Chapter 86

EP.86 Aftermath and Reactions

["How can the president of our country! Do such a thing to where our citizens are? Even I, a cruel villain, wouldn't do such a thing!"]

After Egostic's exposé video, which garnered tens of millions of views, hit the nation, the news kept running the same story.

"Since the villain Egostic's exposé, the president's approval rating has been falling daily. It has hit a constitutional low of 9%, causing a collapse in double-digit support..."

"The Hero Association President held an emergency press conference in public. The main point was that the president did indeed launch a missile with nuclear or near-nuclear power, and if it weren't for the efforts of Hero Stardust, thousands of citizens would have been killed."

"The President's office has taken steps to quell the situation. They clarified that it was a simple missile, not a nuclear one, but the public's reaction remains cold. Netizens responded with heightened emotions, saying, 'Is it a hydrogen bomb instead of a nuclear bomb? Isn't that the same thing?'"

"The government is facing its greatest crisis since its inception. Calls for the president's impeachment are being raised..."

"Separately, the Hero Association's approval rating continues to rise. Praise for the President's principled statements and Stardust's appropriate response is growing daily."

"Breaking news. Foreign media reports that the International Hero Association Federation is discussing the promotion of Korea's Hero Stardust to S-Class. Experts believe that this is due to the hero's performance in this battle. Unlike A-Class, which can be designated by the domestic association, S-Class requires approval from the international federation."

"Additionally, it is said that the villain Egostic is also being considered for promotion to S-Class. Unlike Stardust, whose discussion has just begun, Egostic has been under discussion since last month, and an official announcement is expected by the end of this month, according to an association official."

***

[Breaking: Egostic to be Promoted to S-Class Soon]

Article Link

=[Comments]=

[Finally]

[Why did it take so long?]

-[S-Class is judged by international organizations, I guess?]

[S-Class Hero King Mango is coming ㄷㄷㄷ]

[From this performance, he's definitely an S-Class Hero, right?]

*

[King Mango is a hero, and this is a fact written in the Goguryeo Watermelon Field]

No deaths, dozens of terrorist incidents, and I don't even know how many people he saved when you combine the bridge he destroyed last time and the robot kidnapping this time.

Hey, even after all this, if you still don't support Ego, you're ruthless, aren't you? Haha

=[Comments]=

[Honestly, as a Korean, shouldn't you support Mango?]

[LOL]

[Fact]

[I'm in my mid-thirties, and I've never seen a villain like this]

*

[How to Understand Egostic: Honey Tip]

Why the hell is a villain saving people? (X)

Oh! Egostic is a hero! (O)

=[Comments]=

[This is exactly it, hahaha]

[You really need to change your mindset]

[Why is a villain like this? (X) Oh, he's not a villain! (O)]

[Just...^Villain's Sidekick^]

-[Is this praise or an insult? Haha]

*

[The president is really quite despicable]

He saved Seoul from a giant mecha that the government couldn't stop, and instead of a commendation, he got a missile.

Are these people even human?

=[Comments]=

[Anyway, they can't kill him with instant teleportation, so they're just being jerks, hahaha]

[Hero-related matters should be handled by the association, not the government]

[But he's probably going to get it in the end, hahaha. His term is almost over, and he'll probably face a lame-duck period]

-[He should just be impeached, honestly, hahaha]

*

[Why did the Association President cut ties with the president so quickly?]

He just announced that it was a nuclear warhead.

Isn't the association supposed to cover for the government? Aren't they in a cooperative relationship?

=[Comments]=

-[The association and the government aren't very close. This government is characterized by seeing the association as a threat and exercising power checks. The association feels the same way]

[1. The president is like a sinking ship, so they're cutting their losses or delivering the final blow 2. They're trying to protect Stardust]

-[Personally, I think 2 is correct. If the president questions why Stardust stopped the missile, it would be difficult for the association. Theoretically, it was fired to eliminate a villain. So it's better to act before things get messy]

*

[King Mango revealed a chilling fact... Scary]

Everyone who has ever opposed Egostic

has fallen miserably ㄷㄷㄷ

Egostic... How deep is his potential...?

=[Comments]=

[Stardust: ???]

