han Group's underground facility.

***

Deep underground in Seoul, in the meeting room of Ego-Base.

Under the flickering lights, I finished my explanation.

"...Below that, there's a dream creature called Behemoth that Han Group was researching. We're going to intercept it, starting tomorrow!"

After I finished speaking, the meeting room suddenly fell silent.

What? Why no reaction?

As I blinked, Hae-yul, who had been listening, finally spoke.

"Bro, aside from how you know about this, is it dangerous?"

Is it dangerous?

"Um... it might be a bit dangerous. Actually, I don't know much about what's inside."

In the original story, Han Group's underground facility wasn't described in detail.

Just that it was full of bizarre monsters, and Kim Seon-woo stole Behemoth from inside?

I'm a bit scared, but Hae-yul will heal me if something happens.

The most important thing is.

'Rocket Punch...'

I want to try the Black Rocket Punch too.

How long am I going to live with just a weak telekinesis?

Humans are supposed to take risks!

"...So, Bro, you're going to do this dangerous thing again?"

At that moment.

Seo-eun, who had been bowing her head, spoke quietly.

Wait, why does the meeting room feel so cold all of a sudden?

"No, no. I won't die. Ha ha."

As I scratched my head and said that, Seo-eun's hand, which had been clenched in a fist, started to tremble.

What is this ominous feeling?

"No!!!! Does Bro have any sense at all!!!! How can you throw your body around like that!!!"

Seo-eun suddenly slammed her fist on the table and got angry.

What, such a rude girl!

I desperately looked to Su-bin for help, but.

"...Da-in, you got hurt last time, and you're going to do it again this time?"

She looked at me with the same cold gaze and started to agree with Seo-eun.

Oh, no one to rely on!

In the end, I got a severe scolding.

Well, a person should be able to take risks.

You can't get big rewards by always taking the safe path. As a man, you should take risks, right?

Of course, saying that just got me more scolded.

Why does no one empathize with me?

If I get hurt, Hae-yul will heal me. I trust her.

...Will she heal me?

Anyway, I was allowed to go on the condition that I would take a camera, broadcast live, and keep communicating.

Isn't the leader of this organization me?

Why do I have to get permission?

Something felt off, but I decided to let it go.

Anyway, it's time to go tomorrow.

***

The next day at noon.

While people were enjoying their lunch, I was hiding at the site of the Han Group building collapse.

A hole like a sinkhole, visible among the debris of the collapsed building.

That must be where Behemoth burst out. It's truly massive.

...Of course, the Association quickly poured cement over it to seal it. Otherwise, all the monsters inside would have burst out. They did a good job.

Anyway, not far from there was an entrance leading to Han Group's hidden basement.

A place with several layers of shielding doors, located below the broken ground.

And in front of it, the Association's people were guarding it strictly to prevent anyone from entering.

They were patrolling in front with guns and sunglasses. Their suits and sunglasses made them look like Men in Black. But, whatever.

Whether they were patrolling or not, it didn't matter to me.

One teleportation and everything would be solved, right? Teleportation is awesome. It would be even better if there were no side effects.

After checking the situation for a moment, I teleported inside once I was ready.

The air changed instantly.

When I opened my eyes, I was in a musty underground area, even though I had been standing in bright sunlight a moment ago.

The light above was flickering on and off.

In that eerie atmosphere, a dark corridor stretched out in front of me. There must be monsters lurking inside.

Hmm. It's dark and there are monsters.

"..."

No, a professional villain can't be scared of such things.

I am Stardust's Arch Enemy. Of course, it's a self-proclaimed title, but still. I can't be afraid of such things.

I checked the bag I had prepared. Gun, bombs, camera, and snacks. Snacks are important.

Clothes... a black wizard's hat, black robe, and black cloak. Perfect all-black fashion. The finishing touch was a gray mask covering half my face. Good. Perfect.

After completing all the preparations, I turned on the camera and started the broadcast.

This kind of thing is best when broadcast live.

It wasn't a terrorist act, so I didn't hijack the broadcast, just streamed it on YouTube.

The chat window quickly filled with messages, despite the sudden broadcast.

[?????]

[What is this?????]

[Mango Stick! Mango Stick! Mango Stick! Mango Stick! Mango Stick! Mango Stick! Mango Stick! Mango Stick!]

[New broadcast, wowwwww]

[Is he a god of mango? Is he a god of mango? Is he a god of mango? Is he a god of mango? Is he a god of mango? Is he a god of mango?]

[Is this the broadcast of Apple Mango, the guardian of Seoul and an S-class hero?]

[Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you]

[It feels like it was only yesterday that he went missing for four months. Mango Stick is really a legend...]

[Did he know the Mapo Bridge would be destroyed like this? Explain]

[But where is this? Why is it so dark?]

[What crazy thing is he planning to do today? lol]

The number of viewers was rapidly increasing.

To them, I spread my arms in greeting.

"Hello everyone! Welcome to my Ego-Live!"

The Han Group bastards are definitely watching this.

Taste some of this.

The Association... well.

Since they were stubbornly refusing to open the shield, I'll be doing them a favor by taking out a few monsters on my way in. They should be happy, right?

***

"Damn! Can we contact Stardust now?"

"The signal is going, but he's not answering! Given the time that has passed, he must have gone too deep for communication to be possible."

"No, damn it! Why did he have to go in at this moment! Ah, now it doesn't matter whether we meet him there or not. I don't know. I'm so angry, get me some popcorn, secretary!"

".....Yes, President."

The President watched Egoistic's broadcast while munching on the popcorn brought by the secretary.

He was truly practicing the philosophy that if you can't avoid it, enjoy it.