-[Ahahaha, his girlfriend is an exception, hahaha]

*

[Breaking: Electra Corps' Demise... Photos from the Previous Incident Released]

(Picture)

A photo of Egostic being caught in mid-air by Stardust, who is being carried princess-style, has been released hahaha

It's said that someone nearby took it with a telescope hahaha

Yeah hahaha, Egostic x Stardust hahaha

Has Egostic's heart already gone to Stardust? This is practically a fact now, isn't it?

=[Comments]=

[This is fake]

-[Fake theory, hahaha]

-[???: It's fake anyway]

-[Get a grip]

-[Can't accept reality, hahaha]

[Ha hahaha]

[Seriously, there's something going on between Egostic and Stardust, hahaha]

*

[Fact: Egostic has liked Stardust from the beginning]

The villain who left a note after killing another villain was Stardust

The hero he called after the first terrorist attack was Stardust

In short, everything is connected to Stardust

And this time, saving Stardust ㄷㄷㄷ

True love, right?

=[Comments]=

[Seriously, this is more than just a wild guess, it's a reasonable suspicion, hahaha]

[The authenticity of the photo is questionable, so it's a bit ambiguous]

[As an Egostic x Stardust supporter, I was filled with joy when Egostic called Stardust for the first time, hahaha]

*

[Stardust's popularity is skyrocketing]

The membership of the Stardust Fan Club has increased by 2000% compared to usual ㄷㄷㄷ

He seems to be the biggest beneficiary of this situation...

=[Comments]=

[Crazy hahaha]

-[As the first S-Class candidate in Korea... Seoul citizens were practically saved by him, so his popularity is sky-high]

-[If Egostic and Stardust get married, they'll be an S-Class couple, hahaha]

[The Stardust Fan Club manager is over the moon, giving out chicken to members and causing a commotion]

-[He's really in love, hahaha. He lives for Stardust]

[Honestly, the one-on-one battle with the giant mecha was a bit tough, hahaha]

*

[Youseong Corporation Donates Relief Supplies to Seoul Refugees]

Separately, they donated several billion ㄷㄷ

=[Comments]=

[Is Youseong Corporation involved? The chairman's granddaughter is Icicle, right?]

-[Yes, that's right]

[Goodwill towards Youseong Corporation, hahaha]

[With Han Group's collapse, Youseong Corporation is now the top company in Korea, and they seem to be managing their image]

-[Other companies are also merging and acquiring a lot, hahaha]

-[Buy their stock, it's going up endlessly, hahaha]

[The Youseong Group is secretly controlling Korea! And A-Class Hero Icicle is the mastermind!]

-[Hello, Mr. ㅇㅇ. This is the legal team of Youseong Corporation. If you do not delete this comment by 10 PM tonight, we will take legal action for spreading false information and defamation.]

-[Troll, hahaha]

***

Busan.

Youseong Group Headquarters.

Top floor.

While leaning back in a chair and petting a cat, a woman in a suit approached her.

"Miss Seol-a. The manipulation of public opinion is almost complete. This government is now beyond recovery. We have also reached a good compromise with the Association President."

"And how about that matter?"

"Yes. We successfully approached and recruited the next presidential candidate. He will now follow our orders."

"Good. Everything is going according to plan. Is there anything else?"

"...The chairman has announced that he will delegate all authority to President Seol-a."

"Finally. That's great."

She smiled slightly for the first time at the news and turned her chair back to face the window.

With her long sky-blue hair.

Holding and petting a white cat.

The woman, who is smiling brightly.

Is none other than Youseong Corporation's successor, the A-Class Hero Icicle, Lee Seol-a.

"Things should be settled now... Should I go see Hana?"

***

Deep in the mountains, a hidden mansion, known as the Egostic headquarters.

There, I was sitting at a desk with my hands folded, deep in thought.

It was me.

"....."

What am I thinking about?

The president? That's not my problem. He's just going to end up in hell in the original story anyway.

S-Class promotion? That was somewhat expected, and it happened in the original story, so it's not a big issue. Well, there is a problem, but I think I can solve it.

The conquest of Korea by Youseong Corporation, led by Lee Seol-a? I'm planning to get involved anyway, so it's fine.

What I'm really worried about is...

'Is this enough to pay off the debt?'

The face of Stardust, who smiled slightly and said that to me that day, keeps coming back to me.

This.

No matter how I think about it.

"Did she figure it out?"

I'm scared.